ben_
westergaard benwestergaard@gmail.com 608.852.4916 137 Derby Glen Drive Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
ben · west · er · gaard
[ben-west-uhr-gahrd] noun - An inquisitive, left handed, coffee drinking, midnight-oil-burning, turtle loving, spicy food eating, stick shift driving, burger craving, vinyl record playing, amateur photograph taking, sci-fi watching, bright eyed and bushy tailed Graduate Architect who loves to learn and connect the dots.
work experience_ Wallin Gomez Architects Ltd. / graduate architect / june 2012 - present Performs CD and CA tasks for Wendy’s restaurants as part of architect-of-record team. Addresses redlines and client-issued bulletins, and works closely with firm principal Don Wallin, team members, and outside consultants to rectify coordination issues and meet tight deadlines; meets the demands of this position for balacing close attention to detail and speed of production. Has developed a penchant for frosties. University of Illinois School of Architecture / teaching assistant + research assistant / august 2010 - may 2011 Taught lab sections for the 4th year concrete structures course using effective multi-modal communication (speaking, drawing, gesticulating wildly). Kennedy Hutson Associates / architectural intern / june 2010 - september 2010 Composed a design study for a phased multi-use development commissioned by The University Group, a local developer, under the direction of firm principal/owner Kennedy Hutson. Reacted with giddy excitement when the renderings were published in the local paper.
what i bring to the table_ key personal strengths -- creative thinker · critical thinker · comfortable taking a leadership role · able to support a leader and enrich a group experience · self motivated · strong work ethic · strong written communication skills · strong verbal communication skills · able to find information on the fly · able to ask for help · yearns to find the “whys” through exploration · eager to learn new skills. experienced in -- Autodesk Revit and AutoCAD · Google SketchUp · Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Acrobat · construction document creation · presentation document creation · architectural model building · Microsoft Office. I am visually and technologically oriented and ready to adapt to your production environment.
education_ Master of Architecture - University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign / september 2009 - may 2011
Graduated with 3.82 GPA, excelled in the academically rigorous Structures Option (comprehensive structural engineering background courses). B.S. Architectural Studies - University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign / september 2005 - may 2009 High School - Glenbard West High School, Glen Ellyn, IL / august 2001 - may 2005 Graduated with high honors, AP Scholar With Distinction award.
honors_ Chicago Award (aka Benn-Johnck Student Award) - Winner, 1st Place / 2011 Prize awarded by the Chicago chapter of the AIA recognizing design excellence among graduate level projects from regional architecture schools. Graduate Design Award - Winner, 1st Place / nominated by Botond Bognar, Edgar A. Tafel Chair / 2011 Graduate Design Award - Nominee / nominated by Paul J. Armstrong / 2010 Prize awarded by the UIUC School of Architecture that recognizes design excellence in graduate level studios. Teaching Assistantship Recipient / structures area Teaching assistants must show a proficiency in their studies, demonstrate academic rigor, and be outstanding communicators to successfully interface with their students in order to promote an atmosphere of learning. Gargoyle Honor Society / inducted 2010 Honor society recognizing academic excellence and proficiency in architecture and promotes an attitude of professionalism, responsibility, and service. Please explore my portfolio at http://issuu.com/benwest/docs/portfolio. References available upon request.