CHRISTOPHER
Architecture and Design Portfolio
CHRISTOPHER URBAN Resume
625 Monroe Street NE Apartment 522 Washington, DC 20017 70urban@cua.edu 412-266-2679 www.chrisurbandesign.com
Contact
Master of Architecture Master of Science in Sustainable Design The Catholic University of America Washington, DC | August 2014 - May 2016 GPA: 3.42/4.00 Emerging Media and Technology Concentration Teaching and Research Assistant Bachelor of Science in Architecture The Catholic University of America Washington, DC | August 2010 - May 2014 GPA: 3.43/4.00 President of CUA-USGBC Student Group Spring 2013 CUAbroad in Barcelona, Spain
Education
Architectural Design Intern HDR Architecture Alexandria, VA | June 2014 - August 2015 Performed tasks related to schematic design, design development, and construction documentation. Created drawings, 3D models, renderings, and presentations for design team and client reviews. Teaching and Research Assistant The Catholic University of America Washington, DC | January 2015 - May 2016 TA for Construction I and II, RA for the Assistant Dean for Administration Assisted with course planning, examinations, projects, and lectures. Evaluated student work and provided assistance for students. Worked with faculty to digitize and make available as a resource for students, former student Thesis projects. Summer Laborer Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority Wilkinsburg, PA | May 2011 - August 2013
Experience
AIA|DC Exhibition: March 2014 Professing Architecture: Connecting Architecture, Culture, Spirituality Senior Design project selected to be displayed at the District Architecture Center in Washington, DC CUA Senior Competition Studio: December 2013 The Catholic University of America Third Place in 2013 CUArch Senior Competition Studio The Boy Scouts of America: Eagle Scout Achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in 2010 Catholic University Dean’s List Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2013 President of CUA-USGBC Fall 2012 - Spring 2015 CUA-Agora: August 2014 Founding member of student organization Website design and management
Awards / Honors
Certificates Autodesk Building Performance Analysis Certificate (November 2015) Digital Proficiency Autodesk Software (AutoCAD, Revit, 3ds Max, Flow Design) Adobe Software (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects) 3D Model (Rhinoceros, SketchUp, Vray, Unity3D, 3D Printing) Analysis Tools (Revit Energy and Daylight Analysis, Ecotect, Energy Plus, Green Building Studio) Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook) Manual Proficiency Freehand Sketching Hand Drafting Physical Model Construction Diagramming Miscellaneous Elementary Spanish
Skills
UNDERGRAD
TABLE OF CONTENTS COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO Congressional Cemetery Spring 2014
INDUSTRIAL URBANISM
Master’s Thesis - (Work In Progress) Spring 2016
SOLITUDE, FRIENDSHIP, SOCIETY DC Resource Center for the Homeless Fall 2013
WELLNESS PAVILION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Tenleytown Fire Station No.20 Fall 2012
TERRAPIN CONSERVATION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
DESIGN FOUNDATIONS H Street Music Venue Spring 2012
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS
ANALOG DIGITAL
Energy Modeling and Sustainable Design Fall 2014 - Spring 2015
Analog/Digital Language and Vision Workshop Spring 2012
GRADUATE
PERSONAL
GRAPHIC DESIGN
TRAVEL SKETCHES
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
PROFESSIONAL WORK
HDR Architecture Summer 2014 & 2015
PROFESSIONAL
UNDERGRAD
PROJECTS - GRADUATE WORK COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO Congressional Cemetery Spring 2014
INDUSTRIAL URBANISM
Master’s Thesis - (Work In Progress) Spring 2016
SOLITUDE, FRIENDSHIP, SOCIETY DC Resource Center for the Homeless Fall 2013
WELLNESS PAVILION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Tenleytown Fire Station No.20 Fall 2012
TERRAPIN CONSERVATION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
DESIGN FOUNDATIONS H Street Music Venue Spring 2012
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS
ANALOG DIGITAL
Energy Modeling and Sustainable Design Fall 2014 - Spring 2015
Analog/Digital Language and Vision Workshop Spring 2012
GRADUATE
PERSONAL
GRAPHIC DESIGN
TRAVEL SKETCHES
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
PROFESSIONAL WORK
HDR Architecture Summer 2014 & 2015
PROFESSIONAL
INDUSTRIAL URBANISM
Master’s Thesis - (Work In Progress) Spring 2016
One of the most important topics in architecture today is the rapid urbanization of the world’s major cities. It is estimated that by the year 2050, nearly 80% of the population will live within city limits. Not only are these numbers unprecedented in history, but the dramatic spike in urbanization truly becomes apparent when this statistic is compared to data the past fifty years, when nearly 70% of the population lived in the suburbs. The trend of urbanization is not only being experienced by the largest cities such as New York and Tokyo, but also by smaller cities where the population increase is in many ways even more noticeable. The city of Pittsburgh, a “Rust Belt” city which until recently suffered from a huge economic collapse and devastating job loss, is today one of the most desirable cities for people of all ages (especially young millennials) to live in. As our cities densify and continue to grow in population, there is an obvious need for space to house the newcomers and growing population. But how will we feed this new, urban population, as our world shifts from rural to city living. This project attempts to tackle that question, through the conversion of the existing Pittsburgh Produce Terminal into a large scale aquaponics system, complete with a fish hatchery, a greenhouse, public gardens, and an agriculture and culinary school. The fish and food raised on the site could be sold in the popular markets within the Strip District, used to stock the city’s three rivers, and would also be used within the proposed culinary school for student training. The project, which stretches a full city block, represents the full cycle of food from growth to consumption and brings the ability to produce food directly into the limits of the city. The site is a working classroom for students and the public alike. While the students maintain and operate the food production, the public would be welcome for tours and classes, as well as to experience some of the nation’s best foods in the “incubation kitchen,” where a rotating roster of new and leading chefs would prepare meals for the public whilst simultaneously teaching students their methods of food preparation.
Critics: Eric Jenkins, Ann Cederna
WELLNESS PAVILION Tilghman Island
Access Road
Spring 2015
This project was one half of a two part project with the graduate Emerging Media and Technology studio at Catholic University. Throughout the project, we worked with private clients who possessed a plot of land in Tilghman Island, Maryland. Part one was a competition for a “wellness pavilion” addition to the existing vacation home already on the site. The clients were in need of a structure to house the exercise pool they had recently purchased as well as a spare guest room. While the site was situated directly on the Chesapeake Bay, we had to design within the 100 foot Bay Protection setback. The our team approached the design as a separate structure which would then give definition to a central “courtyard between the exiting home and the enclosed patio, which is grandfathered into the 100 foot setback zone. The building itself is intended to provided a connection to the landscape, featuring a large open space which opens out to the bay. The existing garage on the site would be preserved and recycled into the new project while a new roof structure would enclose the space. This project was selected as one of three finalists in the competition due to its contextual approach and modern take on the island’s architectural vernacular. Critics: Lavinia Fici Pasquina, Tim Bertschinger, John Nahra Team: Esther Garcia, Kevin Valentino
Existing Home Parking 2
1 3
4
WELLNESS PAVILION
5
“Courtyard”
Enclosed Patio
1. Sauna 2. Mechanical/Storage 3. Bathroom 4. Shower 5. Pool/exercise area 6. Yoga and Guest Room (Level 2)
SITE PANORAMA
PARTI SKETCH
EXISTING GARAGE
VIEW FROM HOUSE
“LINEAR PROGRESSION”
NEW ENCLOSURE
ENTRY TO SITE
PIER
FLOOD LINE GARAGE (REUSED)
PAVILION RENDERING
SOUTH ELEVATION
TILGHMAN ISLAND Terrapin Conservation Spring 2015
In part two of the Tilghman Island project, we were asked to develop a conceptual vision for the conservation of terrapin turtles, a species native to the Chesapeake Bay area that has experienced significant decline due to pollution, bay dredging, and a lack of protection from predators. Terrapins make their nests in sandy beaches surrounded by high grasses in order to lay eggs hidden from predatory animals. As Tilghman Island grew more populated, more and more prime nesting area was either eroded or purposefully destroyed. The concept for this project began with an elevated nature walk which would allow visitors to experience the incredible site without harming the landscape or the wildlife that lives there. Nesting grounds (inspired by the “church pews� at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania) would be constructed along the bay protected by the brackish pond and tall grasses native to the site. Team: Esther Garcia, Peter Miles
NATURAL GRASSES SANDY BEACH CHESAPEAKE BAY TURTLE NESTING
ELEVATED NATURE-WALK
INLAND GRASSES NATURAL INLAND POND
TREE LINE
The beautiful landscape of Tilghman Island is mostly occupied by either year-round residences or seasonal, private vacation homes. The site chosen for this project is fairly remote from the nearest tourist destinations. Due to this, the conservation center, which would house both conference space and laboratory facilities, would also offer a small hotel for visitors. The thirteen available rooms would offer tremendous views of the bay, but remain simple to encourage visitors to spend their time outside rather than inside their rooms.
On the second level, a Conservation Gallery overlooks the courtyard where the existing tree line and new nature walk split the building in two. Inside, the gallery would exhibit displays of the local wildlife and conservation efforts, featuring an interactive glass wall where visitors can learn about (in real time) the wildlife they see outside in the landscape.
The project caters to a number of different visitors from weekend vacationers, to conference attendees, and casual hikers or bicyclists. Various spaces throughout the building and site cater specifically to these individuals. The nature walk would start at either the daytime parking lot, hidden in the trees, or at the smaller overnight lot. From either of those locations, you can walk the path throughout the site and between the building, where you have the choice to either enter main lobby on the first level or continue on to the second level gallery.
The building’s position on the site is an attempt to minimize impact on the surrounding landscape while taking advantage of the spectacular views. Due to the openness of the site, specific attention was paid to the solar orientation of the project and a series of sun-shading “sails� were designed to shield the building from the hot evening sun.
WEST ELEVATION
EAST ELEVATION
EVENT SPACE (DAY)
EVENT SPACE (NIGHT)
LOBBY/CAFE
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
LEVEL ONE
LEVEL TWO
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS Energy Modeling and Sustainable Design Fall 2014 - Spring 2016
The Building Performance Analytics course combines the knowledge learned throughout the Masters of Science in Sustainable Design program at Catholic University into a one semester crash course in BIM analytical software. Primarily using Autodesk analysis tools, students learn how to analyze a site’s climate and conceptual building design and to use that analysis to develop and evaluate modifications to the design model. Throughout the course we developed a simple building using analysis tools in order to achieve a design with more sustainable potential that would operate more efficiently than the base building we were given. We were given a small, simple building and only permitted to make modifications that would not change the overall form. The analysis took part in multiple stages including climate studies, daylighting and solar radiation, wind flow, and artificial lighting. This analysis was used to make changes in the design that would eventually result in a lower whole building energy use intensity than the original building we were given.
Critics: Patricia Andrasik
UNDERGRAD
PROJECTS - UNDERGRADUATE COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO Congressional Cemetery Spring 2014
INDUSTRIAL URBANISM
Master’s Thesis - (Work In Progress) Spring 2016
SOLITUDE, FRIENDSHIP, SOCIETY DC Resource Center for the Homeless Fall 2013
WELLNESS PAVILION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Tenleytown Fire Station No.20 Fall 2012
TERRAPIN CONSERVATION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
DESIGN FOUNDATIONS H Street Music Venue Spring 2012
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS
ANALOG DIGITAL
Energy Modeling and Sustainable Design Fall 2014 - Spring 2015
Analog/Digital Language and Vision Workshop Spring 2012
GRADUATE
PERSONAL
GRAPHIC DESIGN
TRAVEL SKETCHES
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
PROFESSIONAL WORK
HDR Architecture Summer 2014 & 2015
PROFESSIONAL
COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO CONGRESSIONAL CEMETERY Spring 2014
The Aedis Mortis is located to the south of the cemetery, at the base of a steep slope. Therefore, two means of entry were required; one from the north and one from the more level east. The path splits into two when you reach the structure, allowing one to enter the covered ceremonial space, or to continue above this space and walk along the weathered corten steel wall.
The cemetery’s popularity as a recreational space made it important to design a space would allow an outdoor ceremony without an invasion of privacy. The elevated path would allow movement through the site without disrupting a ceremony taking place underneath.
Following the path along the corten wall would direct you across the site, with the expanse of the cemetery open to one side, and the corten wall to the other blocking the sights and sounds of the nearby highway. The path provides a flowing connection from the cemetery gates and the chapel at the center, to the new Memorial Hall at the eastern end of the cemetery.
CROSS SECTION
The Comprehensive Building Design Studio (CBDS) is the culmination of the undergraduate experience for architecture students at the Catholic University. The studio is intended to introduce students into the working environment, placing them into teams of four and working alongside both studio critics and consultants from local architectural firms (in the case of this project: RTKL). The team is challenged to see a project through schematic design and to develop a basic design development package complete with construction details and MEP information. During this experience, working as a team is essential and students quickly learn the challenges and benefits of collaborative design. The project itself was composed of two structures within Washington DC’s Congressional Cemetery. The “Aedis Mortis” seen here to the left, was provides an covered ceremonial space for the outdoor funerals. The location chosen for the space, a more secluded area of the cemetery, led us to design a curving structure second structure which suggests movement from the center of the cemetery to the second structure, the “Aedificium Memoriarum.” This building, shown on the following page, provides spaces for a variety of users. The majority of the building consists of facilities for the preservation and maintenance of the cemetery, while a large hall at the center would be used for funeral receptions or other events. The cemetery also acts as a park, a surprisingly popular place for area residents to exercise or walk their pets. Therefore, parts of the program also include a small cafe, and a gallery where exhibits could include artifacts of the famous individuals buried there or artist exhibits. AEDIFICIUM MEMORIARUM
AEDIS MORTIS
Design Team: Michael Field, Sophia Finnegan, Jack Girardi Critics: David Shove-Brown, George Dove Consulting Architecture Firm: RTKL
COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO Aedis Mortis Spring 2014
COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO Aedificium Memoriarum Spring 2014
LONGITUDINAL SECTION
CROSS SECTION
LEVEL TWO PLAN
VIEW FROM CEMETERY GROUNDS
ROOF DECK AND FINN DETAIL
WEST ELEVATION
SOLITUDE, FRIENDSHIP, SOCIETY DC Resource Center for the Homeless Fall 2013
It is undeniable that homelessness is an epidemic that our society faces today. Yet many homeless individuals are still denied the help they need to support themselves and improve their lives. Homeless shelters of the past have even been termed “warehouses for people” due to their tendency to pack many people into a big open space with little privacy, often in an old, unappealing building. This project attempts to “disrupt” that notion, by providing housing for homeless individuals along with the resources they require, in a more attractive facility right at the heart of Washington, DC’s popular Chinatown. The housing units themselves are simple and modest, but they only provide space for one-hundred individuals (a very small portion of DC’s homeless population). Therefore, the project centers around the “resource center,” which opens up onto H Street directly across from the Chinatown metro stop. This center is open to all homeless, as well as other members of the public. The ground level invites people to come in from the city streets and enjoy recreational activities such as pool or ping pong. Within the same volume of space are a series of terraced “learning zones,” including a small library, an art studio, and a lounge space. While the center provides necessities you would find at other shelters, such as a soup kitchen and shower facilities, it also features more humanizing spaces where one can enjoy privacy and reflection, namely the meditation pavilion. This pavilion, recessed into the small courtyard, allows one to escape the loud and busy streets and to enjoy either silent solitude or a quiet moment with a friend or a group. The driving concept behind the meditation space and the overall design was inspired by Henry David Thoreau’s words from Walden Pond: “I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, and three for society.”
2013 Walton Critic: Claudio Silvestrin CUA Critics: Randal Ott, Julio Bermudez
SOLITUDE, FRIENDSHIP, SOCIETY DC Resource Center for the Homeless
MEDITATION PAVILION
LOBBY/RESOURCE CENTER
INTERIOR VIEW (KITCHEN AND “LEARNING ZONES”
LEVEL 1
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 5
LEVEL 6
LEVEL 7
MEDITATION PAVILION (INTERIOR)
“I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.” -Henry David Thoreau
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT Tenleytown Fire Station No.20 Fall 2012
BETHESDA MARYLAND
LIVING (PRIVATE)
APPARATUS BAY
LOBBY & PUBLIC SPACES
SILVER SPRING
METRO EXIT
ALBEMARLE STREET
SPATIAL ARRANGEMENT
PUBLIC LIBRARY
IN NS
CO WIS
CIRCULATION
AVE
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
WISCONSIN AVENUE FACADE
PUBLIC ROOF GARDEN
APPARATUS BAY VIEWING PLATFORM
The firetruck is an essential element for the safety of our cities and it’s people. For children, however, it is more than a life-safety device that signals emergencies. Children often dream of becoming a firefighter when they grow older, enamored by the flashing lights and screaming sirens. Firefighters themselves, often view their position as one that enables them to give back to and be a part of the community the serve, and rightfully so. Thus, community engagement was the concept for Tenleytown Fire Station No. 20. The unique corner site was both a challenge and a great opportunity, allowing the design to take advantage of the adjacent public library and American University metro stop. The central element of the design is a public portal that passes directly through the building, leading one from the highly trafficked Wisconsin Avenue, to the raised green roof alongside Albemarle Street. As the portal passes through the building, there is a lookout point where one has an aerial view of the apparatus bay where the engines are housed. The public green roofs allows space for public recreation and events such as community movie nights or small plays.
Critic: Ann Cederna
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Tenleytown Fire Station No.20 Fall 2012
DESIGN FOUNDATIONS H Street Music Hall Spring 2012
The design for H Street Music Hall was completed during the first building design studio at the Catholic University. As none of the students had previously designed a building, we began the semester with a series of fundamental design projects, including model studies of spacial phenomena such as “light vs dark” or “open vs closed.” The last of these projects included a thorough study of a “master architect,” documenting their design ideology behind one of their projects. For this assignment, my partner and I explored Aldo Rossi’s Teatro del Mondo through a series of hand drafted drawings including plans, sections, elevations, axons, and diagrams. The analysis centered around Rossi’s use of structure as a threshold between inside and outside, as well as the tectonic language used throughout the design. We then each developed our own parti diagrams and models for a small music venue to be sited along H Street in Washington, DC. The parti design was developed into a final design for the venue, whose tectonic language was inspired and related to the Teatro del Mondo. Critic: Jeffery Roberson Precedent analysis completed with Kevin Valentino
ANALOG DIGITAL
Analog/Digital Language and Vision Workshop Spring 2012
The Analog/Digital Language and Vision Workshop (ADLV) was a four day charrette led by CUA professor Julio Bermudez and Texas Tech professor Bennett Neimen. The workshop was an exploration into the strategies and methods of collaborative design and design representation in both the analog(manual) and digital(computational) realms. One the first day, each student was placed into a team of three and asked to photograph the contents of their refrigerator without rearranging any items. The remainder of the process continued with a vague assignment such as this without any indication of where the assignment would lead. This forced students to focus on the task at hand and not to make decisions based on some other knowledge of what would come next. Students arranged the photos they had taken into collages, diagrammed these collages, and then used the diagrams to composed three-dimensional reliefs of what was to become one final threedimensional construction. The abstract nature of the process resulted in an abstract form which evoked ideas of spacial elements, rather than focusing on a building construction as a young student might be inclined to produce.
Critics: Julio Bermudez, Bennett Neimen
UNDERGRAD
PROJECTS - PROFESSIONAL COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO Congressional Cemetery Spring 2014
INDUSTRIAL URBANISM
Master’s Thesis - (Work In Progress) Spring 2016
SOLITUDE, FRIENDSHIP, SOCIETY DC Resource Center for the Homeless Fall 2013
WELLNESS PAVILION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Tenleytown Fire Station No.20 Fall 2012
TERRAPIN CONSERVATION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
DESIGN FOUNDATIONS H Street Music Venue Spring 2012
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS
ANALOG DIGITAL
Energy Modeling and Sustainable Design Fall 2014 - Spring 2015
Analog/Digital Language and Vision Workshop Spring 2012
GRADUATE
PERSONAL
GRAPHIC DESIGN
TRAVEL SKETCHES
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
PROFESSIONAL WORK
HDR Architecture Summer 2014 & 2015
PROFESSIONAL
PROFESSIONAL WORK HDR Architecture Summer 2014 & 2015 Schematic Design Solar Analysis & Rendering
UNDERGRAD
PROJECTS - PERSONAL WORK COMPREHENSIVE BUILDING DESIGN STUDIO Congressional Cemetery Spring 2014
INDUSTRIAL URBANISM
Master’s Thesis - (Work In Progress) Spring 2016
SOLITUDE, FRIENDSHIP, SOCIETY DC Resource Center for the Homeless Fall 2013
WELLNESS PAVILION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Tenleytown Fire Station No.20 Fall 2012
TERRAPIN CONSERVATION Tilghman Island Spring 2015
DESIGN FOUNDATIONS H Street Music Venue Spring 2012
BUILDING PERFORMANCE ANALYTICS
ANALOG DIGITAL
Energy Modeling and Sustainable Design Fall 2014 - Spring 2015
Analog/Digital Language and Vision Workshop Spring 2012
GRADUATE
PERSONAL
GRAPHIC DESIGN
TRAVEL SKETCHES
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
PROFESSIONAL WORK
HDR Architecture Summer 2014 & 2015
PROFESSIONAL
GRAPHIC DESIGN Selected Works
Throughout my experiences in architectural design I have fostered an appreciation for and aspiration to create quality and thoughtful designs in all aspects of arts and graphics. The projects shown here are a variety of works I have recently produced, both related to and divorced from architecture. Each project on this page utilizes a variety of methods and software to create the composition. Below is a logo design for a conceptual design firm, which I have adopted as the logo for my personal website, inspired by the traditional “figure-ground� plan. The next project is takes a previous studio project and re-imagines the landscape around it. Both renderings are created from collaged images of various locations. Also included are spreads from a short magazine article, a poster for a rock concert, and an info-graphic pertaining to recent trends in population shift from suburban to urban areas. While my education is in architectural design, I enjoy working in many forms of design and media including graphic displays and animation.
TRAVEL SKETCHES
Freehand Drawing
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
TIBIDABO STAIRCASE: BARCELONA, SPAIN
BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION WASHINGTON, DC
CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME: PARIS, FRANCE
STREET LAMPS: BARCELONA, SPAIN
THANK YOU CHRISTOPHER
Architecture and Design Portfolio Cover Photo: “The Colosseum” Rome, Italy by Chris Urban