PORTFOLIO DECLAN MACKEN ASSORTED WORKS 2015 - 2017
1
Contents
I About Me II Curriculum Vitae
III
Thesis: A Process of Building in Time
IV
Fragment and Coherence: City Rooms
V
Alteration and Intervention: Quin Abbey
3
DECLAN MACKEN
Address
6726 52nd Rd Flushing NY 11378
Contact
declan.macken@gmail.com +347 573 5358
BIOGRAPHY I’m a 25 y ea r o ld a rc h i t e c t u r e g r a d u a t e f r om L o ng fo r d , I r e l and and have r e ce nt l y mo ve d t o N ew York. I w as born in B ro o kly n a n d a m a U .S c i t i z e n b ut I mo ve d t o I r e l and at an e ar l y ag e . I am an a mbit io u s, e n e r g e t i c , f oc u s e d a n d e x t r e me l y har d w o r k i ng p e r so n. I have many ho b bies a nd I e njoy be ing bu sy . My i nte rest in t he fi e l d of a r c h i t e c t u r e wa s d e ve l o p e d at an e ar l y ag e , I w as e x p o se d t o b ui l ding sites and arc h it ect u ra l dr a wi n g s t h r ou g h m y f a t h e r s r o o fi ng b usi ne ss. I w o r k e d my w ay up fr o m ha nding h i m tools t o ev ent u a l l y wor k i n g c om p l e t e l y aut o no mo usl y. I d e ve l o p e d a p assi o n fo r co nst r uction a nd w e nt on t o w o rk in s e ve r a l ot h e r r e l a t e d fie l d s such as t i mb e r fr ami ng , co ncr e t e shut t e r i ng , fi rst a nd s ec ond fi x ing a nd br i c k l a yi n g . T h r ou g h wor ki ng i n t he se t r ad e s I d e ve l o p e d an e x t e nsi ve k nowledge of the c onst ru ct io n ind u s t r y. T h i s k n owl e d g e h as b e ne fi t t e d me t r e me nd o usl y w i t h my ap p r o ach to a rchite c ture, kno w ing ho w m a t e r i a l s a n d s t r u c t u r e s b e have i s cr uci al t o t he d e si g n and d e t ai l i ng of a rchite c ture.
INTERESTS & HOBBIES I am pas sio na t e a bo u t m u s i c a n d t r a ve l l i n g . I p l ay t he g ui t ar , b ass, d r ums and a l i t t l e k e yb o a rd a nd h ave pl a y ed in sev er a l b a n d s ove r t h e ye a r s . I at t e nd al o t o f l i ve p e r fo r mance s acr o ss al l g e nres of musi c and I rea d a nd l i s t e n t o c r i t q u e s of p o p ul ar musi c. I l ove to t ra v el a nd I h a ve vi s i t e d 3 2 c i t i e s a c cr o ss 19 co unt r i e s as w e l l as havi ng l i ve d and w orked in London, New Y o rk, C h i c a g o, D u b l i n , G a l wa y and L i me r i ck i n t he p ast . I n t he summe r o f 2017 I ba ckp ac ke d a cro ss E u ro p e f or 4 we e k s , e x p e r i e n ci ng many d i ffe r e nt cul t ur e s and g ai ni ng i nval ua ble life e x pe ri e nce a lo ng t he wa y.
CURRICULUM VITAE PERSONAL STATEMENT I a m a dri v e n an d e x t r e m e l y h a r d wo r k i n g p e r s o n a n d w i l l e n d e a v o r t o n o t o n l y m e e t , b u t e x ce e d ex pe c ta t i o n . I h av e re a l l i f e e x p e r i e n c e i n t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n i n d u s t r y w h i c h h a s b e c o m e i n c r e asing l y r a re a m o n g s t a rc h i t e c t u re g ra d u a t e s a n d I b e l i e v e t h i s c o m b i n e d w i t h m y t e c h n i c a l a n d d e si gn s k i l l w i l l m ak e m e a n i m p o r t a n t a s s e t t o y o u r o f fic e .
COMPUTER SKILLS
EXPERIENCE
AutoCAD
SUBCONTRACTOR
Photos h o p
Green Air Technologies | Aug 17 - Jan 18
Ind e s i gn Illus t rator
With Green Air Technologies I worked on a wide range of projects
Sket ch u p
including the restoration of a 400 year old estate house, various other
Vray
restoration projects, installation of solar panels as well as plumbing works.
Vector wo r ks Revi t
SKILLED LABORER
Rhi n o
Sean Maguire Construction | May 16 - Sep 16
M i c ros of t O f f i c e
In the summer of 2016 I worked as a laborer in a concrete business in Chicago. With guidance from the project manager I helped to excavate
EDUCATION
and prepare sites for concrete as well as pouring and finishing of the concrete.
University
Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) University of Limerick 2.1 honours 2011-2017
Secondary School
Moyne Community School Leaving Certificate 2005-2011
PART I ARCHITECT Gibberd Architects | Mar 15 - Sep 15 I com ple te d m y part I archite ctural e xpe rie nce i n Lon d on wi th Gibbe re d Archite cts. I was im m e diate ly give n huge resp onsi bility and unde r guidance from an associate , I worked as proje ct archite ct for a ÂŁ10 m illion re side ntial project through its construction stage . I coordinate d with M&E and structural e ngine e rs, atte nde d site m e e tings and produced constructi on
REFERENCES
drawings using autoCAD and REVIT throughout.
Finton Kearns | CEO at Green air Technologies fkearns@greenairtechnologies.ie | +353 86 047 1053
SUBCONTRACTOR Advantage Timber Systems | Aug 14 - Jan 15
Peter Carroll | Design Professor at University of Limerick peterfcarroll@ul.ie
A f ter comp l eti n g 3 y ears of my arch i tectural e duca tio n I took a y ear out to g ai n ex p eri en ce. I mov ed to L o ndo n a nd
John Mitham | Managing Partner at Gibberd Architects
f or th e firs t 5 mon th s I worked as a s ub contra cto r e re cting ti mb er f rame res i d enti al p roj ects , I t g av e me a cha nce to
j.mitham@gibberd.com
l earn th e ci ty as wel l as i n v al uab l e cons tructi on e xpe rie nce s eei n g th e comp l eti on of a b ui l d i ng f rom s tart to fi nish.
Portfolio of works and further references available upon request
5
Thesis Synopsis The focus of the thesis research revolved around architecture’s relationship with time. Specifically, the notion that the effect of passing time will eventually reduce everything on earth to rubble, which is commonly referred to as entropy or the second law of thermodynamics. My argument is this; modern architecture, for the most part has endeavored live forever in immortality when every-
thing we know tells us this is impossible, this is not never-never land. Architecture should be more responsive to the effects of time and the natural life and death of things.
Project Synopsis The project attempts to channel the conceptual thinking derived from the thesis through an understanding and empathy towards its natural environment and the ever-constant force of passing time.The programme is housing, located on a flood plain on the opposite side of the River to the city centre. The site strategy makes use of the natural flooding of the site; by harness-
ing the river and controlling how water enters the site, a wetland park is created that also serves as a mediation zone for reedbed systems of waste water filtration. The project is designed in layers of permanence and scale; a more permanent foundation and framework are provided into which residents construct their homes. 7
Section through basement, undercroft and dwelling units. Original scale 1:50
9
S R
Q
P N
M
L K J H
G F
E D C
B A Basement plan setting out drawing. Original scale 1:200
3 4
5 6
7 8 9 10
11 12
13
14
11
Level 5 circulation plan with accompanying unit types. Original scale 1:200 and 1:50
13
15
Plan of Limerick city and surrounding landscape
Fragment and Coherence: City Rooms For this semester long project we were tasked with designing a scheme to fit within the confines of a selected city block, the architectural intention being to occupy and alter the existing fabric to fit the needs of the brief. The block itself is in a deteriorating state with all but one of the buildings on henry street being unoccupied, an unfinished multi-storey office block in the centre and while the shop fronts of the georgian town houses on O’connell street are occupied, the upper floors are not. The program was to be an archive/garden for the city which included a curated closed archive shielded from direct sunlight, a pubilc open archive, a public garden for the city with accompanying cafe space and internal public space as well as offices for researchers, amongst other spaces. In response to the brief, the project is occupied mostly in the concrete skeleton that was to be an office block. The first move is to reduce the size back down to the scale of the context by knocking off the top 2 levels. The archive spaces are contained below and above the ground plane, which frees up the centre of the block to become a public garden. The unoccupied building to the far right of henry street is demolished, further opening up the block. The remaining beautiful brick buildings on Henry street are utilized as office and gallery spaces.
Axonometric drawing of existing condition on site
17
Above: Rendered elevation of Henry street displaying eclectic mix of architectural styles
Below: (from left to right) Basement plan, Ground level plan, First floor plan, Second floor plan
19
Exploded isometric drawing showing site, scheme and selected buildings
300mm x 45mm Precast concrete capping Drainage channel, 1:40 fall to downpipe
Roof Construction -Topsoil -Drainage/Protection mat -Bitumen roofing felt, 2 layers -Screed laid to falls -Thermal insulation -Vapor Barrier -Reinforced concrete slab
60mm 35mm 75mm 150mm 350mm
Double glazed Aluminium window of modular proportion: 600mm, 1200mm, 1800mm.
Floor Construction -Concrete screed stained black and polished finish. - Rigid insulation. -Existing reinforced concrete slab
50mm 75mm 150mm 350mm
Wall Construction -Non load-bearing, single leaf recycled brick cladding - Wall Cavity -Rigid foil backed thermal insulation -Timber stud wall with studs at 400mm centers infilled with rockwool insulation -Sound-absorbent plaster -Gypsum board
50mm 65mm 125mm 12mm 12.5mm
Reinforced concrete column, arched to support added weight at edge of slab
Sectional detail drawing. Original scale 1:10
21
Alteration and Intervention: Quin Abbey Quin abbey has a long and turbulent history, originally built in the 12th century, it was burned down in 1278 by the Norman army invading Ireland, who then built a castle in its place. By 1350 the castle, now a ruin, was rebuilt into a church by the Macnamara clan, an Irish family of significant wealth and power. Over the course of the next 400 years or so the castle was burned by the invading English serveral times until in eventually was never repaired. The challenge with this project was to make an architectural intervention in the abbey so as to enhance the aesthetic, functionality or draw attention to or focus the eye on a particular moment. The moment I felt that carried the most significance was the cloister. Originally built to bring light into the depth of the building, the cloister functions as a large lightwell. It may have grass but was never intended to be walked in, there is no entrance. By lime rendering the external walls of the cloister as they once would have been, more light will be reflected into the surrounding ambulatories. This combined with digging down to the bedrock gives more surface area for light to reflect and by polishing the limestone bed; giving it a dark black appearnece, will serve as a celebration of light and dark.
A
B B
A A
B
Perspective section drawing through cloister with proposed lime render and excavated core with polished limestone bedrock
25
Concrete and plaster model of cloister and ambulatories at 1:50 scale
27
Thank you for your interest.
E: declan.macken@gmail.com T: +347 573 5358