Portfolio of Design Works | Elias Kotzambasis by Elias Kotzambasis

Elias Kotzambasis Portfolio of Design Works

ELIAS KOTZAMBASIS ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

CONTACT C ONTACT

EDUCATION

+1(716)512-3666 ekotzambasis@gmail.com New York, NY issuu.com/eliaskotzambasis

Bachelor of Science in Architecture (May 2017) University at Buffalo, The State University of New York | Buffalo, NY

HONORS & AWARDS

WORK EXPERIENCE

2020 Featured Works: Intersight 22

Architectural Designer (December 2019 - Current) Acheson Doyle Partners Architects | New York, NY

2019 Featured Thesis: UB Seen 2019 Featured Works: Intersight 21 2018 1st Place, NOMA Student Design Competition 2018 AIA Buﬀalo Western New York Scholarship 2017 UB Chair’s Scholarship for Design Excellence

ORGANIZATIONS American Institute of Architects, Associate Member National Organization of Minority Architects, Member American Institute of Architecture Students UB 2018-19 President, 2017-18 Vice President National Organization of Minority Architecture Students 2018-19 Competition leader & Vice President

EXPERIENCES 2019 Thesis Publication: Transitory Skin 2019 Cages Exhibition: Anderson Gallery 2018 Architectural Ceramic Assemblies Workshop 2016 Madrid Study Abroad Program 2015 Projects Featured NAAB Accreditation 2014 OSHA 10 Certiﬁcation

Participating in the design and documentation of historic restoration, renovation, and new build projects for a variety of building types including educational, historic, residential, and religious. Notable projects are the design of a new high school building for Evergreen Charter Schools (N. Hempstead, NY); a phased interior and exterior renovation of the All Hallows High School (Bronx, NY); and the NYC Landmarks approved historic restoration of the Mt. Zion Church (New York, NY). Producing graphic representation for all design phases including full Construction Document sets. Producing submission packages in response to RFPs and RFQs for organizations including the National Park Service, SUNY Construction Fund, and NYC DDC.

Project Manager (June 2014 - November 2019) A-1 Construction & Painting Inc. | Buffalo; Rochester; Syracuse, NY Prepared bids for commercial, residential, and government clients; including NYS Oﬃce of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, NYS Thruway Authority, and SUNY. Performing skilled labor on site for interior and exterior rehabilitation projects including the Knox Farms Mansion and the Barnes Hiscock Mansion exterior historic restorations (SHPO approved). Performing construction administration and project management services on complex projects including a 1.2 million dollar, 18 building multi-family residential exterior renovation project for the Rochester Housing Authority.

Graduate Teaching Assistant (April 2017 - May 2019) University at Buffalo, The State University of New York | Buffalo, NY Supervised and managed the design, fabrication, and installation of full-scale design-build projects on multiple sites. Organizing and planning daily assignments and studio activities for a 12-20 student design studio. Contributed to the pedagogical strategies implemented in the freshman studio courses ARC 101 & ARC 102. [4 studio courses total]

Architectural Extern (January 2020 - February 2020) FXCollaborative | New York, NY

SKILLS S KILLS

Master of Architecture (May 2019) University at Buffalo, The State University of New York | Buffalo, NY

Software

Fabrication

Autocad Excel Grasshopper Illustrator Indesign Lumion Render Photoshop Premier Revit Rhino 3D Sketchup Vray Render

3D Printing CNC Milling Concrete Ceramics Model Making Laser Cutting Paper Making Waterprooﬁng Woodworking Plasma Cutting Metalworking

Producing graphic representation for SD and DD phases, including plans, sections, elevations, site analysis, zoning diagrams, shadow studies, 3D models, and area summaries. Projects include a new high-rise oﬃce proposal (New York, NY); a new movie studio proposal (Jersey City, NJ); a new highrise mixed-use proposal (Washington, D.C.).

Architectural Designer (September 2017 - May 2018) Hume Projects | Buffalo, NY Designing proposals for a single family lake house on lake Ontario in western New York. Producing graphic representation for SD and DD phases including orthographic drawings and diagrams.

Architectural Designer (March 2017 - March 2018) Anthony James Architect | Buffalo, NY Drafting construction documentation for renovation and extension projects on residential and industrial buildings. Designing retroﬁt proposal and documenting existing building conditions.

Contents Evergreen Charter School 1-4

Garlapo House 5-8

Roots 9-12

Pulp Shell 13-16

Helix 17-20

Rhythmic Filtration 21-24

Blurred Boundaries 25-28

ReFlexion 29-32

Triangular Gradation 33-36

Porcelain Shoji Screen 37-40

Evergreen Charter School Team: James Black Location: North Hempstead, NY In January 2020, the Evergreen School approached ADP to design a new high school building on a group of residential sites half of a mile from the existing elementary-middle school. With the client’s need for an expansive program on a tightly bound site that had constraining zoning restriction, the initial goal of the project was to provide an extremely efficient scheme that maximized the site. The U shaped building gives the potential for a full window-wall in each classroom and allows for an elevated courtyard space which can be used for exterior gatherings and brings additional light into the first floor of the building. Double-loaded corridors are utilized to reduce the amount of space used for circulation, maximizing the educational spaces.

Classroom Rendering

175' - 0"

56' - 0"

East Elevation

37 - 6".

81' - 6".

Courtyard Rendering

30' - 0"

34' - 0" 62' - 6"

24' - 0"

DANCE CLASS 225 1807 SF

3RD GRADE CLASS 222 700 SF

SCIENCE LAB 226

30' - 0"

3RD GRADE CLASS 224

4TH GRADE CLASS 207 700 SF

5TH GRADE CLASS 208 700 SF

4TH GRADE CLASS 209 700 SF

SPECIAL EDUCATION & ENL 210 1160 SF

4TH GRADE CLASS 211 700 SF 4TH GRADE CLASS 212 700 SF

CORRIDOR 328 2466 SF

RESTROOM 213 442 SF

RESTROOM 216 374 SF

20' - 0" 20' - 0"

5TH GRADE CLASS 206 700 SF

20' - 0"

COURTYARD 229

5TH GRADE CLASS 205 700 SF

6' - 0"

GYM BELOW 101

5TH GRADE CLASS 204 700 SF

20' - 0"

103' - 6"

20' - 0"

6TH GRADE CLASS 203 700 SF

20' - 0"

36' - 0"

20' - 0"

6' - 0"

13' - 0"

35' - 6"

3RD GRADE CLASS 221 700 SF

3RD GRADE CLASS 220

4TH GRADE CLASS 219

700 SF

3RD GRADE CLASS 223 700 SF

700 SF

4TH GRADE CLASS 218 700 SF

20' - 0"

35' - 0"

30' - 8"

2nd Floor Plan

Garlapo House Team: Matt Hume, Thomas Horvath Location: 6377 East Lake Road, Burt, NY The Garlapo house is located within a secluded wooded property on the southern front of lake Ontario. The home was originally a small hunting cottage which was extended in 1975, and later purchased by David Garlapo as a family retreat. The goal of the rehabilitation project was to open up the home to the lake view and provide additional living space for the family. This was done by completely demolishing the northern half of the home and replacing the previous single story shallow roof with a two story gabled roof. The lake-facing facade, which previously had an 8’ tall face with small windows, had been replaced with a 20’ window wall providing an in-interrupted view to the lake and bringing diﬀused northern lighting to the interior. The second ﬂoor balcony has also been extended to provide a gathering space for the children of the family to play and enjoy the view.

Interior Rendering

East & South Elevations

Interior Photograph

1st & 2nd Floor Plans

Roots Team: William Baptiste, Xuecheng Ca, Liangying Chen, Joenette Cobb, Unati Patel, Evan Martinez, Location: 63rd Street Station, Chicago IL Competition: 2018 National Organization of Minority Architects Student Design Competition Result: 1st Place Roots is a food-centered transit oriented development which aims to connect the many parts of the Woodlawn community and enable its growth. The Woodlawn neighborhood is considered to be a food desert and residents within the neighborhood have diet-related health issues at rates 13% above national averages. Roots has been designed with the goal of providing employment, health services, education programs and housing at the heart of the Woodlawn neighborhood. Using urban agriculture to generate jobs and access to fresh food, which consequently can help to improve the lives of local residents. Located on the Metro commuter line, Roots becomes a destination where people can work, buy fresh produce, shop, eat, and exercise. ROOTS introduces gardens, markets, restaurants and places to eat. These facilities are located alongside a trade school that hosts educational opportunities centered around food and agriculture to enable people of all ages, abilities, and interests to work and learn.

Courtyard Rendering

Form Evolution

East-West Section

Greenhouse Rendering

1st Floor Plan

Roof Plan

Pulp Shell Team: Eric Chambers, Cody Wilson Faculty: Georg Rafailidis Term: Fall 2017 This project explored the potential of cellulose based materials as sustainable solutions to temporary built works. Pulp Shell is a cardboard-specific Catalan vault, which uses cardboard as both form and formwork. The waffle grid structure was cut from 4’x8’ sheets of cardboard, the offcuts were then ground into pulp and turned to tiles using a custom vacuum former. These tiles formed the base layer of the vault. After this the waffle grid was slowly removed and processed into pulp which was applied to the exterior of the vault using a texture sprayer. This pulp acted as the mortar in the vault system, holding the tiles together and helping to resist both compressive and lateral forces. The formwork is added to the shell in its entirety, leaving no material waste. The final result of the experiment was a shell, under 1/4in thick, spanning 13’ in width and standing 5’ tall. After the temporary structure is no-longer needed, the materials can be used to construct other shells, recycled back into cardboard, or left outside to dissolve into the soil.

Exterior Photograph

Vaulted Surface

Waffle Grid Formwork

Study Model Connection Detail

Study Model Detail

Study Model Axonometric

Helix Partner: Christopher Vicente Location: Main & Swan, Buffalo NY Faculty: Brad Wales Term: Spring 2018 Helix is a fitness-centered mixed use building in the heart of Buffalo. The goal of the project is to provide a safe and accessible public exercise space, provide a range of housing typologies, and promote biking as a form of transportation. The form of the building is a modified double helix which connects at the top to create a single interlaced ribbon. Apartments occupy the interior of the ribbon, with the exercise track is above. The units are aggregated based on the relationship between the upward and downward portions of the ramp. This unit devision allows for a diverse variation of unit types including: flats, split level and duplex units. The public amenities in the building include a full fitness center and bike shop.

Interior Unit Rendering

Form Finding

North-South Section

Courtyard Rendering

Unit Aggregation

Unit Plans & Sections

3rd Floor Plan

Interior Rendering

Rhythmic Filtration Location: Allen & Park, Buffalo, NY Faculty: Kenneth MacKay Term: Spring 2015 Rhythmic Filtration uses a system of v shaped precast concrete elements to fulfill the structural and programmatic needs of the building. The first of these is solar shading; variation in the sizing and spacing of columns provides a variation in natural lighting to different areas of the building. The variations are a response to programmatic needs, along with sun angles. These elements are also the structural elements of the building. The columns are load-bearing, and the v shaped beams span the 40’ distance between them. These beams, along with the ring beam, are used to run HVAC and other utilities from the mechanical room strategically located on the north end of the second floor. The office space is open, with a singular clear egress path to each end of the scissor stairs. The cafe on the ground level invites people in to view the gallery, workshop, and garden. This also gives employees the opportunity to interact with the public, and provides an informal meeting place just below the office.

Wall Assembly

Roof Assembly

Floor Assembly

North-South Section

Lighting Study

Model Photograph

Shop

Kitchen

Lounge

Lobby

Gallery

Cafe

1st, 2nd & 3rd Floor Plans

Blurred Boundaries Location: Paseo De Juan XXIII, 3, Madrid, Spain Faculty: Miguel Guitart Term: Summer 2016 The campus is located in Ciudad Universitaria, a district of universities between the city and a national park. As a response to this particular moment within the city, the building acts as a blurred threshold between the natural and urban environments. The form of the building transitions between the city scale at the west and the park scale at the east. The facade system is meant to blur interior and exterior by using glass and layers of medal rebar, individually and in combination, as the system of enclosure. This system creates ambiguity in the partitions by making it unclear whether the space you are occupying, and the space on the opposing side of the wall, is interior or exterior. This ambiguity is achieved through the strategic separation of enclosure and envelope, creating spaces which simultaneously have qualities of an interior and exterior space.

1st Floor Plan

West-East Section

Model Photograph

Re-Flexion Faculty: Miguel Guitart Term: Spring 2018 This project explores the potential for the elastic qualities of wood to be utilized within a joinery system. Re-flexion is an adaptive working space that uses the flexural forces in wood to create dynamic joints. The potential energy within the bent wooden planks is used to stiffen joints precisely enough to hold their position and be adjustable by a single person. The structure is able to form a range of different spaces based on the occupants needs and can be compressed and stored. The system is modular, using only four different pieces. These pieces can be assembled and disassembled with with ease, and can expand endlessly in two direction. The bent wood screen creates a series of pores which can be manipulated to customized views and lighting conditions.

Sky View Photograph

Range of Motion

Mock-up Photograph

Detail Photograph

Forces Diagram

Assembly Drawing

Aerial Rendering

Triangular Gradation Location: Main & Park, Buffalo NY Faculty: Miguel Guitart Term: Fall 2015 Triangular Gradation is a community center with programs including a market, cafe, daycare center, fitness center, classrooms, and doctor’s offices. Because of this range of programs, precisely planning the relationship and boundaries between spaces was very important. These relationships were formed through the organization of different programs on the site, along with the use of a modular building system. The module was used to create a range of visual relationships between both interior and exterior spaces. Different modules were applied to spaces based on the privacy needs of each and their relationship to adjacent spaces. The triangulation of the module is used to create a greater variation and range in visual relationships. The triangulation is also used for lateral bracing, and as a truss in the sawtooth roof.

Detail Section

North-South Section

2nd Floor Plan

1st Floor Plan

Porcelain Shoji Screen Team: Sarah Calhoun, Edward Mace, Sophia Woolston Faculty: Laura Garofalo-Khan Term: Spring 2019 This project is a dynamic screen assembly made of hand-pressed porcelain tiles held within sliding pine frames. The project was inspired by the Shoji screen an interest in the translucent qualities of porcelain, and a childhood memory of a window in my first home. The goal of the project was to create a boundary between two people who will want to interact in a range of ways. All parts of the system are movable, including individual tiles, in order to create the lighting and views desired by the occupant at any given time. The tiles were made using three different molds which created a variation in the scales of the ‘cells’. This variation creates a range of lighting qualities and textures within the assembly. The modular nature of the system has the potential to expand and scale-up infinitely.

Photograph of Interaction

Range of Motion

Detail Photograph

Photograph in Direct Sunlight