Architectural Design Portfolio - Ethan Rhoades

ETHANRHOADES

Design Portfolio

ETHANRHOADES

(913) 439-7102

erhoades16@gmail.com

Kansas State University

Education Manhattan, KS

_Master’s Degree in Architecture

Dessau Institute of Architecture

Dessau, Germany

_International Study Program

_Focus on the integration of algorithmic scripting and architecture

_Augment and support all aspects of the design team’s process throughout all phases of the project, with an emphasis on residential design.

_Manage and coordinate with MEP, structural, landscape, and civil consultants throughout project documentation to maintain StoryBuilt design standards and secure entitlements.

_Work with the design and development teams to develop a cohesive project design language that provides value to the end user and differentiates the projects within their respective markets.

_Augment and support all aspects of the design team’s process.

_Maintain design identity and integrity by establishing a unique and integral project vision to guide design decisions from concept to construction.

_Translate the project vision and identity into a tangible architectural identity to work within the client’s established budget.

_Produce visualizations to successfully communicate and sell intent for client team approval, tenant approval, and city approval.

_Coordinate and communicate directly with the client and consultants to maximize productivity, maintain design integrity, and limit miscommunication.

_Mentor and assist in on-boarding of new employees

505Design // Architectural Designer Boulder, CO

StoryBuilt LLC // Intermediate Designer Austin, TX

Skills Traits

Architectural Design

Retail Strategic Repositioning

Residential Design

Project Identity and Visioning

Mixed-use Planning and Integration

Presentation Rendering

Visual Communication of Ideas

Critical Thinking

Computational Design

3D Printing

Software Proficiency

Proficient: Familiar:

Revit

Bluebeam

Enscape

Sketchup + Layout

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Rhino + Grasshopper

Autodesk AutoCAD

Affinity Suite Lumion

FormIt

Nimble / Balance Multiple Responsibilities

Collaborative

Detail-Oriented

Self-starter / Problem-Solve Independently

Curious

Creative

Passion for High Quality

Open to Constructive Criticism

Interests

Climbing

Running

Bicycling

Bike Restoration

Travel

Hiking

Kayaking

Plants

Macrophotography

Music (Bass + Percussion)

Professional Work

Location Phase

Role

JUDY TOWNHOMES

Wheat Ridge, CO (Greater Denver Area)

SD >> CD

Project Designer - Alongside the project team, assisted in all phases of the project including establishing and maintaining a design language, project development and documentation, and acquiring entitlements. Managed structural, civil, and MEP consultants through later phases.

Judy, a for-sale townhome project, features 55 units spread across 12 buildings that offer a wide variety of typologies targeting different demographics and lifestyles. Units vary from remote parked 1BD/1.5BAs, to traditional tuck-unders, to the featured 4BD/4BA units with private backyards and ground floor living to compete with the neighboring single-family market.

As an urban infill site, Judy presented a wide variety of obstacles to tackle, including tight and complex conditions for site infrastructure, securing entitlements from AHJs on typologies they were not familiar with, and a selective demolition of an existing commercial building on site to remain functional during construction,

Site Plan and Utility Design

Judy was designed in two parts and are sibling projects. Judy East was taken to a DD level before the land for Judy West was acquired, which meant designing an additional 29 units to meld within the unit mix and compliment the project as a whole. Judy West featured smaller, more affordable units with a design language that, while inspired by the East phase, is unique and carries a personality of its own.

Being an urban infill site, conditions were tight and required creative problem solving to incorporate the necessary infrastructure and meet project goals. The design team worked heavily with the city, fire district, utility managers, and consultants to gain approval for site solutions that were often pushing boundaries.

Judy West (Phase 2)

Judy East (Phase 1)

Contradictory to the “slot home” trend happening in Denver at the time, providing a front elevation and entry sequence for each unit to face onto a public zone was an important design choice to help foster community and provide homeowners with a front door, a commodity not always found at this price point.

The N/S Pedestrian Path is a prime example of this. We secured an easement to utilize an underused strip of land from a neighboring development in order to not only provide Buildings 9 and 10 a front elevation, but create an enjoyable pedestrian experience within the community. This path has been designed to handle occasional vehicular traffic.

CD Document Set

A complete, coordinated drawing set was created that documents and encapsulates the 55 townhome units across 12 buildings, including the following efforts -

• The complete architectural design intent, ready for construction.

• Consultant design and coordination.

• Response to city comments to secure entitlements.

• Value engineering exercises.

Working with the Project Architect, my role included the following during the documentation phase -

• Produce technical drawings under direction of the Project Architect.

• Develop technical solutions that maintain the fidelity of the initial design intent.

• Directly coordinate with MEP, civil, structural, and landscape consultants.

• Develop permit drawings and address comments from the AHJ.

• Review and redline drawing sets for design intent.

• Respond to redlines in the drawing set.

As time progressed, I took on the roles of Project Lead with the Project Architect serving as a mentor.

Location Phase

Role

OZZIE

Denver, CO

SD/Vision >> Early DD

Project Designer - Alongside the project team, established and sold a design language that would be carried through to construction, with a particular influence on the outward expression.

Ozzie is an 82-unit, for-rent microunit project that is a celebration of what gives the historic W. Colfax corridor such a unique character within the Denver landscape. Sadly, that character is fading to time. Classic, colorful, but poorly maintained remnants of a vibrant past line the streets and are being left behind by reurbanization and development. W. Colfax was memorable, bold, colorful, whimsical, and different.

The design for Ozzie serves as contemporary reflection of the old Colfax attitude, but with a forward thinking trajectory. It is playfully bold, memorable, and taps into the foundation of what originally made this corridor a distinctive destination within the region. It is a bold stroke of personality that stands out in an area that is quickly losing its identity. Unexpected colors and contrasts in materiality define a skin that is both refined yet whimsical. Everything comes together to make a residence that is lively and hard to ignore, just like Colfax itself.

Ozzie is a different project for those who see themselves differently. Students and young professionals who look to make a statement will find their home at Ozzie, where their address is as distinctive as they are.

Architecture That Communicates Out

EXTERIOR DESIGN

Bold colors, playful materiality, and creative neon-inspired signage carries the contemporary reflection of W. Colfax to the pedestrian experience.

The line of storefront is not only a window out, but a window in, allowing these amenity spaces to become outward expressions of the lifestyle offered at Ozzie and attract future tenants that share a similar mindset. Serving as a coworking space during the day and vibrant entertainment zone in the evening, the ground floor amenity zone provides a space for tenants to work and socialize outside of the microunits.

Ground Floor Amenity Plan; NTS

Creating Opportunity by Solving for Design Parameters

The narrow nature of the microunits lead to challenges on how to address both the natural ventilation requirements (clean air intake distance to unit exhausts) and the overall repetitiveness of the unit stack. Four facade modules were developed to be applied to the elevations to create a diverse, unified facade expression while serving the needs of each microunit.

A Shift in Design Vocabulary

The residential-facing elevations quiet down and take a more subtle approach while maintaining the language of the front.

SOUTHWEST VIEW FROM RALEIGH ST

Location

Phase

Role

LLOYD CENTER EAST

Portland, OR Vision >> CD

Project Team Lead - Lead the design team from concept design through complete CDs. Coordinated with project architect, client, and project consultants to obtain approval from the Portland Design Commission and forward the project through complete CDs.

Lloyd Center East is an adaptive re-use and re-imagining of the east anchor Sears building that serves as a major transitional move for the entire Lloyd District. The relocation of an adjacent theater tenant onto the corner creates opportunities to activate the street with pedestrian-oriented retail and office uses while also freeing their current property to be redeveloped into dense multi-use, bringing activity and life to an under-used portion of both the mall and district. The theater design evokes film and motion through light, pattern, dimension, and movement in order to turn an inward-focused building typology into an iconic gateway to the Lloyd District and identity element for the retail center.

GATEWAY TO THE LLOYD

REGAL THEATER

Multnomah is the primary thoroughfare through the district, and the theater will serve as a gateway element for all entering from the Garden district to the east. In alignment with Portland’s goals for the Lloyd, the decisions made on this development will define the standard for the continued development of the district.

AA theater specializes in motion, but the inward facing program inherently prohibits that motion to be expressed to the street. As the primary gateway element into the Lloyd District, the new theater expresses that motion and gives that energy to the street in the follow ways -

Push public spaces and circulation to the street and present through expansive volumes of glass.

Cafes and lounges occupy the ground floor storefronts to activate the street during the day. The primary entry is pedestrian oriented and facing the street, rather than the adjacent parking deck, complying with long-term walkability goals for this district.

Inspired by the local climate, tapered metal panels trickle down the facade creating dynamic reflections to bring motion to the large expanses of opaque walls.

Facade Inspiration

Upper Lobby Plan BELOW

Lower Lobby Plan

Public areas are brought to an outward facing position to maximize the activation of the street.

Anchor Box Design Strategy

The Lloyd Center is considered one of the first malls in the country, and it has a long, storied history. The proposed design revives some of that by stripping the existing Sears anchor box back to its bones in a contemporary styling compatible with an office user.

Demo entry structure and create opening where possible to maximize natural daylight.

Express the newly exposed concrete structure beyond.

Strip back the paint and reuse existing brick facade

The original mall entry and brick character in the 1960’s

Location

Phase

Role

NOBU TENANT IMPROVEMENT

Honolulu, HW Vision >> SD

Design Lead - Under a Project Team Lead, conceptualized and proposed design solutions to the client.

Nobu Honolulu is a high-end, destination restaurant tenant struggling to perform within a commercial space that does not address the needs of a vibrant restaurant tenant. Little to no street presence, no unique identity to separate it from the condo tower above, and an outdoor patio that does not provide sufficient protection from the elements are all critical items the client needed to address.

The heavy vegetation and lack of identity in the storefront removes all presence of the restaurant from the street. Opening up sightlines, branding the space to match the tenant, and bringing activity to the street are key to the success of this project.

PROPOSED

An open presence to the street, clear signage, and a cohesive brand throughout, reinforced by the warm materiality and FFA, brings new life and clarity to what was previously an under-performing destination-tenant.

Patio enclosure with operable sides protects the patio and bar from weather and the trade winds while keeping the patio activity open to the street.

Reduce presence of existing inoperable doors in storefront.

Consistent materials throughout carry the tenant brand across their space and differentiates it from the tower above.

Create a clear entry with obvious signage.

Addressing the Elements

Despite the tower overhead, the patio sits very exposed to the Hawaiian elements. Trade winds regularly blow at a sustained 15+ mph and sends rain falling all the way to the bar, which sits 20’ past the edge of the tower above.

Extending the lower restaurant canopy out to the patio and equipping it with retractable enclosure systems ensures a comfortable dining experience regardless of weather conditions, while still maintaining a strong presence on the street and reinforcing the brand.

Corradi Retractable Roof System

Motorized Vinyl Enclosure System

Patio - Open

Patio - Closed

Location

Phase

Role

WARD VILLAGE - RETAIL IMPROVEMENTS

Honolulu, HW

Various. Vision >> SD

Design Lead - Under a Project Team Lead, conceptualized and proposed design solutions to the client.

Ward Village is a design-forward, 60-acre master-planned community located in Honolulu, HW. The development features work by highly acclaimed architects such as Richard Meier, Studio Gang, and Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, but despite the reputation and media attention these names draw, the retail aspect of the project has been a failure due to poor design and fundamentals that causes even the best tenants to struggle. We were brought in to analyze a series of blocks and provide attainable design solutions to re-imagine the vision for the retail landscape.

KO’ULA + A’ALI’I

BLOCK G BLOCK H

BLOCK H

Block H serves as one of the two edges to the main central park of the development. Initially designed with a relatively low ceiling and parking deck above, the architects struggled to give presence to the tenants and personality around the park.

The new design proposes extending storefronts beyond the first level of deck, giving a grand scale presence around the park with operable window enclosures to provide an indoor/outdoor seating environment. A similar strategy continues in the paseo, but at a shorter, more pedestrian friendly scale. While intended to read distinctly apart from the residential tower above, the retail zone does bring down moments of tropical wood to have the project read as one.

A Grand Storefront For A Grand Park

Extending the Storefront

Kneewalls allow the storefronts to extend past the low ground level floor height and expand their presence.

Tropical wood from the tower above carries into the retail zone to provide continuity and link the retail to the tower.

BLOCK G

Block G serves as the terminus of the Ward Village retail district. Touches of art, elevated raw materials, whimsy, and a level of sophistication enables this block to serve as a transitionary element between the high-end Ward Village development and neighboring blocks that take a more raw, industrial design aesthetic.

Designed and planned to accommodate a key retail tenant, the block is composed of 2-level office over retail structures surrounding a central green. The scale of this district is designed to more closely relate to the neighborhoods surrounding it.

The Terminus and the Transition

Parametric Work

SHADE PAVILION

As an independent contractor, I worked with the client to translate their ideas and sketches for an iconic pavilion into a digital asset that captures their vision for the element.

SHADE STRUCTURE

Designer/Modeler (Freelance) Vision

Designer/Modeller (Freelance)

As an independent contractor, I worked with the client to translate their ideas and sketches for an iconic shade structure into a digital asset that captures their vision for the element.

NOCC CAFE CANOPY STUDY

Location

Phase

Role

New Orleans, LA

Vision

Designer

Designed to be an aspirational structure as part of a greater overall vision for the New Orleans Convention Center master plan, the canopy creates a shared outdoor space with an undulating structure and roof form. Opaque panels help provide shading and their locations are influenced by the z-position of each panel of the undulating structure.