Jack Watson - Portfolio

Portland State University School of Architecture 2014 Portfolio Professional Track Application

Contact 541 510 0905 jawatson@pdx.edu

Jack Watson

Table Of Contents 1

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ARCH 281

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ARCH 280

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ARCH 121

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Outside Work

Statement of Intent

During the years I spent enrolled at the Art Institute of Portland, I was consistently designing for fictional characters that defined a space. These characters would require representative attributes of a group of people that could exist in the real world. As a concept artist I would’ve needed to consider how the viewer connected with the character by the contrast between them and their surroundings— but only from the screen. As extravagant as this field seemed, I still wasn’t fulfilled; I wanted a deeper rooting in what I drew, painted, and created; it needed to benefit community on a different level. A local level. I soon became aware of what I was drawing more often than not: Buildings. Environments. Architecture. I realized then how vital buildings were to us, Culturally, Psychologically, and Spiritually.

At birth, we are surrounded by environments that influence how we feel, and a building responds to us, providing warmth, security, and narrative for an adventure to begin. Each building has an identity, a mirror image, of the cultural views surrounding it. Despite the world’s movement for globalization, I believe buildings have an opportunity to become communal relics. That represent their values. The most striking urban buildings are our abandoned structures. For their ambiguous programs and consistently shifting cultures, we are left with colliding characters and conditions that allow us to determine how local people acta.

We need a return to craftsmanship. Through community involvement, I will find identities through our buildings again by giving its members opportunities to claim ownership in their craft in retrofitting and building.

I am determined to becoming one of the leading roles for this new revolution but I have many experiences and techniques to develop before I can do so.

PSU’s School of Architecture professional track is the next step in my journey to change the world by localities. Becoming closely embedded in the teaching community will help me learn the specialized approaches of the Architect and find ways to benefit community members by specifically volunteering in various design build programs. I want to lead honorably but I need a proper education to do so. My activities will not only improve personal skills but will nationally polish Portland State’s reputation.

I believe I am worthy candidate for the School of Architecture’s Professional Program not only because of my keen awareness of how structures affect people, but because I understand the compromising steps I need to take to achieve my goals. Only with the help of PSU, will I help it be the change in this world.

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ARCH 281 Boscanin Summer 2014 Beginning this project was very simple because Cathedral park at St. John’s was full of clues to which we could design from. I relied mostly on the senses when observing my site.What I heard, saw, smelled, touched, and heard were all major factors in considering my proposal. I found over the few weeks that there was an absurd amount of teenagers occupying the park during the night.The areas that they resided in were covered in consistent sunlight throughout the day. My vision was obstructed tremendously because of the lack of lighting but the young adults found it comforting.This gave them a personal, private space to do what they do best, explore themselves;Whether it was drugs, alcohol, or other factors, I knew I wouldn’t be able to move these kids if I wanted to or not.Their presence brought a warmth and a sense of nostalgia to the place during the cold summer nights and I didn’t want to tarnish their spirit.The other factor that was overly concerning was one of the park’s focal points.The Willamette river.This river has been dumped in, dredged, and industrialized for a century. Despite this, the local community doesn’t let these toxins stop them from enjoying the river and surrounding area although it can seriously hurt them.

Many of these people are parents, unaware that their children are swimming less than twenty feet from a sewage outfall.All these people need is a safe place to gather, to play, and, despite their ignorance, to learn. In the following weeks I would be creating programs to which both these factors could be achieved or at the least point towards a better way of living in Cathedral Park. During this time I also indulged in the idea of putting the vast amount of homeless back into housing and giving them ownership over a community floating garden. I would use models from already existing systems such as DignityVillage in NW Portland and the Columbia River.

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At first, designing a water pump was very difficult because I was trying to build it from store-bought hardware but I realized that I should’ve stuck with what I knew. My father owns a Porsche restoration shop and he has a cache of parts that he allowed me to use. I would achieve the required function through an already developed system. Using three major pieces from a Porsche 911 S engine, I created an inverted fuel injection system by replacing existing springs and using copper spacers and studs to nondestructively hold the pump together. We would then create a frame to holster the pump to a piling. The pump uses the phenomena of the river’s tides through a dock to pump a piston repetitively to extract river water through the valves and pushed out through the spark plug hole using a ‘jiggler hose’. I would then evaluate my findings.

After taking the river water samples to the Biology Department’s open lab, I found that the river was contaminated with an abundance of chemicals such as Lead, Mercury, dioxins, brominated flame retardants, and various forms of PCBs that are known to cause cancer and neurological damage. This was all present on the surface and would only get worse when diving deeper into the river. These findings would determine my pavilion design substantially. I would need to design a space that would educate future generations about the river’s history, become a relic of hope for its life through some kind of time capsule, and finally provide a space to gather the community. I was captivated by the vertical garden, using the current of the river to pump water up into toxins through plants which would provide safe swimming areas for children downstream. This would become a theme for my final design.

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Montages would depict the natural qualities of my structure.Allowing people to interact with natural elements.

But unlike the outdoors, this provided the public for a secluded space that contrasted with the openness of Cathedral Park. No longer would you hear traffic from the bridge or smell the stench from industry. Now your senses are captivated by the trickling of streams and tiny waterfalls; your nose picks up the aromas of the river and your eyes adjust to water reflections on the Basalt walls.

This structure would be created for young adults. In response to their need to congregate in unlit areas for personal space.The focus of the exterior design was to blend my pavilion into the natural landscape which would appeal to any teens that enjoy adventure.This pavilion represents the ambiguity between nature and architecture. From the beginning, it was my intent to provide an ambiguous program, that of which has been seen in abandoned pavilions where subcultures constantly change.

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The structure is opened to the public in the year 2030.“Climber plants” and other indigenous plants will be planted on the walls.Through a treatment called Phytoremediation, these plants are fed through a circulatory system that directly derives from the Willamette river.Toxins will be mitigated through vertical gardens, allowing the water to slowly trickle down the walls until it reaches the bottom of the building.This surplus of water is then directed out through the central opening where a tree resides.A big leaf Maple, native to the Pacific Northwest, would become the time capsule that would be planted the day of the structure’s opening.This tree would become a representation of the communities efforts to replenish the damaged river; a test to keep the tree alive.When the tree matures, it is possible to extract its sweet sap without hurting the tree during January and February giving children a harmless hands-on experience. During the course of the next fifty years, the building will be inhabited by many different people, creating demographic climates that change just as quickly as the seasons.Through the natural stages of initial community involvement in erecting the building, and future neglect from abandonment, this building creates privacy from the open sun and an artificially-created natural element that changes it’s skin through the years. I intended for this to be designated for teenagers, a representation of choosing their paths in their early life. Poetically, the floating pallets on which these young adults stand are hanging from large steel beams,that represent their parents;strong,structured,and embracing.Thoughtful sign placement would create a space not only, cradling but educational for the sponge-like, insatiable minds that would become our future population.

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ARCH 280 Cooney Spring 2014 Beginning this project meant that I needed to examine not only the anatomy of the dancer, including their structural attributes and versatility, but it also required me to study how the being predetermines, decides, and accomplishes the tasks within the space.This program would allow me access to an improved way of looking at choreography. Not only did I see the dancer use their body to its extent but the dance was such that an implication of infinite versatility surfaced. It seemed that no matter the direction their bodies moved, the dancer was in complete control and wouldn’t have a single boundary in their movement.

Furthermore, it was imperative for me to try to distinguish the stages of their thought process.

With the months of choreography memorization and careful body training, it seemed like a simple task to determine how such drastic movements could be accomplished with such graceful ease, but I felt there was something missing from this simple approach. Looking back at skills that I have, whether physically or mentally demanding, the tools I used would seem to fold beneath my destination.

For example, the use of computers, phones, and other mobile technology is an indispensable part of our lives now, which we seem to forget about when instant messaging our friends in continents on the other side of the planet. I believe that dancing, in this manner, is indistinguishable.The being’s consciousness seems to be else where, although preparing each movement with a transition, they are assured their body will work to its fullest potential, without hesitation or fracture. Preparing for this project needed careful analysis which I would then draw out, using a four-stage impression of the dancer’s program.

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The first stage depicts the dancer in it’s most pure, structural form, followed by an exaggerated structural element that pictures the dancer predetermining their next move. Emphasis is placed on the segments that hold most weight and speed through space.The next two stages come in with an elemental transition within the body.A moment where the body begins to fade as the motion itself fills the space; Capturing the essence of the dancer as they flow into their choreographic movement. Just as music fills a space, the echo of movement would become the space entirely.

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After the dance, I was flustered. Having so many new ideas of what dance was, having to focus on just a few of them was almost painful. The topography was inspired mainly by the sense of destination, a linear but chaotic program, and creating an illusion of being in an unparalleled space. The first two seemed realistic but creating the latter was the difficulty. When the user walked into my space, I wanted them to feel cramped, unaware of the vastness of the real destination they have entered. The shock, would create a bittersweet relief, a feeling I’ve only experienced on rare occasions. The initial few models I created reflected the sense of destination and chaotic program with a cantilevered design. Cantilevering anything creates a gravitational anxiety, which if executed correctly, it can create some beautiful illusions. The final topography created just what I wanted with a formal exterior that I have a habit of doing. The destination wasn’t clear but the program was readily available to any that entered. There was also a versatility to where the user began and ended. The black paint created a monolithesque look that was appealing to the Space Odyssey nerd in me but it also hid the fact that I was using basswood so I appreciated it.

I intended on using this type of design for my architectural development but coming to the realization that I would need to focus on structural elements later on, I decided to toss the fictitious aspect of the design until I knew more about physics and material usages. I will most likely reflect back to this dreamy structure when I am designing in future classes.

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I start most projects layering basic shapes, especially squares and rectangles because they are easy to design around and within. I began experimenting with natural lighting in the space from early on – a guide to the user in a sense – which from my experience in game design, is very essential to game programming and conceptual mapping for players. I would only experiment with the box elevation for a while before turning towards organic curves for dynamic qualities. I believe it is imperative that one thinks about the image of a building in both contexts of time.

This approach seemed very concrete for me but I felt there were too many transitions between the stages. I needed to shave down the design to the bare essentials.While drawing a perspective of the red paneled room, I realized that flipping the orientation of the panel would create the illusive feeling I wanted.

I had little time before the final presentation but I set out to create a minimized version of the original.This new model would consist of three sections, somewhat merging into one another.The chaotic, small entry way would camouflage the usage and space within.

The stage would dispose of corners, allowing the red floor panel take dominance over the space.This glow would engulf the dancer as they move through the linear program. Focusing on structural elements, I gave the impression of more ‘behind the curtain’ elements that the dancer wouldn’t see but only implications.The chaos would follow through the roof In a rough sine wave, as the user makes their way down the stairs into the vastness of an infinite space.

Naturally they would turn and reflect, giving the opportunity for reentry and participation on the stage.

I realized during the critique that many of my interpretations for the final model weren’t coming out the way I intended although the next model that I would build would show the complete essence of what I wanted.

Being chaotic, my design needed to puncture the dance space, the floor could’ve been moving, allowing a disorientation of what is really immovable floor paneling.The ceiling could be more exaggerated when being curved, in ways that seem unsafe, unreasonable, or straight up scary. I also questioned how to break the concept of rooms, which I believe held me back from making each stage indistinguishable.Throughout my following years in this school I will pursue the idea of breaking the designation of room boundaries.

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ARCH 121 Kogut Fall 2014 The Agosta House presented an enormous amount of challenges and viewpoints that I hadn’t thought about before this class. These approaches included natural conservatory, effective and minimal material usage, and most importantly, Critical Regionalism. Canada based firm Patkau architects, analyzed everything the Agosta couple did and researched the site majorly for its lighting and atmospheric qualities. To the left, my axonometric drawing depicts how the architects wanted to place the building into the site without inflicting the land. Nature would embrace it as its own as it is falls into planned space. That is similarly depicted in my orthogonal to the right with the surrounding foliage embracing the building.

Designing the building would be completely based upon site findings, seasonal consistencies, and the Agosta’s favorite part of purchased land.

The architects built the structure low, on it’s San Juan Island hillside, so that it wouldn’t intrude on the view of the surrounding mountains and adjusted the roof angle of the roof to match that of the sun’s journey across the sky. The house is divided by three parts, the private guest bedroom from the south, with a connected breeze way; followed by the public gathering spaces such as the kitchen, dining and living areas. Lastly, directly to the right of the front door, the Master bed, bath, and study reside.

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Creating the model was exhilarating! At the time, I hadn’t had any type of modeling building experience and being surrounded by so many other models at the school gave me a lot of inspiration for concise detail. Although drawing perspectives and orthogonals, and looking up countless photos of the pavilion were very good at forming my 3d image of the building, building it solidified exactly how it appeared to me. I focused extensively on the roof in tribute to the architects. If we look at their previous works, Patkau’s detail on roofing is astronomical and left open for examination and view to anyone inside. Their use of materials are simple and honest, chosen specifically to solve multiple factors and provide adequate support to inhabitants. I respect this, and it would be considered in my work in future studio courses.

When choosing the grass material, I referred back to pictures I had found of the building.

During the fall months, the home is engulfed by a sea of yellowed long grass, pushed and settling on the juxtaposed architecture. To reflect such effects, I found a scrap booking paper that used long pieces of string that I tore apart and glued to my topography.

The perspectives gave rise to other compositions that could be made through architecture, nature, and the human element. I used some artistic liberties to present the mountains in the background, without the interruption of the surrounding trees. I felt it was a lovely fit considering the Agosta chose to place the house on a hill so that they could achieve a 360 degree view.

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Outside Work Clubs / Art Classes Before Portland State, before Architecture, I was doing illustration and design work at the Art Institute of Portland. During this time, I was consumed with creating opportunities of human experience within spaces. When designing, I always involved the human element, adding some sort of scale that would give the viewer engagement with what I was presenting to them.

At the time, I didn’t realize that this approach was architectural whatsoever but as I moved forward with my classes it became very apparent. Traditional painting classes taught me atmospheric perspective, different types of contrasts and compositions, and style techniques to make my work look more realistic and dynamic.

I learned how to work in a group to complete projects such as my contribution to 3DFX’s Valerie; via, music, 3d model texturing, sound and music design, and concept art.

For the most part, I was satisfied with what I was doing but there was always a disconnection when I saw my placement in the world. Teachers would ask us to design environments, we would design by developing stories for characters within the space, creating personal encounters that would illustrate a person or group of people without actually showing them. The spaces described the inhabitants! I realized this could be applied to the real world and it would dramatically change how I viewed cultures.

Making the decision to turn towards an architectural education was natural for me; it was the next step. To feel worth in this world, I need to contribute to it through design and that would only be achieved by studying the cultures that define the space.

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September 9th, 2014