Jessica Gaudi Cowan RIBA Part 1 Sample Portfolio
Jessica G Cowan Phone: 07588731882
Email: jessica.cowan.95@gmail.com
Seeking:
Architectural Part 1 Placement. Small model making commissions.
D.O.B: 25/08/1995
Key skills:
Model making, Presentation, Communication and Organisation. Full UK Drivers Licence.
Academic History:
2016: RIBA Accredited Part 1 Architecture Degree from Strathclyde University.
Experience:
I am currently an architectural model maker self employed on a freelance basis working for Abacus Modelmakers and Finch & Fouracre in Glasgow. I was employed by Nathan Coley for the rebuild of the “Lamp of Sacrifice” exhibition at the beginning of the year. The last model I worked on was for the BBC series “The Replacement” airing in October 2016. I attended the last segment in The Turncoats Debates in London in February as well as another debate at AAgora in The AA School featuring Joseph Grima; the co-artistic director of the first Chicago Architecture Biennial. I was a member of the winning team in the 2015 Designing Places Awards Student Competition. I was a volunteer in the urban space activation project Mobileland. Before coming to University to study architecture I organised and sourced funding for Somewhereto_Exhibit, a youth art exhibition in Glasgow city centre with help from Somewhereto_Scotland and O2 ThinkBig. I completed my high school work experience in 2010 with HLM Architects.
Thank you for considering my CV, I would be delighted if you consider offering me a position in your company. Looking forward to working in your team, Kindest Regards,
2013: Enrolled in Architectural Technology at Strathclyde University. 2013: Graduated from Balfron High School.
Software:
I am proficient with AutoCAD Architecture, ArchiCAD, Sketchup, Photoshop, InDesign, Word and Excel. I am familiar with Revit, Illustrator and Rhino.
Other Interests:
I enjoy physically building and learning about new technologies and appications. I believe I learn best kinetically and try to use this to my advantage. I’m really interested in the role of plants in human lives. I enjoy keeping them and believe they could be better utilsed in modern archiecture for more than aesthetics. I enjoy travelling a lot and have taken trips across Europe a couple times now; experiencing places, meeting people, exploring, getting lost and inspired. My most recent adventure was to Ontario, Canada where I explored for 3 weeks.
References:
Nathan Coley, Studio Nathan Coley 07966150889 nathan@studionathancoley.com Franki Finch, Finch and Fouracre, 07960157063 franki.finch@gmail.com
Projects. Contents Model making 1. Finch & Fouracre Vauxhall Covent garden proposal.
2. Abacus Modelmakers “The Library� BBC drama , The Replacement.
3. Studio Nathan Coley Lamp of Sacrifice rebuild
Design Projects 4. Intimate Arts Venue 5. Urban housing in Glasgow 6. Library in St Andrews
Miscellaneous 7. Life drawing 8. Illustration
Finch & Fouracre I started working for Finch & Fouracre in The Whisky Bond during the summer of 2015. I have always had a talent for model making which was how I found it easiest to express myself when I began to study Architecture. I have always been quite particular about the representation of materials and the authenticity of building techniques and texture. While at Finch & Fouracre I learned to work with a variety of materials such as soft and hard woods, plastics, metals, model boards and various finishing techniques for each. This is the last comission I worked on with Finch & Fouracre. It features 2 models for 3DReid at 1:100 and 1:250 of a proposal for a development in Vauxhall, New Covent Garden market, South London. It was made predominantly out of Acrylic, Model board and Styrene board with a sprayed finish.
Abacus Modelmakers I started working for Abacus Modelmakers early 2016 in their workshop in the Southside. This is a larger workshop than I had experienced before where I learned more modelling techniques including timber base making and contoured cork context. The last project I worked on was commissioned by the BBC to build a model as a prop to be used in the opening sequence of a new drama airing in October “The Replacement�. The model is based on an existing Gareth Hoskins residential building.
Studio Nathan Coley
I was on the team for the rebuild of the “Lamp of Sacrifice� exhibition after it was damaged in November 2015. We rebuilt all 286 models in 3 months. The Lamp of Sacrifice by Nathan Coley was originally completed in 2004 consisting of all the religious building in the Edinburgh catchment area. The exhibition was inspired by the death centenary of John Ruskin.
Intimate Arts centre My 3rd year Undergraduate Thesis was to design a space for the performance of Spoken Word Poetry and Life Drawing for the festival of Architecture in Glasgow 2016. I identified Spoken word Poetry as an up and coming art form in the city, one that doesn’t have any particular space associated with it but a very particular atmosphere and environment. I began looking at what created this space where it felt so different to other types of performance. I realised it was because of the blurred line between the audience and the performer. The ad hoc nature of the art form and the way in which the tools for participation are possessed by all. The beauty of the open mic and informal roster. It dawned on me where I had felt similar connections to performers and spaces. During life drawing classes. The topics the poets can bring to the event can be very raw, stripping themselves orally naked for you to study their words and thoughts. A similar humble air floats around a life drawing class, an appreciation of strength and form of others which you then transmogrify into some meaning to yourself. I designed a structure that could move around the city throughout the festival. The beauty of these activities are that they are often stumbled upon in unexpected venues on quiet week nights. I wanted to maintain this ephemeral quality. Being unique to Glasgow I wanted it to connect to the city and the city’s strong building typology. It needed to fit symbiotically into the existing fabric of the streets. I identified holes in the rules of the street which were evident across the city. The blank spaces where tenements were demolished above the ground floor. The Intimate arts centre slots neatly into these ignored negative spaces. The levels of participation in the performance diminishes as you climb the levels of the structure. The opaque ETFE cladding allows shadows from the gently glowing interior to dance across the exterior facade. The inverted stage arrangement allows the performers to choose their space of querencia before they execute their piece. This was the space I designed for the more Intimate of Arts.
Exploded Axonometric Technical Drawing Drawn on AutoCAD, edited on Illustrator and Photoshop
Urban Housing I designed this Urban housing scheme for the Merchant city area in Glasgow in an attempt to address the issues of space standards and family living in the inner city. I was trying to imagine an alternative living arrangement that encourages community living and a safe environment for parenting and playing. It was inspired by discovering and analysing the failings of the barren Glasgow Harbour development and cohousing developments in Copenhagen. The block consisted of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom flats all with access to communal break out spaces and multifunctional areas to increase space and usability of access spaces such as landings. The break out spaces were glazed areas between the flats which are accessed by sliding doors. Privacy is maintained between these more public living spaces when required by curtains and blinds. At street level the development is commercial creating a threshold of privacy and safety away from the active city street. The blocks are linked by a shielded aerial garden inspired by the New York Highline. A private garden area for out door play with the safety of supervision from each flat and the community as a whole. The block is designed as a visual semi private wall into a larger Masterplan for the whole site. Shielding its interior from the busy Trongate traffic. It is to appear dense but permeable for those who inhabit the area. Low carbon and energy efficient strategy were also greatly considered in this design. The large southern exposure and deep facade were used to maximise natural daylighting without over heating. The green roof, aerial garden and planted buffers on the south facade are used to help combat pollution and clean the air as well as reduce CO2 . The block is designed to be heated by a air source heat pump improving efficiency and the walls are all heavily insulated. Each flat has been designed to be naturally ventilated and care has been taken to specify healthy non toxic materials throughout the project.
Design and Concept
Part 3D rendered elevation from ArchiCAD aligned with part technical section (AutoCAD) overlayed on ArchiCAD interior 3D model.
1:10 Technical Wall detail through integrated facade planter. Detail in AutoCAD, edited in Photoshop.
1:10 Technical Parapet detail. Detail in AutoCAD, edited in Photoshop.
1:10 Foundation detail. Detail in AutoCAD, edited in Photoshop.
Library in St Andrews The brief was to design a study Library in St Andrews to fit into an old croquet lawn. The rich history and evident aesthetic made this a culturally sensitive project. I chose to preserve as much of the lawn as possible and build along an existing masonry wall allowing existing trees to remain as features within the structure. A lantern like tower at one end protrudes above containing the study spaces and leafy void. I identified that light quality was paramount in this project so I designed ETFE panels that would
control direct sun light and glow at night with soft diffuse light. This was inspired by the paper screens used in traditional Japanese architecture. The library contains a number of different study environment to keep the students motivated as well as accommodating a number of different study arrangements.
Life Drawing
Charcoal on Paper.
Illustration
Illustrations inspired byThe Spanish Civil War book burnings. Pencil and Gouache.
Jessica Gaudi Cowan
jessica.cowan.95@gmail.com
epiphytesandarchitecture.tumblr.com
07588731882