John Knuteson - Undergraduate Portfolio

JOHN KNUTESON u n d e r g ra d u a t e p o r t f o l i o p l a t e s

JOHN KNUTESON 2 Huntshire lane, Poquoson, Va 23662 [757]-870-8051 | jlk2000@vt.edu

CONTENTS

vision statement

pulaski recreational pond and pavilion

qualifications

plan elevation exterior perspective

teatro vista site and intervention d i a g ra m plans sections i t e ra t i ve p ro c e ss

analog proposal for wilson station d i a g ra m site plan perspectives

retreat for two artisans partial plan and interior elevation front elevation interior perspective

by-products (visual art)

The ‘real architecture’ only exists in the drawings. The ‘real building’ exists outside the drawings.

The difference here is that ‘architecture’ and ‘building’ are not the same.

Peter Eisenman

V I S I O N S TAT E M E N T

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y architectural concerns lie in understanding the channels through which space is created, conveyed, sensed, and perceived. These concerns arise out of an interest in the compositional nature of architecture and experience.

Experience, as a phenomenon, is ubiquitous. I am drawn to moments of tension and dissonance that engage the mind and heighten perception.

The paradox of our profession is that we design mostly through analogical means. Yet, conventionally, our work is manifested through built form and space. The role and engagement of the architect suggests that there are essential qualities of architecture that transcend the physical construct. How do we begin to approach these qualities of space, and what other avenues can be utilized to justify the role of the architect?

I am currently engaged in a thesis exploration that attempts to highlight those moments that deepen the participant’s engagement in architecture, and challenge the notion of architecture as a purely physical construct. The exploration employs drawing as a means to study the essential qualities of space and its creation.

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REFERENCES Andrew Balster Professor Director, Chicago Studio Vis. Professor of Architecture Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University 312 316-0523 abalster@vt.edu

John Hopke, RA, LEED速 AP Employer Principal Hopke & Associates, Inc. john.hopke@hopke.com 757 229-1100

Linda Sorrento, FASID, IIDA, LEED速 AP BD+C Mentor Principal Sustainable Practice Sorrento Consulting, LLC Executive Director, Emeritus National Academy of Environmental Design lsorrento2@verizon.net 703 606-8195

Q U A L I F I C AT I O N S

E D U C AT I O N

EXPERIENCE

Bachelor of Architecture | expected May 2014 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Va

Hopke & Associates Architects | Architectural Intern Williamsburg, Va, May-August 2013 _Produced promotional material and graphics _Created firm portfolio and publication template _Contributed to the production of Construction Documents and drawing sets _Assisted in the detailing of interior spaces for a bank in Williamsburg, Va

Virginia Tech Chicago Studio | Spring 2013

S K I L L S - D I G I TA L

GREC Architects | Architectural Intern Chicago, Il, April-May 2013

AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Suite, Google SketchUp, Rhinoceros, V-RAY, Digital Photography

_Produced plans for a mid-rise multi-use building in Evanston, Il _Created facade iterations for a residential tower in downtown Chicago

SKILLS - ANALOG

Clark Nexsen Architecture & Engineering | Architectural Intern Norfolk, Va, June-August 2012

Model construction, Sketching, Hand drafting, Painting [various media], Printmaking, Experience with book binding

_Collaborated with fellow interns on a research project focused on sustainable building materials _Evaluated numerous building materials and reported findings in a final presentation and comprehensive printed volume _Aided in office projects by producing graphics and making models

ACTIVITIES + HONORS James R. Sochinski “Spirit of Tech” Award Marching Virginians Alumni Association Awarded February 2014

National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) | Student Intern NASA Langley Research Center Hampton, Va, May-August 2011

Simpson Strong-Tie Architecture Student Scholarship Awarded December 2012 Northrop Grumman Scholarship for Employees’ Children Awarded August 2009

_Evaluated existing constraints and generated multiplE schemes for a Materials Laboratory

Deans List 8 semesters The Marching Virginians 2009-Present | Drum Major 2010-2013

A2RCI Architects | Summer Student Yorktown, Va, June-August 2008

Residential Leadership Community 2009-2010

_Eight week independent study involving the design of a historic addition in Smithfield, Virginia

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T E AT R O V I S TA Chicago Studio Team: Greg Catron + John Knuteson

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his project specifically involves the renovation and adaptation of the existing Weinstein Funeral Home into a permanent home and theater facility for Teatro Vista, or “Theatre with a View,� a community theater company dedicated to sharing Latino culture and bridging the gap between cultures.

The intent of the design is to provide Teatro Vista with a space that allows them to exercise their mission statement of cultural inclusion. The program includes a 149 seat main-stage thrust theater, a 60-seat flexible black box theater, and related support spaces. In addition, the program includes a bar/lounge and offices for full-time staff of Teatro Vista.

The project site is the abandoned Weinstein Funeral Home located at 1300 West Devon Avenue in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago. The site provides many opportunities for inspiring activity and growth in the area, as well as unifying the community and embracing the cultural diversity of the Devon Corridor.

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SITE AND INTERVENTION 12

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DIAGRAM 14

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he concept for the theater itself is directly derived from the experience of the funeral home. The existing program reveals an articulated procession through the space, as the deceased is prepared and meets the attendees of the funeral service. A dramatized version of this procession can be found in the theater, as the actor prepares for a performance and meets the audience in a shared moment of mutual fantasy. The pre-function spaces build anticipation and begin to separate the audience from reality.

The theater proper focuses the sensory experience on the relationship between actor and audience, and afterwards, embodies the memory of the performance.

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First Level 1 | Exterior Vestibule 2 | Sensory Deprivation 3 | Box Office 4 | Bar 5 | Lounge 6 | Thrust-Stage 7 | Black Box 8 | Green Room 9 | Scene Shop

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Second Level 3

1 | Rehearsal Space 2 | Offices 3 | Conference 4 | Storage 5 | Mechanical

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PLANS 16

MEETING SPACE

BAR

LOUNGE MAIN STAGE

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REHEARSAL SCENE SHOP

OFFICES

DRESS - W

DRESS - M

BLACK BOX DRESS BLACK BOX

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SECTIONS 17

ITERATIVE PROCESS 18

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ANALOG Undergraduate Thesis; ongoing

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he following series of drawings challenges the conventional modes of architectural representation and their capacity to engage the reader in the rendering of space and place. The drawings separate themselves from convention in the sense that they do not represent an architectural construct or experience.

Rather, architecture is conveyed through the drawing. The purpose of the drawing is to create experience.

The drawings rely on intentionality as a hook for engagement.

The scenes are composed and framed, providing the viewer with a lens for interpretation. Without a frame, the viewer is lost in the imaginative realm of possibility. In this sense, the purpose of the intention is less significant than its presence as a catalyst that extends the reader’s engagement in the architecture.

The page serves as the site. Each drawing is restricted to a dimension of 48 by 60 inches. The dimension is critical to inhabiting and experiencing the drawing at human scale.

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STUDY Nยบ 1 48 x 60 in., pastel, graphite, and charcoal on paper 22

STUDY Nยบ 2 48 x 60 in., pastel, graphite, and charcoal on paper 23

STUDY Nยบ 3 48 x 60 in., pastel, graphite, and charcoal on paper 24

STUDY Nยบ 4 48 x 60 in., pastel, graphite, and charcoal on paper 25

STUDY Nยบ 5 48 x 60 in., pastel, graphite, and charcoal on paper 26

STUDY Nยบ 6 48 x 60 in., pastel, graphite, and charcoal on paper 27

STUDY Nยบ 7 48 x 60 in., pastel, graphite, and charcoal on paper 28

STUDY Nยบ 8 48 x 60 in., pastel, graphite, and charcoal on paper 29

PROPOSAL FOR WILSON S TAT I O N

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he Wilson Stop, located on the CTA Red Line, serves as the gateway for Chicago’s historic Uptown district. Though it holds a rich cultural presence within the city, Uptown’s somewhat run-down and neglected present state has created a push for gentrification from surrounding communities and suburbs. The recently initiated Wilson Station reconstruction project serves as a reminder of this effort. The proposed renovation will relocate the station’s main entrance on Wilson Avenue to a nearby parking lot, accessible via Sunnyside Avenue.

This critical move detracts foot traffic from the intersection of Wilson and Broadway, deadening the streetscape.

The proposal for Wilson station is the product of a five-day charrette intended to generate a range of solutions in response to the Wilson Station Reconstruction Project. Rather than creating an unnecessary tug-of-war between the Sunnyside entrance and Broadway, the proposal seeks to extend community life into the new entrance plaza, benefitting both CTA patrons and Uptown residents at the crossroads of their activity.

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DIAGRAM 32

Entrance to Plaza, moment of pause after exiting station

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il bu kin

Community pavilion with collaboration area and supply storage space.

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Community art walls Proposed new exit east of station

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he solution to the Wilson Stop dilemma relies on an activity that will both keep residents engaged in the space and make it a destination for CTA patrons.

Community murals and art projects have transformative power in suffering neighborhoods, evidenced by the work of organizations such as the Chicago Public Art Group (CPAG). In the case of Morse Avenue, community art shifted public perception from unsafe neighborhood to popular arts district. The design of the Wilson Public Arts Plaza centers around three elements: the wall, the plaza, and the pavilion. The pavilion houses community activity and anchors it within the site. The plaza itself provides the territory for the activity, and the wall serves as an evolving record of place.

SITE PLAN 33

art plaza

PERSPECTIVES 34

pavilion

PERSPECTIVES 35

to pulaski

pavilion

vista

PLAN

P U L A S K I R E C R E AT I O N A L P O N D A N D PAV I L I O N

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The Pulaski Municipal Pond serves as the counterpoint to the artisans’ retreat of downtown.

The pond defines its own boundary by interrupting Peak Creek at its entry to the town, and the resulting reservoir creates an opportunity for architectural intervention. The site is approached from the North-east corner. Visitors proceed on foot down the slope and into the flood plain. Through the trees, the first glance of an obelisk is just visible, staking a claim on the site and serving as a constant reminder of place.

The park raises inherent questions of temporality. While the activities housed beneath its structures are fleeting, the park stays anchored within the site, providing a sanctuary for the community and an undeniable sense of place. The project strives for a sense of timelessness, as if its memory extended beyond itself and into the history of Pulaski.

< Three architectural elements impart the experience of the space: A pavilion, a colonnade, and a vista.

Each element protrudes to meet the water, deriving form from the force and direction of the current.

Positioned along the sculpted shoreline, these structures allow a dualistic engagement from both the land and the water.

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EXTERIOR PERSPECTIVE, PAVILION 40

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R E T R E AT F O R T W O ARTISANS

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he Pulaski Artisansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Retreat is the genesis of transformation and growth in the culturally stagnant community of Pulaski, Virginia. A once-thriving railway hub, the town has suffered from the departure of its primary industries and resources. This intervention is intended to breathe new life into the community as an arts destination, joining the ranks of nearby communities such as Galax and Floyd.

The site sits directly across from the Courthouse, and engages both Main Street and Peak Creek. The retreat is equipped to house two artists for four to six months, affording its inhabitants the brief luxury of complete immersion in their craft and the opportunity to share it with the town of Pulaski. The program consists of separate accomodations for both artists and a unifying public gallery and display space.

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BATH

KITCHENETTE

BEDROOM

GALLERY

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isitors enter the display space through one of two large, hinged facades, activating the street and extending the gallery to the sidewalk. The gallery weaves between the two residential units, employing verticality to recreate the sensation of an urban market setting. Shelving runs continuously along the wall, contributing to an optical elongation of the space. A sliding door may be engaged to reveal the artisanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workspace to gallery visitors, enabling a dialogue between the artist and spectators.

PARTIAL PLAN AND INTERIOR ELEVATION 44

MAIN STREET

DISPLAY AREA

FRONT ELEVATION 45

INTERIOR PERSPECTIVE, GALLERY 46

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BY - P R O D U C T S Selected works exploring the unintended results of rigorous investigation. The selections reject intention and determinism in favor of ambiguity. The intensity of exploration provides an underlying order that instills a plastic and generative energy in the by-product, while the resultant works are liberated to project an autonomous presence and meaning. The work is understood as a record of the creative act, and permits an unpolluted view into the the creative process and the nature of experience.

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JOHN KNUTESON 2 Huntshire lane, Poquoson, Va 23662 [757]-870-8051 | jlk2000@vt.edu