Jacob T. Middleton 2021 Portfolio

jacob t. middleton bachelor of architecture ‘21 the university of texas at austin

design portfolio

hi, i’m jacob!

I am graduating student from The University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture. Hailing from rural northeast Texas, I grew up in a place of deep history and even deeper narrations. The Piney Woods is a place, dismally mundane yet amazing -- pine trees tower like cathedrals, pumpjacks methodically bow down to the land, and colorful barns pattern fields like terrazzo. The place I call home provided me with a unique set of experiences which have continuously formed and fueled my creativity.

Enamored by place, I am constantly drawing inspiration from my travels: ephemeral qualities of light, the fantastical landscapes of the Chihuahuan desert, vernacular architecture, and the often overlooked iconography of blue highways.

While at UT, I have honed my technical proficiencies and design voice through rigorous studios and internships. I have found that my interests lie at the intersection of performance and the built environment.

Because of this, I have found my approach to design is often narrative based, focusing on the performative and temporal qualities of space.

Upon graduation, I am seeking full-time employment at an architectural practice where I aim to be licensed within a year. I have a passion for storytelling, a love for collaboration, willingness to learn, and a burning desire to be the best designer I can possibly be.

This portfolio is a collection of my work over the last five years; I hope you enjoy!

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holly haus

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a sanctuary

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at journey’s end

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made in asherton

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chronicles out west

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the tempest by W. Shakespeare

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résumé

holly haus a case for peculiarity within density fall 2020 advanced design critic: Martin Haettasch with Aubry Klingler design excellence nomination published by ISSUE XVII

In 2019, the Holly neighborhood of East Austin was dubbed the 24th coolest neighborhood to live in the world. This area has one of the most vivid histories in all of Austin. For years, Holly has been a bastion of working-class, Latine citizens, who carved out a community in the face of the city’s early 20th-century segregation policies. The neighborhood been fighting for itself for several decades—first being a dumping ground for environmental waste and now gentrification as its proximity to downtown and the riverfront became a valuable commodity.

The current average asking price for a home in Holly is $384 per square foot. However, most of these homes, pre-war bungalows in disrepair, are appraised at less than half that value. Moreover, large contemporary

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houses are now being built amongst historic bungalows making the apparent gap in wealth and resources even more extreme.

The proposal for the site at Pleasant Valley and 5th aims to combat the issues prevalent in the Holly neighborhood through a new housing typology – the missing middle – and five architectural ambitions: 1) fight gentrification through ownership 2) negotiate scales of the neighborhood 3) create efficiency within complexity 4) reclaim site via sustainable materials 5) stress individuality over anonymity Holly Haus seeks to be a good neighbor through its formal strategy and to build affordability into a rapidly growing city through its structural system.

5th street approach

holly haus

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tow n

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lake

xisting neighborhood existing neighborhood

existing neighborhood; existing neighborhood avg unit size: avg 1270 unit sqsize: ft 1270 sq ft bedrooms: 2-5 bedrooms: 2-5 1270 sq ft avg unit size: avg. unit size: 1,270 sq ft avg price: 650,000 avg price: 650,000 bedrooms: 2-5 bedrooms: 2-5 avg density: 5.7 avg units density: per650,000 5.7 acreunits per acre avg price: avg. price: $650,000 avg density: units per acre avg. density: 5.7 units 5.7 per acre

missing middle proposal; proposal issing middle missing proposal middle

avg unit size:avg 1500 sqsize: ft 1500 sq ft unit avg. unit size: 1,500 sq ft missing middle proposal bedrooms: 2-4 bedrooms: bedrooms: 2-4 2-4 density: avg.

13.6price: density: units per13.6 acreunits persqacre avg $180,000 unit size: 1500 ft bedrooms: 2-4per acre avg. density: 13.6 units

density: 13.6 units per acre

solid/void solid/void

pedestrian pedestrian circulation circulation

vehicular circulation parking and vehicle circulation

public/private public/private

unit division unit division

unitentrances entrances unit

holly haus

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repetitive roof elements add sectional interest and facilitate passing cooling

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holly haus

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central paseo acts as public green space

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TO Parapet +12' - 6"

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individuality is expressed through elevation

TO Parapet +12' - 6"

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holly haus

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vaulted living area showcases exposed hempcrete walls

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bathroom with private light well

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J TO Parapet +12' - 6" BO Truss +10' - 0"

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standing seam metal roofing rigid insulation OSB wood decking 2 x 6 wood beam 1 2" plywood prefabricated wood truss exposed wood stud exposed hempcrete fibers prefabricated hempcrete panel with wood studs beyond lime render MGO board 5/8" cavity brick rainscreen 4" concrete slab on grade rigid insulation foundation wall concrete footing glazing

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standing seam metal roofing rigid insulation OSB wood decking 2 x 6 wood beam 1 2" plywood prefabricated wood truss exposed wood stud exposed hempcrete fibers prefabricated hempcrete panel with wood studs beyond lime render MGO board 5/8" cavity brick rainscreen 4" concrete slab on grade rigid insulation foundation wall concrete footing glazing steel window frame coping

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concrete coping with drips flashing EPDM roof membrane

prefabricated hempcrete wall panel interior trim

rigid insulation 4"minimum sloping at 14 "per ft

2' - 0" to BO truss

interior steel mesh cold rolled steel panel end cap

exterior window frame

lightweight wood truss 14" depth

aluminum frame double casement window

prefabricated ceramic brick veneer panel vapor barrier

5' - 0"

interior sill

exterior window frame

flashing lime render

1/2" magnesium oxide board

prefabricated ceramic brick veneer panel

plywood ceiling

3' - 0" to TO slab

lime render

prefabricated hempcrete wall panel

1/2" magnesium oxide board 1 12"

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1 34"

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1'-0" 3 4"

holly haus

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holly haus

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a sanctuary fall 2018 intermediate design III critic: Michael McCall

Angel Island is often referred to as the “Ellis Island of the West.” The Angel Island Immigration Station was erected in 1905 and meant to serve as a gateway to the American west. However, the site has a much darker history. Here, immigrants were inspected, interrogated, disinfected, and detained. The treatment that was given to these humans was dehumanizing and inhumane. Today, Angel Island is recognized as a California State Park, but the site’s haunted past is often overlooked.

A sanctuary is sited adjacent to the existing foundation of the former administration building, forming a dialogue with history.

The existing foundation is symbolic of the pain and suffering that occurred on this site while the sanctuary is meant to symbolize hope and new beginnings.

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The interior layout of the sanctuary follows a defined progression from dark to light.

The entry sequence is dark, cavernous, and daunting. However, a light at the end of the corridor serves to guide visitors upward to the sanctuary space. Once one enters the sanctuary space, they are greeted with a panoramic view of the San Francisco Bay and can reflect on the dark journey that brought them to this release.

Treating procession as performance, a sanctuary is able to retell the dark history of the Angel Island Immigration Station through movement. As occupants follow a journey towards the light, one begins to better understand the events which hover over the island like a heavy cloud. Only after this revelation, the site might be able to reclaim of the name Angel Island.

affect drawing

a sanctuary

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san francisco bay area

angel island

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in section, the sanctuary space cantilevers over the existing foundation of the island’s administration building -forming a dialogue with history

a sanctuary

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the plan of the sanctuary is designed as a sequence of spaces -- each with their own lighting and ambient conditions. these spaces are stitched together as a series of rooms to tell the narrative of Angel Island through space.

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compression; upon entry, one is met with a series of chambers that implores an exploration of the ground floor of the sanctuary. clerestory windows allow natural light in while limiting views to the surrounding context.

ascension; wooden scrims manufactured from the fallen trees of the surrounding forest create dappled lighting effects as one climbs to the second floor of the sanctuary and provide only a glimpse of what surrounds.

release; as the doors to the main assembly space open - a flood of light! visitors are able to reflect on their journey, and the journey of those that came before them as they look out into the san francisco bay.

a sanctuary

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a sanctuary

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at journey’s end spring 2020 ark x site competition with Alexander Noaks

At land’s end, one arrives to a place of contemplation. Sublime yet serene, the intervention straddles the threshold of land and sea, reaching out from the cliffs of Cape Espichel and towards the ocean -an infinite beyond. Here, ancient meets modern, where the dialogue between the two is apparent and ongoing. Modern understands, respects, and remembers ancient.

When, or if, one feels compelled to, they may enter the ruins of centuries past.

Submerging below, into the core of the fortress, one feels the walls of history embracing them. Once inside, one is immersed in a site acutely aware of its antiquity, allowing for a deeply intimate exploration that increases in its sacred nature as one penetrates further into its heart.

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Land and sea are expressed as formal elements within the monastery. The dormitories and main chapel are located within the earth, creating a oneness with the site’s history. Light is allowed to penetrate the cavernous interior through slotted windows in the living quarters and a through a collapsed cistern within the chapel. In contrast, a large cantilever extends over the water, acting as an outdoor meditation platform, solemn and at peace.

Isolated from our rapid, high-paced society, the intervention respects the notions of protection and safety, and rewards pilgrims with solitude and distinct opportunities for reflection along their pilgrimage. The title site monastery is awarded to the structure through this consideration and attention to various levels of intimacy.

entry

at journey’s end

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meditation

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level 2

ground level

exploded axonometic, section & plans

at journey’s end

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chapel

at journey’s end

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made in asherton fall 2019 advanced design critics: S. Krimizi & K. Kyriakou with Gabrielle Mauldin

“Young, instant and radically small, the American town operates as an extreme condition of minimal complexity and minimum urbanity. If America is the original version of modernity according to Baudrillard, then the extremities of that vast internal American territory offer us an insight to an accelerated end state of that modernity.” ksestudio Made in Asherton seeks to produce a temporal reading of the “micro-politan” condition of southwest Texas through extensive research, catalogs, and projection exercises. By drawing the overlooked, the generic, the unseen, the irrelevant, the unfinished, and the unwrought, a critical iconography of the American town is produced. This can then be reinserted in the imagery of the land to reveal

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architectural, cultural, and/or political implications of this hyper-specific territory.

Asherton, Texas and its surrounding areas have a rich history and traditions which are often overlooked by the 21st-century problems impacting the area today. This projection does not seek to alleviate the issues plaguing the town or to determine right vs. wrong for the community. The aim is to be critical, to create a discourse surrounding the mirco-urbanism of Dimmit County and its broader implications for the hyper-context of the state.

The following narrative text and the accompanying drawings are based on a series of interviews, photographs, and lived experiences which took place in Asherton, Texas and surrounding areas in 2019.

house in asherton, tx

made in asherton

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ephemeral town; consisting of oil fields, fast food restaurants, and temporary housing conditions (e.g. hotels, motels, rv parks, etc.)

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fracking; the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc. so as to force open existing fissures and resources. taking place year-round, never adapting to season or demand.

made in asherton

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motel room - 306 sq ft - 2 twin beds - 1 bathroom w/ tub

worker housing - 62 sq ft - 1 twin bed - no bathroom

camper - 168 sq ft - 1 twin bed - 1 bathroom

sleeper cab - 59 sq ft - 2 twin beds - 1 bathroom

hotel room - 377 sq ft - 2 queen beds - 1 bathroom w/ tub

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units as rv park

units as hotel corridor

units as courtyard motel

made in asherton

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the grid is an opportunity to prevent bias on the basis of class and race. each property has been treated with the same logic. the grid, 80’ by 80’, is democratic by randomization, any change among properties is an effect of this system and is no reflection on views of the property owner.

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made in asherton

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The imposition of new housing typologies creates moments of friction throughout the town. An example of this would be two houses, each of an entirely different architectural style, intersecting.

Communal areas merge in these examples and create co-living spaces for strangers which will now exist in the same space.

made in asherton

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By mandating that people are quartered within the town and intentionally placing them in an established, lively community, they will be more inclined to shop locally and might encourage new businesses to open along main street or in vibrant neighborhoods.

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made in asherton

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chronicles out west ongoing independent inquiry instagram.com/cow.dwg

“I travel not to go anywhere but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” Robert Louis Stevenson Through humble photographs, an ongoing catalog of blue highways and the towns they string together, crude sketches, and simple line drawings, this independent project was conceived as a method to document my travels through university. Though it has turned into much more.

Initially sparked by my interest in the vernacular architecture of the American southwest and the desire to see desert landscapes unfold in front of me, I began my travels across west Texas and beyond.

During my initial trip, I discovered my love for the open road and the innate desire to push west.

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So I did.

Driving from Austin to Las Vegas and back again via state highways would seem absurd to most. However, by going off the beaten path, a deeper understanding of people and the places they inhabit was formed.

Chronicles Out West serves not only as a personal documentation tool but also as a way to catalog non-canonical architecture; a way to bring attention and life to the architecture of the overlooked. By looking at select buildings removed from their original context, either as objects in a landscape or within a new fabricated site, one gets a greater appreciation for place, originality, and detail.

Follow @cow.dwg on instagram for more.

map of travels; blue and subsequent highways

chronicles out west

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chronicles out west

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marfa, tx

eustace, tx

marathon, tx

marfa, tx

marathon, tx

alpine, tx

pflugerville, tx

manor, tx

paint rock, tx

santa fe, nm

bandera, tx

carrizo springs, tx

altuda, tx

texico, nm

sanderson, tx

clayton, tx

pflugerville, tx

pflugerville, tx

carrizo springs, tx

carrizo springs, tx

blanco, tx

athens, tx

catarina, tx

austin, tx

chronicles out west

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the tempest by W. Shakespeare summer 2020 designing for the bard submission arkansas shakespeare theatre published by ISSUE XVII

The Tempest combines elements of mystery, romance, intrigue, and comedy.

Prospero, an expropriated duke, and his daughter, Miranda, have made a nearly abandoned island their home. Prospero uses magic to conjure a storm to bring his crew (and usurping brother) to the island, with supernatural and fantastical results.

Through the use of the set and its properties, The Tempest’s design tries to erase the preconception that Shakespeare’s work is dated and difficult to understand. A lively, modern set which constantly transforms across the play’s five acts keeps viewers intrigued and immersed within the classic story. Drawing inspiration from the nautical architecture of ships, then streamlining and distorting those forms, a raked wooden platform is placed center stage. This platform

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is dressed with ropes and large metal hooks indicative of the rigging of a ship. The stage is populated with a variety of props (eg: barrels, ladders, and chests) that serve to reinforce the setting of the play.

These props dance around the stage from scene to scene as players move and interact with them. An array of colored glass bottles is suspended from the overhead section of the platform; the bottles sway back and forth during times of excitement throughout the show. Singing as they collide, the bottles act as windchimes that entrance and engage the audience. By directly incorporating sound into the scenic design a new sense of curiosity is brought to stage. By utilizing common materials and a neutral color palette, the scenic design delivers a familiar, yet modern, display of a traditional story.

process sketches

the tempest

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overhead platform structure wood dowel

raked wooden platform (overhead) brushed metal rod

bottles suspended from platform

raked wooden platform

iron hook ship rigging wood dowel steel extrusion steel plate

the tempest

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act one, scene one

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act one, scene two

the tempest

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act three, scene three

the tempest

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jacob t. middleton jmiddleton (at) utexas.edu +1 (512) 364 - 7858

education

experience

The University of Texas at Austin

Clickspring Design

honors & awards

Participated in design, documentation, and administration for a variety of broadcast design projects. Tasks included project research, studio master-planning, schematic design, design development, visualization, digital modeling, drafting, and project management. Major credits include work for Bloomberg, WGN America, and a variety of Asian and Middle Eastern broadcast media networks.

Bachelor of Architecture ‘21 August 2016 -- present 3.85 / 4.00 GPA

Design Excellence Nominee comprehensive design

Broadcast Design and Architectural Intern /Austin, Texas May 2019 -- January 2021

December 2020

Designing for the Bard published by ArkShakes July 2020

Hometown published by archisource July 2020

The University of Texas Presidential Scholar August 2016 -- present

UT School of Architecture Honors Student Top 20%

Office of Institutional Research Student Supervisor /Austin, Texas October 2018 -- December 2019

Employed by the University of Texas during semesters of study. Tasks included training new student hires, managing and tracking progress of student associates, coordinating with UTexas building managers to audit campus buildings, detailed data entry, coding, and updating floor plans.

August 2016 -- present

The University of Texas Dean’s List August 2017 -- present

Walker & Hoppess Endowed Presidential Scholarship in Architecture August 2020

Jack Morgan Endowed Scholarship January 2020

Amy Dryden Endowed Scholarship

FRESH by Brookshire’s

Grocery Cashier / Tyler, Texas May 2018 -- August 2018 Team member in a fast-paced, lively grocery store. Responsibilities included processing payments (on average $7,500 daily), training new cashiers, maintaining thorough knowledge of store merchandise, facing and stocking shelves, and maintaining good standing with store managers.

August 2019

Thacker / Davis Architects

involvement Alpha Rho Chi Historian, Instructor / August 2016 -- present

Architectural Intern / Longview, Texas May 2017 -- August 2017 Assisted with general office duties, reviewed shop drawings, completed drafting package red-lines, took on-site measurements, worked alongside marketing managers to create information pamphlets, organized AutoCAD asset and physical material libraries.

Undergraduate Architecture Student Council Member / August 2016 -- present

ISSUE XVI Submissions Committee / January 2020 -- May 2020

UTSOA Portfolio Workshop Featured Presenter / September 2019

Hallsville High Theatre Volunteer Designer, Clinician / August 2016 -- December 2017

Artsview Children’s Theatre Usher / December 2016

skills Digital

Rhino 3D Adobe Creative Suite AutoCAD Cinema 4D V-Ray Lumion

Analog

Model Making Wood Working Drafting Sketching Concrete Casting Papier-mâché

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