// pg 1
KYLE GUENTHER
architecture portfolio 2 0 2 4 of selected works
E D U C AT I O N Iowa State University College of Design Bachelor of Architecture | Aug 2019 - May 2024 Preservation and Cultural Heritage Minor Iowa State College of Design Rome Program | Spring 2023 3.91 GPA - Deans List
KYLE GUENTHER issuu.com/kyleguenther kyleguenther01@gmail.com 563.213.2057
SKILLS
EXPERIENCE OPN Architects Architectural Intern | Cedar Rapids, IA | May 2023 - Aug 2023
FEH DESIGN Architecture | Engineering | Interiors Architectural Intern | Dubuque, IA | May 2022 - Jan 2023
DIGITAL Revit Adobe Creative Suite Rhinoceros 3D AutoCAD Enscape SketchUp Grasshopper
Iowa State University Office of Admissions Representative Student Representative | Ames, Iowa | Aug 2023 - Present
PHYSICAL Hand Drafting 3D Printing Laser Cutting Casting Model Fabrication
Led background analysis and schematic design process for a new elementary school in Bellevue, IA. Prepared graphics and design narratives for public outreach events and internal design excellence reviews. Worked with 3D printing to create physical models for various projects.
Assisted with all phases of projects including public libraries, K-12 schools, commercial spaces, and religious buildings. Built important visual representation and communication skills including community meeting administration, reality capture, and 3-D modeling of schematic designs using REVIT and hand drawing.
Provided tours and 1:1 discussions with prospective students and their families. Participated in student led panels, describing my experience in the College of Design at Iowa State.
ACHIEVEMENTS
ENGAGEMENT American Institute of Architects Students Iowa State University | 2022 - Present
Involved in chapter meetings and lectures to expand knowledge of professional practice and licensure processes.
Campus Service Council Iowa State University | 2019 - Present
Volunteer for campus cleanups, food drives, home improvements.
ISU Bicycle Advisory Group Iowa State University | 2022 - Present
Student representative, advocating and planning for cyclist based infrastructure, working with campus planners and student groups.
Bellevue Comprehensive Planning Committee City of Bellevue, Iowa | 2021 - Present
Working with urban planners and fellow citizens for long term community planning and goal setting in my hometown.
REFERENCES
Substance Design Forum Finalist | 2024 Kocimski Super Review Finalist | 2023 DLR Group Competition First Place | 2022 Richard F. Hansen Prize First Place | 2021 AIA Iowa Emerging Professional 3rd Place | 2022 Lightfoot Internship Scholarship Summer 2023 Eagle Scout 2019
Ayodele Iyanalu
David Sorg
Associate Professor | Iowa State University aiyanalu@iastate.edu
Principal | OPN Architects dsorg@opnarchitects.com
wick
5
data_fields
21
everyday monument
31
the arc
37
reawaken
43
digital fabrication
49
k guenther // 2024
WICK
water education center professor / ayodele iyanalu collaborator / timothy zhang first place / dlr group prize
Water is the impulse of every ecosystem and
In West Ames, at the intersection of Lincoln
essential to the flow of energy on the planet.
Way and Dakota Avenue, a remnant of the
Its importance is proven in places such as
natural landscape suffers from the negative
Iowa, where agriculture thrives. However, its
effects of humans’ poor water management.
destructive power can wreak havoc on both WICK represents the charge towards a future
natural and human rhythms.
where architecture responds more radically and
to the urgent water scarcity and flooding
ecosystems are suffering from the effects
crises that we as a society must confront
of water scarcity, and as populations grow
rapidly. Through the uncommon features of
in these areas, so does the need to shelter
our proposal, we hope that the community
them. In Iowa, waterways are heavily polluted
would look at their most precious resource
due to agricultural and urban runoff, and
in a new light.
Across
the
globe,
communities
inefficiently siphoned resulting in flooding.
wick // // pg pg 5
k guenther // 2024 To open the minds of the community to
drainage routes. nside, collected water is
protect and improve our waterscapes both
used in the toilets and conditioning system,
locally and globally, we are proposing WICK,
while some are purified for consumption
a center to showcase and develop strategies
and in-house hydrology research purposes.
to generate, conserve, and manage water in
Additional water is extracted from the air
new ways. On the site, over 23 million gallons
via exterior fog-collecting mesh baffles and
of water fall annually, draining from impervious
micro ridges on the surface of the ETFE
surfaces into the wooded site. Rather than
facade, capable of collecting additional
blocking this flow, WICK hovers above the
water in humidity and fog events.
landscape on dual cores, straddling natural
conceptual diagram
wick // pg 7
experiential concepts
site plan
k guenther // 2024
1 BIORETENTION CELL
3 WOODLAND PATHS
Runoff from surrounding impervious surfaces collects in a pond where aquatic species and understory plant life filter pollutants before returning to groundwater and streams
2 OBSERVABLE MEP SYSTEMS
hydronic heating and cooling equipment including chillers and boilers are viewable to the public for better understanding of water-based themal comfort systems
Permeable paver paths connect existing neighborhoods and cycle paths throughout the site, bringing visitors through existing woodlands towards the center
4 VERTICAL CIRCULATION
Egress stairwells and elevator shafts connect the forest floor to the upper level while also concealing structural supports, mechanical systems, and back of house areas
3
4 2 1
4
LOWER FLOOR PLAN 0’ 6’
12’
25’
50’
wick // pg 9
bio-conservatory
WICK
Irish Moss Sagina subulata Irish Moss features tiny white star-shaped flowers at the ends of the stems from mid spring to mid summer. Its tiny needle-like leaves emerge light green in spring, turning emerald green in color the rest of the year.
Sheet moss Hypnum One of the most common types of moss, thrives in deep shade and has a great transplant success rate. Its dense green mats can handle light foot traffic. Use it between stepping stones or, because of its low growth habit, as a ground cover to highlight other low-ranging plants.
bioswale + fog collection
k guenther // 2024
façade assembly
wick // pg 11
k guenther // 2024
// pg 13
hydrology exhibition
k guenther // 2024
wick ////pgpg15 15
0’ 6’
12’
25’
50’
k guenther // 2024
section detail + site model
wick // pg 17
k guenther // 2024
// pg 19
“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” LAO TZU
k guenther // 2024
data_fields
visualizing digital extraction professor / mitchell squire collaborators / sophia allen + mircea nastase + connor shanahan finalist / kocimski super review 2023 finalist / substance design forum 2024
Katherine Yusoff references the geology of
for examining data mining practices and the
the undergrounds as elements of our stratified
invasion of personal data?
world that operate beneath activities of the above ground. As our existence becomes
Silicon Valley and tech giants of the
increasingly reliant on technology, these
San
largely invisible layers of our world are where
outsourcing of data storage, leaving smaller
data infrastructures exist that shape what we
communities, like the Des Moines metro
see, do, and feel. Yusoff raises questions
area, to bear the weight of these decisions.
about future world-making and its connection
These data centers employ architectural
to these racialized undergrounds. Rather
conventions to plan, extract, and build
than starting with the architect’s aspirations,
physical manifestations of the “cloud” on
if we begin by understanding the people and
the earth. As material mining continues to
infrastructures of the underground, can we
extract physical resources for the seemingly
decolonize the architectures above ground?
non-physical “cloud,” corporate interests
How can examining extractive mining, given
and big data continue to overpower the
that it has historically supplied the resources
interests, land, and resources of less dense
that fueled technological developments
communities and repress underground data
through labor exploitation, provide a basis
infrastructures.
Francisco
Bay
Area
require
the
data_fields // pg 21
k guenther // 2024
manifesto 1 / our current data-driven capitalcene, where human impact on the planet both digitally and physically is greatest for the most vulerable
data_fields // pg 23
manifesto 2 / a representation of exposed data ungrounds in a symbiotic relationship with humans, a possible route of futurity
k guenther // 2024
“black box”
data_fields // pg 25
Data infrastructures such as algorithms, the “cloud”, black boxes, and artificial intelligence, support extractive activities to obtain power and control within society, oftentimes under the guise of technological advancement and modern convenience.
k guenther // 2024
“data ”
“data storage”
data_fields // pg 27 Hybridization provides a new context of exploration to investigate how much of our world is dictated by our autonomous actions or instead prompted by the technological infrastructures that design both the digital and physical realms we live in.
k guenther // 2024
The screen continually acts as a site of contest in our technologically oriented world. On one side, there is the human brain, a biological computer with a series of beliefs and agendas that has evolved over thousands of years. On the other side is the data infrastructures with another series of logics that have rapidly developed at an alarming rate. As humans using technology on a daily basis, we negotiate these two often opposing computers on the screen. Performance is used as a means to explore the potentials of the human body in virtual landscapes.
“data application”
hybrid performance
data_fields // pg 29
our reliance on the virtual world
actions and thoughts are warped
we never truly escape our digital selves
k guenther // 2024
everyday monument roman community catalyst professor / consuelo nuñez cuiffa collaborators / connor shanahan + arden stapella iowa state rome program, italy / 2023
of
San
Lorenzo,
Everyday
beyond
the
limits
of
current context of San Lorenzo while
an
continually
The
neighborhood
which
lies
Rome’s
ancient
just
city
wall,
sits
at
Monument
encapsulates
referencing
the
the
historic
intersection of the past, the present, and
monuments that once served the contexts
an uncertain future. A quilt work collection
of their time. While these monuments today
of
impromptu
are addressed in new ways, their presence
community offices, and abandoned spaces
is reestablished by their visual relationship
currently inhabit the space – longing for
to the contemporary site that serves the
reconnection to the public realm again.
overall community.
craftsmen’s
workshops,
// pg 31
k guenther // 2024
COMMUNITY AUDITORIUM RECREATION CENTER FAMILY & YOUNG PROFESSIONAL RESIDENCES STUDENT LOUNGES STUDENT RESIDENCES
COWORKING LEVEL
above / program axonometric diagram below / longitudinal section
everyday monument // pg 33
ground floor + site plan
k guenther // 2024
above / view from Viale dello Scalo San Lorenzo below / perspective section of central courtyard
everyday monument // pg 35
view of piazza near the Aurelian Wall
k guenther // 2024
the arc
urban artist’s residency professor / bosuk hur collaborator/ aidan andrews
New York City is heralded as the center of
community that no longer focuses on the
the modern universe, but to whom does that
wealthy’s desires to distance themselves
statement really apply? In a city built on im-
from the public. Gardening, playing, skate-
migration, industry, and culture, this daunt-
boarding, climbing, are all things that re-
ing task begins with the roots of the problem,
quire understanding that our environments,
the fight between public and private space
natural or human, are rhythmic yet chaotic
in a city where every square foot comes with
in nature. How long will we let a price tag be
a price tag.
placed upon the essence of community?
To decentralize public space is to blur the boundaries between class. When the binary between those who gawk and those who flaunt is broken, public and private space can be intertwined and everyone can benefit from the city they reside in. Providing more accessible and usable public space in the culture and art-centric neighborhood that is Chelsea could be the seed of a solution. This solution includes creating better connections to spaces residents value such as playgrounds, community gardens, walking space, and places for spontaneous activity and art and would create a more equitable
conceptual diagram
// pg 37
manifesto imaginary
k guenther // 2024
above / view from 10th ave below / view from ramp + activities atrium
the arc // pg 39
artist’s unit
family unit
k guenther // 2024
nighttime along the high line
the arc // pg 41
perspective section
k guenther // 2024
reawaken
woodland restoration retreat professor / kevin lair collaborators / armin hasancevic + mckenna vandentop first place / hansen prize 2021 reAWAKEN is an initiative that sheds light
dramatic topography of the land, serves
on the need for preserving woodland space
as a symbolic break in the landscape, rep-
and ensuring native species prevail. Today
resents the epicenter of invasive expansion,
land is sought after for development. This
and acts as an ecologically responsible site
engagement is usually destructive, but
for human interruption.
after enveloping ourselves in this project we discovered a need to establish a mutual
Co-inhabitation with the land requires a light
relationship between architecture and the
hand, reAWAKEN seeks to gently restore
landscape. If we can embrace the landscape
unused barn and corn crib materials and
for what it is, then the embrace can be
local ecology simultaneously. Restoration is
returned. Located on Westbrook Artists Site
a process which involves the intersections
in Winterset, Iowa, reAWAKEN reflects the
of a multitude of lifespans whether those
wisdom of this place through materiality,
be biological or physical. The integration of
addresses ecological degradation through
materials, people, and plants elevates ar-
architectural functions, and emphasizes land
chitecture’s relationship with its environment
ethic through the intentional site selection.
and enables the seamless transition from sky, to architecture, to earth. In the process
The space serves as a facility which
of reusing materials, our project moves to
supports the education and removal of
reawaken the land and restore the wood-
invasive species. It also features a water
land space. A harmonious landscape is a
channel which flows through the landscape
powerful force which carries fuel for growth
to the main building and subsequently to an
as it does not commit energy to parasitic
outstretching rain garden below. Facilitation
flora. This process of cleansing gives new
of these programs is ideally located in
life to this scarred plot and allows for it to
a transmission line slot as it reveals the
awaken again.
// pg 43
k guenther // 2024
reawaken
// pg 45
GROWING WITH THE SEASONS Managing the harsh and unpredictable weather of Iowa’s distict seasons required considering how rainwater, drought, intense sun, and wind would affect the intervention. A semi-subterranean stucuture helps regulate temperatures without need for active systems, and nat ural ventilation draws cool air from the valley below through the building and out exhaust chutes.
k guenther // 2024
Hay Trolly 2
- Tying agricultural history to the present
wood & stone detail
- Pulleys and ropes vertically transport a hook, carrying woody invasives below 1
reclaimed 2 x 6 corn crib timber mortar to seal material boundary local limestone
3 5
4
6
7 8
RESIDENTIAL PLAN & DISPOSAL, EVENT, & HEARTH SPACE PLAN
9
1
Gathering Space
2
Garlic Mustard Chute
3
Scupper & Gutter
4
Hearth
5
Trolly Cavity
6
Bathroom
7
Bedroom
8
Living Space
9
Raised Garden & Trellis
N W
E S
invasives storage
reawaken // pg 47
k guenther // 2024
digital fabrication casting 3d printed modules professor / shelby doyle spring 2024 / arch 433
To gain experience with parametric design and a 3D printed mold workflow, this project seeks to experiment with the capibilities of fast drying concrete and the process of creating digitally modeled forms. This design interlocks in multiple axes with two distinct modules. When stacked they have the capibility to create intersting ellipsoid voids, align in rows, or create arching forms, with 10 units creating a full dodecadonal cone.
digital fabrication // pg 49