mark t nicol | graduate portfolio

2012 2011 2010 2009

research projects

2012 2011 2010 2009 2012 2011 2010 2009

mark t nicol | graduate portfolio

research projects

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design ward’s island institute of geomorphology completed spring 2011 . penn.design studio ferda kolatan

tribeca hotel and residences

completed fall 2010 . penn.design studio hina jamelle

london cultural olympiad

completed fall 2011 . penn.design/AA studio homa farjadi

2012 2011 2010 2009

cloud culture

completed august 2010 collaboration with david mulder

citicorp plaza

completed fall 2009 . pratt institute studio greg okshteyn

dumbo research incubator

completed spring 2010 . pratt institute studio carla leitao

professional nato headquarters

completed june 2009 . skidmore owings & merrill design team

fabergĂŠ big egg hunt

completed february 2012 . with fourfoursixsix designer and digital specialist

worldmark 1, 2, & 3

completed august 2011 . kohn pederson fox design, techinical, and digital specialist

research research

projects cellular networking

fall 2010 . penn.design critic jenny sabin

n-body problem

fall 2009 . pratt institute critic theo calvin

diffusion limited aggregation spring 2010 . pratt institute critic carla leitao | mike szivos

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2012 2011 2010 2009 2012 2011 2010 2009

fall 2011 + spring 2012 . the architectural association + penndesign critic shany barath | cecil balmond

design

2012 2011 2010 2009

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$%&'(&)"*$'(*&+(+,+-'./'0-.1.#23.).0 %&'(&)"*$'(*&+(+,+-'./'0-.1.# motivated by an interest in understanding the deep structural forces that drive geologic formations, this project sought to develop a process of formation and a resulting form that were integrally linked across various scales. formation, from site to space to surface, are driven by a fundamental system of forces which informed the overall site strategy, interior programatic organization and surface articula[PVU [OL YLZ\S[ PZ Ă…\PK MVYTH[PVU VWLYH[PUN HJYVZZ scales, driven by deep structural forces, just as is the case with natural geologic formations. as the project progress we consulted with inovative engineers and experts in digital fabrication to ensure that our proposition was conveived within the realm of the real. together, we devised a structural system and system of assembly that operated together to actualize the innovative formal system.

completed spring 2011 . penn.design . m.arch I . studio ferda kolatan

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the TriBeCa hotel & residences are a study of [VWVSVN` TVYL ZWLJPÄJHSS` H Z[\K` VM OV^ VUL might subtly change the nature of space to yield a subsequent change in the function of that space. topology driving typology. the building is an array of cellular pods that transform across its breadth.

Gradients of change lead to critical thresholds that trigger changes in use - shifting from hotel to YLZPKLU[PHS JVUÄN\YH[PVUZ :`ULYNPZ[PJ W\ISPJ M\UJtions are injected throughout the system to further activate the space. the system that emerges is cellular by nature. this is disrupted by synergistic hospitality programs at various scales and intensities. the nature of these restaurant and bar spaces is driven by their location ^P[OPU [OL Z`Z[LT [OL ÄUHS MVYTH[PVU PZ H ÄLSK VM change, full of robust hybrid conditions with public program layered throughout resulting in a cohesive yet varied landscape of experience.

completed fall 2010 . penn.design . m.arch I . studio hina jamelle

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by designing in a capacity for dynamisman an adaptive system was created with the capacity to YLZWVUK [V H ]HYPL[` VM PUÅ\LUJLZ PUKP]PK\HS IVH[Z can migrate around the city to support various events while others concentrate in different densi[PLZ HUK JVUÄN\YH[PVUZ VU [OL THPU ZP[L these behavioral capacities exist at the unit level, but also take on entirely new aggregated effects ^OLU [OL \UP[Z NYV\W [VNL[OLY PU SHYNLY JVUÄN\YH[PVUZ [OL YLZ\S[ PZ H JVUZ[HU[S` Å\J[\H[PUN SHUKscape, able to support a dynamic and varied array VM L]LU[Z HUK HJ[P]P[PLZ [OPZ Å\J[\H[PUN SHUKZJHWL gives a presence and identity to the London Cultural Olympiad. by concentrating dispersed events in one location it allows for a vibrancy that would otherwise be lacking. the reverse is also true. at times this landscape breaks apart and disperses around London utilizing the existing network of waterways as a tool to stitch together the cultural events which comprise the Olympiad. moving forward this system will remain vibrant because of its capacity to synergize cultural events.

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completed fall 2011 . penn.design/AA . m.arch I . studio homa farjadi

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due to the proliferation of social networking sites such as facebook and twitter, there is an abundance of personal data stored in the digital cloud that is readily available to anyone or anything that seeks to access it. by constantly mining the digital cloud to extract the thoughts, identities and feelings of its inhabitants, cloud culture can become knowledgeable about P[Z \ZLYZ HUK HUPTH[L P[ZLSM [V YLÅLJ[ [OLPY JVSSLJtive sentiments. this yields a dynamic architectural space that provides an ever shifting palette of ZLUZVY` L_WLYPLUJL [OL YLZ\S[ PZ H Å\PK YLSH[PVUZOPW in which the users of the space and the space itself HYL Z\ZWLUKLK PU H MLLKIHJR SVVW LHJO PUÅ\LUJPUN the mood of the other. cloud culture, therefore, is the dynamic manifestation of the connections and sentiments of the network of users within the space.

JedLab I’m at the w-burg wfront - you should be here! @magham73

imwitit check out photos of me backstage at the #poolparties hell yes http://twitpic.com/8uag4fg

funkdesign sunglasses on my face and beer in my hand. so excited to be at the #williamsburg #waterfront

zherman got and extra ticket for the #jellypoolparty. who wants to join me?

completed august 2010 . collaboration with david mulder

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justin t tucker 997 friends sex . male birthday . march 11, 1982 sexuality . straight current city . brooklyn, ny music . animal collective, grizzly bear, neutral milk hotel, lcd soundsystem

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rebecca funk 789 friends sex . female birthday . may 15, 1984 current city . new york, ny religion . baptist profession . designer music . philip glass, kronos quartet, sharon jones, buena vista social club, funkdesign 389 tweets location . everywhere web . http://www.funkdesign.net following . 504 followers . 10,567 listed . 1,346

gps location . 40° 43’ 21.91” north 73° 57’ 46.70” west centrality betweenness closeness authority

ari paul 306 friends sex . male birthday . december 10, 1979 hometown . cape town, south africa political views . liberal interests . cheese music . jay z, naz, outcast, wu tang, tribe called quest, ghostface killa AriPaulG 500 tweets

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this urban intervention at citicorp plaza seeks to capitalize on the successes of a rarely vibrant privately owned public space in the center of midtown manhattan. designed during the depths of the banking crisis this intervention sought to not only revitalize an urban space but to revitalize a corporate image. by layering various synergistic programs upon differing scales of banking programs distributed throughout the site complex programmatic conditions were created. these hybrid conditions yield new types of banking that are more open, more personal, and more transparent at a time when such traits were sorely lacking in banking. to reach this end an integrative design approach was employed. by marrying a richly complex aggregated system full of possibility with site constraints and program opportunities a truly unique solution was reached which is born of the dna of all three inputs.

completed fall 2009 . pratt institute . m.arch I . studio greg okshteyn

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situated in the shadow of the manhattan bridge in brooklynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dynamic dumbo, a neighborhood with a rich industrial past and now a center for the arts, this business incubator seeks to draw on the neighborhoods past, present and future. community outreach programs are layered with research incubation to create robust hybrid conditions.

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completed spring 2010 . pratt institute . m.arch I . studio carla leitao

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2012 2011 2010 2009

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as part of the design team on the new headquarters building for the north atlantic treaty organization (nato), I was one of two core team members responsible for the exterior wall and roofs package. resultingly, I had substantial input on the image of the building in addition to detailing the manner in ^OPJO ZWLJPĂ&#x201E;J Z`Z[LTZ ^LYL PU[LNYH[LK PU[V [OL design. numerous challenges were overcome with persistence and perseverance. a blast resistant curtain wall, with more square footage than the sears tower, was designed to speak to the openness and transparency of the alliance. sophisticated drainage systems and concealed access panels were seamlessly incorporated into huge sloping zinc skinned roofs giving the impression of two hands clasping together framing an impressive linear atrium. excentricly curved skylights were rationalized. building maintenance systems were layered into massive green roofs. each detail was considered in the context of the overall design intent. the result is a elegant skin with various building systems incorporated in an integrative manner.

completed june 2009 . skidmore, owings & merrill . brussels, belgium

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completed february 2012 . with fourfoursixsix . hugo boss | london uk

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situated in the shadow of the manhattan bridge in brooklynâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dynamic dumbo, a neighborhood with a rich industrial past and now a center for the arts, this business incubator seeks to draw on the neighborhoods past, present and future. community outreach programs are layered with research incubation to create robust hybrid conditions.

starter incubator space, researching advanced materials related to water, is provided looking out over the east river towards manhattan. additional research pods can be plugged into the system as required by research teams. these pods can enNHNL ^P[O [OL YP]LY KPYLJ[S` I` Ă&#x2026;VH[PUN VU P[Z Z\YMHJL or indirectly by siphoning research samples. as the lines of research grow and branch outwards, connections are made with related research teams creating a novel way for collaboration to manifest itself in the physical form of the building.

rendering by kpf visualization group completed august 2011 . kohn pederson fox . new delhi, india

research

2012 2011 2010 2009

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therefore, information about connectivity can drive the condition of the cell, prompting it to respond by either growing, differentiating, moving, or dying. just as chemical gradients in the environment stimulate behavior, so too can gradients in the organization of the extracellular matrix. the interrelationship between gradients of chemoattractants and the composition of the extracellular matrix can inform the design of nonlinear systems which have a similar dynamic relationship to their environment. gradients of contextual triggers will spark local reactions which will reverberate through the tensile network. this research and simulation is the beginning of a framework for considering dynamically reactive building systems.

initial matrix completed fall 2010 . penn.design . m.arch I . critic jenny sabin

chemoattractants

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matrix with attraction

deformed matrix

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through sequential and continuous interactions built upon simple rules, complex form can emerge without the addition of outside input. an understanding of these principles of emergent design allow for a new type of creativity enhanced by the utilization of H Å\PK WYVJLZZ HUK PU]VS]PUN [PTL HZ HU PU[LNYHS HUK constructive tool. forces build upon themselves sequentially, yielding complex solutions which would be impossible to conceive by conventional means. because of [OL K`UHTPJ UH[\YL VM [OPZ WYVJLZZ H ÄUPZOLK LUK PZ UV[ [OL VIQLJ[P]L YH[OLY H JVU[PU\V\ZS` Å\J[\H[ing landscape of solutions is generated resulting from bodies constantly shaping the behavior of one another while shaping the space that they occupy. by recognizing the innately imbued potential for dynamism of matter, designers can employ time and force as constructive instruments to generate form. doing so will impregnate design with a performative potential and a heightened relevance which is a direct consequence of the manner of production.

completed fall 2009 . pratt institute + individual research . m.arch I . critic theo calvin

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beyond their beauty, delicacy and ephemerality, ZUV^ÅHRLZ HYL WV^LYM\S [VVSZ MVY \UKLYZ[HUKPUN matter’s capacity for self-organization. it is because of this that we recognize them as having an almost life-like quality. additionally, just as with any manner of life, the environment in which they emerge SLH]LZ H [YHJL VU [OL ÄUHS MVYT VM [OL ÅHRL ZV ^L JHU YLHK PU H ZUV^ÅHRL [OL Z[VY` VM P[Z LTLYNLUJL and in so doing understand the ways in which various factors like temperature and humidity affect its growth. this research was conducted as a means to understand how buildings, business and cities might grow. if the variables of temperature and humidity are parallels for economic barometers, we can use ZUV^ÅHRLZ HZ H TVKLS [V Z[\K` OV^ [OL NYV^[O VM JP[PLZ HUK YLNPVUZ TPNO[ Å\J[\H[L V]LY [PTL PU boom time, skyscrapers shoot up like crystals and suburbs reach out like dendrites - in leaner times cites recalcify and buildings becoming less ÅHTIV`HU[ VU H I\PSKPUN ZJHSL H Z[Y\J[\YL JV\SK be designed such that it would grow along with demand in an organic manner, leaving the history of P[Z NYV^[O HZ H SLNPISL [YHJL VU P[Z ÄUHS MVYT

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completed spring 2009 . pratt institute . m.arch I . critic carla leitao | mike szivos

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in a native environment cells gain stability from tensile forces which are exerted on them by the extracellular matrix and are expressed through their cytoskeleton. when stressed these tensile connections transmit contextual information throughout the cell and in so doing drive cell behavior. if there is a shift in the extracellular matrix those forces are distributed through the integrin receptors to the cytoskeleton. the resulting realignment of the actin network within the cell’s cytoplasm triggers a response from the cell. therefore, information about connectivity can drive the condition of the cell, prompting it to respond by either growing, differentiating, moving, or dying. just as chemical gradients in the environment stimulate behavior, so too can gradients in the organization of the extracellular matrix. the interrelationship between gradients of chemoattractants and the composition of the extracellular matrix can inform the design of nonlinear systems which have a similar dynamic relationship to their environment. gradients of contextual triggers will spark local reactions which will reverberate through the tensile network. this research and simulation is the beginning of a framework for considering dynamically reactive building systems.

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fall 2011 | spring 2012 . the architectural association | penn.design . m.arch I . critic shany barath | cecil balmond

mark t nicol master of architecture . 2012 university of pennsylvania . school of design address | 4510 walnut street . #2 philadelphia, pa 19139 email | mark .t.nicol@base-12.net url | base-12.net mobile | 847.910.2379

mark t nicol | graduate portfolio