DESIGN PORTFOLIO SELECTED WORKS - MASON KEENER

DESIGN PORTFOLIO

SELECTED WORKS MASON KEENER

SKILLS

REVIT

ARCHICAD

RHINO

ADOBE SUITE

LUMION

TWIN MOTION

EDUCATION

FAY JONES SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN NAAB ACCREDITED BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

GPA 3.93 2019-2024

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS HONORS COLLEGE 2019-2024

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS ROME CENTER FALL 2023

EXPERIENCE

WILLIAMS PARTNERS ARCHITECTS

SUN VALLEY, IDAHO FULL TIME INTERNSHIP 2023

BILD ARCHITECTS

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

PART TIME/FULL TIME INTERNSHIP 2020-2023

As a soon to be graduate from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, I am hoping to take the interests and skills that I have gained into a professional setting. I believe that I gravitate towards finding creative yet simple solutions that are site conscious and fulfill the needs of people and programs. Throughout my academic career, I have become fluent in the process of designing and the process of representation and, while I hope to continue to learn in both areas, I hope to gain more knowledge in the process of transitioning design intent into real construction solutions. I am also interested in the dialogue between designers, clients, consultants, and contractors in which the project is formed and a common goal can be achieved. With my current four years of part-time, professional experience, I hope to be involved in all phases of projects to learn how all the phases work together collectively in a productive way.

SEBASTIAN COUNTY LIBRARY

GREENWOOD, ARKANSAS 7TH SEMESTER

Photograph of nearby dogtrot cabin. An Arkansas vernacular

Arkansas Sandstone on local historical buildings. Greenwood District Court built in a late 1960’s modern style.

Bell tower standing in the town square, across from site.

DEFINE STREET EDGE

MAIN LIBRARY MASS DEFINE STREET EDGE

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The proposed site is situated at an open corner of a small downtown square where the density of the town square is lost. Due to Main Street taking people to the public school to the north and Center St. being the main passage through town, this corner is heavily trafficked throughout the day.

While visiting the site on an extremely warm summer day, there was relief found from the hot sun in the retail loggias and a cool breeze felt in a nearby dogtrot home, which exemplifies the local vernacular that deals with the warm climate.

Creating a passage through the site, became a driving element of the project. With after school students being the target audience for a public library, the project acts as a place of passage and refuge for students as they need a place that is walking distance from the nearby school.

After speaking with the current librarians at the existing library just to the northwest of the site, it was clear that students were commonly found in the empty lot that is the site, waiting for after school activities to begin at the nearby church or to be picked up by their parents. The project invites visitors to take refuge in a large courtyard, under the deep porches, or within the public library to enjoy the array of amenity spaces that allow gathering, creating, and socializing.

1 - LIBRARY STACKS / READING ROOM

2 - STUDY ROOMS

3 - GATHERING SPACE

4 - EXTERIOR BRIDGE

5 - TEEN ROOM

6 - MEDIA ROOM

7 - TEACHING KITCHEN

8 - MECHANICAL

9 - EXTERIOR BRIDGE

LEVEL II

1 - LIBRARY STACKS / READING ROOM

2 - BOOK PROCESSING

3 - ADMINISTRATION

4 - MECHANICAL

5 - MAKER SPACE

6 - CHILDREN ROOM

7 - MECHANICAL

8 - CAFE

LEVEL I

BRIDGE DETAILS AND OPERABILITY

The bridges joining the two building masses are meant to provide second level circulation and a wrap around porch on the first level along the perimeter of the courtyard. Operable, perforated screens were designed to allow shading when closed and cool eastern winds to still pass through on the second level.

1 - VIERENDEEL TRUSS AS PRIMARY STRUCTURE ON EXTERIOR BRIDGE

2 - STEEL PLATE AND CABLE GUARDRAIL

3 - HOLLOW METAL STEEL SUBSTRUCTURE FOR MOUNTING PREFINISHED PERFORATED METAL PANEL AND TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR OPERABLE PANELS.

4 - TRACK SYSTEM FOR OPERABLE PANELS. HUNG FROM TOP AND GUIDED AT BOTTOM TRACK.

5 - ACCORDION HINGED OPERABLE PREFINISHED METAL PANELS

6 - PREFINISHED PERFORATED METAL PANEL

7 - TPO MEMBRANE APPLIED OVER RIGID INSULATION ON ON METAL DECK

8 - METAL STUDS WITH PREFINISHED METAL PANEL TO MATCH PERFORATED METAL PANELS. PARAPET CAP FLASHING.

9 - STEEL CROSS MEMBERS FOR EXTERIOR BRIDGE

10 - PLATE STEEL PLANTER BOX USED AS GUARDRAIL

11 - CONCRETE FINISH FLOOR ON METAL DECK

12 - WOOD SOFFIT WITH INTEGRATED LINEAR LIGHTING

Collage precedent of St. Genevieve Library and Paris Opera House

WALL SECTION AND WINDOW SILL DETAILS

To prevent harsh southern light from entering the main library stacks and reading room, slanted walls were used on the first floor to bring in indirect light and thickened walls to allow for deeper inset windows were used on the second floor.

1 - PREFINISHED METAL PARAPET CAP FLASHING

2 - FINISH GRADE ASHLAR STONE VENEER

3 - TPO MEMBRANE OVER RIGID INSULATION

4 - RIGID INSULATION, SLOPING FROM SOUTH WALL TO DRAINAGE ON THE NORTH END

5 - WOOD BLOCKING AT PARAPET CAP

6 - CLT ROOF DECK

7 - DROP CEILING SUBSTRUCTURE

8 - SUPPLY DUCT

9 - PANELIZED WOOD DROP CEILING

10 - GLULAM BEAM

11 - 6” METAL STUD FRAMING

12 - BATT INSULATION

13 - CONCEALED OPERABLE ROLLING SHADE

14 - ALUMINUM STOREFRONT

15 - PREFINISHED METAL PANEL

16 - PREFINISHED PERFORATED METAL PANEL

17 - RECESSED METAL CHANNEL

18 - CARPET FLOOR FINISH

19 - CLT FLOOR DECK

20 - RETURN DUCT

21 - PREFINISHED PERFORATED METAL PANEL JOINT

22 - BOOK SHELVES

23 - FELT COVERED ACOUSTIC BOARD

24 - CLT WALL PANEL

25 - RIGID INSULATION

26 - MORTAR BOARD AND METAL LATH

27 - PREFINISHED METAL PANEL

28 - CARPET FINISH FLOOR

29 - CONCRETE SLAB

30 - RIGID INSULATION

31 - GRAVEL BASE

32 - STEEL ANGLE, TIES CLT WALL TO FOUNDATION STEM WALL

33 - FOUNDATION STEM WALL

34 - TRIMMED HEDGES

35 - PLANTER SOIL

36 - STEEL PLANTER BOX

37 - DRAIN IN PLANTER BOX TO GRAVEL BASE BELOW

38 - NEW CONCRETE SIDWALK THAT REPLACES EXISTING

Collage precedent of Piazza San Marco and Greenwood context

STRUCTURAL STRATEGY

The primary structure of the two library masses is mass timber, using glulam columns and beams and cross-laminated timber load bearing walls. To create the large, cantilever spans of the two bridges, steel vierendeel trusses were used.

Collage precedent of St. Genevieve Library and Exeter Library

TEMPORARY ADAPTIVE REUSE

ROME, ITALY 9TH SEMESTER

SITE STRATEGY

The perceived problem of the existing site is the continuous passage of movement along Via Cesare Baronio with no integrated stopping points. This is not a site-specific issue, however. This condition exists throughout many contemporary Roman neighborhoods such as Prati and Testaccio. Contrastly, piazzas are found throughout the historic city center for public adoration of the churches and monuments along the Via Papalis. To achieve this urban condition in the site, the existing piazza will be transformed and extended linearly along the existing median. This strategy is intended to be modular and applicable to the entirety of Via Cesare Baronio. Found within these “stops” or “piazzas” will be temporary structures that provide a designed place to congregate, host markets, have a picnic, sit and enjoy the day, etc. Constructing these temporary structures should be a community involved process that allows them to be designed according to the wants and needs of the people that will be using them. Their temporary nature allows for routine community involvement and modification to their neighborhood. This strategy allows the built environment to evolve as the culture of the neighborhood evolves.

BUILDING STRATEGY

The proposed adaptive reuse of Via Luigi Tosti 70 examines the concept of minimal intervention and temporary reuse. By conducting a historic preservation analysis of the project, priority was given. More restoration work is to be done on the interior of the building to highlight and benefit from the 1920’s concrete structure while the exterior is meant to be left alone to comfortably sit in its current context.

While the idea of the project is that the reuse of the building is subject to change, the current program being designed for is a food bank/food pantry on the ground floor and a community library and hostile on the second level. At the ground level, the window openings are to be extended to the ground as entrances allowing more access to the building while also providing flexible entrances for future reuses.

EXTERIOR DAMAGES

- ORANGE/YELLOW PLASTER

•CHIPPING

•CRACKING

- TRAVERTINE CLADDING

•GRAFFITI

•CRACKING

•BUSTED CORNERS

•DETACHMENT

- WHITE PLASTER CORNICE

•BUSTED CORNERS

•CRACKING

- PARAPET HANDRAIL

•RUSTED

- BOTTOM EDGE OF BUILDING

•BUSTED

•VEGETATION

- WINDOWS AND MULLIONS

•BUSTED GLASS

•AC UNITS

•RUSTED MULLIONS

- TRAVERTINE WINDOW TRIM

•CRACKING

INTERIOR DAMAGES

- INTERIOR STOREFRONT •RUSTED

•BUSTED/MISSING GLASS

- INTERIOR WHITE PLASTER

•CHIPPING

•CRACKING

- BRICK PAVERS

•MISSING BRICKS

•BUSTED BRICKS

- REINFORCED CONCRETE

•DAMAGED EDGES

TEMPORALITY

To prevent the paradigm of adaptive reuse, the proposed reuse of Via Luigi Tosti 70 is meant to be temporary with total independence from the existing structure. This strategy allows for new reuse to happen whenever deemed necessary by means of easy deconstruction and minimal interaction with the existing.

BUS STOP CINEMA

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

10TH SEMESTER

CURRENT STUDIO PROJECT...

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

With intentions to create a site-specific piece of architecture, the project seeks to situate itself within the context of Fayetteville by its program and situate itself architectural within an exiting building. 200 N West Avenue lies in a area of convergence of a regional public transit route, a university transit route, the Northwest Arkansas Greenway pedestrain path, and the historic Arkansas-Missouri railroad. In the spirit of walkability, the program of the building seeks to be a transportation hub creating a linkage of pedestrain paths to public transit. This building also lies in the City of Fayetteville’s new Arts Corridor, which houses the Walton Arts Center, Theater Squared, and the Nadine Performing Arts Center. To address the desire for this stretch of Fayetteville to become a arts hub, the project includes a small cinema. The project intends to combine the “need” based, transitional program of a bus stop with the “want” based, controlled program of a cinema.

To achieve a level of circular construction within this adaptive reuse project, the new structure is meant to support any new retro-fittings only through non-compromising, disassemblable connections. Existing materials that are to be removed such as the roof and floor are used throughout the project in new ways, such as furniture, bus stop canopy, and the symbolic bus station clock tower/cinema marquee.

Those who arrive at Thekla can see little of the city, beyond the plank fences, the sackcloth screens, the scaffoldings, the metal armatures, the wooden catwalks hanging from ropes or supported by sawhorses, the ladders, the trestles. If you ask, “Why is Thekla’s construction taking such a long time?” the inhabitants continue hoisting sacks, lowering leaded strings, moving long brushes up and down, as they answer, “So that its destruction cannot begin.” And if asked whether they fear that, once the scaffoldings are removed, the city may begin to crumble and fell to pieces, they add hastily, in a whisper, “Not only the city.” If, dissatisfied with the answers, someone puts his eye to a crack in a fence, he sees cranes pulling up other cranes, scaffoldings that embrace other scaffoldings, beams that prop up other beams. “What meaning does your construction have?” he asks. “What is the aim of a city under construction unless it is a city? Where is the plan you are following, the blueprint?” “We will show it to you as soon as the working day is over; we cannot interrupt our work now,” they answer. Work stops at sunset. Darkness falls over the building site. The sky is filled with stars. “There is the blueprint,” they say.

- Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

MODEL OF THEKLA

SKETCH OF THEKLA

CINEMA PARADISO CONCEPT

In the film, Cinema Paradiso, by Giuseppe Tornatore, the cinema is initially represented as a magical place where the community would gather to watch all variety of film, yet when a fire takes the cinema the town projects the film on the outisde of the building. This symoblized that traditional cinemas are not what is magical, but instead the film and the community create the magic.

STRUCTURE CONCEPT

Derived from the Invisible City of Thekla, the structural concept is achieved through structural frames that support the exisitng walls while open up a column free volume within. From these structural frames, steel rods are hung to support the structure of the elevated floor. The hanging process is meant to be a reversible connection so that the structure can be reused again and again.

SPRING STREET ELEVATION 1/8” = 1’-0”

BILLBOARD

ARCHITECTURE

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS 8TH SEMESTER

INITIAL DESIGN

- implements the idea of elevated/displayed program

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Ch-ch-changes studio focuses on the idea of “Soft Architecture” which views architecture as not about finishing, but as an iterative process in an ongoing dynamic rather than a fixed context. The aim is to design buildings to change as continually as they need to and to think of architecture in relation to time - that is, to be soft and repeatedly redesigned to participate with landscape and the needs of the local and global community.

The project “Billboard Architecture” explores the idea of how a building can be an active billboard for the activity within and for the city beyond. The strategy for change is to use a structural scaffolding system that can be assembled and disassembled in different configurations to hold “display” modules and create frames for the life of the city beyond. Through a series of 6 changes, each change being ten or more years apart, the project is shown through different configurations and modifications due to what it is trying to respond to. Some changes are subtle while others are more drastic, but each design utilizes the framework established by the initial design. The goal of using a system for change is to create a more closed loop construction that lasts for decades in hopes to maintain a low carbon footprint and minimize wasted material.

WMOUNTAIN

SWAVE

CHANGE 01 - RESPOND TO NEIGHBORS

-added backdrops of color using natural light

-formed top edge to mimic skyline beyond

WMOUNTAIN

SWAVE

- added recording company office block

- coordinated backdrop colors with retail/recording spaces

CHANGE 02 - NEW PROGRAM

CHANGE 03 - INCREASE SQUARE FOOTAGE

-introduced larger, corner units

-added more public access

CHANGE 04 - TORNADO!

-expanded footprint to an enclosed rectangle

-offered an internal park off public park

-reinforced structural capabilities

PUBLIC PARK

CHANGE 05 - RESPOND TO NEIGHBORS

-added accessible core allowing verticality -tried to gain visibility from new street

STACKED BOXES OFFICE SPACES

SCAFFOLDING WITH BOXES RETAIL SPACES

CHANGE 06 - RESPOND TO CRITIQUES

-controlled the grid to add boxes

-developed mechanical and plumbing solutions

ARCHITECTURE OF THE CITY

EXPERIENCE VS. ORTHOGRAPHIC GEOMETRY

Examples of the use of pure geometries can be found most prevalently at the Pantheon, as well as Piazza Sant’Ignazio. While these geometries are so easily identifiable when examined orthographically, they are much harder to identify while experiencing the space. While inside the Pantheon it is hard to imagine that a perfect sphere can fit perfectly within the floor, the walls, and the dome. Trying to identify the plan geometry of Piazza Sant’Ignazio is quite challenging through experience but can be understood clearly when looking at an original plan.

PANTHEON - EXPERIENCE

PANTHEON - ORTHOGRAPHIC

PIAZZA SANT’IGNAZIO - EXPERIENCE (DRAWN ON-SITE)

PIAZZA SANT’IGNAZIO - ORTHOGRAPHIC (DRAWN FROM ORIGINAL)

PIAZZA SANT’IGNAZIO - EXPERIENCE (LOOKING UP THROUGH CIRCLE)

SANT’AGNESE IN AGONE - INTERIOR

ROMAN ANTIQUITY X CATHOLIC CHURCH

With the rise of every aspiring Roman leader, comes the desire to make Rome as great as it once was which in hand brings on new construction that connects, trumps, or references Roman Antiquity. The Catholic Church is no exception and along the Via Papalis one can witness many examples of where various popes imposed their identity on major monuments of Roman antiquity.

EMPEROR HADRIAN X POPE NICHOLAS III

HADRIAN’S TOMB (139 AD)

CASTEL SANT’ANGELO (1300’S AD)

THEATER OF POMPEY (55 BC)

BASILICA SANT’ANDREA (1650 AD)

SENATOR POMPEY X POPE SIXTUS V

TEMPLE OF JUPITER (509 BC) PIAZZA DEL CAMPIDOGLIO (1546 AD)

KING TARQUINIUS X POPE PAUL III

A SMALL TOWN CATALOG

Through five case studies of small towns in Arkansas, A Catalog of Small Towns seeks to understand how small towns can stave off obsoleteness and gain presence again. The main means of survival, to draw attention and investment, for these small towns is an adaptation of their identity. All the towns researched were discovered to be towns that started from one thing (i.e., industry, agriculture, railroads, river access, etc.) but through adaptation became a town known for another thing. Also, some of the towns researched were towns that since their beginning have lacked a strong identity but had to find what their identity was and how to capture it.

The goal of the project is to relate with an audience that has a connection to small towns that are losing population and investment to maintain the built environment and social life of the community, by providing examples of small-town revivals and how their strategies can be related to other towns. The project is presented as an easily distributed pamphlet containing imagery, text, and diagrams that explain the issue and offer examples of solutions.

TOWNHOMES ON PARK

BILD ARCHITECTS

SPRINGDALE, ARKANSAS

CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS AND VISUAL REPRESENTATION

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

BIOTECH LABS

BILD ARCHITECTS

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

CONCEPTUAL DESIGN AND VISUAL REPRESENTATION

UNBUILT

STANLEY RESIDENCE

WILLIAMS PARTNERS ARCHITECTS STANLEY, IDAHO

PRESENTATION DRAWINGS AND SUBMISSION

AIA AWARD OF HONOR WINNER

SAWTOOTH MOUNTAIN VIEW

1. MOTORCOURT

2. ENTRY

3. GUEST BEDROOM

4. LAUNDRY ROOM

5. MASTER BEDROOM

6. SAUNA

7. KITCHEN

8. DINING

9. LIVING

10. TERRACE

11. SPA

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

0 10 20

HARD ROCK RESIDENCE

WILLIAMS PARTNERS ARCHITECTS SUN VALLEY, IDAHO

PRESENTATION DRAWINGS AND SUBMISSION

1. DRIVEWAY

2. ARTWORK

3. MOTOR COURT

4. MASTER TERRACE

5. UPPER TERRACE

6. LOWER TERRACE

7. SPA

8. ARTWORK

9. FIREPIT

10. YARD

11. ARTWORK

PROPERTYLINE SETBACKLINE

HARDROCKLANE

COVID CABIN

BUILT ON PARENTS PROPERTY DURING COVID PANDEMIC

FRIENDS DEAN LEA , COLE SANDERS, AND MYSELF

CONTACT

479-275-9048 masonpaul1018@gmail.com

SKILLS

REVIT

ARCHICAD

RHINO

ADOBE SUITE

LUMION

TWIN MOTION

EDUCATION

FAY JONES SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN

NAAB ACCREDITED BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE

GPA 3.93

2019-2024

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS HONORS COLLEGE

2019-2024

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS ROME CENTER FALL 2023

EXPERIENCE

WILLIAMS PARTNERS ARCHITECTS

SUN VALLEY, IDAHO

FULL TIME INTERNSHIP

2023

BILD ARCHITECTS

FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS

PART TIME/FULL TIME INTERNSHIP

2020-2023