Melanie O'Brien | architectural portfolio by Melanie O'Brien

Melanie O’Brien architect | designer | artist

Contents One

Resume

Two

Education Rhythmic Occupancy | thesis project Surface-scape Rarefied Land Room to Manoeuvre School as [Emerald] City An Tearmann Book Forest

3 5 6 7 8 9 10

Three Professional Experience

DiMase Architects | Melbourne, Australia O’Donnell Architects | Galway, Ireland

11 14

Four

References Antony DiMase | previous employer Simon Walker | thesis tutor, previous employer

Five

List of Figures | Skills utilized

Melanie O’Brien | Introduction

Driven by an ethic focusing on craft, and simple, considered response, Mel has always found herself drawn to sustainable design, focusing on longevity and a holistic systems approach, particularly enjoying exploring these through a multitude of media in both digital and analogue formats. A recent graduate of architecture from University College Dublin., Mel finished with first class honours from her bachelor of architecture degree in 2010. She then proceeded to take two years out from full time education, gaining a year of professional experience in a

boutique architectural practice in Melbourne, Australia, working predominantly on aspects of daylight design. On return to her postgraduate studies in Dublin, she received the school’s annual research award for her essay, “Morphology and Mapping,” then undertaking a semester of study abroad in the University of Melbourne receiving a full scholarship. While there she furthered her interest in the regeneration of sustainable design. In her final year she completed her research dissertation, “Biophilia: perception of the environment” investigating the anthropological significance

of connection to the living world in architecture, and her design thesis, “Rhythmic Occupancy” in examining cross-cultural concerns for the built environment, focusing on re-making of the heart of a rural Irish town, a project which went on to win the Irish Walled Town Network Research Award 2014. Being particularly interested in interdisciplinary creative crossover within, as well as outside the office environment, she now seeks to find a position in a stimuating practice to grow her professional capacity in the field of collaborative design and practice.

Resume

Contact

Skills

Melanie O’Brien

Revit InDesign Vectorworks Photoshop Illustrator Autocad Sketchup Rhino Premiere Pro

MArch BScArch date of birth 02.25.1989 nationality Irish w. e. In.

melanieelizabethob.wix.com/portfolio melanieelizabethobrien@gmail.com ie.linkedin.com/in/melanieobrien

certified professional

References Gerry Cahill | thesis studio tutor gerry.gca@gmail.com Antony DiMase | previous employer antony@dimasearchitects.com.au Simon Walker | thesis studio tutor info@walkerarchitects.ie

Melanie O’Brien | Resume

Education

Awards

Autodesk Certified Professional, Revit MArch Architecture 2014 University College Dublin 2014 2.1 second class honours grade 1 (3.48 GPA) Winner, National IWTN research award, Heritage Council Ireland 2014 University of Melbourne, Australia 2013 Winner, 4th year research and innovation (study abroad program) award, UCD 2013 Inclusion in Describing Architecture exhibi BSc Architecture tion, Dublin 2013 University College Dublin 2010 Awarded full ISEP Scholarship, University of 1.1 first class honours (3.77 GPA) Melbourne 2013 Inclusion in Light in Winter Festival, Mel TEFL qualification 2010 bourne 2012 Winner, best project 1st year, UCD 2008 Leaving Certificate | 520/600 points 2007 Biology (hA1) Art (hA2) Maths (hB1) Chemistry Winner, final year art award, Scoil Mhuire 2007 (hB1) English (hB2) French (hB2) Gaelic (oB1)

Professional Experience Walker Architects (Jul 14 – Nov 14) 110 Lwr. Baggot St, Dublin 2, Ireland. ph. (+353)16767941 www.walkerarchitects.ie Contact: Simon Walker

DiMase Architects (Jun 11 – Jul 12) 342 St Georges Rd, North Fitzroy, Australia. ph. (+61)394825144 www.dimasearchitects.com.au Contact: Antony Dimase

O’Donnell Architects(Aug 10 – Nov 10) 21 Middle St, Galway City, Galway, Ireland. ph. (+353)878077069 www.odonnellarchitects.ie Contact: Emmett O’Donnell

Design Thesis UCD 2014 Winner of the national IWTN Research Award, Masters category 2014 Project: Agricultural Training College Title: Rhythmic Occupancy Challenging contemporary planning, this project investigates placing an agricultural college and adult training facility, not on the periphery of a sensitive heritage town, but stitched into the grain of its dormant centre. It envisions a more progressive future for the town – breathing life and learning into its heart, which becomes an integrated hybrid of both landscape and urban condition. The everyday experience is both revitalized and regressed to a state familiar from Trim’s past.

Melanie O’Brien | Education

Final Year Project: Title:

UCD 2013 Community Sports Ground Surface-scape

Exploring the ideas of shelter and surface, this project became an exercise of minimal intervention. Throughout the landscape of the proposal this can be experienced, from the open bus stop shelter on the street front, to the sealed enclosure of the dance studios and on to the existing, natural tree canopy strategically linked with new interventions. The language of the project is that of a lightweight, flexible canopy sitting on a permanent surface, which rises and falls to bound and create space. Working as a member in a group, Mel successfully collaborated with five others to create this project.

Melanie O’Brien | Education

Study Abroad University of Melbourne, 2013 Project: Coastal walk with shelters Title: Rarefied Land On a unique site that has in many ways been trapped in time, how or with what does one intervene? On exploration of this amazing Australian coastal park it was a case of increasing and safely allowing access. Facilitation was the key. This became a project of choreographed inhabitation of landscape through a series of experiential spaces drawing inspiration from set design and the picturesque landscape. The land itself becomes the stage as opposed to the backdrop.

Melanie O’Brien | Education

4th year Project: Title:

UCD 2012 Civil ceremony space Room to Manoeuvre

Centred around the key ideas of procession and union, this project was about designing the routes taken to any of the three ceremonial spaces. The spatial limitations of the site were taken on as a challenge - how to exude delight from the banal. Exploring predominantly through model, this was achieved through framing view and dramatizing light. Floor plates were pulled back from façades to reveal their totality on the interior, and spaces were allowed to spill together vertically as well as horizontally.

Melanie O’Brien | Education

Bachelors degree UCD 2010 Project: Primary School Title: School as [Emerald] City 27

Taking the idea of school as city, this project sets about designing with the mind of a child at its heart - not as an issue of scale, but of perception and mind mapping. Using the natural level changes of this suburban island of green this school creates its own safe world in a landscape re-invigorated and allowed to return to wilder roots. The expansive site is broken down into low lying wetland and nature preserve, school and community facilities shrouded in forest opening onto the upper sport fields. A pupil of this school is intended to leave with warm memories tinged with fantasy.

Melanie O’Brien | Education

Bachelors degree UCD 2009 Project: Woodland Retreat Title: an Tearmann 32

Massy’s Wood is little more than a short drive from the city South into the Dublin Mountains, yet lies solitary and forgotten. This, once the walled gardens of a great house now becomes a sanctuary, an tearmann. As the river through the forest offers a continuous route and sound, so water is redirected through the site to connect four individual profiled bars, which connect, soar above or nestle against the original garden walls. On foot or horseback, angled glass reflects either natural tree canopy or forest floor along these timber bars, framing their own patch of forest.

Melanie O’Brien | Education

1st year UCD 2007 Winner of best project, 1st yr UCD 2008 Project: Inner-city bookshop Title: self-supported space On a trapped site on an inner-city back lane, this project aspired to insert a bookshop into the dilapidated storage volume of a prominent theatre. Taking inspiration from the simple cellular layouts of many revered libraries of Georgian Dublin, the structural timber columns grow wider and thinner to form the bookshelves themselves, punctuating all three floors. The bookshop as a whole is in essence a piece of freestanding furniture.

Melanie O’Brien | Education

DiMase Architects Project: Project architect:

Melbourne 2012 AHA Bar Melanie O’Brien

Role: project architect from sketch design through to on-site construction.

testimonial "Melanie quickly became a key part of our office in the time she spent here, as a person who combines communication and artistic skills in a way that is convincing and respectful of other people’s views." Antony DiMase director, DiMase Architects

Melanie O’Brien | Professional Experience

DiMase Architects Project: Project architect:

Melbourne 2012 Scout Hall Melanie O’Brien

Role: project architect from sketch design through to planning application.

Melanie O’Brien | Professional Experience

DiMase Architects Melbourne 2012 Winner, Best Commercial Design ArchiTeam Awards 2012 Project: Matilda Bay Brewery Project architect: Angelique Brett Role: contributed to the design team.

Melanie O’Brien | Professional Experience

O’Donnell Architects Galway, Ireland 2010 Project: Private Residence Project architect: Emmett O’Donnell Role: assisted in the preparation of planning application drawings.

Melanie O’Brien | Professional Experience

Date: 4 December 2014 REFERENCE for Melanie O’Brien EMPLOYMENT: Part time and Full Time between June 2011 to June 2012. To Whom It May Concern. When I first met Melanie – I instantly liked her. On that unscientific basis I employed Melanie in a part-time basis and then full-time basis at my architecture studio. Her approach as an architecture assistant was always different to everyone else in the office. She draws beautifully! She makes exquisitely small models from brown cardboard! She always has unusual ideas that warrant consideration. Melanie quickly became a key part of our office in the time she spent here. She thinks outside the box and helped develop design ideas and interesting details for many of our projects. Melanie has a bright future in architecture as a person who combines communication and artistic skills in a way that is convincing and respectful of other people’s views. Melanie still has much to learn to become an architect however; she is worth investing in, as she is loyal, hard working and a person with a very bright future. I am happy to provide a verbal testimonial and I can be contacted by phone or by Skype (dimasearchitects). Yours Faithfully

Antony Di Mase Principal Architect | Di Mase Architects

Melanie O’Brien | References

W A L K E R A R C H I T E C T S

SIMON WALKER, B.ARCH. M.R.I.A.I. 110 LOWER BAGGOT STREET, DUBLIN 2. TEL 353 (1) 676-‐7941 / 353 (87) 247-‐3132 e: info@walkerarchitects.ie www.walkerarchitects.ie

re: Melanie O’Brien School of Architecture, University College Dublin August 12th 2014 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN I am happy to provide a reference for Melanie O’Brien, who is a recent honours graduate of the Masters in Architecture degree course at University College Dublin. I had the privilege of tutoring Melanie, as part of a group of six students, developing their thesis projects during the academic year 2013-‐14. Melanie’s thesis was concerned with the urban regeneration of her home town, Trim, Co. Meath, in particular with respect to under-‐used or dilapidated areas of the town centre. This is a very relevant issue in the context of urban generated expansion in the Leinster area. A highly contested debate surrounds the question of preserving intact town centres, of stimulating employment and providing new civic amenities. Above all, the skill set brought to the issue by students like Melanie includes looking afresh at the physical shape of these towns, their plan, their built heritage, their public spaces. Melanie demonstrated extraordinary skill in her drawn and modelled work, as well as a keen sense of perception of both the historical setting and the spatial analysis of the current urban condition. Her project centred around a proposal for an agricultural college, which reconnected the centre to the outlying farmland in a particularly apt move mirroring the space of the so-‐called mediaeval “Porch Field” and Norman castle, for which Trim is so well known, and providing a new link to the Boyne riverbank. As a tutor, I was impressed by the vision which Melanie so confidently put forward – my only regret is that such expertise is not more widely appreciated and employed in strategic planning by the authorities. Beyond the specific response to site and programme, her project investigated the potential meanings conveyed by form in a cultural context, and in particular the idea of a narrative-‐based architectural response to the programme, constructed in timber as a re-‐working of the mediaeval monastic plan of St. Gall, with specific spatial implications for the town. Contingent events were explained in terms of simultaneous narratives, some present, some suggested by the programme and others past. Melanie is one of the most talented students to graduate from the School of Architecture in the past year – her work is distinguished by her exceptional drawings, and the theoretical grounding she brings to bear on the project. She demonstrated her ability to master a complex programmatic overlap within the scheme, but above all it is her remarkable diligence and workrate which sets her apart from her colleagues. I would recommend Melanie as a perceptive and intuitive architect, with a particular receptivity to issues of context, who would be able to develop a complex and architecturally nuanced response to a given programme. Please do not hesitate to revert to me if you require any further information. Yours sincerely

Simon Walker, Design Studio Master, School of Architecture, University College Dublin

List of Figures | Skills utilized EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS Final year thesis | Agricultural Training College Figure 1 Trim Town Plan. Trajectories. Original scale 1:5000 | Vectorworks, hand rendering. Figure 2 Photo of Dining Hall model. Douglas fir, bpl timber, lino. Original scale 1:50 | Woodwork Figure 3 Ground floor plan. Scale 1:5000. Original scale 1:200 | Photoshop, Vectorworks, hand rendering. Figure 4 Upper floor plans. Original scale 1:500 | Hand drawn. Figure 5 Worms eye view, Watergate Theatre. Acoustic pipes | Sketching Figure 6 Perspective of Dining Hall. Volume held apart between horizontal planes | Sketching Figure 7 Bird’s eye view of Dining Hall. Concrete hearth above timber rug | Sketching Figure 8 Photo of model in context. Facing east. Scale 1:500. Original dimensions 900x900x85 mm | Laser cutting, woodwork, physical model making Final year | Community Sports Ground Figure 9 Surface material plan. Original scale1:100 | Photoshop Figure 10 Photo of model in context. Facing south. Scale 1:500. Original dimensions 1500x1500x110 mm | Laser cutting, physical model making Figure 11 Detail design through model. Scale 1:50. Original dimensions 180x320x220 mm | Physical model making Figure 12 Surface material plan. Original scale1:10 | Photoshop Figure 13 Photo of part model. Internal view of Sports Hall. Scale 1:100. Original dimensions 450x750x350 mm | Laser cutting, plaster casting, Photoshop Study Abroad | Coastal Walk with Shelters Figure 14 Series of drawings describing intervention 03

’hidden dwellings’ | Sketching, Vectorworks, BIM Figure 15 Photo of model in context. Camping shelter. Scale 1:50. Original dimensions 297x210x150 mm | Physical model making Figure 16 Series of drawings describing intervention 02 ’room’ | Sketching, Vectorworks, BIM Figure 17 Photo of model in context. Vitals rest stop. Scale 1:50. Original dimensions 325x130x110 mm | Physical model making Figure 18 Series of drawings describing intervention 05 ’empty hall’ | Sketching, Vectorworks, BIM Figure 19 Photo of model in context. Event venue. Scale 1:20. Original dimensions 225x130x170 mm | Lazer cutting, physical model making Figure 20 Concept sketch. Negotiating landscape | Sketching Figure 21 Programmatic site plan | AutoCAD Fourth year | Civil Ceremony Space Figure 22 Long section through project. Original Scale 1:50 | Vectorworks, pencil render, Photoshop Figure 23 Part plan. Original scale 1:50 | Hand drawing Figure 24 Internal perspective | Hand drawing Figure 25 Project plans. Original scale 1:200 | Vectorworks Figure 26 Photo of model. View from street. Scale 1:50. Original dimensions 360x320x340 mm | Physical model making, Photoshop Third year | Suburban Primary School | 2010 Figure 27 Concept drawing. Woven facade | Sketching Figure 28 Site plan. Integration with landscape. Original scale 1:500 | Hand drawing Figure 29 Schematic Axonometric. Levels of learning. Original scale 1:500 | Hand drawing Figure 30 Section through project. Classroom study. Original scale 1:50 | Hand drawing

Figure 31 Photo of model. Interior view. Scale 1:20. Original dimensions 700x280x440 mm | Woodwork, Physical model making Third year | Woodland Retreat | 2009 Figure 32 Concept drawing. Water collection | Sketching Figure 33 Perspective of living accommodation. Original scale 1:200 | Hand drawing Figure 34 Project site plan. Building as wall. Original scale 1:200 | Hand drawing Figure 35 Photos of site. Canopy | Photography, Photoshop Figure 36 Project site section. Profiles | Hand drawing Figure 37 Photo of model. Dappled canopy. Scale 1:20. Original dimensions 700x180x390 mm | Woodwork, Physical model making First year | Inner city Bookshop | 2007 Figure 38 Internal perspective. Structure as furniture | Hand drawing Figure 39 Photo of model. Scale 1:50 | Physical model making, Photoshop PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Melbourne, Australia | 2012 Figure 40 Proposed design drawings | Vectorworks Figure 41 Perspective of proposed design | Sketching, Photoshop Figure 42 Photo of completed project Figure 43 Ground floor plan | Vectorworks Figure 44-46 Photos of model. Scale 1:500 | Physical model making Figure 47 Perspective of ceiling and lighting specifications | Sketching Figure 48 Photo of completed project Galway, Ireland | 2010 Figure 49 Planning application drawing | AutoCAD

For more information on Mel and her work, please feel free to browse her website:

w | melanieelizabethob.wix.com/portfolio Thank you!

w | melanieelizabethob.wix.com/portfolio e | melanieelizabethobrien@gmail.com In | ie.linkedin.com/in/melanieobrien