Michael OWENS
ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO | 2014 B. Arch.Sci., M.Arch. MichaelFrederickOwens@Gmail.com (647) 269-1439 170 Sumach Street, Appt. 620 Toronto ON M5A 3K3
RELEVANT SKILLS 2D/3D Drafting, Modeling and Rendering Autodesk AutoCAD Rhinoceros 3D 5.0 Google SketchUP 8.0 V-Ray 1.5 for SketchUP/Rhino Blender 3D Animator
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Graphic Representation and Communication Photoshop Illustrator InDesign Acrobat Pro
Premiere Pro Word Excel Power Point
Digital Fabrication
Laser Cutting (Trotec Speedy 500) 3D ABS Plastic Printing (Catalyst EX 3.0) Tri-Axis CNC routing (Mastercam x5) Vacuum Forming General Woodshop tools
Other Architectural Skills
Hand Drafting Hand Rendering/ Sketching Iterative and Presentation Model Making Presentation and Client Relation experience
STUDENT PROJECTS | 2008-2013
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WATERFRONT SAILING SCHOOL Images created by graphite drafting and sketching November 2008- December 2008 Solo Project
Waterfront City
Industrial Backdrop
Entryway
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Parti Progression The architectural form of this project is derived from the idea of the sail boat. The sail and the hull exist as two separate pieces that are incomplete without the other. The two angular forms intersect each other to create a sophisticated learning center that hosts a dynamic interaction of city, water, community, and education.
South Elevation
Longitudinal Section
Roof Plan
Ground Floor Plan
East Elevation
Latitudinal Section
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A MATHEMATICIAN’S STUDIO Images created using Vray for Rhinoceros and Photoshop Digital model created in Rhinoceros 3D September 2010- December 2010 Solo Project
Entry Level Holds a small water closet, a large drawing table/ desk, and a cloak closet.
Lower Level Houses a lounge area complete with couch, coffee tables, and another small desk
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Entryway ramp
Longitudinal Section Note the sloping entry ramp down from grade, as well as the above steps to the second rooftop garden
Entry Level Perspective
East Elevation The retaining wall seen in this elevation is used as a main support wall to help alleviate the load of the cantilevers.
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AN INDUSTRIAL RE- IMAGINATION
Images created using Photoshop on Found Images Digital models created in Rhinoceros 3D and Blender 3D September 2011- December 2011 Solo Project
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Background This project material was produced as part of course work for a fourth year design studio. The intention of the project was to explore alternative avenues of representation and expression in the presentation and explanation of a building proposal. The six images shown here depict a theoretical heritage site that has been re-imagined as a small theatre/ performance space. Each image contains a combination of photo/ render samples from multiple sources. The project began as a simple rendering exercise. Utilizing found images and editing them to formulate a series of spaces. As each image formulated in sequence they would be driven by a spatial suggestion generated by each predecessor. The image of each space is meant to promote an understanding of a building as a wholistic spatial experience without the use of orthographic drawings.
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THE MUSEUM OF TORONTO Images created using Vray for Rhinoceros, Photoshop, and Auto Cad Digital model created in Rhinoceros 3D September 2010- April 2011 Solo Project
Gallery Space
Mezzanine
Street View
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Ground Floor
The Concept Throughout the design iterations of this project a significant role was placed on historical significance and identity. In the historical St. Lawrence district of downtown Toronto this building will house The Museum of Toronto. A collection of historical items will be stored, catalogued, maintained, and displayed within this facility. The goal was to create a communal location that would not only house these items, but also become a third place for the people. A place for education, discovery, and being Torontonian. A significance of the architectural language of the existing fabric was taken into consideration throughout the design. An open concept ground floor houses a large restaurant, gathering space, and mezzanine for the community to share and enjoy. Exposed interior brick, black steel stairs, and hardwood floors create an old fashioned feeling whilst crisp white accent walls, glazing, and the exposed structural elements give these spaces a modern, contemporary edge.
East Elevation
Roof top Gardens
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Plans and Sections The building maintains a simple, open concept layout from floor to floor. The tensioned beam structural system allows for maximal spanning while eliminating walls and physical barriers. Ground Floor
Mezzanine Floor
Second Floor
Third Floor
Fourth Floor
Fifth Floor
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Latitudinal Section
Longitudinal Section
Structural Experiment An experimental approach was taken for the structural concepts at work in this building. To create a ground floor that is 100% free of columns the building utilizes the two large triangular concrete piles (seen in the elevation on left page) to “hang� or suspend the floor slabs. The theory is based off of a similar concept as a standard suspension bridge and creates various interesting opportunities throughout the building.
Steel Clad Parapet
Shelf Angle
Brick Parapet
Structural Connection
Wall Section 01
Wall Section 02
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AGEING BODY | RESEARCH & DESIGN Images created using AutoCAD, Vray for Rhinoceros, and Photoshop Digital model created in Rhinoceros 3D December 2012- April 2013 Solo Project | Group Research Component All images and graphics shown are my own original work The Concept The Fear of Aging, something that we will all experience, became the driver for this project. The building aims to address issues of aging in a subtle yet sophisticated way. As we age there are certain biological processes that result in the deterioration of our bodies. Wrinkled skin Loss of Hearing Loss of Vision Graying Hair/ Balding Weakening of the muscles Stiffness of joints Loss of mobility etc. This project aims to create living conditions that will allow for individuals to lead healthy, active lifestyles within their home and community by generating an environment that is engaging and supportive of the needs of the elderly. Engaging individuals with group oriented spaces the building revolves around a large central atrium. The atrium houses multiple communal programs such as an indoor running/ walking track, Olympic size swimming pool, exercise and fitness centers, and ample lounge and relaxation space. The building attempts to promote the interactivity of the individuals living within the complex with the users of the surrounding park and in-turn the community that it is a part of. Connecting the indoor path network to the Bridgepoint Health Center (which is located directly to the South of the site) will ensure that all tenants have immediate access to medical attention in case of emergency. This is not only an issue of convenience, but is meant to provide peace of mind for the occupant and their loved ones. Reducing the fear of injury or illness, which can often times lead to the elderly not wanting to remain active, will once again promote the healthy active living environment within the building.
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Old-Age Simulation Suit
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BridgePoint Health One Bedroom Unit
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Central Atrium
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Section CC
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4th Floor
3rd Floor
2nd Floor
1st Floor
Section BB
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Rooftop Walk-Way
Path & Park
Central Atrium
West Elevation
Park | Night
Section AA
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CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION Images created using Vray for Rhinoceros, Photoshop, and Auto Cad Digital model created in Rhinoceros 3D January 2012- April 2012 Two-Person Team Project
Concept This project explores the concept of “sacred space”. The architectural expression of Catholicism and deconstruction of the linear processes of (Catholic) religious practice into its segmented parts tells the story of Christ’s resurrection and its tri-parti progression from Death to Life to Salvation. Every component of the architecture engages with the tri-parti ideology and is derived by a material and tectonic relationship between concrete, stone, wood, steel, and light. Each section of the project offers a variation of that relationship in an effort to establish the sections as independent experiences within the singular process of worship.
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Development The collaborative process went through multiple iterations and models in the development of the final form. Simple sketch models, quick qualitative sketches, and a physical representational concept model translate through more sophisticated orthographic and 3D explorations.
Narthex
Sacred Garden
Stations of the Cross
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
2nd Floor
Roof & Site Plan
Ground Floor Death | Life | Salvation Heavier, darker materials (such as concrete or stone) and spatial qualities reflect upon the concept of Death as a spiritual, contemplative moment. This demarcates the beginning of ones journey through the building. The intension is to provide the occupant opportunity to reflect internally and begin the process of worship while ascending toward the Narthex. The Narthex (traditionally a small crush space at the entry to a worship hall) celebrates the concept of Life and formulates in the project as an elevated platform with views to the “sacred garden” and to the street allowing the occupant opportunity for reflection upon and connection with their surroundings before entering the Worship Hall. Upon entering the Worship Hall the focus shifts from the surrounding environment towards the altar and then upwards towards the light that cascades through the ceiling. This moment in the journey represents the idea of Salvation and is the culminating Exterior | Worship Hall point of the tri-parti progression through the narrative of Christ’s resurrection.
Basement
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Stations of the Cross
Narthex
Immediate Context Render
Worship Hall
Progressive Building Sections
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
North Elevation
West Elevation
Exposed interior brick, black steel stairs, and hardwood floors create an old fashioned feeling whilst crisp white accent walls, glazing, and the exposed structural elements give these spaces a modern, contemporary edge. South Elevation
East Elevation
Experiential Building Section
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THESIS PROJECT | 2013-2014 The following project is a much compressed version of my Masters Thesis project performed at Ryerson University.
TOWARDS DIGITAL PLACE(S)
CULTIVATING A LANGUAGE OF DIGITAL DESIGN IN ARCHITECTURE Images created using AutoCAD, Vray for Rhinoceros, and Photoshop Digital model created in Rhinoceros 3D August 2013- September 2014 Solo Project
Thesis Abstract The term “place” has been used to identify meaningful locations or buildings in reference to limitless connections, be they sensorial or emotional that develop an embodied memory of space as experienced by the senses. In the contemporary age of digital society the level of technological depth that an individual may be submerged throughout their daily activities has created a barrier between space and its occupant that must be bridged before a sense of place can be established. This thesis explores the social impacts of technological advancements in contemporary society which have created a populace of high-tech nomads and the implications of those advancements for physical environment and architecture. Finding ways of bridging that intangible barrier or gap, through architecture, drives space and its formal expression to new levels of interactivity and connectivity that are capable of resurfacing the digitally submerged, strengthening the existing and forging new relationships between people and place(s).
Concept diagram representing architecture, technology, and society. Technology is represented as a separation or barrier between society and architecture.
The bridging of the gap between digital technology and physical space occurs through the advancement of interactive, adaptive spaces, materials, and forms that combine to embody a language and experience of digital design. It is possible to bridge that gap and to create harmony between the digital and the physical. This harmony can be meaningful, impactful, and complimentary to the present richness that is the urban fabric. This thesis investigates the impact and implications of presence of digital technologies on the forms of societal and spatial interaction. As one’s daily life starts to operate within a digital platform independently of the realm of physical space, architecture can become reoriented to establish its new parameters. A language of digital design will allow the development of a form of architecture, capable of engaging contemporary high-tech society in a new place making. As one begins to communicate and engage with his surroundings via their personal devices and vice versa a new system of interaction between occupants and occupied begins to emerge, along with new relationships between people and spaces.
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Concept diagram representing architecture, technology, and society. Technology represented as an integral component of architecture, linked society & space via direct interaction
Design Methodology The scales of investigation; Urban, Building, and Threshold, set up a scenario that begins the design exploration at a broad scope of investigation and works towards the finest level of detail. The Urban investigation involves understanding the city as a network or organism in which each subsidiary fragment combines to establish the whole. The project therefore starts with a master planning exercise that would see the development of a Transit Relief line in Toronto. That transit line acts as a digital nervous system transporting people, information, and data throughout the city as a larger organism. At the building scale This nervous system may begin to be imagined as a path, or paths, of connectivity that would transport people, information, and data throughout the individual fragments of a city and become a means of direct engagement between digital and physical flows of information. This is an image of the city enlightened by the connectivity allowed by digital technologies. Technologies that could inform changes to the flows and networks of a city, informed by constantly updating requirements which becomes the third scale of investigation, the actual bridging of the gap between digital and physical to promote digital place making in high tech society.
Potential Sites | Nodal Conditions for Transit Hub 1
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Master Plan | Toronto Transit Relief Line | Digital Infrastructure
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Legend Subway Regional Transit Union Station Relief Line Relief Line Nodes Dissection Open/ Developable Land Major Intersections CN/CP Rail Line (Relief Line) Pedestrian approach DVP
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Project Description | Nodal Condition #2 | Dundas & Lansdowne The static (or interference) that technology has created between a technically nomadic society of high-tech occupants and architectural space has been explored as a moment of opportunity for Architecture to adjust and adapt to societal need. A language of digital design can begin to formulate in architectural explorations of space, working to provide for the new modes of being established by a technologically oriented society towards digital place making in Architecture.
1 West Entrance | Bridge & Path
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
1 West Entrance | Path & Bridge 2 Linseed Oil Factory | New Power Station 3 West Park Entrance| Path 4 Amphitheater Space | Train Bridge Overpass 5 Extension of West Toronto Rail Path | Under Existing Bridge 6 East Entrance | Path & Bridge 7 Continuation of West Toronto Rail Path 8 Existing Dundas Street Overpass Dund
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treet 8 5
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ue Wabash Aven
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Master Plan |Bridge Level
Bridge Circulation
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Top Layer of Bridges
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Bottom Layer of Bridges
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Network of Bridges
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Bridges | Digital Identification Acting in a manner that pulls the landscape of the site from one side of the rail corridor to the other. Bridges can be understood as both utilitarian infrastructures of crossing, and as a generator for social engagement. Bridge level will not impose or interfere with the “normal� digital activities of passersby. This is solely formal expression of a digital design language.
1 West Entrance | Path & Bridge 2 Linseed Oil Factory | New Power Station 3 West Park Entrance| Path 4 Amphitheater Space | Train Bridge Overpass 5 Extension of West Toronto Rail Path 6 East Entrance | Path & Bridge 7 Continuation of West Toronto Rail Path 8 Existing Dundas Street Overpass
4 Amphitheater Space | Train Bridge Overpass
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Master Plan | Path & Platform Level
Path Circulation
Main Path Circulation
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4 Path Entrances into Platform 5 1
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Rail Line | Pick-up & Drop-off
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Paths | Digital Engagement The path level that exists as exterior condition will work in much the same way as a traditional path system that links areas of the city through bicycle and walking trails. The entirety of the exterior path, including bridges, shall be recorded via hidden cameras and then integrated as a one way surveillance system displayed on the walls of the interior path space via digital panel displays. This level does work to actively engage the user of space in an indirect interaction between digital and physical space as mediated by their personal technology systems.
1 Rail Line 2 Linseed Oil Factory | New Power Station 3 Rest Areas | Seating and Washrooms 4 Station Platforms 5 Amphitheater Space
4 Main Platform | Active-Wall Panel Display
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Master Plan | Path & Platform Level
Tunnel Circulation
Main Tunnel Circulation
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By-pass Circulation 3
Exiting/ Entering Amphitheater
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Tunnel | Digital Interaction The path level that exists as exterior condition will work in much the same way as a traditional path system that links areas of the city through bicycle and walking trails. The entirety of the exterior path, including bridges, shall be recorded via hidden cameras and then integrated as a one way surveillance system displayed on the walls of the interior path space via digital panel displays. This level does work to actively engage the user of space in an indirect interaction between digital and physical space as mediated by their personal technology systems. Occurs within a transit node as an alternative link from one side of the rail corridor to the other as an experience of immersive digital space. The walls of this space shall become a two-way video display. The walls will be lined with digitally infused steel panels that sense, record, and display touch and movement. As an occupant grasps a handrail or walks down the steps, the building will record their actions and map their movements as visual displays. 1 Rest Area | Seating 2 Platform-to-Platform underpass| Paid Access 3 Amphitheater 1 Main Tunnel Space | Interactive Two-way Video Feed
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Michael Owens | Portfolio 2014
Building Sections All of these systems and concepts work towards an imagination of how architectural space could begin to cultivate a discussion between digital and physical realities. The systems implemented throughout this design explore visual stimuli that operate in three different ways. The bridge level engages the visual in a traditional sense of proximity and orientation. The enclosures of the station platforms, operating within the path level, engage with a visual form of observation and information collection. While the Tunnel level incorporates a visual form of connectivity and interaction between various spaces and times. The depth of digital submersion intensifies as one traverses through the project’s subsequent levels. Engaging the project in the discussion of place establishment with regards to the changing definition and understanding of place as it evolves with technological, and therefore societal, developments. Through the Formulation of a language of digital design it may be possible to begin to develop architecture, capable of engaging contemporary, hightech, society in a return to place making. As one’s personal devices might begin to communicate and engage with the surrounding environment, and vice versa a new form of interaction between occupants and occupied begins to emerge.
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Michael OWENS B. Arch.Sci., M. Arch. ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO 2014 MichaelFrederickOwens@Gmail.com (647) 269-1439 170 Sumach Street, Appt. 620 Toronto ON M5A 3K3