mickey ahammed. selected works
Architecture is a form of sculptural spatial thinking. Just as any other form of art, good architecture is inherently designed to impact the human element in as many positive ways as possible.
contents
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resume
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burnet county courthouse
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chicago lyric opera
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museum of agnotology
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tulane culinary institute
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splitlog farm garden shed
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physical modeling
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furniture design
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grasshopper fabrication
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sculptural portraiture
résumé
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mickey ahammed. 913 .952.7544 issuu.com/mickeyahammed mickeyahammed@gmail.com
education
2013-2018
experience
2011-2018
University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS Master of Architecture, May 2018
Hoefer Wysocki Architecture, Leawood, KS Architectural Intern - Sep 2017- Present HAENGLIM Architects and Planners, Seoul, South Korea Architectural Intern - Summer 2017 PJSI Consultants, Dubai, UAE Architectural Intern - Summer 2016 Micro Center, Overland Park, KS Customer Service Representative - June 2011-September 2015
study abroad
Architecture in Asia, Winter 2015, University of Kansas Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Singapore
organizations
Multicultural Architecture Scholars Program (2013 - present) National Organization of Minority Architects (2016 - present) National Art Honor Society (2010-2013) Treasurer, Publicist Sigma Pi International Fraternity (2013-2016) Founding Father, Public Relations Chair
2015-2016
2010-2018
languages
English, Malayalam, Spanish, Arabic*, Korean* *reading only, or basic understanding
skills
3DSMax, AutoCAD, Revit, FloVent, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Revit, Rhinoceros, SketchUp, Unreal Engine, KeyShot, Grasshopper, Lunchbox, VRay
studio projects
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Burnet County Courthouse (Die Toteninsel) The Burnet County Courthouse had a somewhat unorthodox design approach. Our main source of inspiration for this project came from a painting called Die Toteninsel (pictured on the right) by Arnold Bocklin. Using the painting as a starting point, my partner and I began by creating a series of sculptural models in tandem with digital paintings in order to formulate a new design language that was uniquely our own, based off the initial Bocklin painting. From there, we approached the design as a means of utilizing this new language in order to communicate the design concepts that we chose to portray.
burnet, texas | group - dillon park | spring 2017
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We wanted our design to communicate a number of spatial concepts. These included the idea of creating a spatial and programmatic hierarchy, a sense of transparency, unified cohesiveness, and more. These initial digital sculptural studies helped drive our later designs as they acted as stepping stones within the design process.
With the initial design concepts in mind we began extracting geometries from the original conceptual floor plans and models. These geometries helped simplify the abstract sculptural form into something a bit more concrete and digestible. We wanted to create something that had never been seen before, expressing a new design language that we built from scratch.
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We wanted the form to be paradoxically foreboding as well as inviting. This juxtaposition really drove our design, from choice of materiality, to how we wanted to represent the form. We wanted the exterior to look and feel drastically different from the interior but still have elements of both present everywhere, existing in duality.
AA
public secure restricted
Security OfficerDeputy Deputy Security Command FirearmWork Room
Prisoner ProcessingSP
Isolation Cell
Attorney
Holding Cell
Attorney Holding Cell
Holding Cell
Holding Cell
Mechanical Room
Vehicle Sallyport Staff Room Open Work Manager
Shared Work
Admin A
Holding Cell
Records
District Courtroom
DN
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Admin
Jury Room
Judge's Office
Clerk'sStorage Service
Law Clerk
UP
Mechanical Room
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Jury Assembly Room
first floor
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A/V
Jury Room
Staff Lounge
Judge's Office
Records Firearm
Magistrate Courtroom
Manager Storage Officer UA Lab Officer
Magistrate Courtroom
UA Lab
Judge's Office
Jury Room Pretrial Officer
File Room A/V
Firearm Vault Pretrial Officer DN
Officer
second floor
section A
section AA 20
DRAIN PIPE
ALUMINUM PARAPET COPING
INSULATED GLAZING
CURTAIN WALL MULLION CONNECTION SECOND FLOOR BALCONY
LIGHT FIXTURE
OUTDOOR COURTYARD
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COPING
WOOD BLOCKING PRE-SHIM PLATE
GRAVEL BED
ALLU MULLION D/S SPACER TYPE
EPDM ROOFING MEMBRANE
RIGID INSULATION DOUBLE GLASS CURTAIN WALL
CURTAIN WALL PANEL CONNECTION
STEEL FRAMING
EXTERIOR COURTYARD FINISHED CONCRETE DRAINAGE
RIGID INSULATION MOISTURE BARRIER
FINISHED CONCRETE FLOORING INSULATION GRAVEL FILL
EARTH
CONCRETE COLUMN FOUNDATION DETAIL
PERIMETER DRAIN
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ALUMINUM PARAPET COPING
ALUMINUM PANEL 1/2” BREAK
.080” THICK ALUMINUM PANEL
Chicago Lyric Opera The Chicago Lyric Opera is a riverside opera house in Chicago’s Navy Pier. This building draws inspiration from the idealized 1909 Chicago master plan by Daniel Burnham as well as from a series of sculptures by Belgian artist Georges Vantongerloo. Apart from that, the concept behind the building consisted of a duality between the building and its exterior plaza as well as the idea of transparency to the outside world.
chicago, illinois | group - ben jensen, mo alsinan | fall 2016
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original vantongerloo sculpture form
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first iteration of design
second iteration of design
final iteration of design
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section A
In terms of form, the approach that was chosen was very sculptural in nature. After doing a series of studies on Vantongerloo sculptures one was chosen as the basis for the building’s design. After many iterations and modifications of the original sculpture, the current building form was chosen. The axis of the building was determined by the surrounding urban landscape as well as its relation to Navy Pier. Burnham’s plan also helped determine the strong dual axial quality of the building layout.
section B
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To the left is the main lobby and entry space of the opera house. The auditorium can be entered from the lobby or from either of the three balconies. Materiality was also something we paid much attention to, we wanted to create a very sleek and crisp environment, juxtaposing the lighter colors of the ceilings and floor to the dark strips created by the strong balcony parapets.
Museum of Agnotology The concept of agnotology is defined as culturally induced ignorance. It encompasses things such as global climate change denial, racial inferiority, cognitive dissonance, and denialism. The aim of this project was to fight back against agnotology, by educating the public on these issues that we are all currently facing; to take the visitor on a journey through the exploration of their own biases.
dallas, texas | fall 2015
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central circle creates axis
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grid based on central circle
central gallery admin education
incomplete circles placed on grid
forms extruded upward
public gallery
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FIRST FLOOR
The design for the museum is deeply rooted in the concept of agnotology as well. The center circle represents the final “whole truth� and enlightenment. It acts as the final destination of the journey. The incomplete circles placed on the grid surrounding the central circle represent half-truths and misleading information. This information clouds and surrounds the final destination just as agnotology clouds and limits the way people see and interpret things. In terms of actual program, the incomplete circles 40
are almost all gallery spaces, each depicting a different bias or issue that plagues the world today. After navigating through all of the galleries the visitor can finally access the central gallery space, which is meant to be an area for contemplation and self reflection.
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LEGEND 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
CENTRAL GALLERY LOBBY GALLERY 1 GALLERY 2 GALLERY 3 GALLERY 4 RESTAURANT GIFT SHOP CLASSROOM 1 CLASSROOM 2 RESEARCH LIBRARY MEETING ROOMS OFFICES
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Each gallery design began the same way, by simply placing a circle on a grid. Then each circle was cut according to program, spatial necessity, and patterns found in how they would intersect and overlap each other. The reason for using circles within the grid versus other shapes was so that it instilled a sense of monumentality as one walks up to the building. The entire structure is over seventy feet tall, making for one very large and almost foreboding image.
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Tulane Culinary Institute The Tulane Culinary Institute was done as a response to the slow gentrification of the area of New Orleans surrounding the French Quarter. It was designed as a way to help revitalize the area while still holding true to the deeply engraved Louisiana culture that is constantly surrounding it. Cuisine is a very pivotal part of Louisiana culture and I wanted to envision a project where cuisine was not only expressed and respected but also taken seriously as a powerful and important art form. Fine cuisine and the quest to achieve it are two things that are slowly dying thanks to the advent of fast food and cheaper, unhealthier options. In response to this I wanted to design a place where studying about food felt new and exciting while still maintaining the traditional aspects of cuisine, such as community, and the sharing of ideas.
new orleans, louisiana | spring 2015
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The concept began with a site study of the surrounding city blocks. Since the site was so close to the French Quarter, the project took in much inspiration from the formality of the quarter’s grid system. A series of studies were also done on Louisiana’s signature dish, gumbo. I found the composition of the rice, shrimp, vegetables, etc. on the gumbo’s surface fascinating and began assigning certain programs to particular ingredients in the food. For example, in the concept that I eventually decided to go forth with, I assigned courtyard spaces to the rice, classrooms to the shrimp, and 48
so on. This created a hierarchy for programmatic layout and helped much in the initial design process. As for the final layout, the design is structured around the two large courtyards, the larger one being for circulation and more public use while the smaller one is reserved for students seeking privacy and a quiet place to occupy. All of the teaching kitchens face the public courtyard, thus accentuating the idea of transparency in cuisine; the idea that the process of making food is meant to be seen and experienced by everyone, not just the cooks.
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FIRST FLOOR
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TAURANT EER SERVICES ISSIONS OFFICE IN OFFICE E SHOP HEN TURE HALL DENT LOUNGE CHER LOUNGE SSROOM TROOM ARY EVING AREA SH AREA E ROOM ULTY AREA ONSTRATIONS LAB
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SECOND FLOOR
LEGEND 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
RESTAURANT CAREER SERVICES ADMISSIONS OFFICE ADMINISTRATION OFFICE BAKE SHOP KITCHEN LECTURE HALL STUDENT LOUNGE TEACHER LOUNGE CLASSROOM RESTROOM LIBRARY RECEIVING AREA TRASH AREA WINE ROOM FACULTY AREA DEMONSTRATIONS LAB BAR
The second floor of the school is reserved mostly for teaching kitchens. Again that view into the public courtyard is celebrated. This celebration is juxtaposed in the smaller courtyard as to keep that sense of privacy. Sustainable and responsible ingredients are also something I wanted to encourage the use of with this design. With that in mind, two-thirds of the second floor of the restaurant is a roof-top produce garden. This area would not only be accessible for use to the in-house restaurant but also the students and faculty.
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Splitlog Farm Garden Shed The University of Kansas has had a strong relationship with Kansas City, KS for many years now. Numerous projects have been proposed as well as built by students around the Wyandotte area. This project was an addition to an existing community garden. In order to combat the issue of having to store all tools and equipment for the garden in a separate off-site location, we proposed a new garden shed on-site which would cater to the needs of the garden as well as provide a place for the local children and community to interact with.
kansas city, kansas | group project | spring 2016
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The shed went through a two-month design process where we attempted a number of solutions for the project. Some of the issues that we wanted to address with the design was a focus on natural lighting, as there was no electricity going to the farm at the time, rain water collection, on-site storage, customizable work surfaces, and interactivity for the children. A symmetrical butterfly roof was implemented along with a rain barrel in the back for rain water collection. A slatted wood facade was chosen for ease of maintenance. The west facing window opens up as a table for the garden next door. And 54
a folding garage door-like entrance was implemented in the front as a way to move larger objects in and out with ease as well as provide a “moment� that the children at the elementary school next door could potentially participate in. Most of the project was built in Lawrence. We designed the shed in such a way that we could build the entire shed in pieces and assemble them in town. Once we made sure that all the pieces fit correctly, we transported the whole shed in pieces to Kansas City where we once again assembled the shed.
I was in charge of helping design the facade for the garden shed. To the right are a series of facade concepts I created in the early design portion of the project. Eventually, we decided to implement a perforated steel band that surrounded the entire shed.
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The images on the left were the initial designs for the perforated band I created but due to time and financial constraints we were unable to implement it into the final structure in time.
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fabrication works
Physical Modeling Expressing architecture through physical models is a fading talent within the industry. We as architects seldom ever get to indulge in model making anymore. With that in mind I wanted to create a model that took things back a few years, before the advent of computer aided design, expressing the material of the model itself rather than the building. I chose to use layers of birch for the surrounding buildings, MDF for the site and topo, and sanded, extruded acrylic layers for the main building.
leawood, kansas | winter 2017
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Furniture Design With this project I wanted to explore the capabilities of plywood. After researching a number of table designs and furniture designers I landed on this final concept. A three part bent plywood desk with areas to house my computer tower, extraneous cables, monitors, and accessories.
lawrence, kansas | fall 2016
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I began by modeling the desk in Rhinoceros 5 to figure out the exact measurements for construction. I then created a series of renders using Keyshot 6. Once I was comfortable with the design, I moved onto picking materials figuring out how to actually construct it.
Construction consisted of creating three modular plywood frames that fit the shape that I wanted the desk to have. From there, I adhered four layers of 1/8th� plywood together and set the whole assembly into a vacuum bag in order to curve the plywood to the frame. Once these pieces were dried and ready, I assembled the three sections together using biscuits and wood glue.
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Grasshopper Fabrication I have been working in Rhinoceros for almost four years but had never utilized the Grasshopper plug-in until just about a year ago. With this project I wanted to use Grasshopper to help teach myself the basic ins and outs of the program. I first created a sculptural formwork to be eventually used as a lampshade, and then proceeded to create a script that created contours for the form and laid them out on a grid in order to send all of the pieces to a laser cutter.
lawrence, kansas | spring 2018
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Sculptural Portraiture Since I was very young I have always enjoyed drawing people. Over the years I eventually developed skills in traditional portraiture. The media I generally used was often limited to graphite and charcoal with the exception of the occasional oil painting. However, for my most recent portrait I wanted to attempt something new. I wanted to combine my background in portraiture and my abilities in software.
lawrence, kansas | spring 2016
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I began by first taking a portrait of a train conductor that I came across on my trip to Kyoto into Photoshop, changing the color values to grayscale, and then splitting the shades of blacks and grays across four layers. I then took each of the four layers and turned them into vectors using Illustrator. After that, I took the newly created vectors into AutoCAD and set up a file that I could then use on a laser cutter. Once all the pieces were cut I cut out four 8.5x11 pieces of plexiglass which I then used to represent each of the four initial layers. Then finally I assembled and glued each laser cut piece onto its corresponding layer of plexi, thus creating the end product you see on the left. This was a very rewarding and interesting exercise as it utilized such a wide span of multi-disciplinary software. I hope to develop this concept further in the future and create a whole series.
thank you. mickeyahammed@gmail.com | 913.952.7544