M. McKinley Mertz Portfolio

M. McKinley Mertz Portfolio ------------------------B.F.A Architecture + Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP) Candidate

410 Cedar Ave. Highland Park, NJ 08904

mckinley.mertz@gmail.com

609.529.0025

M. McKinley Mertz address 410 Cedar Ave Apt 2 Highland Park, NJ 08904 tel (609) 529-0025 email McKinley.Mertz@gmail.com

Technical Skills AutoCAD Acrobat Professional Photoshop InDesign Illustrator GIS Basic Revit skills SketchUp Microsoft Word Outlook PowerPoint Excel Constant Contact WordPress Digital Photography Social Media Tools

Experience VolunteerConnect

Gary Mertz Architects, PC.

Sergeantsville, New Jersey

May - August 2008, 2010, 2011 September 2014 - Present INTERN

• Produced site measure ups, kitchen and bath plans and

elevations, floor plans, and mechanical drawings for the condo rebuild

project at South Fork in Ewing

• Praised by supervisor many times on proficiency, accuracey, and speed

of work

Bloustein Center for Survey Research

New Brunswick, New Jersey October 2014 - Present

WEBSITE REDESIGN INETERN

• Transfer and rediesign content on the Bloustein School’s new website

in WordPress

• Launched March 2015, welcomed by staff, faculty, and students with

high regards Keegan & Coppin Co., Inc. Real Estate TEMP RECEPTIONIST/ RESEARCH ASSISTANT

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Princeton, New Jersey

OPPERATIONS COORDINATOR November 2012 - Present

• Integral part in second year of organization’s relaunch and

reorganization by collaborting with executive director to advance our

new mission and goals

• Create informational brochures, invitations, and other promotional

material using InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator, that publicize the

organization’s events and bolster our image and further our mission

• Initiated email marketing and oversee email campaigns through

Constant Contact

• Manage and update website daily using WordPress, resulting in higher

usage and more direct contact with volunteers

• Reorganized, maintain, and upkeep organization’s membership

databases in Excel and Google Drive.

Petaluma, California October 2011 - December 2011

• Supported an office of ten real estate agents in property research and informational brochures produced in InDesign • Produced reports of properties within the agents’ requester perameters; these reports were then used to create appraisals

M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Education Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, New Brunswick, New Jersey

• Master of City and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.) Expected May 2015

• Concentration in Urban Design Miami University College of Creative Arts, Department of Architecture and Interior Design, Oxford, Ohio

• Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture, May 2011

• Concentration in Conservation and the Environment

Leadership/Activities/Organizations 2015 Women’s Leadership Conference

New Brunswick, New Jersey

Bloustein Journal of Planning and Public Policy EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

New Brunswick, New Jersey January 2014 - May 2015

COMMITTEE CHAIR AND ORGANIZER

May 2014 - May 2015

• Oversaw committee of five graduate student women to organize the

2015 Annual Women’s Leadership Conference hosted at the Bloustein

school each year

• Crafted all advertising using Photoshop and InDesign, maintained

social media and email campaigns using Facebook, Twitter, and

EventBrite, organized the catering, and liaised with internal and external

agents, ensuring a successful event, yielding high praise and acolades

from attendees, speakers, and school administration

• Collaborated with editors to reformatt the journal’s submission process, resulting in higher volume of submissions • Manage weekly and monthly operations of the online journal during the journal’s inaugural year including assigning submissions to editors to review, staying in touch with authors, and sending out call for submissions through email chains and social media

HiTOPS, Adolescent Health Clinic Princeton, New Jersey VOLUNTEER RECEPTIONIST September 2012 - August 2013

• Operated front desk one day a week greeting clients, answering phones,

making appointments, and preparing client’s charts for clinicians.

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Table of Contents Block Zero Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio

01

Sculpture Design

02

International Blugrass Music Museum

03

Owensboro, Kentucky

Orange, NJ Development Analysis - GIS

04

Urban Infill - "Suffolk Place"

05

Lower East Side Manhattan

Jersey City Waterfront Redevelopment Jersey City, New Jersey

Photography

Undergraduate

Graduate

06 07

Other

01 Block Zero Location

Cincinnati, Ohio

Course + School

Upper Level Design Studio, Spring 2009, Miami University

Project

Block Zero Block Zero is an existing block in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Focusing on social sustainability, our design goal for this project was to collaborate as a studio to design a new program to rebuild this block and set an example for future development within the community.

Our objective was to create, as much as we could, a self-sustaining block that would give back to the community.

We worked out a proposal as a studio, seen on the opposite page, and then each took a part of it to work on in detail. We presented our designs in Overthe-Rhine to the community.

Seen on the opposite page is the program we came up with for Block Zero. We did not have enough members in out studio to address every building on the block but the hope is the selected buildings will set an example for how the others may be looked at.

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Existing Condition

“Block Zero” Reuse Proposal

Store front rented out.

Rest of building is vacant.

A restaurant with afordable food, which gets its ingrediants from the block’s garden.

Vacant lot

Greenhouse Verticle gardening Use of Hyroponics

Vacant buildings

Affordable housing. Mixed Housing. Work to eliminate absentee landlords.

Krogers

Still Krogers but now sells produce grown in the block’s garden.

Vacant buildings

Daycare/rec center with education opportunities for the community’s youth.

Vacant lot

Community garden with education opportunities along with a Farmer’s Market allowing local people to sell their items.

01 Block Zero Live/Work Space Mixed Housing The part of Block Zero I focused on was one of the vacant buildings on the North West corner and the parking lot behind it. My goal was to create a live/ work unit in the hopes of eliminating the issue of absentee landlords, a major problem in this district.

The diagrams on the opposite page show the different ways the building could be occupied, all of them including a building owner that occupies some of the living space.

The parking lot behind my building is currently reserved for Kroger employees. I propose to keep that a parking lot with the possibility of reserving two or three spots for my building’s tenants, and adding a second story terrace with access from the ground and to all 4 buildings on this Northwest corner.

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Block Zero

01

Flexible Use Diagrams Third Floor

Scenario A

Rental Unit 2

Circulation

Rental Unit 1

Second Floor

Living unit utilized by building owner

Circulation

Ground Floor

Office and retail space utilized by buiding owner Circulation

Communal storage space

Scenario B

Retail space rented out Circulation

Scenario C

Retail and office space rented out to same tennant Circulation

Scenario D

Retail space rented out to tennant A Circulation

Ground Floor

Communal storage space Office space utilized by buiding owner Ground Floor

Communal storage space

Ground Floor

Communal storage space Office space rented out to tennant B

01 Block Zero

Proposed Front Facade

Buiding on far left designed by studio member Daniel Schuler

Existing Front Facade

with my building highlight in orange

Proposed Second Story Terrace Above Parking Lot

Existing Back Lot Second Story Living Room

When I was considering the exterior of my building I made the decision to keep it true to its original look. The wood detailing on the front of the building is in surprisingly good shape and I find it charming.

The design fits nicely with the purpose of the building and the local aesthetics of the neighborhood.

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

02 Sculpture Location

Oxford, Ohio

Course + School

Sophomore Core Design Studio, Fall 2008, Miami University

Project

Interactive Sculpture This conceptual steel sculpture is meant as an interactive experience for pedestrians. One distict experience is created out of two other experiences.

My sculpture is an established walkway created out of the towering truss-like structures on either side. The truss structures are of slightly different shapes and sizes creating a diagonal path between them. The intended location of the sculpture is in a park, allowing a juxtaposition between nature and man-made.

02

Sculpture

Final Design Process Sketches

Vertical section cut through middle

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Sculpture

02

Models

03 International Bluegrass Music Museum Location

Owensboro, Kentucky

Course + School

Upper Level Design Studio, Fall 2010, Miami University

Project

International Bluegrass Music Museum Using the existing structure of a 1960’s government building, our studio was charged with the challenge to redesign the space to fit the needs of the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky. The concept for my design was based on the culture surrounding bluegrass music. My goal was to incorporate materials, rhythmic schemes, and the musical nature that accompanies bluegrass. Therefore I used a lot of recycled rustic wood materials and worked on recreating the shapes of musical instruments in my floor plans.

East Elevation 

M. McKinley Mertz

South Elevation

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

West Elevation

North Elevation

03

International Bluegrass Music Museum

Second Floor

Wall Section Detailing Green Wall 

M. McKinley Mertz

RESTAURANT

ADMINISTRATION

GIFT SHOP

EXHIBIT

EDUCATIONAL

EXHIBIT SUPPORT

PERFORMANCE

MECHANICAL

First Floor

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

International Bluegrass Music Museum

03

Southeast Corner - Gift Shop Entrance

I’ve located the gift shop on the southeast corner with the hope its presence will draw in those walking by and encourage them to explore the museum.

As you enter the main entrance the museum’s radio station, RBI, is on your right. This works as both an exhibit and an active radio station. Those entering can watch the radio producers at work while also gazing at vintage equipment on display. The education wing is on the southwest corner with its own entrance for students and the restaurant is located on the northeast corner giving diners a warm view of the rain garden and the Ohio River beyond. The patches of green wall on the exterior are meant to imitate notes on a staff.

They are placed nicely within the wood slats that make up the entire exterior.

Northeast Corner - Restaurant

04 The City of Orange Township Location

Orange Township, New Jersey

Course + School

Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Fall 2013, Rutgers University

Project

Orange, New Jersey

Future Development Analysis Using GIS, I created analytical maps showing the decline of Orange, New Jersey and revitalization efforts currently taking place by a local nonprofit, HANDS, Inc. Using the information collected from the maps, I conclude by recommending sites for immediate and future development.

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Essex County Household Vacancy 2000 and 2010

City of Orange Township Household Vacancy Percent Vacant 2000: 6.2% Percent Vacant 2010: 8.4%

Essex County Median Income 2010

Housing vacancy in Orange continues to rise, and the median household income is significantly lower than the municipalities to the west. HANDS has done a significant amount of redevelopment in the Valley Arts District of the town. They are working to rebuild the arts community that once thrived here.

04 The City of Orange Township, New Jersey Recommendation for Immediate Development Current Development by HANDS, Inc. (Housing and Neighborhood Development Services)

Valley Arts District

This vacant plot of land is located in the heart of the Valley Arts District and surrounded by numerous HANDS properties. It is right across the street from the Hat Factory Arts Center, which is now under construction. This parcel is an ideal location for immediate redevelopment by HANDS or the town.

Source: New Jersey Office of Informa5on Technology, Office of Geographic Informa5on Systems, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protec5on, HANDS, Inc.

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

The City of Orange Township, New Jersey

04

Recommendation for Immediate Development Amenities Near Vacant Parcel In addition to being located within the Valley Arts District, this vacant parcel is also near transit, grocery stroes, and other ammenities.

Amenity

Less than 1/4 miles

0.26 - 0.50 mile

0.51 - 1.00 mile

Grocery Store 0

3

12

Health Clinic

0

0

6

HANDS Development

7

9

10

Train Station

1

1

2

Bus Station

4

12

27

04 The City of Orange Township, New Jersey Foreclosures in Orange, NJ

2013/2014 To determine the next step for development within Orange, I looked at foreclosed properties, mapped to the left, and the area between the two train stations. I drew a half mile buffer around each train station and highlighted the intersection, seen in the map on the opposite page. This map brought to light that there is one foreclosed proptery within the intersection. This is my proposal for future development. Just like the vacant lot, it is located near transit and grocery stores as well as a park and school.

Sheriff’s Sales by Location # of Foreclosures

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M. McKinley Mertz

Montclair

13

South Orange

14

City of Orange Twp

23

West Orange

29

Bloomfield

33

East Orange

52

Newark

266

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

The City of Orange Township, New Jersey

Recommendation for Future Development Within Intersection: • 4 Bus Stops • 1 Grocery Store • 1 Health Clinic • 1 HANDS, Inc. Development • 1 Foreclosed Property

04

05 Urban Infill - "Suffolk Place" Location

Lower East Side, Manhattan

Course + School

Introduction to Planning and Site Design Spring 2014 Rutgers University

Project

Urban Infill: For an urban area of up to four blocks, including both sides of the peripheral streets, perpare a mixed and mulptiple use infill plan with the emphasis on housing, of which 20% must be affordable.

Group project done with two fellow classmates

Existing Site 

M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Proposed Development

Proposed Site Plan

Our group chose a site in the Lower East Side of Manhattan that is currently two empty parking lots. The site is owned by NYC Department of Preservation & Development. We chose this site because it is a blank slate. The site has no parking requirements, ample public transportation, direct access to the Williamsburg bridge, and is near the riverfront. Suffolk Aveneue runs between the two blocks. Because it is under-utilized and run down, we chose to close it off to car traffic and create a pedestrian street. The blocks themselves are made up of a five-story base with mixed use and a residential tower on top. Green space is provided on the roof of the base and on two middle floors on each tower. The current designs for the site through HPD include an Andy Warhol Museum and so we chose to keep this programming in our site. The neighborhood also has a lack of supermarkets and so in the opposite block we are adding a 33,000 square foot grocery store.

Proposed Floor Plans

05 Urban Infill Existing Conditions

Proposed

Corner of Delancey Street & Norfolk Street 

M. McKinley Mertz

Delancey Street

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Urban Infill

Broome Street & Suffold Mews

Suffolk Mews

05

06 Jersey City Waterfront Redevelopment Location

Jersey City, New Jersey

Course + School

Graduate Urban Design Studio Fall 2014 Rutgers University Professor: Anton Nelessen

Project

Jersey City

Design Challenge: Utilize the construction and protection of a seawall, based on Dutch design influence, and create a redevelopment plan of Jersey City’s waterfront. This redevelopment plan will ensure protection from future floods and sea level rise as well as devise a plan for funding through new construction. We worked to create self supporting infill between the new seawall and existing coastline. We used the pier line to determine the location of the seawall.

The final product is the result of a five person team working for eight weeks. The images in this portfolio represent a small part of the larger presentation. For a PDF of the full presentation, please see: issuu.com/mmckinleymertz/docs

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Pier Line (Build to Line)

Proposed Site Plan

Proposed Infill

06 Waterfront Redevelopment

Proposed The entire 230 acre infill is pedestrian only, with entrances large enough for emergency vehicles. The proposed development includes plazas, parks, a marina, a wetland, and underground parking for residents and visitors. The density increases as you move north within the site. The purpose of this was to preserve views of Manhattan from exisiting buildings and create several distinct neighborhoods.

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

Waterfront Redevelopment

Site Plan

A

A: Goldman Sachs Plaza

B

C

The three renderings presented here represent my graphic contribution to the final presentation. These renderings were done with a massing model base, done in Rhino, and details done in Photoshop.

B: Exchange Place

C: Transit Neighborhood

06

07 Photography

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M. McKinley Mertz

Undergraduate and Graduate Portfolio

M. McKinley Mertz 410 Cedar Ave. Apt 2 Highland Park, NJ 08904 mckinley.mertz@gmail.com