Nicholas McMillan Architecture Portfolio

nicholas mcmillan [

portfolio

16’

]

nicholas mcmillan designer, explorer, photographer, traveller, snowboarder, surfer, dreamer, maker. [ portfolio 16’ ] “I’ve always wondered why architecture has captured my curiosity and what it is about all these lines, dots, circles and squares that I devote myself to. While still unsure of the answer, my own journey has led me to realize it is not simply about a bunch of lines and dots, but instead drawing and creating my own lines, dots, circles and squares.”

Bachelor of Environments (Architecture major) University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia (2010-2014) Masters of Architecture University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA (2015-2018)

This portfolio showcases my work, my interests, my imaginative musings and my commentary on key and critical elements of architecture. It can be understood as an insight into the architectural journey that has led me to where I am today, as well a vision into where I hope it continues to lead me into the future.

contents_ Photography_ Selection of personal work, 2012-2014 Webb Street Bridge_ Melbourne, Australia, July 2014

01

Port Melbourne Pier_ Melbourne, Australia, June 2014

03

Marouba Beach_ Sydney, Australia, June 2013

05

Drawing_ Selection of miscellaneous drawings, 2011-2013 Form and texture_ University of Washington, February 2013

07

Observation drawing_ University of Washington, February 2013

08

Tutorial house_ University of Southern California, January 2016 Revit Architecture

09

3030 Interchange_ University of Melbourne, November 2013 Illustrator, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper + Physical Modeling

11

Embedded Intelligence_ Architecture Association Visiting School, New York, July 2014 Rhino 3D, Grasshopper + Physical Modeling

13

Conan Doyle Mystery Theatre_ University of Melbourne, June 2014 AutoCAD, Rhino 3D, Vray + Physical Modeling

15

Learning from the Masters_ University of Melbourne, June 2012 Smith House_ University of Melbourne, June 2012 AutoCAD, Illustrator, Rhino 3D + Card Modeling

19

Studley Park Boathouse_ University of Melbourne, June 2012 AutoCAD, Illustrator, Photoshop, Rhino 3D, SketchUp + Podium

21

Folly_ University of Southern California, Dec 2015 Illustrator, Photoshop, Rhino 3D, Grasshopper + Physical Modeling

25

Webb Street Bridge_ Melbourne, Australia (July 2014).

01

02 02

Port Melbourne Pier_ Melbourne, Australia (June 2014).

03

04

Marouba Beach_ Sydney, Australia (June 2013).

05

06

drawing_

Form and texture_

Drawing for design, observation, schematics or simple pleasure is part of who an architect is. When I draw, the pen or pencil captures on paper the relationship between my hand and eye. This exercise involved completing a series of observation drawings, first as separate and very elementary line, tone and textural drawings as a precedent and means to developing, layering and building a more complete drawing.

07 UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, February 2013

Observation drawing_ Drawing from observation lends one to a unique and fundamental understanding of space and form. We gather a greater understanding for the space, as others or we may exist within or use the space our self. This project examines the flow and experience through the long section of Gould Hall, the architecture building at the University of Washington. These primitive sketches were all completed in fifteen minutes or less, an exercise to teach us to consider the space as a volume and form and in terms of functional use.

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, February 2013 08

tutorial house_ BIM modeling_ Identifying the growing importance of BIM modeling within the environment the project was the first project in a seminar series aimed at learning and developing skills in REVIT and developing an understanding of BIM.

2 1/8" / 1'-0"

-10' - 4 1/2"

-2' - 3 3/16"

2

11' - 0 1/32"

A103

8' - 0"

8' - 0"

10' - 0"

31' - 2" 2 3/8" / 1'-0"

6

Store

Store

7 10

8 11

0' - 10 1/32"

Room Legend

8 9

Living 4

Bedroom

15' - 0 9/16"

Bathroom Bedroom

4

5

Garage

UP 5' - 3 9/16"

1 A103

16' - 8 7/16"

7' - 3"

Bathroom

A

Living Store

A 25' - 3"

20' - 8 7/16"

03 Roof 10' - 0"

Garage 9 1

Site 3/32" = 1'-0"

02 Entry Level 0' - 0"

01 Lower Level -10' - 0"

00 Foundation -14' - 0"

2 A103

15' - 9"

20' - 6"

03 Roof 10' - 0"

3

Room Legend

18' - 0"

B

B

Bedroom

Entry

2

1

1

Entry DN

Store

3' - 9 9/16"

A103 6

Store

7

5

3 4' - 9"

02 Entry Level 0' - 0"

Bedroom

B

41' - 3"

09 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, January 2016

01 Lower Level -10' - 0"

00 Foundation -14' - 0"

10

3030 interchange_ Flow_

Flow is continuous, a phenomenon where form, movement and time come together in holistic synergism. The 3030 Interchange Wyndham Gateway Project explores this synergism, a public installation that serves as an entry statement on a busy highway interchange to an expanding suburban metropolis in the west of Melbourne. It inspires and signifies change and growth, its evolving form creating an arrival experience for passing motorists. As such, as an installation, which is intended to provide an arrival experience the repetitive elements provide a sense of motion, particularly when passed at high speed. Consequently when in motion the form becomes a continuous form, fluidly growing and emerging from the ground.

11 UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, November 2013

Physical fabrication_ One of the intrinsic advantages of digital modeling is its potential to facilitate physical fabrication and inform design by consolidating physical modeling and digital modeling together such that they can be used collaboratively to inform one another as part of a recursive system. In this instance, using a Boolean operation and surface unrolling the digital file could be translated to a 2D plane for laser cutting with pre-made fabrication holes and allowing for a 3-dimensional geometry to be fabricated, cut and developed from flat sheets of Perspex.

Physical Fabrication_

Base Curves_

Boolean Intersection_ Contours_

Preliminary Explorations_

12

embedded intelligence_ All materials and material systems are embedded with implicit capabilities and properties. Over the course of two weeks in New York at the Architectural Association’s ‘Embedded Intelligence’ Visiting School Workshop we explored ‘embedded intelligence’, exploring natural systems and their embedded capabilities. Over the two-week intensive workshop we worked in small groups, examining both a natural system and physical system at a micro level. In interrogating a physical system our group explored the physical manipulation of ‘paper slotting’. Working with both a natural system and physical system and moving to a large scale we were able to combine the two, to create a completely freestanding structure, which aims to achieve lightweight structure. The result was a selfsupporting structure made entirely of either paper or cardboard strips folded and slotted together to make one continuous form.

13 ARCHITECTURE ASSOCIATION VISITING SCHOOL, New York, July 2014

Parametric modeling_ The AA workshop with its focus on computation encouraged us to employ a systems based approach to design, beginning with a number of inputs, controlled by parameters and consequently producing a subsequent output. As such, by using a number of controllable parameters we could input our chosen systems and create a number of different and optimized outputs.

Height Variation_

Parameters_ Contours_

Output_

Inputs_

Base Geometry_

14

conan doyle mystery theatre_ Sometimes, the beauty in architecture lies in its ambiguity and its mystery. Built form communicates on a number of levels and depths. The brief for this project completed as part of a studio class, required that the design of the Conan Doyle Mystery Theatre gather its inspiration from the stories of Sherlock Holmes. As, such, its design in both plan and elevation intends through subtlety to encourage deeper observation and interest, much in the way Holmes himself had a keen eye for detail.

15 UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, June 2014

Floor plans_ Floor plans still represent one of the most important tools for communicating architecture and design.

They communicate how the program of a building, home or space is synthesized and its component parts harmonized. In keeping with the thematic influences of Sherlock Holmes the planar layout employs certain irregular geometry, derived from a five-degree rotation in the XY plane. As such, the result, is a meeting of rotated geometry with non-rotated geometry and the creation of a number of irregularly shaped yet functional spaces. Nevertheless, while made up of certain irregular geometry, the overall planning is still based on a loose grid system intrinsically linked with the buildings structural resolution, its column grid dealing with load distribution and load transfer to the ground.

Basement Floor_

First Floor_

Second Floor_

Third Floor_

Fourth Floor_

Fifth Floor_

Sixth Floor_

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Elevation and section_ Where floor plans are what synthesize a building and develop its shape and form, elevations are what give building’s their character and individuality. In elevation, the geometric aesthetic of the Theatre is revealed, its pattern similarly derived from a geometric pattern based on a five-degree rotation.

Working aesthetically, it creates positive and negative space, its logic intentionally inconspicuous at first observation.

West Elevation_

Building Sections_

17

North Elevation_

East Elevation_

18

smith house_ As part of a design studio aimed to ‘learn from the masters’ each student was designated a different master with whom to study as a precursor to our design project. This case study is that of Richard Meier and his Smith House in Connecticut, USA.

19 UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, June 2012

Diagramming_ Diagramming allows one to break down a building into its elemental components, from which it can be rebuilt and re-understood.

First Floor_

Second Floor_

Third Floor_

South Elevation_

East Elevation_

North Elevation_

Private Public Circulation Entrance Floor Plan Analysis_

Circulation Analysis_

Massing Analysis_

Spatial Use Analysis_

20

studley park boathouse_ In the style of Richard Meier this project is a design for a boathouse and restaurant complex. Combining public and private spaces it’s design takes into strong consideration the site in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, taking advantage of natural daylight opportunities and river front scenic views.

Rooftop Patio_

Ground Floor_

21 UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, June 2012

Upper Floor_

Elevation and section_ Building sections and elevations communicate different information to plan drawings. Building sections and building elevations communicate information about how the different levels of a building relate to one another both in structure, spatial purpose, functional purpose and appearance. Nevertheless, where the building section exposes the buildings structure and ‘insides’, the building elevation communicates information about the ‘outsides’ of a

North Elevation_

Building Section_

22

23

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folly_ In this studio project we were tasked with designing a folly with a free brief and free program for an unused public space in the Koreatown district of Los Angeles. My proposal aimed to influence movement through the site, create seating spaces within the larger context of framing public spaces as well as introducing green softscapes to integrate with the site landscaping.

25

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, December 2015

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Plan View_

Elevation View_

27

28

Section AA_

Section BB_

29

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nicholas mcmillan Australia

[ Curriculum vitae ]

Education University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA Masters of Architecture 2015-2018 University of Melbourne, Melbourne Australia Bachelor of Environments (Architecture Major) 2010-2014 University of Washington, Seattle, USA Exchange Semester 2012-2013 Awards + Honors Melbourne Global Grant Winner University of Melbourne, 2012 Wyndham Young Achiever of the Year Wyndham City Council, 2012 USC School of Architecture Scholarship University of Southern California, 2015-2018

Workshops + Training ‘Embedded Intelligence’, Architecture Association Visiting School, New York, 2014 Digital Modeling Design Workshop, University of Melbourne, 2013 Revit Architecture Short Course, North Melbourne Institute of Technology, 2012 AutoCAD Short Course, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, 2011 Exhibitions, Publications + Associations ‘Embedded Intelligence’ Workshop exhibition, 2014 Architecture Association visiting member, 2014 ‘ARCH210’ Exhibition of selected student work, 2013 Student Organized Network for Architecture member, 2012, 2013, 2014 Environments Student’s Society member, 2010, 2012, 2013 ‘Headspace’ exhibition of selected student work, 2010 Digital Competency AutoCAD Revit Architecture Sketchup Rhino 3D Grasshopper Vray Adobe suite, particularly; Photoshop Illustrator InDesign