Nicholas Houser Volume 111

Nicholas G. Houser

SELECTED

Nicholas G. Houser

email: nhouser@upenn.edu

Education

phone: +1 512 567 1864

portfolio: issuu.com/nicholashouser

Instagram: @housernick97

Masters of Science and Design, Robotics and Autonomous System, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA | 4.0

August 2022 - May 2023

Masters of Architecture, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA | 3.94

August 2019 - May 2022

Bachelors of Environmental Design with Honors, Texas A&M University, College-Station, TX | 3.9

August 2015 - May 2019

Minor in Product Design, Texas A&M University, College-Station, TX

January 2017- May 2019

Design & Professional Experience

Design Intern at IK-Studio, Los Angeles, California

May 2022 - August 2022

-Created research booklet and design for Les Angeles, graphic design, and layout

Junior Designer at TWA, Los Angeles, California

May 2021 - August 2021

-Helped deliver 100% DD set of SKYHOUSE and constructed 1’=1/2” SD physical model

Design Intern at A/p Practice, Brooklyn, New York

December 2020 - January 2021

-Worked on exhibition in Anchorage Alaska for Petite Post-Human planets

Visual Engineer for Pangissimo, Boston, Massachusetts

June 2020 - December 2020

-Created visual content for the Simo Speaker and created Phase II kickstarter campaign

Design Intern at Brian Deluna Studio, Brooklyn, New York

May 2020 - August 2020

-Continued development of house for single man in Vale Colorado

Design Intern at Xmade Barcelona, Barcelona Spain

June 2019 - August 2019

-Designed a series of facades utilizing computational design methods for flagship stores and other commissions.

Design Intern at MFGA, New York City, New York

May 2018 - August 2018

-Heavily involved with design and production of 2 commissioned projects

Design Intern at Atelje Sotamaa, Helsinki, Finland

June 2017 - August 2017

-One of three designers working under Kivi Sotamaa in designing innovative recreational experiences

Architectural Intern at O’connell Robertson, Austin, Texas

June 2016 - August 2016, December 2016 - January 2017

-Worked amongst architects, engineers, and c.a. primarily documenting and archiving 50 years of past projects

Skills

3D Modeling

Graphics

Fabrication

Office

Academic Involvement

Senior Design Lead - F.B.D.

January 2018 - may 2018

Acadia 2022 Exhibition Team

September 2022 - October 2022

Stuco Beaux Arts Ball Visual Creator

January 2022 - April 2022

MSD-RAS Student Representative

August 2022 - May 2023

TA -Laia Mogas-Soldevila

August 2021 - December 2021

TA - Laia Mogas-Soldevila

January 2022 - May 2022

TA - Vanessa Keith

August 2020 - December 2020

TA - Vanessa Keith

January 2021 - May 2021

Teaching Experience Research Experience

RA - Robert Stuart-Smith

Agent Based Clay Body Ceiling

October 2022 - December 2022

RA - Andrew Saunders

Lidar Baroque Surveys

August 2022 - May 2023

RA - Simon Kim

Characters as Domus

August 2022 - January 2023

Rhino 7 + Grasshopper, Maya, Sketchup, Autocad, ZBrush, Mandelbulb, Agisoft, Recap, Reality Capture, Houdini, Unreal Engine, Unity, Mesh Mixer, Blender, Revit, World Creator

Keyshot 10, V-Ray for Rhino 7, Arnold for Maya, Mantra for Houdini, Substance Painter, Substance Alchemist, Quixel Mixer, Adobe Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere, Lightroom

Laser Cutting, CNC, 3D printing (Prusa Slicer, Flash Forge, Ultimaker & Makerbot) Robot Studio, Machina, Powermill

Google Suite, Microsoft Suite, Slack, Discord

Awards

Arthur S. Brooke Memorial Prize, 2022

KPF Traveling Fellowship, 2021

Dales Fellowship, 2021

Texas A&M Suma Cum Laude, 2019

Texas A&M University Honors, 2019

Texas A&M College Honors, 2019

Gathright Scholar Award, 2019

Phi Kappa Phi Honors, 2018

National Society of Collegiate Scholars, 2015

Distinguished First year, 2015

Publications

Acadia 2019

Acadia 2022

Antagonismos Volume 5

Antagonismos Volume 7

Antagonismos Volume 11

Antagonismos Volume 12

Axiom 2019

Axiom 2017

Built Works

Hypersection - Installation in Bryan Texas, With Niccolo Casas

HyperCube - Interior renovation of VR world in New York City

Oblique Slippage - Exhibition at Penn Museum

Simo Speaker - Modular portable Surround Sound Speaker

Competitions

Build day, 2016

Jury’s Favorite

BlankspaceNYC, OuterSpace, 2019

Honorable Mention

Bee Breeders, Thermal Hot Springs Guesthouse, 2019

Honorable Mention

Schenk-Woodman, Pop Up, 2020

Honorable Mention

Surface Magazine, Covid Relief, 2020

Honorable Mention

Humankind after Covid, Mobile Testing Center, 2020

4th Place

HOK Design Futures, 2021

1st Place

Alternate Realities, 2022

Top 30

Texas Architect Magazine

Volume 3: Traits of Post Digital Neo-Baroque

Exhibitions

Acadia, 2019, Austin TX

Hypersection, 2018, Bryan TX

Acadia, 2022, Philadelphia, PA

Upenn-End of the year Showcase, 2022 Philadelphia, PA

Petite Post-human Planets, 2021, Anchorage, AK

References

Gabriel Esquivel | Texas A&M University | email: gabe@theoremas.com

Mark Foster Gage | MFGA & Yale University | email: gage@mfga.com

Maya Alam | A/P practice & Upenn | email: ma@alamprofeta.com

Jonas Coersmeier | Upenn | email: coersmeier@gmail.com

Tom Wiscombe | TWA & Sci-Arc | email: tom@tomwiscombe.com

Simon Kim | IK Studio & Upenn | email: simon.kim@i-k-studio.com

Starchitect Chair Design, 2022

Honorable Mention

Laia Mogas-Sodevila | Dumo lab & Upenn | email: laiams@design.upenn.edu

Niccolo Casas | NICCOLO CASAS ARCHITECTURE | email: niccolocasas@gmail.com

Andrew Saunders | Upenn | email: asaun@design.upenn.edu

SID & NANCY

Homunculi and characters, are powerful a powerful methodology through their interactions and relationships between themselves and their environment, assembling new worlds on the cusp of the Anthropocene. The relationships shared between these two homunculi do not mean that one of them is Sid and the other Nancy, but rather they assumed the archetypes in this paradigm of Sid and Nancy, each unwilling to escape the other, but also not truly knowing if they wanted to escape, only to continue on until it is too late. Parallels are drawn between the interactions of LA with its residents, but more importantly with itself, equally as nuanced as Sid & Nancy. For example, the la brea tar pits, formed hundreds of thousands of years ago, triumphantly consuming mammoths, now lays behind a metal fence as kindergartners take a field trip. The Toxicity & Tension of these relationships manifest itself on a multitude of levels, creating new spaces of interaction through homuncular arguments between these characters. The spaces developed are not ones of ill-repute, but seemingly residual promises of characters that are no longer compatible, exuding its own state of distaste thorughout the city of LA.

Simon Kim with Bingyu Guo

Thetoxic relationship between Sid and Nancy, the punk rock icons, can be compared to the effects of Los Angeles on its citizens. Just as Sid and Nancy’s relationship was full of chaos, dysfunction, and destruction, the city of Los Angeles has a similar effect on its inhabitants. LA is known for its fast-paced lifestyle, traffic, and pollution, which can lead to stress, anxiety, and overall negative impacts on mental health. In both cases, the toxicity is so pervasive that it becomes difficult to break free from, and often leads to a cycle of destruction and harm. Just as Sid and Nancy’s relationship ended tragically, the negative effects of LA can have long-lasting consequences on its citizens.

SETTE DOLORI

LiDAR scanning methods create new modes of representation of built works, in this case, the interior lining of Santa Maria dei Sette Dolori, by Francesco Borromini, can be surveyed by vivisection based on curated cuts dictated by the original underlying geometry that gave birth to the at time hyper-contemporary organization. Once spliced and unrolled, curvature mapping begins to highlight areas of low and high detail, exposing moments of attention versus the overlooked.

Andrew Saunders

Baroque Topologies

SP 2022

OFF-CYCLE

Emphasizing the embedment of a space for inner city food production to supply local food kitchens, a closed system utilizing hydroponics and aeroponics, a microcosm of growth, decay, and regeneration avoids consuming outside resources. Through the incorporation of growth beds, aquariums, compost, and small animal pens, the natural cycle that occurs in nature becomes downscaled into a concentrated urban scale, becoming hyper-synthetic, operating on a 24 hour growth cycle. In consequence this project is also open to the public 24/7. The versatility and engagement created through the ability to view a space of production facilitates public engagement as the system completes its primary purpose of food production. Public engagement is achieved through the promenade and exhibitionism of the various components at hand, from the farming and harvesting, to distribution, as well as atmospheric bi-products that influence the affect of the public park, as it circumnavigates all systems involved in production. Through these methods, recreation and function have become meshed together to create a space in between spaces, open and welcome to all.

Nate Hume

Urban Food Production + Public Park SP 2021

Vertical urban farming is becoming increasingly popular in New York City due to its numerous benefits. First and foremost, vertical farming allows for the efficient use of limited space, which is a valuable commodity in a city like New York. By growing crops vertically, farmers can maximize the use of space, using less land to produce more food. Vertical farming also reduces transportation costs and carbon emissions associated with food transportation, as the food can be grown and harvested within the city itself. Additionally, vertical farming uses less water and fewer pesticides than traditional farming methods, making it a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach. In a city where access to fresh produce can be limited, vertical urban farming can provide New Yorkers with locally grown, fresh, and nutritious food, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable food system.

OMNI ORB OPERA

Omni orb is to be featured in an opera-like performance, in situ for the duration of all showings, receiving exposure to the variables such as humidity, temperature, co2 etc. that will result in state changes that appeal to human-centric senses. A multi-night theatrical performance is the best setting for this research as it exposes viewers to become aware of its presence as well as a rapidly changing uncontrolled environment that will allow variations of material expression over time. Success is measured by its result of existing through a period of multiple months. If the object has decayed to a point of no recognition, then it is to have affect and yield stimulating conversation. If it upholds its beginning characteristics, then it may allude to the ability for it to be used on a more permanent scale in the public’s day to day activities (food ware, packaging, facade, benches, etc.) The goal is one of exposure and observation, if multiple conversations follow a performance, then this is deemed a successful study.

Laia Mogas-soldevila with Christelle Salloum & Shane Su

QUEER OBJECT

Algorithmic Senescence

Joris Putteners & Gabriel Esquivel

With James Hardt, Nate Gonzalez & Daniel Wang

Aqueer object references contextual territory through a series of pointing but never defining through the Derridean notion of indifference. The first relationship is territorial, this is an epistemological quest by looking for, pointing at, through the notion of artifacting across the raw, cooked ,and synthetic. The algorithm operates as the smooth territory itself, where the contextual territory operates as the vehicle for striation. The algorithm is not bound to a territory but places itself through a series of referential objects that are able to be artifacted from the contextual territory. The algorithm can exist in all forms of territory because it is always pointing at but never actually defines these moments. The territory is defined the moment the context is referenced and artifacted.The act of indifference and vicarious causation of referenced objects results in the contextual territory to become the vehicle of striation. Since the algorithm is in a constant state of flux, both in posture and territoriality, maturity and senescence can be derived. The duration allows for the algorithm to continue the addition of artifacts The algorithmic exhaustion, theory, and queerness are all connected through the results of simulation software. The essence of simulation is queer. The aspects of flux that are produced in terms of fluidity change and undefinability relates exactly back to queer theory..

TheDerridean notion of indifference can help explain the senescence of an algorithm and its overall queerness. According to Derrida, indifference refers to the idea that meaning is never fixed or stable, but rather is constantly shifting and contextual. Similarly, the function of an algorithm can become increasingly irrelevant or outdated as technological advancements and changes in society occur, rendering it obsolete or inapplicable. This process of senescence can lead to the algorithm becoming increasingly queer, or out of sync with the dominant cultural norms and values of its time. Additionally, the indifference of meaning can lead to the algorithm being repurposed or recontextualized in unexpected ways, further contributing to its queerness. Ultimately, the Derridean notion of indifference highlights the fluidity of meaning and the potential for unexpected transformations, which can help explain the senescence and queerness of algorithms as they age and are replaced by newer technologies.

MODULUS // X

Using simulated spring physics, Modulous//X uses form finding methods based on controllable algorithmic inputs, allowing for parameters to be scrubbed through in search of identifiable moments of nuance through strict connections of single ruled surfaces that are both axial and unruly. The result is derived from a single closed curve input and then deformed based on spring constants.

Flexible

Communal Living SP 2021

In the ever stressed ecology of the earth, a series of consequences through our bastardization of the planet’s resources, these Extra-Mediums (or XM’s) begin to interface with us, branching between the XS (Anthropocene) and the XL (Hyperobjects) providing local instances of non-local ontologies. These XM’s operate emphatically on a geological scale, pushed outside of abstraction and into their complete nature. By understanding that the emergence of these XM’s are an unavoidable consequence of our actions, rather than choosing to ignore these problems, this thesis aims to explore new ways of handling mass consumption and disposal through new organizational structures that lay within the boundaries of geological scales, brute force computation, and multiplicity of program. The results of intervening on a geological scale on a variety of independent sites through the use of artificial neural networks will create site specific outcomes, all of which aim to reclaim and renew sites that we have written off as too dangerous, allowing for the interfacing of these hyperobjects with us through architectural means.

ADVISOR: ANDREW SAUNDERS

E-Waste as 21st century Geoglyph FA 2021 - SP 2022

Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, is a major environmental issue that poses a threat to human health and the planet. One potential solution is to repurpose e-waste into large geoglyphs, and artificial intelligence can be used to organize and design these sculptures. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are a type of machine learning algorithm that can generate new images and designs based on input data. By using GANs to organize and design the e-waste into geoglyphs on previous superfund sites, we can create visually stunning sculptures while also mitigating the harmful effects of e-waste. Additionally, GANs can be trained to use e-waste in the most efficient and sustainable way possible, reducing the amount of waste generated during the creation of the geoglyphs. Overall, the use of GANs in the creation of e-waste geoglyphs offers a promising solution to the environmental challenges posed by e-waste, while also providing a unique and visually striking form of public art.

AMALGAMATE

Referencing Palladio’s Villa Rotonda and Zaha’s MAXXI, this drawing merges the function of a villa and the function of a museum to establish a new system of production, creating a secular factory that contains residency, leisure, production and distribution. Not to be confused as a vehicle for the dystopic, but rather the type of space required during the secondary phases of off world travel, the first being the initial settlement. The reason for such a plan to be conceived is the lack of infrastructure and supplies that might be available, and comparatively to the way our societies have progressed over long spans of time to eventually incorporate each function packed into this plan as separate. A conclusion can be drawn that mass hybrids of plans such as these might exist, once off world structures move away from modularity and begin producing resources outside of the basic needs.

Miroslava Brooks

Canonical Drawing Hybridizations FA 2020

NEOTERIC

WeWork + Winery SP 2020

Focusing on the ecology of the surrounding site, special attention was given towards the mediation between flooding and the neighborhood of Manayunk, PA. By utilizing large blocks of mass, NEOTERIC begins to divide the site through indexical means, creating a series of spaces that span between public and private, a new campus. By situating the winery and incubator spaces atop a large plinth, which has been shifted off axis, these spaces are now out of reach in case of potential flooding, as well as using the plinth to provide a barrier to a large portion of Manayunk, mitigating against heavy surges of water. Outside of the performative plinth geometry, the division of site creates pockets of public space that can be utilized by various acts of assembly, creating spaces for the community, both on site and plinth, that can be shared by both a winery and private incubator space, avoiding the complete privatization of the site from the neighborhood.

HOK Futures Competition with Danny Ortega

The Schuylkill River is a major waterway that flows through southeastern Pennsylvania, and it has the potential to aid in wine production. Water is a crucial component of winemaking, and the Schuylkill River can provide a reliable source of water for irrigation and vineyard maintenance. In addition, the river’s proximity to the vineyards can help moderate the temperature, which is important for creating optimal growing conditions for certain types of grapes. Furthermore, the river’s alluvial soils can also provide nutrients for the vines, which can result in better grape quality and higher yields. Overall, utilizing the Schuylkill River can be a valuable resource for winemakers in the area, providing access to water, moderating temperature, and enriching the soil, all of which can contribute to the creation of high-quality wines.

SKY-HOUSE

Agiant solar roof hovers on top of Sky-House, creating a shaded microclimate beneath. This style of roof is coined as an Earth Protector, referring to its kindness to the earth and to the inhabitants below. The solar array contains 50 commercial grade solar PVs, normally used for solar fields outside the city, tilted up to create a sawtooth profile in the building’s elevation. This array produces 3.6 MWh/year of power, making it 360% energy positive, enough to power four homes of this size. The house therefore does not draw power from the city, but rather feeds power into it, revealing a new model for sustainability based on excess rather than lack. The Underside of the roof becomes a surface for video art projection, visible far away from Sunset Boulevard. A vortex stair spirals down from the roof, replacing the circulation of the historic house, connecting all levels with deep diagonal views across the space and out to the city through glass. A new office-- the owner’s “control bridge”-is tucked between the roof and the existing balconies, featuring commanding, 300 degree views of the city.

Tom Wiscombe

Roof Protector SU 2021

NYX

Jonas Coersmeier

FA 2020

Focusing on conditions of Hyper-density and infrastructure, The New York X, or NYX, is the result of synergy between the desire to create a high rise while defeating the possibility of gentrification as an outcome. Situated on NYCHA housing, between the Navy yard and BQE, this project dances with the BQE while remaining respectful of current residents in the social housing of 45 N. Elliott place. The outcome creates a central node of transportation to relieve pressure from the constant use of the BQE as well as create a one stop shop before Brooklyn grows and commuting becomes exceedingly more difficult. By routing multiple forms of transportation through this hub, stacking infrastructure on pre-existing infrastructure, commerce will commence, globally, locally and internally. The revenue produced will go directly to the current and new residents by paying for utilities as well as property taxes, creating fixed rent for decades. Since the fear of gentrification is incredibly relevant to the addition of high rises and luxury housing, this economic module can slow down the rates of displacement of socioeconomic classes, so as tax rates inevitably increase as Brooklyn grows, this can be avoided. If this economic model is viable, then a series of these can begin being constructed over current NYCHA housing, ultimately slowing the process of gentrification.

Social Housing & Hyperloop

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TheNew York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has been struggling to maintain its aging infrastructure and provide affordable housing for its residents, with rising tax rates becoming a significant challenge. One potential solution to this problem could be the integration of a hyperloop system within NYCHA housing, with revenue generated from the system being used to offset rising tax rates. By integrating the hyperloop system within the housing complex, residents could have access to affordable and efficient transportation, while the generated revenue can be used to support the maintenance and modernization of NYCHA infrastructure. Additionally, the hyperloop system could attract new businesses and opportunities to the area, potentially generating more revenue and creating new jobs. Overall, integrating a hyperloop system within NYCHA housing has the potential to not only provide affordable transportation to residents but also mitigate rising tax rates and generate revenue for the housing authority.

Future Food

This exhibition aims to reimagine planetary food systems, along with architecture’s expressive capacity to metabolize, digest and generate resources, as well as to decompose itself. On the one hand, via food an exploration of architectural strategies through local production and self-sufficiency, like urban farming, renewable energy or zero food miles practices that reconnect communities via food, among other means. On the other, by analyzing the byproducts of urban life -namely livestock, agriculture, and forest residues as resources; in ways that limit material loss and explore alternative pathways. The spatial and existential connections between architecture and food surface in different scales: from the gut of our bodies to the ecology of territories and the technology of building systems. They bring together the farm, the city, injustice, and the stomach.

Ferda Kolatan

SP 2022

Tallin Architecture Biennalle

CHØNK

When considering the Penn Museum extension, a task was derived from the necessity to house artifacts that seldom see display time. The concept for the extension of the museum’s archives circled around the central idea of “Who does it belong to?”. In this solution, to further combat the ideas of oppressive colonialism, the artifacts are placed in a hermetically sealed environment, or a “new territory”, for only themselves to occupy. This was done as a means to honor the origins of which they came, but also to understand that a true owner of such artifacts cannot be determined in present day, only leading to debates ending in little to no proper outcome. Museums have never been seen as attempting to desecrate the artifacts, rather quite the opposite, by receiving intensive restoration and care, however the original owners of these artifacts were very much so violated. An epistemological question of whether these artifacts are extensions of the cultures today or are they themselves their own thing leads to the creation of this extension which favors the latter, by laying them to rest in a respectful geode of their own.

Maya Alam

PENN Museum Extension FA 2019

Artifacts

housed in the Penn Museum are often considered contested pieces due to their colonial history and how they were obtained. These objects were taken from their places of origin and often without the consent of their communities. The Penn Museum has been under pressure to address these issues and to acknowledge the harm that has been done. One solution that has been proposed is to hermetically seal away these artifacts from the public, essentially laying them to rest. This would allow the artifacts to be preserved while also respecting the wishes and beliefs of the communities they were taken from. While this approach may seem extreme, it recognizes that the artifacts no longer have a place to solely exist in today’s society and that their presence can be a source of pain and trauma for many people. It is essential for institutions like the Penn Museum to acknowledge their colonial past and work towards reparations, and sealing away contested artifacts could be one step towards reconciliation.

HOMUNCULI

Sensory Characters

Focusing on observation feedback, this homunculi holsters three optic sockets, sitting freely, capable of multi directional movement. The images gathered are a response to saturation and growth surrounding the homunucli, only to take images during high periods of saturation. The interpolation of these images begin to create what is known as its world view, an intense process of generative adversarial networks that begin to build the world in its own image by computer vision as a response to the factors that promote one of beauty and growth.

Simon Kim

FA 2021

IKEA ANARCHY

Eduardo Rega

Through the speculation of future politics within the U.S.A., with Philadelphia being the epicenter of such change, the implementation of an Eco-Feminist New Deal, focusing on design for the people and the environment, is taken into consideration. IKEA Anarchy addresses the first stage of implementation, “Initiate through Acupuncture” where the primary goal is to provide a foundation of communal living in pockets of unused space, typically found in sites of contention, across Philadelphia. Here, a series of basic assemblies can be constructed to fit the needs of the surrounding spaces through the use of basic rule sets that yield growth and spatial qualities that can take on programs of: Assembly, Habitats, Gardens, Entertainment, Health care, or anything best suited for the needs of the people. Since this is only the first stage, it is also utilized as a testing site for various energy generating methods, water collection and purification systems, basic town hall methodologies, and farming with hydroponics so that as the following stages are implemented, the creation of a self sustaining commune of the people is viable, attempting to leave nothing to chance from the testing conducted in the first stage. The proposal intends to generate the strategic mechanisms as a starting point for the self-reparation of the urban tissue.

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Theidea of creating a manual for anarchy, similar to IKEA instructions, has the potential to promote a new form of communal living and self-governance. This can be achieved through the use of mass-produced industrial components that are easily accessible and affordable. These components can be used to create living spaces, communal areas, and spaces for assembly, allowing individuals to come together and form a community based on shared values and principles. Callowhill Philadelphia, with its abundance of industrial buildings and underutilized spaces, could be an ideal location for such a project. The manual for anarchy could provide detailed instructions on how to build and assemble these structures, while also outlining the principles of self-governance and community living. Overall, creating a manual for anarchy using mass-produced industrial components can offer a new way of living that is sustainable, affordable, and community-oriented, while also promoting greater self-sufficiency and independence.