Portfolio by John Aaron Ritter

portfolio 2003 - 2009

John aaron Ritter The University of Texas at San Antonio BS Architecture 2007

2004

2006

2005

2007

office

2008

2009

office travel

studio

undergraduate

p. 26

p. 16

p. 14

ceterus

p. 28

p. 30

p. 20

p. 04

office

p. 34

p. 12

p. 10

p. 08

p. 06

HOGG PARK

nexus

BURNETT ST. PARK

SUMMER STREET PARK

HOGG PARK

HENNESSY PARK BROCK (RICHARD) PARK BURNETT ST. PARK

SUMMER STREET PARK

15 Minu

tes

Connecting Cultures in Houston

HENNESSY PARK BROCK (RICHARD) PARK

DOW ELEMENTARY PARK

MUNICIPAL COURTS BLDG

Develop a connected pedestrian environment in downtown Houston

MUNICIPAL COURTS BLDG

ALBERT THOMAS PLAZA JONES HALL PUBLIC PLAZA LINEAR PARK

MARKET SQUARE PARK

ute

2012

SWEENEY CLOCK TRIANGLE

inu

GOYEN, JOHNNY PARK

ut es

SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK TRANQUILLITY PARK COLISEUM MUSIC HALL PLAZA SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK JONES PLAZA SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK LINEAR PARK SAM HOUSTON PARK LINEAR PARK MEMORIAL-SILVER TRIANGLE SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK TRANQUILLITY PARK FONDE COMMUNITY CENTERPARKING LOT H LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK ANNEX PLAZA CITY HALL MARKET SQUARE PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK SABINE STREET MAINTENANCE SITE SAM HOUSTON PARK ALBERT THOMAS PLAZA JONES HALL PUBLIC PLAZA CITY HALL PLAZA

ALLEN'S LANDING

M in

BUFFALO BAYOU/TINSLEY PARK

Buffalo Bayou

CONFEDERATE SHIP AREA SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK SMITH-CONGRESS TRIANGLE

utes

LINEAR PARK

HERMANN SQUARE

SWEENEY CLOCK TRIANGLE

inu te s

TRANQUILLITY PARK COLISEUM MUSIC HALL PLAZA LINEAR PARK SAM HOUSTON PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK TRANQUILLITY PARK LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK CITY HALL ANNEX PLAZA LINEAR PARK LINEAR PARK SAM HOUSTON PARK CITY HALL PLAZA

BUFFALO BAYOU/TINSLEY PARK

JONES PLAZA

2013

CHARTRESS MAINTENANCE SITE

HERMANN SQUARE

• Implement international offices for business and trade • Promote cultural exchange between local and international arts communities • Utilize public spaces adjacent to site(Houston Ballet, Music Hall, and Market Square Park)

office

Parks CHARTRESS MAINTENANCE SITE

SMITH R. E. "BOB" PARK ANTIOCH PARK FOUNDERS MEMORIAL CEMETERY

Parks

HIGHWAYS-60MPH BUS TRANSIT-25MPH RAILROADS-60MPH HIGHWAYS-60MPH LIGHT RAILS-45MPH BUS TRANSIT-25MPH

SMITH R. E. "BOB" PARK ANTIOCH PARK

0.2

0.4

9th

7 th

6th

Within a 1 Mile Radius

5th

1.4 M. International

Chicago

Atlanta

ORD

3rd

2nd

1st

$31.5 B.

$29.3 B.

9.7 M. International 48.8 M. Total

469 sq mi

234 sq mi 38.1 M. Total

3.3 M. International

Walking Distance

ATL

LAX

4th

shading renewable energy water management green roofs orientation

$14.0 B.

Walking Distance

GEORGE R. BROWN CONV. CTR.

Los Angeles

DFW

DEN

New York

Houston

8th

0.8 Miles

teach

JFK

IAH

SFO

LAS Las Vegas

PHX Phoenix

10th

0.6

0 0.1 0.2 0.4 0.8 Existing Natural Systems - 0.6 The site rests Miles on Houston’s Buffalo Bayou, framing a walkable community development, appropriate for the human scale experience

Denver

Top 10 busiest airports in US

Within a 1 Mile Radius GEORGE R. BROWN CONV. CTR.

0 0.1 RAILROADS-60MPH LIGHT RAILS-45MPH

Mechanical Mobility - The site is situated around car dependency and experienced through high speeds

• Maximize the sites physical and monetary potential • Mitigate Central Houston Foundation’s development risk, through a property lease partnership • Generate secure long-term revenue streams for Central Houston Foundation

Dallas

• Capitalize on the quanitity of business travel from Houston’s airport • Develop diverse site program, catering to Houston’s residents and out of town visitors

Structure a financially responsible development

San Francisco

office

Improve Houston’s tourism downtown

CONVEYANCE 500 Years Flood 100 Years Flood Buffer or Overflow Buffalo Bayou

SAM HOUSTON PARK SAM HOUSTON PARK SAM HOUSTON PARK

FOUNDERS MEMORIAL CEMETERY

$14.8 B.

503 sq mi

Capitalizing on Tourism 7.0 M. International 25.7 M. Total

601 sq mi

International Visitors

City Density

City Area

Total Visitors

Houston receives almost 50 million visitors per year, more than New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago Business and medical tourism account for the majority of visitors to Houston Of the busiest airports in the nation, Houston is most often the final destination for visitors

23 / 8,0 sqm 9 i 11 2/s ,8 qm 6 27 4/ i ,5 sqm 32 /s i qm i

Yet, for every visitor Houston receives, Chicago capitalizes 2.5 times the amount of tourism revenue per person

3,6

Sta Air te po rts

49.5 M. Total

2010 Total Tourist Spending

3957

175

mins

- 16

240 miles 246 mins miles 21.3 ns -

30 mi

2 mi

les

Airport

Da Dallas, TX Au

Uh Mt

Austin, TX

Mu Museum district Wa Warehouse district

ile

5.1

Northline Transit Center Fannin South Intermodal Terminal

Proposed Commuter Rail Highway Existing Station

Light Rail

Future Light Rail

Me Medical district

min

Mt Magnolia Transit Center

Uh University of Houston

mile

Theatre district

Civic Center district

Historic district

Ha Harris County district Ba Ballpark district Sh Shopping district Sk

Skyline district

Cc Convention district Me Medical district

2014

CONVEYANCE 500 Years Flood 100 Years Flood Natural System Buffer or Overflow Buffalo Bayou

SAM HOUSTON PARK SAM HOUSTON PARK SAM HOUSTON PARK

Natural System

8 Min

• Provide onsite bus stop • Link paths to the University of Houston Light Rail station

SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK LINEAR PARK

DOW ELEMENTARY PARK

8 Min

2011

Buffalo Bayou

ALLEN'S LANDING

site

SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK

FONDE COMMUNITY CENTERPARKING LOT H SABINE STREET MAINTENANCE SITE

Cultivate the diversity of Houston’s economy & culture

graduate

GOYEN, JOHNNY PARK

SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK

MEMORIAL-SILVER TRIANGLE

site

Promote public transportation use

travel

CONFEDERATE SHIP AREA SESQUICENTENNIAL PARK SMITH-CONGRESS TRIANGLE

15 Minute

• Extend public greenway to the Buffulo Bayou master plan • Create a mixed use podium of connected public spaces, separated from car culture • Maintain convenient access to site in close proximity to parking

2010

office

2015

La Reunion competition Group Competition - 2008 La Reunion (Dallas), TX La Reunion is creating an arts residency in Dallas that will host arts in both new and traditional media for periods ranging from one week to a year. In exchange for live work space, artist will be expected to give back to the community through programs, exhibits, performances and installations. The mission of La Reunion is to create arts residency in Dallas that inspires, sustains, and renews artists and communities through education and outreach. Team Designers: John Ritter

Schematic Rendering

Karthik Ramadurai Kai Lee

Using sustainable approaches and technology with respect to history and context, we

Michael Cagle

developed a concept to revitalise an organic lifestyle holding true to the roots of the La

Won Jea Lee

Reunion community. Our design decisions focused on: meaningful interaction between artists and the general public, responding to the existing site conditions, and creating a

Elevation Views

new identity. In this group competition we all developed an initial concept and design in order to avoid the setbacks of groupthink. We then pared up into two small groups further developing designs before producing final presentation concepts. Within our team I contributed to the master plan, media panel designs, while supporting graphics and design concepts. Media Panel Diagram

competition

Site Sketch

Cross sectional diagram

Site Views

Plan View

Existing Structure:

Linear Path:

Media Panel:

Performance Space:

Studio Residence:

Passage Way:

History

Connection

New Identity/Separation

Intersection

Evolution

Interaction

Plan View

Performance Space

Media Panels

Artist's Studios

Final Rendering -by team member

competition

Pilot Square competition Revision Dallas - Group Competition - 2009 Special Recognition "Being Visionary" Dallas, TX Our design uses retired and decommissioned aircraft fuselages as the major structural component of the four towers at Pilot Square. Locally there are two major airline headquarters, American Airlines in Fort Worth and Southwest Airlines in Dallas which provide the opportunity to partner with a large corporation who would be interested in a socially responsible way to recycle their planes and provide the aircraft needed at little or no cost to Central Dallas vvvv. Taking advantage of the industry's local presence, Pilot Square will serve as an attraction and promotional campaign for the airlines, Central Dallas CDC, the City of Dallas, and the sustainable building community worldwide. My role consisted of supporting lead designer and project team with development of concepts and graphics. With the constraint of a single size fuselage I designed several different interior floor plans satisfying needs for one and two bedroom apartments, multifamily unit, and a shared coop. Additionally, I worked alongside urban and landscape designers gaining in depth understanding of integration between practices. Lead Designer - Aaron Au Junior Designer - John Ritter Urban Design - Alex Lo Landscape - Eric Hadden Sustainable Design - Diane Tasian Market Research / Organizer - Erin Bordelon

Presentation Board 1

competition

Interior Rendering

Wall System Diagram

Five units, including 1, 2, and 3 bedroom apartments were developed utilizing the single fuel lodge.

Presentation Rendering

Aaron Au

competition

Baylor Regional professional Medical Center - June 2007-Present

Future Floors Acute Care-48 Beds

McKinney, Texas RTKL Associates As an Intern Architect, I worked for two years on this project in pre design, schematic

Future Floors Acute Care-48 Beds

design, design development and construction documents. My professional and technical abilities have increased through exposure to: client meetings, code review, exterior and interior

Future Floors Acute Care-48 Beds

design process, project phasing, consultant coordination, and planning. I was responsible for assisting design Architect in development of schematic design by preparing plans, sections, renderings, and

4th Floor Mechanical

graphics for client meetings. I contributed to design development package and GMP set. Supported issuance of 100% construction documents for shell and interior drawings.

3rd Floor Acute Care -48 Beds

Phase 1: 370,000 sf New Construction Phase 2: 140,000 sf

2nd Floor Women's Center

Architecture Design Team: Bethany Childress AIA- Lead Architect Jim Johnson AIA- Project Manager Rick Miller AIA Lead AP- Project Architect

1st Floor

Dori Mommers NCIDQ- Interior Design

Emergency, Diagnostic

Jeff Hall- Job Captain

Imaging, Rehab, Surgery

John Ritter- Intern Architect

Suite, ICU, PACU, Day Beds, Central Sterile

Software: Autodesk Revit 2009 & Photoshop Basement Dining, Education, Building Support

Diagnostic Treatment Recovery Public Zone Building Support Education/Rehab

professional

Section Rendering - Main Entry study

Under Construction

Patient room zones: staff, patient, family

Graphic Section - exploring vertical connections of modalities

professional

Alamo Community College professional Overland Partners - Fall 2006 San Antonio, Texas The Northeast Campus Master Plan is for the

2 p.m.

Alamo Community College District of San Antonio, in a rapidly growing area of the city. Some facilities planned for joint-use are the Performing Arts Center, Wellness Center, the Library and Childcare buildings and several sports fields for softball, basketball, etc. The

3 p.m.

campus buildings are planned to focus vistas

Process Model- South facing louver system

toward an existing lake. A variety of outdoor spaces will accommodate campus, community and recreational activities. Phase Exposed: (Library Building) I contributed to design of louver system

4 p.m.

through daylighting studies and visual aesthetics from interior and exterior perspective. I also supported cad drawings in schematic design and design development phases. 5 p.m.

Project Team:

Library- Floor Plans

Rick Archer - Partner Cliff Whitingstall- Project Architect Mark Beavers-Project Architect John Ritter- Student Intern Operable Louvers Closed Library Sun Study Series

Library Building- South Facade

Artists rendering- Exterior Library

Site Master Plan

Exterior louver

South West Elevation

Wall Section at louvers

Interior view

professional

Carmel Residence professional Overland Partners - Summer 05 Carmel, California This project consisted of an exterior and interior renovation and addition to a house in Carmel, California. I contributed to schematic design phase by developing working study model that explored interior spaces. I also supported graphics in plan, elevation, and section analysis. Rick Archer- Partner Georgio Coulussi- Architect John Ritter- Student Intern

South Elevation

East Elevation

North Elevation overlay

Study Model

West Elevation

professional

South Elevation overlay

North Elevation

Section

Floor Plans

professional

Utopian Community academic Topics Studio UTSA - Spring 2007 Professor Pemberton-Haugh El Cenizo, Texas The project began with an individual

Local soil mixed with straw and lime

Wind and environment studies helped inform design process to provide comfortable spaces in the hot and humid climate

sustainable assignments and research, a building mock-up, and a design challenge. Design Challenge: To create a utopian community center for the people of El Cenizo, incorporating the studio's sustainable research. The city of El Rammed Earth walls

Cenizo is considered a small border town on the edge of the Rio Grande River, where Spanish is the official language.

Form work

Utopia is an ideal community or society. My translation of a utopian design is not perfection, but the ability for a community to Green space

adapt successfully to a given environment, and where all contribute to the inter-workings of their city. For this 'utopian' community to exist, individuals must maintain a strong sense of individual ownership and pride, strengthened by a dependable social

Reused glass allows light to pass through mass

network they can trust. Water collection

Solar Array

Mock-up Wall (Rammed Earth & Cob)



Heat study performed to develop appropriate design responses (to right).

academic

Shading devices

View looking South East

View on internal courtyard

Birds eye looking east View from Commons (Roof Terrace)

Study Model

View from church renovation

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African American Museum academic Systems Studio UTSA - Fall 2006 Professor Masden San Antonio, Texas This museum project forces all visitors to experience the history of the African American culture from its darkest moments, to its brightest. The building form and progression of exhibits are a reflection on the historical struggles for freedom and equal rights. The design is resolved into a unified idea visible from outside and experienced from within. Sketch models showing development and resolving concepts of struggle and harmony.

Concepts were developed from studying African American culture, including: the middle passage (from Africa to the Americas), Reformation, Civil Rights, and present day struggles and achievements.

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Mission:

Plan, Elevation, and Section Studies

Create and maintain an African American Culture Arts museum. Preserve, collect and exhibit African American artifacts and art. Promote African-American History.

Folding Studies

Museum Exhibit Form - represents the historical struggles of the

African American

culture by use of irregular

configuration that almost loses continuity, but remains together in a single, strong, and unified poetic articulation.

A. Entry to Museum B. Texas African American Transition C. Middle Passage Experience D. Story of Abolition and Civil Rights Exhibit E. African American Achievement Hall

D Ground Level

C o mb i n e d F o r m contradic tions

r e p r e s e n ts

meeting

and

the

reality

coexisting

overtime ,

where both culture and space intersect.

A uxiliary F orm -

represents

the

construc t

formulaic societal powers in place as the

American

cu lt u r e

d e v e lo p e d

and

to o k

and

A frican shape

around it.

A. Offices B. Circulation C. Administrative/Storage D. Mechanical

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African American Museum cont.

Museum Experience It is important that design strikes emotion throughout this experience. This is can be achieved through not only the visual exterior of building upon approach, but also through the effective use of adding and taking away natural light, manipulating scale of interior spaces, physical change in elevations, and use of materials that increase and decrease temperature and sound.

Exterior Elevations

Floor Plans

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Finish Model

Structural Design Elements

Detail Model at entry

Copper- material chosen for the exterior skin which changes over time with respect to its environment; paralleling the African American culture through the museum exhibits.

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Intimate Lines - Independent Exhibit academic Independent Exhibit UTSA - Spring 2007 Professor Mark Blizard San Antonio, Texas Travel: 2 Companions . . . 3 Months . . . 14 Countries. . . I stepped out into the unknown, seeking a greater understanding of the world and its cultures. Along the journey I discovered as much about myself, as the countries I traveled. My own perspective, beliefs, and reality were all questioned by those experiences I had along the way. The experiences I gained during this adventure are too numerous to put into words. There were so many cities, churches, palaces, train stations, gardens, and museums. The memories attached to the people I met and places I sketched are the most important to me. Sketch: 3 Sketchbooks . . . Sketching created a welcomed change of pace for me while traveling. It provided time to take in the surrounding environment, whether I was alone in silence or in a crowded urban space. I sketched everywhere I could find a place to sit or lean. As I sketched, I would overhear conversations passing in different languages. Sometimes, I would go overlooked and become part of the backdrop to a city and other times people would try to glance unnoticed over my shoulder in curiosity.

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Brochure at entrance

Schematic Diagram

Exhibit: The Idea for this exhibit developed along with my passion for sketching as I traveled. I am attempting to explore the meaning behind a sketch and the intimate moments that lie within the individual lines. Each line represents the smallest unit within a sketch. These lines come together to create the essence of the whole. By exploiting lines of a sketch I am attempting to bring the viewer closer to that essence. I am also exploring the idea of intimacy for the individual sketch by replicating a similar spatial experience as I had while holding a sketch book in ones hands. Just as each line creates the essence of a sketch these fragmented words throughout are intimate pieces of my overall journey.

Preliminary sketch

  

Pedestal Design

Exhibit flow sketch

The Discovery Process: Room LayoutThe flow of the exhibit was designed to allow visitors to first only see large abstract images along the wall without understanding the whole. The visitor would then naturally take a step back towards each pedestal and recognize the connection between the small original sketches to the large abstractions. This effect allows individual intimate moments with each sketch and memory. TransitionThe exhibit space is off a major hall connecting all UTSA design studios. Curtains were hung to only allow visibility of exhibit visitors from the waste down. This provided a separation and transition from the everyday to a unique experience, while intensifying the curiosity of the passerby. Transition from main hallway

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Intimate Lines Exhibit Materials: MDF, Acrylic, Paper, Sheer Fabric Time: 3 wk. design, 3 wk. construction, 1 wk. display, 1 day presentation Budget / Cost: 250 USD

Pedestrian Bridge academic Studio 1 - UTSA Fall 2005 Professor Ohlenbusch San Antonio, Texas The pedestrian bridge design is an extension of the San Antonio river walk. It is part of a master plan, urban, and landscape renewal project.

Journal sketches

Site view

I began with research to develop

HISTO RI

precedents of structural systems and pedestrian bridges. This design challenge was to connect the growing arts district with a historic neighborhood, who opposed to this connection. Our class visited town hall meetings to experience and interact with the city council and community. We were challenged to both satisfy

our design.

ARTS

Process design sketches

IO IT

resolve tensions of community through

A N

the needs of these two districts and

Journal sketches

I took into account the needs of the community by making a simple and elegant gesture to promote positive interaction between both sides of the river. I integrated resting and viewing spots with natural vegetation and shade to maintain a consistency with

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expansion of the urban and landscape master plan. Section

Study model

Digital model

Structural model

Site model

Digital Model

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Musical Tension academic Design III - UTSA Fall 2004 Instructor Garcia San Antonio, Texas The design challenge was to create an iconic entryway unifying the two architecture buildings.

Tension-physical-pulling apart

Tension-abstract-almost touching

Piano keys

Guitar strings in tension

I began research analyzing local tensile fabric structures and exploring different ways tension can be applied spatially and abstractly. Rhythm and musical instruments influenced my design process. The guitar and piano are examples of static objects held in tension. Once the musician begins to play, the instrument becomes dynamic when sound is perceived by the listener. Likewise,

Artist Painting -

with this design, color panels held in tension remain

abstraction of instrument through color

static. They are brought to life when the sun projects through them on to the ground and adjacent buildings, creating a visual rhythm moving constantly Pulling diagram

throughout the day.

Directional forces

Tension pulling

The site is a narrow breezeway connection located between the two adjacent UTSA architecture buildings. My design accommodates architecture student's practical needs with a focus on inspiring creative thought through tension, rhythm, and color.

EXTERIOR

INTERIOR PATH

Site View

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Light source

Panels in tension

Perspective A

Reflection illuminated

West Elevation

South Elevation

Perspective B

Plan View

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Europe Travel academic Travel sketches May 2006 - August 2006 Medium: Pencil, Pen, Charcoal Traveled three months to broaden cultural understanding, experience a variety of historic and new architecture, and absorb the built environment through journal sketching.

London - City Hall

Edinburgh - Scottish Monument

London - Paddington Station

London - Canadian Memorial

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Bath - Abbey, Interior Fan Vault

Bath - Crescent

Ettol, Germany - Benedictine Chapel















 

Roichbach, Germany - Village View

Berlin Jewish Museum

Berlin

Berlin Jewish Museum

Stuggart - Train Station Study

academic

Barcelona - Guadi

Alcala, Spain - water color

Barcelona - Guadi

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Granada, Spain - Alhambra

Barcelona - Street Pattern

Alcala, Spain

Paris - Louvre

Prague Stuttgart - Subway

Vienna - Radio Tower

Ronchamp - Notre Dame du Haut

Prague - Mozart's opera Don Giovanni

Ronchamp - Notre Dame du Haut

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Presentation Graphics academic Elective - UTSA Spring 2006 Professor Craig Blunt

House "423" - San Antonio, TX

Water color

Prisma color marker

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Water color sketch

Clear Channel Building

Hand sketch

San Antonio

Prisma color pencil rendering

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thank you.