PRP Portfolio

Nathan Watson Bachelors of Architecture 2009 - Present University of Texas

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portfolioindex

rowingclub 4-13

projects + related work

busstop 14-15

library 16-17

modelbuilding 18-19

projections 20-25

digitalwork 26-29

photography 30-33

socialhousing 34-39

resume 40-41

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rowingcenter location: austin, texas professor: danelle briscoe spring 2012

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Located on Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, the focus of this rowing center was on its integration with two edges - the water forming one, and the highly traveled pedestrian path forming the other.

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The trail around the lake is popular with locals and used for a myriad of purposes, including biking, running, dog walking, and more. The main strategy for consolidating these two edges was to create a transparency throughout the project in order to not inhibit views to the water's edge from the pedestrian path.

This was accomplished by raising the pedestrian path and placing the entrance on a raised plinth to create a view out to the lake. Glazing covers the entrance as well as the majority of the lobby level interior. Because of the excess amount of glazing needed to accomplish this transparency, a brise-soleil structure covers the south-western edge of the building that protrudes into the water. This structure wraps around the south-eastern and north-eastern edges, growing progressively less dense where needed. The structure also acts as a rain screen and ventilation device, serving multiple purposes for the open floor plan below where the boats are stored. Large garages open onto an airy dock with easy access for boats from the nearby parking lot.

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1.5” Finished Wood Slats 1/8” Sheet Metal Finish 3-6” Sloped Concrete Slab for Drainage Waterproofing 2” Polystyrene-foam Insulation 1” Concrete footing 2” Steel Decking W12x120 Steel I-Beam 1.5” Finished Wood Flooring 1” Furring 3’ Open Web Steel Joist System 2’x1’ HVAC Ductwork 1” Metal Ceiling Framing 1” Finished Wood Dropped Ceiling

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2”x6” Wood Exeterior Veneer Variable Intersticial Airspace 8mm+1.52mm+8mm Low Iron Glass Curtain Wall Mullions Spaced 8’ Vertically W12x120 Composite Column 1” Bolt L-Brace Connection (Column > Caisson) 2” Cap for Caisson 1” Sealent (Water Line) Caisson (Driven down to below ground under water) Weep Hole .25” Metal Flashing

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bus stop location: austin, texas professor: juan miro spring 2011

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This short design exercise had a heavy focus on creating a useful bus stop that local residents would be excited to use. With this in mind, this simple stop explores form and integration of technology.

Merging other simple, utilitarian programs, such as bike racks, seating, and real-time displays of bus routes, the overall form of the stop is delegated into several panels that then house displays pertaining to things such as weather, delays, news, maps, and other useful things. 

library

community center location: austin, texas professor: juan miro

spring 2011

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This library is located in East Austin, where gentrification is pushing many families out of their homes.

With that in mind, the program for the library is different from that of most others, offering community center spaces as well as the typical program of stacks and office spaces found in other libraries.

Not only that, but due to the burgeoning nature of the surrounding area, the building attempts to be a

landmark that residents of the neighborhood can identify with.

In this way, the library becomes a beacon for many displaced families to come and meet with other people that are in the same situation as themselves. The form is derived from the idea of drawing people in, but it is also a practical way to house the stack on the upper floors and the community activity spaces on the lower floors.

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modelbuilding professor: danilo udovicki fall 2011

This studio was an exploration of poetics in form. The basis of each project was in model form, and for the majority of the semester, students were given a word or series of words that would inspire a model or series of models. These words varied greatly and tended to relate to what was being discussed in seminars over Russian deconstructivism, or other movements that powered the field of architecture, such as Bauhaus and De Stijl.

light

angle

color

space

datum

layer

The exercises were presented and discussed and then related back to the most recent discussion on literature or poetry, shedding new light on the process of design and many of the intricacies of form. 

extrude

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projections

location: europe professors: elizabeth danze | john blood fall 2012

A portion of my experience abroad involved traveling Europe and visiting many different renowned buildings. At each site, students sketched initial impressions that caught their attention. This could have been anything from form, to light, to shadow, to how people move through the space.

These initial sketches were then taken and reimagined into projections, changing the initial idea of the drawing and transforming it into a distilled, abstracted version that conveys less a building and more an idea. The results were informative and helpful in improving conceptual thought processes and design work.

Barcelona Pavilion

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Chapel of the Holy Cross

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Otaniemi Chapel

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digitalwork drawing|fabrication

professors: danelle briscoe | igor sidiqqui

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

spring 2010

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Top 30' - 0"

Top 30' - 0"

Level 3 20' - 0"

Level 3 20' - 0"

Level 2 10' - 0"

Level 2 10' - 0"

Level 1 0' - 0"

Level 1 0' - 0" Section 2 1/8" = 1'-0"

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Section 1 1/8" = 1'-0"

Project Name 3D View

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10/31/2010 7:33:58 PM

Designed by: Nathan Watson

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3D View 1

scale: date:

10/31/10

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Work completed in Revit, AutoCAD, inDesign, Illustrator, Rhino 3.0, and Photoshop.

Assignments involve the use of these programs to create and fabricate three dimensional models via the use of the CNC router, laser cutters, or three dimensional printer. The project involved scanning in drawings of a shoe and then cutting the shape of said shoe out into a field of cubes.

This field of cubes was then taken into Rhino and extruded into three dimensions, then flattened, taken back into Revit, and finally exported to CAD where it was prepared for the laser cutter. 

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photography

travel

various locations spring 2010

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socialhousing study abroad

professors: danilo udovicki | igor sidiqqui fall 2012

This social housing building focuses on ease of construction to offset costs and make housing in the lower east 4 CUBES side of Paris more affordable. Iterative work led to rectangular towers composed of cubes that allowed for very flexible, two-story units that could be prefabricated and fitted into a circulation core, adjusted to any height necessary and allowing residents individual spaces. 

5 CUBES

T OR 1S

Y T OR 2S

T OR 1S

Y

Y T OR 3S

Y

T OR 2S

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Y T OR 3S

base

unit

rotate

stack

modulate

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individual unit identity

rain screen system

unique aesthetic

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nathanwatson 3225 Paddock Circle Flower Mound, TX 75022 Nathanwatson1990@gmail.com (Cell) (214) 725 - 2356

E d u c a t i o n University of Texas, Austin, TX August 2009 - Present Bachelor of Architecture Four years completed Overall GPA: 3.65; Dean's List: Fall 2009, Spring 2010, Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012.

Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Architecture de Paris-Belleville, Paris, France October 2012 - December 2012 Bachelor of Architecture Study abroad

I n t e r n s h i p

E x p e r i e n c e

Wiginton, Hooker, Jeffry Architects; Plano, TX June 2011 - August 2011

-- Internship position where I was able to experience the practice first hand and perform basic jobs using CAD, some Revit, Excel, Word, and

other programs.

-- Contacted city officials with questions regarding current projects, zoning regulations, and planning restrictions.

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-- Near-fluent in Spanish.

-- Advanced knowledge of AutoCAD, InDesign, Rhinoceros 4.0, Photoshop CS5, Illustrator, Acrobat Collection, VRay, and Microsoft Word.

-- Working knowledge of Revit and Microsoft Excel.

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Landscaping Design Project - March 2009

- For my Eagle Scout project, I assisted the homeowner's association in my neighborhood in designing and landscaping an

area around a local pond to prevent erosion.

Habitat for Humanity Building - Sporadically from August 2009 - Present

- I assist in completing projects for Habitat for Humanity in local areas around Austin 2-3 times a school year.

Study Abroad - Fall of 2012

- Studied abroad for the fall semester of my fourth year. Traveled through Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Spain, Portugal,

France, and Germany studying architecture. Spent six weeks at the University of Belleville in Paris, France working on a

social housing project.

C o - C u r r i c u l a r

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AIAS, Member from August 2009 - Present Eagle Scout UT Marathon Club, Member from August 2009 - March 2010 UT Karate Club, Member from August 2010 - December 2010; January 2013 - Present.

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Design Excellence Award, Summer Academy in Architecture at University of Texas School of Architecture National Merit Scholar Publication and Interview in "The Issue Collective," a university-run blog, on the design and basis of a project.

- http://theissuecollective.com/2011/10/de-familiarizing-the-hallway/

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Steak and Shake - Waiter from May 2008 - September 2008 Noodle Swing - Waiter from March 2009 - August 2009 Gaylord Texan - Waiter from June 2011 - August 2011 