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02
03
04
05
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Personal Information
Sublimity in Nature:
Qing Cunzhen
Schöneberg
St. Mary’s Parish
Professional Work
Gallery
3: Graphic of Personal Disposition 4: Skills & Experience Overview
5-10: Conceptual Framework 10-18: Design Drawings
Contents & Disposition
19-24: Site Documentation/Analysis 25-28: Translation to Design
29-34: Design Elements
41-42: Introduction 43-46: Design Drawings
Pages 39-52
Photography/Graphic Design
Project Location: Varied locales, see image specific details
Pages 35-38
Selected Projects
Project Location: Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA
Pages 29-34
Concert Hall Proposal
Project Location: St. Mary’s the Morning Star Church, Pittsfield, MA
Pages 19-28
Community Center & Library
Project Location: Theodor Heuss Library, Berlin, Germany
Pages 5-22
Canal Town Housing Prototype
Project Location: Qing Cunzhen Watertown, Shanghai, China
Pages 3-4
01 | 00
Visceral, Site-Specific Engagement
Project Location: Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, Pittsfield, MA
Resume, Qualifications
Contents - 00 A selection of work collected from my undergraduate and graduate studies at Wentworth Institute of Technology, as well as travel-based projects, self-initiated explorations, community proposals, and professional projects.
Pages 53-64 53-62: Photography 63-64: Graphic Design
Contents & Disposition
00 | 02
Thomas Anthony Cracolici, Associate A.I.A., NCARB “They say the heart of the earth is made of fire. It is held imprisoned and silent. But at times it breaks through the clay, the iron, the granite, and shoots out to freedom. Then it becomes architecture.” Ayn Rand
Personal Information - 01
Education
Spring Summer
Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA - Master’s Degree in Architecture, 2017 (GPA 4.0/4.0, Deans List, Summa Cum Laude distinguished) - Bachelor of Science Degree in Architecture, 2016 (GPA 3.7/4.0, Deans List, Cum Laude distinguished) - Arioch Merit Scholarship Recipient, Design Excellence Award
Experience DeStefano Maugel Architects | Architectural Designer (May 2019 - Present) - Specializing in custom residential design - Development of creative conceptual and schematic designs - Coordinating with Project Managers through all phases of design - Creation and development of highly detailed, comprehensive construction documents
Fall
JSA, Architects, Planners, Interiors, Inc. | Job Captain (October 2018 - April 2019) - Specializing in senior living, healthcare, and commercial design - Creation and development of highly detailed, comprehensive construction documents - Collaboration and iterative design with colleagues and associated project professionals Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners Inc. | Architectural Designer (December 2013 - September 2018) - Creation and development of highly detailed, comprehensive construction documents - Liaising with construction professionals about the feasibility of potential projects - Consultation and collaboration with engineers, surveyors, designers, etc.
Winter
Community Preservation Committee | Architectural Specialist/Consultant (April 2017 - September 2018) - Study the needs, possibilities and resources of the city in regards to community preservation - Recommendations for the acquisition, preservation, rehabilitation and restoration of historic resources, recreational usages, community housing and buildings/structures of architectural significance - Provide consultation and support for community members who wish to propose potential applications - Review community project proposals and approve/reject as necessary - Develop architectural, urban layout, site plan, and detail drawings of high priority preservation projects Restorations, Inc. | Construction Worker (April 2015 - August 2015) - Assisted craftsman in production of trim, baseboards, wall framing, etc. - Assisted masons in application of exterior pavers, cladding of fireplaces, etc.
Photo courtesy of DeStefano Maugel Architects
Contact tomcracolici@gmail.com 413.636.4248 4 Champernowne Madbury, NH 03823
Software Proficiencies Autodesk Revit Microsoft Office Suite Autodesk AutoCad Adobe Photoshop Adobe Indesign Adobe Illustrator Google Sketchup
Design Tool Capabilities Mechanical/digital drafting Free-hand drafting/sketching Model Making 3D Printer Laser Cutter Wood Shop Tools Robotic Arm Basic carpentry/fabrication Personal Information
01 | 04
Sublimity in Nature - 02
Ecological Center for Education
Location: Date:
Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary Pittsfield, MA Summer 2016-Spring 2017
Provoking a visceral, enveloping relationship between the user and the natural environment through an interaction between vernacular, site-specific conditions and provocative architectural moments. I feel that it is an obligation, as an architect, to make an effort to inspire change in the future of architecture and design so as to preserve the natural environment that we live in. Through environmental management and acceptance of the responsibility to protect nature, this intervention has a distinct focus on conservation and sustainable practices. The project is representative of an effort to embrace the concept of endemic/site-inclusive design with a focus on expressive ecological and innovative sustainable systems. The design attempts to create a visceral engagement with the existing ecosystems and experiential conditions through sensual architectural evocation: utilizing familiar textures, visual tendencies, colors, light qualities, etc.
Sublimity in Nature
02 | 06
Repetition & Seemless Blending with Nature
Relieving Boundaries b/t Architecture & Nature Explorative Multimedia Discursive Imagery
Translating the Rhythm of Nature
Sublimity in Nature
02 | 08
Textured representation is used to embody a visceral connectivity to the natural environment through the utilization of earthen tones and color patterning.
09 | 02
Sublimity in Nature
Sequence & Progression
Site Integration & Specificity
Natural Form & Architectural Elements
Replicating Sustainability of Nature
Sublimity in Nature
02 | 10
Tectonic Detailing: Axonometric
Tectonic Detailing: Joinery Elevation
Sublimity in Nature
02 | 12
Conceptual exploration in submersive and framed architecture in nature; Images, hand drawings and digital manipulations are used as tools to formulate correlations between the natural environment and built form.
13 | 02
Sublimity in Nature
Sublimity in Nature
02 | 14
Moving with Topography
15 | 02
Tree Trunk Variation
Sublimity in Nature
Nature as Focal Point
Staggered Viewpoints & Pronounced Spatial Formation
Leaf Formulation & Replication
Spatial Branching
Sublimity in Nature
02 | 16
Discursive Image: Visual Tendencies
Abstract Explorations: Interpretation of Site Forces through Plan & Section
Discursive Image: Academic/Educational Influences Structural Translation: Nature to Architecture
Tactile Intervention (Informal Artist Studio’s)
Boardwalk
Int. Entry
Ramp
Path
Exist. Bridge
View Area
Art Gallery & Exhibit
Green Space
Visual Intervention
Sacred Way Trail Boardwalk Passage (over marshland) West Pond
Discursive Image: Cultural/Social Influences
Obscuring Boundaries between Nature & Architecture
Site-Engagement Framework
Stitching Topography with Architecture
Criteria testing for this thesis is explored through earth-toned representation that utilizes photo’s and textures taken directly from the site. This style of representation is use to explore various experiential configurations that are specific to varied site conditions. Sections, plans and perspectives are used as a method for testing the translation and articulation of site-specific characteristics through provocative architectural moments. The site (Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary) presents an expansive range of topography, vegetation, and visual/experiential conditions that are effectively emulated through this method of representation. The process of architecturalizing a synthesis between built form and nature is rooted in the understanding of spatial conditions as they translate from interior to exterior to intermediate spaces. Through the layering of materials and textures, the conveyed depth facilitated through these drawings gives opportunity to manipulate structural and aesthetic elements in terms of height, weight, thickness and transparency. Additionally, the color scheme utilized in this form of representation is used to withdraw a visceral connectivity with earthen materials that are inherently warm in visual appearance, tactility, familiarity, and smell.
Discursive Image: Vegetation Influences
Discursive Image: Site Transect Analysis
Respecting Contextual Quality
Reinterpreting Site Textures through Architecture
West Pond
17 | 02
Sublimity in Nature
Sloped Marshland
Art Studio Space
Exist. Boardwalk
Exposed Undergrowth
Boardwalk
Discursive Image: Contextual Amalgamation
Dense Marshland
Sublimity in Nature
02 | 18
Qing Cunzhen - 03
Canal Town Housing Prototype Punan Canal
ad
Location: Date:
engxia ng Ro
Punan Canal
un Zh
Prot. #4
Punan Canal
Qingc
Outline of
d
Prot. #3
Prot. #2
Prot. #1
Prot. #4
Prot. #1
Prot. #4
Prot. #4
Prot. #4 Prot. #4
Prot. # 3
land
of cre ated is
Outlin e
New Ca nal Bran
New Village
Prot. #3
Prot. #2
Prot. #3 Pr ot. #3
Prot. #3 Prot. #1
Prot. #3 Prot. #1
Prot. #3
Pedestr ia
n Bridg
e
Prot. #3 Prot. #1 Prot. #3 Pr ot. #3
Prot. #2 Prot. #1
Prot. #4
Prot. #3
Prot. #3
Prot. #4 Prot. #3
Prot. #1
Prot. #1
Prot. #3
Prot. #4
New Village
Prot. #3
Prot. #4
Prot. #3
Existing Village
Prot. #4
Prot. #4
Pedestrian Bridge
Prot. #3
Prot. #4
Prot. #4
Prot. #1 Prot. #4 Prot. #1
Prot. #1
As part of a thesis studio travel project, I traveled to eastern China to study the vernacular architecture of Qing Cun; a small rural canal town about an hour outside of the bustling city center of Shanghai. The town has suffered from neglect due to shifting demographics and a disregard for architectural heritage. For my project, I investigated and addressed the cultural and social implications of the surounding context in order to develop a proposal that sparked the renewal of the watertown. My concept focused on social porosity; or the ability of architecture to provoke and entice interpersonal engagement. The layout of the design attempts to reinspire the strong sense of cultural and communal interaction through flexibility and customization.
l
Prot. #3
Prot. #4 Prot. #1
Pedestrian Bridge
Prot. #3
Prot. #1
Xiaozhagang Cana
ch
Prot. #3
Prot. #4
Prot. #3 Prot. #3
island
e
Outline of create d
n Bridg
New Canal Bran ch
Pedestr ia
Existing Village
created isl an
Qing Cun Rural Canal Town Shanghai, China Fall 2016
Prot. #4
Prot. #3
Prot. #1
Prot. #3
Prot. #3
Prot. #1
Qing Cunzhen
03 | 20
Doc. #1 Doc. #2
Doc. #4
Doc. #3
Doc. #5
Punan Canal Doc. #6
Doc. #7
Punan Canal Punan C an
al
21 | 03
Qing Cunzhen
Qing Cunzhen
03 | 22
Typical Wall Section #7 23 | 03
Qing Cunzhen
Qing Cunzhen
03 | 24
En
try
Roof planes pushed and pulled for diffused northern light
North Facing
Mobile, Alabama 30°42′N
Volumes lifted corresponding with gradiation of Public or Private use
Qing Cun 30°55′N
South Facing
En
try
En
Courtyard subtracted from roof plane
try
The development of an urban renewal plan is based on the geographic situation of Qing Cun as well as the existing vernacular building context.
East Facing
West Facing try En
25 | 03
Qing Cunzhen
Qing Cunzhen
03 | 26
27 | 03 Qing Cunzhen Qing Cunzhen 03 | 28
Artisans Prototype
Shallow Courtyard Prototype
Multi-Unit Prototype
Deep Courtyard Prototype
y
Community Center & Library Garden
e
Grave
on St
a l Pathw
Open Green Space
Schöneberg - 04
Offsite Building: Weissbach
y
e
wa
on St
th Pa
Offsite Building
w th Pa
Garden
ay
y
wa
ath lP
e
av Gr
a
u Vis
u Vis
As part of a study abroad semester concentrated on adaptive intervention/reuse, I traveled to Berlin where I was able to design the renovation and extension of an existing library and museum within the context of a quaint residential neighborhood. The existing buildings are located in the Schöneberg District (southwest neighborhood of Berlin) situated in a small dog park obscured by dense tree-lined streets. The library was a modest brick building built in the 1970’s while the musuem was a large, beige, (former) villa built in the 1860’s. Both were in desparate need of revitalization and rejuvenation. My design for the new multi-use complex included the inclusion of new materials, construction methods, and programmatic spaces that were all focused around visual connectivity and spatial elegance; creating an inseparable link between past architecture and contemporary architecture.
u Co
Co rrid or
al
or
rid
r Co
ard
rty
al
Open Green Space
u Vis
Schöneberg District Berlin, Germany Fall 2015
Garden
r ido
rr
o lC
Location: Date:
Elevated Plaza
Offsite Building
l ua
al
u Vis
Vis
or
rid
r Co
se
or
C
alk
w ide
s tra ps
u
Ha
S
r
o rrid
Co
al
u Vis
rid or
Offsite Building Kita Am Lassenpark
41 | 04
Schöneberg
Offsite Building
se
u Ha
s tra ps
Schöneberg
04 | 30
CIRCULATION ARTERY HEINRICH LASSEN PARK MUSEUM EXTENSION EXIST. YOUTH CENTER
PARK TRAIL
EXIST. LIBRARY
Elongated corridors are used to enhance visual connectivity between the programmatic areas of the existing library and museum with the design extensions.
CARETAKER BUILDING
EXIST. KINDERGARTEN
LIBRARY EXTENSION STADTBAD SCHONEBERG EXIST. MUSEUM LARGE OAK TREES (TYP.) CULTURAL CENTER EXTENSION
31 | 04
Schöneberg
Schöneberg
04 | 32
M
Visual Corridor
Glass corridors act as extensions of the sky through the inclusion of light and air; suggesting user engagement with adjacent spaces.
33 | 04
Schöneberg
Visual Corridor
Visual Corridor
Visual Corridor
Visual Corridor
Cultural CenterBeyond Visual Corridor
Cultural Center/Auditorium Beyond
nd
eyo
mB
u use
Schöneberg
04 | 34
St. Mary’s Parish - 05
Concert Hall Proposal
Location: Date:
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Falll 2014
Since being decommissioned as a church in 2008, St. Mary’s The Morning Star Parish has suffered from neglect due to a lack of upkeep and recognition for architectural preservation. Having being baptized in the church, and having my parents married in the church many years prior, I have a strong connection and sense of familiarity with the structure. As part of a school project, as well as through my voluntary engagement with the city of Pittsfield’s political and urban planning officials, I have worked to help preserve the church. The project has entailed presentations in front of the Pittsfield Mayor, City Council, and City Planning Organizations. The church itself consists of a plethora of notable architectural features, most notably the ceilings acoustical tiles and the giant Rose Window. Through analysis and documentation, I have developed a proposal for the conversion of the church into a concert hall and entertainment venue focused on the engagement of the surrounding community.
St. Mary’s Parish
05 | 36
Private Residence
Parket Street
Sidewalk
Parking Lot
Private Residence
Parking Lot
Garage
Private Residence
Lawn Lawn
Sidewalk
Sidewalk
Private Residence
Private Residence
Ramp
Sanctuary
Stair
Stair
Entry
Ramp
Ramp
Ramp
Staging
Entry
Garden Ramp
Corr.
Corr.
Set Feature Corr.
Private Residence
Private Residence
Lawn
Waiting Sidewalk
Private Residence
Stair
Portico
Lawn
Lobby
Performance Hall
Toilets
Storage
Corr.
Ramp Ramp
Commercial Property
Parking Lot
Stage
Pit
Ramp
Entry
Ramp
Ramp
Corr.
Garden
Private Residence
Stair
Stair Sidewalk
Parking
Set Storage Feature Corr. Corr.
Entry
Staging
Staging
Ramp
Sidewalk
Private Residence
Parking
Lawn
Lawn Lawn Stair
51 | 05
Commercial Property
St. Mary’s Parish
Sidewalk
Commercial Property
Former Rectory
Lawn Performer Entry
Lawn
St. Mary’s Parish
05 | 52
Professional Work - 06
Selected Projects
This section includes an assorted collection of drawings, renderings and details I have worked on in my years of professional practice. The included content ranges from a $60m museum renovation/adaptive intervention project, to a lakefront wedding venue and resort, to a bank renovation. Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
Location: Date: Details:
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Summer 2017 Berkshire Museum Southwest Rendering
Professional Work
South Steet
Private Parking Lot
06 | 40
Location: Date: Details:
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Summer 2017 Berkshire Museum West Aerial Rendering
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
South Steet
Professional Work
06 | 42
Location: Date: Details:
Route 7 Beyond Cabin #6
Cabin #5
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Summer 2015 Lakehouse Cottages of the Berkshires Aerial Perspective Rendering
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
Cabin #4
Cabin #1 Cabin #2 Caretaker House
Adjacent Property Beyond
Parking Beyond
Event Tent
Cabin #3
Main Lodge
Open Green Space
th Pa Viewing Platform
Waterfront Deck
Pontoosuc Lake
Boat House
Professional Work
06 | 44
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
My professional work at an A/E firm has given me unusual and widespread skills related to all stages of design. 45 | 06
Professional Work
Professional Work
06 | 46
Location: Date: Details:
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Winter 2018 The Proprietor’s Lodge Front Elevation
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
Professional Work
06 | 48
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
49 | 06
Professional Work
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
Professional Work
06 | 50
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
51 | 06
Professional Work
Work completed for Hill Engineers, Architects, Planners, Inc.
Professional Work
06 | 52
Gallery - 07
Photography/Graphic Design This section includes an assorted collection of images from my travels around the world; all of which have been instrumental to me in terms of developing my personal design sensibility.
Location: Date: Details:
Boston, Massachusetts Spring 2017 A band of Boston South Ends renowned brownstones
Gallery
07 | 54
01
Location: Date: Details:
02
Location: Date: Details:
03
02
01 55 | 06
Gallery
Location: Date: Details:
Sequoia National Park Summer 2017 Cavernous Sequoia tree base
Lenoxdale, Massachusetts Fall 2017 A fiery sunset on a frigid winter day
Sequoia National Park Summer 2017 Layers of trees blur depth perception
03 Gallery
07 | 56
01
Location: Date: Details:
02
Location: Date: Details:
03 02
01 57 | 06
Gallery
Location: Date: Details:
Page, Arizona Summer 2017 Upper Antelope Canyon sandstone
National Bison Range Summer 2017 A bison takes a nap in a lush mead- ow of wildflowers
Badlands National Park Summer 2017 A bison crosses a dirt road with an incredibly dramatic, multi-colored sunset in the background
03 Gallery
07 | 58
01
Location: Date: Details:
02
Location: Date: Details:
02
01 59 | 06
Gallery
03
03
Location: Date: Details:
Glacier National Park Summer 2016 A dramatic escarpment during the late afternoon drive down from Bowman Lake
Wahconah Falls State Forest Spring 2018 A long exposure shot just above the surface of a rushing waterfall
Wahconah Falls State Forest Spring 2018 A frigid winter day reveals an interesting assortment of ice formations
03 Gallery
07 | 60
01
Location: Date: Details:
02
Location: Date: Details:
02
01 61 | 06
Gallery
03
Location: Date: Details:
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Fall 2016 A fall sunset exposes the intricacies of a large oak tree at the crest of a valley in Canoe Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary
Appalachian Trail Spring 2018 Looking down the spine of a fallen confier tree
Yosemite National Park Spring 2017 The Grand Geyser explodes high into the air against a backdrop of a white and green forest
03 Gallery
07 | 62
Full-size poster designs made of an architects drawings, a welcome sign for company imaging, and watercolor composite drawings.
01
Date: Details:
02
Date: Details:
03
Date: Details:
02
01 63 | 07
Gallery
Summer 2017 “Time of the Blue” by Tallest Man On Earth themed poster designed entriely with an architects hand drawings and photographs, styl - ized, edited and printed
Summer 2017 A new office welcome sign made from compiled construction doc- uments and company graphic standards (i.e. logo)
Summer 2016 Watercolor composite drawing using paint, sketching and photography
03 Gallery
07 | 64
tomcracolici@gmail.com 413.636.4248