THOMAS GRONER ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO
Carrer de la Diputaci贸 96, Barcelona 路 0034 684 021 073 路 groner.thomas@gmail.com 路 thomasgroner.com
THOMAS GRONER
CONTACT thomasgroner.com linkedin.com/in/thomasgroner +34 684 021 073 groner.thomas@gmail.com
EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
La Salle Ramon Llull University | Assistant Professor
Carnegie Mellon University
Barcelona, Spain | September 2014 - Present
Instruct 2nd year architecture students in project design studio. Translate course materials and internal documents for future use in international coursework. Work with administration to increase visibility and shape curriculum to meet guidelines of international partner universities.
Francois Arnawout Architecture | Architectural Associate Barcelona, Spain | January 2016 - Present
Local and international design competition entries. Full design services for clients based primarily in Barcelona and Paris. Conceptual and schematic design, image production, architectural drawings.
b720 Fermín Vázquez Architects | Intern
Barcelona, Spain | September 2014 - February 2015 Schematic design work for projects and competitions in the Barcelona area including a primary school and single-family housing development. Diagrams, construction graphics, architectural drawings.
STREAM Collaborative | Architectural Associate
Ithaca, NY, United States | January 2014 - August 2014 Residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects from precedent investigation, to conceptual and schematic design, to construction details and site planning. Used Revit to model structures ranging from single-family homes to mixed-used spaces of 70,000+ square feet.
Bachelor of Architecture | Class of 2013 GPA 3.26 Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura Semester Exchange | Spring 2012 Barcelona, Spain
New Hampshire Institute of Art
Drawing Program | Summer 2007 Manchester, NH, United States
SKILLS Software:
Craft:
3DStudio Max After Effects AutoCAD Ecotect Analysis GIS · Grasshopper Illustrator · InDesign MS Office Photoshop · Revit Rhinoceros 3D Sketchup V-Ray
perspective drawing color rendering hand drafting sketching pen and ink model making wood shop training laser cutting 3-axis CNC router 3D printing vacuum forming
Language: COLLABORATIONS
Solo Houses
Barcelona, Spain | 2015 Collaborated on Solo MOS house, developed by MOS Architects in New York City. Revised and updated architectural drawings passed between New York and Barcelona offices.
Doctoral Thesis Translation
speech reading writing
Spanish
Catalan
Native English speaker. Legal resident of the United States and Spain. HONORS
Barcelona, Spain | 2016 Complete translation from Spanish to English of 70,000 word thesis titled “Modular Aggregation as a Residential Project Design Mechanism in Spain: Ricardo Bofill’s Taller de Arquitectura.” Researched and written by Pedro Garcia, PhD, Ramon Llull University.
College Honors
FruitWall
Andrew Carnegie Society Scholarship
Barcelona, Spain | Ongoing Social media, graphic design, and customer outreach for FruitWall, named #1 home furnishing in 2013 by DesignMilk.
French
Presented to architecture students with 3.2+ GPA
College of Fine Arts Dean’s List
Top third of CFA students | 5 semesters
Cornerstones Scholarship
Selected by faculty for merit in architectural work Provided by alum in recognition of academic excellence
High School Valedictorian
Highest overall GPA in graduating class of 396 students
LYCÉE FRANCAIS DE BARCELONE
b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos · 2014 - 2015
Barcelona, Spain While interning at b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos in Barcelona, I was primarily involved with a commission for a renovation and extension of the Lycée Français de Barcelone. Resolving how to carry out the project without disrupting the school year was one of the most important considerations in the design process. For this reason, two potential solutions were generated that offered approximately the same usable area, but differed in how they formally resolved the project’s program requirements, and how space and students would be managed and relocated during the construction process. One solution [this page] proposed demolishing one of the original buildings and creating a new structure, while the other option [opposite] proposed a block that would connect the two original structures.
Exterior render of Option 1; demolished original building and new structure
Floor plans [left], area plans and project timeline [right]
Under Construction
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I worked with the design team to closely examine and evaluate all spaces involved in the renovation and extension, in order to present the client with a clear and precise understanding of how classes would operate during and after the project, according to the two design options. An additional offsite building that belongs to the school also had to be analyzed and incorporated into this phase. This information was presented as building plans, area plans and project timelines for each of the two options. The directors of the school ultimately chose to demolish one of the original buildings and replace it with a new structure [Option 1]. The project is currently under construction.
Exterior render of Option 2; renovated original buildings with new connection block Floor plans [left], area plans and project timeline [right]
FALLOWFIELD SQUARE
5th Year Design Studio ¡ Urban Lab Project Team: Thomas Groner, Sarah Harkins Instructors: Rami el Samahy, Eve Picker
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Exterior render towards office space, apartment building and light rail
Fallowfield Square is a vision for the future of Beechview, a working-class neighborhood undergoing demographic shifts and one of the few areas in Pittsburgh serviced by a direct light rail connection to downtown. Inspired by public spaces like Place Massena in Nice and Schouwbergplein in Rotterdam, Fallowfield Square aims to provide greater public amenities, celebrate alternative modes of transportation, and create a cultural and economic center for Pittsburgh’s next great neighborhood. Principles of transit-oriented development were central to the project, as the main goal was to increase density around the light rail station without disrupting the primarily low-density fabric of the existing neighborhood. Such an intervention could be used as a model for future developments around other rapid transit stations in Pittsburgh.
Existing structures [1], minus demolished structures [2], envisioned additions [3], final programmed additions [4]
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Site alterations; singular plaza space [1], maintaining Beechview Ave [2], terraced transition [3], landscaped islands [4] Exterior render of square towards residential units and ground floor retail
The design process began by evaluating how to define a public space and strengthen the relationship between public and private zones. It was necessary to demolish various smaller, poorly maintained properties. Commercial, residential and civic properties were then inserted to create an enclosed and activated plaza that acts as a terminus to Beechview’s main commercial corridor. The plaza is the result of four design decisions illustrated at left. A singular public space is created by grading the site and inserting underground parking. The plaza is pulled back on the west side in order to maintain vehicular traffic. A landscaped, terraced transition connects the two elevations and creates a versatile third zone that is adaptable for events. Finally, landscaped islands interrupt the plaza and guide pedestrian circulation between key points.
FALLOWFIELD SQUARE Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Initial massing [left], final alterations [right] Ground floor site plan, modal circulation patterns
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The light rail enters the plaza from downtown by passing through the large apartment building that acts as a gateway to Beechview. The tram crosses the plaza at grade as a way of celebrating its presence in the neighborhood and asserting its importance over the automobile in the urban environment. Where northbound vehicular traffic once passed directly through the project site, it has now been diverted to Hampshire Avenue and the light rail has effectively replaced it. Light rail and pedestrian circulation have been given greatest priority. A variety of ground floor programs activate the plaza on all sides. The oval civic building is envisioned as a library, community center, or any third space deemed most necessary by the community.
Exterior renders of square Sectional perspectives; north-south [top], east-west [bottom]
EAST LIBERTY ELEMENTARY
4th Year Design Studio ¡ Digital Fabrication Project Team: Thomas Groner, Hank Mei Instructor: Jeremy Ficca
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A new elementary school intended for K-5 students in Pittsburgh’s East Liberty neighborhood. Spatial composition is influenced by relationships and interactions between various program components. The design reflects a desire to establish a high degree of programmatic legibility by which young students are more able to understand their environment. Classrooms and support spaces for each grade are located in the different wings of the building, visually and spatially joined by functional outdoor spaces and courtyards.
Program diagram and site model; building massing is influenced by programmatic relationships Ground floor plan
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Building sections highlighting classroom spaces, gymnasium, laboratories, courtyards and underground parking Interior render, central atrium and courtyard
EAST LIBERTY ELEMENTARY Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Initial evaluation of privacy and shading qualities of panels
In designing the facade of the structure, a language was developed consisting of faceted panels that disrupt the surface plane. Eleven performative panel types were created, each with a different degree of shading and privacy. Each elevation of the structure was isolated and its program spaces evaluated for privacy and shading needs. This served as a vehicle for mapping the family of panels on the building. 3-D printing was used during initial development of the panel component and later to evaluate application on larger regions of the structure’s facade. Constructed drawings of the panel system were sent to a local metal workshop so that rough prototypes could be fabricated.
Dimensioned drawings of faceted panels
3-D printed models of panel components and facade regions Angle-dimensioned folded panels
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EAST LIBERTY ELEMENTARY Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
A bench component was developed in conjunction with the facade system as a way of both linking structure and landscape, as well as disrupting the ground plane. A faceted, reinforced concrete module was developed. A half-scale concrete prototype was cast using a foam mold milled using a 3-axis CNC robotic mill. Below, panels shaped at a local metal workshop show the varying degrees of faceting of the facade system.
3-D printed bench models CNC-milled, foam-cast reinforced concrete bench prototype
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Exterior render from Penn Circle West Exterior render from Baum Boulevard
PENN AVENUE MARKET Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
3rd Year Design Studio ¡ Structures Project Team: Thomas Groner Instructors: Steven Lee, Jeff Davis
West-facing exterior render from Penn Avenue
The driving force behind the design of the market was dealing with the project’s difficult triangular site. Located in a rapidly developing, increasingly valuable part of East Liberty, the structure is meant to serve as a neighborhood landmark while fulfilling the essential requirements of a marketplace. The two main wings of the market follow along Penn Avenue and Penn Circle South, and meet to form a visual gateway into the neighborhood. These commanding facades strengthen the street wall to add density to the core of the neighborhood. The quieter, more private side along Sheridan Square provides an opportunity to reclaim a neglected urban street and dedicate it to cafe dining and a pedestrian zone.
Roof plan [below], floor plans [right]
Second Floor
Ground Floor
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East-facing exterior render from Penn Avenue Building elevations; north facade [below], plaza and Sheridan Square entrance [bottom]
PENN AVENUE MARKET Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Interior render, market promenade Detailed wall sections
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The market hall is a high and open space that offers adaptability and can accommodate large crowds of visitors. The column layout of the structure creates an organizational system by which vendor stalls can be arranged and evenly sized and spaced. The structure’s two large facades along Penn Avenue and Penn Circle South are shaded with a system of ceramic rods that diffuse light and help regulate indoor conditions. Other facades feature a wire grid system to enable vines and greenery to spread across certain sections. The core of the building, between the two wings, consists of a courtyard for dining as well as other program requirements such as administrative office space and managerial resources. A loading dock and receiving space also provide direct access into the market hall for suppliers.
Interior render, cafe courtyard Building sections; east-west [below], north-south [bottom]
FRICK PARK ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Building plan
The environmental center is located on a high ridge on the north side of the Monongahela River and is envisioned as an air quality monitoring station, as well as an environmental exhibition space for professionals and the public. The form of the environmental center was derived by studying a system of preexisting trails found on the site used heavily by joggers, walkers and mountain bikers. The trail is preserved as an elevated fly-over that rises above the facility, which is partially sunken into the ground. These sunken and subterranean spaces shift the occupant’s focus upwards towards the sky.
Concept diagrams [below], photo investigation [right]
3rd Year Design Studio ¡ Site Project Team: Thomas Groner Instructors: Christine Brill, Takako Tajima
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Section A
Section B
Section C
Section D
FRICK PARK ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Site plan Site section
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The different elevations of various interior and exterior spaces allow for distinct public and private adjacencies. Public exhibition space is strongly separated from private laboratory space, and fragile and expensive air monitoring equipment is kept protected in interior courtyards. The public is still granted visual access to the entire facility from the elevated fly-over. The site’s location along the river’s edge provides visitors with striking views of the Monongahela River while also taking advantage of sensory connections from the consistent westerly winds that come up the river valley.
Airshed and air monitoring mappings [top], sectional perspective with air monitoring layout [above] Exterior renders; elevated fly-over [below], outdoor courtyard [top right], outdoor exhibition space [bottom right]
GARFIELD FOOD INCUBATOR Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The Garfield Food Incubator is a renovation and reuse project aimed at creating a space to which local food startups can temporarily locate before finding permanent homes in Pittsburgh. It is part of the 6% initiative developed by cityLAB that asserts that a neighborhood becomes economically productive once 6% of its population consists of creative workers. The project involved researching demographic and economic trends in the neighborhood of Garfield, identifying a suitable property to fulfill program requirements, proposing renovations, carrying out cost analyses, formulating a timeline for demolition and renovation, and developing a basic business model for startups to reference. The process began with community meetings to gain input from local residents. Demographic analysis helped decide the program that would offer most amenities to the community. City property records were referenced in search of a suitable building and its owner contacted to obtain drawings. Research pertaining to the needs of commercial kitchens and precedent studies of existing business incubators informed the spatial organization of the project. Exterior render of renovated building Community meeting
4th Year ¡ Issues of Practice Project Team: Thomas Groner, Sarah Harkins, Colin Haentjens, Chasen VanLang, Sydney Zalewski Instructors: John Folan, Eve Picker
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GARFIELD FOOD INCUBATOR Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Analysis of suitable properties to purchase Neighborhood zoning analysis
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demolition plans [above], floor plans [top] partition plans [below], furniture plans [bottom]
GARFIELD FOOD INCUBATOR Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Interior renders; dining space [above], commercial kitchen space [right] Door, furniture, equipment schedules [left], building section and detailed section [right]
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timeline [above], cost analyses [top] Implementation logistics, involved parties, contracts
CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNEX Chicago, Illinois The annex design strives to achieve a facility with a high degree of programmatic legibility for those inside and outside the structure. Office and garden area requirements have been divided into four spaces. Each floor contains a classroom and office, both with frontage onto an interior garden space that opens onto Adams Street. The institute contains four micro-communities that allow for mixed program use. Adjacent to these communities is the central atrium, with circulation in the form of a staircase set within a thick stone-clad wall. Pierced through the wall are apertures which bring light into more regulated spaces such as interior hallways, a resource center, meeting rooms and a performance hall. Exterior render from Adams Street Building sections [left], interior renders [right]
2nd Year Design Studio Project Team: Thomas Groner Instructors: Jeremy Ficca, Mick McNutt
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Interior render of central atrium [above], sectional building model [right] Material mapping [below], sectional perspective [bottom left], program diagram [bottom right]
CARNEGIE MUSEUM OF ART ANNEX Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The annex is located on Forbes Avenue directly to the north of the Carnegie Museum. The program dictates that three specific pieces of artwork are to be housed in the exhibition space, each of which requires a specific amount of light. The building is five floors and is organized around a processional circulation. Visitors enter the museum and move directly to the top floor, then proceed downwards through a system of escalators that are located in a lightwell. This space wraps around the west and south facades and is meant to serve as a cleansing experience between galleries. Visitors are moved by the escalators at a prescribed pace through the light-flooded atrium, filled with the drone of machinery. Visitors move from the brightest gallery to the darkest gallery, before arriving to a reading room and study space that are cantilevered above the lobby in a gesture to the Carnegie Museum across the street. Final building model [above], process models [right] Mixed-media building sections; east-west [left], north-south [right]
2nd Year Design Studio Project Team: Thomas Groner Instructors: Kai Gutschow, Emily Sullivan
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Program diagram with artwork [left], exterior render from Forbes Avenue [right] Exterior nighttime render from Forbes Avenue
MOBILE THEATER
4th Year Design Studio · Digital Fabrication Project Team: Thomas Groner Instructor: Jeremy Ficca
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The mobile theater is a deployable children’s space commissioned by the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum. Its dimensions are equal to those of a standard shipping container so that it is able to be transported on a flatbed truck. Above all, adaptability and flexibility are central to the design of the mobile theater. A lightweight, hinged aluminum ceiling is able to double the width of the canopy to better define the stage space. Curtains follow tracks set within the ceiling to create a variety of cycloramas and backdrops for performances of different scales. The hexagonal grid system of the ceiling translates to the floor and also informs a modular seating system that allows children and parents to create different seating arrangements as needed.
Sections and elevations [above], exterior renders [top] Spatial configuration plan [left], unopened and opened roof plans [right]
Transformation sequence [below], modular seating system [bottom]
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Storage storage
Performance (stage) Back of Stage performance (stage) Group back of Seating stage group seating
Storage storage Performance(stage) (stage) performance Backofofstage Stage back Group Seating group seating
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FEAR OF COLUMNS COMPETITION Barcelona, Spain
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Fear of Columns was organized by Fundació Mies van der Rohe. The competition’s name references eight Ionic columns that were next to the original pavilion. The competition sought proposals to temporarily reconstruct those columns. We considered how or why columns might generate fear- literally, due to size, slenderness or instability; or ideologically, because of what classical columns and colonnades represent in relation to modern architectural principles.
Diagram of column elements and axonometric view [above], historical photos of original columns [top] Daytime and nighttime renders [below], elevation [bottom]
Our design proposes columnlike structures with a base, shaft and capital. Aluminum pipes are interrupted by reflective, fragmented panels. Mirrored finishes exaggerate the perfect verticality of the straight pipes, and the chaos of the bent pipes. At night, LED lighting highlights the fragmented pieces while the two formal languages become indistinguishable.