Graduate Admissions Portfolio

thomas bett graduate application portfolio

ARCHITECTURE PHOTOGRAPHY &GRAPHICS

2007-2010

INDEX 4

integrated mediatheque

16

community center

20

natatorium

24

detail

26

bakong technical college

28

2025 skyscraper

30

light tower

32

graphics

36

branding

38

photography

42

resumĂŠ

3

bryan_tx mediatheque The Bryan Mediatheque project was part of the Integrated Studio, implementing all of our knowledge from systems and structures and incorporating it into the design. The site of the project is downtown Bryan, Texas. In recent years the town has been trying to redevelop itself into a hot spot for the younger generations with a focus on college students.

The basis of our design was an effort to foster that development and juxtapose existing architecture to move the town forward while not alienating the other buildings completely.

The form originated from a site analysis and a concept of a ripple that was a metaphor for the epicenter of the change that is trying to occur.

park sketches

ripple diagram

generative hierarchy

site form response

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a

b

The emanating ripple concept was incorporated all the way down through the layout of the floors. The redefinition of what an auditorium was, became essential too this idea creating a platform which the community could partake in generating a social or cultural ripple through interactions with each other, a speaker, or media. The concentric rings of this “ripple� remain unbroken until they reach the cores of the building representing the grounding stability in the metaphor of the building.

c

level -1

a

b

c

level 0

a

b

north and sourth facad iterations c

level 1

a

b

c

atrium wall concept

level 2

section a

section b

section c

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1

2

6

1 - EPDM Metal Flashing Treated Wood 2” x 4” 2 - EPDM 6“ Extruded Polystyrene 3/4” Treated Plywood Metal Roof Decking

7

3

5

3 - C-Channel 4 - Plaster Ceiling C-Channel Metal Hanging Wire

7

5 - Plaster C-Channel 24” W Section Connected with 1/4” Steel Plate fastened with Bolts

4

6 - Double Pane Low E Glass with Sealant Window Mullion 7 - Aluminum Window Mullion Double Pane Low E Glass 8 - 10” Steel W-Section Column with Intumescent Paint 9 - Carpet Floor Padding 1/4” Steel Connecting Plate 3” Concrete Slab 3” Metal Decking 10 - Aluminum Window Mullion Double Pane Spandrel Glass 1/4” Steel Connecting Plate 1/4” Steel L-Bracket

7

8 9

10

11 - Fire Proof Insulation 24 “ Steel W-Section 1/4” Steel Plates with Bolts 12 - Batt Insulation

12

13 - 1” Plaster Ceiling Metal Lath Hat Channel

11 13

The screen was a key development in the project to shield our western facade from the heat and glare of the sun, but had a secondary purpose of braking up the large sweeping face of the western fin while maintaining linear continuity.

The various iterations were generated through a process of parametric modeling in order to control the amount of light based on the type of room that was being shielded.

preliminary screen sketch

iterations first second third fourth fifth sixth

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8am july

A shadow study was conducted after the final version of the screen was developed to test the concept’s potential.

The images above represent the solstices of the year and track the movement of the sun through the day to prove the screen would still function in the extremes of Sun’s positions

12pm

5pm

8am december

12pm

5pm

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In addition to the design we were responsible for laying out the structural system, identifying various structural loads that the building would need to withstand as well as the creating a beam diagram to call out the various beam sizes and their locations to supplement the loading diagram.

60 PSF - ASSEMBLY WITH FIXED SEATING READING ROOMS

125 PSF - MECHANICAL ROOMS

80 PSF - CORRIDORS NOT ON FIRST FLOOR

150 PSF - SPECIAL COLLECTIONS STACKS

50 PSF - OFFICES RESTROOMS

100 PSF - BALCONIES COMPUTER LABS MEETINGROOMS ROOF LOBBY FIRST FLOOR CORRIDORS

B3

20’ - 20”

NN

B5

B4

28’ - 20”

”

MM

B4

24.5’ - 20”

7.5’ - 20

20’ - 20”

22.5’ - 20”

15’ - 20”

10’ - 20”

KK

27.5’ - 20”

B3

B3

JJ

FF

27’ - 20”

EE

CC

7’ - 20”

24’ - 20”

7’ - 20”

BB

25.5’ - 20”

Z AA

7’ - 20”

7’ - 20”

B1

15’ - 20”

20’ - 20”

20’ - 20”

20’ - 20”

13.5’ - 20”

20”

12’ - 20”

22’ -

Y

24’ - 20”

20’ - 20”

20’ - 20”

B1

1 2 3 4 6 8 9 10 11

V

7’ - 20”

D E F G H J L M N P Q R S

B C

B5

13

15 16 18 19 21 22 24 25

14’ - 20”

0”

25’ - 20”

B3

B1

B1

B1

B1

32 33 34 35

20’ - 20”

B3

28 29 30

” B1 10.5’ - 20

9.5’ - 20” 9’ - 20”

15’ - 20”

24’ - 2

32 33 34 35

7.5’ - 20

15’ - 20”

10’ - 20”

B1

0”

B1

24’ - 2

15’ - 20”

B5

20”

20”

14.5’ - 20”

10’ -

6’ - 20”

0”

34.5’ - 30”

37.5’ - 30”

40’ - 30”

43.5’ - 30”

45’ - 30”

46.5’ - 30”

48.5’ - 30” 9’ - 20”

48’ - 30”

50’ - 30”

49’ - 30”

46’ - 30”

34’ - 30”

48’ - 30”

” 20.5’ - 30”

30 ’38

” 9’ - 20”

” 30 ’13

7’ - 2

28 29 30

13’ -

11 13

15 18 19 21 22 24 25

1 2 3 4 6 8 9

KEY: B1 - 5’ - 20” B2 - 19.5’ - 20” B3 - 18.5’ - 20” B4 - 17.5’ - 20” B5 - 16.5’ - 20” B6 - 23’ - 20” G1 - 5 - 30” G2 - 19.5’ - 30” G3 - 18.5’ - 30” G4 - 17.5’ - 30” G5 - 16.5’ - 30” G6 - 23’ - 30” G7 - 47’ - 30”

B4

37

37 39 40

39 40

BC

D E F G H J L M N P Q R S

V

Y

Z

AA

BB

CC

EE

FF

JJ

KK

MM

NN

13

15

initial site

poble_nou communitycenter

Poble Nou is emerging as the one of the fastest growing regions in Barcelona and Spain. It has quickly become a hot spot for media and technology corporations looking for a European headquarters. The area is known for the experimental nature of its buildings as well as the adaptation of existing structures into contemporary ones. Our project was aimed to help facilitate this growth in through designing a community center in the neighborhood to accommodate the influx of young professionals to the area. The project had to respond to the existing conditions of the urban fabric as well as becoming more conducive to pedestrian traffic while maintaining the integrity of Cerda’s Eixample blocks.

areas of interest

site context

final super block

density mapping

Reunderstanding how people move in, and around, an eixample block guided the design. We studied the distribution of pedestrians around the site to choose a typology that reorganized the preexisting block as it functions today, to be prepared for the functions of tomorrow. The streams of people were redirected from the peripheries of the block to the interior. This reversed the population concentration, turning the focus back in towards the center. Capitalizing on this shift, we expanded and improved the existing public space with minimal impact on the surrounding structures to revitalize the social and cultural aspect of what was a warehouse district.

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1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

A

final mapping and plan

Administration Reception Polivalent Space Association Rooms Program Hall/Exhibition Space Mechanical Mediateca Storage Restrooms Ludoteca

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

evolution through sections

19

c

san diego_ca natatorium The Natatorium project developed through this idea of push and pull of a single surface to generate space to occupy.

The building explores the subtle relationship between people, buildings, and their uses through an investigation of site context, circulation of people, and the interaction between water and activities that require it. The project was placed on a fictional site surrounded by a residential neighborhood. The final design was built around respecting the existing suburban context while trying to develop a new community center. The possibility and need for a green roof became apparent once the building took shape to replace the open field that the project was built on. The project became a cohesive implementation of all these attributes into one design.

b

level 0

preliminary sketches

level 1

a

section a

section b

section c

contours

21

23

trumpf_campus detail The detail project was a study of how to interpret two dimensional drawings in three dimensional space to better understand how the drawing and object are constructed.

The wall detail was reproduced the exactly to scale then transformed to an axonometric drawing. The axonometric’s layers were peeled away to reveal the materials used to construct the wall.

site

circulation

public vs private

structure

module

axonometric

natural vs artificial light

25

bakong_cambodia technicalcollege Bakong Technical College is an actual project in Cambodia that was given to our studio. We were charged to produce a master plan and design the individual buildings of the campus. My group’s developed the winning design, which led to our designs being built and are under construction still today. The project had to take advantage of highly sustainable practices due to the lack of resources available to the college and be extremely economical while not compromising design. We focused on the local regionalism drawing inspiration from prominent Cambodian architects like Vann Molyvann as well as the ancient master plans of the Angkor Temples utilizing their symmetry and symbolism. The project was a successful attempt at understanding the cultural and design differences of a community that has drastically different needs than us.

monument cocept

master plan

perspective

south elevation

HALF PARTITION WALL

administration and library plan

27

houston_tx 2025skyscraper Over the next 15 years our current way of living will dramatically change. Having over extended our resources already, we are predicted to only increase our consumption rate due to the rise of developing countries such as China. This has prompted a need for a change in building typology, one that can change and adapt on a day to day basis for the varying needs of the people using it. Thus making a building that can adapt to its users the one that will survive. The skyscraper project was a study in how a modern building of some maginitude can remain completely off grid while still fulfilling the predicted requirements. The final design capitolized on its form and size to produce engergy by means of wind and sun while still offering a spaces that can be adapted for any need of any occupant

preliminary sketches

balcony green space

below: main lobby; bottom: ground floor green space

29

adrenaline_junkie lighttower The light tower project was a study in the interaction between materials and the way light plays off of them. The tower had to represent a client, personifying the essence of the client in both the form and the elements of the of the tower. The adrenaline junkie’s essence was captured through the explosion of shards of glass and metal funneling up through the spiral elements representing the need for a nonstop, ever changing lifestyle of the client.

31

graphics&branding

33

The Peckerwood Poster was achieved through photo manipulation. The poster was designed to make the gardens appeal to a younger crowd. Everything about this project had to be geared toward grabbing attention of college aged students (the new target audience), at the same time it could not loose the essence of the nature preserve and cultural center that is, Peckerwood Gardens. The final image epitomizes the current trend of pop art posters drawing on the simplification of the color pallet and flattening the image to produce a poster identifiable by my peers.

peckerwood garden

6-7 17-18 May 8-9 October 16-17 November February 27-28 March 27-28 AprilFolk No charge Art Tour 2pm $15 each Plant Sale 12pm-5pm Garden Tours 1pm & 3pm $10 each Mexican

This piece is a study of how the whole can develop into something radically different than the sum of its parts. The concept was to take an object in it’s simplest form and create a new form using the element and its inverse. The final design was generated through the manipulation of the secondary design to produce a form with very little resemblance to its predecessors but with a common theme of countering inverses.

35

fictional tea company branding

Tommy Bett Owner/CEO P 421.574.8415 tb@latitude.com 1604 Wynkoop St. Denver, CO 80202

39˚ 45’ 7”N

105˚ 0’ 2”W

personal identity branding

tommybett215@gmail.com 713.202.5257 12319 kimberley houston.tx.77024

12319 kimberley houston.tx.77024

tommybett215@gmail.com 713.202.5257 12319 kimberley houston.tx.77024

37

photography

My photography is a study on the way light transforms our environment into a sensual experience of texture and color filled with subtle complexities of light and dark.

39

41

resumĂŠ

education

experience

Texas A&M University 2007 to Present College Station, TX Bachelors of Environmental Design, Architecture Expected Graduation Date May 2011 Current GPA: 3.88 Reynolds and Reynolds Houston, TX Summer 2010 Graphic Design Intern Designed logos, e-news letter, and commercial emails and letters Bakong Technical College Bakong Cambodia Spring 2009 Designer Drafted site plan, monument, and administration building Freeway Burger Houston, TX June to August 2007, 2008 Cashier Responsible for orders, cash register, deliveries, and closing of the restaurant.

Little River Ranch Glenwood Springs, CO June 2005 Ranch Hand Created firebreaks and disposing of all cleared material to the landfill

volunteering

achievements

computer training extra-curricular

Militia Mariae Missionary Work (Mexico and Costa Rica) Avenue CDC Eagle Scout projects Freshman Younglife Leader Wyldlife Leader Eagle Scout Deans List AP Scholar Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, Inventor, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, After Effects AIAS, Craggies (A&M rock climbing team), AIGA, Tau Delta Sigma Honor Society, Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society, Sigma Alpha Lambda Honors Society, National Society of Collegiate Scholars

tommybett215@gmail.com 713.202.5257 12319 kimberley houston.tx.77024

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