WESLEY J THOMPSON ARCHITECT
STARTING POINTS
Email Web
wes@wesleyjthompson.com wesleyjthompson.com
Architecture begins somewhere.
a landscape
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a sketch
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a president
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a dream
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a crisis
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a hungry city
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a landscape
Glenn Murcutt Master Class 2017 Sydney and Illaroo, NSW, Australia With Srijaya Anumolu, Mwamba Mwanakatwe, and Edna Tsui Thanks also to Ruth Marsh, Sobi Slingsby, and Allyson Valencia
This two-week class and studio taught by Glenn Murcutt, Richard Leplastrier, Brit Andresen, and Peter Stutchbury brings together architects and designers from all over the world who have a shared interest in architecture deeply rooted in place. Themes of ecology, relationship to landscape, and Australian Aboriginal culture were discussed. The brief for the project was to design a modest archival and art storage building on site for the paintings of the late Arthur Boyd.
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project
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Site entry Proposed archival space and gallery Existing administration buildings Arthur and Yvonne Boyd Education Centre
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A dynamic landscape. Mornings were usually blanketed by fog, kangaroos and wombats grazed, and cockatoos called from the Eucalyptus trees.
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Welcome ceremony by Yuin Elder Max “Dulumunmun” Harrison
a sketch
Sequester 2012 Studio for Expo Milano 2015 Professor Ralph Weber, visiting from Technishe Universität Dresden, Germany University of Oregon
Questioning the function of a physical pavilion in the age of globalization, this project attempts to point out the environmental costs of different kinds of transportation by dividing (sequestering) visitors into categories based on how they arrived at the Expo. We see all kinds of people around us, from different races, cultures, socio-economic classes; but what does it look like when we see each other’s carbon footprint?
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project
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Entry points into the pavilion are delineated into a series of paths, each corresponding to modes of transportation: walking, riding a bicycle, taking a train, driving, or flying. The length of each path corresponds to the amount of carbon expended by the mode of transportation, each interweaving with each other inside.
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a president
Doxa 2016 United States/Mexico Border Second Prize With Josie Baldner and Hiroshi Kaneko
This ideas competition asks for alternatives to a physical border between the United States and Mexico. The desire to de-stigmatize the border and honor the 100-year anniversary of the US National Parks system, a bi-national park is proposed which expands a single border line into an area shared by two nations.
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competition
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what is this? / it used to be a part of a wall why was there a wall? / it was the border that used to divide Mexico and the United States / what’s a border? / it’s a line in the ground that separates one country from another / so a wall helps to show where the boundary of the countries are? / yes what happened to the wall? / it was taken down and replaced with this park, a binational park / but you can’t tell where the border is anymore / that’s true and that’s one of the reasons why it was removed / I don’t understand / walls create a distinction between one side and the other, a divide / ok / no more wall, no more border, no more divide is that a good thing? / the divide created separation and it created pain / pain... / people crossing the border in the wrong way were deemed illegal and if they were caught, they were detained, and if they ran they were sometimes killed / killed! / crossing the wall was hard and dangerous why were they trying to cross the wall if it was so dangerous? / there were ideas that the other side of the wall offered something better, perhaps more opportunities and higher paying jobs / and that wasn’t happening on the side the people were already on? / correct why didn’t the other side help them with the opportunities and jobs? / many people wouldn’t say it, but people from the United States had a stigma against people who were foreign / what does that mean? / people wrongly stereotyped foreigners and feared they were all the same, that if there was one bad person then everyone was bad / so the people on the other side of the wall were scared? / perhaps some had good reason to be scared, perhaps some were told to be scared, perhaps some were scared simply because the people crossing looked different and spoke different and dressed different and acted different / but lots of people look and speak and dress and act different / that’s true, but perhaps to some there was a distinction between being different on the same side of the wall and being different on the other side of the wall / but why would a wall change that? / because it is a powerful symbol a symbol? / yes / a symbol for keeping people out? / yes / a symbol for protecting one country from another? / yes / a symbol against difference? / yes is that how all countries used to be? / how is that? / protecting against differences / that’s what it seems like doesn’t it / was the whole world walled up? / well no / no? / the United States and Canada did not have a wall between them / oh... / I think you understand why / I think I do so what happened? / the United States reached a pivotal moment, there were a lot of people who wanted to fortify the wall and make it bigger and stronger / but? / but there was also a movement for a park, this park... / and the park won! / yes, the park did win what does the park symbolize? / this park is a symbol for unity, a safe place for people to cross, to camp, to hike and be outdoors, to exist / unity / it also brought park rangers from both countries together to maintain one piece of land / the animals like that, don’t they / yes they do, and now they are protected, rather than isolated / and we get to be here, too / yes / and everyone else, too? / yes / i’m glad that everybody gets to be here / me too
a dream
Folly of the Young Architect 2015 Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, New York With William Smith
Young architects often dream big. There is a desire to follow the masters that have come before, while working with limited resources and scope. What is a modest folly in a landscape that seems infinitely larger than itself?
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competition
A single form repeated infinitely
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East River
Socrates Sculpture Park
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feet
Entry 1
Entry 2
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Wood structure for canopy
Stretched fabric canopy with open top
MDF panels with mirrored acrylic on interior face, black painted exterior
Tension rods on each face for added lateral resistance
2 2x6 composite perimeter sill
4x4 pressure treated wood columns, painted black
Poured concrete footing with anchors to receive columns
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a crisis
Poverty and Climate Change 2019 London Borough of Newham Professors Laura Vaughan and Kayvan Karimi The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL
Climate change brings heavier weather patterns, including rising seas and more frequent flooding events. But not all people will be affected equally by these changes. How can spatial analysis combined with socio-economic and flood data help reveal who is at risk? And where?
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research
Study Area
Greater London (Map showing deprivation with flooding projection)
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Flood Projection
Indices of Multiple deprivation (IMD)
Street Network
Low
High
Integration Values
Extent of analysis
Study Area
Central London
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Average Normalised Integration in Flooded vs. Non-Flooded Areas 1.2 1.1
Average Value
1 0.9 All Flood
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No Flood
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Wh ole Area
NAIN RN Avg
NAIN R2000 Avg
NAIN R1800 Avg
NAIN R1200 Avg
NAIN R1000 Avg
NAIN R800 Avg
NAIN R400 Avg
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Integration Measure
Average Overall IMD and Living Env Scores in Flooded vs. NonFlooded Areas 39.00 38.00 37.00 36.00
River Thames
35.00 34.00 33.00 32.00 31.00 30.00 29.00 28.00
IMD Score
Living Env Score All Flood
No Flood
Wh ole Area
The results showed that, in the study area in Newham, there was a pattern between flooding potential, deprivation values, and low street integration values. The results were statistically significant to support this pattern. The full report can be seen here
a hungry city
Urban Food Stimulus 2013 Thesis Studio for Portland, Oregon Professor Howard Davis University of Oregon
There are many ways to grow food in cities, including rooftop farming, vertical farming, and community gardens in unused lots. These are innovative techniques, but they do not guarantee against food spoilage or malnutrition. Perhaps what is needed is a method for food distribution and storage. What does it look like when a city treats food distribution like a utility, much like existing water or sewer systems?
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project
food processing
urban food stimulu
market
land planning
growing + production
community identity
food storage
agriculture, many addressed in the p books, news, films, le Plan--a document co involved in city plann food security, obesi awareness. Food production urban planning and occurred in the city o more rural growing c have been major ef urban farming and spaces in cities for fo local and organic effective way to feed must also be a way to within the city. Accord The Guardian, nearly the world is not consu waste. And althoug does not have nearly most food produce guarantee that food citizens will not be Further, there is an in food during the w relatively low.
How can Portland...
problem: disconnected gardens, malnourished citizens Recently there have been numerous proposals for urban agriculture schemes. Designers, policy makers, planners, and environmentalists have their own interests, as well as a variety of different theories about the way certain schemes should exist in the city. However, a collection of urban farms in a city does not mean curren food access or nutrition problems are resolved.
3 out of 10 children in portland live in food insecurity
44 % of portland’s adults are considered obese
Reduce childhood hunger
alnourished citizens
rooftop gardens
vertical gardens
3 out of 10 children in portland live in food insecurity Phase 1.
und
many citizens have an interest in farming but maybe no outlet
44 % of portland’s adults are considered obese
Reduce obesity
Proposal: the city as a conn
Portland can become a city with a varie must be a centralized node for the colle boundary. As the area and number of f could be added, creating more dense gr
Phase 2.
ertical gardens
rity
under-utilized (suburban) space
under-utilized (suburban) space
under-utilized (urban) space
phase 2 Years later, another UFS site is built which controls the nearby food production sites. This essentially divides the city into two, more manageable parts.
44 % of portland’s adults are considered obese
many citizens have an interest in farming but maybe no outlet
All while supporting local farmers?
Proposal: the city as a connected growing machine
Portland can become a city with a variety of different growing conditions, but there must be a centralized node for the colleciton of food grown within the urban growth boundary. As the area and number of farms begin to grow, more collection nodes could be added, creating more dense growing pockets.
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under-utilized (suburban) space
Phase 2.
under-utilized (urban) space phase 2 Years later, another UFS site is built which controls the nearby food production sites. This essentially divides the city into two, more manageable parts.
Phase n.
phase 4 Even more processing and storage facilities are implemented, which means that these food nuclei can be relatively autonomous from each other. But they are still connected through a network.
phase 2 Years later, another UFS site is built which controls the nearby food production sites. This essentially divides the city into two, more manageable parts.
as a connected growing machine
ty with a variety of different growing conditions, but there e for the colleciton of food grown within the urban growth d number of farms begin to grow, more collection nodes more dense growing pockets.
arby food production sites. e parts.
Phase n.
Network phase 1: Pilot nodes for food processing, storage, and phase 4 distribution with tributaries for each
Even more processing and storage facilities are implemented, which means that these food nuclei can be relatively autonomous from each other. But they are still connected through a network.
Network phase n: Multiple nodes are created throughout the city
phase 4
Even more processing and s food nuclei can be relatively through a network.
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NW Couch street
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NW 16th street
NW 17th street
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Burnside stree
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FEET
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Market open to street Small gallery space Cold storage room Dry storage room Office Public garden Truck loading bay Street closed to traffic for market
CLT floor slab with concrete top
Service equipment running through perforated steel girders
Metal mesh ceiling panels and acoustic absorbing medium Heavy timber and steel composite structure Facade: curtain wall and ceramic screen shading
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Lecture and community space
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Food processing and storage space
Selected Built Work 2015-2018 Rawlings Architects, New York, NY 2013-2015 ORE Design + Technology, Brooklyn, NY (Construction drawing sets and roles on each project can be described further)
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professional work
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PS 303Q, Forest Hills, Queens, NY Pre-K through 5th grade elementary school 60,000 square foot addition to existing school building New York City School Construction Authority, client with Rawlings Architects
Playroof with wire mesh enclosure
Existing masonry facade
Existing footing with new concrete underpinning
Modeled in Revit and edited in Illustrator by Wesley Thompson
Classrooms
Cafeteria Gymnasium
PS 557K, Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY Pre-K through 5th grade elementary school 50,000 square foot alteration and addition to 1890s masonry police precinct New York City School Construction Authority, client with Rawlings Architects
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MGB POPS (Privately Owned Public Space), Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY Community outdoor market with kiosks and repurposed shipping container New York City Economic Development Corp., client with ORE Design + Technology
Image Credits 1. Donald Trump. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images for NPR 2. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Photo by Frank Scherschel/The LIFE Picture Collection 3. Carlisle (UK) Flood. Getty Images for independent.co.uk 4. All professional work is property of Rawlings Architects and ORE Design + Technology All other images photographed or produced by Wesley Thompson and collaborators mentioned