PORTFOLIO_2026 by adin.mehanovicKU

PORTFOLIO

ADIN MEHANOVIC

CONTACT

816-560-1142

Adinm28@outlook.com

Adin-mehanovic

REFERENCES

Joe Colistra Professor at KU (785) 864 0027

Chad Kraus Professor at KU (785) 393 6183

Kapila Silva Professor at KU (785) 864 1150

EDUCATION

The University of Kansas | Class of 2026 Master of Architecture

Study Abroad | Summer 2024

Helsinki, Jyväskyla, Lahti, Finland Stockholm, Sweden Copenhagen, Denmark

WORK EXPERIENCE

NSPJ Architects | Architectural Intern | 2024-pres

Developed drawing sets for SD, DD, and CD

Created test fit units for a 100+ unit affordable housing project

Assisted in developing proposals for new infill projects in KCMO

Attended site visits for both single and multi-family projects

Dirt Works Studio | Project Manager | 2023-2024

Created the construction schedule and made necessary changes during construction Assign tasks on job site while ensuring safety Oversaw the job site when the professor is absent

INVOLVEMENTS SOFTWARE

Revit

Rhino

Adobe Suite

Sketchup

Enscape

Multicultural Scholars Program | 2021-pres First-generation college student member

KU Mentorship Collaborative | 2024-2025

Mentor

KU Car Club Recruiter | 2021-2022

Recruited new members through social media and pop-up tents while also helping host car shows

PROFESSIONAL

DESIGN-BUILD

VERTIPORT

PERSONAL

01 TOWNHOMES Professional Internship

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

May 2025 - Present

Role - Intern

Focus

This 19-townhome community in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma is organized around a simple but distinctive idea: orienting the homes toward each other to create shared front gardens instead of traditional street frontage. This design encourages walkability , casual interaction , and a stronger sense of neighborhood identity .

Service functions are consolidated at the rear of the buildings to keep the shared garden clean and pedestrian focused. Garages, driveways, and trash collection occur behind the homes , maintaining efficient circulation while preserving the integrity of the communal green space.

A central clubhouse anchors the site and connects to playgrounds and a community pool, while nearby pickleball courts expand recreational options . Together, these elements support an active, social environment that complements the shared garden concept throughout the development.

The townhome layout supports a diverse mix of residents while keeping a consistent architectural language. Single-story units anchor each building, while interior units shift to a two-story, two-bedroom plan to increase livability within a compact footprint

The exterior is intentionally modern, defined by clean lines , minimal overhangs , and small eaves that create a crisp silhouette.

Enlarged front elevations highlight the material palette and modern character of the townhomes, expressed through vertical siding, stone accents, standing seam roofs, and minimal overhangs.

As part of the project team , I developed these elevations by coordinating material callouts, refining trim and siding transitions, and ensuring consistency across the building types. This work translated the design intent into clear, buildable documentation

BUILDING ISOMETRIC

Lawrence, Kansas

02 PHOENIX HOUSE Design - Build

Professor - Chad Kraus

Fall 2023 - Spring 2024

Role - Project Management

Focus

The University of Kansas has partnered with Tenants to Homeowners to provide affordable housing to the surrounding community, as well as other communities across the country. Their goals aligned with the KU’s core goals to provide a sustainable , affordable , and durable home for someone in need.

The studio of just 14 students was tasked with designing and fully building a single-bedroom tiny home. The primary goals of this project were low embodied carbon , sustainable materials , affordability, durability, as well as renewable energy integrated in an aesthetic way. The entire building is created out of 3-Ply crosslaminated timber walls.

CLT walls create a warm and inviting interior space while also expediting construction . The exposed wood has many benefits for occupants, and to complement the wood, we used a standardized wood rainscreen on the exterior as well as a standing seam metal roof that extends to the ground.

FORM

The gable represents a typical suburban home silhouette that fits into the surrounding context

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE

A neighborhood and backyard-facing alcove provides an extroverted and introverted setting to enjoy nature

SEPERATION

An imaginary line separating the home into two segments, public and private

JUXTAPOSE

The exterior wood rainscreen alternates between black and warm wood finishes, adding visual contrast to the façade. The warm wood is recessed to establish a connection with the interior CLT construction and the exterior expression

1. LIVING + KITCHEN

2. BEDROOM

3. ADA BATHROOM

4. PLUMB WALL

5. 3 PLY CLT WALL

CONSTRUCTION

Steel work and welding

During the construction of Phoenix House, Hayley Ford and I did most of the steelwork which included welding and steel fabrication . We cut and welded all window frames as well as constructed the steel tie connectors on the interior.

Planter Box

Corrie Bolton, Hayley Ford, and I led the design and construction of the planter that sits in front of Phoenix House. Built from leftover CLT and Rothoblaas steel connectors, the planter was constructed offsite and finished using a Shou Sugi Ban method of charring the exterior of the box.

Concrete drilling

During the initial phase of on-site construction, Julia Bond, Hayley Ford, Grace Beirne, and I drilled holes into the foundation for our Rothoblaas connectors. These supports anchored the CLT walls to the foundation.

03 STRATA VERTIPORT

Wichita, Kansas

Professor - Amy Van De Riet

Spring 2025

Revit, Sketchup, Enscape, Adobe Creative Suite

Strata is a futuristic transportation concept that uses scaled-up drones to move people through cities. Centered around a vertiport system, it imagines an air taxi network that offers fast, efficient, and accessible airborne travel for the public.

Strata offers more than just a transportation hub; it creates a dynamic and immersive experience.

Located in Wichita, Kansas, the former “ Air Capital of the World ,” it reimagines the vertiport as both a gateway for aerial travel and a destination in itself , inviting travelers and non-travelers alike to engage with the future of flight.

The Landing Pad is an aviation-themed restaurant located at ground level, offering a one-of-a-kind dining experience . With direct views of the vertiport’s landing pads, it transforms every meal into a memorable occasion as guests watch eVTOLs take off and land in real time.

Located just south of Downtown Wichita, the proposed vertiport site sits at a key junction between the city’s urban core and a major highway , offering direct access for both local and regional travelers. With traffic volume and infrastructure investment on the rise, the area is primed for growth.

Just blocks away, Wichita’s upcoming riverfront masterplan will transform the surrounding district over the next decade. This proximity positions the vertiport as a forward-looking anchor for aerial transit and regional mobility.

LAYERING

The vertiport is designed to symbolize the layered journey of a traveler on an eVTOL. Each level of the building represents a distinct stage in this journey, from the grounded connection to nature below to an effortless ascent into the sky above. The architecture reflects this seamless transition through these layers, creating an immersive experience that mirrors the flight patterns of an eVTOL.

1ST FLOOR PLAN

2ND FLOOR PLAN

3RD FLOOR PLAN

Located within the vertiport, The Landing Pad offers travelers and Wichita visitors a comfortable place to dine while experiencing the unique atmosphere of advanced air mobility. Guests can enjoy fresh meals with a direct view of eVTOL aircraft taking off and landing, making the restaurant both a destination and a vantage point.

Roof

STANDING SEAM METAL PURLIN

ROOF CAP

POLYISOCYANURATE MEMBRANE

3/8” SUBSTRATE BOARD

6” POLYISO

CONCRETE TOPPER

1 1/2” METAL DECKING

32” STEEL BEAM

GYPSUM CEILING

ASTANDING SEAM METAL

PURLIN

ROOF CAP

POLYISOCYANURATE MEMBRANE

3/8” SUBSTRATE BOARD

6” POLYISO

CONCRETE TOPPER

1/2” METAL DECKING

32” STEEL BEAM

GYPSUM CEILING

Floor - Channel Glass

CHANNEL GLASS

TERRAZZO

MEMBRANE

CONCRETE SLAB

METAL DECKING

B

Floor - Channel Glass

CHANNEL GLASS

TERRAZZO

MEMBRANE

CONCRETE SLAB

METAL DECKING

B C

Ground Floor

CHANNEL GLASS

1” TERRAZZO

MEMBRANE

6” POLYISO

VAPOR BARRIER

CONCRETE

GRAVEL

SOIL

04 PERSONAL WORKS CERAMICS &

STUDY ABROAD

Focus

Some of my personal work includes a ceramics collection using porcelain, clay , and even terracotta These pieces have been constructed through wheel throwing and coil building to create a range of forms.

Once the form has been finished and bisque-fired, it is ready to be fired again in a kiln. I had the opportunity to use three different kinds of kilns , each with its own unique firing process.

The firing methods included natural gas, electric, and raku firing . Raku involves removing pottery and combining it with other materials.

Analytique

This analytique is a composition of drawings of the Säynätsalo Town Hall in Jyväskylä, Finland. An analytique is a hybrid drawing in which I explored the relationships between different scales and scopes to create a playful one-of-a-kind drawing of one of Alvar Aalto’s amazing works.