Architecture + Art + Design
Selected Works
Aidan Newsome
Curriculum Vitae
EDUCATION
Confluence Institute
Bachelor of Architecture (RIBA/ARB Part 1)
University of Guelph
Bachelor of Arts (Economics)
EMPLOYMENT
Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds
Designer & Visualization Lead
Partisans Architects
Studio Colin Fournier
2019-2021 2024 2016-2019 Paris, France Hamilton, ON Guelph, ON
Designer Designer 2023
SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS Y
+1 519 757 9699
aidan.newsome@me.com
Rhinoceros - Grasshopper - Unreal Engine - Blender - Photogrammetry - BIM (Revit/Archicad) - Photoshop
ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT
Confluence Institute
Visiting Assistant Professor 2022Paris, FR
MMMC Architects
Paulsan Construction
2020 2019 Brantford, ON Brantford, ON SKILLS
Architectural Intern Construction Internship
EXHIBITIONS
Lighten Up! In the Rhythm of Day and Night
Gewerbemuseum Winterthur Winterthur, CH
Guangzhou Design Triennial
Guangdong Museum of Art
Lighten Up! In the Rhythm of Day and Night
EPFL Pavilions Lausanne, CH Guangzhou, CN
Academic References
Professional References
Odile Decq
Nicolas Hannequin
Colin Fournier
Dr. Sarah Kenderdine
Founder of Studio Odile Decq & Confluence Institute
Professor at Confluence Institute & Sciences Po
Professor, Mentor & Previous Employer
Director at the Laboratory for Experimental Museology
Circadian House
The Circadian House is designed to be lit entirely by natural light through 15 strategically placed openings.
Skylights are positioned to align with the sun’s path, enhancing natural light and creating a connection between time, light, and daily activities.
I collaborated with Colin Fournier to turn the Circadian House into a hyper realistic interactive Unreal Engine project.
This interactive installation has been exhibited at numerous international exhibitions in Switzerland, China & the US.
Bienenstock
During my interview at Bienenstock Natural Playgrounds, I showed how I create photo real & procedural natural worlds.
Images
Screen grabs from Unreal Engine interview demo
At Bienenstock, I’ve also turned their product library into photo realistic 3D models through both hand modeling and photogrammetry.
of a
in
Render
project
North Carolina using photo scans of our “Wacky Posts” and “Log Park Bench”
I use multiple 3D modeling and visualization tools to create and develop designs.
I develop my own Grasshopper scripts that enable me to accurately model landscapes based on existing and proposed topography.
Image Left Rhino Model
Image Right Render
When feasible, I develop our projects into full digital twins, where we do virtual walkthroughs and can speak about the pedagogy of each space.
Image Left Screen grab from Unreal Engine Image Bottom Rendered plan
Partisans
These are early concepts I developed for Cumulus, a digital memorial startup spun out of Partisans Architects.
Image Left
Render of interior XR concept
Image Right
Screen grab from inside
Monuments like these are procedurally generated from a user’s photos, videos, and text.
As a designer at Partisans, I also worked on projects such as a bespoke boathouse & airport lounge.
Image Left
Render Image Middle
Render Image Right
Ceiling fabrication drawings
At Partisans, I also began to experiment with the advent of AI design tools such as Stable Diffusion & ControlNet.
Image Left
Sketch
Image Middle
Stable Diffusion with ControlNet render
Images Right
Stable Diffusion with ControlNet renders
Remote Cabin Addition
In the summer of 2021, I collaborated with MMMC Architects on a remote cabin addition in Temagami, Ontario. After spending a night with the family at the site to understand their needs, I documented the existing structure and the site’s topography, creating a photogrammetry scan for reference due to limited access to conventional surveying tools. I then developed two design options in Archicad and produced renders of both design options for the client.
New Hollywood
In my final semester at Confluence Institute, I focused on the intersection of architecture and virtual reality, envisioning the city as software that creates dream-like worlds through neural interfaces.
Genetically Edited Collective Organisms
Genetically Modified Collective Organisms re-imagines the future of public spaces by combining architecture, gene editing, opensource software, and biological 3D printing, inspired by the piazza in Michelangelo Antonioni’s film L’Avventura.
Prior to my design intervention, I also studied the L’Avventura scene’s spatial qualities through drawing and photogrammetry reconstruction.
Participatory Peripherique
Inspired by 1960s radical architecture and projects like Yona Friedman’s “Flatwriter,” I proposed a paradigm shift for urban development on Paris’ peripherique, where architects design algorithms, empowering citizens to create their own unique spaces.
Digital Fabrication + Computational Design
My YouTube channel is a repository for my work in digital fabrication, computational design, and immersive reality, as they apply to architecture.
RECOMMENDATION LETTER
To whom it may concern,
I would like to recommend to your attention a young student, Aidan
Newsome.
I've known Aidan since he started his studies at Confluence Institute and he is now starting the diploma cycle.
He has always been a deeply involved student all along his studies. Since starting at Confluence he has motivated by researches on digital and new technologies.
He is a talented in design, using all means of designing from hand to Oculus, and his ideas are very good.
He has proven to be an enthusiastic, competent actor, and creative subject in his work and also fully involved in the school development. He is a great sociable person, well integrated, has good feelings in relationships, and is able to work alone or on a team.
I can warmly recommend Aidan,
Paris, May 2023
Odile DECQ
BARTLETT SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE
Wates House, 22 Gordon Street
London WC1H OQB
Professor Colin Fournier
Emeritus Professor of Architecture and Urbanism
Telephone: E-mail: +33 (0)7 8890 2625 colin.fournier@me.com
Re: Recommendation for Aidan Newsome
Paris, Wednesday the 17th of May, 2023
To whom it may concern,
It is with enthusiasm that I write this recommendation for Aidan Newsome, an outstanding former student of mine at the Confluence Institute in Paris and a key member of the design team for the development of experimental projects in my office, in particular the "Circadian House" .
I have witnessed Aidan's exceptional growth, both during his final year of his Part 1 academic studies and throughout the past 16 months, during which time we worked closely together on the Circadian House. He has the ability to transform innovative designs into both tangible and virtual reality, demonstrating proficient use of cutting-edge software such as Unreal Engine, Maya, and Rhino/Grasshopper, as well as showcasing his talent in computational design and scripting.
Aidan is a most unusual team member in that he posesses outstanding design skills as well as administrative skills, assisting with contract proposals, negociations, budgeting and client meetings with remarkable diligence and efficiency. In addition, his ability to seamlessly switch between working autonomously and collaborating within a team contributed significantly to the success of our project. He is much loved by his peers because of his positive and supportive personality as well as respected by clients for his professional demeanor and efficiency. Aidan has a playful imagination that leads him to undertake highly innovative design projects but he also possesses a great understanding of the complexities of architectural design, complemented by a practical grasp of the tools and logistics involved in bringing a design project to fruition.
I wholeheartedly recommend Aidan for your consideration. I have no doubt that his personal qualities and his professional skills will make him a valuable addition to any team or project.
Should you require any further information as to his performance or character, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Colin Fournier
Paris, March 23rd 2021
Objet:
Letter of reference
C l1 I\I F L LJ E I\I
Institute for Innovation and Creative Strategies in Architecture
11 rue des Arquebusiers 75003 Paris Tel: 01.43.37.74.11 contact@confluence.eu www.confluence.eu SIRET 795 042 399 00035 1VA FR 297 950 423 99
To Whom It May Concern,
It is with great delight that I write this reference for my student, Aidan Newsome.
I met Aidan when he integrated Confluence Institute in 2019 and I have been following his education since then as his referent professor. He is currently preparing the RIBA Part 1 degree with great talent and ded ication.
During the course of his studies and under my supervision, he has dem onstrated promising ideas and an ability to work creatively and autonomously. I believe he has great potential and would be an ideal employee at your company.
In addition to his studies, Aidan helps our school in various ways. He assists current and new students with our school's fabrication tools such as the KUKA robotic arm, 3D printers, CNC, laser cutter, and woodshop. He also helps us keep these spaces clean and organized , does minor fixes, and makes us aware of any equipment issues.
He also assists our student council with the production of our lecture series. He's responsible for editing the video of these lectures and uploading them to our YouTube channel.
Aidan works well with and is likeable by other students, and he naturally wants to help whenever he can, whether it be a technical or personal problem.
I have no hesitation in recommending Aidan as I believe he would be an extremely positive asset to your company
Should you have any queries at all, please feel free to contact me directly.
I wish Aidan and you all the best, Nicolas Hannequin + 33 6 43 19 89 09 nicolashannequin@confl uence.eu
15 March 2021
Re: Letter Of Reference, Mr. Aidan Newsome, Student Architectural Intern
Dear Hiring Manager,
It is my pleasure to recommend Aidan Newsome as a candidate for a position with your company. Aidan was employed as a Student Architectural Intern with MMMC Architects in the Summer of 2020. Throughout his time with MMMC, he demonstrated excellent technical and creative skills that would make him an ideal employee at your company.
Aidan came to our office with an educational background in architectural design, digital tools and fabrication. He helped develop our fabrication studio at MMMC, and one of his first assignments was to create a process that would allow our team to 3D print ArchiCAD BIM models. This enabled us to print directly from ArchiCAD with excellent results without additional 3D modelling software or training. He successfully created a beautiful 1:250 scale model of our Acclaim Seniors day program project in progress, which the clients used for their promotional and fundraising activities.
Aidan also developed unique in-office programs such as a generative site model tool and an environmental analysis tool by integrating his knowledge in Grasshopper, C# and Python with ArchiCAD. Due to the remote-work nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, he documented his research through a series of professionally recorded video tutorials that he produced.
Aidan is creative, curious, and has excellent technical and communication skills. If his performance in our company is a good indication of how he would perform in yours, he would be an extremely positive asset to your program.
If I can be of any further assistance or provide you with any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
MMMC Architects
Tara Gaskin, Architect, BEDS, M. Arch, OAA
408Henry St, Unit #1, Brantford, ON N3S 7W1 | Fax: 888-314-6743 | www.paulsan.com
March 12th, 2021
Dear Hiring Manager
Re: Letter of Reference, Mr. Aidan Newsome, Student Construction Intern I freely recommend Aidan Newsome as a candidate for a position with your company. Aidan was employed as a Student Construction Intern with Paulsan Construction in the Summer of 2019. During his time with us, he showcased critical skills in the construction industry and demonstrated a great attitude that I believe will make him an excellent employee at your company.
Aidan began his internship by working closely with our team's architectural designer, collaborating on ideas, and reviewing and annotating drawings on various projects. At the time, we were working on a large exterior sunroom addition for a residential customer. Using WinEst, he created an estimate for the customer that both Paulsan and the customer were pleased with.
Aidan also worked closely with our team's Site Supervisors at various job sites, including Ferrero Canada, construction of a residential home, a two-story retail and residential construction project, and a Kindergarten Classroom addition. He spent most of his time at the Kindergarten Classroom addition, where he supplemented our Site Supervisor's responsibilities. I specifically remember a phone-call with one of our most respected trade partners, where they expressed how well Aidan was engaged in the project, thought about what he was doing, and worked so well with everyone to meet the project’s timelines.
Aidan is a curious, hardworking individual and I believe that he would be a great asset in any company that he joins. If I can help any further, please do not hesitate to contact me as noted below.
Sincerely,
Paul McCaig, President Paulsan Construction
Inc.
