Work Sample Book_Alexander Hokkanen

ALEXANDER J HOKKANEN DESIGN PORTFOLIO 2012-2017

TA B L E O F CO N T E N TS

DETROIT GRAND MOSQUE AND MEDINA

UNIVERSITY DISTRICT ARTS CENTER

DETROIT_POCKET NEIGHBORHOODS

DETROIT_POCKET NEIGHBORHOODS systems studio detroit, mi fall 2016 professor kit mccullough In the last several decades Detroit has undergone radical shifts in population size, density, and distribution. In a directed studio and in partnership with the cityĘźs Planning and Development Department students set about strategically redensifying one of eight areas of interest defined by the city leadership.

The economic conditions are such that large scale developers are uninterested in the majority of the city. The bottom line, rents per square foot, do not yield sufficient profit in areas like the University District and Martin Park neighborhoods. The studio works to empower residents through existing community organizations like the Live 6 Alliance to become investors in their neighborhood.

Small scale typologies like the Pocket House, Accessory Dwelling Units, and Carriage Houses offer homeowners a revenue stream.

With densification comes much needed services like transit, quality grocery options, and other supporting businesses. Due to the siteĘźs location, just south of the University of Detroit Mercy, it has the potential to become a student ghetto or a series of residential towers.

Using existing property lines as the basis for the typological zoning proposal we intend this design proposal to result in improved economic prospects for a homeowners and a higher quality of housing stock for generations to come.

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Above: Light penetration was a challenge that due to existing property lines needed to be solved in section creating dramatically lit interiors on both floors Below: Illustrated site plan call out that shows how the entire width of the block is utilized and results in a higher density than blocks with multi-family buildings

townhouse (family or student)

townhouse backyard

In section pocket neighborhoods take on both an outward facing(townhouse typology) and inward facing(cottage/pocket houses) charachter. This design layout fully utilizes currently empty blocks.

cottage

community greenspace

cottage

Rather than a traditional alley the center of the block is dominated by a linear pocket park linking cottage residents with their parking to the south and offers a semiprivate or communal green space.

UNIVERSITY DISTRICT ARTS CENTER site studio university of minnesota tc campus fall 2014 professor mary guzowski Intrigued by the potential of an underutilized urban/campus green space and a twenty foot elevation change along the northern edge of my site I began designing with human connection and ecological practices in mind. As a community centered building I felt it should have, at its core, a space where people can gather, events can be held or impromptu workshops can be taught. The intertwining histories of Minneapolis, the University of Minnesota, and industry are imprinted on the site. To make this invisible site force visible I included a grand stair programmed as a museum piece, informing visitors of what has come before as they descend to the theater.

Aerial view of the west aspect at 1/16” scale

The original site was a poorly kept patch of turf grass crisscrossed with student-made paths. In my site plan I suggest replacing the turf grass with native grasses and formalizing the existing paths with reclaimed lumber, the goal being to augment the existing, albeit sparse, ecological capital present in the siteʼs largely urban context. The site does not end at the buildingʼs footprint. Rather, the core design intention was to directly inhabit the site by lifting the surface and programming the interstitial space thereby preserving the siteʼs ecological continuity. The roof doubles as an amenity space for visitors and an extension of the greenway.

Ashlar sandstone makes up much of the Greenway facade

Lower level interior view from courtyard

Highlights reclaimed brick and daylighting conditions

Conceptual diagrams illustrating my approach to the site. With the project abutting a greenway I felt it was important to maintain a level of ecological continuity even after the building was constructed

SECTION A

Ceramics Studio

Administration

Multipurpose Courtyard

Backstage Storage

SECTION B

Open to Below

Mechanical

Black Box Theater

GREENWAY LEVEL

Studio Space

Cafe

Gallery 1

Patio

Classroom Dance Studio

UNIVERSITY LEVEL

Student Gallery

Information

DETROIT GRAND MOSQUE AND MEDINA propositions studio detroit, michigan winter 2016 professor doug kelbaugh collaborated with: jamilla afandi, shawn lettow, nick warnet, andrew stewart, and wesley wu Metro Detroit is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the Unites States. In an effort to bring Muslims back to the city the mayor of Detroit, leaders of an Islamic congregation, and several developers were interested in exploring the possibility of building a new center for Islamic life for the region within the city boundaries. This project is not to be a walled enclave, quite the opposite in fact.

To the north end of our 30 acre site we have designed a new type of shopping experience based on the middle eastern “Souk,” perhaps the only one in the western world. The middle portion of the site contains the Mosque complex which includes the prayer hall capable of serving over 2000 people, an Islamic seminary, the Imamʼs residence and a banquet hall. The most southern end of the site holds the recreation facilities and a public park.

Due to the nature of the site, this studio focused heavily on urban planning and design. Costs to develop the site in itʼs entirety would be too great for the client. We have proposed three phases of development that then could be broken down further as needed: the Souk, the commercial heart of the project, the Mosque Complex, the spiritual center, and lastly the Recreation Center, which will serve as a regional destination for outdoor soccer.

Mosque_Souk Entry: Rendering produced by Nicholas Warnet

THANK YOU!

Alexander J. Hokkanen

1630 Cram Circle, Apt. 16, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 I Hokkanen@umich.edu I 763.234.1962 I https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-hokkanen-29519462/

E D U C AT I O N

University of Michigan Taubman College Master of Architecture Cumulative GPA: 3.56/4.00 Brazil: Rio+Detroit

University of Michigan Spring Term

Ann Arbor, MI Expected Graduation May 2017 Detroit MI; Rio-São Paulo, Brazil

May-June 2017

Eastern Europe: Bizarre Bazaar

Ukraine; Poland

University of Michigan Spring Term

May-June 2016

University of Minnesota College of Design Bachelor of Science in Architecture Minor: Sustainability Studies Cumulative GPA: 3.64/4.00 Dean’s List: Six Semesters CEA Global Campus

“Architecture in Florence”: University of Minnesota May Term

EXPERIENCE

Boston, MA

Taubman College Externship Program

February 27-March 2016

Graduate Student Instructor: Architecture History II

Ann Arbor, MI

Taubman College

January 2017-Present

Editorial Curator: Detroit Grand Mosque and Medina Project

Ann Arbor, MI

Taubman College and the Dearborn Islamic Center of America

April-August 2016

Research Assistant to the Associate Dean

Ann Arbor, MI

Taubman College Dean’s Office

July 2015-January 2017

Student Intern: Michigan Medicine Facilities Planning & Development Teaching Assistant/Assistant Program Leader Abroad

Courses: “Design in England and Scotland”, “GMOs in Europe & the US”

ACTIVITIES

SKILLS

Community Living Center Redesign: Veterans Affairs Hospital Sustainability Advocate Coordinator American Institute of Architecture Students: Member

Florence, Italy May-June 2013

Student Intern: Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates

Taubman College Externsip Program

Minneapolis, MN May 2015

Ann Arbor, MI

February 29-March 2016

UK; Germany; Switzerland October 2013-May 2015

September-December 2016 September 2012-May 2015 September 2012-May 2015

Proficient: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCad, Microsoft Office Suite, Public Speaking, Int’l Travel Experienced: Rhinoceros, SketchUp, Revit, Model Building Learning: Polish(Beginner Level), Portuguese (Beginner Level)