Issuu

p.6 Schematic Design

p.10 Halfway House

p.30 Industrial Design

p.34 Residential Design

p.24 Kindergarten

p.26 Theater

p.36 Graphic Design

p.42 Built Design Projects

Damian Kercz

OAA, MArch, RAIC

e: damian.a.kercz@gmail.com

t: 416-970-2468

l: toronto

- 2022

Architect

BDP Quadrangle

- 2021

- responsible for managing projects and producing drawings from schematic design through construction, including verifying substantial performance, certifying payment, responding to RFIs and submittals, consultant coordination, contract administration and attending site meetings

Human Centered Design Specialist + Code Consultant

Human Space

- engaged in providing consulting services to public and private clients related to heritage renovation, accessibility and wellness reviews as well as code compliance audits

Research and Design Associate

Center for Design and Health Innovation - University of Toronto

- developed design proposals relating to the production of stress reducing and wellness promoting people centered built environments and resilient, rapidly deployable healthcare infrastructure

Architectural Designer

BOLT Design & Build

- created renderings and visualizations for clients to assist with the schematic design process as well as the design development of elevations, sections and plans

Master of Architecture

University of Toronto, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design

- Design Thesis: Halfway Housing - A Response to Demand for Criminal Justice Reform

Bachelor of Arts, Criminology + Psychology

University of Toronto, Victoria College

- Thesis: Impacts of Environmental Psychology on Carceral Experiences and Outcomes

Digital: Revit, Rhino, Enscape, V Ray, Lumion, Adobe Suite, Microsoft Office, Sketchup, BlueBeam Fabrication: Model making, woodworking, laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC, photography Present

Experiences

Architect, OAA

Graphic Design, Flowers and Fruit

Graphic Design, Condo Flyer

Shed Build

- designed and built a shed for a friend in their backyard

Graphic Design, Baker House Bread

- developed branding for a bakery and the products they create and sell

Podcast Guest

- appeared as a guest on the Alternative Design Podcast to speak about the value of rapidly deployable healthcare infrastructure during pandemics2

Publication: Health, Environments, Research & Design (HERD) Journal

- helped research, write and publish a paper exploring how to design healthcare environments in a way that can mitigate the stress and improve health outcomes of patients, staff and visiting families1

Graphic Design, Family Education Resource Network

- created posters for support groups and community events for a non-profit organization

Interior Design, Baker House Bread

- helped a small bakery rework the interior of a heritage house to host a kitchen and dine-in space

Fellowship

- recipient of the John and Myrna Daniels Fellowship (Masters) for 3 consecutive years (2019-2021)

S, Verderber., D., Kercz., et al. (2021). Intensive Care Unit Environments: Comprehensive Literature Review—2005-2020. Health Environments Research & Design1 www.koozarch.com/interviews/art-covid-19-test-centre/2

Lake Promonade Residences

Selected Samples from ZBA/SPA Set 2022

Responsibilities:

- lead a team to produce a complete drawing set for ZBA and SPA submissions

- coordinate with consultants including landscape architects, civil, structural and mechanical engineers, traffic consultants, geotechnical consultants and community planners

- produce renderings at various stages of the project to assist with visualization

- prepare cost estimates and feasibility studies

- participate in the development and coordination of program requirements

- produce 3D schematic design concepts for presentation to the client and managing partners

- lead weekly meetings with consultants and client

- develop phasing plans in coordination with consultants

- attend community consultation meetings to address questions and concerns

- assist with the analysis and selection of building and engineering systems

*complete sets available for review

Downtown Porsche

Construction Document Set Under Construction

Responsibilities:

- manage the project from schematic design through Ready for Takeover

- create hardware, glazing and fixture schedules

- lead coordination meetings and attend weekly site meetings with the client and consultants

- apply for zoning variances through Committee of Adjustments and attend compulsory reviews

- meet with the client to review functional program and cost estimates as project develops

- produce and distribute a tender set and prepare compliant bids to present to the client

- issue addendums and respond to RFIs and submittals as required

- review construction progress to verify payment and conformance to drawings

- issue and respond to change orders, SI’s, and change directive as required

- mediate disputes between contractor and client and ensure contract is administered fairly

- review shop drawings for general conformance

Fire Safety, Limiting Distance and OBC Matrix

Halfway House

Master of Architecture

Halfway House

Thesis Project

Roxton Road, Toronto

Instructor: Stephen Verderber

January - April, 2021

Thesis Project

This thesis project advocates for criminal justice reform by exploring the way criminal justice architecture has been impacted by a system that continues to privilege punishment and deterrence over rehabilitation. These deterrence focused policies do very little to address the root causes of crime primarily because they fail to act proactively in ways that encourage the upward social and economic mobility of vulnerable community members, which is why deterrence alone does little to dissuade criminal behavior. Despite this, the Canadian criminal justice system continues to operate in a way that seeks to punish those who commit crimes rather than rehabilitate them. This lack of care is expressed in policy as well as visually through the its associated architecture.

This thesis project advocates for criminal justice reform by exploring the way criminal justice architecture has been impacted by a system that continues to privilege punishment and deterrence over rehabilitation. These deterrence focused policies do very little to address the root causes of crime primarily because they fail to act pro actively in ways that encourage the upward social and economic mobility of vulnerable community members, which is why deterrence alone does little to dissuade acts of crime. Despite this, the Canadian criminal justice system continues to operate in a way that seeks to punish those who commit crimes rather than rehabilitate them, and while this lack of care is expressed in policy it is also visually personified by the architecture produced.

This effect is apparent when looking at Toronto’s halfway housing system, designed to rehabilitate criminals as they transition out of our justice system. Using an existing Victorian home in Toronto as a proposed site, it’s possible to demonstrate that halfway houses can be rehabilitative and therapeutic spaces which play a significant role in helping prisoners desist from their criminal identities, while reducing rates of reoffending upon release. This is made possible by appealing to the humanity of house residents, privileging their autonomy and their commitment to self improvement.

This effect is most obvious when looking at Toronto’s halfway housing system, designed to rehabilitate criminals as they transition out of our justice system. By renovating and proposing an addition to a Victorian home in Toronto, as a response to Toronto’s suffering halfway housing system, it is shown that halfway houses can be rehabilitative and therapeutic spaces that play a significant role in helping prisoners desist from their criminal identities while reducing rates of reoffending upon release. This is made possible by appealing to the humanity of house residents, privileging their autonomy and their commitment to self improvement.

This project hopes to encourage people to think differently about those subjected to criminal justice systems and encourage a compassionate and empathetic approach to those processed by them or other institutions.

This project hopes to encourage people to think differently about those subjected to criminal justice systems and encourage a compassionate and empathetic approach to those processed by them.

Existing West Elevation

Existing East Elevation

Existing South Elevation

Site

Existing Shelter

Existing Halfway House 15 min Walking Diameter

Neighbourhood Boundary

Neighbourhood Context

Eglinton

St. Clair

Dupont

Bloor

Gardiner

Transit Stop

Public Transit Route

Bike Lane

View Corridors

Proposed West Elevation

When considering the modifications to the existing house, it was important to balance the residential integrity of the house with its seemingly institutional program, that being to rehabilitate convicted criminals. It was also important to not differentiate the house so significantly from its environment that it looses its connection to the community

Proposed South Elevation

Longitudinal Section

This longitudinal section begins to show the interior qualities of the living spaces, with careful attention paid to natural material selection paired with a simple colour pallet. Green is used on the interior because of its direct association with nature and stress reducing qualities

1 - staff office

2 - staff break room

3 - multipurpose room

4 - family visitation room

5 - washroom

6 - storage

7 - social worker office

8 - path

The first floor was designed to hold the more rehabilitation oriented program, and includes rooms like a multipurpose classroom space, a family visitation room, a social workers office, a staff office and dedicated break room. The second floor houses more of the social programming, spaces like a lounge area, computer room, spiritual room, reading room and kitchen. The third floor is designed to be entirely open concept and to act as a secondary recreation room that gives residents and staff the opportunity to relax in a different setting. The basement holds support spaces like a secondary laundry area, as well as a full physical fitness room complete with a stretching area and heavy bag

1. Solarium

2. Addition

3. Kitchen

4. Path

5. Entrance

6. Multi Purpose Room

Model Making + Sketch

Master of Architecture

Lost Words Kindergarden

In 2007, the Oxford Junior Dictionary replaced forty nature-related words with ones tied to technology. This project aims to reintroduce nature to children through the intentional design of their environment.

Conceptual Design

Master of Architecture

landLOCH

This theater acts as an end to Toronto’s water front trail in the Portlands. Certain relationships were selected to explore using different methods of representation.

evolution of conceptual models characterizing the building’s embedded relationship with land

evolution of a conceptual models characterizing the building’s embedded relationship with land

schematic model cut mill board cast program scavenged bits pigment

ART x COVID-19

Competition

During the COVID-19 pandemic the need for rapidly deployable healthcare infrastructure became apparent. This testing center re-imagines emergency healthcare spaces by combining the therapeutic potential of art with modular, simple to deploy testing units.

Humanizing and reducing the stress associated with these environments is possible without compromising efficient and safety. Each module can be quickly assembled at various locations— such as churches or big box stores—and adapted for different healthcare uses, including drop-in or appointment-based testing.