Derreck Travis

DERRECK KYNASTON TRAVIS MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE ADMISSIONS PORTFOLIO 2010 SELECTED WORKS

CONTACT

19737 42nd ave.

Langley, British Columbia.

Canada.

V3A 3A4

PH# 604 783 4592

Derrecktravis@live.com

DERRECK KYNASTON TRAVIS MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE ADMISSIONS PORTFOLIO

CONTENTS 4 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 32 34 36 38 40

COLOUR DIGITAL LEVITTOWN STRUCTURES RESEMBLANCES MATERIALS LANDSCAPES PUBLIC TRANSIT EUROPE SCOTTY’S CASTLE TEA POT AND MATCHING CUPS THE DOGWOOD PROJECT THE YEW BED THE COVER

COLOUR Colours tell a story. Specific combinations of colour identify things, such as

the seasons of nature, gender, religious beliefs, social stature, nationality, and consumer products. I use colour to identify place and feeling. The art in this section concentrates on the exploration of colour. I have created both abstract and representational work in a variety of mediums.

4

Ferry to Prince Rupert Acrylic on Canvas 40” x 60”

5

Left. Monoliths Acrylic on Canvas 60” x 24”

Above. Stumps Acrylic on Canvas 18” x 24”

Shadows Watercolour and Ink on Paper

7

8

Above. Glass dome at 333 Seymour Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canada Pastel on Paper

Left. Chevron Refinery Burnaby, British Columbia.

Canada Pastel on Paper

9

Abstract Colour 1 is an oil painting I created by applying thousands of small strokes with the pallet knife. The effect results in thousands of small ridges of thick paint.

The paining represents the structuring of an idea. The chaos of colour depicted in the left painting contains all the components that comprise the structured colour organization in the paining on the right. The colour is re-organized to form an abstract yet coherent image.

10

Abstract Colour 1 Oil on canvas 24” x 12” 24” x 18” 24” x 24”

Abstract Colour 2 Adobe Illustrator

Many people who saw the Abstract Colour 1 painting were very impressed with the use and organization of colour. I decided to extract some of the colours that were created in the piece and store them for use with my digital work. I took a lot of macro photographs, opened them in Adobe Photoshop, and created a new pallet of colour swatches by randomly extracting the colours with the eyedropper tool. Abstract Colour 2 was created in Adobe Illustrator by arranging the colours I extracted from the original work.

11

12

Topography Adobe Illustrator

DIGITAL My digital work has been focused in Adobe Illustrator with the creation of colourful patterns and geometric shapes.

Left. Hotel Adobe Illustrator

Above. Scripted Patterns Adobe Illustrator

13

LEVITTOWN An article I read in Time Magazine about William Levitt inspired this im-

age. I was waiting for a doctor’s appointment and was intrigued by Levitt’s contributions to the suburban lifestyle. In the mid 1940’s, Levitt devised a method to produce homes in an assembly line fashion. This new construction technique allowed for rapid home construction and the development of a new style suburban community. One community was Levittown, New York.

This image was created on illustrator and depicts 1200 houses. It is approximately 1/4 of the original work.

Original work 16” x 24”

14

Right. Levittown Adobe Illustrator

STRUCTURE Structure has always been an interest of mine. When photographing

structures, I enjoy exploring the their relationship with light and the environment.

Below. Lions Gate Bridge.

Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canada

Right. Fuel Tank.

Richmond, British Columbia.

Canada

Above. Granville Street Bridge.

Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canada Below. Aurthur Lang Bridge.

Richmond, British Columbia.

Canada

Clothing and textiles have always been an important part of culture.

The different weave, design, and material is an indication of its owners interests or position in society. Most textiles are composed by interlacing the chosen material over and over to produce a large sheet.

18

The sketch above is a representation on my bamboo duvet. The wrinkles and crevasses in the duvet provided shadows and exposed the weave if the material.

Bamboo Duvet.

Ink on Cotton Paper.

Structure has been a reoccurring theme in my education. The structure of molecules in chemistry, cells and organisms in biology, and societies in anthropology.

Although the intricate beauty of the smallest structures are only now being explored because of current technologies, they are yielding some amazing images that can be applied in the arts and sciences.

Lattice is a framework that consists of multiple criss crossing strips. The crossing provides strength and rigidity to a structure. This style of framework has been used in the construction of old bridges, the Statue of Liberty, and the Eiffel Tower.

Lattices are also used abundantly in nature. They form beautiful geologic crystals and the basic building block of life, DNA. Our bones are composed of a hard outer layer and spongy interior. The spongy bone is composed of a very beautiful lattice framework that provides strength to the bone and space for the vital fluids to move unobstructed.

The sketches found below and to the right are representations of spongy bone.

19

RESEMBLANCES The relationship between human-made struc-

tures and the natural world is complex. However, the beautiful and intricate structures that nature has produced are imitated in contemporary Architecture.

Top Left. Taraxacum Seeds Dispersing.

Bottom Left. Telus World of Science.

Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canada

20

Far Right. Taraxacum clock.

21

MATERIALS

Top Left. Styrofoam.

Bottom Left. Brick Wall.

Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canada Far Left. Corrugated Metal Siding.

Vancouver, British Columbia.

Canada

23

LANDSCAPES

Top Right. Lake Louise, Alberta.

Canada.

Bottom Right. Kennedy Lake.

Ucluelet, British Columbia.

Canada

24

Far Right. Greenfield, Nevada.

USA

25

26

PUBLIC TRANSIT I spend approximately one and a half hours on public transit each day

commuting to and from work. For much of the past year, I sat in my seat and trying to avoid eye contact with other commuters while burying my head in a newspaper.

However, what started as doodles in the margins transitioned into sketching the abundant features that make up the internal structure of the bus.

The maze of railings and seats provided ample number of objects to pass the time. Once you are able to overcome the stare of your curious neighbor, you are able to get lost in the fine details of the floors and windows.

The rough ride, abrupt corners, and constant bumping from other commuters resulted in the detailed sketch of the floor to the left.

27

The rooftops in Venice are fascinating. Each rooftop stands at a different level and angle from its neighbour. However, the rooftops are all composed of the same materials, have the same antennae, and have the same obvious repairs. As a result, and the rooftops are simultaneously chaotic and structured. For me, the rooftops aesthetic is able to provide structure where no inherent structure is present.

This rooftop was a perfect example. Hundreds of years of repairs left the neighbouring rooftop with bricks positioned both vertical and horizontal, stucco repairs, and awkward additions. This is a sketch from our apartment window.

28

Venice Rooftop.

Venice, Italy.

Pencil on Paper.

The Holocaust Memorial in Berlin is an incredible place. I visited the memorial three times and I had a different experience on each occasion. The permanence and rigidity of the concrete structures is in direct opposition to the dynamic experiences the structure can evoke. The entire experience changes depending on the time of day you visit, the weather, and where you are positioned.

EUROPE In the summer of 2008, I had the opportunity to backpack through Europe.

I was excited to explore first hand how these cities mixed old and new and how their countries were able to preserve unique identities while being so close both geographically and economically.

Unlike the major cities of North America, European cities have long histories.

Rome, known as the eternal city, has ancient structures located in the heart of busy central districts that give passers by a glimpse of what city life was like thousands of years ago. Although many of the buildings from the Roman period lie under the current city, the exposed structures indicate great architectural skill and a specific style that continues to influence the city today. European countries were able to develop unique identities over hundreds of years through their differing styles. These styles contribute to preserving each countries unique identity.

The Colosseum.

Rome, Italy.

Pencil on Paper.

29

30

Sprawl is generally considered to be negative. In North America, people continually argue against sprawl because of the negative impacts it has on health and the environment. Although sprawl is universal and effects all cities, in Europe I experienced sprawl is differently. The cities have developed over the course of thousands of years and have created sprawling urban centers with distinct communities each with their own dynamic architectural and design styles. I lost track of the sprawl because each community felt like it was a unique city.

Sprawl From the Montparnasse Tower Paris, France Ink on Paper

31

Scotty’s Castle incorporates a lot of archways and intricate details.

As the sun moved across the sky, the ridged architectural features and intricate designs allowed for some incredible photographs. that explored the use of light.

32

SCOTTY’S CASTLE Scotty’s castle, also known as The Death Valley Ranch, began construc-

tion in 1922; however, due to a series of problems, including the great depression and inaccurate land surveying, the project was never finished.

The grounds were built in the mission revival architectural style and incorporated great detail. Several towers adorn the roof and, for me, stood out as a primary architectural feature.

33

Since the body of the pot was large and could potentially hold a great volume of water, I positioned the spout at a lower level on the body to limit the maximum volume of water. By minimizing the maximum volume of water, I could ensure the teapot would be able to support the weight of the water If accidentally filled.

34

TEAPOT AND MATCHING CUPS The cups were made on the pottery wheel and the teapot was made entirely

by hand. I wanted to make a very large and unique tea set that could still be functional. Both the pot and cups are asymmetrical and have an organic aesthetic.

The teapot measures 28cm high without the lid.

35

The sides are attached by stove bolts and L brackets on the inner face of the wood. I counter sunk the heads of the bolts so they were flush with the surface resulting in a clean appearance.

The boxes can be arranged in any matter. The side panels are positioned with a small gap between them exposing the hollow inside. This small gap enables the lights that are positioned on the inside to be emitpatterns on surrounding surfaces.

36

To ensure all the holes were in the same position and the final product was square, I built a jig on the drill press.

The attachment of the last side posed a construction problem because I was unable to hold the nut in place wile tightening the last bolt. I addressed this problem by gluing the nut to the L bracket on the last side. The while glue was able to hold the nut in place enough for me to attach the final side.

48 pieces of wood 192 L brackets 384 bolts 384 nuts

THE DOGWOOD PROJECT The Dogwood Project is about exploring the relationship between space and light. This is a lamp / sculpture project built from naturally fallen Dogwood. Dogwood was selected because of its beautiful grain, color, and density. The tight grain was ideal because It helped minimize warping and enabled me to achieve a rigid box with a thin piece of wood.

The final product consisted of two 8” boxes, one 6” box, and five 4” boxes. The light is derived from an energy efficient strand of white LED Christmas lights.

37

The legs have a ledge cut into the sides to assist in the supporting the side beams and to line up the components for assembly. The ledge also allows the beautiful yew wood legs to be moved outward an inch for greater visibility.

The headboard was constructed from 2 milled cedar uprights, 5 yew panels, and a cedar cap. The components are glued and screwed to ensure a secure fit.

The headboard is attached to the frame by four carriage bolts; however, the bed can be constructed without it.

38

THE YEW BED The Yew Bed was made from naturally fallen, pest killed cedar and yew

wood. I have access to a portable sawmill and was able to retrieve the fallen logs from the forest, dry them over the summer, and custom cut all the wood to the desired specifications. I wanted to design and construct a modern bed that showcased the natural beauty of both types of wood.

The entire bed is assembled with 16 galvanized carriage bolts. Galvanized carriage bolts were chosen because they are protected from rust, their rounded heads would prevent shin injuries, and they provide a clean appearance.

All wood was milled, cut, and detailed by myself.

40

THE COVER The cover is a very important part of any project. It must be intriguing to the reader

and be coherent with the information inside. I wanted to develop a unique cover that was constructed with wood and was a design project in itself. I explored three portfolio cover ideas as shown in the drawings below. I decided on the third because it was thinner, attached, and easy for the reviewers to access.

The holes on the cover were delicately carved out with a drill and exacto knife.

41

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION