Dillon Evans Architecture Design Portfolio

2022

Undergraduate Architecture Portfolio Dillon Evans

Contents

Resume

3

The Riverside Comm. Project

4

The Black Squirrel Media House

12

Raze Terrace

20

The Riverside Comm.

Presented by Dillon Evans

creation, capitalism, co-living.

Riverside is located nine miles west of Chicago. They took a 1600 acre plot of farmland and named it Riverside, Illinois due to the Des Moines river that winds through it all. Rather than pursuing the idea of the typical grid with straight, perpendicular lines to construct the suburb, they decided to do something else. The river has lots of strange curves which they used as an inspiration to make a series of curvilinear roads intersecting and forming small triangular mini parks throughout the town.

Calvert and Vaux strategically placed the Riverside train station in what is now the Town Square, and also, the center of Riverside, making it easily accessible to all Riverside residents. It is the perfect distance away from Chicago to escape the poor conditions of the city like air pollution and crowdedness. The train station is named a National Landmark and has been continuously restored throughout the years.

Settled in 1836, Riverside, known then as the Aux Plains, first welcomed the Forbes family to its serene riverbanks and beautiful forest areas. Others soon discovered the desirability of the area. However, only a handful of individuals held large land holdings in Riverside, and consequently, land development from approximately 1840-1868 was minimal. In 1869, the Riverside Improvement Company was incorporated and set forth to fulfill the

company’s dream of developing “a perfect village in a perfect setting.”

In 1871, when the Great Fire decimated Chicago and before Olmsted’s plan was fully executed, the developers went bankrupt. But before long, Riverside picked up momentum again, with community resident and notable architect William LeBaron Jenney stepping in to complete the town plan, and other notable architects of the day such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Sullivan designing homes. In 1873, the Riverside Improvement Company failed, creating conditions that warranted Village incorporation in order to carry on municipal functions. On June 25, 1875, the Cook County Court was petitioned to organize the Village of Riverside, and soon after, on August 8, 1875 the first Village President, Carol Gaytes, and first trustees were elected.

Site map of studied area Riverside, Il

Even though Riverside has come a long way over the years, flooding is still a pressing issue. With the Des Moines river running right through it, it is not uncommon for it to overflow into the town and do some damage. In 2013 there was a massive historic flood that hit Riverside, putting all the citizens in danger of losing their whole town. The Riverside Fire Department made a door-to-door sweep to all the residents, getting everyone to evacuate.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing new anti-flooding precautions to create levees or floodwalls around the area. They planned to take out the existing dams and begin a new plan to flood-proof these homes and only pay half the price to do so. Flood-proofing homes would include moving utilities to above the reach of floodwaters to allow homeowners to continue living in their homes even if the basement floods. They would also reuse 11,000 acres of wetlands to delay the drainage of downpours.

Communal Living While providing the space for new American family narratives to take place, the Riverside Comm Project takes into account the landscape and aims to create an element within the space, or a space itself that protects its residents from floods while also promoting gathering at large capacities.

This project challenges the idea of the American suburb and pushes for the amendment of domestic labor within the family.

The plan consists of 3 different terraces for 3 different living experiences ...

Indoor Dining Site Isometric View

Outdoor Recreation - Lumion Render

Co-Living Quarters

Outdoor Dining

Physical Model of Studied Area

Physical Model of Designed Area

The Black Squirrel Media House This project is named The Black Squirrel Media House in dedication to the growing theatre community of Kent, OH. The goal of the BSMH is to further catalyze the growth of the theatre community.

E Main St

S Water St

1. Lobby

North

2. The Black Squirrel Cafe 3. Media Lab 4. Lecture Hall

3

6

5. Classroom 6. Librar y

2 7. Storage

7

8. Loading Dock

5 8

4

Education + Archiving Ground Floor

Entrance

1

North

1. Black Box Lobby 2. Black Box Theatre 3. Archives 2

4. Loading Dock 3 5. Restrooms 6. Offices 7. Conference Room 4

1

8. Patio

7

5 6

Conference + Work Second Floor

8

1. Galler y

North

2. Green Room 3. Restroom 4. Recital Hall 5. Top Patio

2 1

3

4

Practice + Performance Top Floor

5

Raze Terrace

This project was created for using the color palatte associated with the Valorant characters, Raze and Brimstone

Raze

Brimstone

*character art not created by designer of this book