The Michael Pearson Prize 25 Year Celebration Drexel University Department of Architecture and Interiors
Š 2015 Drexel University, Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts + Design, Department of Architecture and Interiors Simon Tickell, Editor; Zachary Melnik, Production
The Michael Pearson Prize 25 Year Celebration Drexel University
Department of Architecture and Interiors June 22nd - July 11th, 2015 Leonard Pearlstein Gallery URBN Center Annex 3401 Filbert Street Philadelphia, PA 19104
June 1, 2015 Michael Pearson would have been fifty six years old this year. I can imagine him among us, a bit less hair perhaps, wearing glasses most likely, but his infectious smile intact and a portfolio of two and a half decades of achievement behind him, still with time to achieve much more.
Introduction
In creating the Michael Pearson Thesis Prize Michael’s friends and I had hoped that it would encourage every Drexel architecture student to aspire to greater heights as they worked on their final and most ambitious project. As you look at twenty five years of Pearson Prize projects it is easy to see that our goal has been achieved. Perhaps that is only a start. All Pearson Prize medalists carry Michael’s image with them. Their memorial medal serves as a constant reminder of his aspirations and his talent, easy to see in his upward gaze on one side, and in the soaring towers of his thesis project on the other. I hope they will look at their medal from time to time, and, thinking of Michael, imagine that they are sharing a measure of their professional successes with him too.
Paul M. Hirshorn, FAIA Professor Emeritus Head, Department of Architecture, 1986 -2010
Table of Contents
The Michael Pearson Architecture Prize Medalists Exhibitors are shown in bold.
1 3 5 8 9
Introduction, Paul Hirshorn Michael Pearson, Julie Pearson-Clarke Michael Pearson’s Thesis Project Michael Pearson’s Professional Work Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial, June 19, 1989 The Michael Pearson Architecture Prize Michael Pearson Winner, 1989 (Posthumously)
11 Ellen Sisle Winner, 1990 13 James Livoti Winner, 1991 Sherri Kimmel Winner, 1992 15 Doug Proctor Winner, 1993
Michael Metzger Silver, 2000 29 Matthew Heckendorn Bronze, 2000 Terrance Woods Gold, 2001 31 Courtney Anspach Silver, 2001
17 Lance Lukasiak Winner, 1994
Matt Xavier Bronze, 2001
19 Glenn Fearson Winner, 1995
Kirsti Kuhns Bronze, 2001
21 David Lachi Winner, 1996 23 Richard Miller Winner, 1997
33 Eric Heidel Gold, 2002 Mary Frazier Silver, 2002
39 John Keene Gold, 2004 John Myers Silver, 2004 Timothy Bailey Bronze. 2004 41 Joshua Janisak Gold, 2005
53 Uk Jung Gold, 2008
67 Joshua Lessard Gold, 2012
55 David Artman Silver, 2008
69 Michael Fierle Silver, 2012
Rebecca Vargas Bronze, 2008 57 Rose Randa Gold, 2009
Kelly Dapra Anderson 59 Soha St.Juste Silver, 2005 Silver, 2009 43 Timothy Cox Bronze, 2005 45 Francesca Oliveira Gold, 2006
John Sakoian Bronze, 2009 61 Jonathan Chizacky Gold, 2010
47 Joshua Kiehl Silver, 2006
Ashley Hedrick Silver, 2010
Clayton Bram Janaitis 35 Andrew Lengel Winner, 1998 Bronze, 2002
49 Robert Piasecki Bronze, 2006
Erin Robertson Bronze, 2010
Miguel Fernandez Winner, 1999
51 Kris Harris Gold, 2007
37 Karie Wong Gold, 2003
25 Tony Bracali Runner-up, 1999
Jackie Ford Gusic Silver, 2003
Gloria Orfanos Silver, 2007
27 Martin Breen Gold, 2000
Ming Tung Bronze, 2003
Laura Glantz Bronze, 2007
63 Isaac Southard Gold, 2011
71 Benjamin Currie Bronze, 2012 73 Jen Shin Gold, 2013 75 Aga Vinson Silver, 2013 Kevin Malawski Bronze, 2013 77 Marissa Hebert Gold, 2014 79 Alyssa Stein Silver, 2014 Zeshan Malik Bronze, 2014 81 Ryan Debski Gold, 2015
65 Kara Haggarty Wilson 83 Daniel Brown Silver, 2011 Silver, 2015 Thomas LaPorta Bronze, 2011
85 Julie Morningstar Bronze, 2015 88 Special Thanks
Michael Pearson 1959 - 1989 1
Michael was born in Ohio in 1959, becoming “little brother Mikie” to me and my sister, Patti. After moving every two years, my family settled in Clearwater, Florida when Michael was eight. He was the creative one in our family—playing piano, clarinet, and guitar, and becoming an impressive self-taught artist. He took up photography during high school, even setting up a makeshift darkroom in the shower stall of his bathroom. Michael loved the outdoors and could often be found at the beach. He was an avid cyclist and participated in local road races. He celebrated his high school graduation by taking an extensive bike tour of North Carolina with a friend, camping along the way. He had a gentle, sensitive spirit, and a dry sense of humor that never failed to make us laugh. For Michael, any chore could be made into a game, such as turning a mundane evening of dish-washing into a kitchen sink–scale naval battle. He was bright, inquisitive, and passionate about his interests, and his enthusiasm was contagious. Perhaps his imagination and creativity both presaged and influenced his choice to study architecture, initially at the University of Florida. During his junior year, frustration with school led to an impulsive midnight midsemester road trip with classmate Cameron MacTavish, in Michael’s VW Bug, which ended at my doorstep in Washington, D.C. Before heading back south, they took a side trip to Philadelphia to visit our Aunt Marion and her husband, Herb Chandlee, a retired Philadelphia architect. During this brief trip, Michael’s love affair with Philadelphia began. Not long after, he moved to Philadelphia, first temporarily and then permanently, to immerse himself in the energy of the city and to study its architecture. He found that the urban setting provided the inspiration he needed to perfect his craft. For seven years, Michael attended night classes at Drexel. He talked enthusiastically about his courses and his professors, including one, Tony Atkin, for whom he later worked. He proudly received his diploma in May of 1988. Sadly, he was only able to practice architecture for one year before his untimely death. My family appreciates all the people who worked so hard to create the Michael Pearson Prize as a tribute to Michael and his many talents. We congratulate all of the recipients. With each Prize awarded, we feel that Michael is remembered and honored.
Background Julie Pearson-Clarke, Sister 2
Thesis Project: An Apartment Building on Rittenhouse Square
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In the 1980’s, the evening architecture program at Drexel University was an eight year commitment. Michael completed his workshop/thesis project with Don Matzkin as his advisor. Michael Pearson’s chosen site was located on West Rittenhouse Square, flanked by the Church of the Holy Trinity to the north and 220 W. Rittenhouse to the south. Obliquely to the east sits the Rittenhouse Plaza, a twin residential tower by Ralph Bencker, of McLanahan and Bencker. The site overlooks Paul Cret’s iconic urban park, Rittenhouse Square known throughout the world for its civic grace and its canopy of London planetrees. Both of these adjacencies no doubt influenced the design of Michael’s Art Deco residential towers as well as the growing interest in the academy of Philadelphia, learning from the precedents of early 20th century architects and designers.
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Professional Work: Tony Atkin and Associates
Springside Academy
Brooklyn Museum Master Plan
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Christ Church of Brandenton, Florida
Deerfield Academy
Michael Pearson
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The Michael Pearson Architecture Prize Made possible by the Michael Pearson Memorial Fund, the Michael Pearson Architecture Prize is presented annually to the Drexel architecture student “who produces the best thesis project, and who, in the course of the thesis year, shows exceptional spirit in pursuing the work.� The winner, chosen by faculty vote, receives a gold medal and a stipend for extended travel in the study of architecture. Starting in 2000, second and third place awardees have received silver and bronze medals respectively. The first Prize was awarded to Michael Pearson and accepted by his family at the 1990 Evening College Honors Convocation (left).
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Procedures for A Awarding di
Conditions for the Winner
At the conclusion of the Thesis Reviews each jury panel selects projects to be considered for the Prize. These projects are rehung in the studios and the students are asked to wait while the faculty discuss their merits and then vote for the winner.
The winner of the Pearson Prize is expected to use the stipend for extended travel in the study of architecture. The winner is expected to arrange for the study tour within a year of graduation. During the trip, the winner is expected to document architectural observations in sketches, drawings, and photographs to be shared with the students and faculty of the Department of Architecture. It is expected that this documentation will be exhibited at Drexel during the following academic year.
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Ellen Sisle, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C Bachelor’s of Architecture, 1990 Pearson Prize - Winner
Travel Experience My trip to Rome was an amazing opportunity; I cherished every minute of my travel. I basked in the experience of day after day eating great meals, (I must have consumed more fettucine con funghi porcini on that trip than most people do in a lifetime), followed by attending concerts in my most favorite courtyards, and then waking up the next day and exploring. The uplifting feeling and vitality that came from the confluence of architecture, music and food continues to inspire me and showed me how impactful our profession can be.
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Rome Sketches
Work Experience Principal, Director of Laboratory Planning
Jacobs Philadelphia, PA
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James Livoti, AIA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 1990 Pearson Prize - Winner
Drexel Experience I will never forget my first lecture under Robert Ennis’s class, “Architecture, Man, and Society.” He opened the class with the question “What are you responsible for?” He then answered his own question with “everything!” I immediately had second thoughts of continuing this class, however, at the end of the evenings lecture, I was totally committed to becoming an architect. His passion and love for Architecture was and is a major inspiration to me throughout my career. I believe that receiving the Michael Pearson Prize was due primarily to the tutelage of Mr. Ennis and all of my studio instructors, and, of course, my Thesis advisor, Lindsey Falzk. I used the Award Travel Stipend to travel with my wife to Egypt and Greece. Seeing the antiquities that I had read about: The Temple at Karnak, the Lion Gate, climbing the Acropolis of Athens, and visiting Cape Sounion, was one of the high lights of my life. Earlier, I had done a rendering of the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion while taking a wash water color class at Drexel under Steve Bonitatibus. Unique to many Drexel Architecture students, I furthered my education at the age of 48, after working for many years as a draftsman for other Architects. Upon receiving my degree, I immediately started the process for my State License, which I received in 1993. I subsequently opened my office as a single practitioner, continuing to the present time. I will always be grateful for the education I received at Drexel, especially the Evening College which made my Architectural career possible.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Owner
James Livoti, AIA Architect Bridgeton, NJ
1992 - Present 14
Doug Proctor, AIA, LEED, BD+C
Bachelor’s of Architecture, 1993 Pearson Prize - Winner
Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
I think Michael would have been very proud of the Pearson prize as it has served as an inspiration for many Drexel students over the years to push themselves in their designs, graphics and presentation. My own experience through the thesis year was to totally change my project solution in the midyear. This has given me confidence throughout my career to know that I can continually find a solution to my clients needs.
As a result of the Michael Pearson Prize my wife and I were able to tour England and Scotland a few years after graduating from Drexel. The variety of architecture and history that London has to offer is only available in a few great cities of the world. The middle of the trip was spent at Stonehenge and in the smaller countryside towns of Bath and Cotswolds, reviewing how they were formed, why they were developed, and how the smaller structures created unique exterior spaces. The end of the trip was spent in Scotland reviewing the Golden Mile and the dramatic topography of Edinburgh. I have always been interested in the development of the city, rather than a solitary building. This led my family to move to a less developed region of the country where I could provide a good environment for my growing family and also be part of the growth of a new area with a more defined sense of context, while hopefully providing good design and service for the local community. New Hampshire and New England are challenging environments to work in from the climate to the town structure of the communities and the high level of community participation in the development of a project.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Principal II, Senior Vice President of Architecture
HL Turner Group Concord, NH
2014 - Present
Partner / Associate
Warrenstreet Architects Concord, NH
2004 - 2014
Associate
Anderson, Brown, Higley Associates Wilmington, DE
1996 - 2004
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Lance Lukasiak Bachelor’s of Architecture, 1994 Pearson Prize - Winner
Drexel Experience I am no longer an architect. That is to say that I no longer work in an architectural firm. I no longer labor long hours to meet permit or bid deadlines. And it’s been a long time since I’ve sketched a schematic design, or anything else for that matter, on onionskin paper. However, I am still an architect in a larger sense. As a public school teacher I am passionately invested in the future of our city. Just like an architect, I am often full of hope for the future while simultaneously frustrated at the slow pace of positive change. I am still filled with the fascination and wonder for the richness of urban life that brought me to the Drexel Architecture Program in the first place. Here that passion was fueled by like minded people (architects, planners, and teachers). I was, perhaps, never more challenged, engaged, or driven by a sense of purpose as I was during my seven years as a Drexel architecture student. This passion for urbanity is what guided me to choose my thesis project, a grand waterfront boulevard and park on what is now the site of the popular Schuylkill Banks. I had for a Thesis Advisor the late Mark Ueland, who guided me through the process with much patience and wisdom. Steve Bonitatibus taught me to travel like an architect when I spent what was possibly the most memorable summer of my life in Rome, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast. To this day when I find myself in a new city, I eschew taking tourist photos and instead sit down on a park bench or a curb and do a watercolor sketch. No, I am no longer an architect but yet, because of my experience at Drexel, I will always be an architect at heart.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience English/Science Teacher
Independence Charter School Philadelphia, PA
2007 - Present
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Glenn Fearon, RA, NCARB Bachelor’s of Architecture, 1995 Pearson Prize - Winner
Travel Experience When I was fortunate enough to have my thesis project selected as the Pearson Architectural Award winner, it was a validation for all the hard work and personal sacrifices that I had made during my tenure as an architecture student at Drexel University. My life at that time was completely immersed in architecture. I was working for a firm full time and studying architecture in the evenings. The level of dedication that was required to complete my architectural education at Drexel prepared me for my success in graduate school at Yale University and again, as a studio lecturer at the University of Southern California. I would like to share a moment that occurred when I finally took advantage of the generosity of the Pearson family’s gift and travelled abroad. I did not travel far and wide. I had a directed goal of experiencing some of Le Corbusier’s buildings in Europe. While I thoroughly enjoyed my visits to La Tourette and Ronchamp, it was my visit to Villa La Roche-Jeanneret that has left the deepest imprint on my memory. My wife and I were staying in Paris in a typical five story limestone resident/hotel in the 13th arrondissement. We had already spent a couple of days going to museums and tourist sites, but on this morning we would be hopping on the Metro and traveling to Villa La Roche- Jeanneret(which was now serving as the Fondation Le Corbusier). We had spent enough time exploring different neighborhoods of Paris to have absorbed the solid presence of the buildings. The continuous Limestone Facades along the main thoroughfares was constant reminder of the history of Europe and the permanence of western civilization. Paris is called the “city of light” but it often presents itself as caverns of limestone. As we wound our way through the streets from the Metro station to the Villa La Roche-Jeanneret, we continued through the solid city fabric and made our final turn from Rue du Dr. Blanche to Square du Dr. Blanche to witness what could only be described as a building that looked like it was going to float away. The ultra thin white curved facade of the 2nd story studio appeared to be made out of paper. It was like a Japanese kite tethered to the ground by its pilotis. We went on to take the tour of the spaces. We delighted in the light/lightness of the Villa. On that day, I learned the importance of project context, materiality, scale and the impact of good design. I can’t imagine what the client thought when this project was completed in 1925. I will never forget the hours I spent in my mecca. 19
Work Experience
Thesis Project
Owner
Some Office, Inc. Califorina
Studio Lecturer
University of Southern Califorina
Present
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David Lachi Bachelor’s of Architecture, 1996 Pearson Prize - Winner
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Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
I have very fond memories of Drexel and believe it was the very best choice for my education. The night program allowed me to learn the ropes not only in architecture but also in the construction industry while I was still in school. It gave me, and my classmates, a leg up on graduates from other schools as we were much better prepared for what lied ahead. Drexel is also where I met Alicia, my wife of almost twenty-one years. I was extremely honored to be chosen as the Pearson Prize winner and hold that moment as one of the best while at Drexel.
Winning the Pearson Prize could not have been timelier as my last class at Drexel was the study tour in Rome. My wife had taken that same class two years prior and loved it. She was also able to meet my family in Florence which was a great thrill for me. This time we traveled together and extended our stay for two months which allowed us to tour some of the most beautiful places in Europe. It was quite inspirational and filled us both with great respect and admiration for those who were involved in creating such works of art. This trip was also very special to us as we had not had the chance to take our honeymoon and so this trip became our honeymoon as well! It is a trip I will never forget and one I owe to having received the Pearson Prize.
Rome Sketches
Work Experience Partner
Paul F. Weber Architect LLC Newport, RI
2009 - Present
Project Architect
Newport Collaborative Architects Newport, RI
2004 - 2009
Project Architect
Bower Lewis Thrower Architects Philadelphia, PA
1996 - 2004
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Richard Miller, AIA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 1997 Pearson Prize - Winner
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Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
When I think back of my final year at Drexel, the influence of Peter Aarfa as my thesis advisor was invaluable. Peter allowed a freedom in his approach to teaching that afforded me the opportunity to really explore the ideas in my thesis, while gently reeling me back when I went too far astray. I am grateful for his input, and the opportunities that came about as a result of his influence.
As recipient of both the 1997 John Stewardson Traveling Fellowship and the Pearson Prize, I was able to fund a two month traveling fellowship in Spain. In my travels, I studied both traditional regional built form, as well as the more recent modern architecture of the Iberian Peninsula. The professional work I do now is shaped by an understanding of region, place and materiality; all of which echo my experiences in Spain. Specifically, the structure of the urban courtyard house, the interface between residential structures and the street, the embracing of local micro-climate and climatic influences, all inform the design of the residences I currently design in Philadelphia. The traveling fellowship also instilled in me a love of travel and learning that continues to this day. The travels in Spain inspired further travel in Europe, the Mediterranean region, Morocco, and Peru.
Professional Work
Thesis Project
Work Experience Partner
RKM Architects Philadelphia, DE
2010 - Present
Associate Project Manager Project Architect
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Philadelphia, PA
1997 - 2010
Project Architect
Bower Lewis Thrower Architects Philadelphia, PA
1991 - 1997 24
Tony Bracali, AIA, LEED AP Bachelor’s of Architecture, 1999 Pearson Prize - Runner-up
Drexel Experience Drexel helped me get where I am today. I think back on our first studio space- 5th or 6th floor of Nesbitt I think- with a great view to the skyline. So, URBN now represents the third location in twenty years, quite a bit of growth and change. Working at Venturi Scott Brown & Associates in my four years of evening school really shaped how I thought about design and how I approached my future endeavors. I owe thanks to many people, but I don’t want to name them as I will certainly forget a few. Viva Drexel!
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Thesis Project
Work Experience President
Friday Architects/Planners, Inc Philadelphia, PA
2007 - Present
Associate Professor
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
2001 - Present
Principal
Anthony Bracali ARCHitecture Philadelphia, PA
2002 - 2007
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Martin Breen, AIA, LEED AP Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2000 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Drexel Experience Receiving the Michael Pearson Gold medal remains the greatest moment of my career, noting I had already been working twelve years in the architectural world and had a young family at that point in time. Unfortunately I never got to meet Michael but I was well aware of his gifted architectural talents when I received the award; he is and will be always remembered every time I glance at that medal which will always remain in a prominent location in my household. I am grateful to Drexel University, the many great architects, family and friends I have worked with over the years and I thank the Pearson family for sharing Michael’s legacy and allowing me in a very small way to honor his memory.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Architect Lead Designer/Associate
KDA Architects Voorhees, NJ
2011 - Present
Architect Lead Designer/Associate
AP3C Architects Philadelphia, PA
2003 - 2011
Architect
Dagit Saylor Architects Philadelphia, PA
2001 - 2003
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Matthew Heckendorn, AIA, LEED AP
Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2000 Pearson Prize - Bronze Medal
Drexel Experience My experience within the architectural program at Drexel University left a profound and persisting impact on my professional career. At Drexel, I was exposed to a great range of professional practice models. I was also presented with the opportunity to learn about both historical and contemporary movements in architecture, which I was quite anxious for at that point in my life and education. In retrospect, I think my education provided me with many lessons in problem-solving techniques, and is likely the aspect I am most appreciative of. In particular, the uniqueness of the 2+4 Program permitted me to accelerate my career. At nineteen, I was able to commence working full time in architecture. And due to the prospect of continued employment (rather than a more limited internship or co-op), I was able to participate meaningfully in design and documentation very early in my life. Because of this path, I was able to earn my professional licensure when I was just twenty-five years old, and become Principal of my firm at thirty. With regard to my thesis experience; my project was very much a culmination of my education. I was able to test and consider design typologies within a scale and time frame that none of my earlier years at Drexel afforded. My interaction with my thesis advisor, Arlene Matzkin, was both meaningful and enlightening. I still look back with a great sense of accomplishment in my role as a finalist in the Michael Pearson Prize. I will forever be indebted to the experiences gained in my Drexel experience.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Principal
Heckendorn Shiles Architects Wayne, PA
2004 - Present
Project Architect Project Manager
Hooper Shiles Architects Wayne, PA
2002 - 2004
Project Architect Project Manager
Charles E. Broudy & Associates Philadelphia, PA
1997 - 2002
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Courtney Anspach, RA, NCARB
Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2001 Pearson Prize - Silver Medal
Drexel Experience After almost eighteen years working for the firm that I started my Drexel internship with, I have joined another Philadelphia firm, SchraderGroup Architecture as a project manager. It was a combination of my four year internship paired with the evening studio classes that made my Drexel experience so rich and rewarding. I built up my technical expertise while working in an office and embarked on great relationships with my professors and fellow design professionals while pursuing daily what makes great design. After five years of studio classes with rewarding projects, my thesis year was my chance to pursue a project of my choosing. After some thought, I chose to design a crematorium because it offered the opportunity to think about how architecture can affect us through design and place. The site, now a park, was an abandoned Silver Mine just down the road from my childhood home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The topography is hilly, flattening out towards the water where I set the building. The project uses the flow of water, introduced as a man-made feature at the top of the hill/arrival as a means of carrying the visitor through the site and down to the chapels within the building. Water plays a strong role throughout the site representing the idea of renewal. The building is comprised of two small chapels, viewing rooms and an assembly space for the public to the west with the restrooms and more utilitarian spaces grouped in a bar on the east. The radiating rows of trees to the west of the site lead visitors to a series of remembrance walls set into the hillside. The sense of arrival, progression, and departure through the site relates to the idea that grief comes in stages and cannot subside before the journey is complete.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Project Manager
SchraderGroup Architecture Philadelphia, PA
Present
Associate
VSBA Partners Philadelphia, PA
2012 - 2015
Project Manager
Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates Philadelphia, PA
1997 - 2012
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Eric Heidel, RA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2002 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
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Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
At the start of freshman year, I met my twenty-five fellow architecture classmates, many of whom I am still good friends with to this day. I have fond memories of late nights in the studio with my classmates during the first two years of school. I particularly enjoyed the second year studio with Michael Burns, where I think I developed significantly as a designer. After second year, I began an internship with Peter Arfaa. There was never a dull a day at his office. Working full time and going to school at night was a challenge, but it prepared me for juggling the many responsibilities I have today. Thesis year was a great experience and I’m very appreciative of Alan Greenberger’s mentorship during that time.
After winning the Pearson prize and graduating, I left my job and took two months off to travel and look for new work. Using the money from the Pearson prize, I made a quick two week drive across the country and traveled to Europe for two weeks, where I visited Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium. My drive across country was a truly amazing experience, but not as influential from an architectural standpoint. My trip to Europe did have quite an impact on my career as an architect. The main destination of my trip was Berlin, where I wanted to see the contemporary architecture that had been built after the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification. My prior travels through Europe had been to cities with well-preserved historic architecture, but this trip took me to cities which had been devastated by World War II and rebuilt in the aftermath. While I still love modern architecture, I realized that the city full of modern buildings did not have the same character as one that was able to preserve its past. And while I saw some excellent pieces of modern architecture, I also saw buildings that I had admired in books and magazines, which were a disappointment in person and had aged poorly in a short period of time. After returning from that trip, I became less interested in the avant garde architecture that had inspired me as a student, and more interested in well-crafted buildings that respond to their context. I also became much more interested in the preservation of historic buildings. As a professional, I’ve been particularly interested in projects that involve renovating old buildings and adapting them for new uses.
Thesis Project
Work Experience Principal
(Re)work Architecture & Design Philadelphia, PA
2010 - Present
Project Architect Project Manager
Matthew Millan Architects Philadelphia, PA
2014 - Present
Project Architect Project Manager
Coscia Moos Architecture Philadelphia, PA
2012 - 2014
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Andrew Lengel, RA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2002 Pearson Prize - Bronze Medal
Drexel Experience We called ourselves the 618 Posse. It wasn’t a gang or a club but a set of driven (and a little nutty) young people sharing studio space in room #618 on the upper floor of Nesbitt Hall. Though it has been almost twenty years, I fondly remember spending many evenings and weekends with my fellow, nutty architecture students. For many reasons, a great camaraderie developed between us that still connects many of us today. Perhaps it was the 4AM trips to the 30th Street Station McDonald’s, or schlepping foam-core from the South Street Pearl art store to West Philly without a car. There was the sense that all of us had a chance at producing something worthy of our professor’s praise. There was a sense that all of us had something to contribute architecturally, or at least socially. And, in the coming years, many professors and studio critics such as Walt Moleski, Jahan Sheikholeslami and the former department head Paul Hirshorn, helped to groom us into responsible, thoughtful designers. I’m still grateful for those long ago days in the ‘posse’ and grateful to be represented again here as a Pearson finalist.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Project Architect Project Manager
Blackney Hayes Architects Philadelphia, PA
1999 - Present
Intern Architect
Kramer Marks Architects Philadelphia, PA
1998 - 1999
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Karie Wong Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2003 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Drexel Experience After twelve years since graduation at Drexel, I chose to return to Hong Kong to witness how the city’s infrastructure would grow as envisioned in my dreams. Somehow I am expecting the city, where I grew up, to continue its organic development, and one day in the next fifty years, I would see some sort of vertical city mechanism happening in Hong Kong. More and more I see sky gardens and mixed-use high rises in the city that embodies this idea. The same location would take on a new look after a certain years, as revolution is always happening over the years of growth. To me, this is really a true metaphor as proposed from my thesis. The city doesn’t sleep and there will never be a finished form. I am delighted to have taken part in the Drexel 2+4 architecture program and graduated with the Pearson award honor, as it set a very strong foundation to explore the world outside of my comfort zone. To dream and think outside of the box has always stayed within me throughout the years, both professionally and intellectually. It was absolutely a life changing experience to have gone through the six years at Drexel and better yet, the years that came afterwards, were the most precious reward one can ever imagine.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Regional Retail Design, Visual Merchandising Director
Parfums Christian Dior Hong Kong
2011 - Present
Architectural, Interior, Visual Designer
CL3 Architects Ltd. Philadelphia, PA
2005 - 2007
Assistant to Team Architect
Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates Philadelphia, PA
2001 - 2003
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John Keene, AIA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2004 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Travel Experience After winning the thesis prize in 2004 I debated where to travel for some time. Europe was on the top of the list. I then thought how much architecture both natural and man-made existed in the United States. I decided to take a five week road trip across the country to see some of the nation’s best natural and architectural sites. Traveling over 6,000 miles I started on the east coast and passed through Philadelphia PA, Pittsburgh PA, Columbus OH, Indianapolis IN, Chicago IL, Milwaukee WI, Taliesin WI, Minneapolis MN, Rapid City SD, Yellowstone National Park WY, Missoula MT, Spokane WA, Portland OR, Astoria OR, San Francisco CA, San Diego CA, Phoenix AZ, ending in Flagstaff AZ. From Flagstaff I flew home to Philadelphia. I did this trip solo but met up with friends in almost all the major cities I stopped at. Some of my fondest memories include waking up in Yellowstone Park to the sound of a huge bull elk nibbling on my tent, seeing Kahn’s Salk institute during a Pacific storm, hitting a 24” blizzard in September in Arizona that turned the desert white, and seeing the sun set on the ancient cliff dwellings at Canyon de Chelly. The journey through the stunning landscape of America will stick with me for life.
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Thesis Project (with Peter Arfaa)
Work Experience Architect
Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC Philadelphia, PA
2005 - Present
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Joshua Janisak, NCARB, RA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2005 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
Perseverance – the value of hard work and putting in the extra hours
I was fortunate to be able to travel to Old San Juan, Savannah, and New Orleans. Thank you for the opportunity to be able to see new sites, appreciate new architecture, and meet new people. The majority of the money however was spent towards the purchase of my home on Schell St. The home is a fixer upper, so I’ve had the good fortune to be able to put my designs into real life, and experiment. More importantly, I’ve gained so much first hand knowledge from the blood sweat and tears poured into restoring the home. I’ve been able to immerse myself into masonry restoration, plumbing and electrical work, architectural millwork, rough framing, architectural sheet metal, roofing, etc. I’m grateful for the knowledge and tools I’ve gained over the years to be able to design and complete the restoration work on my own. Having first hand knowledge of how it works, and appreciating the process of construction, is equally important to making a good design. My goal is to earn a Preservation Alliance Preservation Achievement Award for all the work completed on my home.
Constructive Criticism – the value of listening and appreciating input Design with Intention – the value that each design must have a unique driving idea or motif By and large, I appreciated the experience of concurrent work with evening school, although it was a four year grind. School allowed me to dream and be limitlessly creative, while work taught me the fundamentals, kept me grounded, and educated me about the realities of being an architect. I’m grateful to all the Drexel professors encountered along the way and my boss Jim Bradberry for giving me a chance, trusting me, and allowing me to grow. If I would change anything about Drexel, I recommend that each student learn how to lay a brick, engage in a public speaking/communication course, understand the value of resource management/water ecology construction waste management, take a course in historic preservation/adaptive reuse, and learn the skills necessary to become a successful business entrepreneur.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Associate
James Bradberry + Architects Bryn Mawr, PA
2002 - Present
Draftsman
Bower Lewis Thrower Philadelphia, PA
2002
Draftsman
Kaufman Hickey Architects Lancaster, PA
2000
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Timothy Cox,
AIA NCARB, LEED, BD+C
Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2005 Pearson Prize - Bronze Medal
Drexel Experience Deciding to start a new career at the age of thirty, with two toddler aged children, and a wife also going back to school, was no easy decision, but ultimately, it was the best decision I ever made. Telling my mother and father that I was not going to be a part of the family business anymore, was heartbreaking for all of us, but it is what I needed to do. For seven years, I drove from Reading to Philadelphia and back home to Mohrsville three days a week after work. It was grueling and dangerous on the few hours of sleep I got each night after working and studying, but I would do it all over again because it gave me the life I have now, and the ability to pursue my dreams. My wife was my rock during those seven years. Always there to support me and take care of the kids and make sure that they got to the events I was bound to miss, all while finishing her Bachelor’s degree as well. I am so grateful for the opportunity that Drexel University provided for a non-traditional student like me. I can never repay all of the people who encouraged, supported and mentored me along the way. I was truly able to find myself in those seven years. I found my inner peace, my purpose in life, and ultimately I found the person I would become. I learned, I explored and I expressed myself in a way I had never been able to do before. I loved the experience, and I excelled. I gained confidence and affirmation that my choice was the right one, and all of the sacrifices I was making would be worth it in the end. I loved the learning, the competition, and camaraderie. I have made lifelong friends, forged in the bonds of a common goal and a common experience, and for that I am eternally grateful. I got to spend three weeks studying in Italy, an aweinspiring once in a lifetime event I will cherish forever. The crowning achievement of my academic career was winning the Bronze medal in the Pearson Memorial Competition. That honor holds a special place in my heart and marks a monumental time in my life. I display that medal proudly, and I am eternally thankful for the Pearson family and their contribution to Drexel University and their impact on architects of the future.
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In the memory of Michael Pearson, I endeavor to make him proud and worthy of the honor of being a Pearson Prize Medal winner.
Studio Project
Work Experience Principal
Meister Architects Wyomissing. PA
2000 - Present
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Francesca Oliveira, AIA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2006 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
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Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
On the first day I visited Drexel, Paul Hirshorn, FAIA (then Department Head) walked right up to me and said, “Hello, you must be Francesca Oliveira. You look just like your Admission Essay.” The personal interest set me on the road I walk today, which allowed me to be five years ahead of colleagues in experience and knowledge. Through Drexel, I was encouraged to work at Kling in Philadelphia, and spent ten wonderful years there. During that time, I also joined the faculty at Drexel. My teaching led me to work in Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in San Francisco, which was a life-long aspiration.
China is intriguing in its dichotomy of 1,000 year old construction that has stood the test of time and modern day buildings that begin to fall apart within 10 years of completion. Are society’s values reflective of this architectural phenomena? After three weeks of travel across the country, I was no closer to unraveling that mystery. Little did I know that within 10 years, I personally would be leading a team to complete a skyscraper in China, facing that same reality. The design opportunity lies in an Architecture that promotes the emergence of a future society, unencumbered by status quo.
Thesis Project
Professional Work
Work Experience Senior Project Architect
Skidmore, Owing & Merrill San Francisco. CA
2013 - Present
Project Architect
KlingStubbins, Inc. Philadelphia, PA
2003 - 2013
Architecture Intern
DAS Architects, Inc. Philadelphia, PA
2002 - 2003
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Joshua Kiehl, AIA, NCARB Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2006 Pearson Prize - Silver Medal
Drexel Experience I attended Drexel largely because of their 2+4 Option which offered me the opportunity to begin working full time in a firm after two years of undergraduate studies. I was putting myself through college and the opportunity to obtain a position in my field of study within two years of entering the program offered significant financial advantage over other architectural programs. I worked my first six years in architecture at John Milner Architects in Chadds Ford, anywhere from a 30 to 90 minute drive outside the city depending on traffic. It was always a challenge trying to make it back into the city to find parking and to make it to studio - especially when there was an accident on I-95. If I was lucky I occasionally had time to grab a cheesesteak from one of the food trucks behind the Main Building before heading to class. During my freshman and part of my sophomore years I rowed for the Drexel crew team. I remember working all night to complete a studio project (an arboretum in Fairmount Park) then heading home to shower and board a bus to Virginia to compete in a regatta at George Washington. All without sleeping. For my thesis project I pursued an interest in historic buildings and tried to develop an adaptive reuse concept for an underutilized group of buildings in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At this point in time I was still doing a lot of my work by hand and developed 3D concepts for my project with numerous iterations of study models. By the end of the project I had models piled around my house. While I don’t have the opportunity to do as much hand drawing and model construction today as I used to, I still see value in developing designs by hand and in model form in order to understand the massing and spatial concepts of a given project. Looking back Drexel and the first-hand professional experience I was able to obtain during the course of the architecture program provided a solid start to my professional career and positioned me to be where I am today.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Architectural Manager
Entech Engineering Reading, PA
2012 - Present
Project Architect
Entech Engineering Reading, PA
2010 - Present
Project Manager Intern Architect
Tippetts/Weaver Architects, Inc. Lancaster, PA
2008 - 2010
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Robert Piasecki,
AIA, LEED AP
Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2006 Pearson Prize - Bronze Medal
Drexel Experience My 2+4 Drexel experience started as it does for many architecture students, with the intense experience of working around the clock in the first and second year studios. That experience formed a deep camaraderie among my classmates, as well as with the faculty who taught us. Judy Bing, Walter Moleski, Michael Burns, and Mark Brack, just to name a few, inspired us to love architecture. The foundations laid by those faculty members, along with the support of our fellow classmates, is what carried us through the next four challenging years of the evening program. While grueling, there was a synergy between working during the day and taking classes at night. Both distinct experiences informed each other, and through that interaction taught me so much along the way. Looking back, I have no doubt the 2+4 program set me years ahead in my career, though I would never want to go through it again, nor do I understand how we managed it in the first place! However, it was because of the program I was able to get my license shortly after graduation, move up quickly in my firm, and manage large and complex projects - including acoustic renovations to Verizon Hall and the brand new LeBow College of Business at Drexel - at a relatively young age (pre gray hair!). The other influence I fondly remember was my involvement with Drexel’s chapter of the AIAS. Tours, conferences, networking with other schools, and every year attending the national ‘Forum’ conference enriched our college experience and were just plain fun! To this day, I still regularly see many of my old classmates and professors who form a vast professional network, not to mention that the Drexel architecture program is also where I met my wife! Now nine years post-graduation, my experience has come full circle as I work professionally on campus projects, critique studio projects as a guest juror, and now teach as an adjunct member of the faculty.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Senior Associate
Voith & Mactavish Architects Philadelphia, PA
2002 - Present
Adjunct Instructor
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
2014 - Present
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Kris Harris, RA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2007 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
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Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
My experience at Drexel University Westphal College of Media Arts and Design cultured my creative process and instilled a work ethic essential to my career as an architect. The collaborative and interactive educational environment of the design studio required we meet deadlines and to always put our best foot forward. The ethos of the studio has given me the confidence to succeed in the professional realm. I particularly loved how this education option allowed me to intern during the day in my future career, while going to school at night. Due to this educational/ professional overlap, I was able to sit for the ARE (architectural registration exam) and become a licensed professional within six months of graduation. I believe this opportunity gave me a real “leg up” among colleagues from other universities.
Being awarded the Pearson Prize afforded me the opportunity to broaden my architectural awareness through travel. Immediately after graduating in 2007, and having already been to northern Europe before, my wife and I elected to tour Italy for three weeks. We stayed in Venice, meandered through Tuscany, and spent two weeks with Drexel adjunct professor Steve Bonitatibus and his Rome sketch class. Every student of architecture and young aspiring architect must strive to spend a month of time devoted solely to sketching and photographing architecture. It is the process of capturing what you see through a drawing and/or a lens of a camera the trains the eye to interpret “what we see” as more than something that is simply “beautiful.” For architects, the process of drawing reaches beyond a communication tool set for presentations. Sketching is our way of actually distilling our environment, and rendering it into our intellect and souls.
Rome Sketch
Work Experience Principal
Kris Harris Architect & Developer Philadelphia, PA; Mendocino, CA
2010 - Present
Assistant Instructor
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
2009 - 2012
Project Architect
Ballinger Philadelphia, PA
2005 - 2012
Intern Architect
Lawrence D. McEwen Architects Philadelphia, PA
2000 - 2005 52
Uk Jung, RA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2008 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
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Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
The Drexel architecture program is unique in supporting meaningful work experience while studying. Most people point to the fact that this can help you find a job after school and curtail costs, and conversely that it could restrict creativity and exploration in school. But by being able to simultaneously study architecture and work in the industry, it allowed me to explore the gap between academia and the profession. It wasn’t just a reconciliation between academia and the profession, but an opportunity to develop my own sense of the architectural design process through exploration of both.
Travel was an essential part of my education, and the Pearson prize allowed me to spend a significant time abroad. Travel allowed me to better understand the cultural influences and to also to experience the buildings first hand. I was able to travel from the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, through Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. My travels served as a great transition from my education at Drexel to my career as an architect.
Travel Sketch
Work Experience Project Architect Digital Design Specialist
KieranTimberlake Philadelphia, PA
2010 - Present
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
2011 - Present
BIM Manager Architectural Designer Integrated Modeling Specialist
ThorntonTomasetti Various Locations
2006 - 2010
Intern Architect
Peter F. Arfaa Architects Philadelphia, PA
2004 - 2006 54
David Artman, RA Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2008 Pearson Prize - SILVER Medal
Drexel Experience My time in the Drexel Architecture program spanned twelve years. In that time I got married, started a family, renovated my house, took a “sabbatical”, and worked in five wonderful architecture firms. My coursework helped me develop a well rounded approach to design and diligent investigation of architectural trends and issues while working in residential, retail, corporate, healthcare, and historic preservation architecture. My favorite experiences at Drexel were the competitions that we worked on. The Delaware Valley Green Building Competition, the Ize Prize, a cultural arts center at the south end of Roosevelt Island, and the Stewardson Competition pushed my abilities to communicate visually. Being able to present projects clearly and thoughtfully during critiques is important, however the competitions made it clear that it is equally important that design boards must stand on their own without elaboration. Thesis year was a tremendous experience working with Ed Bronstein. We came upon a buzzword for the project, “exuberant”. If the ideas were not flowing or the approach seemed too tame we just kept coming back to the idea of an exciting, vibrant, and exuberant public space. I carry those lessons, that spirit, that sense of energy with me today and try to infuse it into all the projects I touch.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Senior Associate Project Architect
Array Architects Conshohocken, PA
2013 - Present
Project Manager Project Architect
KSK Architects Planners Historians Philadelphia, PA
2006 - 2013
Healthcare Planner Project Architect
Francis Caufmann Foley Hoffmann Architects Philadelphia, PA
2002 - 2006 56
Rose Randa Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2009 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
It was 2004 when I sat in Walter Moleski’s office for the admissions interview. I had been working at Hillier in their interiors department as a junior designer, when it occurred to me that all the things I really wanted to be doing were done by people with architecture degrees. Having graduated with a bachelors degree in 2001 in a traditional time-line, I asked Walter if I was too old. The response: Why you’re a mere child! He was right, and so it was, the years at Drexel were a time of constant growth and exposure to many inspiring architects and leaders of the profession, each with a valuable new perspective to offer. Certainly a program that asked students to balance the workings of an architecture firm by day, while granting evening forums for discussion, creativity, and more work than you ever thought possible, posed a difficult dichotomy to navigate. The result however, was self-reliance, and the knowledge that one is entering capable and competent into this challenging and rewarding profession.
The Pearson family’s generosity has granted so many students access to experience the world learned in the classroom. For me, it was a wonderful surprise and a gift of the Rome Study, which was the greatest possible way to close my time at Drexel. It was a once in a life time opportunity; a memory I keep close and think on with gratitude. A later trip to The Netherlands, France, Germany, and Belgium, continued my education. I can’t wait for the next adventure. Many thanks to the Pearson family for their beautiful memorial.
Accessibility and inclusiveness were recurring themes at Drexel. This vein ran through the philosophies of many of professors, and we learned its roots in Philadelphia’s regional design history. The student population was full of diversity; all ages and backgrounds. Several teachers would say, everyone brings something to the table, and their practice may have been one of the greatest lessons. Watching them guide the studio process, finding the words for each student’s critique, gave me the skills to teach others in the work environment, and it’s a part of my job that I enjoy most today.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Associate
Asher Associates Architects Jenkintown, PA
2004 - Present
Junior Designer
Hillier Philadelphia, PA
2002 - 2004
Design Intern
Hyland Design Group Scranton, PA
2000 - 2001
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Soha St.Juste, AIA, LEED AP Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2009 Pearson Prize - Silver Medal
Drexel Experience The Drexel Experience has never been lost upon me since I first entered the architecture studio in the fall of 2003. To this day I am constantly (and pleasantly) reminded of how strong the network of faculty, students, and alumni remain and find success and leadership within their local communities. Some of my favorite memories include the sketching tour in Rome with my dearest friends, late night dinners after a long day of work and evening studio, and watching Jack Dundon create his masterpiece chalk drawings for Arch 151 class. I also have fond memories of my first and second year studio professors - Walter Moleski, Judith Bing, and Paul Hirshorn, and thank them very much for their encouragement and mentorship. I have been at my architecture firm, Jacobs, for 10 years and have had the pleasure of working on a wide range of projects. However, the most rewarding aspect of my career thus far is watching young students who I helped teach in the Drexel Summer Architecture Program for High School Students get accepted to Drexel and now work side by side with me at my office, some of whom are graduating this year! The strength of the Drexel network in Philadelphia is a testament to how hardworking the faculty and students are, and I am proud to be a member of the class of 2009.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Project Designer
Jacobs/KlingStubbins Philadelphia, PA
2005 - Present
Adjunct Assistant Professor
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
2011 - Present
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Jon Chizacky,
LEED AP, BD+C
Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2010 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
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Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
Gratitude isn’t exclusive to my journey. It extends to the institution that inspired and made that experience possible. Drexel is consistently lauded for its ability to usher students into the working world, a trait that is demonstrably accurate. However, our architectural enclave, at times refreshingly insulated from the university at large, afforded the kind of learning and working environment that let me thrive. From a small tribe of students to the professors, a genuinely involved cast of characters each with their own particular genius to discover, the human element made Drexel Architecture a uniquely compelling place to learn. In my ongoing search for new perspectives, I found them easily in these people and in classes that exposed me to how others create around the world and with different objectives in mind. These are the experiences I still draw upon to move forward in design and in my life.
I value having new experiences. To me, it is the only way to grow as a designer and a person. As I ventured to Morocco, specifically Casablanca and its surrounding arrondissements, I was faced with novelty from the beginning. It was my first time traveling beyond North America, beyond the English language, and completely by myself. I was excited for the opportunity to explore someplace so utterly foreign to me. Thrown into a different climate, culture, and built environment with only my high school French to support me, this trip was the impetus for a much wider and more mature personal world-view. I came home with a few lessons that I haven’t ignored in subsequent travels: be more daring; take more photos; and don’t trust the ice cubes. But no place I’ve been previously or since has provided the exhilarating and informative unfamiliarity of Morocco, a fact for which I continue to be grateful.
Travel Photo
Work Experience Designer
The Sheward Partnership Philadelphia, PA
2006 - Present
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Isaac Southard Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2011 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
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Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
My experience as an undergraduate student of architecture at Drexel University left an indelible mark on the person I am today. The program taught me the fundamentals of drawing, design, and making and opened my eyes to the profound world of architecture. I remember with vivid clarity the electric atmosphere during my first year in studio with my fellow classmates and Professors Judith Bing and Walter Moleski. One of the most memorable experiences was leading the Design Build course taught by Jack Dundon. Together with five of my classmates we constructed a set of shelters that remained standing in front of Nesbitt Hall for nearly a decade. A few years later I had the privilege of participating in the Rome Program with Steve Bonitatibus during the summer of 2009. Professor Bonitatibus showed us the famous sites of antiquity and taught us how to sketch with greater precision and emotion. All of these experiences culminated in what was perhaps the defining moment of my academic career as an undergraduate student of architecture; Thesis. Under the guidance of my thesis advisor, Rachel Schade, I was able to explore challenging issues in architecture pertaining to politics, culture, and representation. For my thesis project I designed a new United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, and was able to study in Pakistan for an extended period of time. While in Pakistan I visited several cities and remote regions to research the geography, vernacular architecture, local building materials, and the demographic makeup of Pakistan. I also visited the Embassy site and studied its physical and social relationship to Islamabad and the Pakistani people. My classmates and I had a terrific thesis year and bonded over evening crits we held at each other’s apartments. The collective atmosphere of the studio made winning the Pearson Prize an extremely special honor.
Having spent a considerable amount of time abroad as an undergraduate student of architecture at Drexel University, I elected to focus my Pearson Prize scholarship towards exploring the vernacular architecture of the United States. I first visited remote domestic building sites near the Grand Canyon in Colorado that were gradually disappearing into the natural landscape. After Colorado I visited a series of heavy timber lodges along the Pacific coast in Oregon and Washington State. The lodges were built at varying times by either native Indians or by earlier frontier pioneers. I also traveled through New York State by bicycle visiting timber lodges around Lake Placid and within the Adirondack State Park. The final and most influential travel experience I undertook was hiking the remote John Muir Trail in the California Sierra Nevadas. Along the two hundred and thirty mile trail I visited three trail ranches that were originally designed to support pack mule trains. Experiencing the sheer immensity, grandeur, and desolation of the John Muir Trail ultimately informed my decision to return to graduate school. I am currently attending the Yale School of Architecture as a Master of Architecture II degree candidate. As a graduate student I am continuing to explore ideas and interests I first discovered as an undergraduate student of architecture at Drexel University.
Thesis Project
Work Experience Architectural Designer
MGA Partners Architects Philadelphia, PA
2007 - 2014
Adjunct Instructor
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
2013 - 2014
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Kara Haggarty Wilson,
AIA, NCARB
Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2011 Pearson Prize - Silver Medal
Drexel Experience I’d have to say that throughout my Drexel education, one of my favorite aspects of the day-to-day experience was the consistent yet varied exposure to working professionals. As an evening student, not only are your professors working architects, but you and your fellow classmates are each gaining experience in unique and challenging architectural workplace environments. As I have progressed through my career and mentored other students, some at other local universities, I’ve realized how critical my Drexel experience was for me. When I graduated with my Bachelors of Architecture, there were no questions about what an architectural career might actually entail, or whether I felt like being an architect was actually a good fit for me; I already knew, I was prepared and eager to progress. Looking back and thinking about my favorite times at Drexel as an Architecture student, I’d have to admit that the freedom and time allowance of the Thesis year proved the most satisfying. I love to attack a problem from all fronts and feel as though I understand something wholly, and the year-long Thesis process allowed me to take an idea I had been throwing around in my head and develop it into a full-fledged design and conceptual business model. My Thesis advisor, Sherman Aronson, was critical in giving me just the right amount of guidance to keep my project on track.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Director of Sustainability Project Manger
CICADA Architecture/Planning Philadelphia, PA
2009 - Present
Architectural Intern
RMJM Hillier Architecture Philadelphia, PA
2007 - 2008
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Joshua Lessard Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2012 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
My time at Drexel was filled with investigations into how architecture can make a real and tangible difference in people’s lives. Buildings were not presented as static objects to be admired from afar. They were given vivacity--discussed and analyzed as active players in forming the complex urban and rural landscapes that humans inhabit. Thanks to this approach, I came to understand three important lessons:
As my interests are more humanitarian, I led a team to Nepal, Tibet, and Mongolia where we surveyed, documented, and filmed endangered cultures. I have been forever changed by the expedition I led while traveling, thanks to the Pearson Prize.
1) The things you design have real consequences. 2) To make discoveries, you must pay attention to the anomalies. 3) To be visible, you must be accessible. The brand of architecture I developed in my time as a student was not the crystalline tower or the Georgian-revival museum. Instead, I learned how to utilize the restoration of urban fountains in Jerusalem/Al-Quds as catalyzers for creating community identity, to harness the power of sport in Sao Paolo to promote safe and sustainable education environments, and to design clinics inspired by the local vernacular in Malawi to ensure an enduring sense of tribal ownership and overcome stigmatizations related to medicine. Many great mentors at Drexel would impress on me the importance of heeding the outliers as the places for generating the greatest impact, and making thoughtful decisions informed by analysis and understanding.
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The first step to fixing any issue is to recognize it exists, so I will be honest with you about the most potent lesson I learned while traveling: Climate change is our problem. And I don’t mean that in the altruistic “Everyone should care about the planet” way. Climate change is making people suffer and die—and I have seen it. I spoke with villagers who faced thirst and hunger everyday because their river had run dry. I saw the tents of nomads in cities as they struggled to rectify their thousand-year old way of life as herders with the new climatic reality that condemns livestock to icy graves. Climate change is already a reality for thousands if not millions of people around the globe. In the weeks I spent in the field, we researched emerging trends in vernacular architecture to gain a greater understanding of how societies are adapting. The goal of this work is to produce a documentary and to compile these case studies into a resource guide for designers’ use.
Travel Photo
Work Experience Adjunct Instructor
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
2013 - Present
Architectural + Exhibit Designer
Strada Architecture LLC Philadelphia, PA
2011 - Present
Intern Architect
Varenhorst Philadelphia, PA
2010 - 2011
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Michael Fierle Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2012 Pearson Prize - Silver Medal
Drexel Experience The strongest memories of my time at Drexel were the late nights in 3201 Arch, spent with everyone else in my class who were equally un-showered, listening to loud music, and wondering whether we would finish our projects by morning. Countless memories were made on trips with AIAS to Pittsburgh, Boston, DC, NYC and Falling Water. I was also lucky enough to travel on the Rome study tour and wake up across the street from the Pantheon for three weeks.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Staff Architect
Cecil Baker + Partners Philadelphia, PA
2012 - Present
Architectural Intern
MGZA Wilmington, DE
2010 - 2012
Architectural Intern Model Shop Assistant
KlingStubbins Philadelphia, PA
2008 – 2009
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Benjamin Currie Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2012 Pearson Prize - Bronze Medal
Drexel Experience After six years spent at Drexel, there are two things that stand out to me as greatly impacting the work I do now. The real world experience gained by working in the field of architecture comes first. Being taught by people who were doing for a living what I was hearing in the classroom, brought the concepts, and the details, to life. The combination of knowledgeable, skilled professors and some very patient employers facilitated learning in a very practical way. The second thing that stands out is what I did wrong. Not following concepts through to completion, glossing over details, or not digging deep enough into the substance of a project, were acceptable practices in the mind of a student who “just needed to get it done.” Looking back, I can see where projects and even my own learning suffered from this type of thinking. It is inspiring as I move forward in my own business, with real clients who have real budgets and real requirements, to not remake the same mistakes. And by grace, I can work to the best of my ability for the glory of God, who by His Son makes all things new.
Professional Work
Work Experience Owner
Architectural Intern
L J Currie Robesonia, PA
2012 - Present
Green Mountain Timber Frames Reading, PA
2012 - 2013
Steven Varenhorst Architects Philadelphia, PA
2011
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Jen Shin Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2013 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Drexel Experience
Travel Experience
I think many of my fellow Drexel alums will agree with me when I say Drexel Architecture is a bear of a program. It’s long, it’s grueling, it takes a certain kind of dedication. But through it all, I am grateful for the freedom it gives its students to explore and learn architecture in a way that way that is true to each individual. It has given me a unique understanding of the field, one that has paid off in practice. I find that because of my education, I’m able to be a strong contributor to project teams, and bring a fresh perspective.
I’ve chosen to use the Pearson Prize to attend Haystack Mountain School of Crafts each summer in Deer Isle, Maine. I became first interested in Haystack and its model for creativity during my thesis year, while conducting research for my thesis project. Haystack became a natural extension of my own thesis experience, allowing me to continue exploring the nature of architecture, which I first examined during thesis. My first summer at Haystack did not disappoint. I took a two week course on concrete jewelry making, and while it wasn’t my first course choice, the cross-disciplinary learning in conjunction with its bare-bones mountainside living helped open my mind to new creative thinking while simultaneously grounding me. Serendipitously, this particular session’s visiting writer was Finnish architect Juhani Pallasmaa. Juhani gave daily lectures and held small talk groups particularly concerning architecture and the nature of being, which only reassured me of the curious metaphysical connectedness of the universe. This summer will be my second summer returning to Haystack. I’ll be taking a rope baskets course entitled Spatial Improvisation with Doug Johnston, an artist based in Brooklyn. I look forward to several more years of crafting to come.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Architect
Leroy Street Studio New York, NY
2014 - Present
Intern Architect
Samuel Gordon Architects Philadelphia, PA
2013
Graphic Designer Senior Editor
URBN Perspectives Philadelphia, PA
2010 - 2012
Intern Architect
jBH3 & Associates Philadelphia, PA
2010 -2012 74
Aga Vinson Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2013 Pearson Prize - Silver Medal
Drexel Experience The Evening Architectural Program at Drexel offered me a unique opportunity to pursue my passion for the profession while also gaining real-world experience interning by day. This program is one of only two like it offered in the country, and it makes an attractive option for the working student. I found that the faculty not only brought a rich knowledge of the history and skill of architecture, but while being active practitioners, they also exemplify what it means to be an architect today. It has proven to be an invaluable resource for me, as I was able to enter the profession with that much more knowledge, experience and confidence. While at Drexel I have not only received a solid foundation to keep developing as a designer and architect, but have met many interesting people and formed valuable friendships.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Adjunct Instructor
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA
2014 - Present
Architectural Designer
NELSON / H2L2 Philadelphia, PA
2014 - Present
Intern Architect
Runyan & Associates Architects Philadelphia, PA
2008 - 2014
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Marissa Hebert Bachelor of Architecture, 2014 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Drexel Experience Choosing Drexel University to attain my degree in architecture was by all means a life changing decision. From being surrounded by the culture in Philadelphia to gaining actual experience working full time while going to school, it shaped not only my career but outlook on life. My time at Drexel was also greatly influenced by several professors, friends, and co-workers who helped to guide me along, the at times difficult and bumpy journey, to eventually reach the blissful destination of becoming an architect. Without them, this experience would surely not have been the same and I believe, in a profession so heavily weighted on how people live and interact, it is imperative to understand the importance of the human interactions that make us who we are. Some interactions that I will never forget are: late nights at 3201 Arch St, Judyisms, David Hamme teaching his studio class how to properly “wine and dine” future clients, family style dinners in Poblet on the Barcelona study abroad trip lead by Mark Brack, HSA fun days, Pollocking in the park with friends, and learning that “architecture is the art of life” from John Defazio. I will remember these last words throughout my career as I make my mark on the world creating spaces as my art form for people to carry out their daily lives and find meaning in these spaces. My experiences at Drexel have given me the tools to find meaning in life and design for others to find this meaning as well.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Graduate Architect
Heckendorn Shiles Architects Philadelphia, PA
2010 - Present
Associate Architect
Tim Sappington, AIA Philadelphia, PA
2006 - 2008
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Alyssa Stein Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2014 Pearson Prize - Silver Medal
Drexel Experience On a study tour through Denmark in 2010, I visited the Aarhus Chapel Crematorium designed by architect Henning Larsen. While rather unassuming from the street, the introspective interior spaces and thoughtful detailing provided deeper meaning to spiritual rituals. This place balanced heaviness and lightness, creating a space equipped to carry the emotional weight of a funeral while allowing for human tenderness. That site visit was my “aha” moment. I was inspired and felt with great certainty that I had chosen the right profession. In the years to follow, my studio work was charged with an interest in how architecture could be in the service of authentic human experience. I began studying surrealist painting, as the ambiguity and oddly direct treatment of reality told a story of time and perception that was translatable into architecture. I experimented with surrealist follies such as a human leg shaped fireplace flue and a skyscraper resting upon wooden posts similar to the iconic crutches in Salvador Dali’s “Angelus of Millet”. In my thesis year, these investigations culminated in research of the dissonance between Israelis and Palestinians in Haifa, Israel. With the advisement of Jon Coddington, I developed an architecture based on liminality, or pluralistic inclusiveness. The design allowed for two legitimately different, but equally correct understandings of a single reality to coexist. “Liminality” and surrealism are relevant to the American architectural discourse and the challenges my generation of architects will confront. I hope to further research and develop these concepts in my professional work.
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Thesis Study
Work Experience Architect
MGA Partners Architects Philadelphia, PA
2013 - Present
Intern Architect
Friday Architects & Planners Philadelphia, PA
2012 - 2013
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Ryan Debski Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2013 Pearson Prize - Gold Medal
Drexel Experience Studying architecture at Drexel has been, by far, the most challenging and difficult experience that I have ever gone through. When I was in school I would describe to people outside the program what my college experience was like, I would tell them about the enormous workload, the occasional sliced finger, the sulfury smell of freshly lasered chipboard, the critiques, the late night runs to get more coffee, and of course the all-nighters. But when they would ask, is it all worth it? I respond with an emphatic...NO! The anxiety, stress, and sleep deprivation this program has caused has, I’m convinced, taken at least ten years off of mine and my classmate’s lives. Not to mention that the prime of an architect’s career is in their late forties to early fifties. That means that not only are we going to live shorter lives, but we get to enjoy our chosen career paths for less time! However, despite these hardships, now that I have, after six years in architecture school, had the opportunity to finally look back and reflect on the time I spent at Drexel I ask myself, was it all worth it?...and the answer is still NO! I mean it’s going to take me at least 20 years to make up for all of the sleep I missed during college, and I’m pretty certain that the neck and lower back pain that we all suffered from spending days upon endless nights leaning over drafting boards and staring at our computers preparing for reviews is by now a permanent condition. So is the PTSD that is without a doubt the sole product of that one bad final review suffered in second year on that stupid project that made you call home crying, telling your parents you were ready to be picked up from prison now, while praying to God that whatever you did to deserve this fate, you would turn your life around and live a good, honest life.
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With all of that said, I do have to admit that there were a few moments worth remembering. There was that time after a long week preparing for a final crit that you invented that game at 3am in the studio that involved a garbage can, a quarter mile of rolled up drafting tape, and the participants literally climbing up walls trying to make the toughest shot. Or that time at that post-crit architecture party that you realized you began to see your architecture friends as being closer to your family than anything else. There were also those times spent in a large, dark auditorium illuminated only by an ancient projector where all you wanted to do was take a nap after a long day, but instead remained upright in your seat captivated by your professor’s inspiring lessons about historical buildings and the lives lived within them. Or that time when that same class made you want to “study architecture” in Spain and you decided to take a dip in the Mediterranean after drinking some of Barcelona’s finest 3 euro roja wine. And there was also that time when you were again “studying architecture” in Japan and at the very last moment you decided to ditch your plans at the last minute to go to Tokyo to spend just one more day in Kyoto with a great friend. Then, at last, there was that gigantic, intimidating, all-important last project of your education that you had been waiting for five years that turned out to be the most rewarding, and fun of all of your life experiences that you shared step-by-step with an amazing professor, a dear friend, and a loving family. Finally, there was that time when you were writing that narrative for the 25th exhibition of the Pearson Prize, which you still can’t believe that you won, and you realized that every single precious moment over the course of the last six years, good and bad, has without question been absolutely worth it.
Thesis Project
Work Experience Intern Architect
Stuart G. Rosenberg Architects Philadelphia, PA
2013 - 2015
Intern Architect
Stephen Varenhorst Architects Philadelphia, PA
2012 - 2013
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Daniel Brown Bachelor’s of Architecture, 2015 Pearson Prize - Silver Medal
Drexel Experience My family has a multi-generational fascination for the networking systems and mechanical tendencies that railroads and transit provide, as well as a deep sense of public service. For my final project as an architectural student it only made sense to synthesize all these different aspects, while also addressing the social dilemmas of Philadelphia. City Hall serves as the ideal location to situate my varied interests, as it acts as both a political landmark and centralized connector for public transportation. In UNDERPENN, I re-conceptualized the existing and historic use patterns on the site of William Penn’s original Centre Square. Through the re-orientation of the Architecture and Infrastructure of the site, a new relationship between the varied spaces and people was forged. With the insertion of a new interchange station and public space under and within the Centre Square and City Hall, the city regains Centre Square and City Hall as truly public entities. Copper-clad beams direct natural light to the deepest subway platforms, while orienting the public’s gaze towards William Penn atop the tower, and indeed the founding ideologies of Philadelphia, via radial glass skylights. Once private courtrooms are opened up to new public passages through City Hall, while allowing for a visual and literal connection of the political spaces to the public. New public amenities atop the roof of City Hall draw the public through the political spaces of the building. All of this is sheltered underneath a delicate glass canopy, or train shed, that serves to blend the programs below; but also to act as a complimentary addition to City Hall’s composition. Drexel University’s unique position within Philadelphia; both physically and academically, made it the obvious place to start my architectural career. The way Drexel straddles practice with theory, and its position atop the pulsing arteries of Philadelphia makes Drexel an exciting, interesting, and fruitful place to study Architecture. The blending of historic Philadelphia alongside the expansive industrial transportation system brought me back to my familial ties in Scotland.
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PROPOS E D C ITY HA LL TR A I N S HED Work Experience Staff Architect
Cecil Baker + Partners Philadelphia, PA
2014 - Present
Intern Architect
CICADA Architecture/Planning Inc. Philadelphia, PA
2013 - 2014
Intern Architect
Spiezel Group Trenton, NJ
2012
Intern Designer
Grenald Waldron Associates Narberth, PA
2011
Thesis Project
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Julie Morningstar Bachelor of Architecture, 2015 Pearson Prize - Bronze Medal
Drexel Experience I definitely did not know what to expect when I started architecture school at Drexel University. Unlike some of my classmates, I had not always known that I wanted to be an architect, so I definitely had a few doubts about whether I had made the right choice. But pretty quickly I realized that I was where I belonged. And although it was hard sometimes to explain what I was doing in school to family and friends in different fields, I knew I was learning. After visiting a city that I had already been to before architecture school, I realized how many more details I now noticed. I was looking at not only the buildings, but things on the street level that caught my attention. Then as I continued to travel I could start to compare different cities and different buildings, learning from their achievements as well as from their mistakes. It was through a Drexel summer tour that I first set foot in Europe, (with none other than Mark Brack, Judy Bing, and John DeFazio!) and got to experience seeing what I had learned about through books and lectures. That trip gave me the courage to research and travel to Colombia two years later for my thesis project, which I am grateful to have shared with my parents. Perhaps it’s because it happened only a few weeks ago, but one of my favorite memories of Drexel was taking a break while working late at night in the studio. You might need a cup of coffee, or a sugar rush, or just a break from staring at a computer screen, but there was nothing like chatting with a classmate about where you were in your project on the walk to Wawa. Perhaps it sounded like complaining, but actually it was the sound of excitement and accomplishment. I look forward to creating this feeling of excitement in the real world.
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Thesis Project
Work Experience Architectural Intern
BLT Architects Philadelphia, PA
2011 - Present
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Special Thanks to the original contributors to the 1989 Michael Pearson Prize Fund Achille, Donna Adamson, F &J Agnes, P. Inc. Applequist, Thomas Architectural Concepts Arena & Co. Arfaa, Peter F. Aronson, Sherman Atkin, Tony Atkin, Tony Assoc. Axelrod, Reed Bailey, Charles E. Baltzell, Wm. Bartley Bronstein Long Becker Winston Behrman, J.B. Bemiss & Read Besaw, L.G. Blake, Nancy Blatteau, John Blue Bell Inn, Inc. Bohlin, Powell, Larkin Bonitatibus, Stephen Brajtburg, Alina Brennan Inc. Bridy, Joseph Brown, Joel Burnette, Charles Burton, Robert Ellis Byar, Norman G. Cech, Florence G. Chase, John Cheney, Frank R. Clark, Sylvia S. Clough, James Colesberry, Janet Cope Linder Associates Copeland, Lee G.
Dagit/Saylor Dardzinski, Edwin Dart, James Davis, Kelly Dawson, Thomas Dichter, Eugene P. Dipaola, Raymond Doelp, David W. Sr. Eberlein Design Consultants Environmental Research Evitts, Ronald Frederick, C J Gaither, William Gelis, Athanasios Genther, David M. Goodyear, Frank H Jr. Grana, Bonnett, Ambruster Greenberger, Alan Hacklander, Frank & Brenda Hallowell Construction Co. Harbeson, Paul C Harms, Rosemary & Martin Harris, Robert Herbstman, Michael L. Hirshorn, Paul M Holiday, James & Elizabeth Hollenberg, David Houston, Ann S. Hovey, James W. Hudnall, Jack & Helen Iredale, Fred & Cheryl Jacobs, Virginia Jacobs/Wyper Architects Jones, Michael J. Keast & Hood Co. King, Charles Kinzler & Ritter/Land Kleine, Bruce & Joanne
Kohles, Robin Kreider, Jerry & Kathleen Kropp, Lenore Labove, Linda Lambert, Joseph M. Lammey, William & Rita Lang, Jon T. Lawson-Bell, Jane & Edward Bell Leatherbarrow, David & Lauren Lovera, George & Marie Magaziner, Henry & Reba Mangeldorf, Helen Manos, George Marohm, David Matsinger, Charles Maxwell, Missy M. McCoubrey, Jean & Daniel McHam, Eugene & Elaine Mckay, Robert & Toby Meiers, Robert & Teresa Miller, Arthur Mitchell, James & Catherine Mizerny, Kenneth O’Meara, Walter & Doris Olivieri, John J Orlando, Dominic & Angeline Pearson-Clarke, Julie Penkala, Cecelia PHH Interspace Radich, Sandra Jo Rawson, Gale Red Grooms Inc. Reed, Bill Reed, Peter Shedd Regulski, Lee & Jan Renfrew Center, Inc. Rhodes, George & Gail Roslyn High School Staff
Rowe, Jim & Ruth Rup, Robert & Susan Rutkowski, John & Charmaine Sabatino Architects Santos, Adele Naude Schade, Michael Ross Schrader, Helen Segars, Richard & Deborah Sheldon, Henry & Judith Smith, Mary E. Solutions, Inc. Steinberg, Jane & Harris Stockham, Harper & Stella Stoltzfus, Eldon R. Suer, Marvin Sullivan Associates Tedesco, George Thomas, William Post Tickell, Simon & Jean Timbie, C.N. Engineers, Inc. Tomlinson, Charles B Trowbridge, Ann Venturi, Scott Brown & Assoc. Inc. Vernon, Shirley J. Voith & Mactavish Vresilovic, Kelly Walker, Jeffrey Weintraub, Maurice West, Brinton & Gail Wittemann, Thomas & Katherine Wolf, Nelson & Rochelle Wolfe, Fred M Wolfgang Rapp & Assoc. Inc. Wolins, Inez S Worley, Richard Ytterberg, Michael
List is incomplete.
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