Portfolio

Raymond Dwyer

Xavier

Chicago, IL

Multi-family residential

Completed April 2016

LEED Gold certified

Best in the Midwest award

Residential/HospitalityEngineering News Record

Ground floor retail space

Affordable housing

Fitness amenity

Pool and terrace

Roof deck

280,827 GSF

240 Units

18 stories

198’-8” tall

4730 SF lot 50’-0” wide 3” from adjacent

The Emerson Englewood, CO

Multi-family residential Under Construction

Design technology

Laser scanning is a method of surveying buildings that produces an accurate point cloud, or 3D model, of an environment as it once existed in time, using high grade equipment such as the Leica P40 I’ve operated in the field. With this equipment, I scanned the building shown below, the State Fairgrounds Coliseum in Springfield, IL, while at Bailey Edward in 2019.

Photogrammetry is a method of scanning buildings that produces a less accurate point cloud estimated from a collection of photographs, and less expensive equipment, but is still sufficient for less stringent 3D documentation. These technologies allow for potentially more accurate documentation of existing conditions than field measurements while producing visualization models in one process.

Automation is the use of preprogrammed scripts to perform simple and repeated tasks that would otherwise be done manually. This can be done with Dynamo in Revit, SCR script files with AutoCAD, and BAT processes for Windows tasks. This allows for the efficient completion of tasks such as layer management, sheet setup, backups, and file management. Shown on this page is a dynamo script that traces wall boundaries for an area plan in Revit.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an advanced example of automation, but differs from normal scripting in that AI is programmed to learn and make decisions independent of the original programmers. Though application of this technology is in its infancy, my experience with this includes a simple chat assistant that quizzes and assists with studying the Architectural Registration Exam. Looking to the future, AI can be utilized to interpret drawings, code, and project parameters to efficiently perform tasks and produce higher quality drawings and designs.

Virtual reality is the use of digital visualizations to immerse users into spaces and create the illusion of being physically present within them. This can be used to more accurately preview designs and convey ideas to those outside the design team. More practically for designers, equipment such as 360 carmeras can be used to document existing and finished spaces more thoroughly than standard photography. The 360 photos shown below are ones that I’ve taked at GREC, Bailey Edward, and Studio 804.

Augmented reality, in contrast to virtual reality, is the use of digital visualizations to insert digital objects into the real world. This gives digital objects the illusion of physical presence, rather than the user. This can be used to present digital models that can be interacted with in physical space. Shown to the left is a 3D model of the HGI Hotel that can be moved and manipulated like a physical model.

Building information

modeling, or BIM, is software that follows an integrated approach to design to coordinate all facets of the project concurrently with documenting it, rather than as separate tasks. Used effectively, this technology allows designers to “digitally construct” entire building long before ground is ever broken, and allows teams to collaborate with one another across the world in real-time.

Geographic information systems

, or GIS, utilizes data available publicly to visualize and gather information for any given site and building context. This technology, developed over decades, is now widely available and can provide many valuable uses to designers from zoning, utility, and topography information to city models, buildings models, and site photography. Shown below is an easily available model of the downtown Chicago loop and surrounding areas.

ACE Hotel LA

Los Angeles, CA

Hospitality

Completed January 2014

UA Theater

Renovation

99,066 GSF

186 units

13 stories 183’-3” tall

Design Excellence Award - AIA Chicago

Award of Excellence/Hospitality Award - LA Business Council

Restaurant Design Awards - AIA Los Angeles

Recognition of Excellence - Best Renovated or Restored Project - PCBC

Restoration and Adaptive Reuse Award - Southern California Development Forum

Gold award for Best Hospitality Property - LA Business Journal

Hoxton Hotel

Chicago, IL

Hospitality

Completed April 2019

AIA Chicago

2020 Design Excellence Awards

Distinguished Building Award

Multi-family residential

Completed March 2019

CISCO Pride in Construction Awards

2019 Residential Project of the Year

Engineering News-Record Midwest

2020 Award of Merit Residential/Hospitality

AIA Chicago Design Excellence Awards

2020 Distinguished Building Award

784,837 GSF

69 condos

279 apartments

69 stories

836’-3” tall

4 parking levels underground below public park

Camera: Kitchen

Camera: North Beach

One Bennett Park Chicago, IL

Pavilion

Overland Park, KS

JCCC Campus Education

Student lounge and sustainable classrooms

Completed June 2012

3,231 GSF

LEED Platinum certification

Photovoltaic solar panels

Green roof

Interior green walls

Wind turbine

Rainwater harvesting

Overflow rain garden

Reclaimed chalkboard exterior

Frosted glass louvers

Chicago, IL

Conceptual renderings

Completed August 2017

graphics and drawings