My name is Razmig Garboushian, I am an aspiring architect, with a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Waterloo. My passion for architecture is rooted in observing the many ways in which the built environment can bring people together. Throughout my career, I will apply the skills I have learned to serve clients and the public by designing environmentally responsible, socially inclusive and inspiring spaces.
I strive to bring care, patience, and an attention to detail into all of my work. As a dedicated learner, I look to continually hone my knowledge of architecture through every new project and experience. Here is a collection of my work.
Enjoy!
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
+1 (226) 338 4726
razmig99@outlook.com
www.linkedin.com/in/razmig-garboushian
Razmig Garboushian
H.BAS., M.Arch.
Summary of Qualifications
Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
+1 (226) 338 4726
razmig99@outlook.com
www.linkedin.com/in/razmig-garboushian
2 years of work experience in Architecture, with proficiency in digital design software including Revit, Rhinoceros, AutoCAD, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Enscape, developed through work experience and Graduate education.
Detail-oriented, and able convey ideas visually, enhanced through developing a complete Construction Drawing set including wall section details for a residential renovation project at WalterFedy, and through Graduate Thesis.
Excellent Professional Communication skills developed through collaborating on large-scale projects in the workplace environment with interdisciplinary colleagues in Engineering, Interior Design and Construction.
Demonstrates exemplary Leadership in the school, workplace and community through coordinating a Winter Stations team, being a Peer Mentor for fellow Architecture Students, and serving the Armenian Church.
Education
09/2022 - 08/2024
Cambridge, ON
Master of Architecture | University of Waterloo
Thesis, “Mycelium Wall Systems: Harnessing Adaptive Fabrication with Biocomposites in Buildings”. Applied skills in detail design, digital modelling and fabrication to prototype a biodegradable prefabricated wall system which integrates mycelium biocomposites.
01/2023 - 10/2023
05/2023 - 02/2024
09/2017 - 08/2022
Cambridge, ON
Experience
01/2022 - 05/2022
Waterloo, ON
01/2021 - 08/2021
09/2019 - 12/2019
Kitchener, ON
01/2019 - 05/2019
Mississauga, ON
Conference Publication, “Reinterpreting the Zellige Tiles through Ceramic 3D Printing”. Collaboratively wrote a publication on translating the craft of Zellige tile patterns to ceramic 3D printing, and presented the results of our physical prototyping methodology at a conference.
Graduate Research Student. Developed a methodology for optimizing energy consumption and daylighting of existing highrise buildings using Rhino, Grasshopper and Climatestudio
Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Honours, Co-op. | University of Waterloo
Design Studio, “Museum of the City on the River”: Collaboratively designed a public museum on the site of a historic Papal Arsenal in Trastevere, Rome which connects the public with the Tiber River, informed by in-depth analysis of immediate and extended site context.
ABA Architects | Architectural Co-Op Student
Successfully applied organization techniques to create and manage a working Revit model for a new Midrise Apartment, along with its complete design drawing package. Developed standard Revit families to be used in working Revit models, collaboratively incorporating feedback from colleauges in the Architecture and Interior Design Sectors.
WalterFedy | Architectural Assistant
Applied proficiency with Revit to develop a 3D model and a full drawing set, including construction details for a Residential Renovation Project within a condensed time frame. Collaborated with colleagues to devise and present a solution to company partners for improving hybrid workplace productivity through knowledge-sharing initiatives.
Created Presentation Program Diagrams for project proposals using AutoCAD and Illustrator
Developed an extended Site Context Model using Sketchup. Coordinated a Design Team meeting, and two Lunch & Learn presentations.
07/2015 – 11/2018
Cambridge, ON
Staples Canada | Sales Area Respresentative
Provided consistent, excellent customer service by communicating with clients to find the best solutions for their Office Supplies, Furniture, and Technology needs.
Volunteering
11/2022 - 03/2023
Cambridge, ON
Winter Stations (University of Waterloo Architecture Team) | Executive Coordinator
Led a team of 12 Graduate and Undergraduate Architecture students in the collaborative design and prototyping of an interactive Winter Beach Pavilion which catches snowfall.
Coordinated the on-site installation of the “Winter-Net” pavilion at Woodbine Beach in Toronto, Ontario. Responsible for accounting for all materials, scheduling, personnel and logistics.
01/2018 - 12/2020
Cambridge, ON
Mentorship for Architecture Peers | Architecture Peer Mentor
Organized biweekly meetings with a group of first year students. Answered questions and provided advice for achieving a healthy, balanced education at Waterloo Architecture.
Facilitated a digital portfolio event on Miro to familiarize students with collaborative software.
01/2018 - 12/2020
Cambridge, ON
BRIDGE Centre for Architecture and Design | Event Coordinator
Collaboratively developed a new website to improve BRIDGE’s online presence.
Promoted Architecture in the city of Cambridge by organizing a student work exhibition at the BRIDGE storefront.
2008 - present
Cambridge, ON
St. Nishan Armenian Apostolic Church | Deacon, Christian Education Committee
Facilitates weekly Sunday services through reciting hymns, reading scripture and coordinating between the priest and participants to ensure a smooth delivery of service.
Coordinates bi-weekly Bible Studies to promote collective spiritual growth amongst the youth.
Skills
Software Skills
Digital 3D Modelling (Revit, Rhinoceros, AutoCAD, Sketchup)
Awarded for merit in Thesis Research Proposal, Declined in favour of SSHRC Scholarship.
University of Waterloo Bachelor of Architectural Studies, awarded with Distinction.
Maintained an average of 80%+ throughout Undergraduate education.
Armenian Relief Society of Canada Scholarship
Showed leadership in the Armenian community alongside excellent academic achievement.
University of Waterloo President’s Scholarship, Academic Excellence
Achieved an entrance average of 90-94.9%. Maintained an 80%+ average in 1A-1B terms.
Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association Scholarship
Demonstrated leadership within the school community while maintaining excellent academics.
TD Bank Achieve The Dream Scholarship
Excellent academic standing, and demonstrated leadership inside and outside school.
Mycelium Wall Systems
Harnessing
Adaptive
Fabrication with Biocomposites in Buildings
M.Arch Thesis / Fall 2022 - Spring 2024
Thesis Supervisor: Dr. Mohamad T. Araji
Wall assembly prototyping is a strategy that allows for technical performance analysis of construction materials to investigate the function of a building façade and its integrated components. Departing from the complexity of a given building, façades must constantly mediate evolving human needs for comfort and environmental performance. However, traditional construction strategies to address these complex, changing needs, such as multiple wall layers with fluid-wall and fluid-solid interfaces are practically and environmentally inefficient. Mycelium biocomposites can combine effective performance properties for wall systems with reduced layers while being biodegradable.
This thesis introduces a novel mycelium biocomposite assembly integrated in a naturally prefabricated wall panel with reduced material layers compared to a typical system. Construction prototyping is employed through nine digitally modelled iterations, supported by three physical experiments and thermal simulations. The key impact of this research is in the introduction of a new framework for utilizing construction prototyping to efficiently accommodate the growth and performance requirements of mycelium biocomposites within a prefabricated wall assembly while applying hands-on procedures in façade engineering and design.
Shingles
Roofing Membrane
Plywood Sheathing
Roof Framing
Batt Insulation
Window
Frame / Flashing
Siding
Strapping
Rigid Insulation
A/W Barrier Membrane
Plywood Sheathing
Studs, Batt Insulation, Vapour Barrier
Gypsum Board
Hardwood Flooring on Plywood
Rigid Insulation
Water-Protective Membrane
Concrete Foundation
Mycelium Biocomposites
Fungal Life Cycle
Fruiting body releases spores
Living mycelium, the vegetative state of fungi, grows into a network and binds with its natural substrate, such as sawdust or straw, forming a biocomposite. These composites exhibit multiple properties favorable to wall systems such as insulation and fire resistance. Applied in wall systems, mycelium composites could prove to be a biodegradable option for combining multiple material properties without the need for adding additional layers.
Mycelium Production Sequencing
Mycelium Wall Systems
Primordia spawn
Spores germinate
Mycelium
Methodology
1. Supplementation
(Sawdust, Wheat Bran): (100,0%)...(75,25%) +5g Gypsum Place substrate in grow bag
The final design considers the wall system as one prefabricated wall panel as opposed to separate modules. This evolution greatly improves the construction efficiency and reduces the total number of parts. The rear view highlights the placement of the ventilation grills in relation to the adhesion hooks.
Asssembly
Panel-to-panel, and Panel-to-opening Connections demonstrate the versatility of this system.
Corner Connections demonstrate the seamless finish afforded by an interlocking pattern.
Assemble and attach studs to the back panel.
Place second interlocking panel to form two thirds of the wall.
Pour inoculated mycelium, and pack into form.
Place first interlocking panel to form bottom third of wall.
Pour inoculated mycelium, and pack into form.
Grow mycelium within a dark, humid and room-temperature controlled space for four weeks.
Pour inoculated mycelium, and pack into form.
Insert third interlocking panel to form complete wall.
Heat-dry mycelium composite panel within a curing chamber.
Mycelium Wall Systems
Section and Details
Oyster mycelium grown within a hardwood sawdust substrate
Ventilation
Engineered Wood Stud
Interior Sheathing (12.5mm)
Integrated Hooks
Vapour Barrier Membrane
Robotic Fabricated Timber Panels (19 mm)
Wooden ladder frame
Engineered wooden frame Wall
Digital Thermal Analysis
04. Prototype Wall System for Thermal Experiment
I: Assembly II: Growth
Breathable Membrane
Thermal Experiment
a) Expanded Polystyrene
b) Air Space
c) Sawdust Substrate
d) Mycelium Biocomposite
Insertion
a)
Reinterpreting the Zellige Tiles through Ceramic 3D Printing
ARCH 684: Material Syntax / Winter 2023
In Collaboration With
Ali Salama, Diana Si, Prof. David Correa Z.
The quasi-crystalline geometry found in el Attarine Madrassa Zellige patterns are a splendid example of the geometric rigour and exceptional craftsmanship of Islamic architecture. Modern methods used to reproduce these complex patterns are mostly focused on duplication, rather than contributing to the analysis and re-contextualization of these motifs. Where recent studies have investigated the tectonics and structural limitations of ceramic additive manufacturing, few have explored its unique capabilities of re-interpretation and abstraction.
This project investigates the Zellige tiles of el Attarine Madrassa in Fes through formal and tectonic prototyping via clay 3D printing. Adjustments to the pattern by twisting, shifting, and shrinking were evaluated through full-scale physical prototyping to observe what new interpretations additive manufactured ceramics can provide to the reading of the pattern at an architecture scale. Custom tool path design strategies were developed to address the unique intersection and overlapping issues resulting from the intricate linework of the mosaic’s geometric pattern. Design iterations were also conducted to develop a key stone assembly sequence while testing tolerances and bonding between component units. The resulting tile system was applied architecturally as a dome-shaped arbour to be located in a courtyard.
Left: The fivefold, quasiperiodic, rotational symmetry of the panel of interest.
Right: The sixfold, periodic, translational symmetry of the panel around the corner. Images by Ali Salama.
Creating a toolpath for these patterns through sketching revealed a problem of self-intersecting lines. Since the 3D extruder continuously deposits clay, intersecting a previously deposited area on the layer would cause the clay to deform significantly, undermining the print.
Panels from the courtyard and prayer hall entrance of el Attarine Madrassa in Fez, Morocco.
Splitting the toolpath into two layers allowed the extruder to weave over these self-intersections.
The toolpath’s interior offset meant the extruded clay would partially intersect at specific points.
Shifting
Shrinking
Slumping
Twisting
Twisting was tested by rotating the pattern by 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2% about the center.
Shifting involved rotating alternating layers by 5 degrees clockwise and counterclockwise about the center.
Shrinking was tested at both 1 and 2% sequential shrinkage per layer.
Slumping was tested by printing on fabric and laying it onto a spherical surface.
Central rosette
Toolpath Application
“Reverse subdivision” process
250 mm
Museum of the City On the River
4B Design Studio / Trastevere, Rome, IT / Spring 2022
In Collaboration With Alexa Sharp
Located in Trastevere along the Tiber River, the Museum of the City on the River reflects Rome’s unique context, shaped by its complex history and layered urban morphology. The Tiber is considered the spine of Rome, as it geographically influences the shaping of the city, and is a key aspect of Roman identity. Over the years, through the introduction of retaining walls, and changes in socio-cultural lifestyle, the Tiber River became separated from everyday life. The Museum of the City on the River re-connects the people of Trastevere and Rome to the River by re-imagining a historic site as a Public Museum. Existing site features include an arsenal for constructing commercial naval ships, a rope-making facility and a salt warehouse. With three lines of access through the site from Porta Portese to the river, the ground level becomes an open public piazza. The Museum is organized formally as three curved ribbons layered atop each other, undulating around the existing site to mimic the Tiber. The Piazza level features the museum entrances, while a canopy garden walkway above provides views of the city and the river. Upon entering, participants descend to the museum level, embedded in the river embankment. Here, one can maneuver around archaeological artifacts and historic maps of the city, with the river as a backdrop, before exiting to an open patio and walkways along the river.
Extended Site Context
Museums
Existing Conditions
Cultural Centers
Art Galleries
Caffe/Bar/Restaurant
Public Parks
Public Piazzas
Site Extents
Bus Routes
Tram Stops
Site Circulation
Pedestrian Circulation
Crossing Bicycle Circulation
Sunday Market
Proposed Access to the River
Site Boundary
1. Porta Portese
2. Corderie
3. Magazine del Sale 4. Arsenale Papale 5. Bike Path along Tiber
Site Plan
Via Portuense
Tiber River
Ponte
Sublicio
Via di Porta
Portese
Museum of the City on the River 0
Perspective Section through Museum Entrance
Exploded Axonometric
Museum of the City on the River
Cross-Section
Cross-Section
Biomimetic Transfer into Architecture
3B
Design Studio / Fall 2020
In Collaboration With Teodor Mlynczyk, Jacob Dimla
Throughout this studio, we were tasked with studying plant specimens found in everyday life that drew our interest, in depth. We observed how these specimens thrive in their natural habitats, with the goal of figuring out how building facades might learn from nature to work better with it, while also providing a great space for people. We studied water absorption and geometry observed with False Beard Moss, and differential stem elongation of the Sunflower. Through an iterative process of prototyping, we developed a module which would use principles of differential growth to collect water. These modules are situated within a pavillion structure which would support a large number of them, configured to collect rainwater above a theoretical Market Site.
Plants Studied
False Beard Moss - Concept
Sunflower - Concept
Materials
False Beard Moss Sunflower
Architectural Application
One module features 3 sets of 2 strips of hygroscopic beech wood, laminated with a bilayer which would cause the wood to curl when moisture in the air increases. A diagonal wood grain direction, mirrored for the 2 wood strips causes them to curl outwards in opposite directions. The tension resulting from the opposite curling stretches the connected fabric, and increases the surface area of the module.
Final Prototype
Dry Wet
Roof Plan
Structural Design
Primary drainage
Primary drainage
Secondary drainage
Secondary drainage
Primary structural
structural
Secondary structural
structural
Cross-Section
Receptacle
CISC Steel Competition / Cambridge, ON / Winter 2021
In Collaboration With Jacob Dimla
On the site of the old Dickson Bowl next to the Ainslie Street Transit Terminal, Receptacle is a canopied market space that provides users protection from sun and rain. Through shading, the structure seeks to reduce the urban heat island effect from an unused parking lot, and by providing space for water to collect, reduces excess stormwater runoff. The pond sits in a depression on the site where groundwater would naturally collect. The structure partially branches over the existing building, which has been retrofitted as a market equipped with a café. Receptacle provides the opportunity for the local community to come together under one canopy.
Ainslie St.
Fabric Support: Steel Tension Rods connected to main members via pin connection AESS Category 3
Column Bracing: steel pins fitted through HSS columns, welded, surface filled and grounded to finish. AESS Category 4
Base Connection: HSS columns welded to circular steel plate, and bolted to circular concrete foundation. AESS Category 4
This project is composed of 7 tree structures, 3 small and 4 large. Each module is a composition of 22 round HSS columns that support the sails above, and spiral down in height. Every sail is supported by a set of two round HSS columns which split from a common starting point at the ground.
In Collaboration With Cassandra Lesage Fongue, Phil Carr-Harris
We are located on the traditional lands of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Being situated on the Haldimand tract, land granted to the Mohawk of the six nations that includes 10 kilometers on each side of the Grand River, we reflect on the meaning of place, and finding refuge. We look first to the sumac bush, a living being whose deer-soft branches connects us to the earth and sky, a refuge and place of human scale. We design with regards to beauty, as a way of expressing love and generosity.
We place the house in the midst of living things, within a deciduous forest, while carefully removing only what is necessary. We build with and from the site, drawing our excavation into rammed earth walls emerging from the landscape, framing paths and gardens. The wood cleared for the house either becomes firewood, or lumber for walls and furniture.
The warmth of the day heats the building through the earth’s thermal mass in cold winter nights, whilst the forest setting and the trellis siding provide shade in hot summer days. We interspace the interior program of the house with greenhouses. We collect rainwater, for irrigation and grey water, and use phytoremediation and composting to ensure a clean return of our waste. Trellises, both shading devices and scaffold for life, allow for the planting of beans and squash which may grow to encapsulate the façade.
The house is oriented East to West, with the entrance to the east, in line with the rising sun. 10m wide, 10 m tall, 135 m long, the house keeps an intimate scale, sheltered beneath the forest canopy, while tall enough for one to yearn towards the openness of the stars. Full width wall panels rise to link us to the land, and the river to the north. The house is centered around two main fires: The first emphasizes cooking and is connected to the garden, giving agency through food production. The second is for storytelling, and is open to the sky, welcoming the imagination of children and the wisdom of elders. This is a house shaped by people, whose love will, we hope, shape new generations in return.
Central Fire
A home linked to the living world Phytoremediation
To the Grand River
To the Sky
To the Earth
TheEntrancerisingsun
“Knowing that we shape our Environments, and that our environments shape us… what kind of environments do we want to create?”
Additional Works
Maximizing Energy Efficiency and Daylighting Availability for Adaptive Reuse Strategies through Parametric Analysis
Graduate Research Paper / Spring 2023
In Collaboration with: Yannik Sigouin, Adham Elmalky, Dr. Mohamad T. Araji
Software: Rhinoceros, ClimateStudio, Grasshopper
Adaptive reuse design strategies aim to achieve net-zero energy goals by lowering energy consumption and improving thermal comfort in existing buildings. The combined effects of building expansions and façade glazing on energy consumption, production, and daylighting were previously unexplored. This paper presents a novel framework for examining the impact of adaptive reuse factors on energy usage and daylighting availability. Variables analyzed included number of floors, façade glazing, and expansions in various directions. The developed model was validated by comparing simulated and actual energy use of several buildings, yielding an average error of 7.88%. Energy demand reduced by horizontal expansion along the East-West axis was found to be 41% greater than that from expansion in the South direction. The study offered a comprehensive method to simulate adaptive reuse building design strategies and evaluate their impacts on energy and daylighting performance.
Existing Site Data
TD West Tower
100 Wellington Street West, Toronto, ON Building Footprint: 1,735 m2
Solar Irradiation Analysis
Pow Wow Arbour
Waterloo Architecture Design Build / Spring 2019
Location: Oshweken, Ontario, Canada
As part of the University of Waterloo School of Architecture’s Design Build class in Spring 2019, we were responsible for carrying out the construction of a Pow Wow Arbour for the Mississaugas of the New Credit Peoples. Located within the heart of their community, the arbour is to be used as a central hub for their annual Pow Wow Festival. The first two months were spent preparing and steam-bending each individual lath member off-site for assembly. Once they were steamed, a customized formwork was utilized to bend each of the lath members to their specified curvature. Afterward, over a period of seven days, our team transported and assembled the laths on site into a structural rooftop canopy. Numerous timber construction techniques and project coordination insights were learned and applied throughout this construction process.
Digital Fabrication / December 2018
In collaboration with Derrick Clouthier, Sarah Soudki
Cover focuses on the rough material qualities found in mountain formations, harnessed at a tactile human scale. The project began with the manipulation of a simple mound of concrete. The form was then re-created through various digital fabrication methods including 3D printing, Lasercutting, and CNC Routing, to explore differences in texture and material properties. Cover is a park installation based on the experimentation and observations from this study. A 3D-printed voronoi pattern generated using Grasshopper allows for lightness of structure, as well as filtration of light through the material into the close-quarters space.
