4th Year Portfolio

Evan Sanders

2020-2022

Detroit, MI

Welcome, may I introduce myself?

My name is Evan Sanders. I am a Fourth year architecture student at the University of Detroit Mercy. I will be finishing my Bachelor’s Degree at Detroit Mercy in Spring 2023. Something interesting about me is that favorite architects are Sou Fujimoto, Kengo Kuma, and Frank Llyod Wright. I am a big fan of architecture from Japan due to it’s minimalist shape, but the forms also do showcase the attention to details while having a effective and effiecient form.

I am glad to share with you my selected works.

Distance from heart of Downtown Detroit

1.4 mi

At-Gleta Headquarters

4100 | Integrated Design

Studio

Fall 2022 | Semester 7

Professor: James Leach & Kris Nelson

Category: Building Construction

In Collaboration with: Eduardo Sanchez & Sebastian Rodriguez

The objective of this project is to design a low-carbon and energy-waste building that caters to both the users, and the building needs to keep a long-term sustainable, environmentally friendly structure. We plan to have a spacious and eco-friendly sustainable building that requires less mechanical systems usage than average office spaces. The design will incorporate flexible work environments that will allow all types of work methods to provide a better level of human comfort. While also providing outdoor gathering spaces to capture the prominent views of downtown Detroit and Canada, but also provide the occupants with other work environments. Lastly, to design under GLETA guidelines to develop a safe engineered timber structure within the constraints of our site.

1.4 mi from heart of Downtown Detroit

Render by: Eduardo Sanchez

Creating an Interior Atrium space to allow for sunlight in the back half of the building

Subtracting the Exterior envelope to create exterior gathering space, maxmize daylighting & space for prominent views

Engaging the public by putting our retail, cafe shop, & along the Dequindre Cut (major walkway) to draw people into the building.

Maximize the building envelope on the site (200’ by 150’)

Respond 04

Respond to climate strategy by properly shading the facade, and optimizing solar gain within the building. Respond to flooding, around site, by lowering the Atwater St entrance by 5ft, to collect more rainwater.

By: Evan Sanders

Facade Strategy

Massing + Graphics by: Evan Sanders

Cove.tool info: By Sebastian Rodriguez

Gallery Space

Renderings by: Eduardo Sanchez + Sebastian Rodriguez

Elevations + Sections by: Eduardo Sanchez

Floor Plans by: Evan Sanders

South Elevation

N-S Section w/ Passive

Section by: Evan Sanders

Model by: Whole Team

9.4mi

One Small Step for Zoning Changes

2200 | Designing the 21st Century Neighborhood Winter 2022 | Semester 6

Professor: Virginia Stanard

Category: Urban Planning

The Fitzgerald Neighborhood in Detroit is lacking in pretty much all essential resources like education, lack of businesses, lack of reliable transportation, lack of walkability, and lack of good food sources, etc.

This project tackles these issues from a zoning perspective. The zoning within the neighborhood follows the 20th-century neighborhood agenda with the business being located on the main streets, with the housing being located behind it. The area that was selected only has four amenities, with none being food sources. There is also a decent amount of abandoned buildings in the area. After doing this initial research it was time to develop a master plan.

9.4 mi from heart of Downtown Detroit

Bird’s eye view of block center

Response to Current Zoning

Adding SD1 & SD2 allows us to provide the area with the right essentials the community desperately needs. Adding SD1 encourages small-scale uses such as residential, local businesses, and offices for a neighborhood. SD2 provides an intensive mixture of uses such as residential, local businesses, & offices, but also promotes pedestrian activity.

Empahsis

On walkability and experiences that connect you within the community

Design Principle

Proritize

Voiced community needs

Create

A sustainable plan that allows for flexibilty allowing continuous growth of the

The idea behind breaking down the zones comes down to the idea of Work-Live-Play. Every Zone should intail some form of the following ideas below. This is so we can create a healthy & sustainable environment for all ages.

Work

The idea behind Work was to create a diverse number of businesses to create a selfsustaining community. By creating these diverse businesses, it allowed us to bring in different fresh food options, and create spaces for local businesses to grow.

Transform

Empty lots into walkable/flexible spacs for the community

Develop

A plan for various building typologies and uses (promotion of microeconomy.)

Promote

Community development and redevelopment from within

Live

The idea behind live was to create diversity of housing typology within the neighborhood itself, as about 80% of the housing within the neighborhood is single family homes, with fences around the homes. Live would open up backyards and open engages with your neighbors

Play

The idea behind play was to make each district more about doing something for yourself that’s in the moment. Most everything we do is for other people. Play is a form of meditation in that it helps you focus on where you’re at in the moment and reset your busy, perpetually exhausted adult mind. Which makes it easier to go back to something like work.

Co-Living Community

Focused on...

• Affordablity

• Convinence

• Community

Walkable Community

Focused on...

• Affordablity

• Accessablity

• Convience

Brilliant Detroit Community

Focused on...

• Affordablity

• Accessablity

• Sustainablity

Axon of Proposed Site

Plan of Proposed Site

By allowing zoning changes within this neighborhood, this area could be modernized into a 21st-century neighborhood. That is fully equipped with a diversity of building typologies, a diversity of businesses, and a diversity of public spaces. To provide the neighborhood with the essential care that is required for 21st-century residents to live comfortably. Even just making small changes to the current zoning layout can make big changes to the neighborhood.

Close up view of block center

42 mi

Next Four Artist Retreat Center

1200 | Architectural Design II

Winter 2019 | Semester 2

Professor: Erika Lindsay

Category: Building Construction Location: Barton Nature Area, Ann Arbor, MI

Prompt: In the final project of my freshman year, we had to design a retreat for four unrelated artists. The fellowship would be three months long, during spring, summer, and fall.

The retreat center is located in the Barton Area Nature Site, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The site is relatively closed off, and there is a path that goes around the site, but the site was not very noticeable at first. In this project, the main focus is on sustainability, usage of natural materials, and inclusiveness of the community. The design started by separating the loud area (Wood/Tool shop), and the quiet area (resting, living, exhibition space), to allow for better focus and more productivity from within quiet area. The retreat is only occupied during spring, summer, and fall, so solar energy would be available for most of the time the house is occupied.

42 mi from heart of Downtown Detroit

Main Entrance to Building

Interior Gallery Space

0.3mi

Diamond in the Rough Museum

1400 | Architectural Design IV Winter 2020 | Semester 4

Professor: Enrique Ledesma

Category: Building Construction

The objective of this project is to design a museum that caters to both the users and engages the public, to create a unique experience. The plan is to design a building that redefines the set grid of buildings around it and can blend in with its surrounding context. The design incorporates a glass structure cut through the center of the building that will allow users inside to view Capitol Park Uniquely and capture the prominent views of downtown Detroit. The idea for what was inside the museum came from the form. The glass structure symbolizes pulling away dirt and finding something in the ground. So, the Museum’s theme will be fossils, an ode to the first governor of Michigan who was buried under his statue in Capitol Park. The plan for this museum is for it to contain Fossils. It will incorporate different kinds of fossils from history, including but not limited to human fossils, animal fossils, dinosaur fossils, etc.

0.3 mi from heart of Downtown Detroit

Split the building to allow for sunlight in the back half of the building

Create a glass center that cuts through the site to maxmize daylighting & create a frame for prominent views to Capitol Park

Activate the street by extruding out from the building around it, to stand out & putting the retail on the ground level

Maximize the building envelope on the site (100’ by 60’)

Respond 04

To Further stand out from the building around it, create a unique glass pattern to create different sunlighting patterns into the building, also to provide a unique experience of vertical transportation that provides views to Capitol Park.

Changing Gallery

Main Lobby

Elevation & Wall Details

University of Detroit Mercy School of Architecture and Community Development 2023

Evan Sanders