PORTFOLIO 2019
IDEA
to
REALITY
What makes people do what they do and be good at it? Passion, determination and motivation to improve - things you cannot learn, but once you acquire them, you’re naturally good at what you do. Architecture is more than a profession or job for me, it’s my passion. I fully realize myself with motivation to improve and reach for success when it comes to architecture. After high school, I left Lithuania and started my architectural learning journey in Denmark where I understood that to develop a better sense of design and meet the client’s demands, divers experience is necessary. This idea led me to Australia where I obtained my Bachelor’s degree of Architectural Technology and Construction Management. Afterwards, I went to China for its prospering construction industry to hone my skills and enrich my experience. During the 4 years I have worked there, I had a chance to work with people from different backgrounds from whom I have learned so much knowledge and expertise. What’s more, I had the honor to work for Bing Lin, protégé of great architect Mr. I.M. PEI, for many years. I consider myself as a perfectionist – the best or nothing. I’m quality-oriented with great attention to details. Rapidly adapting to new environment and people is another strength of mine. I could work well as an individual contributor as well as a team player. I have learned that the wisdom of the masses exceeds that of the wisest individual, and I am ready to bring new ideas to the team at any time with my creativity and persistence. In spite of what I have acquired from the past years, there’s much more space for me to grow. As a young professional, I’m seeking to extend my knowledge and train my skills with the help of other professionals like You.
GEDIMINAS SIMKUS Constructing Architect / Designer Born in Lithuania, 11 / 12 / 1990 Ph. : +1 714 606 3101 e-mail.: gms.architecture@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/gediminas-simkus-gms
PROFESSIONAL WORK
EXPERIENCE [ 05/2018- 03/2019 ]
Los Angeles, USA
FREELANCE
- Working on single-family houses’ exterior design improvements - Working on site and getting familiar with American construction methods
[ 09/2016- 05/2018 ]
BYGGE DOKTOR / FREELANCE
Copenhagen, DENMARK
- Consulting with single-family houses’ interior/exterior design improvements - Meeting with clients - Site manager - Working on site to deepen construction knowledge
[ 05/2015- 07/2016 ]
OLI Architecture PLLC
Shanghai, CHINA ; New York, USA
- Urban layout and massive area conceptual design [retail streets, office towers, entertainment & performance centers, refurbished old factories, stadiums, museums, libraries, etc.] - Shanghai Stock Exchange Office Tower interior design - Involved in prestige office with private Buddha statue museum design - Responsible for taking on-site existing condition measurement and photo registration for interior design projects - Team leader for Kindergarten “ Anji Play “ playground design, construction drawing set preparation and communication with the client - Low-rise residential building design - Preparing project presentations & booklets for clients - Render production guidance - Daily communication and coordination with office overseas (NY) - Attending meetings with clients and on-spot brainstorm suggestions - Proposal for new internal zone re-development for Beijing National Centre for the Performing Arts I 6 I
[ 07/2014- 05/2015 ]
Shanghai, CHINA
ZIP Architects
- Beach resort/hotel design and planning - Forest, Lake, Beach luxury villa design - Complex of high-rise office tower with commercial podium and surrounding landscape/plaza design - Team leader of competition “ Passages at Shanghai EXPO” design proposal and supporting thesis formulation - Render production coordination and supervision for external render company
[ 07/2013- 07/2014 ]
Shanghai, CHINA
HAL International Architects
- High-end resort hotel conceptual design - Commercial street and shopping mall urban layout and conceptual design - High-rise office tower and commercial podium design - Revit Architecture introduction courses for design teams - Attending meetings and communicating with clients - Preparing project presentations & booklets for clients - Render production supervision
[ 02/2012- 07/2012 ]
TOPWAY Architectural Design & Urban Planning
Shanghai, CHINA; Montreal, CANADA
- Team coordinator - Revit Architecture software introduction and practice in a few project workflows - Project presentation arrangement - High-rise residential building and commercial complex design
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SOFTWARE
ACADEMIC [ 07/2012- 02/2013 ]
[ 09/2009- 02/2012 ]
[ 09/2001- 06/2009]
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Bachelor`s Degree Final Project: Architectural Technology and Construction Management
SKILLS Victoria University Melbourne, AUSTRALIA
Bachelor`s Degree: Architectural Technology and Construction Management
VIA University Horsens, DENMARK
Gymnasium Diploma
Zalgiriu Gymnasium Taurage, LITHUANIA
SketchUp
Adobe Illustrator
Autodesk ReCap
Autodesk Revit
CorelDraw
Autodesk ShowCase
Lumion
Adobe Photoshop
Autodesk InfraWorks
Adobe InDesign
Autodesk AutoCad
Autodesk NavisWorks
Autodesk FormIT
Rhino
MS Project
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PROJECT OVERVIEW
[01]
YING CHENG CENTER PINGDINGSHAN, CHINA 解放碑综合体
Qingdao InternationaL CITY
Shandong, CHINA 青岛国际免税旅游城
I 10 I
[02]
XUE LIAN TANG art museum GUANGHUI, SICHUAN, CHINA
四川广汇雪莲堂美术馆
[07]
SH. STOCK EXCHANGE SHANGHAI, CHINA
上海股票交易所 - 室内设计
Zhongqing Cultural Plaza
Wujiang, CHINA 吴江中青文化广场
[03]
Contemporary Art Factory
WUZHEN, CHINA 乌镇现代艺术博物馆
CHAOTAN BAY RESORT HAINAN, CHINA
海南潮滩湾
MR. YAO’s PRIVATE OFFICE
SHANGHAI, CHINA 高端私人办公室设计
SANYA HAITANG BAY HAINAN, CHINA 三亚海棠湾
ANJI KINDERGARTEN PLAYGROUND
ANJI, CHINA 安吉幼儿园操场设计
[04]
[08]
DRAGON VALLEY RESORT HAINAN, CHINA
湖南桃花谷龙泉度假酒店
JIAYU COM. COMPLEX CHENGDU, CHINA
成都嘉裕商业综合体建筑设计
FILM AND MEDIA CENTER
SHANGHAI, CHINA 阳光七星杨树浦池块
[05]
Factory dormitory
nanjing, CHINA 南京圣和药业宿舍楼
CHONGQING TOWER CHONGQING, CHINA
重庆复地集团解放碑综合体
BEIJING OPERA HOUSE
BEIJING, CHINA 北京歌剧院室内空间设计
[06]
JIAXINg DAYUN AVENUE ZHEJIANG, CHINA 嘉兴大云温泉中心
[09] huachen complex shanghai, CHINA
华辰立面设计
I 11 I
[ 01 ]
YING CHENG CENTER PINGDINGSHAN, CHINA
2015 ZIP ARCHITECTS
平顶山解放碑综合体
SHANGHAI, CHINA
PingDingShan is located in central Henan Province, China`s important energy and raw materials industrial base, outstanding tourist city. Project challenge was how to combine commercial buildings and office towers with local culture and surroundings architecture to achieve the greatest degree of resonance. The project should become a new icon for the entire city. Design goal was to present an outstanding and impressive high-end modern complex that has relation to surroundings and cannot be placed anywhere else.
Areal View Render I 13 I
coal
STRATUM
WATER
WIND
PAST
PRESENT
FUTURE
Cultural monument Ying Cheng Center - pure and simple idea, drawn from elements we are surrounded by and most important influential icon in the project area. There are many factors influencing the design direction, but only the most important ones will have an impact. A huge Buddha statue is not far away from the project site. It is an iconic cultural monument that we chose as an inspiration for our design direction.
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History I 15 I
IDEAS We came up with several approaches to our design concepts. Physical 3D models allowed us to further analyze the scale of towers, commercial podium integrity and landscape/ plaza unity within the whole complex.
GOALS Whole design team was involved in this crucial design step. Each designer has his own approach. Our goal was to make sure we pick the most fulfilling design direction.
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Design Approach I 17 I
architectural REALIzATION Monumental Buddha statue had a tremendous impact on our design, especially its hand. Five different height towers, specific shape, facade finish, sky garden on top with translucent facade - conceptual way of transferring this historical icon into architectural language. To unify everything, we designed a podium with open plaza that has flowing passages and pedestrian bridges that are also connected with the neighbour site where huge stadium, performance center and commercial venues are located.
IMMERSIVE Project should become a new focal point of the city for locals and tourists. Within these five exclusive towers we have planned to have modern office space, a five-star hotel with luxurious sky garden/bar lounge, various dining and entertainment areas. Vibrant plaza will allow different activities to take place, providing comfortable balance between architecture and nature.
I 18 I Main Street View Render
Hotel Grand Entrance Render I 19 I
“tip� of the towers Sky lounge - a spot to have an incredible panoramic view to the lake and surrounding area while having a delicious meal. Open area allows for this place to have several different functions and the enclosed mezzanine floor provides privacy for business related activities.
I 20 I Sky Garden Render
Sky Lounge Render I 21 I
SURROUNDINGS
[1F]
CIRCULATION
[2F] PEOPLE
Analyses
[3F] I 22 I Commercial Podium Layout
Landscape has a huge impact on how well this area will function. We have to assure not only a pleasant look, but also smooth circulation, enough recreational areas and different features/attraction points.
Site Plan I 23 I
[ 02 ]
XUE LIAN TANG ART MUSEUM GUANGHUI, SICHUAN, CHINA
2016 OLI ARCHITECTS
四川广汇雪莲堂美术馆
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Chengdu is the capital of south-western China’s Sichuan province. It is one of the most important economic, financial, commercial, cultural, transportation, and communication centers in Western China. This new Chengdu Ink Painting Museum will be bordering between the central park and the new Central Business District area. Project aims to be highlight of entire area, reflecting the mood and spirit of Chinese culture and the performance of China. Areal View Render I 25 I
CULTURE
INSPIRATION
LANDSCAPE
I 26 I
MATERIAL
Chengdu is famous for its great ancient bronze civilizations, ink-wash paintings and beautiful landscape that has been an inspiration for many artists. Our aim was to express the link between past and present, the beauty of the landscape and architecture together.
Bronze I 27 I
DESIGN
The “pearl� of the project - floating above natural landscape the museum`s Bronze clad galleries. Below the museum we took the idea of Chengdu`s hill/mountain-filled landscape and broke it down to small hills that become commercial units, bringing constant movement into the site.
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Areal View Render I 29 I
EXPRESSIVE
Making the museum strong rectangular shape while hovering over curvy “commercial landscape” has created the perfect contrast and aesthetic taste of “harmony between men and nature”.
I 30 I Park View Render
Areal View Renders I 31 I
INTERIOR CONTRAST Museum galleries and open space are visually highlighted by making the exhibition halls pop out from the facade as huge bronze boxes and open space is the connecting part with light glass between the galleries.
I 32 I City & Park View Elevations
Layered walls, partitions of the galleries and open circulation space are hidden behind custom facade with bronze louvres that reminiscent great ancient bronze civilizations of Chengdu.
Museum Open Space, Gallery & Lobby Renders I 33 I
FORMATION
On one side we have a big park and on another - CBD. Project site being the connecting part, we expect a lot of traffic. We have used this in our favor to divide the natural landscape into different segments and create separate commercial units. Having flexible circulation axis allows people to stay longer within the commercial compound and provide different routes from CBD to the park in the meanwhile. To improve pedestrians’ experience and make it more interesting, we used different kinds of trees to mark the longest route on the site.
Fire truck access
I 34 I Site Plan
circulation
function
Site Analyses I 35 I
MUSEUM FIRST FLOOR
MUSEUM SECOND FLOOR
PARKING LEVEL & CIRCULATION
I 36 I Ground Floor Plan
FIRST FLOOR
LAYOUT
MUSEUM FIRST FLOOR
By creating different “commercial hills”, we had an opportunity to make room for shops starting with big brands and leaving space for smaller ones. Museum wise, we concentrated on having ample open area for visitors while circulating between the different “box galleries”. Considering the collection of ink paintings that will be on display, we made different ceiling height in some of the galleries, creating comfortable space for the exhibits and new experience for the visitors. Floor Plans I 37 I
[ 03 ]
CHAOTAN BAY RESORT HAINAN, CHINA
2016 OLI ARCHITECTS
海南潮滩湾
SHANGHAI, CHINA
This massive resort project is located in Hainan, one of the smallest and southernmost provinces of China, consisting of various islands in the South China Sea. This development contains numerous separate projects: hotels, entertainment centers, housing units, private villas, club houses, commercial units, etc. At the moment Hainan is already a resort place for those who seek escape from big cities of China. Completion of this project should attract not only native people but people from overseas too.
Areal View Render I 39 I
FAUNA & FLORA
Hainan is a get-away spot. Huge variety of fauna and flora attract many people to escape from their daily lives. To enhance the idea of “escape� and beauty of environment, we took inspiration from local birds. Bird is a natural symbol of freedom. Using natural-resourced wood we aimed to design something that brings people and nature closer to each other.
I 40 I
Nature I 41 I
VISION
NATURAL We chose to express wooden structure in order to relate this recreational building to existing palm fields around as well as to provide soothing atmosphere for the guests.
I 42 I Back Pool Terrace View Render
Huge wavy wooden roof with visible rafter structure was exactly what we needed to fulfill our conceptual vision. Adding main building functions (club house, hotel, entertainment areas and private villas) and separating them into units under this roof, allowed us to create uniform but at the same time functionally define the building. Idealy it should give people an idea of a huge bird next to the ocean.
Back Pool Terrace & Site Plan Renders I 43 I
OPTIONAL
This option of the same project approaches with a more modern and centralized layout. On one side - private suites, on the other - public functions. Goal was to look at the site, design demands and possibilities in order to come up with different designs.
VIEW Stepping roof terraces provide guests with an opportunity to enjoy the view to the ocean from elevated perspective and also enrich their dining experience.
I 44 I Ocean Side View Render
Site Plan I 45 I
[04]
DRAGON VALLEY RESORT Hunan province, CHINA
2014 ZIP ARCHITECTS
湖南桃花谷龙泉度假酒店
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Project is located in the southwest of Ningxiang County, Dongjiao Mountain Scenic area, Hunan province. It is the 7th most populous province of China and the 10th most extensive by area. Resort target is to attract elite customers for short-term leisure holiday. Project is aiming for creating a mountain resort complex with adaptable high quality architecture while respecting local traditions and culture.
Areal View Render I 47 I
CULTURE
Dongjiao Mountain is a special getaway for city folks. People in this area have deep cultural beliefs, a unique lifestyle and architecture language. To prevent any unnecessary disruption for this area we decided to consider environmental aspects and traditional local Chinese architecture that is common for this particular mountainous area.
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Mountain I 49 I
HARMONY Gorgeous area with amazing scenic views to hills, mountains and valleys. Local architecture with modern twist blends in perfectly achieving balance between structure and nature.
STRUCTURE
We went with most local architecture details on our main hotel building: roof ridges, columns, sliders and bands. As this is the first thing you see when you arrive, it’s important to feel the uniqueness of the place. We also suggested to enlarge the current mountain lake as it has significant impact on the whole project. Nothing competes with mountain morning mist on the steady lake, curvy pathways and scenic views.
I 50 I Areal View Render
Lake View & Private Villa Renders I 51 I
VILLAS
Considering all factors we chose wood and stone combination as main building materials for private villas. Spacious balconies, simple, well planned details and main local architectural twists fulfilled our design expectations.
I 52 I Site plan
Areal / Street Private Villa renders I 53 I
[ 05 ]
CHONGQING TOWER CHONGQING, CHINA
2014 ZIP ARCHITECTS
重庆复地集团解放碑综合体
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Chongqing is a major city in southwestern China. It has a significant history and culture and serves as the economic center of the upstream Yangtze basin. It is a major manufacturing center and transportation hub. Project site is located in the center of Chongqing’s Yuzhong district, within the Liberation Monument business circle. Project aim is to integrate into Financial Street`s planning, improve skyline along the Yangtze and Jialing rivers with its unique character of the urban ladder.
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Areal Sky Lounge Areal View Render I 55 I
LINK
Project location is prestigious - the first in line of completely new CBD. One and only thing that has tremendous impact is an old Arhat Temple, right next to the site boundary. Being a leading building in the district we had to approach to it with richness in form, visual appeal and somehow establish a link with the historical temple.
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Ancient I 57 I
URBAN LADDER We used sky gardens to break down monolithic standard tower look and also bring extra open space in the building. Double, sloping inwards curtain system highlights gardens from outside view and enlarges indoor space.
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Areal Sky Garden View Render I 59 I
I 60 I Main Street & Areal View Renders
Areal Sky Lounge View Render I 61 I
RELATION
Special design considerations were taken for the facade facing the ancient temple. We used solid and mesh panels in triangular/irregular pattern to create partial visibility to outside. This way we strengthen our interior layout along this facade (restaurants, cafes) and bring more light into the building.
COMMERCIAL The commercial part of this project has a theme of “fashion, leisure, and culture�. Defined by popular international brands, it will be a new type of shopping center that embodies versatile specialty in the Liberation Monument commercial district and in Chongqing overall.
I 62 I Site Plan
Lg
L1
L2
L3
L4
L5
Physical Model and Commercial Podium Layout Plans I 63 I
[06]
JIAXINg HOT SPRING AVENUE zhejiang, china
2014 HAL ARCHITECTS
嘉兴大云温泉中心
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Jiaxing is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, lying on the Grand Canal of China. Jiaxing system began in Qin Dynasty and has a history of more than two thousand years. Since ancient times as a prosperous and rich land, Jiaxing has the “land of plenty”, “Silk City” reputation, is a national historical and cultural city. Project aim is to develop a new recreational area consisting of distinguished hotel Hilton and many European contemporary/modern commercial venues. Street Areal View Render I 65 I
“ SLICK ”
Contemporary and vibrant. Simple and modern. That is what we need. What can be better to start with than simplest shapes. Adding a few twists, ideas and we can achieve that “slick” look.
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Simple I 67 I
PROCESS
Vibrant, aesthetic, simple and modern - that was the design mission. Having Hilton hotel nearby, our commercial units had to live up to expectations. First we defined several fundamental commercial unit modules. Rotation, mirroring and mixing were applied and we had our primary vision of the street.
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Street View Render I 69 I
SHOP-AVENUE
European pitched roof was carried throughout the whole street, keeping all buildings associated. Adding wooden details, store fronts, signs, elevated terraces, stucco and brick work led us to final design. Results do not appear like a street, it presents a fresh look of a small shopping village, where every single unit has something different than the previous one.
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Street View Render I 71 I
[07]
China STOCK EXCHANGE SHANGHAI, CHINA
2016 OLI ARCHITECTS
上海股票交易所 - 室内设计
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Interior office design for one of the most important industries - stock industry. Interior design proposals are for China Securities Depository and Clearing Corporation Limited (CSDC) , Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and China Financial Futures Exchange (CFFE). Project aims to propose quality, functionality and modern design following complex requirements for floor plan layout.
Auditorium Render I 73 I
QUALITY
Office space has changed a lot over time. As time passes we introduce more things to improve the indoor climate quality, functionality of the layout and comfortable furniture.
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Zen I 75 I
SPACE It was very important to choose the right color pallet. Interior design elements have to work with each other, that is why we chose light grey, sandy wood and white. We brought in orange details to have vibrancy and overall connection. Taking Chinese working methods into consideration, we incorporated special desk cupboard retractable bed for break time.
I 76 I Open Office Render
Auditorium & Manger`s Office Renders I 77 I
LUXURY
Manager`s reception area and VIP meeting room / library most luxurious place in the entire floor. Here we chose fine-finish dark wood, dim lighting and stylish furniture. Light carpet and furniture leather brings out contrast and richness 30层理事长专用走道效果 to the entire room. 2|设计说明
I 78 I VIP Meeting Room / Private Library Render
上海国
Shanghai International Financial Cen
Manager`s Reception & General Reception Area Renders I 79 I
上海国际金融中心上交所
Zones
Design in general can be seen and done in numerous ways. Main goal is always to improve in all key areas. While designing cafeteria area, we looked how to enhance the space rather than shape it. Dining tables and seating looks like one unit, sandy wood finishes and louvres to visually divide the space and avoid the feeling of ordinary lunch hall. White and simple furniture with ceiling that follows glass facade form a new zone within the space.
I 80 I Cafeteria Render
Meeting Room Render I 81 I
[08]
Jiayu Commercial Complex Chengdu, CHINA
2014 ZIP ARCHITECTS
成都嘉裕商业综合体建筑设计
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Chengdu is the capital of south-western China’s Sichuan province. It is one of the most important economic, financial, commercial, cultural, transportation, and communication centers in Western China. This project was for the well-known company - Crown Plaza. Biggest obstacle was low budget and client`s unclear vision. Project consists of two office towers and a commercial podium.
Street View Render I 83 I
RUBIC
Shopping - constant movement and change. Grand tower and podium have to go with this movement. Facade has to flow and podium needs to pop out to emphasize the change.
I 84 I
Combination I 85 I
方案一效果图
CHOICE 1
I 86 I Street View Render
For office towers we went with simple regular shape, but had a play with different shade glass and solid panel lines across. We treated podium with actual “pop out” strategy - having various boxes coming in/out or defined by different materials/patterns. We anticipated a problem of overcomplicating, but after introducing tower facade into the podium we concluded it is exactly what “movement & change” should look like. Also, having massive entrance “glass box“ with arcshaped entrance atrium assured us no one will miss the main entrance in this cluster.
Street/Main Entrance View Renders I 87 I
方案二效果图
方案二效果图
OPTIONAL
Same idea just simplified. Reduced elements on tower facades and reduced “movement” on podium facade. Combining a few areas in one bigger scale so that it would scale better with towers. Both options have same middle circulation venue with glass ceiling all the way from one side to the other.
I 88 I Street Sunset View Render
Areal & Street View Renders I 89 I
[09]
Huachen office & retail SHANGHAI, CHINA
2016 OLI ARCHITECTS
华辰立面设计
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Project is located in one of the Shanghai regions - Sunqiao. Shanghai is famous for its skyscrapers and “never sleeping” reputation. Architecture has to be expressive and living up to the city`s standards. Project consists of a shopping mall that focuses on frozen goods trade and three low-rise office buildings. Design aim was to express the building content/function and make it lively throughout the day and the night.
Street View Render I 91 I
frozen
Knowing this retail building will be only dealing with frozen goods and the company is famous for their products in China, we did not hesitate to go with something which relates to that. Ice - strongest concept that has a link and could be expressed with architecture in an impressive way.
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Icon I 93 I
CUBES We visually divided the building into four parts. We took the idea of ice cracks and expressed it on our facades. To emphasize the concept, we used printed glass with crack lines to reveal and highlight our four ice cubes.
I 94 I
Street View Render I 95 I
CRACK Low-rise office building next to our retail had to have some connection. We took the same idea, only more subtly. We mixed solid and glass panels on most of the facade and clear glass in the crack to have the contrast we were looking for. To take it one more step ahead of this we unfolded bottom part of the facade as a result of an interesting entrance lobby.
NIGHTLIFE
In China people like flashy things, shiny commercials and colors. To make the building lively during the night, we have added bright neon lights behind the printed glass parts. It should enhance the idea of ice and create spectacular view while walking along this building or looking from far away in the evening.
I 96 I Office Street View Render
Night Street View Render I 97 I
sense
of
REALITY
PHOTOGRAPHY WITH NO PHOTOSHOP
I 100 I Henty Dunes - Tasmania, 2013
West McDonalds Ranges - Alice Springs, Australia, 2013 I 101 I
I 102 I State Highway 395 - California, 2018
Palm Springs - California, 2017 I 103 I
I 104 I Mammoth Lakes - California 2018 / Alabama Hills - California 2018
On the way to Mt. Everest Base Camp - Tibet, 2016 I 105 I
I 106 I Sunrise in Hobart Harbor, Tasmania 2013
Sunset on route 395 from Mammoth Lakes to LA, California, 2018 I 107 I
I 108 I Lake Yamdrok at Gangbala Pass, Tibet 2016
Everest Base Camp 5200m - Tibet 2016 I 109 I
GEDIMINAS SIMKUS
Constructing Architect / Designer Ph. : +1 714 606 3101 e-mail.: gms.architecture@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/gediminas-simkus-gms