BEN OLSEN
ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO
BEN OLSEN
4th YEAR ARCHITECTURE STUDENT From: Stillwater, MN 1152 Macey Way, Stillwater, MN 55082 Cell: (651)-315-0039 E-Mail: btolsen@iastate.edu
HOBBIES / INTERESTS
EXPERIENCE DSN S 102 Peer Mentor (2018-2019) Mentored, Motivated, and Inspired students within the College of Designs Core Program and aided in which program their skills would fit best in. Design-Build PRISMA (January 2018-May 2018)
Basketball, Board Games, Football, Fantasy Football, Music, Photography, Traveling
Reiman Gardens, Ames, Iowa Tasked with an interactive sculpture within Reiman Gardens, Architecture students coordinated and executed the design and building of PRISMA.
EDUCATION
Personally assisted in initial design studies, site plans, construction documents, and construction of PRISMA.
Iowa State University, Ames, IA Bachelor of Architecture (GPA: 3.49/4.00) Expected: May 2021
EXTRACURRICULARS Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity (2017-Present)
COMPUTER SKILLS Modeling: Rhino, Revit Drafting: AutoCAD Rendering: V-Ray / Lumion / TwinMotion Graphics: Adobe Photoshop / Illustrator / InDesign Other: Microsoft Word / Microsoft Excel / Geographic Information Systems
Vice President of Communication (2018-2019) Summer Recruiter (Summer 2018) Social Director (2017-2019) Apparel Director (2017-2019) Greek Week General Co-Chair (2017-2018) Greek Week LipSync Co-Chair (2018-2019)
SELECTED WORKS 2017-2019
DES MOINES TRAIN STATION Fall 2019 Professor: Shelby Doyle Partner: Mimi Kelly
WINTERSET PAVILLION / BAZAAR Fall 2018 Professor: Ayodele Iyanalu Partner: Abbigail Harding
GEODE APARTMENT COMPLEX Spring 2019 Professor: Leslie Forhand Partner: Jay Borgman
PRISMA DESIGN BUILD Spring 2018 Professor: Reinaldo Correa ARCH 202 Students
SEE AMERICA BY RAIL Located in Des Moines, Iowa, this proposal seeks to blend diverse and shifting cultures by providing a central hub of transportation and communication. The aspect of this work that we are most captivated by the potential of these urban nodes to act as a social catalyst, creating an opportunity for people of different backgrounds to come together in a common area. Our site program demonstrates a first floor designated for commercial space as well as areas to work, eat, and socialize. The second floor features two different landings, one with security checks, terminal waiting spaces and access to an elevated high speed rail line. The space shown on the opposite side of the security and rail lines on the second level is additional space for public use. This separation ensures that security measures are kept separate from community spaces in which one can utilize the space without having to go through security, creating a more welcoming environment while also keeping travel safer. The security is taken from airport precedents to ensure no harm comes to those who travel on the high speed rail or for longer periods of time. The basement level is for the local rail line in which one can travel from city to city in the state sector. Our project provides a space for young adults in which they are able to travel far distances with ease while merging residential and community space together. The reduced use of cars and revitalization of trains also allows for a reduction in the carbon footprint cars produce and and overall would have a positive impact on the progressing state of climate emergency.
SITE PLAN Median household income: $58,684 Unemployment: 3.32% Residents below the poverty level: 39.1% Median resident age: 25.7
Median household income: $22,596 Unemployment: 4.61% Residents below the poverty level: 27.6% Median resident age: 25.8
Median household income: $41,635 Unemployment: 13.4% Residents below the poverty level: 13.8% Median resident age: 31.5
SITE PLAN AXONOMETRIC
DETAIL DRAWINGS EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC BUILDING STRUCTURE
ROOF/ RESIDENTIAL SKYLIGHT RESIDENTIAL COLUMNS
TRAIN STATION COLUMNS
RAMPS + STAIRS ELEVATOR + FIRE STAIRS
HIGH SPEED RAILS
LOCAL IOWA RAIL
WALL SECTION DETAIL 1/4”=1’
FLOOR PLANS
FLOOR 3 1/16”=1’
FLOOR 1 1/16”=1’
FLOOR 4 1/16”=1’
FLOOR 2 1/16”=1’
SECTION CUTS
RENDERS
Interior Ramps
Interior Space
Public Space View
Exterior Rail Line
WINTERSET PAVILLION Located at the Westbrook Artists Site in Winterset, Iowa, the project at hand aims to create a space in which the landscape surring the space is at more of a focus than the building itself. Thus, defining our building as “discreet architecture�. The basic design of the building is a space in which one is completely enclosed in the space once entering the building. However, as one ventures through the space, they eventually are within a space that is open to the outdoors allows for views out to the landscape surrounding them. The space also allows for travel throughout the exterior of the building and side entrances to invoke ones curiosity surrounding the space. The external structure comes from the study of two types of minerals: Selenite and Pyrite. From Selenite, the notion of depth and visibility are apparent in the minerals features, as the building is formed to imitate these concepts in the idea of going from completely enclosed to exposed to the surrounding nature. From Pyrite, also known as fools gold, the idea of the unexpected, relative to the concepts of enclosure and exposure of the building relative to the site. Moreover, the juxtaposition of the concrete and glass.
PEN DRAWING
Invokes physical and symbolic qualities of the mineral Pyrite. Mainly, the juxtaposition of Pyrites gold color and black streaks along with the the difference in shape, as Pyrite can be both completely geometric or have a rugged exterior.
DESIGN INTENTION
Discreet Architecture
Depth of Space
Juxtaposition of Space
Linework to Massing
SITE PLAN
RENDERINGS
Southern Exterior
Interior Cafe / Bazaar Space
Eastern Exterior
Exterior Nook / Cafe
DETAILS
GEODE APARTMENT COMPLEX Located within Nob Hill in San Francisco, Geode apartment complex stands as a building that brings a community together. At the beginning of this project, my partner and I were tasked with picking a community. Left for interpretation, my parter and I picked the LGBTQIA+ community due to their history within San Francsico. From there, we found apartment complexes around the world that invoked the characteristics of said community. The main characteristic we chose was the idea of bringing a community together. As many members of the gay community would live together in Gothic style houses within the inner city of San Fransico when the middle class flooded to suburban neighborhoods. From this, Geode then began as a building in which we pushed for residents to interacted with one another and the addition of balconies were added to the building. Furthermore, juxtaposing the idea of a building in which the interior courtyard of Geode was the main attraction of the building, as a crystal-like facade was found in reminiscent to that of camp style. The idea of the interior courtyard also comes in play for bringing the community of dwellers together as they are able to interact with one another and share the balcony with another community member.
BUYING
Non-Architecture Competition
The proposed drawing implies the issues of retail in a future society. With recent advancements in technology, retail businesses that harness these upgrades are able to flourish, leaving smaller businesses unable to compete with them. Rather than a new typology for shopping, this drawing invokes a criticism of capitalism and the issue it holds for a boom-and-bust economy. Thus, the larger businesses are unreachable to an over materialistic society while the small businesses deteriorate.
PRE-DESIGN LINEWORK
0
1
2
3
4
8
12 ft
Aqua Tower
MX581 Aqua Tower Perspective
SITE PLAN Gallery Cafe
Wa sh
ing
ton
Str eet
Cable Car Betty Ong Rec Center Proposed Site Museum
APARTMENT FLOOR PLANS
Floor Plan
Perspective Room Plan
Section Cut
RENDERINGS
PRISMA Designed by the entirety of the 2021 Class of Architecture Students, PRISMA was the Spring Semester Design-Build project aimed to teach us about differing types of projects within Architecture. Budgeted at approximately $25,000, 80 Architecture students designed this interactive sculpture for Reiman Gardens that included hammocks and iridescent acryllic panels that gliscened in the sunlight. The design of PRISMA utilizes the elements of Ames, such as sunlight and wind, in order to create a visually appealing design. Within this project, we were introduced to all aspects that go into a project and working with clients. Examples would be solving the structural system with a structural engineer and consistent revisions to the project in meetings with Reiman Gardens to ensure that PRISMA was a project in which both groups were pleased with.
SITE ANALYSIS
with Mary Le
with Hannah Larsen
Reiman Gardens Section Cut
DETAILS
PRISMA Axonometrics
PRISMA Elevation
RENDERS + PHOTOGRAPHY
PRISMA Renders
PRISMA Renders
PRISMA End Product
PRISMA End Product
