Portfolio
Jordan Ritter
B.Arch
Jordan Ritter
Newcastle, NSW | jordan.dean.ritter@gmail.com | 0499 655 224
Bachelor of Design (Architecture) with Distinction
Colleg Medal recipient
AIA NSW Undergraduate Medal Commendation
Hello, welcome to my portfolio!
In the following pages you will find a selection of work from across my degree, along with a couple of other small projects. These projects demonstrate a range of skills such as hand drawing, physical and digital modelling, CAD, renderings, critical thinking and problem solving skills.
I am pivoting from a successful career as a chef, able to leverage my vast transferrable skillset, I aim to bring my enthusiasm for creativity and precision to the field of architecture and the built environment. Since graduating from university with flying colours, I have been gaining experience in the cabinetry/joinery space, however now I am seeking architectural work before eventually commencing a masters degree. I offer a level of maturity uncommon for a fresh undergraduate, which brings with it diligence, dependability, and numerous soft skills.
01. The Mayfield Project
Affordable housing in a housing crisis
02. NUarch School
Urban architecture faculty
03. Interstices
Rethinking domesticity and leisure
04. Beaumont Utopia
Co-living in an unusual location
05. Kooragang Pavilion
Exhibition and event space
06. Sampson House
Development Application
07. Rossiter House
Complying Development Certificate
The Mayfield Project
Affordable housing in a housing crisis
(Recieved AIA NSW Undergraduate Medal Commendation)
When: Semester 2, 2023
Where: Mayfield ‘Woolies’
What: Multi-residential
Who: In collaboration with Joshua Medbury and Hai Feng Yeo
This studio focused on delivering a masterplan that addressed the need for affordable housing. The process involved oscillating between the macro urban scale and that of the individual apartment.
The Mayfield Woolworths site, along the Maitland Road renewal corridor, was adopted and given a ‘Nightingale Village’ style treatment. Importantly, the original grocery store has been kept in a reduced capacity, skinned with new buildings, maintaining it’s embodied carbon. The site was portioned into two halves using a laneway incision, each half of the site was massed appropriately to achieve density and optimal solar conditions.
The ground plane was imagined with various commercial and retail spaces, with zero setback, so as to match the Maitland road urban character and activate the street, now imagined as a pedestrian centric area.
The material pallette has been kept modest and apartment footprints small to help drive the cost down, whilst maintaining a sharp aesthetic and functionality. Shared spaces and amenities help to compliment the apartments, encouraging and fostering a community atmosphere.
Drawing credit: In collaboration with Joshua Medbury
Drawing credit: In collaboration with Hai Feng Yeo
Drawing credit: In collaboration with Josh Medbury
Drawing credit: In collaboration with Hai Feng Yeo
NUarch School
Urban architecture faculty
When: Semester 1, 2023
Where: Corner of King and Aukland St, Newcastle What: Educational/mixed use
This studio allowed me to speculate a new building that would house the University of Newcastle architecture faculty. The programmatic requirements were extensive, it included student accomodation, the numerous functions of an architecture school and a semi-public ground plane. The brief asked for a level of resolution for all spaces as well as the structural logic for the building.
As a result, extensive 2D drafting, digital and physical modelling was used to fully understand how this building was going to function internally as well as be expressed externally.
The total semester of work gave me an opportunity to work through a series of drawings. I delivered plans, sections, and elevations of differing scales, all the way through to numerous details and vignettes.
The pallette adopted was a busy selection of off-form concrete textures, and a patchwork of numerous glazing styles. This was with the view to the building been a visual catalogue of ideas for students and to be a provocative urban marker for the public.
lecture hall floor plate with ribbed underside, supported by thick walls and deep beam
Interstices
Rethinking domesticity and leisure
When: Semester 2, 2022
Where: Newcastle East End Mall
What: Multi-residential
Who: In collaboration with Chloe Baker, Peter Ellis and Sam Orme
The eastern end popular destination hospitality and decline, the ‘East a targeted development rejuvenation.
The site is located city, both geographically Right on the intersection and the protected and the cathedral
In close proximity routes and the ferry obvious transition of transport. Surrounded
of Hunter Street was once a destination that included, shopping, business. Following years of ‘East End’ is in the middle of development and grass roots led
located at a key spot within the geographically and symbolically. intersection of Hunter Street mall protected axis between the waterfront cathedral on the hill.
proximity to the light rail, bus ferry terminal, the site is an transition point between these modes Surrounded by bars and cafes,
active and passive open space, major and boutique retail, cycleways and commercial offices.
This proposal seeked to provide a mixture of commercial and public uses and various housing types. To achieve this, the architecture was stripped back, with modest materials, finishes and exposed services. This strategy was chosen to provide more affordable apartments and hopefully give a wider diversity of residents access to housing on the site.
Whilst the palette was be pared back, there was also use of interesting geometries in the layout and structure to provide aesthetic interest and make it a place of many interstitial spaces for residents, workers and visitors.
Drawing credit: Peter Ellis, in collaboration with Sam Orme and myself
credit: Peter Ellis, in collaboration with Sam Orme and myself
Drawing
Beaumont Utopia
Co-living in an unusual location
When: Semester 1, 2022
Where: Beaumont Street drain, Hamilton South
What: Residential, public ground plane
Who: Intial phase in collaboration with Richard Eastman and Ava Gleeson
This semester began with an exercise of designing and building a ‘mobile studio’. This was taken to the site visit, the drain at the southern end of Beaumont Street. In the interest of minimal waste, low cost, portability and pragmatism a single 1200 x 2400 sheet of ply was fashioned into a folding flat pack arrangment. This fit into a canvas bag, which doubled as the cover.
These ideas of affodability, functionality, and versatility became key parts to the home which was designed for above the drain. The home was one of three positioned around a central deck in a co-living scenario. This grouping of homes was a unique approach, which questioned the zoning for the site.
The house was minimal in footprint, clad in fibre cement sheets, and a ply wood interior. Windows were strategically placed to capture northern light. The plan was such that it could be simply altered to accomodate from two to four bedrooms if needed.
Mobile studio constructed with Ava Gleeson and Richard Eastman
Kooragang Pavilion
Exhibition and event space
When: Semester 2, 2021
Where: Kooragang Island
What: Mixed use building
Through a series of abstract tasks, this studio led to the unusual point of designing a space for exhibitions and events, whilst also housing an endangered fish.
What eventuated was a monolithic structure rising from the mangroves of Kooragang Island. The materiality makes reference to the industries of ash timber, steel and coal that have shaped Kooragang, and have relegated this building to a small portion of shoreline that is reminiscent of of the original environment.
Sampson House
Development application
When: 2023
Where: Adelaide
What: Alteration/addition
Some friends had recently moved back home to South Australia and bought themselves a ‘fixer upper’. They asked for my help to document their intentions for a development application.
I was able to help with some design choices to help optimise the rough layout they had presented me. Key considerations were getting light into the middle of the house despite a neighbour built to boundary on the north, creating a subtle divide internally between the old and the new, and a modest footprint to ensure low cost and maximum backyard space.
The process involved liasing with my friends from afar via zoom sessions. I conversed with a surveyour to make sure I had accurate measurements to work from. I also had to navigate foreign regulations, I made contact with the local council to ensure I was providing the required drawings. For example, I made revisions to ensure flood plain regulations were met.
Rossiter House
Complying development certificate
When: 2025
Where: Lake Macquarie
What: Alteration/addition
The clients are a young family with four small children who are taking on a run down three bedroom house. The owner is a builder.
I was able to work with them to create a practical extension along with a revised layout for the existing building footprint. The key aims were to have front fascade with traditional aesthetics, to maximise north light to the living spaces in the rear of the building and the accommodate their family as it grows.
The design allows for an additional bedroom to be created with ease down the track and the layout is formulated so the construction can be gradually staged to allow them to move in during the process.
The project is currently in progress.
