Mitch Hoffman | Portfolio & The Toppled Monuments

Mitchell Hoffman

Selected works from: Academic and Professional Work in Architecture & Design and Personal Artwork

Table of Contents

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Resume Thesis - Toppled Monuments The Stitch Informal Chicago Ceramic Cuttings

Mitchell Hoffman

Masters of Architecture Education

University of Cincinnati, DAAP

University of Cincinnati - DAAP

218 Grant Park Drive Dayton, KY 41074

Degree anticipated May 2022

Hoffmmf@mail.uc.edu

• Bachelor of Science in Architecture

• Masters of Architecture

May 2020 - Cum Laude

Dean’s List Recipient • 2016 to Present

LEED Green Associate • 2019

Skill Set Rhino Revit Adobe CC Grasshopper AutoCad 3D Printing CNC Milling Laser Cutting

Experience • Chaplin Architects (Cincinnati) - Spring / Summer 2021 Co-op

Tasks involved produced visualizations and presentation level work for proposals and on-going projects. Duties also included document production through Revit and physical model production.

• Perkins + Will (Atlanta) - Summer 2019 Co-op

Primarily worked on SD and DD phase for the Ohio State University Ambulatory Center while also making several models for other projects.

• Perkins + Will (Atlanta) - Fall 2018 Co-op

Work focused on feasability studies for the University of Arkansas and Georgia State University Student Center and light involvement in the Savannah Arena development.

• GBBN architects (Cincinnati) - Spring 2018 Co-op

Main focus was the Ronald McDonald House Expansion project through DD phase and CD phase of the Cincinnati Museum Terminal.

Involvement • Partnership with Jamesa Designs - Summer 2020 • Product and Furniture Design - Fall 2018 to Present

Personal projects / studio work involving ceramic wheel throwing, water jet cutting, and 3D modeling. More work shown in portfolio or currently in progress.

• DAAP Student Technology Lab - Member until 2019 Involvement includes training and overseeing other students use of the 3D printers and laser cutters in the STL. Additional involvement included maintaining and cleaning the equipment.

The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Toppled Monuments

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Monuments and memorials are symbolic to humans. Made from marble and steel, these sculptures are resilient and expensive. Intended to be permanent, a goal only sought after by man, these sculptures preserve an identity or a story.

Nothing lasts forever though. These sculptures have a life cycle, as society shifts so does the way society percieves these monuments.This shift results in the inevitable transformation of the monument.

Transformations between monuments vary but typically involve recoloring the sculpture with paint and removing parts such as the head.

As monuments are toppled across the world, specifically the United States, where do they all go?

In order to avoid further deception and correct the misinformation that is spreading, these discarded monuments must be curated to educate to public proberly.

Fig 01. Decapitated Lenin in Chabo, Ukraine - Photo by Niels Ackermann

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

The Butterfly Effect

The Inevitable Fall: As society shifts, permanent monuments and memorials lose their meaning and ability to represent the citizens leading to their inevitable transformation by altering the monument.

This altering can take the form of vandalism, deconstruction, or adding to the existing sculpture.

Decapitation

Memorial

This rejection of small local monuments and memorials will spread until it affects even the largest monuments in the Nation’s Capitol.

Graffiti

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Types of Monuments and Memorials

Individuals

General

Cultural Events

Terrorism

Monument

Ephemeral

Unforeseen Hero

Car Crash

Events

Ideology Martyr

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Certain Truths A person’s memories and upbringing play a major role in identity. Education and the views of one’s elders easily directs and form the minds of children. These stories are only partially true.

While there are certain truths in historic monuments and ambiguous messages in others. There are narratives that, perhaps unwittingly, are truisms in other curated sites.

But others willingly fabricate fiction to produce doubt or uncanny forms of representation.

This uncertainty can be purposefully used in the form of parafiction. By blending reality in fiction and only showing minors clues, the audience is challenged with distinguishing between the two. *Image on right - altered by author.*

March on Washington

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Process Work

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Replication & Aesthetics

The aesthetics on monuments and memorials are now digitized, preserved forever on the internet.

Through 3D 3D printing and moldmaking, these artifacts are replicated and cast into hybrid vessels.

These pieces explore and question the authority given to monuments because of their aesthetics.

Various glazes and stains are used to make the vessels appear older than they truly are.

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Vessel 1

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Vessel 2

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Vessel 3

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Vessel 3 - Detail 01

Vessel 3 - Detail 02

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Vessel 04

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Vessel 05

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The Museum

The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

How would you react if someone told you there were tunnels below the National Mall? Could the toppling of the Washington Monument have happened once already? To what extent can information be altered and history changed forever?

To take it a step further, what if the Washington Monument was toppled through the reflecting pool?

A possible fairytale or the recreation of a lost historical event. This project creates a museum for undesired monuments and memorials by using the story of the toppling of the Washington Monument as the provocateur. Please look closely.

Fig. 01 The Obelisk’s Point

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Exterior Signage

1. PRIMARY GOALS

MUSEUM TO TOPPLED MONUMENTS

DIGITAL SCANNING & PRESERVATION

The facility is both storage and an educational platform where issues with the toppled monuments can be addressed. The monuments are also preserved from future destruction and erosion.

All artifacts and monuments brought to the museum are digitally scanned. This process preserves them digitally, lowering the necessity for the physical object. Digital preservation allows for access through the Internet across the world.

Building From South Branch

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

2. SECONDARY GOALS

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3

6 TEMPORALITY / CHANGE WITH TIME

DIVERSITY IN REPRESENTATION

As time moves on the museum accumulates more monuments and memorials. As the museum becomes full on cast-aside monuments, the affect on the visitors also grows.

The Fallen Monument houses galleries for artists and citizens. Curated galleries and public galleries creates a duality between authority and self-representation. By putting both together, the contrast between citizen and government is easily observed.

The museum provides space for the monuments and memorials. Additional preservation acts

Project Site Plan & Goals

include digitally scanning.

As the museum fills with more monuments, the atmosphere and education changes. The space is intended to be inclusive for all.

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Section - Monument

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Section - Museum

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Guests enter through the base of the monument just as they would have prior to the toppling.

Once inside, the monument slopes downwards as galleries site slightly elevated above the ground.

These small spaces are available for public art, giving a platform for diverse representation.

Once at the bottom, visitors find themselves standing beneath the National Mall undercroft.

Built from reinforced glass, the museum is designed to withstand extreme flooding. While a museum, the building is meant to preserve the monuments, similar to a vault.

This project explores a range of topics from aesthetics, authority, ephemerality, curation, and doubt. But ultimately looks to improve the education of historical events while accepting different viewpoints.

Fig 01. Ground Level Entry

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Museum Entry

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

Toppled Washington Monument

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The Toppled Monuments Graduate Thesis

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The Stitch Connecting Oakland

The Stitch Honorable Mention

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The Stitch Connecting Oakland

This project was an entry for the 2022 ULI Hines Student Competition. This project recieved recognition as an honorable mention.

Located in Oakland, CA, this competition looked at the redevelopment of four major blocks located to the North-East of the 880 Interstate and just a few blocks South of Downtown Oakland. While also giving an expansive view of how the neighboring blocks could be redeveloped over a 10 year period.

Interdisiplinary group efforts consisted of myself, the team leader, two other architecture students, a planning student, and a business student.

The final result is a proposal that looks to revitalize the underutilized spaces beneath the interstate and connect the area with a new transit hub. This new hub will become a new mixed-use residential and office district while also supporting lowerincome families.

Fig 01. Competition Logo

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The Stitch Connecting Oakland

Board 01

Perfectly stitching together the diverse neighborhoods of Oakland

THE

mixed-income community seeking to build connections servicing

STITCH

through establishing the Old Oakland neighborhood as a key n fabric and transportation network.

RECONNECTING WITH OLD OAKLAND

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2 1

8

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19 16 20

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FARMER’S MARKET

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5

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ART WALK AND REFLECTING POND

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The Stitch Connecting Oakland

KEY

d, The Stitch is a mixed-use,

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

g the Greater Oakland Area

node in the city’s cultural

Mixed use Residential and Retail Mixed use Residential and Retail Residential over structured parking Mixed use Residential and Retail Open air market/flex parking Mixed use Residential and Retail Revived historic park Misc. Park infrastructure Renovated Parking Garage (Existing) Mixed use Residential, Retail, office, and parking Mixed use Residential, Retail, office, and parking Mixed use Residential, Retail, office, and parking Residential over structured parking Mixed use Residential and Retail with structured parking Enclosed farmer’s market Farmer’s Market Restaurant Exercise center and public equipment storage

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

Misc. Local restaurants and retail Multi-Purpose flex space Planter to foster native plant life Skate park sunken into the ground Basketball court Sunken theater pit for small format performances Public library branch Service for underground BART station Transit hub, bus stations Community garden Art Walk with graffiti walls and bike path Tree buffer and bio-swell zone Amphitheater Soccer field (non-regulation size) Hotel over structured parking and retail Mixed use Residential, Office, Retail, and Garage Surface parking under highway

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THEATER

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GREEN ROOFS AND TERRACED BUILDINGS

12 TEAM 2022 - 4796

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The Stitch Connecting Oakland

Board 02

CO NN

EC

A HUB FOR CONNECTIVITY: SEWING THE CITY BACK TOGETHER TY VI TI

RE-IMA

THE OVERPASS I

INCREASED DENSITY

OF ACTIVITY TH

TRANSIT HUB CONNECTIVITY

ART TAKES CENT

CLOSE PROXIMITY TO REGIONAL ACTIVITY

WALK WITH GRAF

NEW BART STOP AND BUS TERMINALS GREEN CORRIDOR TO NEW BALLPARK BROADWAY GREEN CONNECTION

COM

MU NI TY

COMMUNITY GATEWAY PARK EXTENSION INTO COMMUNITY EVENT SPACES

FLEXIBLE COVERED SPACE HEALED HIGHWAY UNDERPASS LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERS ARTS DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT

IDENTIFY,

CONNECT, TO FOSTER SITE ACTIVITY

LOCAL POINTS OF INTEREST

THRIVE.

MAKER SPACES HUMANE SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIONS

COMMUNITY GARDENS

HE

AL TH

FARMER’S MARKET AND RESTAURANT LIVE, WORK, PLAY ZONES

REDUCED GREENHOUSE GASES ACTIVITY AREAS FOR PHYSICAL HEALTH MANAGEABLE WALKING DISTANCES LEED & WELL CERTIFICATIONS

BIKE PATHS

ECO L

OG Y

WALKABLE DEVELOPMENT GREEN WALLS TO COMBAT CO2 EMISSIONS

CONNECTING THE NEW AND OLD

STITCHING TOGETHER A VIBRANT MIXED-USE FABRIC FOR THE CITY

ELECTRIC CAR CHARGERS DESIGNATED RIDE SHARE PARKING GREEN ROOF STORM WATER RECYCLING WATER COLLECTION MANAGEMENT BIOSWALES AND RAIN GARDENS SUPPORTS NATIVE PLANT LIFE PERMEABLE PAVEMENT

HUMAN SCALE

BUILDING MASSINGS

A.

B.

MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL

E.

H.

F.

I.

L.

MIXED USE HOTEL, RETAIL AND STRUCTURED PARKING

MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL

D.

RESIDENTIAL OVER STRUCTURED PARKING

EXISTING

RENOVATED PARKING GARAGE (EXISTING)

MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL, OFFICE, RETAIL, AND PARKING

C.

MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL

G.

MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL, OFFICE, RETAIL AND PARKING

J.

MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL

USE RESIDENTIAL, M. MIXED OFFICE, RETAIL, AND PARKING

HIGHWAY ACTS AS A BARRIER

MIXED USE RESIDENTIAL, RETAIL, AND OFFICE

RESIDENTIAL OVER STRUCTURED PARKING

K.

N.

MIXED USE AFFORDABLE RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL

FARMER’S MARKET

RESPOND

CONNECT NODES THROUGH THE BLOCK

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The Stitch Connecting Oakland

NEW BART STOP

COVERED PUBLIC SPACE

THE GREEN THREAD

IS TRANSFORMED INTO A VIBRANT HUB

THE BART LINE TRANSITIONS UNDERGROUND JUST

THE STRUCTURE OF THE HIGHWAY IS UTILIZED TO

GREEN SPACES THREAD FROM ONE SIDE OF THE HIGH-

HROUGH ARTIST INITIATIVES. STREET

AGINED OVERPASS

SOUTHWEST OF THE SITE. A NEW UNDERGROUND

CREATE PROTECTED PUBLIC SPACE, FEEDING INTO

WAY TO THE OTHER, STITCHING TOGETHER THE CITY

TER STAGE ALONG A DEDICATED ART

BART STATION IS ENVISIONED DIRECTLY BELOW THE

THE CREATION OF MORE INTIMATE MOMENTS WITHIN

FABRIC ON BOTH SIDES.

FFITI WALLS.

HIGHWAY, WITH SEVERAL EXITS INTO THE SITE.

AN EXTERIOR SPACE.

COURTYARDS AND TERRACES FOSTER COMMUNAL GATHERING AND ENCOURAGE CONNECTIONS TO OUTDOOR

GREEN SPACES AND ROOFS FOR ACTIVATING SPACES AND STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

ACTIVE NODE BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND JACK LONDON

STITCH

CONTINUE URBAN FABRIC UNDER HIGHWAY

HIGHWAY WHICH WAS A BARRIER BECOMES A CONFLUENCE OF CULTURE

PROPOSED BART STATION TO BE AN INTERMEDIATE NODE TO THE STITCH AND THE WATERFRONT

RIDE SHARING SERVICES TO FOSTER SUSTAINABLE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

LOCAL OLD OAKLAND F&B PAVILIONS CELEBRATING ETHNIC DIVERSITY THROUGH CUISINES

ARTS & CULTURAL HUB FOR A VARIETY OF CREATIVE PROGRAMS

CIRCULATE

CIRCULATION CONNECTS A CONFLUENCE OF PROGRAMS

FARMERS MARKET

PARKS & REC

OAKLAND A’S

TEAM 2022 - 4796

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The Stitch Connecting Oakland

Board 03

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The Stitch Connecting Oakland

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The Stitch Personal Renders

Farmer’s Market

Amphitheatre

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The Stitch Personal Renders

Artwalk & Bioswale

View From Interstate

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The Stitch Big Concept

Stitching Together Oakland

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The Stitch Big Concept

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Informal Chicago Adaptive Re-use

Informal Chicago

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Informal Chicago Adaptive Re-use

Chitown Film & Art is an adaptive reuse project located in the Lower West Side of Chicago.

This project looks to revitalize the existing drivein theater and indoor futbol facility. While also renovating the remainder of the abandoned warehouse for both regulated and self-built housing.

In additional efforts to reconnect the community with the river, a new canal is dredged along the East side of the building.

Fig 01. Downtown Chicago

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Informal Chicago Mappings

Churches & Bakeries

Groceries & Gas Stations

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Informal Chicago Mappings

Industrial Barriers

son Pa HarHArLiF MILE RADIUS rk

(Anton) Par k orak Dv LE RADIUS HALF MI

St .

Pa u

l's C a t h o li c C HALF MILE RADIUS

hu

rc h

Mc

Half a Mile Radius

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G u a n e (J o h n ) P a HALF MILE RADIUS

rk

Informal Chicago Mappings

Pedestrian Circulation

Vehicular Circulation

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Informal Chicago Landmarks

Icons & Circulations

This model consists of painted acrylic and 3D printed iconic buildings found within Pilsen.

Beneath is a laser etched map of the roads then stained black. This shows the different connections and paths across the landscape and how the landmarks function.

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Informal Chicago Artist Research

Game board Street Art

Game boards are entertainment and objects of interest to many. Inspired by this interest in game boards by Gabriel Orozco and Pilsen’s own artists (pictured above), this model was created. The graffiti aesthetic and the self-build assemblage of the piece aims to represent the simple yet beautiful complexity of the city.

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Informal Chicago Photography

Overhead Entryways are symbolic with architecture, they announce the building and direct the flow of people within and around the building. By examining the undersides of entryways and how the facade reconciles with this detail, it begins to show the way different buildings situated within Pilsen and Chicago greet pedestrians. Two distinct groups emerge and it is often program dependent. Shops and stores that seek commercial activity will have overhangs or signs to signify the entry. While apartments and private businesses tend to have no overhands, there is no desire to have people lingering outside. Depending on these factors determines the interacting between the buildings and the street.

Entry Spaces

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Informal Chicago Photography

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Informal Chicago Photography

Identity Chicago is filled with street art and Pilsen is a driving force.

Home of the Chicago Art District, the street art here ranges from artfully crafted murals that show the citizens pride for Pilsen all the way to clumsy spray paint tags. By creating a hierarchy of the street art, one can see that the larger the mural the more likely it represents the community and as the artwork shrinks in size it becomes more individualized.

Small murals and stickers often represent a group of individuals or a small business. While there is a wide variety of art and artists in the community, the majority of the art is respected by the community and in-between artists. Artists rarely cover another artists work and if they do, it is usually done respectfully.

Chicagoland Art Spaces

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Informal Chicago Photography

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Informal Chicago Project

Adaptive Reuse

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Informal Chicago Project

Sitting along the South Branch Chicago River at the address of 2243 S Throop St. is an abandoned warehouse building. To the North is the industrial corridor through The Lower West Side, Cermak Rd. This project looks to convert this under-utilized building into one that engages and benefits the community, while raising the quality of the entire building. Maintaining the current tenants and developing methods to improve the activities within the site are ideal. The cities missing connectivity to the river is another issue that looks to be addressed within this project.

Fig 01. 2243 S Throop St

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Informal Chicago Project

Existing Tenants

ChiTown Futbol A.

At the south end of the building. Contains two indoor futbol fields and one event space.

ChiTown Drive-In B.

Located at the south end of the site, a gravel lot with a large white screen where drive-in movies are held.

MANA Contemporary Gallery C.

Within the northern part of the building. A local gallery that additionally has a presence in other parts of the country.

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Informal Chicago Project

A.

B.

C.

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Informal Chicago Project

Exterior Signage

Building From South Branch

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Informal Chicago Project

ChiTown Futbol Entry

MANA Gallery

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Informal Chicago Project

Informal & Adaptive Units

Aluminum Frames

Preformed aluminum pieces are assembled into a variety of shapes to suit different purposes while requiring less skill.

Plywood Canvas

Plywood or other materials are attached to the frames as desired by the maker. After use the material can be left or replaced depending on use.

Personal Touch

In connection with the local gallery and Pilsen’s strong presence with street art, these units look to be a canvas for many artists. The self-build nature allows for different mediums from painting to film.

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Informal Chicago Project

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Informal Chicago Project

Adaptive Units Speculative Programming

Art Show

The local gallery or artists have the ability of exhibiting work in the plaza.

Street Market

Local vendors or residents can gather to sell goods using the units to display and carry goods.

Game Boards

Inspired by the Game board Street Art from earlier, specific units with different game boards was thought of. This allows for the congregation of people in the plaza to play and interact.

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Informal Chicago Project

Art Show Axon

Art Show Perspective

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Informal Chicago Project

Street Market Axon

Street Market Perspective

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Informal Chicago Project

Game Boards Axon

Game Boards Perspective

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Informal Chicago Project

1. Existing

1.

- Current Structure

2.

2. Demo

- Remove front massing

Development Phases 1.

Existing

3.

3. Retain

- ChiTown Futbol Tenant stays

4.

4. Formal Mass - New massing for informal living

5.

5. Auditorium

- New auditorium near road

6.

6. Elevated Path

- Path connects to rest of the site

7.

7. Informal Addon

- Scaffolding is used to develop more area

8. Final

8.

- The new Chitown Film & Gallery

The positive and negative attributes of the building were first identified. After these pieces

2. Demo

were either preserved or removed. Afterwards

3. Retain - ChiTown Futbol

new massing is added in the forms of housing,

4. New Massing

gallery space, and performance space. Other

5. New Auditorium

community elements are added such as the new

6. New Path

elevated pathway and the public workshop.

7. Informal Development 8. Future Scenario

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Finally, the speculative informal development on the roof is shown.

Informal Chicago Project

Soccer Field

- New addition to Chitown Futbol

Roof Farming

- Terraced planters allow residents to grow crops

New Canal

- Connects community back to the river

Informal Attachment

- Metal Scaffold structure allows for informal expansion

Public Plaza

- Connects community back to the river

Existing Business

- Food truck supply company / truck activity

Main Entry

- Gallery and street access through W. Cermak Road

Adaptive Reuse Axon

New Outdoor Performance Space Visualization

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Informal Chicago Project

GALLERY

WORKSHOP

INFORMAL APARTMENTS

CHITOWN FUTBOL

25 First Floor & Site Plan

Informal Chicago Project

AUDITORIUM

GALLERY GALLERY

INFORMAL INFORMAL APARTMENTS APARTMENTS

Fourth Floor W/ Elevated Path

GALLERY GALLERY

INFORMAL INFORMAL APARTMENTS APARTMENTS

Seventh through Ninth Floors

Green Chicago Early Influence

Speculative Section

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Green Chicago Early Influence

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Ceramic Cutting Fabrication

Ceramic Cutting

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Ceramic Cutting Fabrication

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Ceramic Cutting Fabrication

Assembled Vase

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Ceramic Cutting Fabrication

Details & Design

Designed in Rhino, this was created in combination with ceramics and digital fabrication.

Fired Ceramic tile was cut using a water-jet then assembled using an industrial epoxy.

Varying sized of rings are suspended by four ribs that interlock to create the skeletal appearance.

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