Mallory Jordan Portfolio 2020-2023

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO MALLORY JORDAN

MALLORY JORDAN

PERSONAL STATEMENT

This is a collection of my work from Texas A&M that I feel best represents how my skills have grown during my time here. It has always been a priority of mine to leave a noticeable and useful impact on the world through what I do. I believe that the best way for me to do this is to utilize my creativity and affinity for problem solving through the feild of architecture.

EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN - ARCHITECTURAL STUDIES

Texas A&M University | College Station, Texas

August 2020 - December 2023

Minor in Sustainable Architecture and Planning

Minor in Art and Architectural History

Summa Cum Laude

GPA: 3.91

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS

Blinn College | Bryan, Texas

August 2019 - May 2020

Pi Theta Kappa Honor Society

Chancellor’s Scholar

GPA: 3.88

HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA

The Woodlands High School | The Woodlands, Texas

August 2015 - May 2019

Relevant courses: Architecture (3 years), interior design, engineering, graphic design, animation

GPA: 3.55

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

HEIGHTS VENTURE ARCHITECTURE + DESIGN | HOUSTON, TX

Architectural Designer | January 2023 - August 2023, to be continued January 2024

- Created preliminary design renders for interior and exterior projects, along with material boards and site plans, to sell to clients, as a member of the Design Lab.

- Helped in the introduction of AI, Rhino, and 3D printing to the Design Lab.

- Co-led an ARE study group for colleagues to educate on licensing options and prepare for the exams.

H4 ARCHITECTS & ENGINEERS | SPRING, TX

Architectural Associate | May 2021 - November 2022

- Took new homes from a preliminary CAD plan to a full Revit construction document set, fully customized per meetings and coorespondance with clients, and coordinated the plans through permitting with the AHJ.

- Visited existing sites, both residential and commercial, to analyze, document, and measure for upcoming projects, and created detailed CAD plans of that information.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

ArcGIS, AutoCAD, D5, Enscape, eQuest, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom, Photoshop, SketchUp, RESCheck, Revit, Rhino

CERTIFICATIONS

Autodesk AutoCAD User Certified OSHA Certified in General Industry Safety and Health

December 2017

March 2016

STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS

Mentorship Director: May 2023 - December 2023

- Facilitated an event to match 100+ upper level and lower level students into mentorship families in order to foster new relationships within the major for familiarization and experienced resources. - Planned and hosted 8 different events to provide opportunities for students to network amongst themselves and promote studio culture, all while managing budgets, locations, and various vendors.

Mentorship Committee Chair: May 2022 - May 2023

Member: January 2021 - May 2022

CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE LEADERS

Officer: June 2022 - December 2023

- Re-established a previously dormant organization with a group of peers within the School of Architecture.

- Planned and organized weekly Bible studies and social events, while marketing events through various outlets and mediums, keeping organized financial records, and occasionally coordinating with other organizations.

INTEGRATED PATH TO ARCHITECTURAL LICENSING

Member: January 2021 - December 2023

- Accepted to an accelerated pathway to architecture licensure.

- Began studying for the Architect Registration Examination.

- Earned and logged 2309.5 Architectural Experience Program hours.

HONORS AND RECOGNITIONS

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHITECTURE HONORS

December 2023

Criteria: 21 hours of honors level coursework with various higher level assignments and a minimum GPA of 3.50.

SUMMA CUM LAUDE LATIN HONORS

December 2023

Criteria: Graduate with minimum 3.900 GPA.

A+IAC FALL MEETING STUDENT PANEL

November 2023

- Helped to select a group of students from diverse educational, professional, and personal experiences within the Environmental Design major.

- Sat on a panel of students and participated in a dynamic Q&A session with architecture industry professionals in order to provide a current student perspective of the Texas A&M architecture program and opportunities.

A+IAC - AIAS CAREER FAIR EXHIBITION

September 2023

- Various studio projects, both physical and digital, displayed throughout the Langford Architecture Center.

PUBLICATIONS

“ FREE TRANSITIONS ” FEATURED IN AXIOM 2022: FLUX

Published August 2023

“ PERSISTENCES ” FEATURED IN AXIOM 2021: BETWEEN

Published August 2022

“ CIRCLES OF COMMUNITY ” FEATURED IN AXIOM 2021: BETWEEN

Published August 2022

TAKING FLIGHT

Fall 2023 | ARCH 405 - Architecture Design IIII

Professor Ray Holliday | Team: Brynn Amacher

This project explores a potential design for the United States Air Force Academy Visitor Center. The design was initially derived from ideas of flight and lightness, starting with a basic wedge shape directed towards the academy campus. The form was divided into horizontal sections, with a vertical core volume maintained in the center and cantilevers to either side. From the top, this mimics an airplane wing, which can be viewed from above during student flights.

As visitors enter the building, they step into the visitor lounge and display area on the first floor, which also houses the theater. The second level is dedicated to the large exhibit area, bookstore, and presentation room. The exhibit area opens onto a balcony to celebrate the view towards the campus and Rocky Mountains, which is

also accessible from an exterior suspended monumental staircase. The top level houses all of the office and conference spaces. There are individual offices for higher positions, along with plenty of open, collaborative office space.

The structure of this building is primarily steel, with two concrete shear wall core areas. The steel structure bays are typically 20’ x 25’, with irregular bays around the angled perimeter. Mechanically, this building uilizes a VAV system, with an air handler centrally placed in the second level mechanical room, and additional equipment on the roof.

Sustainable aspects of this design include a recycled gravel roof, insulated triple pane glass, rotating solar panels, and exterior shading devices.

MECHANICAL BONES DIAGRAM

STRUCTURAL BONES DIAGRAM

BLOCK PARTY

Summer 2023 | ARCH 406 - Architecture Design IIII

Professor Benjamin Ennemoser & Professor James Michael Tate

Team: Aidan Lozano, Andrea Hinojosa, Ian Thomas, Nate Sorensen

This project explores the topics of porches and exposed structures through AI imaging to create a new approach of standardized-structured workforce housing. The research process was started through the exploration of Midjourney. Utilizing this tool, our normative understanding of architecture is expanded to new possibilities. From many different interpretations, prompts, and words, we were able to see what would create a more desirable outcome using our agency.

Since the land the community sits on is in a Community Land Trust, where a non-profit organization owns the land and residents own the building itself, this allows for freedom of the interpretation of what property is. Reinterpreting the townhouse typology, which can

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: EXTERIOR RESEARCH

otherwise be limited by the straight connections from unit to unit, our approach considers the opportunities for unique spaces within part-part relationships. Through the aggregation, we created opportunities for multiple levels of interaction within the community, such as the direct interaction with ground activities in the form of playgrounds, splash parks, and barbecues as well as indirect interaction from the personal porches. Our AI exploration of porches and exposed structure led to a reinterpretation of the standardized townhouse. Through the use of repetitive elements, we were able to aggregate massings that created individuality, while maintaining a cohesive community language, designed with affordability and ease of construction in mind. KEYWORDS:

We created 5 unique massings that each allow for various types of aggregations and connections. This site hosts 14 different aggregations of the 5 massings. There is a range of aggregations from free-standing single homes to clusters of all 5 massings, along with a diverse typology of dwellings to accommodate various household sizes, including: two 1 bedroom units, one 2 bedroom unit, and two 3 bedroom units.

KIT OF PARTS

To allow for ease of construction and affordability, our modules are standardized using repetitive structural members creating consistency of materials. The porches of these massings are primarily of a subtractive operation to maximize space and verticality, so as to not over reach into public space to maintain individual ownership. They

are subtracted out in a variety of shapes and sizes to blur the line between indoor and outdoor privacy. The traditional approach would be to hide structure; however, in our Midjourney exploration we found that exposed structure can be used to programmatically articulate spaces. We took inspiration from the AI’s use of framing of the space and implemented that in our design.

FREE TRANSITIONS

Fall 2022 | ARCH 305 - Architecture Design III

Professor Marcelo Lopez-Dinardi | Team: Ekaansh Kalra

FOREIGN TRADE ZONES

A Foreign Trade Zone or a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) is a secured trade zone near international ports of entry. In the FTZ, the usual tariffs and duties are not required on foreign merchandise. These operations are conducted in a public utility basis. Foreign exports and domestic merchandise can be moved into the zone for operations (storage, exhibition, manufacturing, assembling and processing). Custom taxes and duties are due only when the goods are transferred from the zone. There is also

duty elimination on waste, scrap and yield loss. The governing body of the FTZ is the Foreign-Trade Zones Board that administers from Washington D.C. The zones are a mechanism to encourage foreign commerce within the country. There are 193 active FTZ’s, employing 460,000 people in the United States. Many FTZ’s have subzones, in which companies don’t have to physically move into a FTZ general purpose site in order to enjoy the benefits of a FTZ. Subzones are located outside the general purpose zone (within 60 miles of the port).

BRYAN, TEXAS

The Foreign Trade Zone located in Bryan, Texas is called the Texas Triangle Park (TTP). The TTP is the 26th out of the overall 70 sites that serve as subzones from the Port of Houston. The Port of Houston is connected to over 16 different global ports. The two largest industries that utilize the Port of Houston FTZ are petroleum and electronics (83rd Annual Report of the Foreign-Trade Zones Board to the Congress of the United States).

This manufacturing site was chosen by the Port of Houston because it is significantly cheaper than the subzones nearer to Houston. The TTP is connected to the freight rail network through various parts of the site. Additionally, it is also linked to the Easterwood Airport and Highway 6.

A big disadvantage of the Foreign Trade Zone is that it is essentially a parasitic bubble. The way an FTZ operates is a slippery slope to being a completely independent entity that has no care for its nearby community. They often are taking resources from the community, such as water and power, completing the parasite paradox. The activities within an FTZ are not fully disclosed from the public, thus creating a barrier of transparency and sense of mystery. Furthermore, the TTP specifically operates under the Port of Houston, which adds another degree of disconnect with Bryan.

RESEARCH QUESTION

This project investigates Bryan’s FTZ’s products and protocols, longevity, and opportunities by examining the impact of changes in global macro-trends on local microtrends. Additionally, as the economy constantly changes, it asks, how does the function of the FTZ adapt to global trends while maintaining a symbiotic relationship with the local territory they seat on? In order to understand the implications of these trends, the project proposes the design of a scenario in order to analyze the potential transitional effects on the Free Trade Zone. In an era of climate change and rapid globalization, the project proposes a scenario where a policy like the Green New Deal is passed by the United States Congress. Rather than proposing to design the TTP after a hundred years, the project implores the transitional period of the policy’s implementation. This further develops the scenario at a more complex level, in which it examines industries as they transition into a sustainable future.

COMPONENTS WITHIN THE SCENARIO

The specific components included for this FTZ scenario are primarily driven by transition industries and economies in the wake of our climate crisis. As such, they evolve around principles of cleaner industries and the transition to green energies. The project proposes a cross-laminated timber plant and semiconductor fab as a trial to develop fields that touch on sustainability. These examples are not intended to limit what can be developed, as there is space left for other industries to come in if they fit within the progressive theme of the area. Community elements and temporary housing and a bus network serve to ground the area to its specific location. The project offers opportunities for education at different levels to open the typical transparency barrier that FTZ’s often have.

SEMICONDUCTORS

Semiconductors are another emerging technology in the transition to renewable energy. This industry is a bit of a counterproductive oxymoron to sustainability, but the specific new site on the TTP seeks to fix these weak areas. Semiconductors are like a nervous system - essential in any instance of modern computing, from air conditioning to laser medical technology to smart phones and computers. Semiconductors are very innovative in renewable energy because they are able to harness and store renewable energy into their electric grid and use this electricity in efficient response to its supply and demand. Solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles and charging stations are very reliant on this technology.

The irony of this industry is that the production is very environmentally costly. It uses such a large amount of energy and water, that this industry produces the

most carbon of all electric device manufacturing. As semiconductors are essential for progressing green technology, it is equally essential to fix the environmental impact of their production. Keeping with the transitional theme of the TTP developments, this issue won’t be fixed all at once before the semiconductor site is developed. The new development will implement some specific ways to try to combat the problems.

In order to regulate the water overuse, rainwater is filtered for use, as is greywater from the city, and water from Lake Bryan if needed. Throughout production, sensors regulate water use so that it is not wasted. So that the process is not relying on and overusing the power grid of Bryan, wind turbines are positioned over the TTP as a whole to power the semiconductor fab. These serve a dual-purpose, as they are also used for research to advance the technology.

CROSS - LAMINATED TIMBER

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is an emerging sustainable building material. It grew in popularity in Europe in the 1990’s and was incorporated into the International Building Code in 2015. Essentially, CLT is a large panel of solid wood, made up of several layers of kiln-dried

lumber that are stacked and glued in opposite directions. The manufacturing process generates low waste and is very fast and easy to install. The panels have exceptional acoustic, fire, seismic, and thermal ratings. Considering all of these benefits, and its increase in use in the United States, CLT was a perfect industry to develop in the TTP.

The CLT site has access to both the railroad and the highway. The existing railroad has been given a deviation to cater to the docking needs of the plant. Along the track, cargo can be loaded and unloaded onto a system of conveyor belts, which transport it to the correct point in the process. There is a loading/unloading space for

semi-trucks as well. Three main buildings house the primary steps of CLT manufacturing, and a network of underground conveyor belts transport materials between the stops. There is space to research and test the wood on the site, in conjunction with the Texas A&M Forest Service, to provide a university research link in the developments.

VILLA STEINER

A PRECEDENT STUDY

Spring 2022 | ARCH 206 - Architecture Design II

Professor Andrew Tripp | Team: Carley Allen, Kendall Calvery

Villa Steiner is a house designed by Adolf Loos in 1910 in Vienna, Austria. This house is a very clear example of Loos’s Raumplan - his way of designing not by plan, but by spaces, each with it’s own funtion and height. The basement and second floor contain functional, utility spaces. The mezzanine is a public, social level, and the first floor contains the private bedrooms. The large, open space on the mezzanine level is very characteristic of Loos, containing the living and dining rooms - the most public of all the spaces. The long, horizontal hallway serves as an axis that translates through all levels of the house. There are three staircases. A small staircase on the second floor leads to the roof. The spiral staircase travels between all four levels of the house. It serves a more utility purpose

and is hidden away. The L-shaped staircase serves as the main circulation between the public and private levels.

In order to study the form more clearly, the levels were broken down into the more prominent units. The walls and stairs were represented transparently, almost to take an x-ray of the house. Breaking apart the spaces in this way allowed us to play with the form and focus on specific areas at a time.

Loos has created a very intricate house, not in it’s ornamentation, but in its form and funtionality. This study brought to light the intentionality behind his organization, circulation methods, and leveling and height differences.

2ND FLOOR

1ST FLOOR

LA GRANGE, TEXAS

Spring 2022 | ARCH 206 - Architecture Design II

Professor Andrew Tripp | Team: Carley Allen, Kendall Calvery

La Grange is a small town in Texas based around a courthouse square. It is within Fayette County and is a Texas Target Community - areas that the School of Architecture studies to create engagement and sustainable plans for. A site has been selected within the nine-square layout around the central courthouse for housing for student teachers. The goal was to rethink communal housing for student teachers. A challenge was that these individuals can be very diverse from each other, so they need to feel comfortable in a communal living situation with others that they may not be so similar or familiar to. We sought to create a space that allows each person to feel independant in their own units, but have a variety of common spaces to serve daily needs and social purposes. The site location allows residents to enjoy the benefits of the central part of town, and also to be no more than 1.2 miles from the district schools.

VERTICAL VILLIAGE II

Fall 2021 | ARCH 205 - Architecture Design I

Professor Shawn Lutz | Team: Ekaansh Kalra, Jayne Goodman

This project was part of a collective study of three precedents; Vertical Villiage II by Tham and Videgård, A House Apart by Jimenez Lai, and the Moriyama House by Sanaa, each studied by another team member.

“To advance culture, architects must embrace the power of unrealized ideas and nurture wild propositions.” - Jimenez Lai. The fundamental culture of urban housing has always been confined by its introverted nature. Transgressive architects like Jimenez Lai, Sanaa and Tham, and Videgård have experimented with design strategies to promote individuality in environments that traditionally isolate occupants. Vertical Village II is a neighborhood-like array of houses proposed by Tham and Videgård for a new development in Gothenburg, Sweden. The vivid use of interior and exterior spaces, public versus private areas, and corridor relations help redefine urban housing. Within their architectural designs, Tham and Videgård transgress community through urban connections, circulation, and microcosmic individualism.

URBAN CONNECTION

All three architects envelop their housing into the surrounding urban environment to unify the isolating disparity between the site and the city. Tham and Videgård utilize a radial layout for the Vertical Village II houses in order to better define the public and private spaces. There are more public, socializing areas between the houses as you move towards the outside of the circles. Moving outside the immediate neighborhood of houses, the proximity to the surrounding community is very convenient, with close walking distance to parks and businesses. Inside the community, each house is given a circular yard. Not only does this influence circulation and promote socializing, but it also contributes heavily to the effort of individuality. Other points of individuality that Tham and Videgård include are the unique color choices on the exterior of the houses and the different orientations of the units. By connecting their architectural designs into the surrounding urban environments of Gothenburg, they transgress the boundaries between the site and the city in order to fuse the residents with the neighborhood’s culture.

CIRCULATION

Shifting from the traditional use of the corridor, Tham and Videgård reformulate the relationship between the corridor and the housing site. One main reason for the radial layout of Vertical Village II was that they wanted to stray away from a standard suburb or row housing layout, which is common in Sweden. Since the houses are not on a linear grid, the corridors between them became curved voids, promoting individuality in the public areas. Instead of navigating through the straight, strict corners of a more typical neighborhood, the movement here flows with a more gentle circulation. Because none of the three projects are situated on a typical layout, the corridors and public spaces begin to blur the boundaries between the interior and exterior.

MICORCOSMIC INDIVIDUALISM

Additionally, the three architects address the monotony and dullness of urban housing within their designs to showcase how the individual fits within the urban plurality of the site. While the other two housing projects are more focused on being exploded and spread out, each house in Vertical Village II is condensed and constructed upwards so that the neighborhood itself can be spread out. This allows space for each private yard, which is defined by the hedges that give a boundary. This strategy achieves individuality within the site to focus on the urban aspects of the community.

Vertical Village II redevelops the concept of the urban house through the utilization of urban connections, circulation, and individualism in order to unify the environment with the individual dwelling. Tham and Videgård develop ambiguity between the border of the site and the city in order to expand the range of circulation and promote movement and socialization in the public areas. This project transgresses a standard site layout and creates corridor conditions between buildings that challenge typical boundaries to generate a more dynamic flow. Tham and Videgård also explore how the individual fits within the plurality of an urban site. Overall, these transgressive strategies evolve the traditional house from a standard domestic living to an individualized urban experience.

CIRCLES OF

COMMUNITY

Fall 2021 | ARCH 205 - Architecture Design I

Professor Shawn Lutz | Team: Ekaansh Kalra, Jayne Goodman

Contribution:

“I see them as I walk the Third Ward of Houston, the rhythm of their shadows, the square of the porch three over four like the beat of a visual gospel.”- Dr. John Biggers. As Dr. Biggers describes, the Historic Third Ward is a symbol of the rich history and culture of the African American community in Houston. The Youth Cultural Community Center incorporates the rich culture and the City of Houston’s Third Ward Community action plan. Mayor Sylvester Turner recommends that future developments within the neighborhoods should “expand enrichment programs for children and youth by promoting out-ofschool programs.” For example, Mayor Turner suggested a “youth public art program” that encourages children to “design, build, and install public art.” Located next to the Project Row Houses, The Circles of Community Project transgresses the idea of community within the Third Ward through circulation, individualism, and redefining modular housing.

REDEFINING MODULAR HOUSING

As an homage to the preexisting shotgun houses used in the Third Ward, the forms take elements from these staple homes and redefine them within the context of a community center. The first area of interest was the porch and the exterior/interior transition space it provides. Each caricature incorporated both curved and rectilinear subtractions, reminiscent of a porch, to create a facadal relationship between the buildings. These dynamic relationships are represented throughout the site in the art studio, music studio, welcome center, and pavilion in order to create balance and unity within the buildings. The gabled roofs of the shotgun houses around the site inspired the second area of interest. In the project, these gables were placed to mirror the slopes of the Project Row Houses but are given a new identity by the addition of subtractions and flat surfaces.

INDIVIDUAL CARICATURES

Each building serves a specific purpose throughout the overall concept of the youth community center. The Welcome Center is very inviting with its large windows and plentiful access to the street and the rest of the site. The reception desk and sitting areas greet the Third Ward guests. The art studio has space for many art mediums, with a kiln and pottery area on the first floor and a more open studio space on the second space. Within the music studio, there is a more extroverted teaching space on the first floor and a private practice and study area above. The pavilion serves as a transitional space, as it takes concepts from the forms of all three buildings and incorporates them with the outdoors. This space can be used for public discussion and galleries. The amphitheater, which utilizes ground conditions, can be used for various public performances, such as concerts, theatre performances, or public discourse.

INDIVIDUALISM

Influenced by the microcosmic individualism seen throughout the House Apart by Jimenez Lai, each building and space within the project has its own distinct character. This relationship mirrors the diverse nature of housing in the Third Ward. The juxtaposing relationship between the curves, linear elements, solids, and voids, creates a complex transition between extroverted and introverted spaces. Some spaces throughout the site encourage interaction, while others are more private. The hedges further emphasize these private areas in order to create security and privatization.

CIRCLE PACKING

The organization within the site begins with the grid formation on which the six inner circles are fixated. Pulling ideas from the Moriyama precedent, the overall linear layout reflects the linearity of the surrounding site. The hedge concept is influenced by the conditions in Vertical Village II, with similar efforts of defining public and private spaces. Each hedge lines up with either an element from the surrounding site or a datum of the building within their circle, and a corner on each building was snapped to a corner on its corresponding hedge. The next offsets of the inner circles were snapped to the hedge/building points to extend the platform of each site element and further highlight the compression of the circles. The final layer of the circle packing seeks to tie all of the site elements together and connect circulation with the streets and paths of the overall site. These layers of offsets and circles are meant to define key elements of the site in a way that encourages movement without forcing direction.

CIRCULATION

The circulation created by the circle packing allows for a fluid and intuitive flow of circulation. The open space acts as an outdoor corridor that connects the “rooms” each building represents. This exterior circulation supports and encourages the idea of community by giving the users the freedom to decide where to walk, congregate, and find seclusion. Due to the spacing between the circle packing, there is a juxtaposing relationship between the larger paths and the smaller introverted paths near the edges. This variation in circulation networks connects to the complex urban identity of the neighborhood.

This project was influenced by fragmenting buildings, circle packing, and a linear layout from A House Apart, Vertical Village II, and the Moriyama House precedents. In order to unify the occupants with the urban plurality of the Third Ward, The Circles of Community develops the connection between the site and neighborhood through the use of exterior circulation, microcosmic individualism, and redefining the neighborhood’s modular housing. Overall, the project transgresses a conventional community space within an urban neighborhood into a design that interacts, unifies, and celebrates the culture of the Third Ward community.