PORTFOLIO richie hands
INTRO My love of architecture and design started at a very young age immersed in the world of LEGOs. I also watched and perfected the drawings my mom would do replicating each and every line. LEGOs were the largest part of my architecture and design aspirations as it was the perfect blend of creativity, freedom, and buildability; everything that makes architecture and design unique Throughout elementary, middle and high school, the fine arts were my favorite and most successful subjects. These were the places where I could escape and truely find myself; this ultimately describes how I currently design. It did not matter what the class was: band, drawing, jazz, painting; each has affected me in the most positive way both as a person and as a designer I was accepted to the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning in 2007 and graduated in 2011. Every challenge I face, every person I meet, every experience I have helps me become the best designer I can be This is what defines me
INDEX [01] About Me ACADEMIA [02] Cape Verde Study Abroad [03] Student Dormitory [04] Courtyard Marketplace EXPERIENCE [05] Urban League of Greater Madison [06] Lindsay Heights NSP [07] Windhorse Retreat Center INDIVIDUAL [08] Sketchings/Drawings/Graphics
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01
about me
richie hands
richie hands LEED AP BD + C EXPERIENCE [2012] LEED AP Building Design + Construction [2012] LEED Green Associate [2011] M&E Architects + Engineers -LEED Green Designer -Project Assistant -Volunteer at MPS Schools [2011] Teachers Assistant for Mo Zell [Studio 420] [2011] AIAS Member [2009] Intern at Tri-North Builders -Urban League of Greater Madison [2008] NOMAS Member EDUCATION [2011] B.S. Architectural Studies from UW Milwaukee [2011] Cape Verde Study Abroad + Studio - NJ Unaka [2010] Chicago Studio - Haworth and Neil Frankel [2010] Architectural Design 2 - Hanno Webber [2009] Architectural Design 1 - John Fox [2009] Architecture 2 - Mo Zell [2008] Architecture 1 - Jim Sheilds SKILL SETS Revit . AutoCAD . SketchUp . Illustrator . InDesign Photoshop . Microsoft Office Suite . Hand Drafting INTERESTS architectural design . industrial design . graphic design
- rich ethics . rich goals . rich concepts -
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ACADEMIA: school works
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cape verde
study abroad
Spring 2011 - Cape Verde Experience + Studio [NJ Unaka] Program - A Residence for my Host Family [Paula Ramos] - Create a home using recycled materials or materials common to Cape Verde. The materials are low in cost, reduce heat gain, capture rain water during the rainy season and still have an aesthetic quality which maintains the integrity of the neighborhood. Solar heat gain and water collection are main concerns in this area that this design was to address - Cape Verde has a large shipping industry as they are a major importer of goods. This provides shipping containers as a cheap, spacious and plentiful building material. When installed with lighter colors and minor amounts of insulation, the containers reduce heat gain without eliminating the modern aspects of design
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CULTURE - Cape Verde is an island nation spanning 10 archipelago islands approximately 500 mile off the west coast of Africa. As a portuguese colony, it was a major hub during the slave trade - Praia, the capitol city of Cape Verde, has many unique qualities ranging from dense “slums� to planned neighborhoods/developments, all within walking distance of one another - While biases do exist, there appeared to be little negativity toward those in the lower socioeconomic sector of the city, although the government refused to acknowledge the non traditional neighborhoods
LOW TECH SOLUTIONS - Use of natural materials to solve many issues including solar shading, ventilation and retrieval of drinking water
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EXISTING HOUSE - The existing house is very large, under utilized and inefficient. Many of the rooms/spaces in the home are unused and effectively wasted space - The neighborhood of Cidadela has become very modern and very western [i.e. european / american influenced] built with CMU block and plaster made locally
CONCEPTS - Energy testing measured current and future heat gain of the house [concept improves solar heat gain drastically] - High recycled content and materials easily obtainable in the country [i.e. shipping containers] - Progressive neighborhood allows for modern designs without destroying the context of the community
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FORM - The form derives from a play on movement as well as program. Containers pushed in define public space and containers pulled out activate private space; living spaces have both uses so there is a push and pull within each floor/ apartment allowing for more playful exterior form
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03
dormitory
uwm student housing
Fall 2009 - Architecture Design 1 [John Fox] Program - Dormitory - Create a dormitory with 400 beds with spaces for studying, relaxing, working out, classrooms, and offices - I used music as inspiration due to its energy, movement and ability to effect one’s emotions. The abstracted form of music is expressed in the façade allowing one to read the building as though it were a piece of music. The interior rooms are simplified but express the exterior though varied spaces in the common areas - Each room is designed to separate the various experiences in a dorm room: changing, relaxation, and studying
“My Favorite Things” by Richard Rodgers
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FUNCTION - There are many activities that happen within the space of a dorm room; I based my design off of these activities. It is a place to study, relax, sleep, change, and socialize. While there are many activities that happen within the space, it still has to be efficient in order to accomodate the many students attending the university
FUNCTION (cont.)
change
- The dorm room is designed with designated spaces, allowing the resident to pass through multiple thresholds or zones while still in an efficient space - The first threshold is at the entrance; it is where one can wind down and transition from high energy outside, to controlled energy inside
live
- Next are the spaces to live and work, giving ample space to work and study as well as the needed room to relax and socialize - Combining these activites leads to the notion of change, living, and working. These are all essentials for dorm living and academic experience
work
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FORM The form of the dormitory derives from the movement and energy of music, creating unique floor plates; every level correlates to a different part of the music - While each dorm room is designed from the same basic size and template, each becomes unique due to the note it represents and the notes surrounding it - To extract the essence of the musical note, each note was given a number or vector (i.e. lowest note = 1, pauses in the music = 0 and the highest note’s value comes from its distance from the lowest note, in this case 9.5) - Each room starts at the same point and then is pushed and pulled away until it represents the indicated vector
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courtyard market
pubic marketplace
Fall 2008 - Architecture 1 [James Shields] Program - Courtyard Market - Create a public marketplace to be used year round, responding to a public park to the south, a busy boulevard to the east, an existing building directly north and a quiet residential street to the west - Creating a court yard allows for interaction between all sides of the market and also directs circulation naturally to the center; this creates an experience of community widening to the eastern boulevard [the largest source of community members] - Each market stall is the same size and all face the courtyard; 80% can be used year round with the remaining 20% used during the spring, summer and falls months
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FORM - Form was based on strict building components [4’ x 24’ pre-cast concrete panel, a 8’ x 20’ pre-cast concrete panel and 1’ x 1’ column] - Through the use of an 8’ module, stalls were aligned around the perimeter to encompass the courtyard shape - Designed are two forms of circulation: one formal, one informal. Formal access to each stall resides within the building itself around the center of the courtyard, with the informal circulation culminating within the courtyard itself - The building’s orientation emphasizes the strong access from the eastern boulevard while reducing the pedestrian noise and traffic away from the park and neighborhood
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SPACE - Due to the varied site experiences, having an exposed central courtyard facing the busiest node helps create a very active environment, one with many people coming and going - Being able to run a market year around is essential, thus the building is intended to allow for complete exposure to the elements and seasonal weather, yet stay weather tight in the colder, wetter months - The courtyard theme helps create a sense of community due to the visual connections from within and around the courtyard. It brings the community in and emphasizes human interaction
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EXPERIENCE: professional works
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tri-north builders
urban league of greater madison
Image(s): Tri-North Builders
2009 - Tri-North Builders [internship] Program - Urban League of Greater Madison [ULGM] Completion - 2009 - While at Tri-North Builders, I assisted with the building processes ensuring all vendors received bid invitations and completed ranking of submitted bid proposals - On-site experience at the ULGM worksite; completed daily reports, observing the entire building process including the installation of green products [goal for LEED Silver] to verify that LEED status was maintained - Completed meeting minutes for all meetings attended - Assisted with LEED certification documentation for ULGM and various other construction projects
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M&E Architects
Lindsay Heights NSP
Image(s): M&E Architects
2012 - lindsay heights NSP Program - 16 indivual and multi-family housing Completion - 2013 [all 16 units] - 16 residental houses [5 single, 11 duplexes] were in foreclosure and bought by a developer, with the intention to renovate these 16 units scattered throughout the Lindsay Heights neighborhood in Milwaukee. The goal is to positively impact the blighted neighborhood to improve greatly over time - Measured each existing unit in their current state, resolved outstanding design flaws and developed plan modifications, to ensure convenience for new tenants - Created construction documentation and drafting for all 16 residential units
KITCHEN 200
STAIR PANTRY 201
D
2' - 6"
BATH 202
3' - 4"
BEDROOM 206 BEDROOM 209 D
STAIR 3' - 4"
3' - 4"
U
4' - 0"
3' - 4"
PASSAGE 205
DINING 204
DEN 207
LIVING 208
5' - 6"
BEDROOM 203
Existing/Demolition 2' - 0" ALIGN BOTH SIDES
NEW 42" W x 62" H SILL @ 30" AFF
SAFETY GLAZING
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4 REF
BATH 205 A103
BEDROOM 203
2
BEDROOM 200
EQ
3
STAIR
EQ
KITCHEN 208
ALIGN BOTH SIDES
A104
D 3' - 4"
LINEN
4' - 0"
ALIGN BOTH SIDES
PASSAGE 204
6' - 5"
ALIGN BOTH SIDES
EQ
3' - 6"
U
4' - 0"
D STAIR
EQ
BEDROOM 206
LIVING 202
DINING 201
ALIGN BOTH SIDES
EQ
BEDROOM 207
EQ
SAFETY GLAZING
ALIGN BOTH SIDES
2' - 0"
Alteration
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M&E Architects
Windhorse Retreat
Image(s): M&E Architects
2013 - Windhorse Retreat Program - Retreat Center for Shambhala Completion - TBD - Windhorse is a natural center for the care of the environment and the new addition looks to embelish that belief by maximizing renewable resources [i.e. daylight, ventilation, etc.] - Developed construction documents, digital rendering of the proposed design and designed marketing materials for the Windhorse Retreat Center
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INDIVIDUAL: personal works
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miscellaneous
drawings/sketches
Drawings/Sketches/Graphic Art 2007-2012 - Quick sketches used to learn how to draw quick but without losing essential detail on a building or form. Some were done for school, others done for fun - Various techniques used range from pencil, pen, marker, paint(s) and computer renderings - Many of the computer graphics were done as experiments: trying new things and broadening my graphic horizons
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SKETCHING - Free hand sketches either drawn through inspiration and design, or from personal experiences and real life interactions - Each sketch was done in rapid fashion to teach myself how to get the main aspects of object without focusing strictly on the extreme details - Sketching in pen forces me to deal with mistakes and either express them, making them look intentional or detail other areas to reduce the focus away from the mistake
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DIGITAL ART - Many of the computer graphics were done experimentally and for fun by trying new things, working quickly, or doing things on the fly - The initial inspiration came from the “Obama Hope� poster as the color palette was very compelling and powerful - Moving on from that I received inspiration from Andy Worhol. By finding fun and powerful imagery, each piece began to show various moods and themes, simply through the color palettes
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION