YAN VINCE MUTESA
Architectural Designer portfolio| Parsons 22
About me
I’m a 24 year old conceptual and visual designer from Rwanda and Canada. I was trained as an architectural designer and have since worked in several firms to complete conceptual design (CD) in pitches for clients. In my free time I draw and visualize alternative built environments (www.creationsareblue.com).
Education
High School
- St Georges School (Vancouver, CA)
University
- Parsons School of Design
Major: Archiectural Design
Grade: Honors
Contact
Email: mutesa.yan@gmail.com
Phone: +1 (917) 528 4406
Experience
JAKLITSCH/GARDNER ARCHITECTS
- Architectural Designer (April 2023 - Jun 2024)
Rafael De Cardenas
- Design Intern (July 2022 - August 2022)
Adjaye Associates
- Design Intern (Jun 2021- Aug 2022)
Skills
- Midjourney
- 3ds Max
- Vray
- Rhino
- Enscape
- Sketchup
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Indesign
- Figma
- Hand drafting
- Model making
Ukrainian Village ents
Table of contents
• Professional Academic
Philadelphia Contemporary Museum
Blue Sign ents
Suggestive Architectureents
• Jazz Reach Music Program
• Typologies as Systems
Ukrainian Village
In response to the tragedy occurring in Ukraine, I tackled the challenge of optimizing their space in the city of New York to host refugees and foster more community engagement. For this purpose, I chose a singular block in the Ukrainian village of Manhattan (7th St & 2nd Ave) and used it as an example to emphasize how the existing infrastructure could be used to host additional housing and third spaces nurturing community.
*Diagram of current occupation
Third space
Social Justice Corners
Community Building
Community Dialogue & Leadership
Churches & Archives
Social Justice Corners
Structural support for additional housing
(sq ft)
Community Synagogue
Remaining Symbol of the Middle Collegiate Church
Evolving Social Justice Space
Assessing the dimensions and parameters of built infrastructure using variables such as floor area ratios (FAR) and topography lines allowed me to distinguish where new programs could be situated. Lower buildings could benefit from additional support from trusses to ensure structural integrity needed for construction of new housing.
Philadelphia Contemporary Museum
At the core of our team’s approach in designing the Philadelphia Contemporary Museum was the principle that design should foster conversation. In search for what typology defines the birth of meaningful dialogue the shape of a semicircle came to mind. Such a form allows for gatherings to occur in a natural manner and it is the starting point for our way of communicating. Synthesizing this form into systems throughout our design allowed us to remain consistent in emphasis on conversation and gathering throughout our design.
Tools: Rhino, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Enscape
Blue Sign
Aiming to promote and market my collection of paintings illustrating a unique story, in March of 2024 I organized an art exhibition named “Blue sign”. The series of paintings exhibited follow a child traveling far from home to attend an academy of architects, along this journey the child is met with tremendous challenges rewiring his sense of space and structure. The purpose of the exhibit was to communicate what my brand and story was about. I organized the show independently and worked with my friends to bring this vision to life.
Tools: Physical modeling, Rhino, Adobe Illustrator
Looking for a place to host this exhibition, the primary criteria was to align with the brand by finding a room that would compliment the colors implemented in the works. Additionally, it had to be very visually accessible to visitors nearby hence why I chose this location greeting you with floor to ceiling glass panels. The cloth on the ceiling installed by my peers and I was meant to foster a feeling of intimacy with the audience visiting the works.
Jazz Reach Music Program
Designing the proposal for Jazz Reach in Catskill NY was an opportunity to make a statement on the community’s landscape. My role was to visualize how the Barn-like design would sit on the hill our client was envisioning situating his program on. In completing such a task I fulfiled our client’s to pursue a specific set of materials primarily centered around the use of wood cladding both inside and outside.
Following our meeting with the client I used a few key words and references he mentioned to start formulating a prompt that would cater to his needs. Such a process allowed me to get closer to his vision.
Tools: Midjourney & Photoshop
Prompt reference: https://s.mj.run/GOHoHlAUljY https://s.mj.run/WMfVdjpDTWU
Rule of Thirds, Late afternoon, Natural Light, Eye-level, Minimalist Barn house, Barn + house, Exterior View, Wood, prairies, housing, structures, Neutral, natural, Tall grass, in the distance, Upstate New York, USA, Modern, Housing --ar 16:9 --v 5
Typologies as Systems
I developed an interest in natural and vernacular typologies after learning about the capacities of AI rendering tools. My frustrations with the time it cost for designers to model complex infrastructure in order to render something special were instantly alleviated. As a starting point for study I picked a unique kind of fungus, the “Turkey Tail” mushroom which presents interesting shading properties for the built environment and started iterating designs from there. A collection of different expressions of form allows me to identify unique typologies and utilize them as systems for design.
Prompt
- futuristic, organic, vernacular, curvilinear,interior,minimal restaurant, African people, afro, blue terracotta clay, arches, tall coffered navy blue ceilings, blue stucco, curved glass, frosted glass, lush prairie landscape, virginia creeper, artificial lighting, blue ivy, lush blue botanicals, plant, succulents, all blue environment, foggy, dusty --ar 16:19 --V5
Mr Bigutsion residencetents
Table of contents
Professional
Community Music Workstents
• Academic
Red Hook interventionstents
Suggestive architecture tents
Mr Bigutsion’s Residence
Home for a retired rythm an blues artist
Softwares: Rhino, 3ds max - Vray, Adobe illustrator
Bow River
The design process involved understanding how to merge Mr Bigutsion’s needs with the site’s environmental context
Being aware of the direction of the winds, my initiative was to respond with curves increasing the aerodynamic qualities of the house. Majority of the winds were known to come from the west in the winter so I sheltered the balcony by curving the extension of the second floor which also creates overhangs.
Thermal Profile
Miguel Bigutsion is a 65 year old retired rythm and blues artist. Upon meeting Mr Bigutsion his first instinct was to share a page from his diary. As a creative he mentioned being more productive in sheltered cool spaces and more relaxed in warm ones. Throughout his artistic journey he discussed how the best music came from unpredictable encounters so he never chose to keep his process linear. Knowing these details I designed a hierarchy of rooms based of temperture and gemoetric fluidity.
Taking advantage of the environmental context meant allowing Mr Bigustion to reduce some of his energy consumption. For instance, due to the summer and winter sun paths around the site I chose to use concrete as a thermal mass to mitigate the abundance of heat from sun light.
1. Main Entry
2. Kitchen 3. Washroom
Living room
Gathering room
East Elevation West Elevation North Elevation
Community Music Works
Brooklyn|New York
Located in Rhode Island Providence is a youth program named “Community Music Works” it is geared towards music learning and celebration. The leaders of the educational program sought to expand in Brooklyn New York near Fort Greene Park. Upon meeting the client the main concerns expressed were yhr lack of exposure to sunlight and outdoor performing space. Working from such conversations the initial approach was to tackle how to enhance the experience of learning instruments in different indoor and outdoor spaces
Red Hook Urban Intervention
Softwares
Revit Sketchup 3ds max - Vray Adobe illustrator
Exploring sheltered open spaces facing different parts of the community.
Merging Non-human life with outdoor gathering atmospheres and rooms.
Creating interactive passage with nature through non-rectilinear walkway.
The Red Hook urban intervention is a conceptual project geared towards activating the empty lots present in the infamous Brooklyn neighborhood. The emphasis on the typologies developed for this project is mostly highlighting the possibilities for humans to gain more interaction with the present wild life in the surrounding green spaces. Such relationships are developed through community gathering of small retail & restaurant businesses stimulating the circulation of people.
Suggestive Architecture
Suggestive Architecture is a series of atmospheres I developed to inform conceptual possibilities. This series involves outdoor and indoor spaces defining what it means to be shelterd or exposed.
Inclosure Threshold
Passage
Envelope
