Project Snapshot: Caterpillar Parking Deck

This is a great little project that I worked on with Jim Matarelli while I was with PSA Dewberry. This project is located next to the Caterpillar World Headquarters and the proposed Cat Visitors Center and Lakeview Museum in downtown Peoria, IL. The schematic design phase of this project had a very tight schedule and budget, so it was necessary to come up with quality images and concepts quickly. We came up with 5 or 6 proposals for the re-skinning of the existing parking deck and I then created them in SketchUp.


















Then, one option was chosen and I fleshed it out using Bentley and Photoshop. This method gave great results considering the short amount of time that the budget allowed. The museum has not been given the green light yet, and the future of this project is reliant on that decision.

Project Snapshot: Habitat for Humanity ReStore

The design of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Peoria, Illlinois was a small volunteer project that Evan Spirrison and I worked on. The company was moving from the back of the building it rented into the front. They wanted a simple and cheap way of making the exterior of their storefront and display area to stand out. On the exterior I proposed striped awnings over the windows, light sconces, signage, and photo montages (these were very important to the folks at the ReStore at the time). On the interior, we proposed removing the existing carpet to expose the original intricate tile work underneath, a wall that showed the varying stages of house construction, and additional Habitat for Humanity signage.



















Ultimately, the changes we proposed for the interior were carried out. The canopy and central signage on the front of the building was built as well. However, the sconces and photo-montages have yet to be installed. Nevertheless, it was a fun project for a good cause.

Project Snapshot: Caterpillar Assembley Line

The model for Caterpillar Assembly Line was the largest and most intricate model that I have worked on in my architecture career, so far. The final model measured about 5'x6' and consisted of literally thousands of tiny parts, palates, and pieces. Everything that goes into building a tractor is represented on this model, and you can see the tractors being completed as they pass down the assembly line. In addition, the entire building housing the assembly line and the parts storage area were modeled as well.
The picture above is an in-progress photo and the the other project team members from PSA Dewberry are shown. Unfortunately, I don't have an image of the finished model, but if anyone out there has a photo of it I would love a copy.

Project Snapshot: Center for Contemporary Iconographic Studies

This is a project from my days at Miami University. It was from my first graduate design studio taught by Diane Fellows. The project was to create a museum, the Center for Contemporary Iconographic Studies, adjacent to the World Trade Center Site.











This also marked my first use of digital painting for a design presentation. I was very excited by the results of this rendering process, as it was able to give sharp, clear, dynamic representation of the project in a relatively quick and simple manner. I have been a huge fan of this process ever since and have used in on many student, personal, and professional projects.





























The entire class pitched in to build the site model, but one of its most important features, the black water, was one of my contributions. Black, reflective water is great in architectural models because it is a sharp, clean way to represent water and it gives great reflections for photographs. At the time of this project, the plan for rebuilding the World Trade Center site involved preserving the footprints of the original towers, and building a series of spires around the perimeter of the site. My design can be seen on the right of the tower's footprint.





























The concept for my design was based on the layering and evolution of the city over time, dynamic movement in and around the site, and was inspired by several modern artist who dealt with similar issues, primarily Marcel Duchamp and Franz Kline. The final presentation of this design was a great success. One of the principals of SOM attended the review and commented, "You are 99% on your way to being a world class architect." It was a great compliment, but I'm not sure I would agree, and in the last few years that percentage has probably dropped! :)

Residential Design

Between receiving my Bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University and Illinois and beginning my graduate studies at Miami University, I had a great opportunity to work in the field of residential design with Brady Homes. During this time I worked with Brady's head home designer, Phil Bussman, on numerous projects around Central Illinois. This experience was invaluable in my understanding of how a home goes together.




















Eventually I was placed in charge of drafting and home design for Brady's Peoria office. Some of the homes I worked on can be seen in Bloomington, Oak Creek and Hickory Grove Subdivisions in Washington, Waterford Estates, Waterford Crystals, Oakbrook Estates, and Weaver Ridge Subdivisions in Peoria, and Redbird Terrace in Metamora, among others. Before leaving Brady Homes for Miami University I put together about thirty home designs which were later used in Waterford Estates. The house shown above was used in the Parade of Homes exhibition.



















My favorite project, while with Brady Homes, was the house shown above. The family who I designed this home for had some very good ideas about what they wanted in their home. I was able to take those ideas and put them together successfully to create a unique home.



















Interior of the home during construction.




















Duplex built in Waterford Crystals in north Peoria.



















House under construction in Weaver Ridge, Peoria.

Project Snapshot: Western Illinois University

I am extremely excited to find out that construction of Western Illinois University's new facility at their Riverfront Campus will begin soon. I worked on this project, with Michelle LaBarre, while with PSA Dewberry. It is great to see some of the details in the model: the windows and the siding on the left, the curved wall separating the two halves of the building, and the curved lecture hall. For more on this project, check out this article in the Quad City Times.

Project Snapshot: South Side Bank

This is a project, located in Wasington, Illinois, is one that I worked on a few years ago while I was with PSA Dewberry. The initial design was done by Wil Helmick, now of PCM+d. Ultimately, the project was taken over by Brett Pudik, and he and I did the majority of the architectural work.
This project was interesting because I was able to work on all phases of the project from schematic design to construction administration. In a large architecture firm this is a rare opportunity and was a great learning experience.

Goodbye Frank Frazetta

A few years ago my grandfather and I took a trip to Pennsylvania to visit the Frank Frazetta Art Gallery. I had been a huge fan of his work for years, and I wanted a chance to see it in person. No matter how many book covers you have seen, they pale in comparison to the original. The detail, colors, and energy are just incredible. According to the Frank Frazetta Museum, It looks like some of the pieces will be going on tour later this year. If you have any interest in comic, sci-fi, fantasy, or classical art I highly recommend checking it out.
My grandfather always amazed me, because he is the kind of person who can start a conversation with anyone and become lifelong friends. I looked around the museum for about a half hour while my grandfather talked to the museum manager and Frank's wife Ellie. Then, Ellie said, "Let me go get Frank."
Frank gave us a personal tour of the museum, walking around and talking about all of his paintings. This lasted about forty minutes, and would have gone on longer if Ellie hadn't insisted that he take a rest. So Frank sat down and asked to see my portfolio. He took time to look over every drawing and painting. He liked them. "These are great." "I love the texture." "I don't know who wouldn't like this." "This kid is totally original." It doesn't matter what anyone else says about my stuff, Frank Frazetta likes it.
Sadly, Frank Frazetta passed away this week, Ellie late last year, and my grandfather in 2007. Frank Frazetta wasn't just an amazing artist, he was also a really really nice guy. He will be missed.

The Unofficial Frank Frazetta Gallery has a great collection of images.

Ellie Frazetta, me, Frank Frazetta, and my grandfather Don Craig

Saito House

I am very excited about this project. This is a residential design I did for a husband and wife in Nakajin, Okinawa. They wanted a house that combined Japanese and Western elements. They also wanted a wooden house with an open floor plan and a balcony. The Eames House in California, some of my residential projects back in the US, and a few houses here in Okinawa were used as references.
I wanted to wait to post this until this project was a little farther along before I posted it, but unfortunately construction has been delayed for a bit. The owners are currently talking to a Japanese architect and carpenter in order to make sure everything complies with Japanese building codes and methods. Hopefully we will all be able to meet and get things finalized soon. The images here are from my early schematic design. I gave the owners 2 exterior options as well as a number of interior options.

Bridge of Nations Museum Futenma Air Base, Okinawa

Recently there have been a lot of news stories and controversy about the relocation of this base. You can see a few articles about it over at the Yibisu Post, or check out a few other recent stories here:
Reuters: Japan PM faces island rebuff over U.S. base move
BBC: Okinawa Voices: 'No More Bases'
BBC: No easy answers in Okinawa base debate
Or, you can watch U.S Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) talk about how Guam will capsize if the base is relocated there. Hilarious.

This project is from the design phase of my architectural graduate thesis way back in 2005. The written thesis focused on site-specific architecture, multiple symbolism, and incorporating elements of local cultural elements to influence the architectural design. My project was to redesign Futenma Air Base, which is located in Ginowan, Okinawa and figure out the best use of this space when it is eventually returned to Okinawa. Some of the key concepts in the design included preserving the perimeter of the base, reconnect the divided city of Ginowan, and designing a large museum and cultural center along the existing runway. Please click on the images below for more detailed views and descriptions.

Fondulac District Library

Fondulac District Library in East Peoria, IL, was a very exciting project that I worked on during my time with PSA Dewberry. This project called for a new library facility to be built on the location of the current facility, which has become outdated. You can see the proposed floorplans and layout below.

I am extremely pleased with the final model, built by Brett Pudik and myself. This model is extremely detailed and could not have been any better. This helped in getting PSA Dewberry several more large scale detailed models including the new Bradley University Sports Complex, the Illinois State University Basketball Arena, and also an enormous and insanely detailed model of the Caterpillar Tractors assembly line.

Unfortunately, as is often the case in this industry, the library board recently changed their expansion plans drastically by moving the location of the new library facility to a different site , adjacent to the new city hall. However, if you want to see the model in person it is currently on display in the basement storage closet of Fondulac's current facility.

Digitial Painting in the Design Process

Over the last few years I have become a bigger and bigger fan of the use of digital painting in the architectural design process. The reality of the profession is that it is simply impossible to create high-end 3-D renderings for every project. This is both time consuming and economically impossible, as these images often take weeks or even months to produce. However, the use of digital painting allows for quick and realistic renderings that can help both the architect and the client during all phases of the design process. Digital painting is an amazing tool that is drastically underutilized in the architectural profession. In the following article I have shown 4 examples, all of which I completed in between 4 and 20 hours.

Please click on the images for a closer look.

Rockford Federal Courthouse

Rockford Federal Courthouse is a fantastic project that I was fortunate enough to work on during my time with PSA Dewberry. I came into this project when it was in the construction document phase and this was a great opportunity to learn how a building this complicated goes together.

Following the completion of the construction documents, the decision was made to convert this into a BIM (Building Informational Modeling) project. BIM modeling is the new standard for all Government Service Agency projects. Rockford Federal Courthouse was the first project to be done in this manner and therefore has set the precedent for all following BIM projects. This was also the pilot project for PSA Dewberry's conversion to BIM. It was very exciting to be involved in this aspect of the project. I spent a great deal of time modeling the architectural elements of the building, and en even greater amount of time checking the coordination between all of the building elements. Proof checking in this manner saved millions of dollars in change orders and drastically increased the coordination between the multiple disciplines.

Rockford Federal Courthouse was a finalist in the 2008 BE Awards. Unfortunately, the remodel of the Sydney Opera House took first place that year. However, a great article about the use of BIM in this project can be found in BE Magazine, myself and the rest of the architecture team are mentioned in the article, so please take the time to check it out! The images shown here and in the BE article were created by Mike Justice and myself.

Vietnam House Responses

A few months ago when I first finished the Vietnam House I had a number of great responses. Those initial responses and my replies (in italics) are printed below. If you are interested in this project please have a look If you have any additional comments, feel free to add to the dialogue!
Thanks.
Nate

Response 1:
Brett Pudik
Project Manager
PSA Dewberry

I have read through your design description and reviewed your layout. This is very interesting I think you have soem very good organizational attributes going.

I remember having a project at U of Michigan similar to this... but not 6' wide - wow. It was a vertical house where we studied how the house was zoned. It was in an urban setting such as yours but did not have the depth. Ultimately I found that the house and the activities (daily time spent in such areas like living space vs. bedrooms) that went on were best organized in such a manner that correlated to those within the urban fabric. This means that high activity areas were adjacent to high activity areas of the street and private areas (those for sleeing were best removed from the noisy street.... therefore creating zoning within the house.

Tying the interior layout to what is going on at the street is an interesting approach. I didn't base my layout on that, but that is one of the reasons I waited until the 3rd floor before i put the sleeping areas in. I was hoping that at this level enough of the street noise would have dissipated. This is also why I put the living room and kitchen areas on the lowest level of the residence. They would see the highest traffic in the house. -N

The exterior envelope is so very precious and should be used wisely.

You're absolutely right about that. There is just not much frontage to play with. It might be worth another look to see if I am maximizing it. -N

I like the Commercial frontage.

One thing that I didn't worry about was the sine-age for the business. That could potentially be effected by such a narrow building. -N

If possible incorporate hoists and sliding doors with balconies with adjustable/ removable railings to ease the movement of furnishings and equipment.

I really like this idea. I had a concern in the back of my mind that they wouldn't be able to get some of the furniture or appliances into the house. Having some kind of crane system set up on the roof (at least a temporary system) would allow you to move in larger objects like the mattresses, washing machines, couch, etc. This would definitely be worth looking into for round 3 of the project. -N

I put my laundry room down below and used laundry chutes.

A few people have mentioned the location of my laundry room. The reason that I placed it at the top of the building is that it is generally preferred to dry the laundry outside instead of in a dryer. I know that I showed a dryer in the plan, but in reality there is every possibility that there would only be a washer. Both of the places I have lived in Japan have had only a washer and all of the drying was done either on the balcony or on the roof. In the Vietnam House, I wanted to keep the laundry room adjacent to an outdoor balcony space that could be used for this purpose. -N

The roof top could be a nice place for gathering space and a place to enjoy the outdoors (perhaps to have social gatherings - I like what you have going there (think about a combination of outdoor covered areas and those exposed to the sun).

Thanks! That was the intention of the covered balcony in the front of the building. I wanted to create an outdoor gathering space. Basically, the entire top=front section of the house could be used for a large gathering. That is also one of the reasons I included a kitchenette on the 5th floor. -N

I also agree with your stacked plumbing.

I think that stacking the plumbing is the only way to do it. There just isn't room to be running a lot of pipes all over this building. Mike Parrish has some very interesting thoughts on this. Please take a look at his comments. -N

Is there a way to stack the sleeping areas - the reason I ask you is could start to separate// zone not only bottom to top but also front to back since you have depth...just a thought.

Yes, I think you could do that. My follow up question would be: Do you stack them in the front or the back of the house? Also, how does that effect the rest of the layout? Stan mentioned opening up 2-3 story spaces within the house. I could see those open spaces as forming a separation and creating zoning between the front and back parts of the building. That could also be incorporated with the stair-stepping of the floors that you mentioned. However, this is rallly starting to form the basis of a completely new design. So I'll have to put that on hold for a while.

Public balconies may have clear views to the street while private balconies could have green trellis screens that allow some screening/ private outdoor space.

I like that idea, and it is something I played with a little when I was designing. The other thing that helps to separate the public and private balconies is the step-back. The top balcony is very private because it is not flush with the front of the building, it is pulled back from the street. I think giving each floor its own balcony has some advantages, but ultimately I decided against it. I think it helps to emphasize the importance and uniqueness of the outdoor space I did include.

Fire separation between neighbors?

Yeah. Very very good point. I am torn on how to answer this one. Firstly, my assumption is that Vietnam simply does not have the same level of fire prevention requirements that we have in the US. However, I am completely ignorant on what requirements they do or do not have. Also, we ultimately need to be concerned with the safety of the building and the occupants. This building has masonry and concrete walls facing its neighbors and the neighbors also have masonry and concrete walls. I wonder how much of a fire rating or separation this gives with this type of construction. Anyway, this is a very good question and the truth is that I just don't have enough information to answer it at the moment. -N

I think any access to outdoor space (could stair-step internally from the roof garden for internal views/ use) would be nice and help with the claustrophobia. Think of it as voids from the roof as well as voids from the street or alley. This could be challenging in that it would start to seperate the front floor area from the back floor area requiring additional circulation.

I think this is a great idea. It would be worth looking at that type of organization on a re-vist tot he project. -N

Anyway - what a cool project that would be a lot of fun to design - I can see where you would like this challenge.

Keep up the good work and I hope to see you back some time. Thanks for keeping in touch.

-Brett

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Response 2:
Stan Russel
AIA Assistant Professor
University of South Florida School of Architecture

The Vietnam house looks great.

On such a narrow lot you could create the illusion of space with 2, 3 [or 4 story!] spaces and removing most of the walls.

You know, I really like this idea. Initially, I had a 2 story space in the building, but ultimately I got rid of it when I decided to make it as close to a built project as I could. But I can see the potential of opening up some of these floors. This is one of the reasons I would really love to revisit this project in a few months and see how far I can push the design. What would be interesting or me is to get rid of the exterior walls, and just use the adjoining buildings as the walls. -N

In some places stairs could span the entire width and double as sealing etc.

I can see how this idea could be combined with Brett's idea about stair-stepping the floor levels. This could really mix up the layout and start to break it away from the set 1st, 2nd, 3rd floor layout into something much more complex. Something I would LOVE to do is to elevate the entire building. Right now it occupies the space that would otherwise be occupied by an alley connecting the main street with the smaller alleys/residential streets behind. I think it would be great to make this building start ABOVE one of these alleys. The alleys themselves are used extensively and even have small coffee shops or venders or parking in them. But at about 10 feet up they are tarped over and any space above that can't be used for anything. IF the building occupied that elevated dead space, but left the alley below in tact....... I think that could be really interesting. -N

toilets and baths could be out in the open with curtains or simply placed outside.

I'm not sure how excited I am about this idea. I think it creates a lot of privacy issues, especially in a city as densely packed as this one. That being said, Kinya Maruyama designed a hotel here in Okinawa where the bath is outside. Also, I did see a building in saigon that had the 2nd story bathroom completely exposed to the street. But, I think they just started to tear the building down 20 years ago, and then never finished the job. I would be interested in seeing a a sketch/diagram of what you have in mind. -N

Stan Russel

_________________

Response 3:
Mike Parrish PE
Associate Principal
Electrical Group Leader
PSA Dewberry

Nate Good day. Wow, 6' wide, that's nuts. That's less than half a single wide trailer.

Looks like you have thought it out pretty well. I would think with the size and height of this building you may want to have a common chase for plumbing, vent stack, common toilet exhaust duct, vertical wiring power/phone/tv/etc.... . This chase wants to be deeper than a standard 4" wall (6" minimum but 8" would be better if you have to vent the toilets. Any duct less than 8" will begin to create excess static for the fan to overcome. They would also have to cut out the sole/top plate in the walls on each floor to make a vertical path).

Right now I have 2 vertical chases laid out. The first is between the stairs and the bathrooms, and the second is between the bathrooms and the rear rooms. I should probably take another look and see exactly what I can fit in each chase. I may find that I need to expand the area that I allocate for the mechanical chases.

It appears they use small dedicated HVAC units (my interpretation of the graphics) so ductowrk would not be required.

Exactly. That was why I chose to use them, and probably also one of the reasons they are used so frequently. You can just stick it in the window or mount it through the wall and not worry about ductwork or a complicated instillation.

Ideally, to save costs, plumbing should be on a common wall and stacked to the greatest degree possible, but the layout with the toilets and kitchen will likely not allow that to happen which means there will be a bit more material and effort to combine these items.

An interesting thing that they do in Japan, especially in hotels, is to make the bathroom area one step higher than the rest of the floor plan. They use this extra space to run the pipes underneath the floor. This helps reduce the amount that you have to cut into the floorslab. What do you think about using a similar system here?

I don't know what the weather is like there but I assume it does not get below freezing. This can be a problem on an exterior wall unless you build a wall inside the insulated wall to house the water pipes.

Freezing is definitely not going to be an issue. I am in Okinawa, which is significantly north of Saigon, and it has literally never got below freezing here. That is one thing that really is a plus for concrete construction. Last fall I watched them put in a new sidewalk without using any spacers or any expansion joints. It blew my mind, but the sidewalk is still fine!

Also I have no idea about so many of my comments are related to American building codes.

Don't forget a place to put a panelboard for a power and a meter (if that's how they do things).

I think with the restrictions on 6' there is only so much one can do. Could consider fold out beds that give back floor space when not in use (not a Murphy bed but one that hinges down from the long side of the bed).

I'm glad you brought this up. In Japan a lot of people still sleep on futons that they roll up and stow in a closed during the day. The lack of furniture is really amazing. In Vietnam the preference seemed to be for an actual bed, but depending on the occupant's preference you could eliminate the bed and just use the futon. However, meals are often ate with no table and sitting right on the floor. I really want to provide flexibility in my design so that whoever the occupants happen to be, they can live comfortably.

Lots of stair climbing for a tall building. What would a firemen's pole be like? Too dangerous? It would make going down easier. I would say something about a small 1 person elevator but don't think such a luxury would be appropriate there... I dunno?

The stairs are a bit of an issue, but you would be shocked at the lack of elevators in Asia. A one-person elevator would be the way to go if you wanted to do it, but you're right that it is a luxury and not a necessity in this case. The firepole is an interesting idea that might go along with the multi-story open space that some of the other commenters have mentioned. You guys are really making me want to take another shot at this project!

Sounds like things are exciting for you there. It's awesome you are seeing so many places. I have never really traveled except in the US. It's something I would like to do one of these days. Thanks for sending your work to an engineer for review.

Good to hear from you too, and thanks for the input!

All of the Best.

Mike Parrish.

_______________________

Response 4:
Jabari Garland

IT'S INSPIRATIONAL! WOW.
This is great. It looks like a lot of work but it's easy to understand. it will be a great addition to your portfolio. it's really well written too. You can tell that you really care about the project.
I'd love to see a diagram of the "illusion of being in a more open space"

Thanks Jabari, I really appreciate that! I would rally love to show that diagram, but it would require me going in and doing another rendering. It might be something worth doing if I get a few free hours sometime, but for now it will have to remain in my head. The basic idea is to always create a visual "out" so that your eye is drawn to the window and outside, connecting you to a more open space instead of the 4 walls and ceiling of the tiny room you are trapped in. I think using light colors on the interior would enhance this as well.

I love how you thought out the HVAC system too.

Thanks. I think that individual room controls are really the way to go in this building. Plus, it seems to be the standard method of operation in Vietnam. I wanted to try and take into account as much as possible when I designed this building. The first thing I always hear when I talk to contractors is how the architect forgot to give them room for this, or how he forgot to incorporate that. So, I wanted to lay the groundwork so that someone who knows more about the mechanical side of things could potentially come in and take over that aspect of the project. Please check out Mike Parrish's comments for some great in-depth analysis of the mechanical stuff.

Plus I don't mind the part about the balcony above.
congrats,
Jabari

Vietnam House

During the the summer of 2008 I had a chance to spend a month in Vietnam. It was an amazing experience, however, I was surprised by the buildings in Vietnam, most of which were no more than 12 feet wide. In some cases even narrower buildings were wedged into the leftover spaces, some no more than 6 feet wide. This left me wondering: How could I design a building that would work in such a narrow space. This project is the result of that analysis.
Please click on the images for a more detailed view