Miami University Baseball Building

Here are a few images from a recent project for Miami University. This was my favorite project during my time at SFA.  I was able to take this building through schematic design as well as handle the graphics and build the 3-D model. Stay tuned for exterior images in the upcoming weeks.

Five Design Challenge: Cincinnati Urban Monorail

I recently entered the Five Design Challenge, sponsored by MSA Architects.  The goal of the competition was:

"Convert Drivers to Riders" 

The charge is to take a deeper look at the public transit system in Cincinnati and with an eye on the city, help us solve the underlying problems associated with converting skeptical drivers into enthusiastic and educated riders.

As my friends in Okinawa will notice, I took a lot of inspiration from the Naha Monorail, which I used on almost a daily basis when I lived in Japan.While many of the entrants focused on bicycle traffic, modification to the bus system, and light rail, my concept was on a slightly larger scale.    My proposal was for an elevated monorail system that connects downtown Cincinnati, the NKY/C Airport, and other major city centers.  When the entire system is in place it would be possible to get from one station to the furthest station, on the other side of the city, in a little more than 30 minutes. This is faster than driving.  In addition, there is no place in the central city that is more than 15 min walk from a station.

The construction of the monorail would be in 4 phases which could be spread out over a period of about 8 years.  This would allow portions of the system to be in use while the rest is being completed.  In addition, the small footprint of the track supports and stations mean that existing roads and buildings would not be effected by the monorail's construction.
The monorail would be great for residents of Cincinnati and commuters, because they could quickly and easily get anywhere in the city without the need to drive and find parking.  For visitors it would be an even greater convenience, as there would be no need to ever use a rental car.  Once you land at the airport, or arrive at the train station, you can use the monorail to get to all of the major businesses, hotels, and universities in the city.  In addition, Cincinnati's roads are quite difficult to navigate for someone unfamiliar with the city, and the monorail would ensure that you could get anywhere you wanted to go without the fear of taking a wrong turn. 

I am happy to announce that this design was named in the top 15, and you can see this project and all of the other top submissions here: Five Design Competition: Top 15 Submissions
I would also like to thank Katsuya Suematsu (who finished 2nd) for telling me about the competition, Thea Simon for her help with locating stations, and Chris Gavin for his early help in developing the concept.

Nate England Joins SFA/PDT Architects

I am happy to announce that I have joined SFA/PDT Architects in Cincinnati, Ohio. This is a great opportunity to work with with some very talented and dedicated professionals, and to reunite with some of my former Miami University classmates. Unfortunately, the logistics of joining a new company and moving to a new city were the reasons behind the recent lack of new projects and posts on the website. Now that I have settled in, I am looking forward to continuing to post projects, reviews, interviews, and whatever else is of interest in the design and architecture community.
Of course, this means that all architectural services formerly offered by Nate England Design will now be offered exclusively through SFA/PDT. Though, I am still happy to answer any questions regarding my previous projects and experience. I will continue to offer freelance graphics and design services that are unrelated to the architecture and construction industry.

Kuefu Jima Pavilion: D3 Natural Systems 2010 Competition

The Kuefu Jima pavilion is a project that I had been thinking about since I visited the area last year. The Kiese Islands are a collection of three small islands half way between the Okinawan mainland and the Kerama Island group. It is made of of three small islands, Nagannu Jima is a long narrow island with a large natural area, Kamiyama Jima is made up of two small rises and tidal flats, and Kuefu Jima which is a small narrow sand bar that is about 100 meters long. The area has absolutely stunning natural beauty, and is a great location for snorkeling, diving, fishing, and other water sports. In the winter months humpback wales pass through the area.












Unfortunately, this beauty is attracting more and more locals and tourists to the area causing increasing environmental damage. While it would be ideal to construct nothing at all, the impact of these visitor is making that less and less possible. My solution creates a building with the absolute minimum environmental impact. The dock will help prevent boaters from throwing anchor in the delicate coral and wading ashore. The deck encourages people to stay off of the delicate natural grasses and shrubs which hold this fragile island together. It also creates a focal point for trash collection, which is absolutely vital to clean up the large amount of trash that washed up from Okinawa's densely populated coast. Please have a closer look at the presentation boards to see additional details about the project.












This project seemed to fit in perfectly with D3 Natural Systems annual competition, and the design of the pavillion was fleshed out with the competetion in mind. Special consideration was taken into water collection, electricity usage, and environmental impact. Local building traditions and methods were a key component of this design, and many uniquely Okinawan elements can be seen in its final design. It is important to note that though only a schematic design, every care was taking to ensure that this is a project that could actually be constructed and maintained as it was envisioned. This is a realistic solution for a real-world problem.











The images were created through a combination of photo montage, digital mat painting, and 3-D models. All of the base photos were taken locally, mostly by myself, in order to show off the natural beauty of the area. As you can see, this process produces great results that allows everyone to see the design intent. The more I work with this process, the more comfortable and refined it has become, allowing for great looking results in a fraction of the time of traditional renderings.









I would like to especially thank Alicia Turner and Chris Gavin for their great contributions to this project. Alicia provided the LEED analysis, with the final result being that the project could be submitted for LEED Platinum status, the highest level attainable under the LEED Standards. Chris helped with the write ups, streamlining of ideas, and product research. Their help was invaluable.