Steve Shimmin - Portfolio
- 1. PORTFOLIO STEVEN SHIMMIN steveshimmin@gmail.com 415.572.7726
- 2. Contents Resume 3 Introduction 4 Thesis Project - Belize Dental Clinic 5 Study Abroad in Copenhagen 15 Copenhagen Multicultural Art Muesum 16 Furniture Store in Copenhagen 17 Row House in Copenhagen 18 Studio Projects at Cal Poly San Francisco Housing Development 19 Chumash Museum 1.0 20 Chumash Museum 2.0 21 Skill Samples Sketching 23 Drafting 25 Computer Models & Renderings 27 Models 29 More About Me 30
- 3. Resume SKILLS EXPERIENCE SOFTWARE EDUCATION High Proficiency Some Experience Bachelor of Architecture, 2010 Cal Poly State University, Autodesk Revit Adobe Illustrator Cum. GPA: 3.46 San Luis Obispo, CA Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk Maya Adobe Indesign Certificate of Biblical Studies - Covenant Bible College, Adobe Photoshop 2004-05 Windsor, CO Google Sketchup Microsoft Excel High School Diploma - Terra Linda High School Cum. GPA: 4.33 (3rd in class of 2004) San Rafael, CA DESIGN & PRESENTATION PROFESSIONAL Digital Modeling Project Presentation JOURNEYMAN INTERNATIONAL May 2009 - Present Digital Rendering Graphic Design Director of Design for non-profit organization Physical Modeling Site & Program Analysis CAD Drafting Schematic Design WORLD WISE Summer 2008 Hand Sketching Design Development Sales Intern - Assistant to sales department PB DEVELOPMENT Summer 2007 OTHER Intern - Construction Estimator & Architectural Consulting Foreign Languages: CLIPPER YACHT HARBOR Summer 2006 Spanish - Moderately Proficient (studied 6 yrs) Store Clerk & Harbor Maintenance Danish - Beginner (studied 1 yr) PERFECT TIMING Various school breaks Musician: Skilled in Violin (15 yrs) and Guitar (10 yrs) Office Temp - answering phones, filing, mailings, data entry 3
- 4. Introduction Why Architecture? I want to be an architect not because of a love for buildings, It is my desire to become experienced and proficient at but rather because of a love for people. I am fascinated with designing all different types of architecture; from high end how people develop culture, how they interact with each residential to commercial, from low income housing to other, how they relate to each other, and what makes certain corporate high-rises, from public libraries and museums things important to people. I believe that architecture is one to private institutions. This is because I believe that there of the most influential elements of any human culture, as must be a dialogue between various types of architecture and cultures are often defined by what they create. Architecture is that each building type should inform and influence others. where people live their lives, it is where they work, learn, play, However, I am most passionate about using my background eat, sleep, and create. Any building has the opportunity to in architecture to help improve peoples’ lives, especially in enhance peoples’ lives, yet unfortunately there are too many developing countries. There is a great need for well designed buildings that fail in this function. I want to be an architect and properly built structures in the developing world so in order to provide people with the best possible environment that they can withstand natural disasters. Therefore, for my for their needs, and shape culture by shaping the location in senior thesis project, I worked with a missionary organization which they engage with the world. to design a much needed dental clinic in Independence, Belize. The building is currently being constructed under Architecture is a fine art just as much as it is a technical the supervision of the missionary organization and a discipline. This is what initially drew me to this field, as I construction management graduate that I partnered with for was very successful as a high school student in subjects such this project. as mathematics and science, yet I also have always wanted to be a designer in some shape or form. As a musician, I This project has given me valuable experience as I have see many parallels between architecture and music in the learned what it takes to design and build a building from start sense that good music is made by superior technical skill in to finish and how to work with a client and contractor to make conjunction with a keen understanding of artistry and beauty. this project a reality. I hope to continue doing like-minded Architecture is exactly the same; a good architect is shown by projects in the developing world. In order to do this it is his or her ability to create a technically proficient building critical that I gain experience working in an architecture firm that is also a beautiful and inspiring design. I use this in the United States. My goal is to become a licensed architect approach with every design as I strive to create an innovative in the United States and continue to diligently work as an and unique design that is relevant and efficient in achieving architect locally in addition to humanitarian projects abroad. its program, responds well to site conditions, is socially acceptable, environmentally responsible, and economically feasible. 4
- 5. Thesis Project: Belize Dental Clinic For my final 5th year thesis project at Cal Poly I wanted to do a humanitarian based project in a developing world that could be actually built. I became connected with Global Outreach Mission (GOM) who were looking to build a dental clinic in the Central American country of Belize. GOM is a Christian missionary organization who has had much experience working in Belize and identified the need for a dental clinic in the coastal town of Independence in Southern Belize. I was happy to accept GOM’s invitation to design the dental clinic. I teamed up with my friend and Cal Poly Construction Management student Daniel Wiens to realize this project. We share a same passion for using our background in the building industry to bring humanitarian aid to the developing world. Out of this passion Daniel and I founded Journeyman International (JI), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization who’s vision is to establish financially feasible, socially beneficial, and environmentally responsible buildings in developing countries. The dental clinic is the flagship project for JI as we seek to develop similar projects all over the developing world in order to stimulate community growth with sustainable and reliable building design. Independence Daniel Wiens & Steven Shimmin 5
- 6. Program & Site Program: Dental Clinic + Residence ~3,500 square foot building 2 stories First Floor: Dental Office: - Reception/Waiting Room - 3 Operating Rooms (Air Conditioned) - Lab (Air Conditioned) - Office - Restroom - Community/Multipurpose Room Second Floor: Residence Housing for a group of short term missionaries or a dentist and his/her family 6
- 7. Thesis Project Description The job of the architect is to design and influence the built environments in which people live and interact. Most often, that role is manifested through the creation of buildings. Consequentially, there are three fundamental preconditions necessary for buildings to exist: 1. There is a need for a building, 2. There is an available site, 3. There are readily available building supplies. Therefore, the excellence of a building is measured by how successfully it meets the needs with the given materials. Excellent architecture, that elusive goal that is so competitively sought after, is not form, is not function, is not materiality, is not program, not Vitruvius’ 3 points, not Corbusier’s 5 points, not less, not more, but simply a desirable collision between a need, a site and a set of materials. Each of those things describe good architecture or are tools for generating good architecture, but are not what makes architecture inherently good. Each of the conditions represents different facets of the specific cultural context in which the building comes out of. With this in mind, the architect is suddenly freed from following a lot of assumptions about what is necessary to make a building a good one. In this day of economic proliferation, the most shocking assumption we can forgo is that to make a good building, one requires a large budget. With a thesis project, the designer can have the luxury of not having to worry about a budget limiting from expressing their utmost creativity. However, I have chosen to take another path. The three conditions for buildings exist very frequently in developing nations. This has created a fascinating adaptive bastardization of modern materials and vernacular building methods. Yet there are two things that lack in the architecture of developing nations: an experienced designer and a contemporary sustainable sensitivity. It is my ambition to develop a method in which bring those two things to the rapidly developing regions of the world. The test subject for this architectural experiment is a sited in a town named Independence in the small Central American country of Belize. Independence a mid-sized town located in the mid-southern part of the country along the Caribbean coast. There is currently no dental care in Independence and people seeking a dentist have to drive an hour or more to see one. I am teamed up with a construction management student from Cal Poly and a missionary organization to provide a permanent facility for dental care for Independence. We have obtained a site that is roughly 17,000 square feet. It has been excavated and leveled. A fence has been built and drainage ditches have been dug to help protect the site. The building has been designed and is currently under construction. One of the largest goals for this project is to use this building to implement and demonstrate various sustainable strategies that could be used on a larger scale in Belize. There are many vernacular strategies used in Belize to make indoor life bearable in the humidity, some more successful than others. I have studied and used some of these methods as well as introduced new strategies pioneered in the U.S. and Europe. The only building code in Belize is for the electrical system in the building. However, we are using the IBC as a guideline for making this a sucessful and safe project. Belize is prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes so any building design will have to be structurally sound. Other environmental concerns include flooding and strong winds. As a medical facility, there will be specific electrical and plumbing demands. Independence is prone to various power outages so there may need to be a backup generator within the facility. There is internet and phone line accessibility that will be utilized in the facility as well. 7
- 8. Building Design 8 8
- 9. Site Plan Residence - Living Room Clinic - Lobby View from the North East 9
- 10. Floor Plans 2 3 4 1 First Floor: Dental Clinic Second Floor: Residence 10
- 11. Sections Section 1 Section 3 Section 2 Section 4 11
- 12. Elevations North East South West 12
- 13. Final Model 13
- 14. Construction Progress 14
- 15. Study Abroad in Copenhagen Photographs from Denmark For my fourth year of study, I studied abroad for two semesters in Copenhagen, Denmark. I had the opportunity to learn from Danish architects and travel throughout much of Europe and see a wide variety of European architecture both old and new. Architecture Projects I designed while in Copenhagen Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen City Hall Square Copenhagen Art Museum Row House Furniture Store Photographs from travels in Europe IT University of Copenhagen Arhus in Western Denmark BMW Welt, Munich, Germany Pantheon, Rome, Italy Educatorium, Utrecht, The Netherlands Mies van der Rohe Pavilion, Barcelona, Spain Royal Danish Playhouse, Copenhagen Bagsværd Church by Utzon 15
- 16. Copenhagen Art Museum Although Denmark has a strong tradition of being a homogeneous culture, there are in fact many immigrants living in Denmark. In Copenhagen, roughly 20% of the population is made up of immigrants and descendents of immigrants. Unfortunately, there are many conflicts among immigrants and Danes in Copenhagen. I believe one of the biggest causes of conflict between different cultures is a failure to understand and respect another’s culture. This museum offers a new perspective of diversity by providing the opportunity for people to learn about the different ethnicities represented in Copenhagen. The museum will hold exhibitions in art, film and cultural artifacts of all cultures that have a presence in Denmark. The tower is the unifying element of the design and will become the landmark of Nørrebro, one of Copenhagen’s most diverse neighborhoods. There is a permanent display in the tower that teaches about the different ethnicities in Copenhagen and provides insight into the variety of cultures that people will experience as they ascend the tower. When they reach the top, they will have a new perspective of the diversity in Copenhagen and a 360° view of the city. The remainder of the museum houses 2 floors for temporary exhibitions, a café, bookshop and two dark rooms for video presentations. PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT 1 A107 1 A109 UP PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT 1 UP A108 - --- PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT RODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT UP 1st Floor 1 1 : 200 PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT 1 Section A 16 1 : 200
- 17. Furniture Store (Copenhagen, denmark) The first project of spring semester in Denmark was to design a furniture store located along the main walking street and commercial center in Copenhagen. The building is an infill project surrounded by other businesses. The design concept is to use a 3-dimensional facade that will be used to display furniture that can be seen by people as they walk down the street as opposed to just when someone is standing in front of the store. At the center of the building is an atrium that brings in natural light and a provides a visual connection between the levels. 17
- 18. Row House (Copenhagen, Denmark) My first design project in Denmark was to design a row house in an existing development. Denmark is a northern country that has typically a cold climate and has only a few hours of daylight in the winter each day. Like most buildings in Denmark, my site was in a very compact housing neighborhood, which limits the amount of daylight that can reach each house. Therefore, I decided to design a row house that maximizes the amount of natural daylight entering the house. Because the front of the house is north facing, I made a cut in the gabled roof to allow southern light to filter into the whole house through the narrow vertical corridor as shown by the lighting diagram to the left. It is a small 3 story house with a basement with a very small footprint of 645 ft2. 3rd Floor Plan 2nd Floor Plan Lighting Diagram Sections 1st Floor Plan 18
- 19. San Francisco Housing Floor Plan Sections 19
- 20. Chumash Museum 1.0 (Central Coast, CA) The final project of my 2nd year of architecture was designing a museum for the Chumash Native Americans of the Central Coast. This was the first original building that I designed from start to finish, which was a insightful learning experience. The project was preceded by explorations of material tectonics and research of the Chumash culture to inform and inspire the design for the building. Weaving was a very important aspect of Chumash culture and was consequentially, an integral part of the class and design process. These images show the final design model and drawings. Floor Plans South Elevation Section 20
- 21. Chumash Museum 2.0 (Avila Beach, CA) As a result of a complete coincidence, my first design project of my third year was also a Chumash cultural museum. This turned out to be very beneficial for two reasons: I already had a sufficient understanding of the Chumash culture and I was able to immediately apply what I learned from the previous museum design. As a result, I had a very successful design with a strong concept that was well received. This project differed from the first museum in several ways: my site was on a gorgeous point overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and we had a real developer as our class’ “client” who came to reviews and gave us valuable feedback. The concept for my design is that there needs to be a dialgoue between the Chumash culture and the American culture in order to mend the sad history between these two groups. The building exemplifies this dialogue by having an organic and free architecture being merged with a more modern architecture. Physical Model Concept Model Sketchup Model 21
- 22. Chumash Museum 2.0 (Avila Beach, CA) < The Approach < Lobby < Lookout deck 22
- 23. Skills - Sketching Sketch of Violin Watercolor, Marin County Civic Center, Frank Lloyd Wright Chumash Museum 2.0 Sketch on site. 23
- 24. Skills - Sketches in Europe Educatorium by Rem Koolhaas, Utrecht, The Netherlands Heidi Weber House/Corbusier Museum, Zurich Reflections on water, Copenhagen Harbor Copenhagen Harbor from inside Royal Danish Playhouse 24
- 25. Skills - AutoCAD Drafting Chumash Museum (2.0) Elevation - Chumash Museum (1.0) Nexus Housing Floor plans (Design by Rem Koolhaas, OMA) Zumikon House Elevation (Design by Gwathmey-Siegel Architects) 25
- 26. Skills - Revit Drafting PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT 1 A107 1 A109 UP PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT 1 UP A108 - --- UP PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT 1 1st Floor 1 : 200 Copenhagen Art Museum Senior Thesis - Belize Dental Clinic PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT Elevation 1 1 1 : 200 26
- 27. Skills - Sketchup Models Chumash Museum Rowhouse in Copenhagen Summer internship house remodel 27
- 28. Skills - Digital Renderings (Revit & Maya) Copenhagen Multicultural Art Center Copenhagen Multicultural Art Center, interior rendering Nexus Housing Case Study model. Design by Rem Koolhaas, OMA Thesis project: Living space on 2nd floor 28
- 29. Skills - Model Making Senior Thesis - Belize Dental Clinic Chumash Museum (2.0) Copenhagen Art Museum Chumash Museum (1.0) 29 29
- 30. More About Me I grew up in Marin County, California, an affluent part of the Bay Area known for its natural beauty, high real estate prices, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Civic Center. I excelled as a student, graduating third in my class from Terra Linda High School in 2004. I began learning to play violin as a ten-year-old through the school music program. I continued to play in the school orchestra through middle school and high school. When I was fourteen I began teaching myself to play guitar. I am very passionate about music and continue to play both violin and guitar regularly. After high school I went to a small one year bible college in Windsor, Colorado. During my time there I had opportunities to serve the youth in the local community as well as travel to Mexico with my classmates and build houses for needy people in Juarez. Seeing the positive impact we were able to make inspired me to continue in this type of humanitarian work in the future. I began studying architecture at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, CA in the fall of 2005 where I developed valuable design skills and a strong desire to have a career in architecture. In addition to studying architecture, I played violin in the Cal Poly Symphony as a freshman, was a member of the fencing team for two years, and was heavily involved in Campus Crusade for Christ playing in the band for three years. For my fourth year as an architecture student, I went to the Danish Institute for Study Abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. I studied architecture for two semesters while living with a Danish architect and his family. During this time, I also traveled throughout most of western Europe and visited some of the best European architecture both ancient and modern. For my fifth year thesis, I wanted to do a project that would have a positive and real impact on a community in a developing nation. I was given the opportunity to design a dental clinic in Belize and collaborated with a construction management major and a non-profit missionary organization to build the clinic. Out of this project my construction management partner and I founded Journeyman International, a non-profit organization that seeks to provide sustainable, affordable and well designed buildings to developing nations. I graduated from Cal Poly in June 2010 and am currently seeking an internship in an architecture firm where I can continue to learn how to design architecture and ultimately become a licensed architect. 30