Alexander Beckman

Portfolio 2014.Alexander Beckman

Alexander Beckman

Contact Info

Education

Experience

Recognition

Skills

1516 Greenleaf St.Evanston, IL60202

Mobile: 847.323.9794Email: ABeckman543@Gmail.com

Master of Architecture Illinois Institute of Technology Projected Graduation in spring 2016 B.A. In Architectural Studies Minor in Japanese The University of Kansas, Lawrence KS Graduated Spring 2012 GPA: 3.8

Studied Urban design at the graduate level in Sydney Australia, March-November 2011

-2012-2013: Professional ski instructor Worked for Vail Resorts Management Company at Breckenridge Ski Resort, Colorado. Responsible for teaching ski lessons to beginner, intermediate and ad-vanced level skiers of all ages. Focus on providing the “experience of a lifetime” to the customer and creating a lifelong love of the sport. Managed groups of 4-15 of varying ages

- 2008-2012: Adventure Trip Coordinator Responsible for groups of 10-15, organized transit, meals and medical care in backcountry and remote locations. Helped develop leadership skills in teens

- 2010: Office Coordinator to the Dean; KU School of Engineering Supervised front office activities, fielded questions regarding scholarships and school of engineering course programming. Dealt with students and parents to develop coordinate scholarship plans

-Graduate academic merit scholarship recipient, 2013-Dean’s scholarship recipient, 2013

General Skills: Presentation + Communication Microsoft Office Suite ProficiencyArchitectural Skills Physical Modeling Laser Cutting CNC Welding Woodworking Digital Applications Rhino + Grasshopper Revit Architect Google Sketchup AutoCAD Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, etc.

Alexander Beckman

contents

1. house

2. elements

3. foundations

Alexander Beckman

North Ave.

W. Blackhawk st.

N. L

arra

bee

st.

N. M

ohaw

k st

.

Sedgwick Brown Line CTA

house

Architecture lives in a world determined by a memory of the past, a preoc-cupation with the present, and a dream for the future. The Mohawk house seeks to discover a temporal typology of architecture that is informed equally by it’s precedent, context, and intention. In form the house creates a rhythmic alternation between opaque and translucent surfaces and masses that creates a hierarchy of space within. In materiality the skin aims to mirror the contex-tual typology of brick and wood while advancing the perceptions of brick as a modern tool, primarily through the use of a steel reinforced “masonry mo-ment frame”. And in program all the functions of the house are united by open rooms in the center of each floor which serve to delineate the three primary functions of the home; work, live, play. By creating a hierarchy of space, ad-ressing vernacular materials in a unique way and dividing program by broader, unspecific, categories the the home is capable of responding to the memory of it’s past, adressing the present preoccupations and still dream of a future for the family and for the house.

Alexander Beckmanhouse + model

Alexander Beckmanhouse + plan

Second Floor

Main Floor

Basement

B

A

B

A

B

A

5’5’

5’

5’

Alexander Beckman

section_A

section_B

5’

5’

Alexander Beckmanhouse + elevation_a

Alexander Beckmanhouse + elevation_b

Alexander Beckman

Understanding architecture is dependant on under-standing material. The bricks and steel and wood that compose a building each tell a story of their own and are integral to an understanding of the architecture. These two graduate level studies rep-resent some of my explorations into materiality. The first is an experiment with a modular, dry-join-ing membrane. By removing material from a stiff piece of plywood it gains flexibility. This flexibility allows it to morph into a system that is structurally rigid, but allows a flexibility beyond that of normal plywood. The components were developed using ex-tensive physical models which were also translated into Rhino where potential membrane composition experiments could be conducted via Grasshopper.

elements

Alexander Beckman

Alexander Beckmanelements + the cubes

The second material exploration is a study of metal and the mig welding process of joining it. I looked at as-pects of proportion, solid/void, and the metal joint to produce a series of metal cubes ranging from 8” to 24” in scale

Alexander Beckmanfoundations

My architectural passions are rooted in the pursuit of craft. I’ve found that in order to truly understand something I need to build it myself. So it was that, seeking to under-stand my favorite instrument, I developed and built by hand an electric guitar.The form of the guitar was inspired by the oak leaves that were falling on the farm where I bought the mahogany body. The shape was cut from one piece of wood using a band saw and routed to allow for the electronics.The project gave me a better understanding of the instru-ment, the design process, and my own craft.

Alexander Beckman