John Thomas | Selected Works

JOHN THOMASA COLLECTION OF SELECTED WORKS

SPACIAL EXPLORATIONSAND ABSTRACTIONS

1

VISUAL CONNECTIONSCULINARY ARTS SCHOOL | COMPETITION BOARDS

2

HAND CRAFTED DRUM KEYPERSONAL WORK

3

CIRCULAR STAIR HANDRAILDESIGN BUILD PROJECT

4

GREEN BUILDING DEMONSTRATION PAVILIONOKTIBBEHA COUNTY HERITAGE MUSEUM

5

POTOMAC WATERFRONT LIBRARYKING STREET, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

6

HOWLIN’ WOLF BLUES MUSEUMWEST POINT, MISSISSIPPI

6


1


2


3


4


5


6


6

SPACIAL EXPLORATIONS IN A GIVEN SITE

This project started with a series of conceptual models composed of scraps of paper that were then translated into a constructed site. The cylindrical attribute of the site was derived from a reoccuring form that appeared in the models. This form was carried throughout the project. The cylindrical figure created a foreshadowing of what could potentially be constructed.


1


2


3


4


5


6


6

Memphis, Tennessee is known for its active downtown city atmosphere, filled with fun places to dine and converse with other people in the city. The progressive atmosphere is still at large in Memphis, but in some of the downtown areas it has begun to diminish. The intersection of Jefferson and Second Street is primarily inactive, due to the amount of vacant buildings in the surrounding area. Although the area has lost most of its urban interaction, the site is located next to three key places: Main Street, Court square, and the Mississippi River. Bringing a culinary arts school with a restaurant into the inactive area, should begin to draw people from those key places and revitalize the downtown area of Memphis.The building is designed to create two separate means of entry and circulation between the public and educational facilities. The structural steel and open glass stair way represents the public areas of the building, making it open and visible inside and out. The private areas of the educational spaces are then covered in terracotta panels that are hung from the structural components. The juxtaposition between the terracotta facade and the steel and glass facade, also helps to provide a heavy emphasis on the public spaces and circulation. Although these programs are separated, they interact with one another by opening up in spaces to allow for visual connections. Since the restaurant is student run, the design emphasizes the culinary activities a student undergoes and puts them on display for the public. The bakeshop is located on the bottom floor and is the primary entrance space for the public. The pastry kitchen looks down on this open space, and is visible from the bottom floor. The spaces extrudes in and out of the public entrance space creating that visual connection. The restaurant is located on the fourth floor, and extrudes out slightly from the rest of the building face. This creates emphasis on the restaurant and catches the eyes of pedestrians and people of vehicular travel from far off distances, compelling them to investigate the area. The individual’s travel from the ground floor to the restaurant plays a large role in the progressive visual interaction to the teaching kitchens and public student spaces. The means of travel to the restaurant is a large open staircase that follows along the north elevation. As one travels up the stairs, the enclosure projects itself into the edges of the teaching kitchens. Not only does this create interaction to the school, but also foreshadows the restaurant to come and heightens the individual’s appetite as he progresses upwards. The staircase is an open lightweight steel and glass structure that slowly protrudes from the north façade giving a sense of direction to the restaurant before the individual ever walks into the building.

CULINARY ARTS SCHOOL | MEMPHIS, TNVISUAL CONNECTIONS


1


2


3


4


5


6


6


During my education at the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, I had access to a set of new tools that furthered my skills in craftsmanship and workmanship. The metal shop was equipped with a metal lathe and mill. This was my first opportunity to use these machines.This was a self-driven project that explored “tiny” architecture and the limitations of these tools and the user. The process of work provided insight on the possibilities of construction and assembly in the detailing of larger scale architecture. As designers, we should be aware of the limitations that technology can have on our means of construction.


1


2


3


4


5


6


6

CIRCULAR STAIR HANDRAILDESIGN BUILD PROJECT | WAAC

The Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center’s building itself has been a vehicle for design build projects since the early 1990’s. Each project within the building has been worked on by previous students, which allows for the projects to remain open for future interpretations. Under these circumstances students are challenged to approach the work through full-size mockups and drawings that address the new and existing construction.

Cap Section 1:2- measure and mark peice- set in clamp and turn to 345˚ (clamp should be at 60˚ from table)- clamp centerpoint at 6 3/32” from table + eyeball test- groove at .05 intervals (x-axis)- drilling hole info: x-centerpoint= 0.71875 (includes radius of bit) y-centerpoint= scratch surface once x is set

Wall Section 1:2


1


2


3


4


5


6


6

GREEN BUILDING DEMONSTRATION PAVILIONOktibbeha County Heritage Museum

The Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum Pavilion is the fifth and final phase of a sustainable landscape demonstration exhibit serving the central Mississippi / Western Alabama region. The pavilion has been recognized as the first of its kind in the region and is a collaborative product of sustainable and green design techniques, repurpose and material reuse, and civil community involvement.The initial challenge was to revitalize the exterior of the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum and bring interest and activity to the existing building. The exterior works as an interactive outdoor museum that informs the public of affordable sustainable technologies applicable to the climatic region. The pavilion was constructed from a disassembled fueling station structure that originally resided in from of Stromboli’s along University Drive. Dismantling and recycling the structure removed an eyesore from University Drive while creating a public center within the community. While the site serves as a teaching tool, it also creates a public center for events. Creating this center provides for a variety of individuals to coalesce hopefully strengthening the sense of community, as well as personal understanding of green building technology.

Rain GardenRainwater Irrigation CisternSand FilterOutdoor TheaterPervious Concrete Paving ParkingRepurposed Green Roof Access StairGreen Building Demonstration PavilionPervious Paving Parking Lot (Brick Pavers)Improved Signage


1


2


3


4


5


6


6


The underlying challenge of this project was to address how to create an ending to the waterfront of King Street, located in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. The end of the street sits between a public park and a board walk marina that serves as a back porch for the torpedo factory. The torpedo factory is a historic World War II building that has been renovated into a public arts gallery. The proposed design scissors along a datum line derived from the sidewalk edge of King Street. This allows for a clear view across the Potomac. North of the datum line, the site scissors downward into a sculpture garden plaza that bleeds its way into the marina. South of the datum, the building scissors upwards emerging from the ground. The rising of the building, south of the datum, allows for a quiet setting in areas within the library that face the park. In these areas,individuals are able to take their books to a pod overlooking the park.

Alexandria, VA

Maryland

Potomac Sculpture Garden

UP

DN

UP

Potomac Sculpture Garden

King Street Datum

Park

Potomac

South Facade

Library Interior

This selection of work consists of conceptual / schematic sketches and models that explore the relationships between building, material, light, and their impact on the given site.

Sculpture Plaza Exploration (Slate)

Gallery Roof Skylight

Scissoring Iteration


1


2


3


4


5


6


6


The museum consists of adjacent spaces that transition between zones of light and shadow. These zones characterize the constant struggle and oppression Howlin’ Wolf experienced through out his life. The central axis in the museum is a very dark linear zone that represents the constant traveling Wolf did while running away from his mother, and uncle. Along this path are adjacent rooms lit from above by large light wells. These represent knowledge of music that he gained from each of the primary places he visited. From the Delta, Arkansas, and all the way to Chicago. Each of these rooms also contain artifacts relating to their place and time.

DETAIL SECTION PERSPECTIVEDETAIL SECTION PERSPECTIVE

The light wells bring light from above into each of the gallery bays to represent a sense of hope in a time of oppression.

contact info:[email protected]

Documents

John Thomas | Selected Works