P O R T F O L I O

James L. Cain II1649 West Forest Blvd Knoxville, TN 37909

T: 865.335.7546E: james.cain2@gmail.com

Objective To create and foster architectural change both culturally and physically in myenvironment.

Professional Experience Intern, Wilson Architectural GroupHouston, TX — 2008­2010

Primarily my role was to aid in construction drawings (both autocad and revit)and code and research compliance. My other duties included attendingmeetings with clients and contractors as well as site investigations.

Accomplishments● Team member on county proposal for adaptive reuse of the

AstroDome (revit project)● Team member on state recognized ICU suite (Methodist Hospital)● Team member on hospital system wide wayfinding project

Education University of Tennessee, KnoxvilleMaster of Architecture — 2013

Clemson UniversityBachelor of Arts — 2008

Skills ● Proficient in Revit (professional and academic experience)● Proficient in AutoCad, SketchUp, ArchiCad, Adobe Creative Suite,

MS Office, and GIS● Excellent verbal communication skills● Work well in group environments● Knowledgeable of building codes (IBC 2006)

Work Experience Shift Manager, Zuma Fun CenterKnoxville, TN — 2010­2013Managed 7.5 acre amusement park

Teaching Assistant, UTKKnoxville, TN — 2011Taught architectural modeling at a local high school

References Available upon request.

Table of Contents

Avenue Complex

Astrodome Renaissance

Celebration Estates

Wesley House

Keese Park

Canyon Residence

INF

ILL

PL

AN

NIN

GM

EM

OR

IA

MI

SC

Avenue Complex

“A gapping wound in the heart of Downtown Knox-ville, Tennessee, this project sought to repair and reattach connections between old and new ves-sels.”

Tools: Revit, Autocad, SketchUp

Concept: mass manipulation revitalization by connect- ion standardization civic architecture

Program: mixed use

Site: Knoxville, TN

Advisor: Mark Schimmenti Fall, 2011

Avenue Complex

4

1

2

3

exist. building(s)

exist. parking structures

areas of interest(s)

proposed site

exist. circulation route(s)

entertainment dist.

1.M

arke

t Squ

are

2.P

rom

enad

e

3.U

nocc

upie

d

4.M

ast G

ener

al

exist. circulation route(s)

Located along S. Gay St. adjacent to the Mast General Store, there is an “untapped” axial relation-ship to the booming Market Square, and within walking distance to the Entertainment District in the SE. Missing is a connection between the often forgotten and under utilized “promenade” and Market Square; another reason why this site can further establish or re-establish connections. As part of the unspoken red-line between Downtown Knoxville and the less affluent residents nearby, James White Pkwy bisects the two. Visually the site can be a gateway between the two realms.

Avenue Complex

LEVEL 5 FLOOR PLAN nts

EARLY CONCEPT SKETCHES LOFT CIRCULATION

Exploring shifting of faces on a planar surface, different attitudes about prominence and experi-ence were evoked which translated both on the exterior and interior. Recessive planes invited pedestrians inside while extrusion allowed transparency from inside.

(TOP) DOUBLE BR PERSPECTIVE (B) COURTYARD LOFT PERSPECTIVE (R) STREET LOFT PERSPECTIVE

LOFT CIRCULATION

Astrodome Renaissance image by Victor Liu

“A relic of old Houston sporting teams, the Astro-dome has strong bones and yearns to be reinte-grated into the heart of Houston.”

Tools: Revit, Autocad

Role: assist with occupant use circulation desk design solar panel roof design drawings publication

Program: commercial educational institutional

Site: Houston, TX

Advisor: Gary Wilson 2010

Astrodome Renaissance

image by Victor Liu

Key to revitalizing this site is connection to new ven-ues and attracting new visitors i.e. Reliant Park and S.T.E.M. programming. This is just one proposal of how to achieve these goals.

Carnival Estates

“How can architecture be placeless yet respond with its surroundings? This project is the result of designing for one setting and transplanting to another in order to test design hypotheses.”

Tools: Hand-drawing, SketchUp

Concept: new urbanism address waterway

Program: residential commercial civic

Site: Clemson, SC

Advisor: Robert Bruhns Spring, 2007

Carnival Estates

Located off the main highway to and from Clemson, SC, the site is a former hotel that is ideal for a res-idential node to curtail further sprawling. Using the simple geometry existing, I separated the pieces to spread across the entire site. Doing this I hope would create the sense of place and neighborhood as well as allow the lot to be more active. The existing site can be broken into three components: lobby/ballroom, residential units, and interior courtyard as shown in the lower left hand graphic. Re-lying on New Urbanism Principles this transect plan conceptualizes mutually reinforcing elements like interior greens to foster urban community living.

Carnival Estates

-A mix of shops and apartments. -Diversity of people - of ages, in-come levels, cultures, and races

Use/Diversity

-Pedestrian friendly street de-sign (buildings close to street; on street parking; hidden parking lots; narrow, slow speed streets) -Pedestrian streets free of cars in special cases

-A hierarchy of narrow streets, boule-vards, and alleys-High quality pedestrian network and public realm makes walking pleasurable

-A range of types, sizes and prices in closer proximity

-Discernible center and edge-Public space at center-Importance of quality public realm; public open space designed as civic art-Transect planning: Highest densities at town cen-ter; progressively less dense towards the edge.

-More buildings, residences, shops, and services closer together for ease of walking, to enable a more efficient use of services and re-sources, and to create a more con-venient, enjoyable place to live.

-A reuse/encouragement of water transportation-Pedestrian-friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, roller blades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation

Taken together these add up to a high qual-ity of life well worth living, and create places that enrich, uplift, and inspire the human spirit.

Walkability

Connectivity

Transportation

Traditional Neighborhood

Density

Quality

Housing

Wesley House

“Taking a very rational system like the Mondrian diagram to explore transitional spaces common in a type of housing throughout the South known as the shotgun house.”

Tools: Revit, SketchUp

Concept: modular construction Mondrian diagram

Program: institutional community outreach Site: Knoxville, TN

Advisor: David Fox Spring, 2012

Wesley House

7 4

4

566

3

28

9

6

6

11

1111

14

12

13

16

19

11

10FLOOR PLAN nts

Drawing basic shapes from the facade a Mondrian diagram formed as I began to re-arrange them. Then the question arose what happens when you introduce non-or-thogonal directions into the inherent grid? Those studies lead an inherent hierarchy and shared spaces that I sought to further express as pieces in a puzzle. Using the community component as the anchor, public and private programs became arma-tures to rearrange.

FLOOR PLAN KEY

1.Parking Lot2.Entry/Lobby3.Waiting Area4.Office(s)

5.Break6.Toilet Room(s)7.Secured Storage8.Electrical Room

9.Bull Pen10.Sun Room11.Classroom(s)12.Storage

13.Multipurpose14.Kitchen15.Outdoor Classroom16.Gymnasium

17.Cold Room18.Study Room19.Outdoor Plaza

CROSS SECTION nts

LONGITUDINAL SECTION nts

Wesley House

1

2

3

1. Entrance 2. Typical Office 3. Typical Classroom 4. Entrance 5. Multipurpose Space

4

5

Keese Park

“Taking a very rational system like the Mondrian diagram to explore transitional spaces common in a type of housing throughout the South known as the shotgun house.”

Tools: SketchUp, Design Build

Concept: multi-functional space preserve history interactive memory

Program: historic preservation amphitheater Site: Pendleton, SC

Advisor: Jori Erdman Spring, 2008

Historic Keese Barn as it stood in 1960’s.

HISTORY

After years of neglect the Keese Barn was decaying and slated for demolition. A group of grad-uate students from Clemson University interjected and presented a solution to salvage the memory of the site. Reclaiming wood and many miscellaneous items, the site transformed into a memorial filled with strong linear geometry. The pictures help to create the site before my studio, Stewardship South, interjected yet another time.

Keese Park

Early Sketches

by Robbie Eleazer

Phase One -- Porch

drawing by SarahWade

Early mock-ups of the porch were de-signed to reveal the history of the site through interaction. The diagram below shows as the pieces move parts of the picture are revealed showing how the old porch was used. The second iteration by Robbie Eleazer uses a parametric mesh reflecting the terrain. The final iteration as shown by Sarah Wade’s diagram focuses on a two tier system.

Keese Park

Facing the road is the formal porch. Facing inward functions as the theatre seating. Assembled on pin founda-tions, so that the sacred space with-in the footprint of the barn can be ex-pressed.

Phase Two -- SignageThe signage has evolved from a simple concrete block to a highly sophisticated one. As part of our creative inquiry, we sought a more sustainable way of casting concrete among other things. Insulation foam was a great alternative to traditional casting methods. The words are visible through the voids created between the masses. At night, the edges are illuminated with phosphorous powder. Layering the form-work horizontally resulted in a rough finish that added yet another characteristic to the site

Canyon Residence

“One of the most valuable tools we have as de-signers is our ability to convey through graphic representation.”

Tools: Black Ink Site: Canyon Residence Los Angeles, CA

Advisor: Harry Harritos Fall, 2007

Constructed by Ehrlich Architects in 1998

image by Ehrlich Architects