“Architecture primarily deals with the making of spaces, which serve the institutions of [humanity].”
-Louis Kahn. From Space and the Inspirations–1967
The projects and samples contained within my portfolio and website represent my own diligent efforts to bring to fruition this dictum—and to do so as artfully as possible.
In addition to the making of space, I am committed to the crafting of place, and thereby striving to cultivate an experiential, aesthetic, and socially amenable architecture that affects not only designers, but the client and the public. Architecture should move and inspire not merely designers. I believe in, and aim to help produce, Capital-A Architecture.
My portfolio can be accessed on ISSUU.
There are two versions of this 276 page portfolio, both of which can be accessed and downloaded via ISSUU: the One Page/Web Reader, and Full Page Spread Editions.
Given that both vector-, and raster- based PDF images look inestimably better when viewed in an offline application, I encourage readers to bypass viewing on ISSUU and instead download the books. Vector data appears best when viewed in Adobe Acrobat with the “Enhance Thin Lines” feature turned to off.
The Full Page Spread Edition is intended to be downloaded and viewed in “Full Screen Mode” in Acrobat. The One Page/Web Reader Edition is formatted to be read as a book directly on ISSUU–but when downloaded, this book looks best when viewed in older versions of Acrobat, before version DC. The new, light grey background in DC is very low contrast and not ideal for texts. If you are using DC, I recommend downloading the Full Page Spread Edition, which can be viewed in DC's high contrast Full Screen Mode (the link for which is located at the bottom of this "About" summary, along with download instructions).
Included in those media are a breadth of works that range from academic to professional and personal, extending from 2011 to 2016.
I find process to be extremely important in my own work; therefore, a key logic in the structure of my portfolio is that each of the architectural projects features a thorough description of the processes involved.
Academically, my emphasis was upon studios in which I could maintain as much aesthetic, creative, philosophical, and theoretical control as possible. Thus, the work in my portfolio represents no work from an ultra-prescriptive studio aesthetic. Many of the methodologies were highly prescriptive, however; which is, of course, common in architectural academic pedagogy.
Geometrically, I have cultivated, and hope to continue cultivating skills in both developable and non-developable surfaces—in Euclidean, curved, and doubly-curved types—via NURBS, Mesh, and parametric modeling. As demonstrated in the wide variety of projects in my portfolio, I feel confident within both paradigms.
Ultimately, my focus in graduate school was to develop and explore my own identity, while still appreciating and dialoguing with the greater architectural zeitgeist.
In conclusion, the architectural designs contained within my portfolio and in my website predominantly demonstrate my desire to craft a literary or cinematic story arc into each project—that is, analogous to the way in which a skillful author or screenwriter insinuates a level of unpredictability into a narrative, and therefore an element of directional uncertainty, these projects generally aim to do the same. Each return experience should contribute to the richness of the arc. As the incalculable elicits intrigue in the reader and viewer, it can as well in architecture; via the crafting of space, place, planning, form, light, materiality, and conceptual performance.
Thank you kindly for your time and consideration.
Grace + Peace,
NEM
To download via ISSUU:
Erdy McHenry Architecture, Philadelphia, PA, US, Architectural Designer
• Assisting with the design and architectural processes of a range and breadth of projects.
Independent Works / New Heavens Design, Langhorne, PA, US, Various Independent Works
• Architecture: surveying, documenting, and designing of a pending single-family home expansion. Proposal and design is in progress, and construction dates and schedule to be determined.
• Architectural photography–in cities including Los Angeles; Philadelphia; New York City; Toronto; and Princeton. An extensive portfolio of work samples can be seen at www.nemariakis.com/architectural-photography/
• Organizing, crafting, designing, and writing of professional and personal 276-page narrative architectural, graphic design, and photographic portfolio book. Conducting test pressings to ensure quality of final, printed version(s).
• In early phases of creating branding and graphic materials for a new Christian company by an undisclosed executive at Apple–including custom logo design.
• Branding and graphic design for various ministries such as MLC Church, BlueStone Church, and Twinlamp.
• Logo design and branding for Anthony Michael Real Estate, and Endurance Entertainment.
New Standard Management/ Endurance Entertainment, Greater Los Angeles Area; Philadelphia, PA, US , Pro Bono Music Manager and Artist Development
http://enduranceent.com/
http://www.nemariakis.com/nsm/
http://www.nemariakis.com/sketches-drawing/
(Name changed to Endurance Entertainment as of March 2016).
Office located in LA; worked from Philadelphia.
• Provided mentor and client services to musicians via a Christian-owned multimedium entertainment agency.
• Management and artistic development of musicians including general advice, songwriting feedback, and refinement and evaluation of both long- and short-term personal musical vision.
• Designed marketing and promotional art. Scope of work included a multitude of various graphic materials including web banners, album and single covers, packaging, and posters.
• Served as a booking agent; included scheduling of concerts. Acted as liaison between artists and venues.
• Networking and strategizing.
Harman Deutsch Architecture, Philadelphia, PA, US, Architectural Intern
http://www.hdarchitecture.com/
• Worked on a multitude of wood-frame, urban, residential projects in Philadelphia.
• Responsibilities included: Schematic Design; Construction Documents; Site and Building Analysis; Planning and Zoning Regulations; Construction Cost; Codes and Regulations; Material Selection and Specification; Construction-Phase Observation; General Project Management; Business Operations.
• Software utilized (preferred by, and provided by HDA): AutoCad; Adobe CS 6; Sketchup
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, US, MArch, Master's of Architecture I
Successful completion of Professional, M.Arch I degree.
GPA: 3.8.
As can be seen in my portfolio and website, I was, and am, interested in both rectilinear and curvature continuous geometries in Architecture. A primary goal of my education was to fully grasp the essential mechanics of both NURBS, as well as Mesh based software suites, that I may be able to understand the technological necessities for designing in either type of paradigm.
More important than simply knowing how to execute procedures in Rhino or Maya is understanding the fundamental difference between these platforms; and, thereby being able to apply NURBS or Mesh knowledge to other types of applications that exist, or may exist in the future, which are based upon either of these frameworks.
My portfolio and website also reveal one academic year's worth of BIM experience, as demonstrated in the execution of two projects.
Academically, my emphasis was upon studios in which I could maintain as much aesthetic, creative, philosophical, and theoretical control as possible–and to explore a diversity of studio endeavors.
DESIGN ELECTIVE CONCENTRATIONS:
ARCH-714-401: Museum As Site: Critique, Intervention and Production
Instructor: Andrea Hornick, artist and lecturer.
Spring 2015
One’s experience of a given piece of art is grounded upon important contextual factors, i.e., the exhibition space; the gallery; the relationship of the gallery to thresholds and to the overall plan; the relationship of the architecture to it’s urban context.
This course provided students opportunities to study and interrogate the practices of curators, including curatorial layouts and arrangements of artworks within a given space. Such spaces were visited in person and included the Philadelphia Museum of Art; The Perelman Building at The PMA; The Barnes Foundation Museum; The Wagner Free Institute of Science; The Penn Museum; The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts; The Institute of Contemporary Art; and, The Fabric Workshop and Museum. In addition, students were tasked with understanding the relationship of architecture to the artwork or display- piece, including such factors as spatial experience; planimetric layout; lighting; color; and, material usage. The architect maintains tremendous influence upon one’s experience of art, and all architectural decisions must be critically evaluated.
The final project culminated in an each student offering a curatorial intervention; in my case, designing a conservation exhibition at The PMA.
ARCH-741-001: Architectural Design Innovation
Instructor: Professor Ali Rahim, partner Contemporary Architecture Practice.
Fall 2014
Innovation in any given discipline requires advancements in the following: technology, or, technique. Although Professor Rahim assessed design innovation in fields such as aviation and furniture design, this seminar focused upon innovation in architecture.
The few firms and designers which garnered attention in Professor Rahim’s seminar included Gehry Partners; Zaha Hadid Architects; Greg Lynn/ Form; Charles and Ray Eames; and, Xefirotarch/ Hernan Diaz Alonso.
Of special interest were that certain designers utilize technology in order to advance the discipline of architecture– most notably, Gehry’s Partners innovation of utilizing CATIA (and subsequently developing Digital Project), and Zaha Hadid Architect’s incorporation of Autodesk Maya.
Professor Rahim contends that these architects have innovated the discipline not only with respect to design and aesthetics, but with respect to their use of technology. The final project was a culmination of the ideas put forth in the class; the projected resulted in a design that was required to be an “inhabitable surface” that was created in a mesh-based software suite such as Maya or TSplines.
While this class was focused on design and its relationship to technology, several hundred pages of theoretical readings were assigned to supplement the course.
TECHNOLOGY ELECTIVE CONCENTRATIONS
ARCH-638: Building Acoustics
Spring 2014
ARCH-632: Performance and Design
Spring 2014
ARCH-632: Daylighting
Spring 2014
THEORY ELECTIVE CONCENTRATIONS
ARCH-734: Ecological Architecture
Spring 2015
ARCH-999: Independent Study
Fall 2014
State University of New York, USA, CDL , Non-Matriculated
Pre-Requisites for Graduate Studies in Architecture.
Calculus and History of Western Architecture.
GPA: 4.0 (4.0 Scale)
Calculus and History of Western Architecture.
Final research endeavor for History of Western Architecture entitled, Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe’s Riehl and Farnsworth Houses: An Analysis of Earlier Vernacular Elements and the Evolutionary Transmutation to Later Modernist Sui Generis.
Using the Farnsworth and Riehl Houses as anchor points, I examine the radical progression of Mies’ ideas.
Cairn University, Langhorne, PA, US, Bachelors, Biblical Studies
Successful completion of Bachelor's of Science degree.
GPA: 3.82
A comprehensive study of techniques pertaining to biblical analysis and interpretation, including training in hermeneutical/ literary analysis and application; geography; Greek (Koine); philosophy; logic; earth science; study of ANE, Ancient Near Eastern culture; study of Greco-Roman culture.
Honors thesis entitled, Architectural Theology: Reconstructing the Theoretical Underpinnings of Early Christian and Byzantine Art and Architecture. Examined the breadth of cultural, philosophical, theological, artistic, architectural, and biblical influences that shaped what became the Byzantine style.
Penn– Schenk-Henry Gillette Woodman Competition/ Scholarship, 3rd Place
Awarded third place for work involved in the project entitled, FILTERS; collaboration with three colleagues.
PennDesign Departmental Grant, Scholarship
Awarded the maximum scholarship allowable. In recognition of both undergraduate and graduate academic scores.
Cairn University– Latin Honors: Magna Cum Laude, Other
Cumulative GPA: 3.82 (4.0 scale)
Honors Scholarship Program, Scholarship
Graduated with Honors. Center for University Studies. Invited to participate.
Dean's List, Other
Enlisted every semester except one.
Delta Epsilon Chi—The Honor Society of The ABHE, Award
One of six among the university- wide graduating class to receive this nomination.
