Archinect
Michael Penzel

Michael Penzel

Philadelphia, PA, US

 

About 

I am a designer working in the field of Architecture in Philadelphia. I have graduated with a Bachelors of Architecture Accredited degree from Philadelphia University and am currently pursuing licensure to become an Architect. My involvement with the profession expands beyond the office and into the community at large. I serve as Co-Director of the Philadelphia Emerging Architects and sit on the Philadelphia AIA Board of Directors. 

Employment 

Turner Construction Company, Princeton, NJ, US, Summer Intern

I worked on site for the Lewis Center of the Arts building at Princeton University. I had many tasks including going through the different iterations of CDs and found unanswered RFIs. Learned a lot about the process of making a building past the final design phases.

Jun 2015 - Aug 2015
 

Education 

Philadelphia University, Philadelphia, PA, US, BArch, Architecture

A 5 year accredited program that teaches both the conceptual and realistic aspect of design. Techniques from hand drawings to software like Revit and Autocad are used as well as model making with a variety of materials.

Aug 2013 - current
 

Awards 

InnoLight Competition, 1st Place

First place winner of the 2016 Innolight Competition which is a competition organized by Julle Oksanen and Hannu Tikka of the Light and Space Academy between Philadelphia Univeristy, Aalto University in Finland and the University of Oregon. It was designed in only one week.

We were asked to make a pop-up instillation to be placed on Walnut Street, Center City Philadelphia. The only requirement was to use lighting to transform the space.

The Playscape is an escape from the pressures of everyday life. Using a slightly opaque tensile material that stretches in all directions, People can break away from their usual routines and enjoy the playful nature of bouncing. The white glowing path going through the terrain creates different topographies for sitting, running and jumping. At night an entire new element is introduced when the pressure sensitive lights activate. The lights and colors change with the pressure being applied which adds a whole new layer of interaction and excitement for all ages.

2016
 

Areas of Specialization 

Skills