research projects

2009

2009

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2011

2011

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mark t nicol | graduate portfolio

research projects

tribeca hotel and residencescompleted fall 2010 . penn.designstudio hina jamelle

wards island institute of geomorphologycompleted spring 2011 . penn.designstudio ferda kolatan

london cultural olympiadcompleted fall 2011 . penn.design/AAstudio homa farjadi

cloud culturecompleted august 2010collaboration with david mulder

n-body problemfall 2009 . pratt institutecritic theo calvin

faberg big egg huntcompleted february 2012 . with fourfoursixsixdesigner and digital specialist

citicorp plazacompleted fall 2009 . pratt institutestudio greg okshteyn

diffusion limited aggregationspring 2010 . pratt institutecritic carla leitao | mike szivos

LSKZ[\KPLZfall 2011 + spring 2012 . the architectural association + penndesigncritic shany barath | cecil balmond

worldmark 1, 2, & 3completed august 2011 . kohn pederson foxdesign, techinical, and digital specialist

dumbo research incubatorcompleted spring 2010 . pratt institutestudio carla leitao

cellular networkingfall 2010 . penn.designcritic jenny sabin

nato headquarterscompleted june 2009 . skidmore owings & merrilldesign team

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research projects

2009

2009

2009

2010

2010

2010

2011

2011

2011

2012

2012

2012

research

professional

design

2009201020112012design

completed spring 2011 . penn.design . m.arch I . studio ferda kolatan

motivated by an interest in understanding the deep structural forces that drive geologic formations, this project sought to develop a process of forma-tion and a resulting form that were integrally linked across various scales. formation, from site to space to surface, are driven by a fundamental system of forces which informed the overall site strategy, inte-rior programatic organization and surface articula-[PVU[OLYLZ\S[PZ\PKMVYTH[PVUVWLYH[PUNHJYVZZscales, driven by deep structural forces, just as is the case with natural geologic formations.

as the project progress we consulted with inova-tive engineers and experts in digital fabrication to ensure that our proposition was conveived within the realm of the real. together, we devised a struc-tural system and system of assembly that operated together to actualize the innovative formal system.

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completed fall 2010 . penn.design . m.arch I . studio hina jamelle

the TriBeCa hotel & residences are a study of [VWVSVN `TVYLZWLJPJHSS `HZ[\K`VMOV^VULmight subtly change the nature of space to yield a subsequent change in the function of that space. topology driving typology. the building is an array of cellular pods that transform across its breadth. Gradients of change lead to critical thresholds that trigger changes in use - shifting from hotel to YLZPKLU[PHSJVUN\YH[PVUZ:`ULYNPZ[PJW\ISPJM\UJ-tions are injected throughout the system to further activate the space.

the system that emerges is cellular by nature. this is disrupted by synergistic hospitality programs at various scales and intensities. the nature of these restaurant and bar spaces is driven by their location ^P[OPU[OLZ`Z[LT[OLUHSMVYTH[PVUPZHLSKVMchange, full of robust hybrid conditions with public program layered throughout resulting in a cohesive yet varied landscape of experience.

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completed fall 2011 . penn.design/AA . m.arch I . studio homa farjadi

by designing in a capacity for dynamisman an adaptive system was created with the capacity to YLZWVUK[VH]HYPL[`VMPU\LUJLZPUKP]PK\HSIVH[Zcan migrate around the city to support various events while others concentrate in different densi-[PLZHUKJVUN\YH[PVUZVU[OLTHPUZP[L

these behavioral capacities exist at the unit level, but also take on entirely new aggregated effects ^OLU[OL\UP[ZNYV\W[VNL[OLYPUSHYNLYJVUN\YH-[PVUZ[OLYLZ\S[PZHJVUZ[HU[S`\J[\H[PUNSHUK-scape, able to support a dynamic and varied array VML]LU[ZHUKHJ[P]P[PLZ[OPZ\J[\H[PUNSHUKZJHWLgives a presence and identity to the London Cul-tural Olympiad. by concentrating dispersed events in one location it allows for a vibrancy that would otherwise be lacking. the reverse is also true. at times this landscape breaks apart and disperses around London utilizing the existing network of waterways as a tool to stitch together the cultural events which comprise the Olympiad.

moving forward this system will remain vibrant because of its capacity to synergize cultural events. P[^PSSL_PZ[HZHZLYPLZVMLIIZHUKV^Z\J[\H[-ing daily, weekly and seasonally as concentrations of cultural events taking place in London shift. in its scale and composition the proposal blurs the lines between urban design, landscape, and architec-ture, while its dynamism, which is driven by human cultural interaction, blurs the line between the static I\PS[LU]PYVUTLU[HUK\PKJ\S[\YHSHJ[VY

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funkdesign sunglasses on myface and beer in my hand. soexcited to be at the #williamsburg #waterfront

zherman got and extra ticketfor the #jellypoolparty. whowants to join me?

imwitit check out photos of mebackstage at the #poolparties - hell yes - http://twitpic.com/8uag4fg

completed august 2010 . collaboration with david mulder

due to the proliferation of social networking sites such as facebook and twitter, there is an abun-dance of personal data stored in the digital cloud that is readily available to anyone or anything that seeks to access it.

by constantly mining the digital cloud to extract the thoughts, identities and feelings of its inhabitants, cloud culture can become knowledgeable about P[Z\ZLYZHUKHUPTH[LP[ZLSM[VYLLJ[[OLPYJVSSLJ-tive sentiments. this yields a dynamic architectural space that provides an ever shifting palette of ZLUZVY`L_WLYPLUJL[OLYLZ\S[PZH\PKYLSH[PVUZOPWin which the users of the space and the space itself HYLZ\ZWLUKLKPUHMLLKIHJRSVVWLHJOPU\LUJPUNthe mood of the other.

cloud culture, therefore, is the dynamic manifes-tation of the connections and sentiments of the network of users within the space.

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justin t tucker997 friends

sex . malebirthday . march 11, 1982sexuality . straightcurrent city . brooklyn, nymusic . animal collective, grizzly bear, neutral milk hotel, lcd soundsystem

justin t tucker997 friends

sex . malebirthday . march 11, 1982sexuality . straightcurrent city . brooklyn, nymusic . animal collective, grizzly bear, neutral milk hotel, lcd soundsystem

base8jjt389 tweets

name . justin j tuckerlocation . brooklyn, nyweb . http://base-8.net

following . 348followers . 434

gps location . 40x 43 16.35 nor th 73x 57 41.59 west

rebecca funk789 friends

sex . femalebirthday . may 15, 1984current city . new york, nyreligion . baptistprofession . designermusic . philip glass, kronos quartet,sharon jones, buena vista social club,

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location . everywhereweb . http://www.funkdesign.net

following . 504followers . 10,567listed . 1,346

funkdesign389 tweets

location . everywhereweb . http://www.funkdesign.net

following . 504followers . 10,567listed . 1,346

gps location . 40 43 17.48 nor th 73 57 47.09 west

ari paul306 friends

sex . malebirthday . december 10, 1979hometown . cape town, south africapolitical views . liberalinterests . cheesemusic . jay z, naz, outcast, wu tang, tribe called quest, ghostface killa

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sex . malebirthday . december 10, 1979hometown . cape town, south africapolitical views . liberalinterests . cheesemusic . jay z, naz, outcast, wu tang, tribe called quest, ghostface killa

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name . ari g paullocation . new york, nybio . Thinking how to make X better,aspiring explorer and now a tweeter

following . 116

gps location . 40 43 21.91 nor th 73 57 46.70 west

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completed fall 2009 . pratt institute . m.arch I . studio greg okshteyn

this urban intervention at citicorp plaza seeks to capitalize on the successes of a rarely vibrant pri-vately owned public space in the center of midtown manhattan.

designed during the depths of the banking crisis this intervention sought to not only revitalize an urban space but to revitalize a corporate image. by layering various synergistic programs upon differing scales of banking programs distributed throughout the site complex programmatic conditions were created. these hybrid conditions yield new types of banking that are more open, more personal, and more transparent at a time when such traits were sorely lacking in banking.

to reach this end an integrative design approach was employed. by marrying a richly complex ag-gregated system full of possibility with site con-straints and program opportunities a truly unique solution was reached which is born of the dna of all three inputs.

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program

circulation

structure

composit

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banking

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mezzanine

lobby

plaza

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completed spring 2010 . pratt institute . m.arch I . studio carla leitao

situated in the shadow of the manhattan bridge in brooklyns dynamic dumbo, a neighborhood with a rich industrial past and now a center for the arts, this business incubator seeks to draw on the neigh-borhoods past, present and future. communityoutreach programs are layered with research incu-bation to create robust hybrid conditions.

starter incubator space, researching advanced materials related to water, is provided looking out over the east river towards manhattan. additional research pods can be plugged into the system as required by research teams. these pods can en-NHNL^P[O[OLYP]LYKPYLJ[S`I`VH[PUNVUP[ZZ\YMHJLor indirectly by siphoning research samples.

as the lines of research grow and branch outwards, connections are made with related research teams creating a novel way for collaboration to manifest itself in the physical form of the building.

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program

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2009201020112012professional

completed june 2009 . skidmore, owings & merrill . brussels, belgium

as part of the design team on the new headquar-ters building for the north atlantic treaty organiza-tion (nato), I was one of two core team members responsible for the exterior wall and roofs package. resultingly, I had substantial input on the image of the building in addition to detailing the manner in ^OPJOZWLJPJZ`Z[LTZ^LYLPU[LNYH[LKPU[V[OLdesign.

numerous challenges were overcome with persis-tence and perseverance. a blast resistant curtain wall, with more square footage than the sears tower, was designed to speak to the openness and transparency of the alliance. sophisticated drain-age systems and concealed access panels were seamlessly incorporated into huge sloping zinc skinned roofs giving the impression of two hands clasping together framing an impressive linear atrium. excentricly curved skylights were rational-ized. building maintenance systems were layered into massive green roofs.

each detail was considered in the context of the overall design intent. the result is a elegant skin with various building systems incorporated in an integrative manner.

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completed february 2012 . with fourfoursixsix . hugo boss | london uk

Our egg aims to show the potential of 3D design and production methods. The intention was to de-velop a design that could not be created any other way. We have used our ability to work with these tools to develop an intricate, delicate and complex piece that intrinsically connects back to the spirit VM[OL-HILYNLIYHUK^OPJOMVJ\ZLZVUOPNOS`accomplished design and craftsmanship alongside the use of exquisite materials. In some ways, our design brings this concept into the modern era on a larger scale; a piece of 21st Century digital opu-lence.

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completed august 2011 . kohn pederson fox . new delhi, india

rendering by kpf visualization group

situated in the shadow of the manhattan bridge in brooklyns dynamic dumbo, a neighborhood with a rich industrial past and now a center for the arts, this business incubator seeks to draw on the neigh-borhoods past, present and future. communityoutreach programs are layered with research incu-bation to create robust hybrid conditions.

starter incubator space, researching advanced materials related to water, is provided looking out over the east river towards manhattan. additional research pods can be plugged into the system as required by research teams. these pods can en-NHNL^P[O[OLYP]LYKPYLJ[S`I`VH[PUNVUP[ZZ\YMHJLor indirectly by siphoning research samples.

as the lines of research grow and branch outwards, connections are made with related research teams creating a novel way for collaboration to manifest itself in the physical form of the building.

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2009201020112012research

completed fall 2010 . penn.design . m.arch I . critic jenny sabin

in a native environment cells gain stability from tensile forces which are exerted on them by the extracellular matrix and are expressed through theircytoskeleton. when stressed these tensile connec-tions transmit contextual information throughout the cell and in so doing drive cell behavior. if there is a shift in the extracellular matrix those forces are distributed through the integrin receptors to the cytoskeleton. the resulting realignment of the actin network within the cells cytoplasm triggers a response from the cell.

therefore, information about connectivity can drive the condition of the cell, prompting it to respond by either growing, differentiating, moving, or dy-ing. just as chemical gradients in the environment stimulate behavior, so too can gradients in the organization of the extracellular matrix. the inter-relationship between gradients of chemoattractants and the composition of the extracellular matrix can inform the design of nonlinear systems which have a similar dynamic relationship to their environment. gradients of contextual triggers will spark local reactions which will reverberate through the tensile network.

this research and simulation is the beginning of a framework for considering dynamically reactive building systems.

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completed fall 2009 . pratt institute + individual research . m.arch I . critic theo calvin

through sequential and continuous interactions built upon simple rules, complex form can emerge with-out the addition of outside input. an understanding of these principles of emergent design allow for a new type of creativity enhanced by the utilization of H\PKWYVJLZZHUKPU]VS]PUN[PTLHZHUPU[LNYHSHUKconstructive tool.

forces build upon themselves sequentially, yield-ing complex solutions which would be impossible to conceive by conventional means. because of [OLK`UHTPJUH[\YLVM[OPZWYVJLZZHUPZOLKLUKPZUV[[OLVIQLJ[P]LYH[OLYHJVU[PU\V\ZS`\J[\H[-ing landscape of solutions is generated resulting from bodies constantly shaping the behavior of one another while shaping the space that they occupy.

by recognizing the innately imbued potential for dy-namism of matter, designers can employ time and force as constructive instruments to generate form. doing so will impregnate design with a performa-tive potential and a heightened relevance which is a direct consequence of the manner of production.

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completed spring 2009 . pratt institute . m.arch I . critic carla leitao | mike szivos

beyond their beauty, delicacy and ephemerality, ZUV^HRLZHYLWV^LYM\S[VVSZMVY\UKLYZ[HUKPUNmatters capacity for self-organization. it is because of this that we recognize them as having an almost life-like quality. additionally, just as with any man-ner of life, the environment in which they emerge SLH]LZH[YHJLVU[OLUHSMVYTVM[OLHRLZV^LJHUYLHKPUHZUV^HRL[OLZ[VY`VMP[ZLTLYNLUJLand in so doing understand the ways in which vari-ous factors like temperature and humidity affect its growth.

this research was conducted as a means to un-derstand how buildings, business and cities might grow. if the variables of temperature and humidity are parallels for economic barometers, we can use ZUV^HRLZHZHTVKLS[VZ[\K`OV^[OLNYV^[OVMJP[PLZHUKYLNPVUZTPNO[\J[\H[LV]LY[PTLPUboom time, skyscrapers shoot up like crystals and suburbs reach out like dendrites - in leaner times cites recalcify and buildings becoming less HTIV`HU[VUHI\PSKPUNZJHSLHZ[Y\J[\YLJV\SKbe designed such that it would grow along with demand in an organic manner, leaving the history of P[ZNYV^[OHZHSLNPISL[YHJLVUP[ZUHSMVYT

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fall 2011 | spring 2012 . the architectural association | penn.design . m.arch I . critic shany barath | cecil balmond

in a native environment cells gain stability from tensile forces which are exerted on them by the extracellular matrix and are expressed through theircytoskeleton. when stressed these tensile connec-tions transmit contextual information throughout the cell and in so doing drive cell behavior. if there is a shift in the extracellular matrix those forces are distributed through the integrin receptors to the cytoskeleton. the resulting realignment of the actin network within the cells cytoplasm triggers a response from the cell.

therefore, information about connectivity can drive the condition of the cell, prompting it to respond by either growing, differentiating, moving, or dy-ing. just as chemical gradients in the environment stimulate behavior, so too can gradients in the organization of the extracellular matrix. the inter-relationship between gradients of chemoattractants and the composition of the extracellular matrix can inform the design of nonlinear systems which have a similar dynamic relationship to their environment. gradients of contextual triggers will spark local reactions which will reverberate through the tensile network.

this research and simulation is the beginning of a framework for considering dynamically reactive building systems.

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mark t nicol | graduate portfolio

mark t nicolmaster of architecture . 2012

university of pennsylvania . school of design

address | 4510 walnut street . #2philadelphia, pa 19139

email | mark .t.nicol@base-12.neturl | base-12.net

mobile | 847.910.2379