the portfolio of nicholas daniel banks

THE PORTFOLIO OFNicholas Daniel Banks

STUDIO 5

GRADUATE

Thesis: Yellow House Canyon Winery 7

Rethinking the Lubbock Fair 15

Upper Kirby YMCA 21

Animation: The Lion and the Mouse 27

UNDERGRAD

New Mexico Trail 31

Bath House 37

Wilshire 41

Coney Island 47

HAND RENDERING 53

BLACK AND WHITE

Hallway 54

Barn 55

Studies 56

COLOR

Chicago 58

Urban Cave 59

Wall of Maidens 60

Elevation Study 61

ADVANCED DELINIATION

Detail Study 62

Surreality 63

Pgs. 5-51 Pgs. 53-65

3D RENDERING 67

Pool 68

Tower 69

El Passo Bus Terminal 70

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 73

MIJARES MORA

Canutillo ISD elementry school 74

FKP

Skybridge 76

Patient rooms 78

ABOUT 81

Pgs. 67-71 Pgs. 73-79

Yellow House CanYon winerY

7Project | Thesis Project: Yellow House Canyon Winery Year | Spring -Fall 2008 Professor | Michael Peters

Yellow House CanYon winerY

Proposal 1: Two larger buildings house the wine making processes. A bar of program connects the two buildings and penetrates through them, this contains the public functions of the winery such as tasting and res-taurant. This allows visitors to view the processes and landscape while dining and tasting. Aprox. 23,000 sq. ft.

Proposal 2: This is a play on a regional form of Lubbock, the church. The winery takes on a cross pattern with a large vaulted center. In the center of the cross on the second floor is the tasting area, this allows for views down into the different sections of the winery. This plan varies in that the ship-ping and receiving area is located on the canyon floor. Aprox. 26,500 sq. ft.

Proposal 3: Here a solid bar sits in the landscape. One of the main features in this proposal is the stairway that penetrates the building. The platform at the top of this stairway functions as a space for both the re-ceiving functions and as a visitor entrance. A trellis covers a majority of the building serving as shading and solar collection. The majority of the production is handled on the ground floor while the public area floats over it and provides views into the production area. Aprox. 27,300 sq. ft.


Elements from schemes one and two have been combined to form this building. There are two warehouse spaces, one being larger than the other to house more production elements. The overall structure that defines the warehouse spaces is formed by three virtually separate bands of structure. Bands allowing for strong structural elements on the east and west sides of the building while allowing the entire north and south sides to be open and free of structure, were created in response to the program requirement of transparency vs. permanence. The configu-ration of these structural elements were explored using strips of metal that were bent by hand. Ultimately, after several trials, a design that both complemented the programmatic spaces and was visually interesting became the building envelope. The public spaces were then inserted into this structural from. The dining area is the large bar along the south face of the building, this overlooks the vineyards, as well has having views into the winery. This schematic re-view cemented the building’s design ideas, from this point on the building could be refined and attention could be given to the details.

The building, in response to the theory of critical regionalism, exists within marginal practice, is consciously bound to the location engaging the land rather than sitting on the land and stresses site and region-specific features. These three points are evident in the resulting build-ing.

The stressed sight and region-spe-cific features address environmental con-cerns such as light, shade and air. Most of the building’s south façade consists of glazing to allow as much light in as pos-sible. Solar shades are used to control the sun from both light and heat. Most of the glass on the ground floor sits in operable frames allowing the entire front and back to be opened to allow air through, and


5.28 South Elevation 5.30 East Elevation

5.29 North Elevation 5.31 West Elevation

providing the maximum amount of visibility into the facility.

Marginal practice, being a tricky concept to explain, is handled by the building being critical of modernism while still fol-lowing a few of the non limiting features of it. The design may have the feel of a modern building (rows of glass, white walls, and hard corners), but it lacks the order and arrangement of a modern struc-ture. Marginal practice also relates to regional forms, here the forms around the site are grain silos and warehouses. Objects within the building are arranged to resemble grain silos, the most obvious feature being the fermenting tanks, but similar patterns can also be perceived from wine storage racks at the bar, and in the spacing of the structural bands that create the overall form of the building. The majority of the interior of the production spaces are designed to look and function like a warehouse allowing for flexible uses and reconfigurable spaces. Fermenting tanks are not set and can be moved to the wine makers needs, and the barrel room can expand into other areas of the east wing depending on demand.

This leaves consciously bounded architecture, allowing the building to become engaged in the site. The building sits into the topography allowing it to become of the site, not just on the site. Also vineyards are planed to surround the building further engag-ing the building in the site. Finally a strong axis that comes from the outside stairway of the winery continues through the site and eventually turns into a bridge that connects the north and the south part of the vineyard’s grounds.


5.38 Interior Perspective Tasting Room 5.39 Interior Perspective Private Dining Area

retHinking tHe lubboCk Fair

15Project | Urban Design Studio: Rethinking the Lubbock Fair Year | Fall 2007 Professor | Brian Rex

retHinking tHe lubboCk Fair

BINGO


After an intensive study of the Lubbock Fair involving site visits and extensive discussions and research, we began creating a variety of initial concepts. We followed Bernard Tschumi’s urban designing ideas of Composition, Complement, Palimpsest, and Media-tion. Eventually the plan of laying text over the site became the dominant idea that the project proceed-ed with.

By denying the fair by burring it in a mound of earth that slopes to the neighboring road provides a surface to embed the structure of the new program elements in a series of buildings.

BUILDING F – Classic Fair: Antiques, Crafts, Cook-ies, Cakes, Pies, Preserves, Photography, Art, Quilts, Blue Ribbons, etc.

BUILDING A – Music Fair: Auditorium, Stage, Con-cessions.

BUILDING I – Modern Fair: Beer, Martinis, Wine, Bikini Contests, Grilling, Technology, Auto Show, Modern Art, etc.

BUILDING R – Commerce Fair: Shopping, Knives, Sham-wow, Fried Food, Texas Merchandise, etc.

Above the fair sits the midway where all of the car-nival rides entice the public, and illuminate the dark Lubbock sky. The elevation of the site will allow the fair to be seen from a distance.

uPPer kirbY YMCa

21Project | Advanced Studio: Upper Kirby YMCA Year | Summer 2007 Professor | MaryAlice Torres-MacDonald

uPPer kirbY YMCa

The Upper Kirby District approached Tex-as Tech University graduate architecture students to come up with schematic designs for a YMCA facility.

The Upper Kirby District currently owns and recently acquired approximately 4.09 acres of land adjacent to Levy Park. It is located at the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Wakeforest Drive. It is currently comprised of three office build-ings and a small apartment complex which will be demolished and replaced with a new YMCA building. The vision is to create a civic campus of recreational amenities available to the surround-ing communities. As well as a full service YMCA, this campus will host a ‘Journey to Learning Cen-ter’ (incorporating educational advancements), a health and wellness center, a language educa-tional service, and an environmental education service

23

EVA DNOMHCIR

EA

STS

IDE

ST.

WA

KE

FOR

ES

T R

D.


27Project | 3D Animation: The Lion and the Mouse Year | Spring 2008 Professor | Brian Key

an aesop fable created in 3D by nicholas banksVoices by adam reed, Crista saxon, & nicholas banks

2929Project | 3D Animation: The Lion and the Mouse Year | Spring 2008 Professor | Brian Key

new MexiCo trail

31Project | New Mexico Trail Year | Spring 2006 Professor | Raimond McClain

new MexiCo trail

Santa Fe Trail

In this project we went to the site in New Mexico and using the schools 3D laser scanner we took a topographical map of the terrain. Our mission while there was to make a collection and document this in photo. Me and my partner Brinn Sustalla collected photos of rocks, and then we removed the rocks and took pictures of the voids they left. Sometimes this left a hole the same size as the rock, or one larger then the visible rock, or even no trace at all. We then diagramed this and turned the data and the concept into our design idea. We had to create a trail that responded to the Santa Fe Trail that had little impact on the natural environment. We decided to reduce this impact by crossing the trail where it had already been disturbed by a nearby road. All three “trails” cross in the same place.

We created a series of concrete arms (their length varied depending on the diagram application to the path) that would support and elevated trail. These arms would also house wire panels that might have to be moved to continue down the path of the trail. The way-stations on the trail collapse and store them-selves between two structural members.

santa Clara batHs

37Project | Santa Clara Baths Year | Spring 2006 Professor | Raimond McClain

santa Clara batHs

FILTER A filter is a device that removes something from whatever passes through it. Filters have close connotations with cleanliness, and this purification process is what defines my building. Filters handle the water systems, the natural lighting systems, the path through the building, the distribution of steam in the saunas, and define the programmatic spac-es. In plan, a filter is created when a series of pro-grammatic elements interact with each other and controls a user’s ambulatory experience through the building. This pushing and pulling of interior space gives way to un-uniform paths, some of which are inaccessible. These inaccessible areas serve as visual filters rather than ambulatory filters. As you progress through the building the regulation of the filter disintegrates, becoming less apparent, but more dynamic in creating spaces.

1. E N T R Y

2. O F F I C E

3. B A T H R O O M

4. C H A N G I N G R O O M S

5. S T E A M B A T H S

6. H O T B A T H S

7. T E P I D A R I U M

8. S A L T B A T H

9. O U T D O O R B A T H

For the bath about half dozen conceptual sketches of different layouts were created. One was selected and turned into a plan projected perspective using a technique that was taught to me by my professor. This perspective was then rendered using a combination of hand drawing and Illustrator techniques. A cement pour that was created earlier in the semester was integrated into the design as a structural element. I entitled this project “FILTER”

39Project | Santa Clara Baths Year | Spring 2006 Professor | Raimond McClain

1

2

34

3

4

4

4

4

44 4445

5

5

5

56

6

7

8

9

wilsHire estates reCreation Center

41Project | Wilshire Estates Recreation Center Year | Fall 2006 Professor | Stan Robertson

wilsHire estates reCreation Center

FIRST FLOOR

ENTRYPOOLLOCKER ROOMWORKOUT EQUIPMENTCAFEAEROBIC ROOMDAY CARE CENTER

SECOND FLOOR

GYMCARDIOOFFICE

Wilshire Estates Recreational Center

5 10 15 20 40

N

Wilshire Estates in Lubbock, Texas is a Traditional Neighborhood Development, designed according to New Urbanist principles, where residents experience a special place to live, work, and play. Nestled with-in the winding streets, walking paths, and strategically designed parks, rests the neighborhood’s Recreation Center providing a combination of services topped off with a touch of class.


Section Gym

Section Weight Room

Section Dance Studio1/16” = 1’

Projected SectionDetail

Wall Section

Elevation Detail

ConeY islanD Design CoMPetition

47Project | Coney Island Design Competition Year | Spring 2005 Professor | Jesse Vogler

ConeY islanD Design CoMPetition

PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL RETURNED TO BROOKLYN IN 2001

WITH THE HELP OF THIS BRAND NEW PARK LOCATED IN THE

CONEY ISLAND SECTION. AND THE SETTING DOES NOT GET MUCH

BETTER THAN WHAT FANS HAVE AT KEYSPAN PARK. IT IS LOCATED

RIGHT NEXT TO THE ASTROLAND AMUSEMENT PARK WHICH

PROVIDES THE BACKDROP IN LEFT FIELD. THE OCEAN AND A

BOARDWALK PROVIDE A UNIQUE BACKDROP OVER THE RIGHT

FIELD FIELD FENCE. BUT THE BEST ASPECT OF KEYSPAN PARK IS

THAT IT'S A BIT DIFFERENT FROM OTHER NEW PARKS. THEY REALLY

TRIED TO INCORPORATE IT INTO THE SURROUNDING AREA, AND

THEREFORE WERE ABLE TO ADD SOME UNIQUE TOUCHES. THE

EXTERIOR IS NOT ENTIRELY RED BRICK AS FOUND IN SO MANY

NEW PARKS - IT IS OFFSET BY SOME LIGHT BROWN CONCRETE AS

WELL AS NEON SIGNS THAT LIGHT IT UP. THE FRONT OF THE PARK

WILL EVENTUALLY HOUSE SEVERAL STORES, THOUGH NONE ARE

OPEN YET. THE INSIDE OF THE PARK IS SETUP IN A RATHER TYPICAL

FASHION - AN OPEN CONCOURSE OVERLOOKING THE FIELD WITH

LUXURY BOXES STACKED ON TOP. BUT INSTEAD OF SPREADING

OUT THE LUXURY BOXES DOWN BOTH LINES, THEY ARE INSTEAD

STACKED TWO HIGH, THEREFORE THE CONCOURSE IS NOT

COVERED AS FAR DOWN THE LINES. FURTHER DOWN EACH LINE

ON BOTH SIDES (PAST THE BASES), ARE LARGE WAVY AWNINGS

WHICH PROVIDE ADDITIONAL COVER. BLEACHER SEATS ARE

LOCATED PAST THE RIGHT FIELD FENCE. THE CONCOURSE AREA

HAS PLENTY OF CONCESSION STANDS, THOUGH THE FARE IS

SURPRISINGLY LIMITED, AND ON THE EXPENSIVE SIDE.

UNDERNEATH THE LUXURY BOXES THE CONCOURSE IS LIT BE

FLORESCENT COLORED LIGHTS TO FIT IN WITH THE NEON

SIGNAGE OF THE NEIGHBORING AMUSEMENT PARK. NEON IS ALSO

PRESENT OF THE LIGHT POLES AS LARGE COLORED RINGS

SURROUND THE TOP OF EACH STANDARD. THE PARK ALSO

FEATURES A MULTI-LEVELED GIFT SHOP, STOCKED WITH TONS OF

MERCHANDISE. PARKING IS $4, AND IS QUITE PLENTIFUL. THE

CYCLONES HAVE TON A SUPERB JOB OF MAKING THIS PARK

FIT INTO ITS CONEY ISLAND SURROUNDINGS. AND

THE FANS HAVE CERTAINLY TAKEN TO IT, AS

EVERY GAMEHAS BEEN A SELLOUT.

JUST A COOL PLACE TO SEE

AG

AM

E

Com

ing

dow

n fr

om

Dow

npat

rick

Stop

ping

off

at

St. J

ohn'

s Po

int

Out

all

day

bird

wat

chin

g A

nd t

he c

raic

was

go

od

Stop

ped

off

at

Stra

ngfo

rd L

ough

Ear

ly in

the

mor

ning

D

rove

th

roug

h

Shrig

ley

taki

ng p

ictu

res

And

on t

o Ki

llyle

agh

Stop

ped

off

for

Sund

ay

pape

rs

at

the

Leca

le

Dis

tric

t, ju

st

befo

re

Cone

y Is

land

On

and

on, o

ver

the

hill

to

Ard

glas

s In

th

e

jam

jar,

autu

mn

suns

hine

,

mag

nific

ent

And

all

shin

ing

thro

ugh

Stop

off

at A

rdgl

ass

for a

cou

ple

of ja

rs o

f Mus

sels

and

som

e po

tted

her

rings

in

case

We

get

fam

ishe

d be

fore

dinn

er O

n an

d on

, ove

r the

hill

and

the

crai

c is

goo

d H

eadi

ng

tow

ards

Con

ey Is

land

I lo

ok a

t

the

side

of

your

fac

e as

the

sunl

ight

com

es

Stre

amin

g th

roug

h th

e

win

dow

in

th

e au

tum

n

suns

hine

A

nd

all

the

time

goin

g to

Co

ney

Isla

nd

I'm

thin

king

, Wou

ldn'

t it b

e gr

eat i

f

it w

as li

ke th

is a

ll th

e tim

e.

I met

her

at t

he B

urge

r Kin

g w

e

fell

in

love

by

th

e so

da

mac

hine

So w

e to

ok t

he c

ar d

ownt

own

the

kids

wer

e ha

ngin

g ou

t al

l

arou

nd

Then

we

wen

t do

wn

to C

oney

Isla

nd

on

the

coas

ter

and

arou

nd a

gain

And

no

one'

s go

nna

ever

tea

r

us

apar

t ca

use

she'

s m

y

swee

thea

rt

All

right

, oh

yeah

Oh

oh I

love

her

so

Oh

oh I

love

her s

o O

h oh

I lo

ve h

er so

Remem

ber, remem

ber, ladies and

gentlemen,

the cool

of the

evening is the time to see the

ostrich and mark his m

any pecu-

li-ar-ities

That’s the way she looks, gents.

You’ll find them on the inside just

as they are represented on the

canvas! Step right up and the

gentlemanly

usher w

ill escort

you to points of vantage!

“Ocean m

e not,” the lover cried, “I

am

your surf-to

you I’m

tide;

Don’t breaker heart, fair one, but

wave O

bjections thine, this sand I

crave.” “O

h billow

Bill,”

she

blushed, “I sea You would deach

osen shore

by m

e, But

I’m

merm

aid not yet in seine, And

shell for

years that

way

remain.”

Crowds

of m

en and

wom

en

attired in the usual costumes,

how curious you are to m

e! On

the ferry-boats the hundreds and

hundreds that cross, returning

home, are m

ore curious to me

than you suppose, And you that

shall cross from shore to shore

years hence are more to m

e, and

more in m

y meditations, than

you might suppose?

The ride was originally built to

help train troops, but the

creator had so many civilian

requests to ride his prototype

that he converted the idea to

an amusement ride

The Parachute Jump was

bought by Edward Tilyou

from the 1939 New York

World's Fair. The ride was run

at the Lifesavers exhibit and

opened for the 1941 season. It

stood 262 feet at its tallest

point and had twelve chutes,

each with a seat that held two

passengers

. Each seat of the ride was

pulled up to the top of the

tower where they would feel a

slight jolt. All of the sudden

the parachute would open

with a "whoosh" and down

the seat would fall, back the

beach and world of

Steeplechase Park

The Parachute Jump was

declared a Landmark on July

10, 1977, so the wrecking ball

cannot touch it. The tower,

painted a deep red, is known

by many as Brooklyn's Eiffel

Tower. Be sure to stop by and

take a gander while strolling

down the boardwalk.

Sitt

ing

on

a ca

rous

el

ride

with

out a

ny m

usic

or l

ight

.

Ever

ythi

ng

was

cl

osed

at

Cone

y Is

land

, and

I co

uld

not

help

from

sm

iling

.

I ca

n he

ar t

he A

tlant

ic e

cho

back

ro

ller

coas

ter

scre

ams

from

sum

mer

s pa

st.

And

eve

ryth

ing

was

clo

sed

at

Cone

y Is

land

, and

I co

uld

not

help

from

sm

iling

.

Broo

klyn

will

fill

in t

he b

each

even

tual

ly a

nd e

very

one

will

go e

xcep

t me.

- D

eath

Cab

for

Cutie By

19

41

the

"gra

nd

old

Cone

y" s

low

ly b

egan

its

tre

k

dow

n th

e lo

ng

road

to

econ

omic

ruin

. The

end

of t

he

year

sa

w

Am

eric

a ba

ndin

g

toge

ther

to

fight

a c

omm

on

enem

y of

fr

eedo

m

and

an

econ

omy

surg

ing

for

the

first

time

in m

any

year

s.

“Oce

an

me

not,”

th

e lo

ver

crie

d, “

I am

you

r su

rf-t

o yo

u

I’m t

ide;

Don

’t br

eake

r he

art,

fair

one,

but

wav

e O

bjec

tions

thin

e, t

his

sand

I c

rave

.” “O

h

billo

w B

ill,”

she

blus

hed,

“I s

ea

You

wou

ld d

each

ose

n sh

ore

by m

e, B

ut I

’m m

erm

aid

not

yet

in

sein

e,

And

sh

ell

for

year

s th

at w

ay re

mai

n.”

T h e bathing dress

should be made of a woolen fabric, we particularly insist upon woolen as the material to be worn as it retains the heat of the body, and therefore prevents a too rapid evaporation. Maroon and blue are the proper colors, as they resist the corrosive and bleaching effects of the salt-water. The dress should consist essentially of the two parts-a pair of pantaloons and a blouse…The pantaloons…should not be buttoned too tightly to the ankles, as circulation would thereby be impeded. Enter the water resolutely and briskly, until the water reaches the waist. If you can swim three strokes without going under, it is a fair start. - Dr. Durant

For y

ears

Con

ey Is

land

in B

rook

lyn,

New

York

was

the

plac

e fo

r the

peo

ple

of th

e

Nor

thea

st to

pla

y. R

ich

and

poor

, you

ng

and

old,

eve

ryon

e ca

me

to C

oney

. Th

e

peop

le w

ho v

isite

d be

twee

n th

e la

te

eigh

teen

hun

dred

s and

191

1 sa

w C

oney

as t

he w

orld

. It

touc

hed

them

in a

way

noth

ing

else

cou

ld.

Like

all

eras

and

loca

les i

n A

mer

ica

Cone

y ha

s a h

isto

ry a

s

varie

d an

d in

tere

stin

g as

the

mel

ting

pot

of p

eopl

e w

ho p

laye

d th

ere

for d

ecad

es.

"Coney Island was a kind

of magazine of life, except instead of reading about it

and seeing color pictures, you could experience it," - historian Elliot

Willensky

"Coney," one man said, "is the most bewilderingly up-to-date place

of amusement in the world."

It is blatant, it is cheap, it is the apotheosis of the ridiculous. But it is

something more; it is like Niagara Falls or the Grand Canyon or

Yellowstone Park; it is a national playground, and not to have seen it

is not to have seen your own country," said Reginald Wright

Kauffman

If Paris is France, then Coney island, between June and September, is

the world. English dukes and earls, French viscomtes, German

barons, senators and even presidents and vice-presidents, railroad

kinks, merchant princes, society queens – every human being of

eminence or note in the American Continent can be found

promenading the enormous hotel corridors, dining in the vast

saloons or wandering on the beach.

The socialist writer Maxim Gorky said,

"With the advent of night a fantastic city of fire suddenly rises from

the ocean into the sky. Thousands of ruddy sparks glimmer in the

darkness, limning in fine, sensitive outline on the black background

of the sky, shapely towers of miraculous castles, palaces and

temples. Golden gossamer threads tremble in the air. They

intertwine in transparent, flaming patterns, which flutter and melt

away in love with their own beauty mirrored in the waters.

Fabulous beyond conceiving, ineffably beautiful, is this fiery

scintillation."

Albert Bigelow Paine- “Suddenly childhood returned, and we slid

and kept on sliding until we were altogether certain that we had

lost the respect of any friend or relative who might happen to be in

the crowd of spectators below.”

For my first day of labor, I realized $13.45, which seemed to me a

fortune, so I immediately retired. Having heard of the great

exhibition in Philadelphia, I started alone for that place with the full

intention of purchasing the main building, but after some arriving

on the grounds I changed my plans and bought pink lemonade and

pop-corm instead – George C. Tilyou

Coney Island is a lively and absorbing portrait of the extraordinary

amusement empire that astonished, delighted, and

shocked the nation -- and took

Americans from the

Victo-

The story of Coney Island has been recounted for generations; the story of the site has been written and re-written and will continue to do so. However, the memories are beginning to fade and with no structures left to tell the stories of Coney Island, save the parachute jump, it is now the responsibility of the pavilion to pres-ent this history to the world. By reciting thoughts, songs, and writings about Coney Island to tell what the site has been will allow for these memories to be captured and frozen in time for all to see. The stories and memories will be inscribed upon the path of the parachute pavilion as a monument to the past.


It is blatant, it is

cheap, it is the

apotheosis of the

ridiculous. But it is

something more; it

is like Niagara Falls

or the Grand Canyon

or Yellowstone Park;

it is a national

playground, and not

to have seen it is not to have seen your own

country," said Reginald

Wright Kauffman in 1909 of Coney Island, the

tiny spit of land at

the foot of Brooklyn

that, at the turn of

the century,

became the most e x t r a v a g a n t

playground in the

country and one of the most modern places on

earth. In scale, in variety, in sheer inventiveness,

C o n e y I s l a n d w a s u n l i k e anything a n y o n e had ever seen, and sooner or later, everyone came to see it. "Coney,"

one man said, "is the most bewilderingly up-to-date place of a m u s e -ment in the world."

It is blatant, it is

cheap, it is the

apotheosis of the

ridiculous. But it is

something more; it

is like Niagara Falls

or the Grand Canyon

or Yellowstone Park;

it is a national

playground, and not

to have seen it is not to have seen your own

country," said Reginald

Wright Kauffman in 1909 of Coney Island, the

tiny spit of land at

the foot of Brooklyn

that, at the turn of

the century,

became the most e x t r a v a g a n t

playground in the

country and one of the most modern places on

earth. In scale, in variety, in sheer inventiveness,

C o n e y I s l a n d w a s u n l i k e anything a n y o n e had ever seen, and sooner or later, everyone came to see it. "Coney,"

one man said, "is the most bewilderingly up-to-date place of a m u s e -ment in the world."

Is it possible to build on a site and ignore the past? Coney Island is full of a rich and diverse history. This site has asuch a rich backround; it would be hard to ignore the many possiblilities of exploring the “Ghost” of what the site once used to be.


Albert Bigelow Paine- “Suddenly childhood returned, and we slid and kept on

sliding until we were altogether certain that we had lost the respect of any friend or relative who might happen to be in the crowd of

spectators below.”

Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how curious you are to me! On the ferry-boats the hundreds and

hundreds that cross, returning home, are more curious to me than you suppose, And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are more to me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose?

If Paris is France, then Coney island, between June and September, is the world. English dukes and earls, French viscomtes, German barons, senators and even presidents and vice-presidents, railroad kinks, merchant princes, society queens – every human being of eminence or note in the American Continent can be found promenading the enormous hotel corridors, dining in the vast saloons or wandering on the beach.

Albert Bigelow Paine- “Suddenly childhood returned, and we slid and kept

on sliding until we were altogether certain

that we had lost the respect of any friend or relative who might happen

to be in the crowd of spectators below.”

Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how curious you are to me!

On the ferry-boats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home, are

more curious to me than you suppose, And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are more

to me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose?

If Paris is France, then Coney island, between June and September, is the world. English dukes and earls, French viscomtes, German barons, senators and even presidents and vice-presidents, railroad kinks,

merchant princes, society queens – every human being of eminence or note in the American Continent can be found promenading the enormous hotel corridors, dining in the vast saloons or

wandering on the beach.

A l b e r t Bigelow Paine- “Suddenly

childhood returned, and we slid and kept on sliding until we were

altogether certain

Albert Bigelow Paine- “Suddenly childhood returned, and we slid and kept on sliding until we were altogether certain that we had lost the respect of any friend or relative who might happen


Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how curious you are to me! On the ferry-boats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning

home, are more curious to me than you suppose, And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are more to

me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose?

If Paris is France, then Coney island, between June and September, is the world. English dukes and earls, French

viscomtes, German barons, senators and even presidents and vice-presidents, railroad kinks, merchant princes, society queens –

every human being of eminence or note in the American Continent can be found promenading the enormous hotel corridors, dining in the

vast saloons or wandering on the beach.

Albert Bigelow Paine- “Suddenly childhood returned, and

we slid and kept on sliding until we were altogether certain that we had lost the respect of any friend or relative who might happen to be

in the crowd of spectators below.”

Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how curious you are to me! On the ferry-boats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home,

are more curious to me than you suppose, And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are more to me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose?

If Paris is France, then Coney island, between June and September, is the world. English dukes and earls, French viscomtes, German barons, senators and even presidents and vice-presidents, railroad kinks, merchant princes, society queens – every human being of eminence or note in the American Continent can be found promenading the enormous hotel corridors, dining in the vast saloons or wander-ing on the beach.

A l b e r t Bigelow Paine- “Suddenly childhood returned, and we slid and kept on

sliding until we were altogether certain that we had lost the respect of any friend or relative who might happen to be in the crowd of spectators below.”

Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how curious you are to me! On the ferry-boats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home, are more curious to me

than you suppose, And you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are more to me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose?





















altogether certain








































altogether certain





















Project | Hallway Perspective in Pencil and Marker Year | Fall 2003 Professor | Fairbetter

55Project | Barn Diner in Ink and Marker Year | Fall 2003 Professor | Fairbetter

Project | Organic Contour in Pencil Year | Fall 2003 Professor | Fairbetter

57Project | Ghery Theater in Pencil and Marker Year | Fall 2003 Professor | Fairbetter

Project | Architectural Insertion in Watercolor Year | Spring 2004 Professor | John Driscoll

59Project | Projection Perspective Year | Spring 2004 Professor | John Driscoll

Project | Clasical Buiding in Watercolor Year | Spring 2004 Professor | John Driscoll

61Project | Elevation Study in Watercolor Year | Spring 2004 Professor | John Driscoll

Project | Detail Study Year | Spring 2007 Professor | James Davis

63Project | Surreality Year | Spring 2007 Professor | James Davis

Project | Surreality Year | Spring 2007 Professor | James Davis

65Project | Surreality Year | Spring 2007 Professor | James Davis

Project | Advanced 3D Home Year | Spring 2005 Professor | Brian Key

69Project | Water Tower Observatory Year | Summer 2006 Firm | Mijares Mora

Project | Sun Metro Bus Terminal Year | Summer 2006 Professor | Peters

71Project | Sun Metro Bus Terminal Year | Summer 2006 Professor | Peters

75Project | Garcia Elementry School Year | Summer 2006 Firm | Mijares-Mora

Gonzalo & Sofia Garcia Elementary

77Project | TCH Campus Sky Bridge Year | Summer 2007 Firm | FKP Architects

79Project | TCH Maternity Center Patient Rooms (NICU) Year | Summer 2008 Firm | FKP Architects

81ABOUT

Nicholas was born on January 1st, 1985 in Houston, Tx to a very proud mother and father. He attended Schools in the Klein Independent School district, and graduated in the top quarter of his class from Klein High School in 2003. Also through his primary education he was involved in Cub and Boy Scouts of America and in 2002 achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. In the Fall of 2003 he started his college education at Texas Tech University, majoring in Architecture. He graduated from Texas Tech University College of Architecture with a Master of Architecture degree and finished with a 3.6 GPA. At Tech he has been an active member of AIAS (American Institute of Architecture Students) for three years, was inducted into Tau Sigma Delta (Architecture Honor Society), as well as being on the Dean’s List for 3 semesters. Regarding Employment, he has worked for P. Jackie Moon from 2002-2003 as a draftsman. During the summer of 2006 he was an intern at Mijares-Mora Architects Inc. in El Paso. In the following two summers (2007 & 2008) he was employed at FKP Architects in Houston working on a project for Texas Children’s Hospital.

the portfolio of nicholas daniel banks

Documents

bath house

canyon floor

production area

tasting area

production elements

dining area

building envelope

public spaces