GERARDO SUAREZ

SAMPLE WORK

GERARDO SUAREZ4310 Avenue B #106 gerardosuarez@utexas.edu

Austin, TX 78751(830) 968 9614

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WORK

EXPLORATIONS

Wood Joint

Firefly: Luminarium

Solid/Voice Studies

ACADEMIC WORK

Proenza Schouler Fashion Boutique

Catch512 Private Social Club

Urban Intervention: Argentina

SXSW: Temporary Installation

PROJECTIONS

Sketches/Drawings

Photography

03 - 04

05 - 06

07 - 08

09 - 14

15 - 18

19 - 22

23 - 26

27 - 30

31 - 34

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WOOD JOINT

One of the ! rst exercises assigned in the Visual Com-munications course involved drawing blind contours of hands. " ese hands would be shown interlocking in various positions. From these drawings, a wood joint was produced from the initial inspiration of a chosen blind contour drawing.

" e chosen drawing depicts ! ngers interlocking by lacing together. " e conceptual take-o# point for the project was derived from the idea that every joint would interlock, creating a parallel abstraction be-tween ! ngers and ! nger joints. " e ! nger joints used in the exercise, made of poplar wood, would holisti-cally form a perfect cube. Yet, the assembly of the individual pieces was le$ up to the user.

" e size of the project was intended to be small, something precious that the user can hold in their hands. " is idea is strongly tied to the normative emotions in% uenced by the chosen hand position.

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Semester: Summer 2010Instructor: Elizabeth Danze & John Blood

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FIREFLY:

LUMINARIUM

" is group project for our Environmental Controls class included designing a luminaire of our choice. Luminaires are described as an element that usually shades or enhances the light source. Our group de-cided to design a pendant ! xture that would use only LED lights. " e initial concept for the design was to immerse the viewer into a lazy summer sensation, one that would provoke thoughts of catching ! re% ies in jars and sitting out on the porch enjoying the sun set.

Using only found materials the group collected mason jars, which were sprayed with a frosted glass ! nish in the interior surface of the jar. " e LED lights were placed inside and grouped together to form the pen-dant ! xture. Holes were drilled on the lids of each jar to wire the electric current into the ceiling.

Semester: Fall 2010Instructor: Keith SimonIn collaboration with: Cynthia Pyke, Emily Sutton

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SOLID / VOIDSTUDIES

" e Visual Communications III course only handled computer so$ ware and retreated from the traditional analog techniques. " e assignment was to create an array of 9 x 9 x 9 one-inch cubes and subtracting an interesting void to further explore. An additional “shading” element was used to create a sculptural ele-ment and further study the relationship between solid and void.

Scale was used in the rendering to experiment with the immersive qualities of the design.

" e fabrication process involved using Rhino to un-roll the surfacs of the cube and re-join them by laser cutting and assembling.

Semester: Fall 2010Instructor: Igor Siddiqui

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Many of the unrolled pieces turned out to be perfect cubes. " e spacers for the cubes were made of wood and placed discretely so as not to interfere with the % oating quality of the cubes. " e addition to the cube was designed simply to emphasize and celebrate the complexity of the inhabitable void in the cube array.

PROENZA SCHOULERFASHION BOUTIQUE

" e ! nal project for the semester was to design a retail boutique store for a fashion designer of choice. " e semester was organized as a continuous design process, beginning with a two-dimensional abstrac-tion of the designers’ garments into a graphic wallpa-per (right) and ending with a holistic interior design that is directly related to the initial assignment.

Proenza Schouler is a group of two designers whose philosophies in fashion involve experimentation with androgyny, rebillion in socio-normalities, and an af-! nity towards angular silhouettes and patterns.

Located in downtown Austin’s Starr Building, the boutique o# ers a translation of the brand’s ideals through formal elements in the space, materiality, and programmatic organization.

Semester: Spring 2011Instructor: Igor SiddiquiLocation: Austin, Texas

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" e ceiling design in the boutique was not only used as a visual element for the space but also for functional program such as clothes racks and hangers.

" e “spine” or main massing element held various programs: show display, seating, changing rooms, and register waiting area. " e ceiling element grows from this spine and allows for a

continuous design component that solves almost all functional and programmatic issues.

" e right side of the ceiling design was used for hanging the designers’ bag collection as well as a backdrop from the register wall.

" e ceiling design in the boutique was not only used as a visual element for the space but also for functional program such as clothes racks and hangers.

" e o* ces were located next to the boutique, the only program that is not solved by the main spine element in the boutique.

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Floor Plan

1/4” = 1’

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FLOORPLAN

01 Shoes

02 Bags

03 Clothing

04 Seating

05 Checkout

06 Offi ce

07 Storage

08 Restroom

Materiality was a signi! cant factor to the ! nal design. Proenza Schouler is known for using natural textiles in their garments, opting for leathers and cottons. Us-ing this information, the material palette was derived from natural materials to nature-invoking elements. " e spine and ceiling element is comprised of ply-wood with a stain and seal ! nish. " e blue, polished concrete % oor is indicative of water, sealing the % oors with a high level of gloss to invoke water.

" e spine also acts as an important divider between two programs. " e designers’ clothing is completely separated from their accessories. Proenza Schouler is famous for their bags and wallets, PS14 being one of their most famous lines. As such, the accessories were places in the entrance of the store, leaving the garment side of the store for discovery.

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CEILING PLAN

CATCH512 PRIVATE CLUB

" e Design VI studio was known as the sound build-ing studio, because besides the ! nal project, con-struction documents had to be made as if ready for contractor bids.

" e ! nal project consisted of designing a private social club, the title of which was our decision as well. " is club was meant to be a sister organization of the already established Austin Headliners Club. " e Headliners are a group of well-known authors and writers in the city. " is design is meant to commemo-rate the new, up-and-coming designers who may not have established themselves in the industry yet.

Semester: Spring 2012Instructor: Tamie GlassLocation: Austin, Texas

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O�ce 1

116 SF

O�ce 2

118 SF

O�ce 6

97 SF

Private Lounge

1618 SF

Dining Area

1773 SF

Kitchen

1850 SF

Private Room 1

95 SF

Private Room 2

70 SF

Private Room 3

70 SF

Private Room 4

70 SF

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Public Lounge

1952 SF

Conference

223 SF

O�ce 3

95 SF

O�ce 4

100 SF

O�ce 5

95 SF

Women's Restroom

120 SF

Men's Restroom

108 SF

ADA Restroom

94 SF

Walk-in Frz

71 SF

Wine Storage

71 SF

General Storage

127 SF

Break Room

1134 SF

Events Area

1984 SF

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WHEELS ON TRACK SYSTEM

TRACK SYSTEM

BRUSH SEAL

FLOOR SLAB

CUSTOM BENCH SEATING

1X4 HORIZONTAL WD PANEL

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SCREEN WHEELS IN TRACK SYSTEM

WHEELS ON TRACK SYSTEM

SUPPORT CASING

TRACK

METAL SUPPORT PLATE

METAL SUPPORT PLATE

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS

The partition plan and special construction details/sections are chosen from the set of CDs that were

required by the end of the semester.

SCREEN

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URBAN INTERVENTION:ARGENTINA

As the ! rst advanced design studio in the course of the program, the studio traveled to Argentina for a week. " is crucial time was meant to not only view the site in person, but to better understand the cultural, social, and political implications that are ap-parent in Argentinian citizens.

As an urban fabric intervention, the blocks in the site were cut in half to create pedestrian thoroughfares, an element that is popular and needed more in the city of Cordoba. " ese thoroughfares serve to allocate entrances for commercial spaces (the ! rst % oor of every building is exclusively commercial) as well as residents in the upper % oors of the building. As a brick studio, the group was assigned to design these buildings with only birck in mind.

Semester: Fall 2012Instructor: Wilfried WangLocation: Cordoba, ArgentinaIn collaboration with: Jesus Valdez, Juan Verdeguer

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To help us familiarize ourselves with brick and its typical dimensions, the ! rst few weeks of the studio involved various exercises with brick. We studied compositional variations in 1, 2, 3, and 4-brick layouts. One composition was chosen to further study and incorporate into a “mini-mum inhabitable space.”

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Another signi! cant component to our design concept was to embrace the already existing density and emphasize the party walls that seperate each build-ing. " ese height of the buildings were varied from two % oors to six % oors. Moving forward, the group envisioned a di# erent architect would design an in-dividual building. " erefore, the seemingly arbitrary height di# erences serve to di# erentiate the individual buildings but more importantly, to introduce a human quality to the urban intervention: a quality that is apparent and incredibly treasured amongst Argentin-ians.

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SOUTH BY SOUTHWESTTEMPORARY INSTALLATION

" e studio took advantage of the SXSW festival in Austin and used it as a means to design a temporary installation that would resolve a speci! c need lacking in the festival. " is festival also caters to our project because of its unique division among industries: interactive, ! lm, and music. " e studio was encour-aged to stay in Austin for spring break and experience ! rst-hand the ten-day event.

Using personal experiences made throughout the festival, the main design concept was derived from the idea that SXSW goers could have a site exlusively for respite and recharging. Since the event has become revered worldwide, hundreds of thousands of new-comers visit Austin. Consequently, many goers must reserve hotels 30 minutes to 45 minutes away from Austin. " is installation would serve to o# er a way to relax if need be, so that traveling would not be neces-sary if one wanted to take a break from SXSW.

Semester: Spring 2013Instructor: Igor SiddiquiLocation: Austin, Texas

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COMPONENT 4: GROUP LAYING COMPONENT 5: 1-2 PEOPLE

LAYING

COMPONENT 6: INDIVIDUAL

LAYING

COMPONENTS

COMPONENT 1: GROUP SITTING COMPONENT 2: 1-2 PEOPLE

SITTING

COMPONENT 3: INDIVIDUAL

SITTING

.28 miles from Austin

Convention Center

.25 miles from 6th St.

Wooldridge

Square Park

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D-SHAPE PRINTER

D-SHAPE PRINTER: THE D-SHAPE PRINTER COMES IN A 24’ X 24’ SIZE

WITH A 20’ X 20’ BED. CAPABLE OF MULTI-MATERIAL PRINTING, THIS

PRINTER IS ITS OWN TAXONOMY, UTILIZING BOTH EXTRUSION-BASED AND

GRANULAR TYPE MATERIALS

PEDESTRIANS MUST WALK UP TO THE SIDEWALK AND ENTER THE

PLATFORM SITUATED NEXT TO BOTH GUADALUPE ST. AND SAN ANTONIO

ST.

THE BED IS CONTAINED WITHIN ITS OWN PLATFORM AS WELL AND

WORKERS FROM SXSW WILL BE ON CONSTANT WATCH, MAKING SURE

THE PRINT AND THE PRINTER IS SAFE.

THE PLATFORM IS MOSTLY TAKEN UP BY THE D-SHAPE PRINTER BUT

CONTAINS SPACE TO OBSERVE AND WALK AROUND.

THE STORAGE BOX UNDERNEATH CONTAINS THE MATERIALS NEEDED FOR

THE PRINTER, SAFELY STORED AND ONLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE WORKERS.

THE BOX IS ALSO STRUCTURAL FOR THE CANTILEVERED PLATFORM.

THE EXTRUSTION JET SCOOPS AND DEPOSITS THE RAW MATERIAL INTO

THE CONSTRUCTION BED AND PRINTS AT 1” PER LAYER

8” PER HOUR: 6 - 7 HOUR PRINTING TIME PER COMPONENT

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DAY 6 DAY 7 DAY 8 DAY 9 DAY 10:

FINAL DAY

DAY 1: BEGINNING OF SXSW DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5DAY 1: BEGINNING OF SXSW DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5

DAY 6 DAY 7 DAY 8 DAY 9 DAY 10:

DAY 1 DAY 4

DAY 7 DAY 10

EAST-WEST SECTION: 1/8” = 1’

PHASING

" e D-Shape Printer is able to print 8 inches of material per hour. " e printer will take 6 - 7 hours to print one object. With this in mind, a phasing strategy was made to estimate the amount of pieces to begin with during the festival to achieve the ! nal result by the end of the ten days. " e printer can also print multimaterials. Biodegradability was crucial the the “temporary” aspect of the design. Alganite was used for the so$ , layable material while PLA plastic was used to form the rigid and structural perimeter of the object. At the end of the festival, the objects would start to biodegrade in the soil, or can be removed from the soil and placed for permanent exhibition.

REACTIVE BLUEPRINT

A new technology in 3D printing machines allows for the site to be scanned, primarily using Google Earth. " e site can render a three-dimensional model of the topopography. " us, the underside of each designed object was manipulated to cater to the slope of the park.

COMPONENTS TO ADAPT TO THE TOPOGRAPHY.

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PROJECTIONS:SKETCHES / DRAWINGS" is page: Drawings from Visual Communications coursesRight page: Drawings from the Europe study abroad program (Fall 2013)

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PROJECTIONS:PHOTOGRAPHY

Spread: Europe study abroad program images (Fall 2013)

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GERARDO SUAREZ4310 Avenue B #106

gerardosuarez@utexas.edu Austin, TX 78751

(830) 968 9614

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EDUCATIONThe University of Texas School of ArchitectureBachelors of Science in Interior Design: September 2009 - May 2014

Studio ArgentinaTraveled with the advanced design studio to Argentina to research and experience brick architecture,

visit the proposed site, and meet architects of the country.

Europe Study AbroadTraveled for one semester to various cities in Europe and staying in Paris for the end of the semester

for studio in the Ecole Nationale Superier d’Architecture du Paris.

VOLUNTEER WORKMusic + Architecture SymposiumAssisted in the installation of Seeing Times are not Hidden located under the Waller Creek Bridge at the UT Alumni

Center, and aided in the presentation of LOW CLOSE VAST in the Bass Concert Hall.

Explore UTHelped hand out sketchbooks for elementary students, helped in construction of interactive installation for chil-

dren, and helped give guided tours of the school.

IIDA R-Evolution Runway EventAssisted in tailoring and sewing the final garment for UT’s submission in the fashion event by IIDA.

SKILLSEnglish & Spanish, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Rhinoceros,

VRay, Google SketchUp, lasercutting, woodworking, iMovie.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Sixthriver ArchitectsIntern: organized materials library, redlined construction documents for contractor specifications, created material

and color palettes for initial concepts, contacted suppliers for projects.

Esther LaVonne DesignIntern and interior designer: handled all aspects of the design process, from concept to CDs, and handled some

clerical responsibilities including organizing the materials library and preparing contract files for clients.

Trudy’s RestaurantWaiter and Expo: Waited tables, and brought menu items out to the table

Center for American Architecture and Design (CAAD)Shipped books to customers, provided graphic design layouts for posters and upcoming events, ran clerical du-

ties, helped edit “Center”, “Cenerline”, and O’Neill Ford Duograph/Monograph publications.

RECOGNITION

President Achievement’s Scholarship: recipient

Suzie Friedkin Endowed Scholarship in Interior Design: recipient

Mike and Maxine K. Mebane Endowed Traveling Scholarship: recipient

Donghia Scholarship: nominee

TEXAS Grant Award: recipient

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