P O R T F O L I OEric macdonald

Architecture School�

1 |Eric Macdonald

Ise Shrine Pavilion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Westmount Community Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Dalhousie Music School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Bent Wood Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Net Zero Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Located in the Ise Shrine complex in Ise, Japan, this site is situated on a bank of the Isuzu River and is an important threshold for one’s visit to the main Ise Shrine. This specific site is where people symbolically purify their minds in order to physically proceed closer to the main shrine. The pavilion is designed to encourage peaceful reflection and pause before one continues on to the main shrine.

ise shrine paviliondesign project

Design Geometry

2 |Eric Macdonald

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To Main Ise Shrine

To Ise City

Isuzu River

Ise Shrine Pavillion

This project is a community theatre and multipupose building which is located in a local Halifax park and elementary school that is surrounded by a fabric of residential houses. The idea was to create a community space that frames the soccer pitch and provides and encourages circulation and viewing on a green roof on top of the structure. The unrelenting profile and rammed earth structure are suggestive of a far larger geological substructure burried under the ground.

Westmount community centredesign project

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dalhousie music schooldesign project This project was the design of a new music school on Dalhousie’s main

campus. I was originally interested in the building’s structure and first adopted a ‘hanging building’ structure similar to The Qube in Vancouver, before ultimately cantilevering the building from it’s four main core structures. The lowest and uppermost levels house the music school’s more orderly program of practice rooms and faculty offices while the middle level acts as the public program space featuring a library, hanging theatres, and suspended catwalks.

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dalhousie design build freelab

8 |Eric Macdonald

This is a 1:10 scale model of a bent wood structural pavilion that a group of students (including myself) designed and built for our structural free lab at Dalhousie. This structure was able to withstand 2500 PSI of downward pressure before failing. It was remarkable to see how much elasticity is contained within the glulam bent wood beams.

bent wood structure

net zero studiodalhousie summer free lab This small artists studio that a group of Dalhousie students (including

myself) designed and built during our summer free lab. We were introduced to building techniques such as straw bale construction, rammed earth, hempcrete, light straw clay, cobb walls, and torchi walls. Due to my building experience I was in charge of the framing of the building and overall site coordination for the project.

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Building Houses in Rwanda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Work Bench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Reclaimation Art Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Train Wreck Suspension Bridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Penthouse Exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

B.C Hydro Substation Fence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

10 |Eric Macdonald

building houses in rwandarwanda elevation projectsummer 2008

In 2008, I travelled to Rwanda with Youth Unlimited to pioneer the first ever Elevation Project. This project was a major success and the Elevation Project has been able to make an extraordinary difference in a Rwandan community for eight years running. Our trip focused on building houses for widowers of the Rwandan genocide who are often raising orphaned Rwandan children by themselves. We were able to work along side community members to coordinate and build affordable and sustainable housing strategies - which are now widely practiced in the region. During this time we also ran a weeklong summer camp for the community’s children. I was forever changed by this experience and look forward to going back in the future.

work bench

12 |Eric Macdonald

This is my labratory. I need a covered space to work on my projects of all shapes and sizes. So I designed and built this work space. I have recently installed sliding barn doors that allow the shelving units to be closed off and locked.

In the summer of 2013 four artists (including myself) held an art show with the theme “reclamation”. The intent was to celebrate Vancouver’s historical origins through photography, scultpure, goldsmithery, and music. This set of sculptures was assmebled using only materials found in Vancouver’s train yards, ports, and along the coastline.

reclamation art show

13 |Eric Macdonald

Train wreck suspension bridgeklohn crippen bergerfall 2014 internship

During my internship semester at Dalhousie I worked with Klhon Crippen Berger, which is an engineering firm based in Vancouver. I was developing renderings of the proposed “Train-Wreck” pedestrian suspension bridge to be built crossing the Cheakamus River near Whistler, B.C.

revitalization projectcurrtent voluenteer work

Concept for a to-scale solar-system art installation throughout Vancouver that would accuratly place sculptures of the planets in their orbital positions.

I have been volunteering my time to the H.R MacMillan Space Centre Revitalization Project which aims to increase its annual attendence with a multi-million dollar comprehensive upgrade. There will be a new emersive expierence attraction and updated facilities. We are exploring all avenues and concepts to bring life back to the space centre and make it one of Vancouver’s “must-go” desitinaions.

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1835 morton ave - vancouver, b.ccurrent work with MP Lightbody Architect

16 |Eric Macdonald

I am working with MP Lightbody architect to design a penthouse patio addition in downtown Vancouver. The design features a greenhouse and covered sitting area. Currently the drawings are in the permit application phase.

PROPOSED NEW COVERED AREANEW DOOR COVERING

EXISTING DECK + COLUMN

NEW COLUMNEXTENSIONS

EXISTINGCOLUMNS

PROPOSED ENCOLSED GREENHOUSE

PROPOSEDGREENHOUSE PROPOSED GARDEN

SITTING AREA3

A.003

west vancouver. b.c.current work with CDH Design Solutions

This is a concept proposal for a fence that will surround a B.C Hydro substation near Ambleside in West Vancouver. Currently B.C Hydro is deciding on which of the four concepts of ours they will choose to move foward with. The following two fences of mine were included in the proposal package that was sent to B.C Hydro.

18 |Eric Macdonald