PORTFOLIO:John Dunn

• Architect• Planner• Blogger

• Writer

PORTFOLIO:John Dunn

• Architect• Planner• Blogger

• Writer

INDEX:

FOREWORD___________________________________4

AWARDS __________________________________5

OTHER COMPETITIONS _________________________________19

COMMUNITY PLANNING _________________________________38

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE _________________________________58

CONFERENCES _________________________________78

GENRAL INFORMATION_________________________________83

REFERENCES _________________________________84

FOREWORD:

I’ve been developing a special interest in the urban and regionalscale issues, since my undergraduate thesis in architecture, whichwas an urban-scale renovation for the Shipyard Quarter in Guayaquil,Ecuador. That research started as an exploration of the boundarybetween natural events (in this case, the Guayas River and thesurrounding estuaries) and the City, the urban event. Myintervention proposal wanted to generate a third space between thetwo existing ones, following Hegel’s principles.

Years later, during my professional practice, I’ve been lucky enoughto be involved in big-scale projects; such as Guayaquil’s BusTerminal (915.000 ft²), and Guayaquil’s Samanes Park, the secondbiggest park in South America, with 940 acres. Those opportunitiesmade me aware of the impact that one person’s decision may have intoa huge area.

Then, when I started to write a bi-weekly column in the most readnewspaper in my country, about Guayaquil’s urban conflicts, Istarted to go deeper into those problems a Metropolis have to dealdaily. That helped me to understand the city as a collectiveorganic system, whose problems are basically urban decompensationscaused by a lack of understanding the city as a whole.

All those experiences pushed me to read about Urban Metabolism.

AWARDS:• The Floating Parks for the Guayas River.

APA-AL 2013 Student CompetitionFirst Prize

• The Inhabitable Docks for the Salado EstuaryWAC 3rd Competition Mention of Honor

FLOATING PARKS FOR THE GUAYAS RIVER:

Guayaquil is the biggest city inEcuador. The city’s population isaround 2.5 million people, and morethan 3million people in its Metro area.While Quito is Ecuador’s Capital andtherefore, the political center,Guayaquil is the biggest portinfrastructure in the country. However,the Guayas river -Guayaquil’sconnection with the Pacific ocean- hasbeen suffering several problems becauseof its streams sedimentation. In 1950,the city was forced to relocate theports on the south side, breaking theexisting relations between the city andthe port activities, affecting therelations among its urban zones.

Since then, navigation on the Guayasdecreased dramatically andsedimentation has become critical. Evena small island appeared during the lasttwo decades.

The consequences of the caudaldeterioration may be harmful for thecity. Flooding and water shortage maybe in Guayaquil’s future, if nothing isdone to avoid it. The river's futuredepend on human’s will to use it andtherefore, to preserve it.

This research started in order to lookfor a proposal that might bringbenefits to the community, whilelinking the people back with the river.That’s when the Floating Parks appearedon the scene.

Instrad of carrying vehicles, this barges are implemented withvegetation, public furniture, small trees and some other shadegenerators; in order to make trips over the river comfortable andunique. The “Floating Park” replaces the conventional idea of a“floating bus” as usually river transportation has been treated.Although barges may not be fast, they still have some advantages duringpeak hours and traffic jams.

Finally, the Floating parks can also “create” public spaces whenneeded. The floating parks can be still one beside the other,transforming themselves into a bigger park; which might be useful –forexample- for cultural events, like concerts. Musicians or actors canuse the floating parks as a stage; while the audience enjoys the showfrom the riverfront.

Diploma given during the award-ceremony of the Alabama Chapter of theAmerican Planning Association.

INHABITABLE DOCKS IN THE

SALTED ESTUARY:

This was a project planned as a solution for the slums settlements locatedthe estuary waters that surround the southwest side of the city.

The idea is to provide the existing dwelling units with an structure thatwould support them, after relocating them. It also would provide electricpower, water and connections to the sewage system; while it provides apublic space and infrastructure for small economy development.

The intervention area is pretty much like this: a lot of dwelling unitsbuilt with no structural background over the waters, destroying theexisting mangrove forests.

After relocating the existing dwelling units into the inhabitable docks(houses are only conditioned by weight and volume), mangrove can bereforest in the surrounding areas.

OTHERCOMPETITIONS:

• Proposal for Quito’s Financial Platform.• Proposal for Ecuador’s Legislative Palace

Renewal• Proposal for a Housing Project

in “El Beaterio”, Quito.• Street Design proposal for New York’s

• 42nd Street.

PROPOSAL FOR THE FINANCIAL PLATFORM

IN QUITO, ECUADOR:

In Quito we can find the infrastructureestablished by colonial miscegenation.The void space of the plazas work aslandmarks which articulate social andpolitical relations. The same happens in asmall scale, when the domestic spacesconnect themselves through the typicalinner patio taken from the Spanishdwelling model.

This was seen like the opportunity torefresh the concept of the publicbuilding, by taking away some elementrelated with power and oppression. Publicbuildings and public spaces should benamed so for being used by the public as agathering place, beyond the publicinstitutions that may be contained insideof them.

Voids and solids at any scale:

Quito is contained in a narrowglaciar valley, where themountains occupy a great partof the landscape. The sky isforced to share its space withthe mountains, way above theheads of the people. Fromthere mat come the beginningof this solid and voidrelation.

This pattern of compositioninspired incas and panyards intheir understanding of spaceand their shaping of thebuilt-up environment.

Later, on the 2oth century,the jones-odriozolla planturned into an alternative todefine the city growth acrossthe complex geography thatsurrounds it. Metropolitanparks were used as big-scaledvoids; combined with circlesin the main street crossings.

This proposal pursues toexplore the solid-void natureof Quito on the design of theFinancial Platform, which maybe understand as therelocation of differentinstitutions related with themanagement of the Ecuadorianeconomy.

Quito’s Jones Odriozola Plan. The Concept.

The Design Components.

1. The Buildings 2. The Ramp 3. The minorSquare

4. The slope 5. TheAuditorium.

A Street Design for the 42nd Street.Newy York, NY.

This competition requested a street design for the 42nd Street in NewYork. Participants are requested to consider a light rail that is goingto be built in the future.

In order to do something remarkable and unique -something that only couldhappen in New York- this proposal suggested to complement the light railwith a roller-coaster.

Remodeling and Expansion ofthe National Assembly of Ecuador

The existing building of the National Assembly in Quito, Ecuador, is notbig enough. The competition asked to their participants to connect theactual building with some new buildings and also with some existing others.Some of them are registered as historic heritage. Also, the public spacesbetween them must be intervened.

Office Building for Congressmen

The new buildings follow the modern lines from the 1950s thatcharacterizes the main building. It is designed to contain theassemblymen’ offices.

There are some void spaces, in order to have some spaces to expand thearea, in case the number of assembly members will be increased in thefuture.

A Housing Project for “El Beaterio”,Quito, Ecuador.

A big-scale housing project, organized by the Ministry of Housing. Thisproject was meant to be developed in the south side of Quito in an areacalled “El Beaterio”, an abandoned industrial zone, that requires to bedeveloped.

COMMUNITY PLANNING:• Slope Analysis.

• A Urban Community Design.• A University Campus Project.• Urban Proposal for Mobile’s

• Peninsula Area.• Proposal for Urban Renewal

of Montgomery’sPeacock Place.

SLOPE ANALYSIS:

A URBAN COMMUNITY DESIGN:

A DENSE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS PRJECT:

Using the footprintfrom the existingbuildings in AuburnUniversity Campus,students were asked toredesign the campus,with a higher density.

Sketches:

Land Use Zoning proposal

The Peninsula, Mobile, AL:

The Peninsula Areais in the South ofMobile Downtown. Itwas one of thefirst areas in thecity developed witha suburban style.Most of theirinhabitants, usedto depend on thelabor positionsrelated with theAir Force Baselocated beside thearea.

The shutting downof the Base andHurricane Katrinahit this area hard,and so far thecouldn’t recoverfrom them.

This proposalpursues to setregulations thatwill motivate theurban developmentin the area, basedon flood safety,inclusion of mixedareas and promotionof new economicactivities.

In order to get that, there must be a recognition of areas under the floodline. Those areas use to be conditioned by hard and expensive insuranceterms. New residential developments there might be more flexible, if theinsurance contracts rely on new and safer building technologies.

However, the area need places for business and for social gathering. A urbansquare is proposed for the actual Trimmers Park, with a bigger density andmixed uses.

Since Airbus is about to open an plant in the Air Force Base, this proposalrecommends the development of a business area between the airport and theMobile Bay. Hotels, convention centers, restaurants, bars and retails. Thoseactivities may complement Airbus and the airport.

Zoning & Street Design proposal

For Mobile Street. Montgomery AL:

Peacock Place is an area besideDowntown Montgomery, AL; blightedsince it was crossed by twoFreeways.

The Planning Department of theCity of Montgomery requested anintervention to recover thisabandoned area.

Our group was designated to workon the area of Mobile Street; apart of the Historic March walkedby Martin Luther King Jr. and allthe persons who fought with him inorder to pursue for fair civilrights.

PROJECT GOALS

• Improve bike andpedestrian facilitiesalong the Mobilestreet corridor.

• Improve theintersections alongthe corridor tofacilitate bikes andpedestrians andimprove safety forboth.

• Maintain a highlevel of streetconnectivity andaccess

• Improve mass transitaccessibility anduse.

• Bring positiveactivity to the areato facilitateeconomic growth andculturalpreservation.

Considering that Mobile Street has a lot ofabandoned lots nearby, this proposal raises theconstruction of a small park in the area, which maywork as a public space, while also highlighting thehistorical value of the site.

In order to mark the streets used during the Historic Mach, we propose topave Mobile Street and some others with bricks molded with the shape of afootprint. Also, glass screens with pictures from the march will belocated in site.

Street bench

URBAN FURNITURE:

Street Light

PROFESSIONALEXPERIENCE:

• Los Samanes Park, Guayaquil.• Community Dock Prototype.

• Guayaquil Tennis Club Gate.• The “Pink Floyd” House.

• The “B, C & D” House.• “Montclair”.

• NoMíNIMO.• Olga Doumet Fine Couture Workshop.

• The Poly Ugarte Foundation Headquarters.• The “Ecohuellas” Center.

Los Samanes Park (Original Proposal).Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Project Location:

The project was requested by the Ecuadorian Government to use a hugearea, previously used by rice farms. The park hired Ricardo Mortola asthe project Manager. He hired me as the Architecture Manager.

The park extension is 380 Hectares (694 acres). We designated an area fora Natural Reservation. The other area contains a broad program; withsport fields, a “Great Lawn” like area for concerts and picnics and acontemplation area.

The third phase –located beside the river- had an artificial beach, acity of science and a Museum.

Program:

Surrounding the 2nd Phase, there’s a triple band for jogging, bicyclingand walking. This pedestrian bands have trees between them, in order toprovide some shade for the ones developing physical activities there.

Considering the lack of publicand recreational spaces in thearea, the first phase includesone third of its extensiondedicated to different kinds ofsport field, to satisfy theneed of recreationalactivities.

Sports fields are inserted inthe middle of reforested areas,in order to provide shade andwork as clear areas within aforest.

TheContemplationArea has aseries of pathspassing throughdifferent typesof vegetationand water. Inorder toremember itsprevious use asa riceplantation,rice plants arealso includedin thelandscaping.

Several lagoons and islands are conceived to provide landscapes thatinspire moments of introspection and silence. Local species are combinedwith some already introduced into the area; taking care on not producingconflictive mixtures of species.

A huge area will be destinedfor big scale events likeconcerts and festivals. Thecapacity of this area willbe 150.000 people.

The area can also be usedfor picnics, while there’sno event on the schedule.

The Daule River, beside the park does not have the best conditions todevelop a natural beach. However, the implementation of the “CrystalLagoons” would help to implement a big artificial beach for the people.

Community Dock Prototype (design).Guayaquil, Ecuador.

After receiving the Mention of Honor from the World ArchitectureCommunity, the City of Guayaquil requested us to explore the possibilityto design a inhabitable dock, but not for housing purposes but forCommunity services. This was the final prototype we presented.

Design Process:

AGORA

White Models:

2 Floors on the Dock

A Dock

Location of Spaces

The “Pink Floyd” House(about to be built).Guayaquil, Ecuador.

An un usual project for a urbanized city as Guayaquil. A house out of thecity limits, but with a modern line of design. The house is cut in foursections connected with bridges. As the lot has a slope that goes down thehill, the house begins with on floor on the first sections, and have twofloors in the others.

The “B, C &D” House(already built).

Portoviejo, Ecuador.

This house was designed by a huge contrast of users: a young couplerecently married and two third aged women. The client requested to includeall the spaces in just one floor. She also asked us to preserve all theexisting trees in the lot.

Guayaquil Tennis Club Gate(project).

Samborondon, Ecuador.

A Tennis Clubrequested someideas for itsmain entrance.We suggested touse build atransparentcontainer fillup with a layerof tennis balls,behind atransparentlayer of glass.

“Montclair” Men’s wear Store.Guayaquil, Ecuador.

A Retail store for men clothing. The upper floor was programed for suitstailoring. The stairway was conceived as an sculptural icon. In the groundfloor, the platform in the center works as exhibition desk and as catwalk.

“NoMíNIMO” Cultural Space (Art Gallery).Samborondon, Ecuador.

A small space that was meant to be used as an art gallery, with a smallclassroom and the manager’s office. The only way to keep the exhibitionarea and split the spaces according to the program requirements was to usefrosted glass divisions with steel wires in front of them.

Olga Doumet Fine Couture Workshop.Guayaquil, Ecuador.

A small space designed for a locally famous fashion designer.

Poly Ugarte Foundation’s Headquarters.(proposal)

Guayaquil, Ecuador.

We were requested to present a proposal to locate an Ecuadorian NGO thatworks against breast cancer. Their program was divided basically inadministration offices and a day clinic. The program generated twoindependent L-shaped buildings, that surround a small plaza.

“Ecohuellas”Center of Sustainable Development.

(proposal)Guayaquil, Ecuador.

An Ecuadorian NGO related with sustainable development had a lot of onehectare. They wanted to develop something that would help them with theinfrastructure the need on their daily activities. The program wasextended, projecting different phases for the future, like sustainableoffices for rent in a building with solar panels and a rain-watercollecting system; a research center done with a skin structure of bamboocain, etc.

CONFERENCES(posters and Pictures):

• Lecture for CEMDES; Guayaquil September 2009.

• Lecture in TEDx Peñas 2012, Guayaquil.

• The 2013 Galapagos International ArchitectureWorkshop (invited Teacher).

• Modern Architecture in Guayaquilduring the XX Century

Sustainable Building: The Moment of Change.Guayaquil, Ecuador 2009.

TEDx Peñas 2012:Improvement of Urban Spaces.

Guayaquil, Ecuador 2009.

The USFQ’sGalapagos InternationalArchitecture Workshop.

Puerto Ayora, Ecuador 2009.

Modern Architecture in Guayaquil.Samborondon, Ecuador 2009.

Invited Teacher for Second YearStudio of Architecture, AuburnUniversity College ofArchitecture Design andConstruction. Spring 2015.

Architect,University San Francisco deQuito,2001

University Teacher in threeCollegesof Architecture in Ecuador:Universidad San Francisco deQuito.-Univesidad Católica deGuayaquil-Universidad de EspecialidadesEspíritu Santo.

Columnist in “ El Universo”;the most read newspaper inEcuador.

Collaborator on Gkill City, anEcuadorian e-magazine.

TEDx Peñas 2012 Speaker

Independent Blogger on “Ladrillazos” [in spanish, “Brickshots”]

John Alejandro Dunn:

516 East Glenn Avenue, #128.Auburn, AL 36830.

• jzd0034@auburn.edu• dunnarq@gmail.com

Born on June 26th 1974,in Guayaquil, Ecuador.Married; two children.

Second Year Student, CommunityPanning Master Degree inAuburn, University.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Karen Rogers:• Associate Dean,Master of Community Planning Program School of Architecture, Planning andLandscape Architecture. Auburn University

• 334-844-5384

• klr0008@auburn.edu

REFERENCES:

John J. Pittari Jr.:• Associate Teacher,Master of Community Planning Program School of Architecture, Planning andLandscape Architecture. Auburn University

• 334-844-5424• johnpittari.jr@auburn.edu

Diego Oleas:• Former Dean,College of Architecture and Interior Design,Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ). Quito, Ecuador.

• doleas@usfq.edu.ec

Jaime López:• Head of the Galapagos International Architecture Workshop.College of Architecture and Interior Design,Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ). Quito, Ecuador.

• jlopez@usfq.edu.ec

David Hinson:• Professor and Head,• APLA, Auburn University.

• 334-844-5418• hinsondw@auburn.edu