AARON MIKOTTIS

ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO

2014

AARON
MIKOTTIS
ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO
Architecture offers graduates an incredible diversity of opportunities the field of work, size of project and scope of impact exist as a looming
question mark. What man can plot his journey through life? While my
journey remains an unknown, my course is set. Like stepping stones
across the pool of ambiguity, I reflect upon specific moments in my life
and identify their impact.
Being homeschooled from grades K-12, I learned from an early age the
importance of self- motivation, independent study, and pursuing my interests with passion. I find solace in working alone and joy in teamwork.
In 2006, I first recognized the full impact of hard work. As I was planning
my Eagle Scout project, I sought an opportunity with a lasting resolution.
I designed and built an altar for my church with a team of 13-16 year old
boys. Through this project, I learned to identify specific talents in others
and myself, the necessity of long term planning, and the value of strong
leadership. I experienced firsthand the long term impact a small team of
volunteers can make on the quality of life of many.
The Illinois Institute of Technology has broadened my perspective of architecture. I have studied abroad three times in five years. Residing in
France and Ghana has been eye opening. Specifically, I find architecture as an expression of culture and lifestyle fascinating. I yearn for the
big, the grand, the famous, but more importantly, I seek the small, the
quaint, and the vernacular. Living abroad has solidified my passion for
learning about cultures, the specific needs of people, and the societal
intertwining of architecture.
Ingrained into our daily existence, the reach of architecture is unavoidable. It has the power to make us feel, weep, give up, or go on. It can
ignite the fires of revolution or it can stamp out the spark of resistance.
Enamored by the scope of its potential, I ask myself a critical question,
Who do I want to reach as an architect? I desire to reach the most people in the most genuine way possible through the architectural medium.
In 2006, I designed and built an altar for my church. In 2014, I helped
design and build a library in Ghana. This is not enough. Ever onward, I
seek to reach a larger public.
3

1. Kulttuuritalo House of Culture by Alvar Aalto

2. Carving on Urnes Stavkirkes in Norway
3. Tautra Monastery, Norway
4. View of the Lofoten Islands, Norway
5. Prototype lamps in Alvar Aaltos studio, Finland
6. Flipping in the Norwegian Fjords
7. Academia Bookstore by Alvar Aalto
8. Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Russia
9. Parkour in Paris, France
10. Kulttuuritalo by Alvar Aalto
11. Relaxation and the Chicago skyline
12. Bibliotheque Nationale de France
13. Tl Bay, Helsinki, Finland
14. Near the Grand Helsinki Central Station
15. RogersLibrary by I.M. Pei, Columbus, Indiana
16. Aaltos Home and Studio, Finland
17. Soumelina Sea Fortress, off the coast of Helsinki
18. Ferry from Soumelina to Helsinki
19. View ofthe skyline of Rome
20. Alvar Aaltos very own shed
21. Aaltos Home and Studio
22. Same location as above
23. Crown Hall, Chicago
24. Tautra Monastery, Finland
25. Skyline of Utrecht, Netherlands
26. Notre Dame, Paris, France
27. Marketplace in Elmina, Ghana
28. Soumelina Sea Fortress, off the coast of Helsinki
29. Another snowy Chicago
30. Daily diet in Ghana
31. A harbor in the Lofoten Islands, Norway
32. Group shot in our library in Ghana
33. Dressed in traditional Ghanian royalty garb
34. A home in Kumasi, Ghana
35. Harrison Hotel, Chicago
36. Hinsdale, IL Metra Station
37. Affordable housing in Rome, Italy
38. Postcard of Rome examined in Paris
39. Ceiling of the Villa Borghese, Rome
40. Twifo Hemang, Ghana
41. Billboard in Cape Coast, Ghana
42. Market Day in Praso, Ghana
43. White Sands National Park, New Mexico
44. Baths of Diocletian, Rome
45. Flipping ourside the Pantheon
46. Oops duplicant photo of Market day in Praso
47. Back side of stores in Twifo Hemang, Ghana
48. Birds in flight, Rome, Italy

analysis
synthesis
action

LINCOLN
PARK BOAT HOUSE
p.6
VIEW
SILO HOUSE
p.12
CASA
POLI
p.14
HARRISON
HOTEL
p.16
MONASTERY
p.18
MENTAL LANDSCAPES
p.22

TRADIITIONS APP
p.24

(MY) LIBRARY PROTOTYPE

p.28

(REAL) GHANA LIBRARY

p.32

PROFESSIONAL WORK
p.42

LINCOLN
PARK
BOAT
HOUSE

BOATERS + BEACONS
What is the role of a private building on public
property? This boat house acts as a beacon for
boaters and the local community alike, opening itself to the face of the river and reaching
for the sky from the road.

Above: This section highlights all of the activities that

the boaters will be preforming on site. Activities related
to the physical boats range
from transporting their
sculling boats to the river
from the road, maintaining
their boats outside, to storing inside them inside. Activities in the tower include
hosting formal gatherings,
holding classes, managing
the club, and exercise on
rowing machines.
Right: A rendering of the assembly area and its intersection with the folliage on site.

SLOT + TOWER

By introducing only two pure elements onto the site, the public
functions of a park do not collide
with the requirements of a private boating club. The slot down
to the river anchors the park on
the southeast corner, allowing
the 50-0 sculling boats to be
transported with ease. On the
opposite side of the site, the tower sits raised above the ground
plane, instead choosing to interact with the site in section.

10

hand drawn + photoshop

1: Site Plan
Instead of detracting from the site, the addition of the boat
club provides a park to the local community, complete with
light wells and a pond. All this is done without interfering with
the busy functions of a popular boat club.
2: Coming Home
View looking north-east, as seen from the perspective of the
boaters. The storage area for the boats is on display from this
level; they are safely hidden from the view of the public that
can use the park.
3: Race Day
View looking south-east, as seen from the observation deck.
The sculling boats are safely obscured by the reflecting pool
that lines the edge of the park, but the activities on the Chicago River are availible for all to watch.

11

VIEW
SILO
HOUSE
SECOND YEAR CASE
STUDY PROJECT
Spring 2011 studio opened with a two week case
study project. Working with one partner, we used
existing plans, elevations, and an understanding
of light frame wood construction to frame out a
model of the View Silo House by RoTo Architects
at the scale of 1/8 = 1-0.
Left to right:
Shot showcasing the two story tilted wall
Exterior rain screen cladding shot
Model displaying interior finishes
Comprehensive shot of the model

12

13

14

hand drafted + photoshop

CASA POLI
FIRST YEAR CASE STUDY PROJECT

A four week project in the spring of 2010 involved hand drafting

of plans, sections, elevations & perspectives, and the creation of a
component model of the Casa Poli House by Pezo von Elrichausen
Architects. Drawings were done to 1:200. Model is 1:100.

15

HARRISON
HOTEL
ARCHITECTURAL
PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION
HONORABLE MENTION
Awarded in IIT Exposures Iconic Chicago 2014 competition. As
an honorable mention, it hung as a part of the exhibition in the
McCormick Tribune Campus Center.

About: I entered this photo

because it shows the icons
of Chicago in a way that I really see them - from behind
or through an alley, never a
destination, but always an
anchor, vaguely locating myself within the greater fabric
of the city.

16

17

18

MONASTERY

CISTERCIAN MONKS IN COLUMBUS, IN

19

Rhinoceros + 3DS Max + Hand Drawing + Photoshop

THE MONOLITH
AND THE MAN
Based off studies of the medieval town of Tallin, Estonia, the monastery located in Columbus, Indiana
combines grand with modest and structural systems
with human scale textonics. Concrete beams span
the compound in a web, defining space and creating
voids. Ever connected, the monastery reflects the life
of ritual and repetition that the monks inside carry out
on a daily basis.

Above: Inside the refectory, monks eat meals, pray three times
a day, gather for meetings, and listen to speakers.
Left: The structural beam on the periphery of the dormitory
is located such that the morning prayer routine becomes a
unique sensory activity for the monks. After preforming their
morning chores, the laymen return to their room bathed in
a ray of light from the morning sun. Once this solitary task
is done, the east facing rooms are once more submerged in
darkness, encouraging the inhabitants to return to their communal activities elswhere.
Opposite: The plan of the compound includes a church, the
refectory, library, dormitory, and study all attached to the central cloister. Circulating the monastery maximizes modulation
of light by means of collonades and beams, offering new comtemplations for the different times of day and variety through
the seasons.

20

21

PARIS STUDIO
COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENTATION

22

Mental Landscapes is a book that exhaustively documents my semester abroad in Paris.

Featured below is Adolf Loos and the Space of a Phone Call: a 20 page essay on architectural theory through
the lens of history. Written for the architectural history elective ARCH 497: Building as Model it has won third
place in the Edwin H. Lewis Prize For Non-Fiction 2013 and is published in the awards book.

23

Tradiitions is a loyalty program that incentivises students of the Illinois Institute of Technology to attend
events on campus by scanning QR codes, leveling up, and earning prizes. I worked with a small group of
friends in the architecture and computer science majors to tap into the smartphone market and tackle the
issue of low school pride on my campus. Above: Photo of a brochure that we passed out to the alumni
association.
24

TRADIITIONS
ATTEND EVENTS. LEVEL UP. EARN PRIZES.

25

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2011, The Princeton Review listed the Illinois Institute of Technology as the ninth least happy campus in the
United States. Almost all students report that they find the campus to be unsocial. But why? The problem
is not a lack of events on campus -- its the lack on interest in attending them and difficulty in finding social
events that appeal to their specific interests. I worked with three interprofessional friends to solve both problems simultaneously. Our app acts as a rewards program and an event directory at the same time, allowing
students to browse events, set reminders, and share their upcoming plans on social media.
Winner of the 2014 IIT Reimagination Challenge and featured on FOX News, our solution to low pride on
campus will be implemented in the Fall 2014 Semester and preloaded onto all iPads distributed to freshmen.

26

Opposite: After winning the Reimagination Challenge, I had the opportunity to present our
project to IIT President John Anderson, the Dean of Academic Affairs, and the Alumni Assoiciation. The presentation was a hit -- both the dean and the president personally congratulated
me on my presentation and pledged their support for the idea. We have received funding from
the school to implement the project.
Top Left: Feeling much like the crying hawk, our interprofessional group of four decided to solve
this problem. As a tech school, why not come up with a tech solution?
Top Right: The athletics tab displays all upcoming games, keeping them informed and encouraging students to build hawk pride.
Bottom Right: An example QR code that students scan to earn points. This particular code
was used at the reimaginiation challenge, where beta testers could snap up their first points.

27

LIBRARY
PROTOTYPE
28

An independent design solution to a larger problem:

the literacy and continued education of young people
in rural Ghana, Africa.

DESIGN // BUILD
STUDIO PART 1
29

Top to bottom:
Birds eye view with the roof
removed showcases the life
inside the library as well as
its pure geometrical form.
Close up shot of the truss
and louver system. walls are
made of rammed earth and
then topped with a concrete
sill.

photos by sherry huang

The approach - users enter the library through an

opening punched in the
solid mass and ascending
a single step. (this prevents
flooding as well and keeps
out snakes)

30

AN INVESTIGATION
IN INDIGENOUS
CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUES
During the 2013 spring semester, students
pursued individial design proposals. My
prototype explored rammed earth construction. Four solid masses contain the
books and handle administrative functions,
leaving the rest of the space to be open to
adaptive use. Waist-height louvers allow for
natural ventilation and stage perfect areas
for study on the inside and places to gather
on the benches outside. The large inverted
roof invites in both visitors and cross-breezes, while the central opening provides abundant light and respects the local courtyard
form prevalent in public spaces in Ghana.

31

photo by diane konecky

32

DESIGN // BUILD
STUDIO PART 2
A collaborative effort to improve the
lives of young people in a developing
country.

GHANA
LIBRARY
33

photo by diane konecky

Above: View looking north. The tree line is the end of
school property and marks the beginning of the rubber production from channels carved into the trees.
Right: View looking south, taken from the top of the
hill that the school is on. The other buildings in the
shot are also belong to the school, serving as offices
and classrooms.

34

TWIFO HEMANG
SECONDARY TECHNICAL
SCHOOL

photo by sherry huang

Located in Twifo Hemang, a small village in the

Central District, Twifo Hemang Secondary Technical School was the perfect place for a group of 14
students to reach out and lend a hand. In just nine
weeks, students from the Illinois Institute of Technology and Professor Frank Flury collaborated with
locals and built a library measuring 36x48, complete with custom doors and furniture. The library is
composed of two formal sections: a solid, enclosed
area for the storage of books and an open air study
area. The Central District serves 83 schools. This was
their first library.

35

Top left: IIT Student Nickolas Miller

shovels out the footings for the concrete
foundations. All of this labor was done by
hand; there were no Bobcats or Caterpillars
in the village.
Middle left: After being mixed in a pile, concrete was shoveled into wheelbarrels and
carted to its destination. Large aggregate
was used for the foundation.
Bottom left: Students Aaron Mikottis and
Matthew Sczerbiak are hard at work installing the formwork for the concrete beams.
Scaffolding was made on site prior to the
installation of the formwork.

photos by diane konecky

Right: Students and community members

work into the night to finish up the slab in a
single pour. As this was a landmark day of
work, specatators abounded.

36

HAND DUG, HAND

MIXED, HAND MADE
Power tools are a rarity in Ghana and were not
in our budget. Instead, we learned the value
of doing things the traditional way. We dug
trenches by hand. We mixed concrete with
shovels. We used a crank screwdriver. One exception to this rule was the pouring of the slab
- we simply had to rent a small concrete mixer.
Even so, we worked past dusk to complete the
slab in a single pour.

37

BROKEN HAMMERS AND DULL SAW BLADES

These were common causes for concern on the site - who makes hammers with plastic handles, anyway? The
precious tools brought from America with solid steel bodies were soon found to be in short supply around the
site. Soft nails collapsed when struck into the hardwood joists and saw blades didnt want to cut through, but
we made do with the resources availible to us... Bamboo scaffolding actually looks really beautiful underneath
the African sky.

38

photo by sherry huang

Above: A team of eight gets the rafters in place on the roof.
Each wooden joist is 62-0 long and must be received by a
team on the ground with a support in order to get it past the
concrete beams and onto the roof.

Bottom right: A team is loading up another joist. It had to be

paced just right so that the participants in the middle could
safely get up on the scaffolding while still moving forward.

photos by diane konecky

Top right: Shot detailing the beginnings of the formwork for

the concrete beams. Bamboo was in abundance and made excellent supports. Its all about the precision on the hand saw.

39

40

photo by diane konecky

photo by diane konecky

DOORS AND WALLS

The perforated brick walls were one of
the last things to be completed on site;
we hired a brickmaker in the village and
he made them in phases. We were met
with many delays due to the frequent rain
storms and often did not know when the
next batch would be ready. We made due!
During periods of downtime, we made
custom doors with the assistance of John
Kriegshauser, a craftsman, professor at
IIT, and chairman of the Chicago Furniture Designers Association.
Top left: a group of students go over their group homework assignment
in the new library.
Bottom left: Detail shot of the custom door sawn, planed, and assembled
by hand. The door is designed to reduce expansion and contraction from
fluctuating moisture levels with the orientation of grain and spacing of
nails.
Top right: Light pours into an interior shot of the open air study area.
photo by sarah harvey

photo by diane konecky

Below: Exterior shot of the completed building, as seen from the road.

41

PROFESSIONAL
DRAWINGS
SAMPLES FROM MY TIME AT
WALLIN GOMEZ ARCHITECTS

The Evanston Museum of Time and Glass is a project that I have

dedicated many hours of time at Wallin Gomez Architects.
With five floors totaling 22,500 sq ft, it is the largest project I
have worked on to date.

Below: Monument Sign design and rendering

for the Evanston Museum of Time and Glass.
The sign is made from a combination of limestone and corten steel. Limestone panels are
the same units that clad the exterior of the
museum proper.
Right: Basement and first floor plans on the
22,500 sq ft project. Plans are drawn to 1/8th
inch scale in collaboration with other employees. I have worked on this project for two
years at WGA.

42

43

Opposite Top: Door and

frame schedule for the Museum of Time and Glass.
With over 65 doors and
frequent design changes,
it was a challenge to maintain accuracy in AutoCAD.
I have coordinated with
the contractors and made
revisions to their hardware
choices when deemed necessary.
Opposite Bottom Left: One
of many plan details drawn
for the Wendys remodel
jobs that WGA receives in
abundance. Through these
projects, I have learned a lot
about prototypical designs
and implementing them on
specific sites.

WALL SECTION
This wall section details the construction of the
storage unit on the penthouse of the museum.
Drawn at 1/2 = 1-0.

44

Opposite Bottom Right:

Custom wayfinding signage
for the Museum of Time
and Glass. Due to fire code
laws in the City of Evanston,
each landing in staircases
that span more than two
floors must have a wayfinding sign. Try getting lost in
my stairwells, I dare you!

SCHEDULES
AND SIGNAGE
I was responsible for all the
schedules and signage on this
project, maintaining accuracy
and checking code compliance.

45

RESUME

46

AARON MIKOTTIS
2024 S. WABASH AVENUE
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
312-221-8960
amikottis@gmail.com

EDUCATION

ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE
2009 - 2014
SUMMA CUM LAUDE
SCANDINAVIA STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM
Summer 2011
IIT PARIS PROGRAM
Fall 2012
DESIGN // BUILD IN GHANA, AFRICA
Spring 2013 + Summer 2013

AFFILIATIONS

EXPOSURE (A PHOTOGRAPHY INTITAIVE)

Board Member
IIT MAGIC: THE GATHERING
Vice President
AIAS - IIT Chapter
Subgroup Leader
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Eagle Scout

AWARDS

IIT REIMAGINATION CHALLENGE

Winner of the Short-Term Vision Category
Implemented with IIT administration in 2014
Featured on FOX News
WOMENS ARCHITECTURAL LEAGUE
FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
2013 Winner
JOHN AUGUR HOLABIRD FELLOWSHIP
STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP
2012 Winner
ELIZABETH DROSTE TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP
2012 Recipient
COMMUNITY SERVICE GOLD AWARD
Awarded in 2009

ARCHITECTURAL EXPERIENCE
2012 - PRESENT
WALLIN GOMEZ ARCHITECTS
Project Architect

SELECTED PROJECTS:
5557 University Ave................................7100 sf
Chicago, IL
project administration, demo, permitting
Cassell and Prussin Modular
Chicago Public Schools.....................6 & 8000 sf
Chicago, IL
prototyping, electrical, plumbing, landscaping
Museum of Time and Glass.................22500 sf
Evanston, IL
phased permitting and construction, reflected
ceiling plans, sections, structural details
2010 - 2012
FARRODYNE USA, INC
Waterjet Technician
material studies, industrial design, custom
fabrication, surface finishes, machine
maintenance, drawing, designing, cutting,
new employee training

ARCHITECTURAL SKILLS

AutoCAD power user, experience with Revit

Rhinoceros + Grasshopper, 3DS Max, Sketchup
Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom
Microsoft Office, HTML, CSS, Processing
CNC Machines, Laser Cutters, 3D Printers
Strong Public Speaking + Presentation Skills

1. Apartments in Barcelona, Spain

2. Yet another famous church in Rome
3. State Street in the early am
4. Capitals of the Pantheon
5. Student Housing at Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands
6. Driving down the Rocky Mountains, Colorado
7. Campsite in New Mexico
8. Leaving said camp site
9. Tent Rocks National Monument
10. White Sands National Park
11. Rattlesnake Canyon Pass, New Mexico
12. Roof Construction in Ghana
13. The Day before my sisters wedding
14. Chillin with the grandparents
15. Leaping at the Palais Omnisports, Paris
16. I need to recrop this photo, dont look
17. Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
18. Museum of Soviet Life in Tallin, Estonia
19. Me and da Biebs, besties
20. Exploring and scaffolding
21. Santa Monica Beach, California
22. Wallrun at the wall of death, Chicago
23. Diveroll at the MSI, Chicago
24. Rocking dat Asian Style Karaoke
25. Chilling with my younder brother on wedding day
26. Tourism in Twifo Hemang, Ghana
27. Bonding with my new friends in Ghana
28. Relaxation is great in Dallas, Texas
29. Not Market Day, Twifo Praso, Ghana
30. Party hats in Lombard, Illinois
31. Woah how did this picture get in twice
32. Beachin in my younger years
33. Fence of cannons in Soumelina, Finland
34. Dominating the dance floor
35. A true superman front flip
36. Kiasma Museum by Steven Holl
37. Foothills of the Rocky Mountains
38. Tent Rocks National Monument
39. Fish in Chinatown, Chicago
40. Mud house and Locals in rural Ghana
41. Brick house in rural Ghana
42. Shot of our accomodations in Ghana
43. Group shot in our library, Ghana
44 Ferry from Soumelina to Helsinki
45. Helsinki, Finland. Near the train station.
46. Indigenous housing in Twifo Hemang, Ghana
47. Alvar Aaltos Home and Studio
48. Ivy and a neighborhood of Paris, France

48

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48
49