24 January 2010

Architecture Foundation AustraliaGlenn Murcutt International Master Class 2010

Dear Selection Committee:

Thank you for your consideration for the 2010 Glenn Murcutt International Master Class. I am very interested in participating in order to learn and develop design capabilities specifically related to environmental, cultural and social factors. I am also excited about the collaborative and group experiences offered by the class.

Over the course of the last several years, these issues have become critically important to the projects I have been working on. I am currently serving as chief architect on a long term pro-bono project for a non-profit organization called Somalia 2020. Yusuf Ali, the organization’s founder, has outlined a bold proposal to build a Teacher’s College with student housing in the country of Somalia which has been decimated by war, piracy and lack of governance. It became clear to me that this project needed to relate to site, culture, natural phenomena, and the forces of place in very deep and meaningful ways.

I hope to gain insight and a deeper understanding about how I can more fully integrate these issues into my design process for this project through my atten-dance at the 2010 Glenn Murcutt International Master Class.

Thank you again for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Timothy C. Bicknell AIA, LEED AP1044MC

TIMOTHY C. BICKNELL, AIA, LEED AP 3447 COLFAX AVE S #8 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55408 +1 (612) 822.7130 H +1 (612) 749.9785 C tbarchitecture@msn.com

LICENSURE Registered Architect State of Minnesota, USA 2003

ACCREDITATION LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional 2004

NCARB (National Council of Architectural Registration Boards) Certified 2003

EDUCATION University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Master of Architecture 1996

University of New Mexico Bachelor of Arts in Architecture Magna Cum Laude 1994

PRACTICE AECOM Ellerbe Becket Minneapolis Project Architect 2006-present Julie Snow Architects Minneapolis, MN Project Archiect 1999-2005

Perkins & Will Chicago, Illinois Designer 1996-1999

Antoine Predock Architect Albuquerque, New Mexico Designer 1994

SELECTED WORK

Timothy C. Bicknell, AIA, LEED AP 1044MC Portfolio 2010 Murcutt Master Class Application

National Teachers College of SomaliaGarowe, Somalia

This is a bold proposal to build a National Teachers College in Somalia. This visionary project would be the result of collabo-ration between the University of Minnesota and the non-profit Somalia 2020. The design addresses the local setting including micro-climate and culture while also conforming to an over-arch-ing academic program. As an academic center, the College will support a learning environment and foster a sense of community and stability.

Timothy C. Bicknell, AIA, LEED AP 1044MC Portfolio 2010 Murcutt Master Class Application

Journey and Assimilation

Assimilating culture, environment, atmosphere and history are important pieces in my initial jour-ney when beginning the design process. At the time, the importance of much of this exploration is not known and re-emerges later in the process. These ideas strengthen as the translation of the site and project begin.

During an excursion with friends down the Rio Grande River in northern New Mexico, the idea was born to create a small inn for white water kayakers in the cliff face of White Rock Canyon. The project began as a series of sketches and collages. The journey and assimilation of these experiences provided the foundation for the design.

Timothy C. Bicknell, AIA, LEED AP 1044MC Portfolio 2010 Murcutt Master Class Application

Threatening Cliff InnWhite Rock Canyon, New Mexico USA

This small inn for white water kayakers is located in the White Rock Canyon of northern New Mexico near Los Alamos. The inn provides an overnight resting spot and access to cultural, natural, and historic points of interest.

Like the cliff dwellings of Bandelier, which can be easily reached via hiking trails from the inn, the units are carved into the cliff face and use south facing cliff walls as heat reservoirs to warm the interior spaces at night.

Timothy C. Bicknell, AIA, LEED AP 1044MC Portfolio 2010 Murcutt Master Class Application

An intentional contrast between high-tech ele-ments, such as the carbon fiber kayaks , and natural elements, such as the rock cliff faces echo a similar contrast between the nearby ‘doomsday laboratories’ of Los Alamos and the Native American Pueblo cultures of northern New Mexico.

The plan layout of the units provide a transition sequence from wet to dry areas. Gathering spac-es are provided where navigation strategies for the next day can be discussed. The metal hooks and ladder rungs can be manually removed to al-low the inn to eventually erode back into the cliff face after abandonment.

Timothy C. Bicknell, AIA, LEED AP 1044MC Portfolio 2010 Murcutt Master Class Application

The Marquette Hotel Entry Renovation lIDS Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota USAAIA Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Award 2009

Originally designed by Philip Johnson, the IDS Cen-ter and Marquette Hotel were completed in 1972 and became the symbol of an alternative method of large scale mixed-use urban development. It was necessary for the new entry to create a strong street presence in a manner that would be

consistent with the architectural language of the IDS Center.The program elements consist of two steel and glass entrance canopies, a new revolving door with adja-cent vestibule, a new colored concrete walkway with snow melt system, and a custom designed bench.

Original Entry

Timothy C. Bicknell, AIA, LEED AP 1044MC Portfolio 2010 Murcutt Master Class Application

Ralph Rapson Minnesota Architecture Foundation Competition Finalist 2007