graham kervin portfolio
DESCRIPTION
A collection of works in graphic, architectural, and photographic fields.TRANSCRIPT
portfolio of selected works
^ ^0703 17 37About Richard
Meier &PartnersArchitects
KrizovatkaOlomouc
Photography
Background
information and
professional
competencies
The art of
model building
as Manager of
the Model Shop
at a venerable
Manhattan
architecture firm
Series of thematic
graphic designs
carried out as
Creative Director
of a non-profit in the Czech
Republic
Collection of
photographs
selected from
numerous travels
and explorations
d e s i g n p o rt f o l i o | 2
contentscontents
3 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
aboutabout
fayetteville, ar
houston, tx
new york, ny
abilene, tx
rome, italy
olomouc, czech republic
edinburgh, scotland
d e s i g n p o rt f o l i o | 4
Richard Meier & Partners Architects : New York, NY Architecture firm dedicated to achieving openness, clarity, and beauty through intentional design. Manager of the Model Shop
Supervises the daily and long-term activities of the model shop. Coordinates with architects and
senior designers to interpret ideas, drawings, and digital constructs into physical models for
use among members of the firm, clients, and for promotional purposes. Hires, trains, and works alongside junior builders to develop creative solutions toward conceiving and executing projects.
KRIZOVATKA OLOMOUC : Olomouc, Czech RepublicA service and outreach organization dedicated to enriching the moral fabric of the city.Creative Director and Outreach Coordinator
Co-founded this non-profit organization to develop rapport with and cultivate moral values among local residents. Envisioned, directed, and supervised the organization’s creative output in
all manner of media. Interpreted and branded the face of the organization through everything
from posters, booklets, and T-shirt design to installations, photo/video editing, and advertising.
Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects : Little Rock, AR Architecture firm dedicated to sustainable design, innovation, and creativity in a holistic approach.Summer Architectural Intern
Visualized ongoing architectural projects in the firm. Enhanced drawings and digital models and developed presentation materials for public engagements, including television and the web.
oct 2013present
oct 2006aug 2012
june 2002aug 2002
Master of science and ReligionUniversity of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Master of Divinity : MDiv Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX
Bachelor of Architecture : BArch University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR
• Minor in Art History
aug 2013
may 2006
may 2003
^ ^
education
professional experience
richardmeier &Partnersarchitects
richardmeier &Partnersarchitects
N EW YO R K, N Ymanager of the model shop | 2013-present
OAKSfront
lineHyundai
seamarqHotel
Surfclub
7 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
richard meier
& partners architects
For more than fifty years the architecture firm of Richard Meier & Partners has upheld openness and
clarity as paramount components of any and every
architectural undertaking. With its signature white
color and defining grid, each project bears testimony to a design process that explores solid and void, light
and texture, in effort to inspire the mind and elevate
the senses. As an indispensible part of this process,
RMP relies on the materiality, weight, and tonal
qualities of physical models to capture the essence
of each design. Revealing deeper truths about a
design's formal and tectonic properties than drawings
or renderings alone, models offer clear insight into a
design's overall perception and its relationship with its
larger context.
As Manager of the Model shop, it is my responsibility
to supervise, strategize with, and train others in
physically modeling designs both in process and
in final iteration. I coordinate with architects and designers to interpret drawings and digital mock-
ups into physical models for use among members
of the firm, clients, and for promotional purposes. I also train, mentor, and work alongside junior model
builders to develop creative solutions toward the
conceiving and executing of projects. Moreover, my
duties extend to curating and repairing older models
on display at the firm's Model Museum in New Jersey.
Attaining
concrete
expression
and clarity
of design
through
the art
of model
building
The tools of the trade are as varied as the projects
themselves. From electric machines to hand tools,
every instrument is tuned to heighten and refine increasing degrees of precision and exactitude.
r i c h a r d m e i e r & pa rt n e rs | 8
9 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
o a ks f r o n t l i n e | 1 0
24" x 42" x 11"Sca le: 1 : 20 0
Nestled within the rolling countryside outside of
Prague, the Oaks Frontline project belongs to a
bold collaborative vision for a 220-home residential
development that spans hundreds of acres and as
many as 10 design teams. RMP's contribution to the
project is a series of clustered structures that house
25 apartment units and an integrated wellness center
that overlook the adjacent golf course. The varying
facades of the project are carefully designed to
accommodate and accentuate the undulations of the
topography, but also to reflect and engage with local Czech architectural and cultural sensibilities. Flanking
the apartment complex, two single-family villas reflect a more sculptural interaction with the landscape and
offer breathtaking views in every direction.
oaksfrontline
Prague, Czech Republic
1 1 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
Cascading down its gentle slope, the various elements of the Oaks Frontline
development, left, simultaneously complement and contrast with other, each incorporateing and departing from
common unifying features. Extended terracing, multi-directional louver systems, and bold geometric forms step away from the more traditional Czech construction while engaging the
surrounding context with a respectful
playfulness.
Below, a 1:50 scale model more pointedly examines the balcony and entry conditions of the apartment units. The louver screen spanning three stories of
this building underwent three different
iterations before culminating in the semi-
private membrane that showcases sliding
louvered panels that can be expanded
and collapsed according to need.
o a ks f r o n t l i n e | 1 2
Accompanying the overall site
model, two larger-scale facade studies were built to test as many as three
different variationsof the louvered
screens
1 3 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
34" x 34" x 1 6"Sca le: 1 : 3 0 0
From out of a seaside peninsula blanketed by
decades-old pine trees the Seamarq hotel rises
gracefully above the gently sloped summit. A two-
part complex, the project comprises the primary hotel
tower, a high-rise sculpted by angular and curving
planes, and the banquet hall, a lower component that
stretches across the base of the hill and connects to
the tower by means of an elevated glass corridor.
Various other support facilities, including an open-
air amphitheater, dot the hillside among the trees. In
contrast with one another, the high-rise bursts from
the hill, drawing full attention to the its stature, while
the banquet hall seems to emerge from the recesses
of the hill, still working to free itself from the dense
cover of trees. Despite their difference in height,
both volumes offer commanding views of the area,
with unobstructed views to the sea and countryside.
The hotel's program spreads itself across the entire
site, taking advantage of changes in topography
and carefully framed perspectives to maximize the
reclusive and majestic nature of the land. Lounges,
infinity-edge pools, a restaurant, and a spa adorn the most conspicuous points of the hotel complex.
HyundaiSeamarqHotelGyongpodae, South Korea
s e a m a r q h o t e l | 1 4
1 5 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
Perched upon the summit of the hill, the hotel high-rise, left, ensures spectacular views to the surrounding area. Each balcony orients guests toward the sea by means of a sober, angled privacy screen that plays off of the gently curved wall that wraps the opposite side of the tower. Beneath it and the entry plaza, the spa peeks out from the hill with a private
deck for sunning and bathing.
The entry plaza, pictured below, terminates in the joint between the
high-rise's more conspicuous tower for
rooms and a lower volume that houses
the restaurant and lobby. Vehicles circle the plaza around two infinity-edge water features and a sacred tree that blossoms
high above the stones.
At right, the model illustrates the complex as a whole as it masterfully takes root within and atop the peninsula. The cascading volumes of the project
demonstrate careful consideration for
the site, preserving its lively terrain and ancient forest while offering visitors paths
of circulation that engage intentionally with the numerous ups and downs.
S e a m a r q h o t e l | 1 6
despite its final cohesion, the
model was completedthrough an intermittentprocess that took three
years and three separate teams of
builders
s u r f c l u b m i a m i | 1 8
72" x 42" x 24"Sca le: 1': 1/1 6"
Situated just outside of downtown Miami along an
expansive 9-acre stretch of beach, the Surf Club
project is a primarily residential complex that met with
a distinct and noteworthy challenge: to expand upon,
dialog with, but not eclipse the buildings constituting
the existing historic Surf Club built in the 1930s.
With sensitivity to form, scale, materiality, and the
ubiquitous Miami sun, the new typology rises out of
the old with sophistication and style. Three separate
buildings--two residential towers flanking a central hotel--maximize twelve floors of breathtaking views toward both the Atlantic Ocean and the Miami skyline,
and ample provision of restaurants, pools, fitness centers, gardens, and 40 beach cabanas, provide
guests with a tireless list of amenities.
surf club
Miami, FL
Detail view from the northeast corner overlooking the
original Surf Club cabana apartments.Bird's-eye view to the north, looking down on the penthouse level of the South Building.
1 9 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
Bird's-eye view of the penthouse level of the North w Street view of the canopied entrance to the South
Building, with a view to the original Surf Club courtyard in the background.
s u r f c l u b m i a m i | 2 0
from start tofinish the Surf club's
three componentsrequired 7 months and
as many as 6 peopleto see it tocompletion
Beyond the shop's normal production of models, we
also engage periodically in mini-projects connected
with significant events in the lives of members of the firm, intended as a way to reflect and honor their interests and personalities. In the case of a
colleague's departure, for instance, he or she is given
a thoughtfully designed and crafted 'card' on which
everyone in the firm writes their name and well wishes. Other events such as birthdays and births are
similarly commemorated.
specialprojectsNew York, NY
2 1 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
Theskateboard 'city'
was composed from various scrap blocks
and carefully sanded tomeet and flex with the
deck's complex geometry
s p e c i a l p r o j e c t s | 2 2
In a break from orthodoxy, Pablo approached me regarding his farewell
card with a special request: could I possibly incorporate into his card a skateboard deck that he had kept stored
beneath his deck for many months, whihc was originally a part of a different extracurricular project? Always up for a challenge I obliged him, and after a few days thought about how best to utilize the deck, I fashioned the idea of a rich urban environment that gave
foundation to and rose above the plane
of the skateboard itself. After an intense 10 hours of work the cityscape emerged, reminiscent of projects at RMP but
imbued with a life of its own.
2 3 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
In order to commemmorate his 80th birthday I designed, planned, and
constructed for Richard Meier this photo
album of sorts to house a life of memories
and relationships. 80 3" x 3" photos were printed and mounted on museum
board, on which every member of the firm signed a short birthday greeting or thought to mark the occasion. The
box itself was devised as a set of pockets
in which the cards would sit in groups
of twenty, to be pulled out and looked through at leisure. It was fashioned from
cherry wood and polished to a sheen.
s p e c i a l p r o j e c t s | 24
Since Joey was leaving the model shop to go back to graduate school, we combined two of his great passions, reading and the Italian architect Bramante, to create a Tempietto-inspired set of book ends.
2 5 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
A gift to a dear friend with fond
memories of the Brooklyn Bridge, I endeavored to capture her experiences
with a 2-foot long slice of the East River. Based on detailed technical drawings, the model follows the bridge's original
specifications both above and below the water line as the Plexiglas river slices
through its foundations, revealing its full proportions.
s p e c i a l p r o j e c t s | 2 6
much thesame as its actual
construction, thebridge was built as A set
of Pieces that expand andcontract with the
thermal changes ofits setting
2 7 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
In honor of her Greek
heritage Katie received a
'Meier-ized' Parthenon
Ever the rockstar, Etienne was immortalized with
his own electric guitar
As the office cycling guru, Amir received a bicycle in keeping with his hard work at the firm.
Because of his attentive
services to the needs
of the shop, Justin was honored with a 'Meier-
ized' paper towel holder
s p e c i a l p r o j e c t s | 2 8
2 9 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
Every year the partners of the firm host a competition to design the holiday card to be sent out to all the
friends, family, and clients of Richard Meier & Partners
Architects. Pictured are two of the designs I submitted
for consideration, each based on work that had been
completed or begun construction on in the past year.
Holiday CardsNew York, NY
h o l i d ay ca r d s | 3 0
^̂ ^̂
KrizovatkaolomoucKrizovatkaolomouc
T H E I N T E R S E C T I O N
O lo m o u c, Cz ec h R epu b li ccreative director and outreach coordinator | 2006-12
EnglishCampvoices
the art ofpresentation
EnglishCamproots
EnglishCampcontrast
3 3 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
^ ^We founded this non-profit organization in 2006 with the singular purpose of nurturing moral and ethical
awareness in the hearts and minds of the citizens of
Olomouc, Czech Republic, a university-oriented city
in the center of Moravia. The nature of Křižovatka's work revolved entirely around what its slogan aspired
to: through love and service we connect paths. From
this modest ambition the scope of its work unfolded
in all directions, encompassing every demographic
from teenagers and university students, to adults and
young families. We conducted regular programs that
offered teens constructive after-school activites or
provided young mothers opportunities to meet and
find support in other young mothers, or that allowed students to increase their familiarity and confidence with the English language. Every year we also planned,
coordinated, and put on two week-long English
summer camps for younger and older teenagers.
These camps plunged Czech students into the midst
of classes, games, sports, and numerous other
activities that bolstered their courage in the English
language and cultivated friendship and community
with their peers.
As the Creative Director for Křižovatka Olomouc, my task was to establish and cultivate the public face
of the organization, interpreting the ideas driving
its short- and long-term visions into visual form. In
everything from its overarching goals and ongoing
programs, to annual camps and special events, I
was responsible for envisioning and supervising
its creative output in all manner of media. Besides
developing promotional materials such as posters,
flyers, and business cards, each year I realized and designed the entire aesthetic of each summer camp.
This entailed not only crafting the printed materials
used for advertising, but also creating T-shirts,
devising installations and props at camp locations,
and putting together videos to enhance specific themes.
The Křižovatka logo itself--a play on words that fuses the the word "intersection" with the cross of our
religious affiliation--is accompanied by the walking figure from a traffic light, letting the city understand that we were here to enrich, deepen, and help move
forward.
A promotional poster that centers
upon an iconic cast bronze map of
Olomouc in order to accentuate the
myriad intersections that crisscross and
punctuate our lives.
krizovatka olomouc
Through
love and
service
we
connect
paths
k r i z o vat k a o l o m o u c | 3 4
3 5 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
E n g l i s h ca m p c o n t r as t | 3 6
Every year our summer English camps revolved
around a central theme as a way to tie together the
various activities, programs, and messages into a
coherent and meaningful synthesis. For the theme
of this camp we chose Contrast in order to draw
attention to the competing and oftentimes polarizing
ideas that flood our everyday lives, as well as to accentuate the differences in choice and morality
that come to bear on a life of faith. Building off of
contrasting themes such as truth and falsehood,
good and evil, and selfishness and sacrifice, both the camp's message and its media strove to elucidate
these themes in recognizable and thought-provoking
ways. Composed of an innumerable amount of paired
opposites, the design thus captured the subtle and
infinitely complex ways that contrasting ideas shape our thought patterns and our identity in the world.
Every year our summer English camps revolved
around a central theme as a way to tie together the
various activities, programs, and messages into a
coherent and meaningful synthesis. For the theme
of this camp we chose Contrast in order to draw
attention to the competing and oftentimes polarizing
ideas that flood our everyday lives, as well as to accentuate the differences in choice and morality
that come to bear on a life of faith. Building off of
contrasting themes such as truth and falsehood,
good and evil, and selfishness and sacrifice, both the camp's message and its media strove to elucidate
these themes in recognizable and thought-provoking
ways. Composed of an innumerable amount of paired
opposites, the design thus captured the subtle and
infinitely complex ways that contrasting ideas shape our thought patterns and our identity in the world.
englishcamp
contrastFinding balance
amidst the
push and pull
3 7 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
For this camp we built upon the concept of roots in
order to illustrate the deep interconnectedness of
our lives, as well as to probe questions of our own
groundedness: where and in what do we have our
roots? Each day emphasized a particular moment
within the cycle of life itself, developing such themes
as origins, nuture and care, bearing fruit, and new life.
The design thus embodies this organic weave as it
emerges not simply in our own lives, but in the lives
of those that similarly grow around us. In its layering
it strives to render inseparable both our desire for
singularity and irrestible intertwinement as we move
in and out of changing environments and lives.
englishcampRootsDigging down
to bring out
who we truly are
e n g l i s h ca m p r o o t s | 3 8
3 9 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
e n g l i s h ca m p v o i c e s | 4 0
Every single day our minds and impressions are
flooded with innumerable messages and imperatives, pushed upon us in passive and active ways. We
chose for this camp the idea of Voices in order to call
attention to these influences, and the power they have to sway us in both positive and negative directions.
Through the murmurs of conformity and addictions,
or the shouts of competition and satisfaction,
the voices we hear speak to us persuasively and
compellingly, and the design sought to capture this
range of volume. We inevitably live in a world of
sound and a clamor of voices, but it falls to us to
strain out the whispers that communicate authenticity
and truthfulness. In other words, what do you hear?
englishcamp
voicesStraining to hear
the whisper within
a roar of sound
41 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
While in the Czech Republic a good deal of my
responsibility was not only to cooperate with and
expand our sphere of influence among Czechs, but also to spread the vision of our work among
sponsors and supporters back in the United States.
The nature of our daily routine was sometimes as
foreign to others as the language we were speaking,
so we had to become adept at the art and finesse of communication. This required regular interaction
with supervisors Stateside and, whenever home for a
period of furlough, the development of presentation
materials in the form of slide shows, video clips, and
whatever else that might help get across the richness
and variety of our life overseas.
the art ofpresentationHoning the craft
of communication
t h e a rt o f p r e s e n tat i o n | 42
4 3 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
t h e a rt o f p r e s e n tat i o n | 4 4
Additionally, it was part of my responsibility to
compose and send back to family, friends, and
supporters in the updates and information in the
form of newsletters. Coming out every few months, I
tailored the layout and graphic style of Life and Times
in Olomouc to fit the content, shaping each newsletter in such a way that it would convey wordlessly the
atmosphere and tone of the work at the moment.
Never using the same format twice, every newsletter
had its own personality and its own story to tell.
photographyphotography
glimpses through an attentive lens | 20o6-present
Trinity County, TXSeptember 2008
photographyphotography
Agra, IndiaAugust 2010
p h o t o g r a p h y | 4 8
Zurich, SwitzerlandMarch 2007
Loudon County, VASeptember 2008
4 9 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
Florence, ItalyMay 2011
Brooklyn, NYSeptember 2014
p h o t o g r a p h y | 5 0
Florence, ItalyMay 2011
5 1 | g r a h a m k e rv i n
Saint Amant, LAMarch 2009
p h o t o g r a p h y | 5 2
703 | 217 | 0181Brooklyn, NY 11216