heather gibbons

selected works
 contents
cv + statment I1 | multi-purpose pavilion M2 | multi-unit
housing S7 | dinner pavilion S5 | wall house S4 | guest
house S3 | art works P3 | wood working P2 | photography P1
I1 cv + statement
education
carleton university | ottawa
school of architecture and urbanism
bachelor architectural studies | 2011
university of nottingham | england
school of architecture and built envi-
ronment | exchange | 2011
dalhousie university | halifax
school of architecture and planning
master of architecture | candidate
experience
AEC daily, inc. | newmarket
continuing education developer
| 2 workterms
june 2011 - august 2011
may 2009 - august 2009
may 2008 - august 2008
formworks architects | barrie
designer
may 2010 - august 2010
industry canada - CRC | ottawa
architecture intern | 2 workterms
september 2009 - april 2010
awards | nominations
cyril m. leeder prize - outstanding
urban design project recipient | 2011
stantec architecture prize - excel-
lence in comprehensive studio hous-
ing project nominee | 2011
ontario international education op-
portunity scholarship recipient
| 2010
carleton university entrance scholar-
ship recipient | 2006
technical proficiency
autoCAD, sketchup, formZ, blender,
adobe creative suite, microsoft of-
fice, understanding - rhino, revit
special skills
advanced drawing - pencil, pen,
marker, charcoal | painting - acryl-
ic, oil | photography | architectural
modeling, representations | life-long
athlete | musician - piano, guitar
statement
My natural surroundings have
shaped me into a student of archi-
tecture dedicated to creating a bal-
ance and relationship between the
built and natural worlds in which we
live.
Over the past six years of my stud-
ies, my methods of architectural
conception have been one of imagi-
nation, creation, and fabrication,
whether it be physical objects, hand
or computer renderings, or imagin-
ings. The understanding of form,
contrast, and articulation, as well
as a continually evolving design
process, have guided my work and
challenged my thinking through my
explorations into the architectural
experience.
Architecture abounds with cultural
intent and purpose. It provides the
avenue to communicate in harmony,
balancing the man-made in relation
to the surrounding natural environ-
ment. Consequently, my work at-
tempts to simplify the principles and
ordering systems upon which con- lae for design, it is essential that the
textual and theoretical architectural fundamental principles upon which
relationships are based. My designs architectural precedent is based is
are characterized by an introduction not forgotten or overlooked. Accord-
of ideas or concepts from the lower ingly, I use new tools and methods of
order of minutia – details of interior design and fabrication to abstractly
design and street level construction enhance and articulate the metaphor
where interactions with architecture of architecture in its justification and
are personal, to the macro ideas meaning.
of form, structure, and narration –
larger ideas of the organization and This portfolio contains work com-
clarity of programmatic ordering, pleted over the past six years at
material presences of structure, and Carleton University, the Univsersity
intangible contextual observations. of Nottingham, Dalhousie University,
I start with a familiar object, and and a selection of personal works.
through shifts in scale, articulation,
materials, and context, lead to vary- Heather Gibbons
ing levels of abstraction in design to e | ht360799@dal.ca
create complete and sincere archi-
tecture, rich with depth and mean-
ing.
Edges, vertices, and faces have led
to new methods of simulating and
modeling architectural creations.
While new tools and technologies
have led to radical behaviours in
representation and intricate formu-
M2 multi-purpose pavilion

dalhousie masters | collaborative project

The 400sqft multi-purpose pavilion serves as a warming hut for skiers, a lunch and resting point for the
local pony club, and as a place of storage and refuge for fisherman.

In the design, one large room is supported by four small spaces that double as sleeping nooks and circula-
tion paths. Lofts over the front and back decks provide the main sleeping spaces. A bench, hearth, and a
counter are totemic elements of the design.

The end gables are layered with polycarbonate panels behind a vertical hemlock screen. Large pivoting
doors open onto a deck while a large window over the bench provides views of the adjacent ancient oak
tree which acted as a focal point of the the site.
S7 multi-unit housing

carleton 4th year

The multi-unit housing complex explores the architectural relationship between the existing Cathedral on-
site, and that of the proposed perimeter-style development.

Rectangular volumes forming the residential units, responding to the geometry of the Cathedral, were
sliced into planes, extruded, articulated, and spatially inhabited to create a development of mixed multi-
unit housing. A sunken courtyard provides an informal place for social interactions of residents while also
allowing the church to flow out and populate the space both organically and with structure.
ground floor first floor second floor third floor fourth floor fifth floor sixth floor
S5 dinner pavilion

carleton 3rd year | collaborative project

The dinner pavilion explores the challenges of a site-specific design/build structure to host nine people for
an evening meal through the collaboration of seven students. The underlying conceptual theme sparking
the project was the duality of the natural and man-made aesthetic, inspired by the existing train bridge
on the riverbank site.

The programme was split into three distinct areas: the eating/cooking/social area, the void, and the ingre-
dients space. The void was established to create false perspective, and as an analogy of a train between
stations, a space of nothing.
S4 wall house

carleton 2nd year

The house is a series of arranged nests of space that react to the character’s need for differing zones.
Conceptually, the walls serve to compose a succession of moments and intervals relating to the habitable
pockets formed in both the interior and exterior. As the volumes nest, and the walls overlap, privacy is
created by opacity making more intimate nests for the inhabitant – each layer if peeled away, revealing
the private, more personal depths of the occupant.
 first floor

ground floor
S3 guest house

carleton 2nd year

The house is a study of the interactions between divisions and contrasts, light weight to heavy weight,
public to private. Contrasts were exaggerated to create a juxtaposition between a proportionally mono-
lithic stonewall and a delicate stick-like lantern form perched above.

The materiality mirrors that of the architectural promenade of transparent to opaque, which, by meta-
phorical extension, reflects the journey of public to private.
ground floor first floor
P3 art works

ongoing
The artistic expression displayed focuses on mediums comprised of charcoal, graphite, and ink. Explora-
tion in abstraction and realism reveals a deliberate arrangement of poses and elements to appeal to the
senses. It encompasses a diverse range of activities, creations, and modes of expression.
P2 wood working

ongoing
Nature and the outdoors is an extension of my being. Working with wood is just a natural progression of
this outdoor comfort. Woodworking is more than a craft. It is an art form that focuses on the feeling as
much as the making. It is an engaging endeavour that allows the expression of skill at a personal and
intimate level while remaining tangible.
P1 photography

ongoing
The photographic images examine the abstraction of a detail when viewed at differing lenses and scales.
Each image is a fragment of a much larger puzzle allowing for re-interpretation and exploration.
heather gibbons
bachelor of architectural studies
masters of archtiecture candidate