Additional Projects
Urban Design • Architectural • Fine Arts
under construction
Urban Design Proposal • Pedestrian Streets in Downtown & Over-the-Rhine • 2010
Cincinnati Walking/Walking Cincinnati
In 2009 and 2010, I met with both Mayor Mark Mallory and Councilperson Laure Quinlivan to present the idea to convert at least a few segments of streets and/or alleys in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine into walking streets.
Over-the-Rhine in particular presented the unique opportunity in that significant areas were yet to be redeveloped, and even the redesign of Washington Park was not completed.
13th Street presented a great setting for this in that it connected the east and west sides of Vine Street and the neighborhood and was a rare, short segment of a street that was closed by a building at one end and a park at the other end. It could be fully devoted to foot traffic or could be reduced to two lanes with no on street parking and a wide sidewalk on its north side.
Numerous other opportunities existed to pedestrianize at least portions of streets such as: Clay Street, Court Street, College Street, Doer Alley, and Weaver Alley in the CBD or 14th Street, 15th Street or numerous other options in OTR.
The idea was then presented by Councilperson Quinlivan to 3CDC, but they felt 13th Street was needed for vehicular traffic to access the parking garage under the expanded Washington Park which had been planned since the 2002 Over-the-Rhine Comprehensive Plan although that plan located the garage entrances so the automobile was not prioritized over people.
Urban Design Proposal • Modest Expansion of the Brent Spence Bridge • 2020
Relocate I-75 lanes to Gest Street airspace or subsurface
Relocate I-71 lanes to new bridge east of the Brent Spence
In 2020, around 3:00 AM, a semi-truck collision led to a large fuel-fed fire which substantially damaged the structure of the bridge. Had this happened at 3:00 PM--even during the pandemic lockdown--the results may have been horrific. I began to think if a better, more expedient solution was possible. There had previously been a very detailed proposal to rework much of the highway on either side of the river and build a massive bridge to the west of the Brent Spence. I sought a possible solution which could more fully use the existing highway routes and bridges to the greatest extent possible. A solution which would reduce the need for costly and time-consuming property acquisition and building demolition.
First I considered using either the space above, below and/or on the existing Gest Street to relocate all of the I-75 lanes which would connect to a new bridge for I-75 only. This did not seem to be quick or inexpensive.
Then I considered building a relatively humble bridge similar to the Brent Spence but use it only for 1-71 traffic freeing the existing bridge for I-75. The first iteration moved both the 2nd Street and 5th Street exits to the I-71 bridge/lanes.
Local traffic would be routed onto the existing Clay Wade Bailey Bridge to avoid any additional traffic load for the highways.
Mega bridge west of the existing as proposed by an engineering firm. This required demolition of part of Longworth Hall and many freeway changes
Existing layout with four lanes
My idea/proposal is to build a bridge east of the existing which is similar to it. It could be more elaborate, but it would connect to the existing -71/I-75 lanes in Kentucky and the I-71 lanes in Ohio. Construction could occur without disturbing existing highway until the I-71 connections were made.
My first proposal would move I-71 lanes to a new modest bridge east of the Brent Spence and all local traffic to the Clay Wade Bailey. I-71 would reconnect to I-75 south of the Ohio. North bound lanes would stay on the lower deck, and south bound lanes would be on the upper deck and rejoin I-75 immediately after leaving the bridge which allows the existing northbound I-75 lanes to continue to their existing route and fit under the new connector above.
Revised proposal would leave the 5th Street exit off of I-75. This would reuse more of the existing structure and offer redundancy for traffic flow into Cincinnati. Most of the southbound ramp from I-71 would be reused and simply rerouted at the last possible point to connect to the new bridge. The highway towards the Cut-in-the-Hill is still a problem perhaps, but this seems to be an issue in any new bridge design. I-71 could be two lanes with a third at the 2nd Street exit.
I feel the fuel-fed fire from the accident in 2020 shows that two major highways forced onto four lanes of the same bridge is a danger to the region as a whole. Even if one is not a daily driver on the bridge it should be a concern. Building a separate bridge for I-71 reuses much of the investment in place on both sides of the river and allows for much safer passage across the Ohio.
Executive Fine Dining Room - P&G GO • 2011
Design Concept Studies for high rise lobby • Panama City, Panama • 2011
Tower Bank Lobby
Revit was used to quickly model the shell of the existing lobby and design a new entrance and lobby space for this specific tenant.
Multiple versions were studied before finalizing on this direction. Multiple reception desk designs were presented before project hand off.
By presenting "hidden line" views from Revit, we were able to avoid the lengthy process of using a secondary rendering application such as was used in the Southern State Community College project shown earlier. It still took a fair amount of experience with Revit to have these views turn out in a believable and refined manner.
US Embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark • Foreign Study Summer Design Studio • 1995
1305 Gallery • Main Street, Over-the-Rhine • Co-Owner and Curator • 2014 - 2020
Final Friday promotion • Pendleton & Over-the-Rhine • 2002 - 2021
First Independent Design Project as Graduate Architect • 2001 & 2002
First Residential Architecture Project in Over-the-Rhine as Registered Architect • 2002
I documented the existing conditions for the building, designed and produced CDs for its renovation into two apartments over a storefront with a retail or office unit. The design development studied the conversation of the existing roof over the attached garage into a green roof space with a roof decks as well, and I completed the above renderings. The project was later subdivided into two separate units including the ground floor which was separated and made a part of each unit.
Residence in Mt. Lookout - Project Architect @ RCA's OTR Studios - 2004
Selected portions of CDs
Architecture and Urban Design Travel Sketches
Over-the-Rhine Foundation - Board Member - 2004 to 2009
As a Board Member of the Over-the-Rhine Foundation from 2004 to 2009 I was involved in many neighborhood initiatives including promoting and aiding in the development of new housing that was actually "next door" in the Pendleton neighborhood.
But before that, in 2002, at the request of and in coordination with Marge Hammelrath, who was the Executive Director for many years, I scripted, filmed, edited and produced this video describing the goals and activities of the Foundation. After unsuccessfully searching for another volunteer, I even narrated it.
Video filmed by me with Sony DCR-TRV11 MiniDV camcorder. Additional stills of Main Street Community Festival and video of group walking outside of Art Academy provided by the Foundation and the Art Academy.
Edited by me with iMovie on 2001 iMac. Music: public domain and as provided by Over-the-Rhine Foundation and with permission of Rick Sowash. Thanks for watching.
IMPACT Over-the-Rhine - Board Member and Architect - 2001 to 2005
