A r c hite c tur a l Expe r ie nc e

Re side nt ia l t ow e r
Oc e tow er
S ingle fa mily
S ingle fa mily
Multi- fa mily

- 8 to 3 5 storey s
- ove r 4 0 0 0 0 m2
- re nova t ion a nd a ddit ion
- new c onstruc tion
- pre fa bric a t e d

Int e rior de sign

Wa y nding signa ge
Reta il store
C a rpe nt ry & c onst ruc t ion
D e sign + Build

By la w Zone s
A lbe rt a

Onta rio
Florida

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
C a nmore , Ba n, C a lga ry , Bighorn MD ,
S y lva n La k e , N orde gg, La k e Louise
Toront o
B onit a S prings

Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

S oftwa re

S k e t c hU p P ro & Ma xw e ll Re nde r
Re vit & D y na mo plug- in
A utoC A D
S oftP la n
3 D S Ma x

Othe r N ota ble P r oj e c ts

G IS C onsult a nt

Tow n of Ba n G IS c omme rc ia l oorspa c e

inve nt ory

2010 O l y m p i c s

5 y e a rs a s ma na ge r & c oa c h for
N a t iona l S k i Te a m a t hle t e

Portfolio
S u m m e r

L e ge nd

Sol e Propri e tor

Fa st ga ble D e sign

Stu de n t proje c t
R AIC Syl l a bu s

Ri ch ard
Z i eg l er

Arc hi t ec t

Lead

dra ft e r

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'Crib' for Ski Racers

Location

2008

R en o vat io n
addit io n

Canmore, Alberta

Site

Urban, mountain tourist town

3 minute walk to downtown
Large lot under redevelopment pressure

Type

Residential, single family

Olympic ski racers with young family

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Structure

Conventional wood frame

Builder: Greystone Construction

SketchUp

Software

SketchUp w/ Layout 2.0

Energy Eciency

Solar panels heat water, addition &

basement
Abundant natural daylight

Transformation
addition
MTV Cribs

Challenges & Opportunities

Existing entry opened directly onto living

room, creating a drafty space lacking
privacy
Early SketchUp Layout technology
caused diculty in expressing interior
space and section views
Client originally intended to redevelop
property within 10 years, resulting in a
limited budget

Media

Featured on MTV Cribs leading up to the

2010 Vancouver Olympics

647 824 8109

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2009

Design st u dio

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

P a ssive sola r summe r

P a ssive sola r w int e r

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Passive
solar
Architectural
design studio
SketchUp

R A IC S y llab us D es ig n S t ud io D 3
Simple Habitat
Re side nc e for single fa mily , 1 a c re rura l lot
S k e t c hU p w / La y out 3 .0 , phy sic a l mode l

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Cottage at Sunbreaker Cove

Location

2010-11

Single

family

Sylvan Lake, Alberta

Sunbreaker Cove summer village

Site

Lake view from upper balcony

Quiet, across lake from busy tourist town
Summer & winter recreation
1/3 acre, deciduous, gentle slope

Type

Residential, single family (built for owner)

Year round, occasional or permanent
occupancy

Structure

Heavy timber frame with cross gable

Wall & roof SIPs (Woodpecker)
Builder: Woodpecker Homes

Software

SketchUp w/ Layout 3.0

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Traditional
timber frame
Passive solar
SketchUp

Passive Solar Design

Large cantilevered gables (5')

Minimal northern window area

Challenges & Opportunities

Fo r v id eo s can

t h e QR co d e o r

s ear ch Fas t g ab le

o n Yo u T u b e

Client desired wide picturesque building on

long narrow lot
Interaction between southern lake view
facade, passive solar strategies (small
northern windows) and curb appeal

Minimizing footprint to control budget

while adding dramatic timber vaults

Blog & Photos

http://europeantimberframing.com/blog/
2011/timberframe-living-alberta/

647 824 8109

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2010

Single

family

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Natural
light
Contemporary
timber frame
SketchUp

House on Bogore Ridge

Location

Milllarville, Alberta

Site

Remote, foothills near Calgary

Panoramic view of prairie & Rocky Mtns

Type

Residential, single family

Weekend, vacation, retirement

Software

SketchUp w/ Layout 3.0

647 824 8109

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Exist ing prope rt y

Muskrat St Rental Triplex

2011-14

M ult i

family

Location

Ban, Alberta
Townsite in Ban National Park

Site

P re limina ry

Steep slope to rear, at on new build

Mixed neighbourhood: low end rental,
apartment buildings, single family &
estate homes
Urban, 10 min. walk to commercial core
Mountain & urban views of varying quality

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Type

Triplex, owner occupied with 2 rental units

Lower income, young & transient tenants

Structure

By la w va ria nc e

(ex t r a b ed r o o ms )

Designed for prefab or SIPs

Heavy timber entry & deck
Builder: Tender in spring 2013

Software

SketchUp w/ Layout 3.0

Triplex
Complex
bylaw variance
Passive solar
SketchUp

Passive Solar Design

Dual level 30" overhang on south

Minimal north & west window area
Courtyard/driveway avoids southern light
being blocked by adjacent building
P a ssive sola r

Challenges & Opportunities

Complicated bylaw variance resulted in

approval of 8 bedrooms instead of 6
Mid-range budget, desire for curb appeal

Existing garage & driveway generated

solar friendly courtyard conguration
Aggressive national park Land Use Bylaw
& Architectural Design Guidelines

647 824 8109

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TeePee Town Penthouse

Location

2011-14

M ult i family
Prefabricat io n

Canmore, Alberta
Historic TeePee Town

Site

Dusk B uilding

pre fa b:

Sy st e ms

Flat
Close to village main street, 5 min walk
Opposite hotel and restaurants
Rail, busy road and million dollar South view
Storm water retention required
Parking must be to rear

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Type

Fourplex: 2 bedroom garden unit, two

mirrored 2nd oor units and penthouse

Structure

Engineered wood frame

Heavy timber overhangs and accents
Developer-contractor: Stephen Landi

Software

SketchUp w/ Layout 3.0

Fourplex
Architectural
controls
Passive solar
SketchUp

Passive Solar Design

Large overhang on south

Minimal north window area
Most rooms have two natural lights
Solar light tube for inner corridors

Challenges & Opportunities

Labyrinthine and contentious architectural

zoning
2-1/2 storey height restriction generated
dormered rooine and large penthouse
Elevations and units may not be mirrored
Walls must be articulated with cantilevers
or subtraction
Roof pitch is minimum 6:12

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2011

Design st u dio

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Passive
solar
Architectural
design studio
Mixed use,

Phase 2 shelter

SketchUp

R A IC S y llab us D es ig n S t ud io D 4
C ollec t iv e Hab it at
M i xed u se
P ha se II w ome n' s she lt e r, 1 2 2 be droom unit s w it h oc e spa c e , 3
c omme rc ia l spa c e s a t st re e t le ve l
Co n cept
C ourt y a rd; pla n c ongure d t o
opt imiz e sa nc t ua ry , se c urit y , da y ligh t ,
bre e z e , pa ssive sola r c ont rol &
a c c e ss to fre sh a ir
S k e t c hU p w / La y out 3 .0

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1 3DS Max

Photo realistic rendering based on

a Starbucks Revit model

R Z

2014-5

Archit ect

2 The Eglinton

-35 storey residential tower

proposed for Eglinton & Redpath
-modelled curtain wall and
residential units

5 Dynamo plug-in for Revit

Similar to Grasshopper for Rhino,

Dynamo is a visual coding
language which can be used to
both automate repetitive drafting
tasks and parametrically control
complex geometry

Harmen de Vries

4 22 Eddy St
1

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

3 30 Victoria St
-'as built' Revit models for Canada
Public Works, using the highly
accurate point cloud method. Full
exterior and interior detail.
-15 & 16 storeys, each building is
over 41 000m
-for a y-around scan the QR code
(or search Fastgable on YouTube)

Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

3
4

Rendering
Walkthrough
Towers
Revit
Point Cloud
3DS Max

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c h a r e t t e

Samson Cree Nation Gallery

D e s i g n

800 ft , strip mall, village centre

Location

2012

R et ail
design+build

Lake Louise, Ban National Park, Alberta

Site

Type

Retail store, native arts & crafts

Structure

Abstracted medicine wheel on ceiling

Cabinet for sales desk, douglas r cap &
reclaimed board siding
Douglas r shelving w/ metal bracket
Rustic, modular display boxes
Exterior signage
Design+Build: Fastgable

Software

SketchUp w/ Layout 3.0

Sustainability

Boards reclaimed from discarded fence

Locally sourced (200km) Douglas r
Salvage of water damaged ceiling tiles
Re-use of abandoned glass display cases

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Retail
Design+build
Charette
Bureaucracy
SketchUp

Challenges & Opportunities

Parks Canada permit process

Neglible budget vs. creative control
Uncertain market forces in business plan
History & culture of prairie Cree Nation as
design generators
Existing colour scheme, display cases &
water damage

Sign by Fastgable

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2012

Bis on R es t aurant
& Bear S t T av ern

Existing
remove
display

Waynding

P rob lem

A ne dining re st a ura nt a dde d a c a sua l

t a ve rn a t st re e t le ve l, post ing bot h me nus
in t he e xist ing displa y .
The t w in door
c ongura t ion a nd simila r signa ge misle a d
t ourist s, w ho a re ge ne ra lly a t a re duc e d
le ve l of a t t e nt ive ne ss a nd oft e n e ndure d
long w a its for the w rong re sta ura nt.

S olut ion

The c lie nt re que st e d ne w w indow displa y s,

una ble t o pre c ise ly de ne t he proble m a s
st a t e d a bove .
A ft e r se ve ra l me e t ings, it
w a s disc ove re d t ha t t he solut ion la y in
die re nt ia t ing t he me nu int o t w o se pa ra t e
displa y s.

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Waynding
signage

Waynding Signage

National Park
SketchUp

M arket D ay S ig n for
Ban Farmers M arket
P rob lem

new
display

removed

The Fa rme rs Ma rk e t w ishe d to ha ve a

t e mpo ra ry , ma rk e t da y sign o n a
promine nt , busy c orne r of Ba n A ve nue .
The Tow n of Ba n re que st e d F a st ga ble t o
ensure the a esthetic s of the sign
complemented the high quality urban
e nvironme nt .
So l u ti o n
The sign should be light e nough for one
pe rson t o move , but a ble t o re sist st rong
w ind loa ds, re sult ing in a ha nging sign &
hollow ba se w e ight e d w it h sa nd ba gs. The
base was rounded to avoid tripping
pe de st ria ns.

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RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Portfolio

Appendix

Lead Dr af ter
L e a d
t e a m
dra ft e rs

o f

1 - 3

2004-7

Lead

draft er

Introduc ed Revit & 3 D

mode lling t o de sign oc e
Web
russe lla ndrusse ll.c a

Canmore Rotary Pavilion

Hendry House

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Lens House

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Revit
Sartor House

AutoCAD
SoftPlan
Modeling
Estate
homes

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Carpentry

2007-14

Carpen t ry

With an eye towards Design + Build, I

decided to learn how to build as well as
draft. I worked hands on, full time for 3
years, acquiring a working knowledge of:

Ba rn re c la ma tion
Tra dit iona l w ood sa una

S t ruc t ura l he a vy t imbe r ( a ssist a nt )

Structural Heavy Timber Frame

Shop fabrication
Site installation
Drafting shop drawings
Drafting for engineer's approval
General Carpentry
Framing, kitchen & bath, cabinets, siding,
ooring etc
Renovation & new build
Basic plumbing & electrical
Material quantity estimation & ordering
Masonry
Brick, concrete block & natural stone
Mixing mortar

D ec k on the D a nforth

D e sign + Build re t a il st ore

Concrete
Forming ICF & cribbed foundations
Rebar installation
Pouring & oating
Cutting
Project Management
Planned, estimated, contracted & built:
Barn reclamation in Milton ON
Retail store in Lake Louise AB

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Carpentry
Design+build
Heavy timber
Renovation/
reclamation
Traditional
wood
sauna

C ar pe ntr y

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2010-13

In t erio r desig n

A cces s
C an ad a
Pr o p er t y
St an d ar d s
2007

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Interior
design
Accessible
design
Cabinets

d or
m

er

SketchUp

Int e rior de t a ils a nd c a bine t s

for new construction and
re nova t ion

Front

Back

647 824 8109

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Cabin at Grizzly Close

2011

Single

family

Location

Nordegg, Alberta (Nordegg North)

Site

Rocky Mountains, thin coniferous woods

2 acres, gentle slope
10 minute drive to small village
Summer & winter recreation

Type

Residential, single family (built for sale)

Year round, occasional or permanent
occupancy

RAIC
Syl l a bu s

Harmen de Vries
Stude nt
Assoc ia te w/
OAA

Structure

German ridge & rafter style heavy timber

Polyurethane SIPs (ttsfpl.net)
Builder: Heyde Haus

Ridge & girt

timber frame

Software

Passive solar

SketchUp w/ Layout 3.0

Blog & Photos
http://europeantimberframing.com/blog/
2011/nordegg-timberframing/

Passive Solar Design

SketchUp

Large gable overhang (8')

Minimal northern window area

Challenges & Opportunities

Poor team communication with developer

resulted in weak siding design
Builder had premature marriage to window
design

647 824 8109

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