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Bio

Background
Posted: February 02, 2009

Hans Herrmann is an Assistant Professor of Architecture at Mississippi State University currently teaching both architectural design studios and seminars focusing on Tectonics, Materiality and Building Science. Mr. Herrmann has special interest on issues of residential construction and renovation. He is completing 2 renovation projects in the Catskill Mountains of New York State where he is also pursuing professional licensure.      

 As an architectural educator Assistant Professor Herrmann formerly served as an Assistant Professor of Architecture and the Director of Design Studies for State University of New York, Delhi.  While there Mr. Herrmann taught Design Studios 3, 4, 5, and 6, as well as interdisciplinary design seminars entitled Building “Codes”, Portfolio Preparations and Commercial Detailing. Prior taught course work has focused on numerous subjects, including issues of conceptual design, process and making (design/build), advanced visualization/documentation and issues in contemporary urban development.

 Before teaching Mr. Herrmann worked with several east coast offices including the firm of Ike Kligerman Barkley Architects, an Architectural Digest Top100 design firm located in New York City, with specialization in high-end residential and institutional design. While living in New York Mr. Herrmann completed and assisted with numerous high profile projects ranging in location form Martha’s Vineyard, MA to San Francisco, CA and Miami Beach, FL.

 Mr. Herrmann currently maintains his own design practice as the sole practitioner of H. Herrmann resDesign, an interdisciplinary practice offering full scope design and construction supervision services.  His combined professional experiences ranging from large scale institutional projects to highly detail oriented small scale private residences, has reinforced a keen knowledge and continued interest in the use of material and connection in architectural composition. 

 “As an educator I work to focus on the full-scale application and the subsequent result of my student’s design decisions.  In my studios, students often undertake small scale design/build tasks which force a firsthand working knowledge of connection, material and craft. The architectural interior is engaged as a primary design component, a component that is often left to outside consequence(s) by young designers eager to create fantastic form.” 

 Assistant Professor Herrmann earned his Master of Architecture in 2003 and Bachelor of Design in 2001 from the Clemson University, School of Architecture. While there he was awarded both the Harlan McClure award for best graduate thesis and the St. Petersburg prize for excellence in architectural design.

Mr. Herrmann has published and exhibited research in the areas of Architecture, Landscape + Contemporary Urbanism as well as Alternative Media + Architecture, An abstract of Mr. Herrmann’s thesis manuscript was published in the journal 306090 07 Landscape Within Architecture. As well components of his thesis research entitled Monumental Ephemerality were exhibited and published at the iMage Festival 2003 + 2005 in Florence, Italy. 

Summer Study in Italy!

HURRY TIME IS SHORT
Posted: February 02, 2009

VICENZA PROGRAM

SUMMER 2009

study abroad in Vicenza-Italy

WHAT?! A 6-week course of study offering 6 hours of credit = 2 Art studio electives

with Professors Hans Herrmann, (hherrmann@caad.msstate.edu) and Greg Watson,

(gwatson @caad.msstate.edu)

WHERE?! The beautiful city of Vicenza in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy.

Vicenza is located 40 minutes from Venice, 20 minutes from Padua, 3 hours from

Florence, and 5 hours from Rome. The city was the home of Renaissance architect Andrea

Palladio and the site of many of his more famous works including the Teatro Olimpico and

the Villa Rotunda (Villa Capra), the model for Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello

WHEN?! MAY 4 - JUNE 13 (dates are currently being set and may vary by a week or less)

Along with the course work the program includes excursions to neighboring cities,

museums, monuments, and places of interest will take students, quite literally, through

the history of Italian art and architecture, examining works from periods such as Ancient

Rome, the Late Antique/Early Christian, Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque.

Last year students took side trips to Barcelona, Spain, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,

Italian Alps (hiking at 9,000 ft.) Cinque Terra (fabulous hikes) Pompeii, Lake Como

and beyond.

COSTS Current estimate of $5800 to $6000, based on enrollment.

The cost of the trip will include:

MSU Summer Tuition for 6 hours of credit

(Plus non-resident tuition for those who are not Mississippi residents. Tuition will be directly

applied to your account at the time of summer registration for Study Abroad course)

Accommodation in Vicenza, Italy at either Albergo Due Mori or Albergo Palladio

Board consisting of 2 meals per day M-F

Planned excursions including transportation, hotels, admission to museums,

exhibitions, etc.

Admission or Entrance Fees to all organized trips to museums, exhibitions, places

of interest, tour guides, etc.

Note: Cell phones will be provided for each student.

A $200 deposit (non-refundable) is required by February 1.

Fees do not include travel to and from Italy.

SO...NOW WHAT?

1. If you did not attend one of the initial interest sessions you will need to supply us, by email, with your

name and contact information AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Enrollment is limited and will be available on a

first-come-first-served basis. There will be at least two more meetings at the beginning of the next semester.

If interested you should plan on attending. THE FIRST MEETING WILL BE FRIDAY, JANUARY 9TH

AT 5:30 PM IN THE JURY ROOM AT GILES HALL. PIZZA WILL BE SERVED.

2. Anticipate a cost of the program in the range of $5,800-$6,000 plus the cost of travel to Italy. The actual

cost may be less than this estimate, but it’s better to aim high, plus, you might want to do some travel or

shopping, too;

3. Secure a valid passport—this process could take a few months, so it’s better to do it immediately. Passport

applications are available at most US Post Offices, including the MSU Post Office.

4. Fill out an application form for the program in early January and pay non-refundable application fee of

$200 on February 1st.

5. Be academically eligible to study abroad 2.5 overall GPA;

6. Complete payment deadlines in timely manner (more information to come on cost and payment schedule)


My Course Offering=

ARC 4990

What is a Bricolage WALL

Course Syllabus­­­­­

 

Credits:                                    3

Type of Course:                      STUDIO/seminar

Class Meetings:                       TTH         2pm-6pm

Prerequisites:                          Sophomore University Status

Enrollment Capacity:               12

 

Instructor’s Contact Information

Section 01:                              Hans C. Herrmann  hhmerrmann@caad.msstate.edu            662.325.0371         

office hours by appointment

                                            

Course Description             

Walls, as we see them, are often inert lifeless machines of efficiency going about the business of holding up things. Rarely in American development and construction are we faced with a wall, regardless of context, that possesses the awe inspiring break needed to free us from the day-to-day. The wall as an object of study will be the focus of the semester. Each student regardless of individual discipline is asked to consider the power and force the Walls we live around/within have upon us as beings. Walls in Italy should prove of particular value, often containing and holding still decades of use and memory. The documentation and representation of these qualities will be the semester’s goal. The value and depth of study and interpretation is only limited to the students interest and ability to re/interpret the aim of the course.    

 

 

 

Course Goals

Study abroad offers a unique opportunity to broaden ones perceptive of the world not just their world. Each student is asked to take measure of their understanding of this single man made construct and find value and ideally further definition of what its creation and placement among humanity can bring.

    

    •    To become familiar with various means of representation.     

        •    To acquire a knowledge of construction as a mechanism of support vs. higher function.  

        •    To gain a greater appreciation for cultures outside of our own.

        •    To develop a means of capturing and passing along one’s reading of the wall.

 

Detailed Description

The course will consist of 2 primary undertakings, familiarization with modes of phenomenal readings/recordings of walls via readings and diagramming examples. The second, self derived and determined interpretation and documentation of walls and the experiential phenomena produced.   

 

­  The course will cover, via precedent overview, the per-existing examples of such studies as a means of developing working methods to be adopted by the individual student. 

­  The course will be conducted through a mix of formal and impromptu field based lectures, small group discussion

General Course Info:
Posted: December 02, 2008

Class meeting times TBD likely to meet 2/week for 3 hour shop lab + 1 hour lecture or just a single 4 hour session. Dependent on student schedules...

Credit = 3hrs.

ARC 4990 SECT 03

Nothing New? Pilfered Forms & Recycled Content


Course outline

 

What will be the role of the architect in the future? Is it one of scavenger, forager, maybe even inventor? The notion of “making new” has been explored and advocated for decades in architectural education. The idea that architects can reshape and even “fix” the world with new form and plan may no longer be viable given our declining material resources and general environmental health. Architecture is an evolution-based discipline. As with all evolution, epochs and great steps forward occur but at root there is always a “building-upon” what has happened in the past both physically and socially. The challenge of architecture tomorrow may be based not on what was in the past but will not be in the future. We know that our current practices will not afford our future generations. We know that we cannot sustain this form and pace of development. Industries in all sectors are working to reconcile these issues of excessive construction waste to prevent a massive bankruptcy of material resource.  Understanding material efficient construction practices and generating an appreciation of existing material resources is key to the architect’s future role in American society.

 

It is the purpose of this elective to extend the student’s ability to respond to these issues of building resources depletion via the development of a greater understanding of materials and their associated modes of use and installation. This is to say that students must develop skills for understanding “existing site, meaning to include existing building fabric and material” as a point of departure, not as a blank canvas upon which to impose their will, site is here understood as a frame that binds, limits and restricts the creative envelope. Invention and learning will be derived through limitation and confinement. From the building program to the available material palette, all aspects of design will be limited to encourage and foster the need to develop working methods of response. 

Requirements of the Course:

 

Ø  A “site” (small room, outdoor space or even piece of furniture) adjacent to or within walking distance to the school of architecture. If furniture becomes the site a room to store each project would be needed.

Ø  Skill and comfort working in the wood/metal shops.

 

Working Methods:

 

Ø  Project based investigation including Collage, Drawing, Modeling and Full-scale making

Ø  Readings and precedent study with evaluation by either Written Reports / Group Discussions of adaptive re-use theories and concepts

 

Student Learning Outcomes:

 

Ø  Idiosyncratic  definition of “adaptive reuse” at multiple scales of architectural investigation and crafting

Ø  First hand learning of construction assembly and material ability

Ø  Architectural design as an interior discipline

Ø   Advanced Problem solving

Ø  Issues of Structure, Indoor Conditioning, Access and Path

Ø  Detailing and documentation

Ø  Group based design and construction sequencing

Assessment Criteria:

 

Ø  Compliance with and invention within the given site/material limits and expenses

Ø  Artifacts produced and the Precision of craft

Ø  Degree of complexity of the proposal

Ø  Site understanding and documentation include geometric analysis, collage, etc.

Ø  Design process and the use of study models and drawings

Ø  Use of metaphor / narrative / conceptual foundation(s) 

 

Conclusion:

 

The premise of the course is to foster an appreciation of what is given in our world. Students will be confronted with issues of ethics and the social impact of architecture, of what it means to practice in society. They will be asked to consider what has been done, not just what can be done. This course is intended to create reflection and review of the converse design/development approach of “building new” and its inherent relation to our societal norms. This is not intended to subvert or belittle either design methodology but rather to foster discussion and possible debate.


1st Year Design Studio ARC 1536

Project 3
Posted: November 04, 2008

ARC 1536

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN I-A

Voided Path / Intersected Space

                                               

 

Project Overview:

The architectonic design / construction of path and intersection are key components to the making of space.  Movement is a critical component to the unfolding of spatial form and its subsequent visual and conceptual mapping as an environment. This project is intended to address the 3 dimensional issues of Movement, Path, and Intersection. As a means of accomplishing this one must understand that to follow a path is to be within a defined space or volume. Therefore path may be defined as a “cutting-away” from a given field of occupation. This break from the established field creates an available gap which is given over to a new use.

 

In the Span project students were asked to join two separate points in space while supporting a load; this project is intended to invert the prior scenario. The object now is to disjoin a given volume via the unimpeded passage of the brick. The space of passage must allow for movement while still maintaining the structural integrity of the column therefore each designer must employ a careful intent when locating and charting the paths of movement within the volume of the column.

 

Each student will first draw the baseline volume which is a column with the dimensions of 14” x 14” x 40” tall; to this paths for the bricks movement though the column will be added in plan, section and elevation. The passage of the brick from column face to column face via the charted paths must follow the criteria listed below:    

 

  • Each student must create 8 crossing paths which bisect the plaster column  
  • A minimum of 5 paths must cross through the columns width both vertically and horizontally with a minimum 6” slope angle. Meaning the brick must move up or down while it passes through the column structure.
  • Brick orientations must include the following:

 

(2)Vertical narrow face

(1) Vertical broad face

(2)Horizontal narrow face

(1) Horizontal broad face

(2) Corner to corner diagonal paths, brick in any orientation

 

*5 paths must traverse the columns width both vertically and horizontally, up and down min. of 6 min slope.

 

  • At least 4 paths must cross each-other to form an intersection
  • Two intersections must be formed by the paths created. One intersection is to be large and the other small. This may be achieved by allowing multiple paths to either intersect to cross one another.
  • Only 3 bricks may be located in the same plane in plan. All other brick paths must be skewed, tipped or tilted to ensure variety of path and internal space created at intersections.

 

Goals/Objectives

  • Students will learn the fundamentals of Subtractive Design as an architectural design methodology.
  • Development of 3 dimensional design skills addressing issues of Movement, Path and Intersection.
  • Students will revisit previously used drawing conventions as a means of responds and fabrication of the project completion criteria.
  • The use and practice of casting and mold making will be explored as a means of architectural representation and spatial delineation. 

 

Rules/Constraints (Drawing Phase):

  • Drawings will be on opaque drawing paper 19” x 24”
  • Drawing tools will be graphite lead holders with 2H, H, F and/or HB leads
  • Erasers should only be used to correct mistakes, not to remove construction lines.

 

Rules/Constraints (Casting Phase):

  • Castings are to be formed of white plaster
  • Castings are to be monolithic in construction unless approved by studio instructor
  • Casting must conform to 40” tall x 14” square envelope

 

 

Drawing Phase:

Tools

Lead holder

Lead pointer

White eraser

Triangles

Adjustable triangle

Scale

Materials

Paper: Strathmore Bristol, vellum or smooth, 100 lb preferred

Drawing leads: 2H, H, F, HB

 

 

 

 

Assessment Criteria

Craft: precision of line

Concept: accuracy of description

Difficulty: level of complexity of undertaking

 

 

Casting Phase:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assessment Criteria

Craft: precision of casting edges and dimensions

Concept: accuracy of description

Difficulty: level of complexity of undertaking

 

Materials

White foam core board

Plaster of Paris