Construction Engineer
Resume:
BLAKE D. KURASEK
New York, NY
************@*****.***
www.blakekurasek.com
EXPERIENCE
Currently enrolled in the NCARB Intern Development Program: 4782+ professional credit hours earned to date.
Junior Architect, Highland Associates, New York, NY April 2010 to Present
Lord and Taylor, Fifth Avenue - New York, NY April 2010 to October 2010
Produced construction documentation for Polo Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein s specialty shops.
Surveyed and documented existing conditions of active retail space and coordinated a fast-tracked schedule of documentation and
deliverables for Lord and Taylor and vendor build-outs.
Developed schematic studies to improve way finding and increase customer vertical circulation to upper merchandise floors for
increased revenue and improved customer experience.
Junior Architect, EPSTEIN, Chicago, IL & Javits II Architecture New York, NY June 2008 to Nov. 2009 (1yr. 6 mo.)
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center - New York, NY Sept. 2008 to Nov. 2009 ($500 million construction budget)
Utilized Building Information Modeling software (BIM-Autodesk Revit) to prepare and convey building expansion
Schematic Designs to the Empire State Development Corporation.
Produced construction documentation for a 12-acre sedum green roof and high-efficiency air handling system replacement
to cut energy consumption and to contribute to the overall projects goal of meeting LEED NC 2.2.
Surveyed and documented existing precast and cast-in-place concrete for extensive structural and aesthetic restoration.
Midway International Airport - Chicago, IL June 2008 to September 2008 ($6 billion project budget)
Identified current facility issues and proposed design solutions to best inform our client for a competitive bid process.
Effectively designed solutions to more than double the number of airport security lanes to reduce security processing
through schematic plans and 3D visualizations.
Developed plans to greatly increase the potential gross income with added retail and food service areas.
Redesigned the public transit facility by improving way-finding and increasing capacities for arrivals and departures.
150 East Ontario - Chicago, IL June 2008 to September 2008 ($86 million construction budget)
Collaborated as design lead for a 36-story, 300 key boutique hotel core and shell design scheme within budget.
Developed schematic hotel room layouts that met or exceeded industry luxury standards.
Teaching Assistant, University of Illinois School of Architecture, Urbana, IL January 2007 to May 2008 (1yr. 5 mo.)
Led sophomore and senior level Building Science & Technology lab sections of 25 students per semester.
Taught students construction methods and documentation by means of hand-drafting, model building and computer
software utilization (Autodesk Revit & CAD).
Intern Architect, Henneman Engineering, Inc., Champaign, IL May 2005 to May 2008 (3yr. part-time)
Studied comprehensive Construction Documentation for wood-framed residential buildings.
Assisted in production of Construction Documentation for (3) 200+ bedroom, apartment communities. ($3-5 million)
Developed Schematic Design and Programming presentations for potential client projects. ($50,000 - $5 million)
EDUCATION
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, College of Fine and Applied Arts
Master of Architecture - May 2008 GPA: 3.89/4.00, Graduated 1st in the class.
Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies - May 2006 GPA: 3.54/4.00
HONORS
Student Senator, Illinois Student Senate, UIUC, Champaign, IL April 2004 to May 2008
-Elected as the Fine & Applied Arts and Graduate School student voice for 4 consecutive terms.
-Debated changes on various campus committees: Student Life, Budget, Cultural and Minority Affairs,
UC Admissions, UC Academic Freedom and Tenure and UC Campus Operations.
Association of Licensed Architects (ALA) Student Merit Award - 2008 Recipient
Gargoyle Honor Society - Illinois Chapter 2008
Donald E. and Margaret P. Ferry Awards for Excellence in Architecture - 2007 Scholarship Recipient
Chicago Prize - Nominee Spring 2007
Green Rescheme Design Awards Showcase - Nominee Spring 2007
UIUC Undergraduate Academic Deans List: Fall 2003, Fall 2004, Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2006
Eagle Scout Award, Boy Scouts of America - April 2002
SOFTWARE
Autodesk Revit/ AutoCAD Adobe Photoshop/ InDesign/ Illustrator Microsoft Office Google SketchUp
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BLAKE D. KURASEK
New York, NY
************@*****.***
www.blakekurasek.com
PUBLICATIONS
Books:
Master Engineer: Skyscrapers, Silver Dolphin Books, San Diego, CA 2009
Beck, John. Vertical Farming . p. 29. Image contributions.
Nelson Literacy Grade 9; Book A, Nelson Education, Toronto, ON 2009
Vertical Farming . Image contributions.
Science Year 2010, World Book Publishing, Chicago, IL 2009
Vertical Farming . Image contributions.
Technology; Shaping Our World, Goodheart-Willcox, Tinley Park, IL 2009
Gradwell, John and Welch, Malcolm. Environmental Technology . Chapter feature, image contributions.
Magazines:
METROPOLIS, New York, NY January 2010
Vertical Farming . Image contributions.
MANHATTAN MAGAZINE, Modern Luxury Media, New York, NY November 2008
Volner, Ian. The Old College Try p. 62. Image contribution.
GEO, Kosmos. Germany July 2008
Operation Knie; Vision p. 20, Article feature and image contributions.
URBAN LAND, The Urban Land Institute, Washington, DC July 2008
Despommier, Dickson. Skyfarming, New Sustainable Heights; The Vertical Farm, image contribution.
SPACE, South Korea July 2008
Kurasek, Blake. Living Skyscraper p. 112-113.
Exhibitions:
The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, IL September 2008 to Present
Despommier, Dickson. Fast Forward Inventing the Future image contributions.
Autostadt, Wolfsburg, Germany March 2010
HOSOYA SCHAEFER Architects. Vertical Farming image contributions.
POST OIL CITIES, Manchester, UK May 13th to 23rd 2009
Kurasek, Blake. FUTURESONIC Urban Festival of Art, Music and Ideas .
Television:
The Business of Innovation; Reshaping Cities, CNBC News, New York, NY 2009
Bartiromo, Maria. Image contributions.
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Los Angeles, CA February 16, 2009
Tickell, Josh. Fuel documentary promotion image contributions.
Earth 2100, ABC News. New York, NY June 2, 2009
Bicks, Michael. Image contributions.
CBC TV, Montreal, Canada February, 2009
Le Semiane Verte Documentary feature, image contributions.
Fuel, 2008
Tickell, Josh. Documentary feature, image contributions.
The Colbert Report, New York, NY June 12, 2008
Despommier, Dickson. Vertical Farming image contributions.
LECTURES
Old MacDonald Had it Right Part 2, FXFOWLE Architects, Corporate Offices. New York, NY 13 October 2009
Kurasek, Blake. An in-depth look at The Living Skyscraper: Farming the Urban Skyline and Rethinking the Vertical Farm .
Old MacDonald Had it Right, FXFOWLE Architects, Sustainability Group. New York, NY 24 July 2009
Kurasek, Blake. An in-depth look at The Living Skyscraper: Farming the Urban Skyline
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