Zachary Tate Porter

Architect, Lincoln, NE

Education: 
Bacher of Arts in Architecture, UNC Charlotte (2009)
Master of Architecture, UNC Charlotte (2011)

When asked about his memories from his time at UNC Charlotte, Zachary reflected on many useful teachings. “More than anything else, my six years of education within the SoA–from 2005 to 2011–fostered a spirit of curiosity disciplined by self-critical reflection and an intense dedication to the craft,” he said. 

“This ethos was woven throughout the curriculum of the School, from the foundation design studios all the way up to thesis. But, more importantly, it was consistently demonstrated by a handful of faculty members, who fundamentally shaped my view of architecture and its value to society. Since leaving the SoA, I’ve earned a doctorate degree in architectural history and taught at institutions on the east coast, west coast, and (currently) in the Midwest. But, more than anywhere else, the SoA still feels like home,” he continued. 

Work Samples

Groundforms
Date Completed: 12/01/2020 | Credit: Zachary Tate Porter

Architectural Approaches to Ground / As the horizontal counterpoint to architecture’s inherent verticality, the ground offers rich design opportunities. Yet, many designers disregard the ground altogether or, conversely, collapse architecture into landscape, undermining each discipline’s specific role and agency within contemporary culture. This project aims to reclaim the ground in architectural terms through the development of discrete groundforms. Some are platforms that extrude up, others are pits that sink down. Collectively, these groundforms demonstrate the architectural value of horizontal gestures.

Rocks
Date Completed: 01/01/2021 | Credit: Zachary Tate Porter

Surface Articulation on Irregular Mass / Rocks are emblems of prehistory, ostensibly signifying an existence far removed from the technological advancements of modern society. And yet, as source material for formal speculation, a rock’s irregular massing might offer direct inspiration for a contemporary designer. This project embraces the rock as a formal typology to explore the relationship between volumetric massing and surface articulation.

Suburban Subversion
Date Completed: 05/01/2020 | Credit: Zachary Tate Porter

Typological Abstraction of Everyday Buildings / Eschewing traditional canons of architecture, this project probes the oft-maligned landscapes of suburban sprawl, including strip malls, big box stores, shopping malls, and gas stations. By examining these everyday environments through a lens of typological abstraction, the project aims to develop a series of subversive formal transformations, which hold value despite their genetic relation to consumer capitalism.