American Institute of Architects
American Institute of Architects
Designing natural, form-fitting spaces from the ground up.
Designing natural, form-fitting spaces from the ground up.
Role
Role
Architectural Designer
Architectural Designer
Timeline
Timeline
August 2019 - May 2023
August 2019 - May 2023
Tools/Skills
Tools/Skills
User-Centered Design
User-Centered Design
Wireframing
Wireframing
2D/3D, Physical Modeling
2D/3D, Physical Modeling
01
01
Overview
Overview
HMW design a physical space given engineering constraints?
HMW design a physical space given engineering constraints?
I studied Architectural Design for four years, where I attained a Career and Technical Education certification in the state of Nevada. The crux of our curriculum involved participating in nationwide competitions. Among the myriad of stakeholder needs and engineering constraints of a given plot of land, understanding all parts of a conversation was what ultimately pushed me as a designer.
I studied Architectural Design for four years, where I attained a Career and Technical Education certification in the state of Nevada. The crux of our curriculum involved participating in nationwide competitions. Among the myriad of stakeholder needs and engineering constraints of a given plot of land, understanding all parts of a conversation was what ultimately pushed me as a designer.
My main areas of growth came from:
Sketching and wireframing physical user flow, iterating through group crit sessions.
2D modeling structures via Autodesk software and Photoshop.
Designing 3D models via Twinmotion to pitch to stakeholders.
Creating physical models via 3D printing in FormIt and laser-cut chipboard.
Submitting three industry-standard design plans to the American Institute of Architects and National Association of Women in Construction.
My main areas of growth came from:
Sketching and wireframing physical user flow, iterating through group crit sessions.
2D modeling structures via Autodesk software and Photoshop.
Designing 3D models via Twinmotion to pitch to stakeholders.
Creating physical models via 3D printing in FormIt and laser-cut chipboard.
Submitting three industry-standard design plans to the American Institute of Architects and National Association of Women in Construction.
02
02
Finished Designs
Finished Designs
To visualize my ideas, I (digitally) cut up my building.
To visualize my ideas, I (digitally) cut up my building.
Bringing my built out designs on AutoCAD and Revit into Photoshop allowed me to visualize my space in various contexts, from sun path analyses to support column viability. The most telling is an axonometric, or deconstructed, cross-section of my lakeside house shown on the right.
Bringing my built out designs on AutoCAD and Revit into Photoshop allowed me to visualize my space in various contexts, from sun path analyses to support column viability. The most telling is an axonometric, or deconstructed, cross-section of my lakeside house.
Bringing my built out designs on AutoCAD and Revit into Photoshop allowed me to visualize my space in various contexts, from sun path analyses to support column viability. The most telling is an axonometric, or deconstructed, cross-section of my lakeside house shown on the right.
I repeated this process for the boring engineering details, including insulation and roof material, with labels to give both other architects and judges an idea of the user flow and its constraints at-a-glance.
I repeated this process for the boring engineering details, including insulation and roof material, with labels to give both other architects and judges an idea of the user flow and its constraints at-a-glance.
I also (physically) cut up my building into a 1:1/36th-sized replica.
I also (physically) cut up my building into a 1:1/36th-sized replica.
I messed around with laser-cutting printers day in and day out, and mastered the art of binder clips to hold the glue of my chipboard. I ended up with a scaled-down physical replica of the restorative justice center I designed digitally, decked out with a perforated, leaf-shaped roof and floor-to-ceiling 3D printed windows.
I messed around with laser-cutting printers day in and day out, and mastered the art of binder clips to hold the glue of my chipboard. I ended up with a scaled-down physical replica of the restorative justice center I designed digitally, decked out with a perforated, leaf-shaped roof and floor-to-ceiling 3D printed windows.
03
03
Takeaways
Takeaways
Wear different hats, consistently. 👷♂️
Wear different hats, consistently. 👷♂️
In every part of the design process, I envisioned the space I built from every angle—from the available resources in the geographical area, to the engineering constraints of a site, to the way the sun would set and the temperature of the exposed materials.
In every part of the design process, I envisioned the space I built from every angle—from the available resources in the geographical area, to the engineering constraints of a site, to the way the sun would set and the temperature of the exposed materials.
Retaining my creative direction meant not resisting these constraints, but hearing them and tinkering to find a way that blends these all together for the user of the space.
Retaining my creative direction meant not resisting these constraints, but hearing them and tinkering to find a way that blends these all together for the user of the space.
Be intentional with each detail. 📝
Be intentional with each detail. 📝
Creating rendered images allowed me to see which ideas were translated to focal points. Which seating arrangement would allow the user to be the most calm in a restorative justice space? Or which window placement would let the user feel most relaxed in a getaway home?
Creating rendered images allowed me to see which ideas were translated to focal points. Which seating arrangement would allow the user to be the most calm in a restorative justice space? Or which window placement would let the user feel most relaxed in a getaway home?
Every decision I made was one aligned to the intention of the space. Iterating through crit sessions or simply taking a day to step back from my designs allowed me to realign these details.
Every decision I made was one aligned to the intention of the space. Iterating through crit sessions or simply taking a day to step back from my designs allowed me to realign these details.
Leverage human- and environment-centered design. 🌱
Leverage human- and environment-centered design. 🌱
A concept I heavily leaned into was biophilia, using organic shapes and natural light to lean into the innate human tendency to connect with nature. In a broader design setting, putting the user first and understanding natural human inclinations has continued to be my North Star.
A concept I heavily leaned into was biophilia, using organic shapes and natural light to lean into the innate human tendency to connect with nature. In a broader design setting, putting the user first and understanding natural human inclinations has continued to be my North Star.