ALFREDO TIZNADO PORTFOLIO
ALFREDO TIZNADO
Curriculum Vitae
EXPERIENCE
2021 - CURRENT
Designtrait Architects Project Architect – Austin, TX
▪ Leads the development and coordination of design and documentation for a variety of projects, including commercial, hospitality, and residential scopes. Maintains high standards of quality throughout the entire design and construction process.
▪ Project Architect & Manager for numerous projects, overseeing multidisciplinary teams, managing project schedules, and cultivating strong client relationships.
▪ Negotiates and coordinates new project proposals and fee structures with clients and consultants.
▪ Led the adoption and integration of BIM software, establishing new office-wide standards that enhanced team collaboration and efficiency.
▪ Actively mentors junior staff, offering guidance and support to help them grow professionally.
2022 - CURRENT
ch|at studio Project Architect – Austin, TX
▪ Provides architectural services for select small-scale remodel projects, ensuring practical, cost-effective solutions tailored to client needs.
▪ Develop proposals and define project scopes, ensuring clarity and alignment with client expectations.
▪ Oversee design and documentation processes, emphasizing high-quality deliverables and effective project management.
▪ Serve as the primary client contact, fostering collaboration and achieving successful project outcomes.
2017 - 2021
Mark Odom Studio Project Architect – Austin, TX
▪ Led design and documentation efforts for diverse projects, managing all phases from concept through construction.
▪ Oversaw project teams and schedules, serving as the primary client contact to ensure smooth communication and project success.
▪ Contributed to office-wide quality control initiatives, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all projects.
▪ Partnered with leadership to establish graphic and drawing standards and supported junior staff through mentorship.
2014 - 2017
mARCHITECTS Associate Designer – Houston, TX
▪ Designed and developed project documentation from conceptual design to construction documents, ensuring attention to detail throughout all phases.
▪ Coordinated directly with clients and consultants, fostering collaboration and maintaining alignment with project goals.
▪ Provided construction administration support, addressing design intent and resolving site challenges.
2013 - 2014
ASAKURA ROBINSON Designer – Houston, TX
▪ Produced landscape design concepts and developed rendered plans and perspectives to communicate design intent.
▪ Prepared construction documentation and collaborated with teams to ensure project accuracy and feasibility.
▪ Supported design development through creative and technical contributions across various project types.
EDUCATION
2014
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE CONCENTRATION IN URBAN DESIGN
2012
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ARCHITECTURE
PROJECT LIST
COMMERCIAL
The Pitch Mixed Use Development – Austin, TX co-project manager – feasibility study + schematic design, design development, construction documents, point of contact for expedited plan review permit meeting
Cain Realty Office Remodel – Austin, TX project manager – schematic design, construction documents & permit documents
Domain Z-Block Shell Remodel + T.I. – Austin, TX project manager – schematic design + renderings for interior build-out, construction documents & permit documents
Bath House Office Remodel – Austin, TX project manager – feasibility study, schematic design + renderings
KDT Interior Remodel– Wichita, KS co-project manager – feasibility study, schematic, construction documents, procurement interior finishes + furniture
BKCW Office Building Remodel– Austin, TX project manager – developed construction documents + custom details, permitting, collaborator in interior finishes
Domain W4 Block Tenant Improvement– Austin, TX collaborator in the production of construction & permit documents
West 49th Street Office Building– Austin, TX project manager – schematic design, design development, interior design, construction documents, permitting
LBD Office Tenant Improvement– Austin, TX project manager – collaborator w/ interior design firm in construction documents + permitting
Grover Office Building Remodel– Austin, TX co-project manager – schematic design, design development, construction documents, permitting
TDI Office Building– Houston, TX project manager – schematic design, design development, construction documents, permitting
McCarthy Office Building– Houston, TX co-project manager – schematic design, design development, collaborator in the production of construction & permit documents
Physician’s Premier Office Building– Houston, TX design development, collaborator in the production of construction & permit documents
HOSPITALITY
Austin Oyster Co. New Restaurant– Hutto, TX project architect – schematic design, construction documents, permit documents
Jack Allen’s Restaurant New Construction – Hutto, TX project architect – schematic design, construction documents, permit documents
Lala’s South Pole Bar & Kitchen Remodel – Austin, TX
project architect – direct contract negotiation, schematic & design development, construction & permit documents
Mean Eyed Cat II New Construction – Austin, TX
project architect – direct contract negotiation, schematic & design development, construction & permit documents
Lao’d Bar Remodel – Austin, TX
project architect – direct contract negotiation, construction & permit documents
Sign Bar Remodel – Austin, TX project architect – direct contract negotiation, construction & permit documents
Star Bar Remodel – Austin, TX project architect – direct contract negotiation, construction & permit documents
Flo’s Wine Bar Remodel – Austin, TX
project manager – schematic & design development, construction documents, permit documents
Social Union Bar & Restaurant– Houston, TX
co-project manager – schematic design + renderings, design development, construction documents, collaborator w/ interior design firm in finishes & fixture selections
MEDICAL
Physician’s Premier Build Out– Portland, TX co-proje ct manager – collaborator in design development & production of construction documents, construction administration
NEC College Station – College Station, TX
co-project manager – schematic design, design development, construction documents, construction administration
Texas Children’s Pediatrics – Houston, TX project manager – schematic design, design development, construction documents, construction administration
NEC Texas City– Texas City, TX
co-project manager – schematic design, design development, construction documents, construction administration
RESIDENTIAL
Hillview Residence 7,200sf New Const. – Austin, TX project manager – collaborator in design, construction & permit documents
Syline Residence 9,400sf New Const. – Austin, TX project manager – collaborator in design, construction & permit documents
Kassarine Pass 5,600sf New Const. – Austin, TX project manager – programming, schematic desgin, design development, renderings
FIVE Austin 9,000sf New Construction – Austin, TX project manager – collaborator in design, construction & permit documents
Spence ADU 1,000sf New Construction – Austin, TX project manager – programming, schematic & design development, construction & permit documents
Redd Residence 2,500sf New Construction – Austin, TX project architect – direct contract negotiation, schematic & design development, construction & permit documents
Milwaukee Residence 3,500sf New Const. – Houston, TX project architect – direct contract negotiation, schematic & design development, construction & permit documents
Jester Duplex 4,000sf New Construction – Austin, TX project manager – programming, schematic & design development, construction & permit documents
Ardalan Residence 4,000sf New Const.– Austin, TX project manager – programming, schematic & design development, construction & permit documents
Edgewater 3,800sf New Construction – Austin, TX project manager – programming, schematic desgin, renderings, presentation to Board of Adjustments for variance request
MULTIFAMILY
Armadillo Park 10 Unit, Duplexes & Single-Family –Austin, TX
co-project manager – schematic & design development, construction documents
6th & Chicon 60 Unit Micro-Apartments – Austin, TX
project manager – feasibility study + schematic design, design development, construction documents, point of contact for expedited plan review permit meeting
Stassney 26 Unit Condominium – Austin, TX project manager – feasibility study + schematic design, design development, collaborator in the production of construction & permit documents
Mesa 45 Unit Condominium – Austin, TX project manager – design development, construction documents, point of contact for expedited plan review permit meeting
Saint Johns 253 Unit Apartment + Retail Austin, TX collaborator in design development & production of construction documents
Pecan District 167 Unit Apartment – Austin, TX collaborator in design development & production of construction documents
Enfield 7 Unit Condo, Remodel + Addition – Austin, TX CA project manager – collaborator in the production of construction & permit documents
Trail Street 24 Unit Townhomes– Austin, TX project manager – feasibility study + schematic design, design development, construction documents, point of contact for expedited vplan review permit meeting
The Pitch Mixed Use Development
BKCW
West 49th Street
TDIndustries
Commercial Office Remodel
Commercial Office Building
Commercial Office Building
The Pitch Mixed Use Development
Architect: Mark Odom Studio
Role: collaborator in design and co-project manager
Location: Austin, TX
Size: 10,000 sf (within a larger development)
Completion Date: 2023
Photography: Casey Dunn
Tasks:
As co-project manager, I was a main contributor to the design and layout of the development. Between the complexity of the project and expedited schedule, I delegated work to junior staf for an efcient drawing and documentation process. This project also required full coordination with master plan architect, STG Design, and landscape architect, TBG Partners. I also led the building efort in the expedited plan review meeting for the project, working directly with plan reviewers to ensure a successful permit review.
The Parmer Pond Village project will act as a bridge, connecting a business park to Austin FC’s new training campus through a series of connected experiences that represent Authentic Austin. The bridge will serve as an active promenade, day and night, that combines retail, food, and work space along an undulating pathway through the natural landscape.
The promenade will be sprinkled with groupings of 1-2 story retail blocks, creating a sequence of experiences that maintains a consistent theme through start, middle, and end. Programmatically, retail shells will be built out of shipping containers to accommodate the concept of fexible rotation between patrons acting as an incubator of ideas with mixed programming.
The entire promenade becomes a central destination hub for retail, food, ofce, and outdoor gathering that would be utilized day and night. The proposed flls an opportunity to draw diferent groups of people into one place for a variety of reasons.
In summary, the proposed gives the site freedom to respond to the very diferent characteristics of the bridged programs, while highlighting the natural landscape, so that activity is diversifed and heightened during day and night.
BKCW Commercial O ce Remodel
Architect: Mark Odom Studio
Interiors: Mark Odom Studio & The Renner Project
Role: collaborator in design and lead project manager through construction
Location: Austin, TX
Size: 3,168 sf
Completion Date: 2019
Photography: Leonid Furmansky
Tasks:
As designer and project manager, I collaborated in fnalizing the interior space layout and design. I was in charge of completing construction documents for permit and construction. Custom structural steel windows required full detailing and a thorough coordination efort between the structural engineer and general contractor.
As the primary point of contact to the client, I led interior and exterior fnish selection presentations. I also collaborated with The Renner Project for fnal interior fnish selections as well as the procurement of mid-century modern furnishings and vintage art.
The project began not only as a full renovation of the 3,000 square foot 1960’s ofce building, but also as an adaptive reuse, ensuring the true preservation of the original building. Over the years, the interiors had been completely subdivided, limiting the experience of the original building stature. The goal was to fully open the space, a nod to the open ofce layout seen in insurance and advertising companies in the mid-1960s.
The project salvaged as much existing brick as possible and replaced existing storefront windows with new energy efcient glazing, framed with steel mullions to match the original window pattern. Internally and externally, the use of mid-century materials, such as vintage brick, stained wood paneling, and cork fooring, brought this project back to its former life. The careful resourcing of these details made it possible to update the original low ceiling, raising it one foot to achieve eight-foot ceiling heights throughout, with a seamless transition inside and out.
Keeping the dedicated views towards downtown Austin and Pease District Park was critical, both for the client and for the visual experience of the employees. Complimenting the very public southern and western views, the eastern windows now face a revitalized subterranean back courtyard, which acts as a respite from the North Lamar trafc. On the exterior, both the front, park facing deck and the southern, downtown facing deck were added and expanded to accentuate the horizontality of the original structure while also providing more generous entry points for visitors and employees. The end result is a preserved but updated, mid-century building that remains an Austin landmark.
West 49th Street Commercial O ce Building
Architect: Mark Odom Studio
Interiors: Mark Odom Studio & Britt Design Group
Role: lead designer and project manager through construction, collaborating w/ BDG for interiors
Location: Austin, TX
Size: 8,000 sf
Completion Date: 2019
Photography: Chase Daniel
Tasks:
As the project manager from the start of design, I worked within the site parameters to formulate the footprint and shape of the building, taking cues from the residential neighborhood surrounding the site. I was in charge of coordinating design & construction meetings with the client and general contractor through the duration of the project.
I worked directly with the interior design frm, Britt Design Group, for their new ofce space encompassing the entire ground level of the building. I helped them create and coordinate drawings for permit and construction.
Infll project for a commercially zoned unbuildable piece of land turns into a two story ofce building. While the property was zoned commercial, it was nearly unbuildable due to the compatibility setbacks triggered by surrounding single family residences. Though the building footprint was dictated by setbacks on all four sides, the city approved a variance to strategically place both parking and landscaped amenity spaces within the compatibility zone, which ultimately created a diversity of exterior spaces for tenants of both buildings.
Although the compatibility setbacks dictated the footprint, it allowed the building to maximize passive solar design through building orientation, daylighting and thermal mass. The user experience is enhanced by a full wall of natural light framed by large custom steel windows on both sides — facing both the urban streetscape in the front and the quiet landscaped yard along the back.
The new two-story building allows for a single user per foor so that the continuous run of windows on both levels could be fully experienced. The building form takes cues from its context, looking towards the gable roofs of the surrounding residential structures. Departing from it’s more traditional neighbors however, the asymmetrical roof line both maximizes the window heights along the southern face and respects the overall scale of the site.
TDIndustries Commercial O ce Building
Architect: mArchitects
Role: collaborator in design and project manager through construction
Location: Houston, TX
Size: 53,000 sf
Completion Date: 2017
Photography: Joe Aker
Tasks:
I was involved in the conceptual design and research and data gathering phase. I contributed to the development of the design and the coordination required for the completion of the construction documents. I was heavily involved in administering the construction of the project, being one of the primary points of contact for the client and general contractor.
TDIndustries, a leading mechanical and plumbing contractor in Texas, relocated their Houston ofce to a pristine 10 acre green feld in northwest Houston. With the desire for future expansion, the 53,000 square foot multibuilding complex is assembled with efciency in mind.
The tilt-wall construction method is put on full display, with variations in color and texture used to bring a human scale to the long expanses of concrete panel walls. The design is grounded in the company culture of teamwork and partnership, and features open work areas with the exclusion of any private ofces. An abundance of glazing combined with narrow foor plates allow natural light deep into the work zones. Collaboration areas are strategically spread among departments to allow for impromptu meetings and group work sessions, while enclosed meeting rooms allow for more private conversations, which are denoted by material transitions and dynamic graphic treatments. The previously underdeveloped site necessitates the building operate almost entirely of the grid, and features ample landscaping, on-site water harvesting, and nature preserve with water features and a walking trail.
Flo’s Wine Bar + Restaurant
Architect: Designtrait Architects
Role: lead designer & project manager through design & construction
Location: Austin, TX
Size: 1,930 sf
Completion Date: 2023
Photography: Henry Ho
Tasks:
As lead designer and project manager, I initiated design foor plan concepts and interior design fnish schedules for client presentations. Provided support to junior staf while coordinating design and construction meetings with the client and general contractor through the duration of the project.
Flo’s Wine Bar & Bottle Shop features an intimate interior remodel and an inviting outdoor patio space with a separate pizza shop. The project seamlessly integrates the charm of a neighborhood wine bar with the energy of a local pizza shop, creating a cohesive yet dynamic environment.
Inside, the space is anchored by a rich color palette of dark wood tones, vibrant green tiles, and warm leather accents. These elements are thoughtfully combined to evoke a sense of comfort and timeless style.
The outdoor patio extends the experience with functional seating and natural elements, ofering a lively yet relaxed setting for gatherings. Flo’s harmonizes aesthetic appeal with practicality, delivering a space where guests can enjoy fne wines, delicious food, and a sense of community.
Sign Bar Cocktail Lounge
Architect: ch|at studio
Role: project architect & manager through design & construction
Location: Austin, TX
Size: 2,500 sf
Completion Date: 2023
Photography: Henry Ho
Tasks:
As the project’s architect, I initiated contract agreements directly with our client for the architectural services. I developed early design concepts & produced drawings and documents for permit submission and construction.
Sign Bar, located in the vibrant East Austin neighborhood, is an interior remodel transforming an existing warehouse into a one-of-a-kind bar concept. The design celebrates Austin’s history by repurposing building signs from old local establishments as decorative elements and curated exhibits, creating a nostalgic and visually dynamic atmosphere.
Guests are welcomed by an expansive outdoor patio, where the majority of the repurposed signs are displayed as part of an open-air exhibit. The patio space encourages exploration, blending relaxed seating and landscaping with the bold presence of Austin’s past. Inside, the concept extends seamlessly, with additional signs showcased against industrial textures that provide a complementary backdrop, allowing the signs to take center stage while maintaining the warehouse’s raw character.
Sign Bar combines creative reuse with thoughtful design, ofering a space that invites visitors to experience Austin’s rich past in a fresh and engaging way.
Kassarine Pass Single-Family Residence + Casita
FIVE Austin Two Single-Family Residences
Millwaukee Single-Family Residence
Kassarine
Pass Single Family Residence + Casita
Architect: Mark Odom Studio
Role: lead designer & project manager through design development
Location: Austin, TX
Size: 5,600 sf
Completion Date: 2023
Photography: Casey Dunn
Tasks:
As the lead designer and project manager, I initiated early plan concepts and massing studies for client presentations. I continued developing the projects’ design & foor plans for the duration of design development.
Located in Barton Hills neighborhood of Austin on a steeply sloped lot, the Kassarine Pass residence uses the existing context to inspire the subtle street-facing presence while also capturing downtown views, earning the name “City View House.”
The massing of the house from the street has a controlled proportion and height so that it is respectful and timeless to the streetscape and neighborhood, whereas the back of the house uses the natural sloped topography to unfold its size and mass so the user can explore all aspects of the site and context.
The interior is laid out and designed to continue the idea of experiential discovery shown upon the approach to the house. Upon entering the front door, the exterior materials come in framing the frst picturesque vista.
The goal during the design process was to blur the line between interior and exterior bringing the outside gently into the interior design – conceived as a warm monotone palette. Showcasing natural materials brings an instant warmth to the open concept living spaces.
The overall palette works in similar warm hues of blond wood and warm natural stones and tiles. These lighter colors contrast with pristine black metal detailing in the windows, interior door portals, and metal work accents.
FIVE Austin Residences Houses 3 & 4
Architect: Designtrait Architects
Design Collaborator: Curiel Arquitectos
Role: Design collaborator and lead project architect from early design to construction.
Location: Austin, TX
Size: (#3) 9,050 sf, (#4) 9,100 sf
Completion Date: 2023 & 2024
Photography: Henry Ho
Tasks:
I collaborated closely with our client’s in-house designer during the early stages of planning for all fve homes. I was responsible for managing and producing comprehensive design drawings and documents required for permitting and construction. I was in charge of ensuring design alignment through construction meetings with the client and general contractor for the duration of each project.
Showcasing two of FIVE single-family residences in Austin, Texas. These homes ofer a harmonious blend of luxury and thoughtful design within a private development. Situated on 1-acre lots, each residence features expansive square footage, with layouts designed to maximize comfort and functionality.
Each home has fve en-suite bedrooms and fexible spaces like gyms, ofces, and entertaining areas. Large, open kitchens with butler’s pantries serve as central hubs for daily living and gatherings, while three-car garages equipped with modern amenities, like electric car charging stations and hydraulic car lifts, meet contemporary needs.
Though similar in program and scale, each residence showcases unique design details and exceptional landscape elements that enhance the outdoor experience. Both properties have well-designed exterior spaces with pools for relaxation, and each home includes an outdoor kitchen for alfresco dining and entertainment, blending indoor and outdoor living. These homes showcase a seamless integration of indoor and outdoor living, emphasizing connection to the surrounding landscape while ofering timeless, refned spaces for modern living.
Milwaukee House Single Family Residence
Architect: ch|at studio
Design/Build Collaborator: Domain 97
Role: project architect & manager through design & construction
Location: Houston, TX
Size: 3,500 sf
Completion Date: 2023
Photography: Frank Muniz
Tasks:
I worked directly with my client and friend at Domain 97, who also acted as the builder for the home. We collaborated on developing plans and massing studies before taking on the production of drawings and documents for permitting and construction.
This single-family residence in Houston’s Lindale Park neighborhood blends traditional and modern design, refecting the character of the surrounding area. The home’s exterior features a classic gabled roof and clean, balanced lines, ofering a contemporary interpretation of the neighborhood’s architectural heritage.
Inside, the open-concept layout emphasizes natural light and spatial fow, complemented by a neutral palette and warm, natural materials. Thoughtful design details create a sense of simplicity and sophistication, while large windows connect the interior to the surrounding environment.
This home embraces modern living with energy-efcient systems and sustainable materials, delivering a design that is both timeless and forwardthinking. It stands as a seamless addition to the rich architectural fabric of Lindale Park.
Six & Chicon
Multi-Family
Micro-Apartments
Mesa Multi-Family Condominium
6th & Chicon Multi-Family Micro-Apartments
Architect: Mark Odom Studio
Role: collaborator in design and lead project manager, renderings
Location: Austin, TX
Size: 35,000 sf
Units: 60 micro-units
Completion Date: summer 2025
Task:
As lead designer and project manager, I was a main contributor to the early design and massing studies developed for client presentation. The project’s complexity required multiple rounds of meetings with City plan reviewers to ensure its feasibility. Additionally, I provided support to junior staf during the production of construction documents, while coordinating with the design team and general contractor.
With the densifcation of East 6th street, in both program types and livability, the new micro-living lifestyle takes advantage of the surrounding restaurants, bars, retail, and housing - all within one rail station from downtown. The micro-living lifestyle re-evaluates density, allowing the user to discover a new quality of relationships between the internal unit and the exterior conditions — using common spaces both socially and individually. Additionally, micro living provides the resident a clear strategy on how to live compactly and efciently, resulting in a more sustainable living model. There are multiple communal amenities spread across the building such as, communal kitchens, outdoor terraces and HIIT workout stations, equipped to accommodate the needs of the groups or the individual.
The ground level lobby overlaps co-working + cofee bar, integrating resident services and semi-public program with both individual and collective opportunities. Vertically connected through exterior punctures the co-living mentality allows these major spaces to act as catalysts for the microlifestyle, providing opportunities for engagement while simultaneously freeing up the individual unit.
Each unit is embedded with all user needs. Fully integrating the individual and the unit, the range of units types allows for a diversity of residents, usage, and lifestyle - from 262 sf to 462 sf each has its own role in the co-living formula.
massing iso / SW
activating interaction on east 6th and views to downtown communal program projects the internal micro-living lifestyle to the exterior
Mesa Multi-Family Condominium
Architect: Mark Odom Studio
Role: design lead and project manager through construction
Location: Austin, TX
Size: 60,500 sf
Units: 45
Date: 2022
Renderings: Frost Visualizations
Tasks:
I joined the project in the middle of design development and took over as project manager and main point of contact to the client and general contractor. I worked on fnalizing unit designs plus overall building organization. I developed several interior fnish packages and assisted in creating a buyer’s list for the client. I led the efort in the expedited plan review meeting for the project and remained the project manager for the duration of the construction.
A 45-unit 3-story residential condominium project in south Austin. The project will provide market-rate units that help accommodate Austin’s “Missing Middle” housing demand. The name chosen for the project is “MESA”, which is representative of the elevated land with fat tops and steep clif sides.
The building takes cues from the blended green landscape surrounding the site and references the color range found throughout the Mesa region. The building will be clad with siding installed with a gradient layout which will blend into the adjacent landscape. The planning of the project is experiencefocused, creating interior and exterior moments of interest with areas of social interaction. The landscape will have design-focused amenities (pool, grill, dog park etc.) that will ofer lifestyle opportunities for its users.
Inside/Out
Reasearch Workshop & Design-Build Territories Fortlandia Design Competition
Territories Design Competition – Fortlandia
Architect: Mark Odom Studio
Builder: Citadel Development
Fabricator: Makehouse
Role: design collaborator + construction lead
Location: Austin, TX
Completion Date: 2020
Photography: Ben Porter Photography
Task:
As part of the design team, I helped formulate the initial concept for the competition entry. I generated concept sketches and diagrams as well as produced drawings and renderings for the submittal package.
Once selected as a winning entry, I was in charge of producing fnal drawings and details for construction. I collaborated with the builder for procurement of materials and fabrication.
Fortlandia at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildfower Center exists as yet another reason to get outside and enjoy the center’s gorgeous arboretum trail while trying out new concepts of “forts” that inspire play for all ages. Submissions, judged by a panel of local experts in architecture, landscape architecture, nature play, and child behavior, are reviewed, and just a few are selected.
Childhood play is so often focused on discovery — discovery of place, of material, and of potential creations. This type of discovery can be found at any scale, alone or with friends, and ultimately fosters imagination and interaction, even with strangers. Our fort aims to tap into this type of play by establishing a series of strategic shelters, or territories, which can be continually defned and redefned by the interaction of its occupants.
Derived from the game of pick-up sticks, this fort establishes a series of shelters, or territories, which can be continually redefned by its occupants. The territories are assembled by materials which refect “discovered” objects; those that can be reused in a variety of ways. Layering reclaimed 36” diameter drainage pipe and cargo net over custom steel frames, a dynamic and unexpected environment was created - one that ofers opportunities for people of all ages to discover each territory in a variety of exciting ways.
the most basic territory consisting of a 4-foot long drainage pipe tied down with climbing rope.
the primitive territory is extended, projecting views and suggesting connections to surrounding territories
00/ primitive 01/ extension 02/ horizontal connection 03/ vertical culmination
diverging from the other territories, extended drainage pipes deviate and suggest connections to the ild o e cente s landsca e forts.
te ito ies a e intensifed at t e converging point, connecting the user with the sky and tree canopies of t e ild o e cente
Inside\Out Research Workshop & Design-Build
Design Team: University of Houston’s CDRC & INAR
Role: Member of Fifth Ward Seminar Workshop research team at the University of Houston.
Location: Houston, TX
Date: 2014-2016
Inside/Out is a cross-disciplinary exhibition that explores Houston’s Fifth Ward community and a structure-in-waiting. The title describes the design research organization and the built structure’s function once reconstructed within an existing building. The exhibition involves the Interior Architecture program (INAR) and the Community Design Resource Center (CDRC) at the University of Houston, along with community partners.
As part of the Fifth Ward seminar workshop team, we developed research that provided the context for the design/build studio. Collaborating with Olivet Missionary Baptist Church, the studio considered adaptive reusing a “shotgun” storehouse into a public reading room and e-resource center.
Visitors will fnd research used in the studio outside the structure, framing the Fifth Ward’s history and context. This information infuenced the inside structure’s design development throughout the semester. The documents track the design’s evolution and integration into the project site.
Existing Site Conditions
Due to the recent demolition of adjacent structures, the existing building possesses several opportunities related to interior/ exterior space, and passive cooling strategies not typical of historic shotgun structures in Houston.
Ventilation Strategy
Openings are created on the East and West facades to take advantage of prevailing gulf winds. On the West façade, the opening is enlarged to provide a connection to the side yard and garden.
Opening the Entry
The existing ceiling joists and the ceiling substrate act as a structural diaphragm. This stabilizes the building, but it creates a uniform interior spatial configuration that is indiferent to the conditions of the plan and the surrounding context. By conceptually twisting this structural diaphragm at the entry, the space is opened to the roof rafters, exposing a 16' tall space and the opportunity for natural daylighting.
Opening the Deck
In the rear of the building, the same twist is done in the opposite direction to promote circulation from the entrance out onto a deck in the side yard and provide the same opportunity for natural daylight.
Design Narrative Diagrams
Screening the Back Door
The twist of the ceiling surface is increased to screen the back door and create an area for storage shelving. A shipping container will be placed at the back of the site to anchor the deck and side yard.
Creating the Porch and Garden
The front facade of the building is recessed five feet to create a covered front porch facing Farmer Street. A garden along the southern edge of the property will take advantage of the ample sun exposure, and it will help to define the side yard.
Thank You