2023 Portfolio

selected works

allie miller

Master of Interior Architecture Candiadate 2023

a note to the

I have always wanted to be an interior designer.

At 7 years old I was rearranging my parents’ furniture. At 10, I competed and was a finalist in Habitat’s Build a House, Build a Dream building a luxurious cardboard home. In middle school I determined architecture was the perfect career based on my math grades and love of art. This continued to high school where I discovered a love for adaptive reuse flipping an old house with my dad. An acceptance to the University of Tennessee’s interior design program solidified all my childhood dreams–until I changed majors graduating with my bachelors in Child and Family Studies.

My track within my new major was called Community Outreach, meaning I would focus on nonprofits, policies and any impact on communities and individuals. I knew in my future job I would be striving to make the world a more just and equitable place. Unsure of what to do after graduating, I worked as a barista in a furniture store. Here I was again rearranging furniture, remembering that this was always what I was meant to be doing.

This June I will be graduating from University of Oregon’s Master of Interior Architecture Program, sure that I will be an interior designer. The past few years have kindled the spark I’ve carried with me since I was 7 to design beautiful places and has grown it to use interior design as a way to make the world, more specifically Nashville, a more just and equitable place.

After interning at the Civic Design Center last summer and participating in their Socially Conscious Design 101 class, I have gained a local context to the social issues surrounding design. This knowledge is currently supporting my thesis project: a food hub in the old McFadden’s building on 2nd Ave with the goals of reviving public spaces for locals downtown, providing access to fresh, local food, and creating food education and small business support.

Fostering community through spatial organization and focusing on sensory qualities through materiality are demonstrated throughout my portfolio, which received the Metropolis Future 100 award for 2023.

With appreciation,

04. SOUL-CIAL CLUB COVALLIS, OREGO N

Service Learning Studio for the Arc of Benton County

08. MARCHE CAF E EUGENE, OREGO N

Working Drawings Studio for the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art

12. A SEAT AT THE TABL E LONDON, U K

Community kitchen in the Pembridge Mews

16. HOTEL ASTORI A ASTORIA, OREGO N

Adaptive Reuse of the John Jacob Astor Building

20. THE NOO K

Alder wood chair

22. SHAKE & SPIC E

Prototyping

24. CIVIC DESIGN NASHVILLE, TENNESSE E

Research for the Civic Design Center

28. MEDIA EXPLORATION S

Exploring the Case Study Houses

SOULcial CLUBHOUSE

So Very Social Service Learning Studio Fall 2022

This programming studio began with research and conversation with the ARC of Benton Country, a non profit that serves people with intellectual and emotional disabilities. SOULcial focuses on the mind-body-soul connection by incorporating spaces that support interaction with peers, physical and mental health practices, and education. The clubhouse provides various areas that can be opened up or closed off to support the needs of the day. Flexibility in furniture and space sizes allows the ARC to use this space for day to day activities and provides a larger open are for special events. Rooms are intentionally multipurpose with the ability to open up fully with movable panels or to be closed off. The closed panels would allow sight into the spaces to create threshold views before entering, a user need. This solution provides ample office space for the building to serve as the main headquarters of the ARC. A fully enclosed sensory room provides a refresh space for those who need time away from the clubhouse. Alcoves are incorporated throughout the main activity spaces to provide smaller thresholds of places away. The catering kitchen can serve dually as a prep kitchen for events and for daily classes for skills training. The adjacent cafe space serves as skill training for bakery items and coffee making and can serve the users of the space. This area opens outside to a fully functioning kitchen in open air. This flows into a functional garden for fresh produce. A water feature and calming garden are a threshold into the more recreational side of the site. A full sized basketball court can fit and serve as overflow parking when needed. Paved sidewalks surround all activities for accessibility on the entire site. The building has 4 personal toilet rooms as well as one dedicated shower room. Locker space is provided in this area as well for easy changing between physical and mental activities.

Interior elevation of clubhouse and fitness studio wall (view to sensory room, alcoves in clubhouse, main ramp entry, studio storage)

Adjacency & proposed program diagram

to encourage mind body connection and social relationships through wellness focused activities

By creating prgramming that reflects a holistic approach to wellbeing, zones dedicated to fitness, education, nutrition, and social engagement were designed with multiple functions to encourage flexibility in uses by the clients. Using the space for fun and funciton is important in ensuring users will feel confident in the community clubhouse and also preparing for real time job and life skills.

Circulation Diagram

Zoning Diagram

Dark: privater, quieter / Light: more open

to connect indoor wellness activities to outdoor wellness activities

The site encompasses an outdoor kitchen placed directly between the garden and the catering kitchen. This indoor outdoor connection provides a clear understanding of food growing and processing before cooking. The fitness multipurpose room opens wide onto the lounge part of the patio with views to the walking trails and sensory garden space. This threshold of quieter spaces then opens up to the recreaitonal area where bocceball, volleyball, pickleball, and many field games can be played. The paved court allows space for basketball and foursquare and overflow parking for events.

Collage study of spacemaking in indoor and outdoor spaces inspired by Tatiana Bilboa Studios work

Collage study facing the proposed front facade and showing activity on the site

Site Plan & Roof

to balance stimulating activities with in between spaces to reset and reconnect

Alcoves throughout the space provides an area of refuge to step away from activities when they feel overwelming without completely leaving the room. When isolating oneself feels more appropriate the sensory room is a place to reset in privacy with the help of user controlled lighting and a hugging swing. Materials were selected to provide physical and mental comfort to sensory conditions as well as to be durable and easily cleaned. Spaces were spatially seperated to ensure sensory needs would be met as well as larger plantings and new thicker windows installed to mitigate lights and sounds from the highway.

View from cluhbouse into fitness space when doors are opened

Section perspective view into kitchen

CAFE MARCHE

Working Drawings Studio Winter 2021

Jeanne Hall Jenkins Interior Excellence Award Winner: Working Drawings Studio

Marché Museum Cafe located within the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon provides coffee and tea drinks as well as pre-made provisions. The cafe is in a prime location to serve students and community members. The proposed south entrance would allow for more daylight and foot traffic as the current courtyard entrance is hidden. The circulation begins here and creates space for lines to form as well as give clear sight lines to the various seating areas and doors to the museum. Using booths, dining tables, banquettes, floating soft seat, each person can find their happy place. Located within an art museum, inspiration into the spatial organization and FF&E of Marché came from artist Jacob Lawrence’s migration series’ rich colors and natural patterning.

artist inspo: The Migration series by jacob lawrence

Floor Plan

Pieces from the Migration Series by Jacob Lawrence

to create a space with intuitive flow that reduces bottlenecking & provides various seating arrangements

Design and Direct Tertazzo Tiles

to improve sensory environment through acoustical mediation, glare reduction, and air filtration

These custom cane ceiling panels reflect the French inspired menu while also absorbing unwanted sound through acoustical felt and the gap above. Panels without this felt allow for light and air filtration. Reducing glare from the down lights in this way still provides task lighting as well as adds the ambient light throughout.

Fireclay Recycled Tile in Flagstone-Leed qualified

FilzFelt acoustical wall covering

Fireclay Brick Tile in Zion Leed qualified

Reflected Ceiling Plan with hidden lighting and mechanical placements

LIGHTING SCHEDULE

Fireclay Recycled Tile in Flagstone-Leed qualified

Yemm & Hart Recycled Wine Cork Tiles

KnollTextiles Ultrasuede in Alpine - Red List free stain resistent

Elevation of the East Wall: Including ADA bathroom, custom private booth seating, and courtyard entrance

to design a cozy, durable space

Utilizing sustainable textiles and building materials, the redesigned space explores darker jewel tones as seen in the inspired artwork to create a cozier library mood. The natural wood and woven textures enforce the fresh ingredients used by Marché and up-cycled goods reduce the footprint of this redesign. This cafe aims to make all who enter feel at home while still providing maintainable and cleanable surfaces for employees. The original 1930s cork floor remains in the main seating space and is reflected in the new “cork room” that creates a quieter study space in the east hall. The coffee bar is able to store all necessary drink equipment and foods so that employees have all they need in reach to more efficiently serve their guests.

Elevation of the North Wall: From the upper level entrance

N/S Section Elevation of Casework

A SEAT AT THE TABLE

Discourse Studio Fall 2021

The Discourse studio responded to a world post pandemic and the digital age that often leave people unaware of their neighbors names. Engaging with a small, secondary street in London the studio desired ways to support community through interior design and programming. As a studio we determined specified uses for each residence-family homes, day care, art centers, wellness studios, etc. For my selected piece of community, 13 Pembridge Mews is designed as a community kitchen. A place where all who enter have a seat at the table. Opening up to the street and the back garden, the interconnectedness of this home resembles the desired collective approach of what neighborhoods used to be.

to engage with the site and provide daylighting

A Seat At The Table arrived from a studio project promoting a new way to design for community in a Mews street scape. Mews are secondary streets, often created to be hidden from the wealthy house that surrounds these streets on each side. The density of their location in the London street fabric reduces sunlight and connection to green space. 13 sits at the end of the Pembridge Mews tucked away into the privacy of the secondary street. Its location provides a secondary connection to the main street of the large homes behind it. These two entrances make it easy to get to while still providing the quietness of the Mews. This project aims to preserve the existing character of the original mews building by maintaining the existing fireplaces and chimneys, facade and outer bearing walls. The openness of the ground floor provides an accessible and flexible space that shares with the back garden and the mews street. Because of the nearness and height of the surrounding buildings, the Mews do not receive ample light (see sun study to the right). Large windows and openings all for gaining as much daylight as possible but primarily serve views into the ivy covered patio area. Allowing the stable doors to open without interruption can provide a connection to Mews street in various weather.

a media exploration about the overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by larger taller buildings in this space contrasted with the impact of adding additional greenery in the mews

sketch of site section

to connect with garden spaces through visual and tactile additions

Direct lines of vision through the entry and most bedrooms to the back garden imply a connection to nature needed after an indoor pandemic. The materials chosen aim to create a clear visual connection from the green and floral textures inside the home to the garden directly outside of the home. Materials are inspired from research about the garden city and arts and craft movements. Furniture is mostly custom to fit the unique needs of the mews home needs and is often built in where possible. The original London brick and barn style doors are implemented to reflect the history of the mews as carriage houses.

to provide genuine connection following the pandemic

This house merges two side by side properties to create an openness that is often unable to be met in other properties in the mews. A space of relief for the neighbors constrained to their smaller kitchen, this residence opens its doors to welcome their neighbors and their guests for meals. The magic of community often happens over a meal. This mews space offers a backyard garden space for fresh ingredients and more space for gathering. The diagrams shown demonstrate the various furniture arrangements that allow for gatherings of all kinds. The four individual tables all hold individual storage for equipment that would be used in cooking classes or for more casual dining use. The tables are light and easily moved to other locations of the house or outside for various needs. For larger dinner gatherings, the plan on the shown first page. Creating a gathering place within the mews itself supports the desire to foster connection between neighborhoods in a lonely age.

kitchen wall elevation through outdoor kitchen space under the balcony with island elevation

entry view to garden

HOTEL ASTORIA

10 days, 10 nights Studio Spring 2021

to create an integrative, welcoming space that encourages mixing and mingling between locals and tourists

Located in the John Jacob Astor building in Astoria Oregon, Hotel Astoria is an adaptive reuse project in the heart of this river town. The Columbia River Gorge which splits Oregon and Washington and meets the ocean directly just on the other side of town is a rough river filled with incoming barges to the ports. The design seeks to reveal the nuances of its extensive history and current water focused industries while simultaneously making tourists feel right at home. A town that you have to be intentional about arriving to, the design of the hotel needed to be a welcoming and interactive space for locals to enjoy just as much as their visitors. Allowing space for local businesses to create direct connections into the main lobby space as well as an in house bar, restaurant, cafe, and speakeasy integrate the hotel seamlessly into the surrounding area.

a collage showing the reception desk

to preserve the history of the building and represent the rich history of the town in an appropriate, aesthetic way

After a devastating fire, the John Jacob Astor building was created in the 1920s. The influence of the art deco exterior is captured in wall paper and light fixtures throughout the hotel design. The once pink facade of the building is carried through into the colors shaping the space. From fur trading posts, to fish canneries, Astoria has grit. Cultural influence on materials comes from scandiavian settlers and mutually aims to respect Asian heritage that has not always been revered in the town. Underground tunnels and ghost stories inspired a spookier and moodier palette to the Hotel Astoria. On a lighter note, the building itself was the birthplace of cable television, and the town the setting of the beloved Goonies movie.

mezzanine level plan

mezzanine level seating area in the open lounge space

to

experience the town in a genuine and timeless way

typical guest floor

3RD-8TH

Oregon is notoriously gray and rainy, especially at the coast where the Astoria is very close to. The design provides comfort in the guest suites for tourists to experience the ‘stay in bed’ coziness on the melancholy days here. Rooms are soft and relaxing, nodding strongly towards Scandinavian materiality and each providing a view to the surround nature. Warmth even in the lighter palette was integral to keeping the coziness in the suites.

views to the hills

THE NOOK.

Furniture Studio Spring 2022

The Nook Chair began with Rowena Reed’s object study exploring connection between volumes (pictured far right). After researching chair precedents and analyzing how they were made, inspiration was gleaned from Donald Judd’s geometric massing, and more closely, his day bed project. Challenged to create chairs that anthropometrically fit our own bodies, the Nook has a lower seat height with potential to add a cushion as still be at proper knee height for my body. Oversized in width and depth, the Nook was designed to be my ideal morning chair. A table inserted to set books, coffee, or a laptop while still maintaining space for my legs to be criss cross, or the table removed for a foot rest to spread out more. In all of my various positions, the nook is accommodating. This flexibility supports the notion that constant fidgeting and movement in our seats is a healthier option that fitting the chairs perfectly to our bodies. The Nook is made from locally donated Alder wood.

SHAKE & SPICE

Seminar Prototype Spring 2022

Tasked with creating prototypes for a tabletop object, Shake & Spice began with doodles and sketches of various forms, continued to massing models and test sizing, and “finished” with analog object creation attempts. The process (right) was a unique experience to try various output methods and is planned to be continued in an independent study next spring.

process:

DIGITAL

1. form base geometry

2. make random squiggly lines and loft

3. use lines to split apart base

4. create shells with an open face on the bottom

5. boolean subtract shake holes

6. render

PHYSICAL

1.test ideas in clay

2. laser cut cardboard to assemble more precisely

3. 3D print prototype

4. create plaster molds from resin prints

5. slip cast into plaster*

6. create holes*

7. glaze and fire*

8. print silicone corks*

9. fill with spices*

*steps not achieved yet

organization & design

CIVIC DESIGN Research and graphics for the Civic Design Center Summer 2022

divided into gathering spaces, health and wellbeing space, affordable housing, and safety. and administration are included in diagrams but do not necessarily fit into these categories. Figure building to show the relationship of programming in a building type. The locations that the community would allow for a multi-story building. This diagram follows the previous privacy gradients and

The Civic Design Center located in Nashville, Tennessee, aims to engage the local community in visioning actionable change to improve the quality of life for all people through design. As the design studio intern, I worked directly with the community to understand needs and goals for their neighborhoods or proposed projects, researched precedents and case studies and envisioned places that foster community and support all people. These are my graphics revealing research findings and proposed designs.

Health & wellbeing spaces

affordable housing safety & accessibility

Physical Health Clinic

Mental Health Clinic Resources

Pharmacy

Group Counseling

Support Group Space

Individual Counseling

Emergency Shelter

Homelessness Resources

Public Showers and Toilets

Outdoor Spaces

Mirco Units

Multi-bedroom Units

Senior Housing

Youth Housing

Transitional Housing

Secure Access

Lobby Attendent

Parking

Circulation

Wayfinding

Privacy

Universal Design

above: exploded axonometric revealing potential adjacencies of programmatic elements

left: collage rendering of potential public space surrounding the community center

Figure 3: Exploded Axonometric

Design

space. community.

Privacy Gradient

envisioning the future lgbtqia+ community center

Working closely with Inclusion Tennessee, the design center engaged with the community at Pride, and hosted multiple feedback events presenting ideas about what the community would like to see in a future LGBTQIA+ community center. After initial feedback, the desired programming elements were discovered (next page). From there, researching case studies about existing LGBTQIA+ community centers as well as precedents studies led me to make programing diagrams and some collage renderings of the most desired spaces.

The public to private threshold is especially important in a community center that needs to feel safe and secure while also being inclusive and welcoming. Retail, the cafe, and outdoor space are closer to the top meaning they can be open to the public. Private access to outdoor space is also important. Other gathering spaces (oranges and purples on the diagram are located more centrally along with some health services becasue these spaces may require secure access but can still be accessible for visitors. Housing and health care spaces would require the most privacy for the safety of the community.

above: a collage of an inclusive cafe space that engages the community for day to day activities and small gatherings. left:: diagram exploring the privacy gradient of the intended spaces

9

programming & precedent studies

Health Clinic (Mental or Physical)

3.9

accessibility

Desired Programming & Resources

ample gathering spaces including a coworking space, cafe, functional theater, space. The space also provides health services as well as many adaptable spaces that possible expansion.

desired programming & resources

housing. With the great need for housing in Nashville desire from the community to see affordable and in the center, including housing in the comunity greatly benefit the LGBTQIA+ community.

Precedent research was used to understand the designs of various LGBTQIA+ community centers as well as to seek more information about individual programming elements. Below are some of the LGBTQIA+ specific community centers that were used to understand spatial requiements.

Ranked from most important (1) to least important (10)

Ranked from most important (1) to least important (10)

members, safety and accessibilty are a concern that needs

pie charts representing programming to show Inclusion TN the distribution of spaces with all desired spaces included compared to a version without housing or parking on site.

Cafe-like Space for Social Activites

Retailler in Common Area

4.4

accessibility

Ranked 3rd for importance in the future community security measures like policing or metal detectors feel secure, the community prefered to have a 24/7 keycard access center. They also prefereed a single seperate lobby spaces for more private programming like

with community members, safety and accessibilty are a concern that needs part of the design. Ranked 3rd for importance in the future community

PERCENTAGE COMPARISON OF PROGRAMMING (WITHOUT PARKING & HOUSING)

inclusive and welcoming environment. Universal adequate spaces for all abilities. Universal Design environment accessible for a wider range of people.

spaces through a large recreation hall, theater, and reception hall. Smaller multialongside mental and physical health spaces. Youth and senior programming is block offer 79 apartment units to 55+ LGBTQ residents. The apartment includes a laundry, community kitchen along with retail spaces.

The thought of typical security measures like policing or metal detectors in the data below. To feel secure, the community prefered to have a 24/7 the center over a keycard access center. They also prefereed a single spaces. Provding seperate lobby spaces for more private programming like comfort of visitors.

community center provides the community with youth and senior housing integrated into a multi building campus. The organizational layprovides seperation and secure access into the more private spaces while the community cafe and plaza are more public. The community provides 100 beds for homeless youth, 25 supportive housing untis for youth, and 99 affordable housing units for seniors. A commercial kitchen, various senior resources, and a youth academy all work together to support the center.

Designing for safety with lobby surviellence in a friendly and welcoming space

as well as providing an inclusive and welcoming environment. Universal of the space to ensure adequate spaces for all abilities. Universal Design aims to make the built environment accessible for a wider range of people.

Victorian Pride Center

strongly unsupported idea. The

Located in Melbourne, AU, this community center provides ample gathering spaces including a coworking space, cafe, functional theater, recording studios, community garden, archive, and retail space. The space also provides health services as well as many adaptable spaces that for fluidity and change in programming and for possible expansion.

space, and less

Access

A lobby space with secure access may look like a 24/7 attendent monitoring and assisting with wayfinding through the space without the need for less friendly guards or metal detectors.

Center on Halsted

On a scale of 1-5, with 5 being a resource that should be a key feature of of the community center. The shaded chart represents the number of votes for each

Affordable Housing

Senoir Housing

This pie chart demonstrates the relation of the square footage for all community center spaces housing and parking. Event space as well as the spaces take up the largest amount, followed by and then retail. Using this diagram, there is a more understanding of the relationships of the programming other. This can be stand alone or can show a more look at what is happening in the leftover third Angeles LGBT Center

access / armed guards

Designing for safety with lobby surviellence in a friendly

Designing for privacy through secluded courtyards and con trolled circulation

Located in Chicago, the space provides a majority of event spaces through a large recreation hall, theater, and reception hall. Smaller multipurpose meeting spaces and classrooms fill the center alongside mental and physical health spaces. Youth and senior programming is amplified here and the town hall apartments on the same block offer 79 apartment units to 55+ LGBTQ residents. The apartment includes a computer lab, library, phsycial therapy space, fitness, laundry, community kitchen along with retail spaces.

Access

From our engagement surveys and discussing with community members, safety and accessibility are a concern that needs to be address in all programmed spaces and each part of the design. Ranked 3rd for importance in the future community center, safe controlled access spaces are crucial. The thought of typical security measures like policing or metal detectors were okay to the community but not ideal.

A lobby space with secure access may look like a 24/7 attendent monitoring and assisting with wayfinding through the

a collage showing a warmer, more comfortable health care experience for the LGBTQIA+ community

PERCENTAGE Unlike or garage Parking respectively all other minimum the transportation the PERCENTAGE (WITHOUT When parking Housing housing housing. desire in the greatly PERCENTAGE (WITHOUT This square housing spaces and understanding other. look and

public life study for pedestrian safety

The Design Center partnered with Walk Bike Nashville to conduct a pedestrian life study on Dickerson Pk, one of the most dangerous streets for pedestrians in the city. Vision Zero aims to reduce all pedestrian deaths and this is a main area to look into. When conducting the public life study, the four zones of the pike were analyzed for pedestrian and cyclist counts and mapped their activities across demographics. We also talked with anyone in the area to hear their thoughts about the intersections. Read more here on the blog. The image below shows the relative area of pedestrians at four different times at the four zones. The images to the right are my proposed ideal design interventions to ensure safety for all pedestrians and cyclists and slow down vehicular traffic.

MEDIA EXPLORATIONS

Unbuilt: Case Study Houses Media Seminar Fall 2022

Studying the mid century case study house #4 the “Greenbelt House” designed by Ralph Rapson, the course began with 3D modeling and material application to view these unbuilt homes in virtual reality. Then, taking new inspiration each week, technical drawings met stylist twists to show these houses in various media explorations.