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AVA DAWSON

DESIGN PORTFOLIO ABOUT

CONTACT

Ava Dawson

972-765-3857

School of Architecture

avadawson2@gmail.

The University of Texas at Austin 2022 -2025

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EDUCATION

The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX

RESUME

August 2022 - PRESENT (Expected Graduation May 2027) - Pursuing a BArch in the School of Architecture - GPA: 3.78/4.00

Plano West Senior High, Plano, TX August 2018 - May 2022

- Senior Class President

- Graduated Summa Cum Laude - Weighted GPA: 4.47/4.0 scale - Class Rank: 78/1324 (5.9%)

WORK EXPERIENCE

Architetcural Intern | WRA Architects Inc. | Plano, TX June 2025 - August 2025

- Worked on project teams to help with project management, program-

ming / analysis, and project planning / design phases of K-12 schools Nanny, Plano, TX

AVA DAWSON

I am a senior at The University of Texas at Austin School of

Architecture pursuing a Bachelor of Architecture. In my three years of study, my coursework has allowed me to grow in my

fascination and understanding of design principles, construction techniques, and architectural history through projects ranging

from residential to commercial buildings. In addition to learning

August 2021 - August 2024

-Supervised 2 children before and after school as well as in the sum-

mer; Planned activities, assisted in daily routines, managed scheduling, and ensured safety

HTeaO, Plano, TX

April 2020- October 2021

- greeted and assisted customers on the sales floor answering prod-

uct-related questions; worked a drive-through servicing 40 cars an hour;

operated point-of-sale (POS) systems accurately and efficiently; prepared and served 28 different teas

how to hand draft and create physical models, I have honed my

LEADERSHIP

ware such as Rhino, and the Adobe Creative Suite. Beyond my

Panhellenic Recruitment Guide (2024)

skills in digital drawings and 3D modeling through design softtechnical skills and academic achievements, I pride myself on

strong leadership and communication abilities, which I feel are crucial in the field of architecture.

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

Tri Delta Conduct Representative (2022-Present) Senior Class President (2021-2022)

SKILLS

Communication, Teamwork, 3D Modeling (Rhino + Revit), Adobe Creative Suite, Rendering, Computational Design, Drafting, Project Management

01 02 CONTENTS

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Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

CONTENTS Design VI: Comprehensive Professor: Michael McCall Partner: Alexa Berube 2025

Biomedical Research Lab

Pages 4-9

WEST FACADE SCALE: 1’ = 1/4”

Advanced Design Professor: Ashley Heeren Partner: Ben Carnahan 2025 Pages 10-13

SOUTH FACADE SCALE: 1’ = 1/4”

Adaptive Reuse

Design V Professor: Patrick Danahy 2024

Performing Arts Center

Pages 14-19

Design IV Professor: Michael McCall 2024

Multi-Family Housing

Pages 20-23

Design III Professor: Tyler Swingle 2023

“Integration”

Pages 24-25

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BIOMEDICAL LAB Design VI: Comprehensive Professor: Michael McCall Partner: Alexa Berube

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

BIOMEDICAL LAB

This proposal for a Biomedical Research Laboratory for Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin started with an in-depth analysis

of the site. Situated at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Trinity Street, the site is defined by a presence of a significant floodplain

due to its proximity to Waller Creek. In response, the building embraces the floodplain with minimal ground contact. Only the three cores touch the earth with the primary program elevated above grade. These cores serve as physical and programmatic anchors as the spatial organization is ar-

ranged around them. The lobby core divides the program with laboratories aligned along Trinity Street, while offices and a conference venue face MLK Boulevard. The sharp urban edges of the streets inform the geometric form of the building matching the rigidity of the exposed structure. In contrast, the west side of the building opens towards Waller Creek offering views to the creek and reinforcing a dialogue between the built and

natural landscape. The collaborative space leads to an exterior terrace that overlooks the creek connected to the plaza. This plaza, along with the pavilion, responds to the organic contours of the creek, creating a softer edge. The design seeks to express a relationship between science and nature by fostering a space for biomedical research that engages with the site’s context. Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

BIOMEDICAL LAB

EAST SECTION

PARTIAL SECTION + ELEVATION

NORTH SECTION

ELEVATIONS

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

BIOMEDICAL LAB

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

ROOF PLAN

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

BIOMEDICAL LAB

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

BIOMEDICAL LAB

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ADAPTIVE REUSE

ADVANCED STUDIO I Professor: Ashley Heeren Partner: Ben Carnahan

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

“Elm Exchange” creates a system BIOMEDICAL rather than LAB a static building where retail and residence, visitor and local, and Baylor and East Waco continuously Material richness fades upward: exchange energy. By having rotating retail below brick → lighter, quieter finishes and housing above, the project balances the po(civic ornament below supports domestic calm above) tential for tourism with the steadiness of community life, reimagining adaptive reuse as a system of mutual exchange rather than one of replacement. As for the building itself, we chose 501 Elm Avenue or “The Kestner Building.” We wanted to use the historic facades ornament and rhythm to not just preserve it as decoration, but reinterpret it as spatial systems that inform the interior organization. We analyzed the scale and defining features of each facade to guide how rotating retail adapts below and how housing modules align above. Through this translation, the buildings historic language becomes an active framework for new patterns of occupation and exchange. Altogether, Elm Exchange operates as an adaptive system. The historic structure sets the tone, the Larger, Horizontal Signage Band new addition expands its capacity, and the flexi→ More Permanent Fixtures ble design lets the building and site shift with the with Broader Spatial Gestures neighborhood over time.

ORNAMENT TO INTERIOR SPACE EXTERIOR ORNAMENT TOEXTERIOR INTERIOR SPACE The historic facade’s ornament and rhythm are not preserved as decoration, but reinterpreted as spatial systems inform the interior organization of rotating retail and housing above.

Window Rhythm → Housing Bay Divisions

Ornamented Parapet / Detailed Signage Band (civic identity / historic branding) Finer Scale on the West Face → retail display zones (more human-scaled interaction)

ELEVATIONS

Transparent Storefront (public openness / exchange)

→ Double height ceiling to bridge programs and open-plan retail modules

Arched Openings Rhythm

(vertical order / modular spacing) → arched shelving / modular room spacing

ELEVATIONS

WEST FACADE SCALE: 1’ = 1/4”

SOUTH FACADE

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

SCALE: 1’ = 1/4”

FLOOR PLANS

02 SECTIONS

ADAPTIVE REUSE

SOUTH FACING LONGITUDAL SECTION

FLOOR 3 (ADDITION)

SCALE: 1/8″ = 1′–0″

EAST FACING TRANSVERSE SECTION

FLOOR 2

PUBLIC VS PRIVATE DIGAGRAM VERTICAL CIRCULATION PUBLIC SEMI - PUBLIC

GROUND FLOOR

PRIVATE

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

SCALE: 1/8″ = 1′–0″

12 SCALE: 1/8″ = 1′–0″

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

ADAPTIVE REUSE

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

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PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Design V: Professor: Patrick Danahy

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

My Design V final project was to develop a proposal for a

contemporary performing arts center and theater in Austin, Texas, specifically reimagining the site of the historic Cur-

tain Theater at the intersection of Coldwater Creek and Lake Austin. Building on my prior investigations, I started by delving into physics-based assembly and discrete aggregation using post-tensioned stone. Potential for disassembly and

reassembly through post-tensioning allows for greater adapt-

ability so I aimed to redefine stone’s architectural use, emphasizing the need for innovative detailing and sustainable practices. The goal of this project was to position the performing arts center as a beacon of cultural exchange, inviting com-

munity participation and showcasing architecture’s power to shape human experience.

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

03 Logics of Aggregation

For this assignment, I studied logics of aggregation, exploring different geometric primitives and systems of stacking and assembling them to form composite assemblages. After studying three primary geometric shapes (tettrahedra, Octahedra, and Triangular Prisms), I began exploring ways to manually orient them on each other to create a physically sound structure. This excerise created a catalog of 16 aggregated forms, that I tested for stability using rigid body physics engine developed by Nvidia called PhysX, which uses discrete element analysis and friction coefficients and gravitational force applied to each unit to determine the stability of structures with non-glued or pinned connections, meaning the pure expression of geometric stability. In the second phase of this studio, I worked with Emma Fults to develop a design proposal for an outdoor pavilion similar to Gilles Retsin’s proposal for the Tallinn Architectural Biennale. We used Grasshopper and Python programming to computationally automate the manual orienting that we used in the previous aggregation exercise. Through these computations, we were able to expedite and accelerate the potential spatial complexity. These proposals were tested for stability using rigid body physics engine “PhysX.” These digitally developed proposals were then 3D printed and constructed as physical assemblies to test the physical stability of each pavillion.

Outdoor Pavillion Through Computational Design

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

I started by modeling and scaling tetromino pieces creating volumes that served as megalithic figures and load-bearing structural masses. Rather than unifying the volumes into one cohesive mass, I grouped them into convex geometries that can be moved together as a group. The goal of this phase was to achieve stability between the self-bracing components and to respond to the spatial sequencing that I discovered in my precedent research. I then 3D printed each component part separately and assembled the physical model into a physics-based mass. Next, using the algorithmic logics established in Assignment 2, I developed another proposal for these gravitational masses that included a smaller scale and finer articulation, building a dense connective tissue at the edges and interstitial spaces of the original mass. This second layer was considered as ornament, so I experimented with the scale of the computationally automaded designs to add detailing to the facade.

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

NORTH FACING SECTION

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING

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MULTI_FAMILY HOUSING Design IV: Professor: Michael McCall

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

SECOND FLOOR PLAN

THIRD FLOOR PLAN

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

Working with Riley Avery and Timothy Barker, we researched the Lake Shore Drive Apartments by Mies Van der Rohe as a case study project. After studying the logics and systems of the building, we took away that the main goal of this project was to redefine high rise living for the post war generation while creating a blueprint or “perfect order” that characterizes architetcure by space rather than typology. We created various diagrams as well as a model to reflect these ideas.

MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING

Through an in-depth examination of East Austin and a thorough exploration of Mies Van Der Rohe’s principle of “perfect order,” my goal was to conceive a mass timber multi-family housing initiative. This endeavor aims to tackle the challenges posed by rapid urban expansion, climate concerns, gentrification, and economic disparities in East Austin. By employing a systematic grid approach that prioritizes spatial organization over conventional typologies, my project proposes a solution that harmonizes functionality and aesthetics while addressing the unique needs of the community.

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

“INTEGRATION”

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“INTEGTRATION” Design III: Professor: Tyler Swingle

“INTEGRATION”

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

SECTION

CIRCULATION

SECOND FLOOR PLAN As Austin’s relentless growth puts a strain on its iconic music scene, I was asked to design a space that provided temporary residency/practice spaces for local musicians as well as a concert hall for them to share their work with the community right on Lake Austin Blvd. Inspired by the design logics of my precedent Kengo Kuma, my design is meant to be an extension of the landscape allowing for public community spaces alongside the private residential areas. This semester’s final project focused on ideas of integration through mass timber structures.

Ava Dawson|avadawson2@gmail.com|972-765-3857

AVA DAWSON

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THANK YOU ABOUT

CONTACT

Ava Dawson

972-765-3857

School of Architecture

avadawson2@gmail.

The University of Texas at Austin 2022 -2025