Bridget Gerstner - HOK Scholarship Portfolio

What inspired you to enter the field of architecture?

I want to tell a story about the time that I became interested in architecture, and the people who helped me realize it. I was in 7th grade, living at home with my mom, dad, sister, and two Siberian Huskies. My mom had always dreamt of having a large home that could accommodate enough living space for all of us to feel comfortable, especially the dogs having their very own large backyard to run around in all day. After a long search for an empty lot, my mom found the perfect spot in the perfect neighborhood. We moved into an apartment in order to make the best financial decisions. It was small and crowded, but we made it work. We worked with architects to help finalize the plans for the new home, and I was invited to give my input into the design of the kitchen layout, using tools such as pen, paper, and a ruler. I enjoyed doing that task so much that I wondered if people do this sort of thing for a

living. After doing my research, this eventually led me into the world of architecture. My dad told me about this thing called SketchUp online. I didn’t know what it was, but I played around in it and had no idea what I was doing. I created ugly forms that didn’t make any sense because I was too young to understand the concept, so I pondered this career choice. As our custom home slowly came to life, I was very fortunate to see all parts of the process, from the design development to the finishing touches of the construction. My interest in architecture was then made permanent and it would have never happened if my mom had never asked me to draw. Not many people can say they know what they want to do when they grow up as a 12-year old kid. Now living in this home built just for us, I know I made the right choice, and the person I can thank for that is none other than my mom.

Bridget Gerstner

816 806 9224

bcgerstner@gmail.com

https://issuu.com/bridgetgerstner

Experience

Sprouts Farmers Market

Kansas City, MO

June 2020 - Present

Wedgewood Inc.

Greater Kansas City Area

September 2021 - December 2021

CRB Consulting Engineers

Kansas City, MO

January 2019 - April 2019

Northland CAPS

Liberty, MO

August 2018 - May 2019

Senior Deli Clerk

Sprouts is a high-standard and fast-paced environment that taught me multitasking and teamwork skills. I work full time during the summer and part time during the school semester with expert knowledge in the deli and experience in other departments as well.

Drafting Intern

My task for this internship was primarily measuring homes in the Greater KC Area to create existing drafts for further renovation and resale of the home.

Architecture Intern

This internship during high school, I was involved in site modeling, drawing practices in Revit and AutoCAD, networking, and other helpful tasks around the office.

Projects

The Northland Center for Advanced Professional Studies (NCAPS) program during high school allowed students to aid in community project involvement. I focused on helping Hope Faith Ministries (a homeless shelter), StandardAero (aircraft maintenance and repair services), and the North KC Fire Department.

Software Skills Personal Skills

SketchUp

Illustrator

InDesign

AutoCAD

Photoshop

Enscape

Lumion

Microsoft Office

Education

University of Kansas

Lawrence, KS

August 2019 - May 2024

Study Abroad

Architecture in Costa Rica

December 2021 - January 2022

Northland CAPS

Kansas City, MO

August 2018 - May 2019

Park Hill High School

Kansas City, MO

August 2015 - May 2019

Collaboration

Organization

Time Management

Creativity

Sketching

Hand-Modeling

Golden Corral

Kansas City, MO

December 2016 - March 2020

Cross-Trained

I worked as a front line host, a cold prep attendant, and a bakery prep attendant. This first job taught me customer communication and it created a professional relationship with my managers.

Degree: Master of Architecture

Graduation: May 2024

GPA: 3.60

Certificate: Service Learning

This three week trip provided an opportunity to experience new cultures, meet and collaborate with new people, and see different and unique architecture in the provinces of Costa Rica.

This program teaches high school juniors and seniors professionalism and networking skills while visiting firms and working on community projects during the fall semester to prepare for internships in the spring.

Diploma: May 2019

GPA: 3.5+ (Honor Roll - 4 years)

Extracurricular: volunteer work (60+ hours)

Shadow Experience

BNIM

Kansas City, MO

December 7, 2018

Women in Design | “Day of Shadowing” Event

On this day, I shadowed female architects at Berkebile, Nelson, Immenschuh, and McDowell (BNIM). We toured the office and performed conceptual activities with other aspiring architects.

University of Kansas

Thom Allen | 1465 Jayhawk Blvd. Lawrence, KS 66045 | 620.212.4112 | thom@ku.edu

02/22/2023

Dear Scholarship Committee,

I am writing to nominate Bridget Gerstner for the HOK 2023 Diversity x Design Scholarship. As her instructor at the University of Kansas, I have had the opportunity to see firsth and Bridget's exceptional abilities and dedication to the field of architecture. I think she would be an excellent candidate to promote a more diverse voice within the profession and see her willingness to take on unique design challenges as evidence in her dedication to the future of our profession.

Bridget's study abroad experience in Costa Rica, where she grew her understanding about architecture and sustainability and worked with the organization Rutas Naturbanas, demonstrates her commitment to using design to make a positive impact on communities. Her sketches and notes from the trip display her ability to capture and share meaningful moments, as well as her eagerness to learn and grow as a designer. I was proud to lead her during this experience and was impressed by how she supported her classmates that dealt with medical issues during the trip. She is a good person both inside and outside of the classroom

In teaching Bridget during her 4th year Urban Dwellings Studio, Bridget excelled in her ability to integrate her passion for sustainability and her commitment to creating inclusive and diverse designs. She was highly skilled in site mapping, precedent studies, and massing processes, and demonstrated a strong ability to work with team members and apply ADA compliant skills to a multi-function apartment building. Her improvement in software such as Adobe and Autodesk is a testament to her dedication to developing her technical skills.

Bridget's experience in my Urban Sketching Course further showcases her creativity and her ability to communicate through design. Her formal sketchbook showing studio progress, as well as her unique drawings and diagrams, demonstrate her ability to present ideas in a visually engaging manner.

It is with great pleasure that I nominate Bridget Gerstner for the HOK 2023 Diversity x Design Scholarship. Her passion for architecture, her commitment to promoting diversity and sustainability, and her exceptional skills make her an ideal candidate for this scholarship.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Thom Allen

Assistant Teaching Professor School of Architecture and Design

The University of Kansas

1465 Jayhawk Blvd Marvin Hall

Lawrence, Kansas, 66045

Dear Selection Committee,

I am writing to recommend Bridget Gerstner for the 2023 HOK Diversity x Design Scholarship. Bridget was an architectural intern for four months while I was practicing as an architect at CRB Consulting Engineers.

As an intern, Bridget was always very thorough During her time working at CRB, she worked on expanding her knowledge of various architectural and engineering professions, helped review drawing sets for coordination, and began to use Revit and AutoCAD. She also managed to build a site model complete with topography and existing buildings to assist the project team in analyzing the project site.

I’ve always put a premium on hard work among interns and Bridget never failed to deliver As a high school intern, I was very impressed by her interest in the field of architecture and her drive to be involved in the firm. She was eager to help with any task we assigned her. She was also very professional, especially for someone so early in their career.

There is a lot of emphasis in the architecture community on diversifying the workforce and building the pipeline for future generations. Bridget is a strong woman that will continue to strengthen and diversify our profession through her hard work and dedication.

Should you have any further questions about Bridget, feel free to reach me at (816)381-0788

Thank you, Chelsea Powell,

AIA, NCARB

Senior “Loving”

Quick Facts

Studio: ARCH 608

Professor: Thom Allen

Project: Mixed Use Senior Living

Location: Washington, DC

Size: 60,000 SF

Senior “Loving” is part of a master plan in Washington, DC. Our client, Thor Nelson, works for the DC housing authoriy and wants to reshape a historical area in Le Droit Park.

Within the studio, we have agreed to design 5 new mixed-use buildings towards the success of the

area. These will include commercial and retail spaces, senior living, family living, and limited student housing.

Each lot has been designed three times by different students, mine being one of the bigger lots on the site, allowing for a rightsized senior living design.

Studio Apartment Rendering Main Corner Rendering

SL/Process & Master Plan

1. Bound the building close to the edges of the site.

2. Round the main entry point to omit acute corner and reduce dead space.

3. Round other corners to match the language of the previous step.

4. Create “nodes” that rise up one more floor for roof terrace access.

5. Create scallops on the facades adjacent to the street to create concave views from the interior.

SL/Construction

Metal flashing and column cap

Light gauge metal framing

Spray foam insulation

Gypsum sheathing

Air/water/vapor barrier

Cant

Insulation

Thermally broken cladding attachment system w/ vertical primary rail

Terra cotta or porcelain panel

Air/water/vapor barrier

Thermally broken cladding attachment system w/ vertical primary rail

Terra cotta or porcelain panel

Insulation

Air/water/vapor barrier

Gypsum sheathing

Spray foam insulation

Thermally broken cladding attachment system w/ vertical primary rail

Terra cotta or porcelain panel

Concrete slab on grade with reinforcement

Retention tee

Plantings

Soil

Filter fabric

Reservoir layer

3 layers of XPS rigid

Protection course and root barrier

Concrete with reinforcement

Painted GWB

Plywood sheathing

Painted GWB

Plywood sheathing

Light gauge metal framing

Spray foam insulation

Gypsum sheathing

Light gauge metal framing

Plywood sheathing

Painted GWB

Baseboard

Base shoe

Tongue-and-groove flooring

Plywood subfloor

Control joint

Vapor retarder

Gravel

Concrete footing with reinforcement

SL/Render & Elevation

There are a total of 37 independent senior living apartment units in this mixed-use building, ranging from studio to 2-bed. Each unit is equipped with one or two beds, a small kitchenette, a living room, a bathroom, and a storage closet. The rooms are spacious in order to comply with ADA standards. Many of the units also have a large floor-to-ceiling concave window for breathtaking views towards the southern park.

Residing seniors have close access to all of the public shops on the first floor: laundry mat, coffee shop, gym/yoga, and many more. At the very top of the building, the fourth floor, is a private space for the seniors to walk around a course while viewing a decorative extensive roof. These amenities are meant to promote health for the seniors that occupy the apartment units.

The exterior of the building includes materials that compliment the surrounding area. Brick is very popular in the area, so terra cotta panels are used to “contemporize” the design. This material can be seen on the exterior facade of the building that rises four floors. Exterior porcelain is used on all other exterior faces. Inside the building, painted gypsum board is used for the walls, and vinyl wood for the floors. These interior materials serve the sustainable aspect of the design.

Community Garden Center

Quick Facts

Studio: ARCH 209

Professor: Farhan Karim

Project: Multi-Function Greenhouse

Location: Kansas City, KS

Size: 37,000 SF

Kaw Point is a park and heritage trail in Kansas City, Kansas. This is the area where the Kansas and Missouri Rivers meet. The project’s client feels that an architectural addition is necessary in this area to gather more tourists and people out of town.

The area of Kaw Point has a history of flooding, considering it is located off the river. Research has been done that this particular

lot would create difficult situations for new construction, aside from the limited space being presented.

Quindaro Bluffs, a neighborhood slightly NW from Kaw Point, is a remarkable location for new community construction, filled with historical subjects, such as the Old Quindaro Museum and the ruins within the forest.

G-Center/Site

Community Garden Center Museum

Community Center Gardens Residential Educational Religious Food Trail Checkpoints John Brown Statue Stream Trails Bus Route Bus Stop

G-Center/Development

In phase 1, the Community Garden Center takes on a G-shape to allow for a central area for a greenhouse placement. Slanted walls are implemented for movement effect.

In phase 2, the slanted walls are removed due to overcomplexity and “dead” space. Skylight strips are added along the ceiling of the interior hallway.

In phase 3, there is an inclusion of a mezzanine, or partial second floor, thus creating a roof terrace. Glass mullions provide a properly covered central greenhouse.

The final parti model presents pergolas to act as sunshading devices, extra windows where necessary, additional entry/ exit points for emergency access, etc. The skylight above the hallway has been extended to each end to allow more natural light to shine inside and for exterior views from the second floor level. While most of the panels that cover the greenhouse are glass, some of them are metallic panels -- matching the mullions -- in order to create a more shaded room and comfortable temperature inside.

Phase 1

Phase 2

Phase 3

G-Center/Complete Streets Analysis

VEGETATION SPACE

Green space allows something for people to look at while they are making tedious trips to certain places. Gardens and vegetation can bring involvement from the community.

STREET LIGHTS

Street lights add a sense of safety and security to a community at night. In this particular location, the crime rates are bound to decrease if street lights were to be installed.

WALKABILITY

Integrating new and wide sidewalks into these streets would not only increase the pedestrian numbers, but also create a friendlier place towards ADA people with disabilities.

ROAD TRAFFIC

A 3-way stop sign will reduce the chances of traffic crashes and induce traffic to stop before the crosswalk. Also, with the limited road width, cyclists and vehicles shall “share the road” as a safer method vs creating a bike lane.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

There is currently no bus route that circulates in this community. Including an extended public transit route will allow more involvement in the community in order for people to gather with the new infrastructure.

G-Center/Plans