CHRISTIAN CORTEZ
CURRICULUM VITAE
2023-PRESENT
SELF-EMPLOYED/FREELANCE
COACHELLA, CA
Design and development of various tenant improvement projects, totaling over 8000 sf.
JUNE - AUGUST
JUNE - AUGUST
AO ARCHITECTS | DESIGN INTERN
ORANGE, CA
Collaborated with project managers and design teams on design and planning assignments for commercial and residential studios.
o2 | DESIGN INTERN
PALM SPRINGS, CA
Assisted architect and project managers in the design and drafting of high-end, mid-century modern single family homes.
2020-2021
OCTOBER - APRIL
THE ALTUM GROUP | INTERN
PALM DESERT, CA
Lead the development of the digital model for a sports recreation master plan.
EDUCATION
CAL POLY POMONA | B.ARCH
POMONA, CA
SDSU + MESA COLLEGE
SAN DIEGO, CA
ORGANIZATIONS
TSD HONORS SOCIETY
CPP NOMAS
CPP AIAS
ACHIEVEMENTS
PRESIDENT’S HONOR LIST
Exceptional academic standing during the 2019-2024 academic years.
DEAN’S LIST
Exceptional academic standing during the Fall 2019 - Spring 2024 semesters.
CPPARC INTERIM EXHIBITION
Selected to showcase projects during the CPPARC Interim Exhibitions across various semesters.
BOBBY BROOKS AWARD
Voted the best team project for the Fall 2022 Bobby Brooks Memorial Studio.
SULLIVAN TRUST SCHOLARSHIP
Awarded the ENV - Architecture - Sullivan Family Trust Scholarship, merited on academic and professional excellence.
English
AutoCAD | Rhinoceros | V-Ray | Adobe CC Spanish Revit | Sketchup | Enscape | Bambu Slicer
A VOID TO BE FILLED
BRIDGING THE GAP
CELESTIAL
LOT 57
MONARCA SALON STUDIOS
A VOID TO BE FILLED
Mixed-Use Housing & Retail
Spring 2024
Advisor: Sarah Lorenzen
Location: Los Angeles, CA
This mixed-use project navigates the intricate balance between the dynamic and the serene; the loose and the tight fit. At the heart of the project lies a fundamental tension— the balance between the boisterous energy of the mercado, and the relative quiet of the residential units.
The question lies in discovering how the courtyard, a familiar typology, can provoke new ways of connecting spaces and programs.
MANIFESTO
The site, located in Los Angeles’ Industrial District, is one of LA’s lost neighborhoods. Before the Santa Monica freeway was built, Mateo was a closely knit neighborhood of mostly Mexican immigrants, thriving in the southeast corner of downtown.
Freeways were often built right through the heart of these neighborhoods, displacing residents and businesses, and creating physical barriers that reinforced social and economic divides.
— Eric Avila, historian
Residents formerly coexisted with warehouse laborers, delivery men, and merchants. For that reason, the secondary program is a mercado, where the ground level becomes an extension of the public realm and blurs the line between sidewalk and market. To accomplish this, the market is permeable on all three sides. The market invites the informal and nomadic food vendors and merchants to enter the space where they are provided with the utilities to sell their goods, aligning with the provisions of SB946, which decriminalizes street vendors.
The ground level is designed as an array of structural columns, creating pockets of spatial opportunity where vendors and visitors intersect. This approach aids in facilitating chance encounters as the spatial composition of the market is constantly evolving to the needs of the vendors and its users.
Typical Housing Floor Plan
Program Diagram
02
BRIDGING THE GAP
Mixed-Use Retail & Housing
Spring 2022
Advisor: Roberto Sheinberg
Location: Silver Lake, CA
At the core of this mixed-use project is a deliberate separation of functions, distinctly expressed through its architectural form. The project distinguishes the opposing programs: a sturdy concrete podium supports the ground-level retail spaces, while the upper levels, clad in sleek aluminum panels, offer a serene residential haven.
This clear separation enhances the identity of each space, fostering a community where community and commerce can coexist.
FORMAL & MATERIAL STRATEGY
The formal and material design strategies for the Silverlake mixed-use project are rooted in a commitment to creating a harmonious yet distinct integration of commercial and residential spaces within an urban context. The design begins with the exploration of the site’s maximum envelope, defined by a solid rectangular mass. From this initial form, the project evolves through a series of deliberate formal maneuvers that address the functional needs of the program and the contextual dynamics of the neighborhood.
A key formal strategy involves recessing the housing volume from the property line. This move not only enhances the privacy of the residential units but also introduces a distinction between the ground-floor retail and the housing above. By increasing the setback, the design softens the transition between the public and private realms, creating a more comfortable living environment while maintaining a strong urban presence.
Further articulating the building’s connection to its context, the corner facing the busy intersection is chamfered at a 45-degree angle. This intervention is a response to the active street frontage, creating a more inviting and accessible entry point for the retail spaces. The chamfered corner enhances the buildin’s interaction with the streetscape, encouraging a pedestrian engagement.
The podium, constructed from concrete, provides a strong, grounded base that resonates with the context of Silverlake. The housing units above are clad in anodized aluminum panels, offering a sleek, modern contrast to the robust podium. This material differentiation underscores the separation between the commercial and residential zones, while also reflecting the innovative spirit of the neighborhood.
1. Maximum Envelope
3. Chamfered Corner
5. Programming
2. Recessed Housing Volume
6. Final Massing
4. Carving Circulation & Public Space
Ground Floor Plan Oblique
Typical Housing Plan
Typical Housing Plan Oblique
CELESTIAL
SCIENCE LAB & OBSERVATION DECK
Fall 2022
Advisor: Luis Gil
Location: Vetter Mountain, CA
Our current social environment, now more than ever, connects our spaces for living, working, and socializing. Celestial is more than just a scientist’s retreat- it is a catalyst to overve the natural phenomena of celestial objects, space, and the universe.
The building’s massing becomes a metaphor for the humble telescope, transforming the building into a habitable observation deck.
MASSING DIAGRAM
LOT 57 04
PRIVATE RESIDENCE
o2 Architecture Summer 2022 Internship
During my summer internship at o2 Architecture, I worked primarily on the design and drafting of Lot 57, a high-end mid-century modern hillside residence. My responsibilities included site visits and measurements, development and revisions of architectural drawings in the CD set, and creating compelling renders to aid in the marketing of the project to prospective buyers.
Design Credit: o2 Architecture
MONARCA SALON STUDIOS 05
TENANT IMPROVEMENT
Status: Completed
Provided architectural services for the design and development of a 25-unit salon studio project in the city of Coachella, California.