Elizabeth Kaechele Interior Architecture Portfolio 2025
Portfolio Elizabeth Kaechele
Design Philosophy
My name is Elizabeth Kaechele, I am an architecture student at the University of Kansas.
I use design as a way to provide comfort and security for all people, specifically for those with disabilities others cannot see, while striving to be sustainable.
I have a passion for problem solving and representing complex ideas through graphics and diagrams.
1
3
2
31
5
4 Study Abroad
1Kneaded Space
Art Center & Cafe Lawrence, KS
Revit, Enscape, Adobe
Partner Dean Brackin Fall, 2024
Art center in Lawrence, Kansas with an existing shell. Kneaded Space caters to the art and education community and provides a relaxing and creative environment.
Partnered project. My responsibilities included the second and third floors which included the art galleries, ceramic studio and half of the cafe, as well as all concept and schematic graphics and goals/users.
Building Needs & Context
Our building, the Reuter building, is a historic factory located on New Hampshire St. in Lawrence Kansas. It was once an organ factory and then was later converted to a t-shirt factory. To continue the history of the building and achieve rehabilitation credits, we are maintaining its character through the design.
COMMUNITY
To engage the largest portion of the community we looked at what art centers were available in Lawrence and saw the need for a ceramic studio for people who already had basic knowledge and wanted the resources of a studio.
LOCATION BUILDING
Kneaded Space is located right next to Mass St. in Lawrence, Kansas which is the main arts, entertainment, and food center of the town. It is important to respect the surroundings. There are bookstores, art stores, restaurants, and bus stops a walkable distance away.
THIRD SPACE
Your first place is your home, where you relax and are private. Your second place is work, where you spend the majority of your time. The third place is a space for you to collaborate, share your thoughts, and have fun. People are there because they want to be.
CREATE EDUCATE
Building Goals
Inspire Creativity in the art center
Modular gallery, collaborative ceramic studio, kid’s art center
Follow Historic Building Rehabilitation Standards
Preserve materials, update accessibility, Lawrence design standards
Incorporate Ceramic design features
Clay colored furniture, tiled floors and surfaces, original plaster walls
Sustainable furniture, materials, and systems
Low flow toilets, sustainable and recycled materials, light motion sensors
Create an Inclusive and Comfortable space
Accessible, inviting materials and furniture, sensory consideration
Lawrence Visitor
Lionne Terran 38
New psychology professor at the University of Kansas from Georgia who desires to learn more about the city she will be living in and get to know her community.
College Art Student
Max Stone 22
A visual arts major at the University of Kansas who is seeking a space to create art in a low pressure and care free location with other artists.
Family
Sam and Susie Silt 31 and 33
Parents of elementary schoolers Spencer and Sally Silt. They want a calm space to relax and learn while their children are taught about basic art principles.
Teenage Staff
Julia Cliff 18
Recently graduated high school student who works at Kneaded space part time to save up money for college. She helps set up exhibits, works in the cafe, and does small tasks around the center
2nd & 3rd Floor Plans
Cafe Balcony Floor Plan
CAFE BALCONY
CERAMIC
Ceramic Studio Floor Plan
2The Current
Museum Hotel Lawrence, KS
Revit, Enscape, Adobe Summer, 2025
Intense four week summer studio project. Inspired by the swirling motion of a river eddy and the balanced stillness of stacked river rocks, this museum hotel guides guests through spaces that flow naturally yet intentionally.
Circulation is shaped like water, subtle and intuitive, while the building form mirrors the grounding presence of layered stone. Together, they create an experience that is both fluid and rooted, inviting exploration, pause, and connection.
Site & Bubble Diagram
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Massing & Circulation
PUBLIC (CAFE/GALLERY) ADMIN
Iteration 3
PUBLIC (CAFE/GALLERY) ADMIN
HOTEL
PUBLIC (CAFE/GALLERY) ADMIN
HOTEL
HOTEL
Render & Wall Section
Phoenix Airport
Airport Phoenix, Az
Revit, Enscape, Adobe Spring, 2025
Final Interior Architecture project before graduation. The renovation of the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is centered around the integration of biophillic principles while also satisfying growing demand in the city.
By weaving local plant life, natural materials, and sustainable elements throughout the space, the airport will elevate the travel experience, leaving the passengers with a sense of tranquility and connection to the world around them.
GOALS
Create a sense of calm and tranquility
METHODS
Strengthen sustainability and foster connection to local flora
Spaces passengers can relax, filled with natural materials, water features, and soothing lighting
Local plants are showcased throughout the building, reflects the outside environment, biodegradable materials
Enhance the feeling of time and journey
Promote social spaces and independence
Plants that change throughout the day or rotate in the sun, lighting that mimics daylight cycle, assist with wayfinding in key locations Lounge, cafe, and dining spaces that are comfortable for socializing and also for solo travelers that is visually appealing
Improve air quality for passengers’ comfort
Natural cooling systems throughout building, humidity control, plants helping with air purification systems
ARRIVALS
DEPARTURES
ARRIVALS
BAGGAGE
Gate Details
CIRCULATION
ARIZONA MOUNTAIN
ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
Using established characteristics of the natural world
NATURAL PATTERNS AND PROCESSES
Using established patterns and natural principles
NATURAL SHAPES AND FORMS
Using simulations and representations of the natural world, including bio-mimicry
LIGHT AND SPACE
Using natural and created lighting, and space awareness
PLACE - BASE RELATIONSHIPS
Using our relationship with nature, cultural icons, and the familiar to enhance a sense of belonging
LOWERS STRESS
Spending time in natural settings helps speed up recovery from mental fatigue, slow down heart rate, reduce high blood pressure, and lower anxiety.
AIR PURIFICATION
IMPROVES MEMORY
Subjects who walked in green spaces were able to focus and concentrate on a test of their working memory better than those in an urban space
Plants absorb smoke, dust, and other airborne particles, creating a cleaner environment and reducing the spread of illness
ABSORB SOUNDS
Plants absorb sound waves, creating a more pleasant environment
CONNECTION TO THE OUTDOORS
Those who interact with nature has been shown in numerous studies to result in greater feelings of positivity and hopefulness, comfort and relaxation
Home for a family from Jordan that focuses on sustainability, comfort, Autism Spectrum Disorder sensory needs, and cultural considerations.
Partnered project. My responsibilities included renders, concept goals, elevation diagrams, furniture and lighting selection, and sustainability research.
Concept Goals
Safe and comforting atmosphere with sensory spaces for Autism Spectrum Disorder
Connected to nature through outdoor transitions for social events
Modular walls, plants and wood, conversation seating, accessible outdoor areas
Blend Western and Middle Eastern design to create a private space
Western contemporary furniture with Middle Eastern architectural elements
Sustainable furniture, materials, and systems
Low flow toilets, recycled materials, light motion sensors, water collection system
Create an inclusive space for each family member
Mom’s workshop, Dad’s office, Yousef’s sensory nooks, Salma’s art space
Sound System
Collection of white, brown, and music
Room Heating
In their bathroom to make showers more comfortable and less of a shock
Operable Windows
Access to nature and to control temp and breeze
Organization/ Storage
It is important to make sure he can put things where they belong
Autism Spectrum Design
Healthy Lighting
Natural lighting, warm, no glare, task
Sensory Nooks
Escape from the busy house to be still
Projectors
Distractions of light that he can control in bathroom
Age: 9
Occupation: Student
Characteristics:
On Autism Spectrum
Enjoys reading
Design Decisions:
Several quiet areas connected to the main living space.
Yousef Hadaad
Well Being and Sustainability
Kitchen, Dining Room, Courtyard; Enscape Render
Mom’s Jewelry Workshop, Patio; Enscape Render
Main Living Room, Courtyard; Enscape Render
Courtyard, Balcony; Enscape Render
Middle Eastern Architecture
Mashribya
Used for controling light design, dividers of space, privacy, originally used for ventilation
Social spaces, connected to nature, opportunities for private areas Interior Courtyard
Rounded Arches
Often used as doorways, cultural as well as structural element, often found in mosques, good dividers of space
Privacy
“The state of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people”
Separate guest and family areas
Guest bedroom on first floor
• Family bedrooms on top floor
Walled off interior courtyard
Tall plants in front of house
• Mashrabya in windows
Hospitality
“Hospitality is the art of making guests feel welcome and comfortable”
• Guest meeting room near entryway
Different types of furniture to appeal to many different people
Soft, cushion-y chairs
Hard, supportive chairs
Furniture designed for autism
• Social gathering spaces
Interior and exterior
Study Abroad
Finland, Sweden, Denmark
Watercolor, Pen, Graphite
Shannon Chris & Chad Kraus 2023
Study abroad trip after second year to learn and document (via live sketching and diagramming) the Nordic architecture in Northern Europe.
Emphasis was placed on the role of architecture and urbanism in shaping everyday experience including sustainability, materiality, and phenomenology.
Scandinavian Experience
With a group of thirty students and two architecture professors, I studied in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Copenhagen during the summer of 2023. We looked at buildings such as Hamlet’s castle, Alvar Aalto’s studio, and traditional Finnish architecture.
I experimented with several mediums to try to capture the environment and enjoyed quickly sketching in public. My favorite part was the culture, history, and traditions of these countries form the amazing guides and tours we went on.
Further European Exploration
After my guided study abroad in Finland, Sweden, and Denmark, I took the opportunity to travel more throughout Europe by myself. These pencil drawings are mostly of London and parts of Ireland but I also traveled to Germany, Italy, France, and the Netherlands. I wanted to capture a mix of everyday objects and iconic architectural landscapes to help me remember the amazing time I had traveling by myself for the first time.
I had to learn how to take the train, stay in hostels, and navigate cities in foreign languages alone. Truly the most exciting experience I have ever had.
I have always enjoyed representing what I see around me. I have always loved painting and sketching and more recently I have been attached to digital artwork and architectural photography.
The following artworks are a collection of paintings I have submitted to art fairs to simple watercolor sketches I do while hanging out with family.to photos I took on Study Abroad.
