Elizabeth Pernicek Graduate Student
Architecture
PORTFOLIO
2025
ELIZABETH PERNICEK
1st Year Masters of Architecture Student enpernicek@gmail.com (402) 367-2556 Lincoln, NE
EDUCATION
Masters of Architecture University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Expected May 2026 Bachelor of Science in Design: Architecture University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 2024 GPA: 3.871 | High Distinction
EXPERIENCE
Architectural Intern Carlson West Povondra Architects | 2023-Present Graduate Teaching Assistant UNL College of Architecture | Spring 2025, Fall 2025 UCARE Researcher University of Nebraska Lincoln | 2022-2024 Rural Fellow Rural Prosperity Nebraska | Alliance, NE | Summer 2022
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Regents Scholar University Honors Program Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Recipient Dean’s List Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021, Soring 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023
INVOLVEMENT
Tau Sigma Delta Spring 2024-Present: Member 2024-2025: Secretary American Institute of Architecture Students 2020-Present: Member 2022-2024: Secretary 2023-2024: NCARB Liason First Generation Student Organization 2020-Present: Member University Honors Program 2020-2022
SOFTWARE
Revit, Rhino, Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Lumion, Enscape
PERSONAL SKILLS
Input, Competition, Learner, Achieve, Strategic
00CONTENTS
01 ATLAS F MISSILE SILO:
ICE DRILLING RESEARCH FACILITY
02 ATLAS F MISSILE SILO:
03 LINCOLN FILM MUSEUM
PHYSICAL MODELS
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US HIGHWAY 2
US HIGHWAY 2
04 ALLIANCE RECREATION
05 STUDY ABROAD: SPAIN
CENTER
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Alliance, Nebraska 3669301 0.5
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01ATLAS F MISSILE SILO: ICE DRILLING RESEARCH FACILITY ICE Drilling Research Facility Seward, NE In collaboration with Teia Kilian, Jordan McLaughlin, & Olivia Hordvik-Chaussee Associate Professor Brian Kelly Fall 2023
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SEWARD ATLAS F MISSILE SILO
In the heat of the Cold War, Atlas F missile silos were constructed across the country, preparing for the seemingly inevitable nuclear showdown ahead of us. Today, these massive concrete structure sit largely forgotten and abandoned, slowly being reclaimed by nature. This project gives Seward, Nebraska’s silo a second chance at life as a Cold War Memorial and SALSA ice drilling research facility. With one side of the program offering quiet reflection on the past and the other finding a way to combat climate change for our future, the site uses the Cold War era defense architecture as a way to educate visitors on our past and be hopeful for the future.
SITE APPROACH
Organized into three layers, the above, below, and surface, the program intervention was intended to leave as little of a mark on the surface as possible, letting native prairie grasses and animals reclaim the land. Approaching from the north, visitors can only see the roof of the research facility before being guided into an underground parking garage. Visitors are guided on a descent, cutting through the landscape into the exhibition below.
COLD WAR EXHIBITION
Hidden below the Nebraskan prairie sits the exhibition space dedicated to education on the Cold War and ice drilling research for climate change. This space recognizes the clashing dialogues at play and responds with a twisted experience of the floor. The exhibition and education spaces are knocked out of the orderly grid seen in the landscape above, almost as if a disturbance shook the space. Cuts through the ceiling extend the sky above, offering scattering of natural light as visitors make their way through the quiet exhibition and historic launch control center.
VOID EXPERIENCE
The exchange of old and new, Cold War and climate change, are in constant conversation with one another within the site. As visitors emerge from the underground exhibition space, they step into the excavated void space that reveals a portion of the silo (the old) and look up into the research facility (the new). This gives the illusion that the earth is rejecting the monstrous concrete silo, pushing it from its home. This phenomenon has already begun in multiple locations across the country as the landscape slowly returns to what it once was.
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LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS
The experience concludes with guided movement through the reclaimed landscape, retracing the subterranean steps taken moments prior. The landscape follows the model of a cemetery, largely inspired by Scarpa’s work, providing us with modular markers that connect above with below. This confetti of markers, voids, and pathways mark the surface of the land, giving glimpses at the research being conducted in the facility and peaceful nature at eye level.
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02ATLAS F MISSILE SILO: PHYSICAL MODELS Physical Representations of Seward Silo & Semester Final Project Seward, NE In collaboration with Jordan McLaughlin, Olivia Hordvik-Chaussee, & Lauren Wilwerding Associate Professor Brian Kelly Fall 2023
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SEWARD ATLAS F MISSILE SILO
In an attempt to understand the scale of the Atlas F missile silo that is hidden below the ground, this suspended model presents the structure without the ground mass around it, letting the concrete structure speak alone. The orange poche highlights the sheer volume of the form. The frosted acrylic louvers that support the model imply the ground plane, tracing the topography at the surface, and revealing the solo structure that can be seen above the surface. The infiltrating groundwater is also shown in the silo, highlighting just how deep and permeable the concrete is as it descends into the site.
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KIT OF PARTS
The model was assembled as a sort of kit of parts, intended to be separately catalogued and their own units before being assembled into a whole. This approach provided a greater understanding of the detail that went in to a functional and minimalist space.
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JELLYFISH MODEL
Inspired by Daniel Castor’s “jellyfish” drawings, the model to the left shows the invisible nature of the silo, blurred from being viewed in its entirety. By etching section cuts through the silo and underground exhibition space onto slightly frosted acrylic, the image doesn’t appear unless lit from below in a dark space, much as the structure itself doesn’t appear until you are beneath it.
SITE MODEL
The site model to the left, constructed of white museum board, is an assembly of three parts: the subterranean, the surface, and the addition. The model is able to by separated to show the Cold War exhibition space below. The research facility’s roof is also able to be removed, exposing the void and concrete silo beneath it. This roof, construction of Shoji lantern paper, diffuses the light from within the facility and radiates it across the surrounding landscape, much like the translucent roof material would in reality.
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03LINCOLN FILM MUSEUM
Center for the Art, History, and Technology of Film Lincoln, NE Associate Professor David Newton Fall 2022
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hop Prep Prep ng ing and Receiving Office tions Research
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The Lincoln Film Museum is tasked with educating the public on the art, history, and technology of film. The building began with an “inside-out” approach, first modeling a public promenade focused on human perception and memory as visitors move through the building. This was done by taking the generative principles found in Stanley Kubrik’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, namely the cut in, lingering shot, and depth of field, and translating them into architectural gestures.
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1 Reception 2 Open Work Stations 3 Server/Tech 4 Work Pods 5 Public Outreach Office 6 Human Resources Office 7 Director’s Office 8 Staff Lounge 9 Head Curator’s Office 10 Assistant Curator’s Office 11 Volunteers Room 12 Library 13 Conference Room 14 Storage
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Fourth Floor Plan 1/16” = 1’-0”
DAYLIGHT REFECTION STUDIES
The custom corrugated steel facade is meant to provide an altered reflection of the world around the museum. Visitors are able to catch their reflection up close, but viewing the museum from a distance muddles the image into something new. The steel is also meant to change the image of the museum at different times of the day, never letting it look the same. By reflecting the rising and setting sun, the cloud cover above, and the changing buildings around the site, the facade lets the museum evolve as a distorted mirror of its environment.
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ATRIUM SHIFT
Stanley Kubrik’s frequent use of lingering shots was translated into an irregular atrium that reaches from the lower level to the fourth floor, then breaking free from the building with a skylight. The atrium is visible from most spaces in the museum, providing prolonged exposure of the building, visitors, and employees alike.
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DETAIL SECTION PERSPECTIVE 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
stainless steel corrugated metal panels drain cavity 3” rigid insulation air, water, & vapor barrier plywood sheathing steel mounting plate light gauge steel framing insulation gypsum board latex paint (class III vapor barrier) concrete steel decking W30 steel girder fireproof coating aluminum framing double glazed 1/4” insulated glass
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DETAILED SECTION PERSPECTIVE
Kubrik’s use of cut ins was brought to life primarily through the cantilevering second and third floors, as diagrammed above. The shift in scale from the ground, to the center, to the smaller top floor reference his shift in perspective.
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04ALLIANCE RECREATION CENTER
Mental Health and Substance Abuse in Rural Nebraska: Addressing Health Disparity through Community Engagement Alliance, NE In collaboration with Landyn Bish Assistant Professor Bud Shenefelt & Special Assistant to Dean of Engineering Kim Wilson Summer 2022 - Spring 2024
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US INTERSTATE 385
US HIGHWAY 2
US INTERSTATE 385
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ARC Residential Retail& Commercial Undeveloped Agriculture Railroad School Church Hospital Lake Recreation School Parks City Limits
Alliance, Nebraska 69301
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HIGHWAY 87
City Limit City Limit
7.16 Acres
Playground
Green Space Gravel parking
2.56 Acres Immanuel Ev. Lutheran School H H
Parking- 21 & 2
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E 10th St City Limit
Residential Retail& Commercial Agriculture School Recreation
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City Limits
Alliance Recreation Center 0
ALLIANCE RECREATION CENTER (ARC)
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The Alliance Recreation Center is located on the outskirts of the city on roughly 10 acres of land. Though they have room to expand, the ARC is confined by the building’s previous racquetball courts and busy intersection that lies between the facility and the rest of Alliance. Updated building plans were given to the ARC staff, aiding them in planning the next steps for their facility, whether it is renovating the existing building, expanding, or moving.
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TAKING INVENTORY
A comprehensive understanding of the building’s activities was necessary to move forward with expansion needs. Shown above are two sample weeks in the ARC, listing all rooms, their activities, and peak hours. To the right is a breakdown of that same event chart throughout the seasons, including square footages and equipment. A catalogue, complete with images and concerns, was also provided.
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US INTERSTATE 385
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US INTERSTATE 385
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ARC Railroad Hotel
1 Quality Inn
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2 Dance Studio 3 Bowling Alley 4 Skyview Golf Course 5 Alliance Fairgrounds 6 Alliance Airport
School Hospital Lake Recreation
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School Parks City Limits
2 Miles South West
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ALLIANCE RECREATION
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Alliance, Nebraska
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Recreation in Alliance isn’t limited to the ARC. This map highlights all recreation opportunities within the city, including schools, hospital physical therapy centers, hotel pools, and privately owned recreation. This analysis highlights the lack of accessible recreation to residents. Compared to other cities, both nearby and larger location like Lincoln and Omaha, Alliance has a smaller ratio of green space and recreation to city space per capita.
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ARC Residential Retail & Commercial School Church Hospital Lake Recreation School Parks City Limits Walking Path 10 Minute walking Radius
Alliance, Nebraska
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PARK WALKABILITY
Above is a map of every park in the city, as well as a 10 minute walking radius from them. The majority of parks are along the walking path, while the rest are small and scattered across town, making recreation opportunities less accessible for younger children or citizens without cars.
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TRAVELING TEAMS NORTH DAKOTA MONTANA Billings 475 mi
MINNEAPOLIS
SOUTH DAKOTA
Sturgis 185 mi
Spearfish 205 mi
Gillette 250 mi
Rapid City 156 mi
Hot Springs 109 mi
WYOMING Douglas 169 mi
Casper 217 mi
Chadron 55 mi Hay Springs 45 mi
Valentine 163 mi
Gordon 72 mi
Hemingford 20 mi
IOWA
Guernsey 136 mi
Alliance
Wheatland 142 mi Torrington 82 mi
Hayannis 59 mi
Mullen 98 mi
Scottsbluff Mitchell 57 mi 81 mi Gering 58 mi
Bayard 48 mi
NEBRASKA
Bridgeport 64 mi
Laramie 202 mi
Omaha 401 mi
Broken Bow 920 mi Kimball 100 mi
Cheyenne 154 mi
Sidney 85 mi
North Platte 166 mi
Ogallala 130 mi
Peetz 97 mi
Grand Island 272 mi
Lincoln 367 mi
Fort Collins 198 mi
Nebraska City 415 mi
Kearney 257 mi
McCook 235 mi
Buckley 259 mi
COLORADO Volleyball Basketball Softball
KANSAS
Wrestling Baseball Swim Team
Traveling Teams Out
Gymnastics N
Interstate Highway
Garden City 389 mi
NORTH DAKOTA
MONTANA
Billings 475 mi
MINNEAPOLIS
SOUTH DAKOTA
Sturgis 185 mi
Spearfish 205 mi
Gillette 250 mi
Rapid City 156 mi
Hot Springs 109 mi
WYOMING Douglas 169 mi
Casper 217 mi
Chadron 55 mi Hay Springs 45 mi
Valentine 163 mi
Gordon 72 mi
Hemingford 20 mi Guernsey 136 mi
Alliance
Wheatland 142 mi Torrington 82 mi
IOWA Hayannis 59 mi
Mullen 98 mi
Scottsbluff Mitchell 57 mi 81 mi Gering 58 mi
Bayard 48 mi
NEBRASKA
Bridgeport 64 mi
Laramie 202 mi
Omaha 401 mi
Broken Bow 191 mi Cheyenne 154 mi
Kimball 100 mi
Sidney 85 mi
North Platte 166 mi
Ogallala 130 mi
Peetz 97 mi Grand Island 272 mi Fort Collins 198 mi
Lincoln 367 mi Nebraska City 415 mi
Kearney 257 mi
McCook 235 mi
Buckley 259 mi
COLORADO Volleyball Basketball Softball
KANSAS
Wrestling Baseball Swim Team
Traveling Teams In
Gymnastics Interstate highway
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Garden City 389 mi
In an effort to promote the need for more and updated recreation facilities, an inventory of traveling team records and necessary infrastructure was made. These maps highlight that the city’s traveling teams make far more trips out than visiting teams coming in. In addition to what facilities would be necessary to host more teams and sports, the economic impact of fewer teams coming in while home teams spend money traveling and staying in other towns was also explored.
US INTERSTATE 385
US HIGHWAY 2
US INTERSTATE 385
US HIGHWAY 2
ARC Potential Site Railroad Hotel Private Owned School Hospital Lake Recreation School Parks City Limits
2 Miles South West
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POTENTIAL ARC EXPANSION
After taking inventory of the current state of the ARC, one idea for moving forward was a secondary location within the city. Four sites, located closer to the recreational center of the city, were proposed to the ARC board. Moving into the city, while costly to build new, would provide greater program freedom and better access for visitors.
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05STUDY ABROAD: SPAIN
Atelier La Juntana, Model Making in the Digital Age Liencres, Spain Summer 2023
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SLIP CASTING
A plaster cast, formed around a carved log, was made in three sections as the form for a slip cast object. The slip, poured into the cavity left by the log, gradually stiffened to create the wall thickness of the clay body. This was then glazed to highlight the carved portion of the wood which was left exposed.
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WOODEN MASTER & LOST WAX TECHNIQUE
A wooden master model was carved as the first step in the creation of a multi-medium series. The subsequent jesmonite, terrazzo, acrylic, concrete, and bronze figures were made from the mold this master created. To form the bronze sculpture, a wax copy was made of the form, which was then cast around, allowing the wax to melt out and leave a negative space of the shape. Molten bronze was then poured into the mold, adequately polished, and was given the option to be rapidly patinated.
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