PORTFOLIO
Ellie Kaufer
Vegetation
Spring 2025
Vegetation is a transformative project in Kigali, Rwanda, combining a prosthetics center, rehabilitation space, and community hub. Driven by the belief that nature promotes mental health and wellbeing, the design features a wood frame that allows greenery to naturally grow across the structure. This integration of nature creates a healing environment where patients and the community can find physical and emotional strength.
Observation
2022
This charcoal piece draws inspiration from the unique physical forms of an aloe plant, a bottle, and an umbrella, with a deliberate focus on the interplay of light and shadow. Through intricate shading and composition, the work explores how these contrasting elements transform and define the space, creating a dynamic visual dialogue between form, texture, and illumination.
Terrain
Terrain is an abstract exploration of land, capturing the dynamic interplay of elevation, texture, and form. The piece weaves together shifting altitudes, varied physical contours, and organic elements, blending buildings and greenery to create a layered landscape. It invites the viewer to experience the complex, ever-changing nature of the earth, where human structures and the natural world coexist and evolve in harmony.
Blended Housing
Fall 2024
Blended Housing is an innovative apartment complex in downtown Syracuse that reintroduces nature to the city. The design creates a unique corridor of spaces where privacy shifts toward more public areas. Each unit features a private balcony that connects residents to the outdoors. The ground floor is filled with gardens for both residents and the community, alongside market spaces for local vendors to sell fresh produce, creating a vibrant hub of nature, commerce, and community.
