Julia Christensen Portfolio

Julia Christensen

Julia Christensen

(434)-996-0131 Jcchristensen8@gmail.com

Devoted to Creating thoughtful designs and high quality work with great attention to detail. Thrives in fast-paced, stressful enviornments, capable of e cient multitasking, organization, and innovative design solutions.

Portfolio

The University of Kansas, Lawrence KS

Master of Architecture, Expected 2026

High School Diploma, The Covenant School, Charlottesville,VA

Capable of drafting, model building, 3D printing, and using the following software: Sketchup, Revit, Enscape, Lumion, Blubeam, Adobe Creative Suit.

VCBO Architecture Summer Internship:

St. George, UT May 2024 - August 2024

•Worked with colleges to create clear construstion documents on a variety of projects. Assisted on site walks. Worked with fellow interns to collecting and analysing research on past projects design strategies to aid in the developement of more innovative design strategies.

Student Mentor :

•Assisted 1st and 2nd year architecture students with drawings, modeling, and computer softwares.

Farm Technician:

Buckingham,VA May 2019 - Present Lawrence, KS August 2022 - Present

•Assisted 1st and 2nd year architecture students with drawings, modeling, and computer softwares.

Buckingham,VA May 2019 - Present Lawrence, KS August 2022 - Present

•Routine mainenance, barn door and fence reconsruction. As well as hearding cattle and equestrian, cattle, and goat care.

Animal Caretaker:

Charlottesville,VA December 2019 - Present

• Fed and watered variety of animals in care, following special diets and regular medications administration schedules.

Hostess at Outback Steakhouse:

Charlottesville,VA June 2020 - January 2021

• Greeted guests and set up events to coordinate smooth execution.

Table

Mixed Use Housing Project 170,000

sqft

This housing project reinvisions the village lifestyle within the urban context of Shenzhen, China through thoughful uses of natural forces and various elements of traditional rural chinese villages.

Site & Climate Conditions

Site Description

Shenzhen is a quickly growing city that has thrived with innovations in the tech industry. This growth has cause strastic differences in scale with large skyscrapers west of the site and mid to low rise on the east.

The scale of the city is very different to standard american cities the roads surrounding the site are approximately 80 ft wide.

Climate Analysis

Shenzhen has a tropical climate. it rains frequently and regardless of lighting levels plants thrive.

Throughout the design it is important to address the natural forces protecting residents and visitors from natural orces while also harnessing them to help the building function more sustainably

Graphics by: Grace Bernie

Villages in the City

Masterplan Concept Diagram

The beginning stages of this project was completed in pairs in order to create a masterplan and general form on the site.

Buildable Mass

The building’s basic footprint and square footage are determined by Shenzhen’s FAR and setback regulations

Enclosed Community

A tall, open mass alludes walls. Instead of fortification, serve community

Complexify Spaces Fragmentation

The buildings are articulated to help define programatic spaces at a human scale. Spaces include courtyards, agriculture, bike parking, a

Setbacks in the masses windows and green space. for daylighting

Graphics by: Jeremy Forman

Community

alludes to traditional village fortification, this is intended to community functions.

Fragmentation

and Setbacks

create opportunities for space. This created benefits daylighting and privacy.

Establish Connection

The building’s mass is opened up in the middle to connect to local context. This creates a threshold, reminiscent of a village gate, to frame the plaza

Integrated Green Spaces

Green spaces on buildings serve various functions for the community and allude to the fractal nature of village squares.

Site Management

General Zoning Parameters

- Land Use: Residential/Commercial

- Occupancy Classification: Mixed Occupancy. Primarily Group R residential, with Group A-2 public markets/restaurants and Group M mercantile spaces.

- Site Area: 136,975 sq.ft

- Maximum FAR: 3.0

- Gross Floor Area: 251,053 sq.ft

- Allowable building height and number of stories: 330 ft/ <30 stories

- Setback Requirements: 36’ setback for buildings 60’+

- Minimum number of off-site parking spots: 100

Site Permeability

Total building footprint 63362 sq.ft

Total parking and drive area : 1000 sq.ft

Access easements : 2798 sq.ft

Total Impervious Surface Area : 66420 sq.ft

Total Permeable Area = 113160 sq.ft

Permeable Area (%) = 63

36’

56’

Housing Concept Evolution

The Urban Village

Reinterpreting the Countryside

There are a few key traits of a rural chinese village that form the overall concept of the building: Fortification, grids, community, agriculture, fragmented greenspace, and an understanding of natural forces.

Masterplan Form

This form was created through reimagining elements of traditional chinese villages within an urban context: fortification, grids, fragmented greenspace and community.

Circulation Response to Daylighting

Placing Verticle distribultion in the allys allow direct access to units and ensure the allys become a functional transition zone. Circulation changes from interior to the exterior of the project to allow better daylighting for apartment balconies.

Introducing Modularity

Floors above the second story take a modular format creating similar apartment and simplified structural grid.

Simplification of Form

The previous form is an overexpression of various elements. It was important to simplify the overall form to allow those elements to shape the design rather than allowing the masterplan to dictate it.

Integrating Greenspace

Agriculture and greenspaces are pivitol elements of rural chinese living. It is important to integrate greenary throughout the design.

Urban Connection

Creating street access connecting directly to greenspace creates a central sense of place inviting the community to engage with the project.

Due to the change in circulation from interior to exterior of the building, two different shading facades create a dynamic facade that responds to natural forces and the circulation of the project.

Facade Creation

Program Development

Separating the public and private spaces of the project is a public courtyard. the rest of the spaces are fractalized by various types of greenspaces that both privatize resident spaces and promote the community.

The first floor is dedicated to retail with the main program being a market at the grand entrance into the central courtyard. The second floor is a dedicated resident only space, complete with numerous amenities. The above floors are apartment units. The two connecting structures continue the resident amenities upward with their top floors being event spaces vertically. Within and on top of the structure are spaces devoted to greenery that are private to the residents. Two of the roofs are dedicated to agriculture.

Floor Plans

3rd Floor

2nd Floor

6th Floor

The layouts of the units are narrow with windows that allow for cross ventilation. The units are also geared toward two user personalities while still allowing residents to choose

User 4: The Proletarian

Status: Age:

After several years of work in Shenzhen’s tech industry, this man wants housing that removes him from the anonymity of being another factory worker living in a highrise block. He uses transit and bicycling to live frugally. given the physical, monotonous nature of his job. He wants clean outdoor space for hobbies without requiring constant upkeep

User 3: It takes a village

Single mother and a child

32 and 7 Education

Working long hours in education and raising a young child, this mother needs a living situation that helps give her balance. She wants a strong community community connections to form an accesible support network. She has a DIY spirit that isn’t easy to balance with raising a child in typical Shenzhen housing.

User 4: The Proletarian Single household

After several years of work in Shenzhen’s tech industry, this man wants housing that removes him from the anonymity of being another factory worker living in a highrise block. He uses transit and bicycling to live frugally. given the physical, monotonous nature of his job. He wants clean outdoor space for hobbies without requiring constant upkeep

4. Ceramic Tiles

1. Wicker

2. Raw Corrugated Cement Fiberboard Varnished Green

3. Stainless Steel Woven Wire Mesh

Tectonic Development

The building is comprised of four different elements: structure, envelope, shading, and roofs. The structure creates a cage like framing system which supports the building envelope without cantilevering. Shading systems line the balconies and the external walkways to protect from environmental factors as well as the privacy of residents. The building is topped with three different roof types: Greenery, Agricultural, and Photovoltaic.

Shading Device Wall Section

Bi-Fold Track

Wicker Shading

Steel Cap

Flashing

Concrete

Steel Deck

Steel Bars Surface Mounted Metal Railing

Design & Build

Grandview Park Church Community Enagagement Program

Grandview Park Presbyterian Church is located in Wyandotte County. In a low-income The Church wanted something done on the exterior of their church to make neighborhood. They pride themselves on being an outward-facing church and

low-income majority Hispanic community. make it more welcoming and brighten the and host many community events.

Design and Build Team

Nils Gore

Eddie Barrios

Claire Buchheit

Julia Christensen

Tyler Durbin

Jeremy Forman

Kate Hallman

Gracie Hecht

Ruiling Lu

Olivia Measells

Tyler Merchant

Alex Reyes

Jackson Roth

Cole Salisbury

Joshua Sturgill

Tristan Taylor

Jordon Wood

Demolition

It was important that we minimize waste throughout demolition and contruction especially due to the lack of funds.

We were able to give the old chain link fence to a member of the community who was able to reinstall it on her own property.

Elements

The Church wanted the fence not to be a barrier to keep people away from the church but rather to keep the yard contained specifically for the safety of neighborhood children who like to play soccer in the yard. They decided they wanted to leave one side open, put a privacy fence around the dumpster, and replace the gate.

Tiles Gate

Privacy Fence

photo credit: Ruling

Gate

The gate is an adaptation of the church’s stained glass rose window which has become a very integral part of the church.

The gate underwent some design changes during construction. The space for the gate was larger than orginally thought, so to make up for it we created a larger hinge composition that would allow the gate to not be weighed down by the added metal while still reaching the correct width.

Tiles

We wanted to create a fence that was inviting instead of just a barrier. To do this we decided to engage with the church’s small children’s summer program. This way children can glaze their own tile and find a place for themselves in the community.

We created 300 tiles and and were able to glaze 100 of them to get the project started.

Site

The bike stop has 7ft tall grass on one side thick brush and trees behind it separeting it from the trail, open views to the other side into the wet lands, and a marsh in front.

This bike stop reflects the movement of the wind going through the grass specifically the organic layering of curves that the grass creates.

The terrain was an important facter, the view in the grass was important as well as the view from above. Taking advantage of the slope was pivotal to creating this effect.

Art Gallery & Wine Bar 6195 sqft

This project was built off of an exisiting historic building. The aim was to compare and contrast the past with hopes for the future within the building.

Concept

This building was created through the analysis of Salvadore Dali’s works The Persistence of Memory as well as the reimagioning, The Disintegration of the Persistance of Memory.

Skylights create melting effect

Brick material choice The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory

The Persistence of Memory

The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory

(1931)

(1954)

Mirrored aluminum roofs

Original stone structure

Floor Plan

The gallery extension is a piece of art itself with walls that usher people thoughout the space.

2nd Floor

1st Floor

Implied movement

Design choices in the upper galley were made to create movement allowing for an effcient and immersive art experience.

The clocks symbolize the malleability of time so it was only fitting for there to be a lighting element that would work similarly to a sun dial while still presenting a similar shape to the clocks.

6:00am 9:00am

Other Works

Stain Glass

Creating architecture models and design build have inspired mediums. I really enjoy being able to think of a project and utilize

I have created numerous stain glass windchimes and sculptural pieces. It can be very delicate and frustrating work but creates a beautiful project that refracts light and makes delicate and unique sounds when it interacts with wind.

me to explore my own creativity through various hands-on utilize my skills that I have learned to bring it into reality.

Adaptive Projects

After my design build, I realized how much I love to be in the shop making small design decisions that can greatly impact the success of a project. For this project I wanted to create an adaptable table that could act as a coffee table as well as a surface that could lay out on the ground for as a larger surface for small gatherings.

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook