Julia Ruiz Experiential Design Portfolio

JULIA DEE RUIZ

B.ARCH 2019 DESIGN PORTFOLIO 2024

2021 M.F.A

Successful design is not solely measured by the financial gains of practice. It is measured by the level of enrichment and positive impact it has on those around us. Successful design embodies a myriad of dimensions, including culture, environment, and experiences, ultimately creating a harmonious space that is beneficial for all. Good design knows no class system; It is felt and experienced by all types of individuals and populations.

01 AE77 pg 5-12

02 HERMES GRAND SOIR

pg 13-24

03 HBO: “AND JUST LIKE THAT” PARTY pg 25-28 04 ROWDY ROOSTER pg 41-46

BOURBON & BRANCH pg 29-40 06 GRAPHIC DESIGN + ARTWORK pg 47-58

AE77 DENIM

View from Entry

American Eagle Outfitters hired Stefan Beckman Studio to design and launch the first ever AE77 Popup retail location located on Spring St. in SOHO. The new luxury line focuses on sustainability, environmentally friendly, and high quality denim. Utilizing the brands philosophy, our team focused on telling a story within the space.

Leaning on “Old 1970’s Soho”, we began carefully crafting the space to feel reclaimed and recycled. Utilizing Donald Judd as an inspiration while combining aspects of Japanese design, components such as the display cases and racks were custom designed for the space. The goal was to make the store feel as if you stepped into artist’s studio in old Soho. Other key design features include a denim waterfall wall, hand selected vintage furniture pieces and decor, and a denim canopy located towards the back of the store. The popup was the first project I managed solo from July 2021 - September 2021.

Exterior View - Spring Street

Donald Judd inspired register desk

“Reclaimed” Rack

Japanese style shelving

Donald Judd inspired tables

“Denim Wall” Installation

“Denim Wall” inspired by Epidemic installation artwork and Japanese quilting.

HERMES GRAND SOIR

Celebrating their Spring Summer 2022 collection, Hermes hired Stefan Beckman Studio to help design and produce an event to showcase their new line. The event took place on November 10, 2021 at the Frank Sinatra House in Chatsworth, California. Utilizing the famous architecture as a base, our team took over the mansion and transformed the space for the Hermes Grand Soir.

With the initial idea of a black and red ball, our team leaned on inspiration from the 1970’s horror movie Suspiria while artfully incorporating surreal moments throughout the house. Our team of 3 had the opportunity to design every moment, including the custom outdoor sculptures, Suspiria inspired dining room, a surreal library with moving “wallpaper” and hand-selected red books, a lounge with Dali inspired trees, and finally, an all red bedroom. Hailed a success, the event was featured in Vogue, Vanity Fair and Womens Wear Daily.

SCULPTURES

DINNER

MIRANDA FASHION PERFORMANCE

WATER BALLET

LIBRARY

BEDROOM SOUND INSTALLATION

GALLERY & DINING ROOM

LOUNGE

GUEST ENTRANCE

BACK OF HOUSE

View of Library - Photograph

Rendering

Rendering

View of Living Room - Photograph

Assigned the task of graphics & patterns, I created a variety of carpet & wall covering prints based on the main inspiration of the film “Suspiria.” Below is an example of one of the final wall covering designs created in illustrator and transferred into sketchup renderings.

View of Dining Room - Photograph

Dining Room Wall-covering Elevation

Bedroom - Photographed during Daylight

Bedroom - Photographed at night

Assigned the task of the runway set design, my colleague and I began exploring interactive sculptures that could be used before & after the presentation of Hermes models.

Specifically looking at the incorporation of “portals”, “stairways to nowhere”, and asymmetric shapes, we created numerous curious sculptures for everyone to enjoy.

Below images show additional 3D sculptures that were designed.

AND JUST LIKE THAT

Stefan Beckman Studio was contacted by HBO & producers of the Sex and the City Reboot “And Just Like That” for the season 1 premiere after party. Utilizing the empty space of what was once Barneys Department Store, we worked with incorporating both new & old show story-lines, characters & fashion.

In addition to the event, we were also tasked to create window displays advertising the show. Again, we look at both old and new characteristics of the show. This included Carrie’s signature necklace, the infamous brownstone stoop, & the fashion featured in the new season.

BOURBON & BRANCH

Ground Floor Bar Rendering

GROUND FLOOR BAR

Working for Wid Chapman Architects, I was assigned Bourbon & Branch Bar & Restaurant as my first official hospitality project. Located directly next to Penn Station, the space is twostories and 7,000 sqft. Already a daunting task, I was faced with the challenge of creating an entire space with no theme, cuisine, style or name. Our clients were unsure if the restaurant was going to be “American Sports-Bar”, “Italian” or potentially “Irish” inspired. The minimal direction for the first few months was a challenge, but we moved forward with the idea that the downstairs would be more “masculine” and upstairs would be more “feminine.”

The ground floor was designed to give off a darker, more “moody”, sports-bar feel. Utilizing dark wood flooring, leather, green & blue accents, I believe we created a successful design.

SECOND FLOOR BAR

While designing the second floor I was challenged with working around the existing floor to ceiling heights. In certain areas, the height dropped all the way to only 8’ tall. This was a stark difference to the 16’ ceilings downstairs. My first priority was finding a way to make the space feel larger.

Utilizing a more light and bright color palette, I was able to make the space feel more open and inviting. Designing for the more “feminine” approach, I selected tiles, wallcoverings and counter-top material that incorporated glitter & shine to allow light to reflect off all the surfaces.

Both the ground floor and second floor bar has proven to be successful, as the restaurant is consistently packed with crowds that enjoy having two different experiences on two separate floors.

Dining Chairs - Upstairs

Aveon Side Chair (set of 2) $240

Kora Side Chair (set

$225.00

Haim Arm Chair

$332.00 per chair

Coen Velvet Chair (set

$280.00

Dining Chairs - Upstairs

Aveon Side Chair (set of 2)

$240

Haim Arm Chair

$332.00 per chair

Second Floor Material Palette

Kora Side Chair (set of 2)

$225.00

Dontreell Velvet Side Chair (set of 2)

$300.00

Coen Velvet Chair (set of 2)

$280.00

Drayvon Velvet Side Chair (set of 2)

$600.00

CUSTOM LIGHT DESIGN

ROWDY ROOSTER

2. CONTRACTOR SHALL NOTIFY ARCHITECT OF ANY POSSIBLE INTERFERENCE OR CONFLICTS BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH INSTALLATION

3. ALL SWITCHING DEVICES SHALL BE ROCKER-TYPE, COMMERCIAL SPECIFICATION-GRADE, "DECORA" STYLE WITH SNAP-ON COVERPLATES AS MANUFACTURED BY LEVITON OR APPROVED EQUAL. COVERPLATES SHALL HAVE NOT VISIBLE FASTENERS. ALL SWTICHING DEVICES TO BE WHITE, UON. G.C. TO SUBMIT SPECIFICATIONS AND SAMPLES FOR APPROVAL. WHERE MULTIPLE SWITCHES ARE INDICATED, PROVIDE GANGED SWITCHING WITH SINGLE COVERPLATE, UON. TOGGLE TYPE SWITCHES ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE UNLESS OTHERWISE REQUIRED FOR SPECIFIC EQUIPMENT OR FUNCTION.

Renowned owner of Unapologetic Food Group, Roni Mazumdar, is a longtime client of Wid Chapman Architects. Entrusting us with some of his biggest projects, including Semma, Dhamaka, Nak’s & Adda, we were fortunate to also design for his new fast casual joint. Rowdy Rooster highlights fried chicken dishes inspired by different regions of India & various types of street markets across the country.

4. ALL LIGHTING FIXTURES TO BE ON LOCAL DIMMERS TYPICAL.

5. VERIFY LOCATIONS OF ALL LIGHT FIXTURES, DEVICES, SWITCHES, LIFE-SAFETY DEVICES, ETC. WITH ARCHITECT DURING ROUGH-IN INSTALLATION. SEE DRAWING G-001 FOR HEIGHT OF SWITCHES AND DEVICES.

6. ALL LIGHT FIXTURES, DEVICES, DOWNLIGHTS, ETC. TO BE CENTERED ON CEILING TILE FULL MODULE, UON.

7. ALL EDGES OF ACOUSTICAL CEILING TILES SHALL BE FINISHED WITH SCHEDULED TRIM. EXPOSED OR UNSUPPORTED EDGES ARE NOT PERMITTED.

Working with Roni, we decided to create a “loud”, bright and colorful space. Elements, such as the wooden palette wall, were then distressed to give the space a “street market feel.” Artist Sean Maze was commissioned to paint an Indian inspired mural on the existing brick & the wooden palettes.

8. PROVIDE CEILING ACCESS PANELS WHERE REQUIRED. ACCESS PANELS TO BE GFRG TYPE WITH NO VISIBLE FASTENERS. KARP OR APPROVED EQUAL.

9. REFER TO ENGINEERING DRAWINGS FOR EMERGENCY LIGHTING, EXIT LIGHTING AND ALL LIFE SAFETY DEVICES AND REQUIREMENTS.

10. ALL ILLUMINATED EXIT SIGNS SHALL BE CLEAR ACRYLIC, EDGE-LIT TYPE. HEIGHT AND COLOR OF LETTERS TO CONFORM TO REQUIREMENT OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES. SEE PLAN DRAWING FOR DIRECTIONAL ARROWS.

11. REFER TO ELEVATIONS FOR ADDITIONAL HEIGHTS OF SOFFITS AND HEADERS.

The goal of the design was to tell a story of India’s street market culture. I believe we were successful in creating this.

12. GC TO PROVIDE ALL CONCEALED STEEL SUPPORTS AND FRAMING IN CEILINGS TO SUPPORT CEILING MOUNTED EQUIPMENT, FIXTURES AND AV EQUIPMENT.

13. GC TO PROVIDE ANY REQUIRED EXPANSION JOINTS IN GWB CEILINGS. WHEREVER JOINTS ARE UNAVOIDABLE, THEIR LOCATION(S) MUST BE REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY ARCHITECT PRIOR TO INSTALLATION.

PENDANT LIGHT

VENT (REFER TO ENGINEER'S DRAWINGS FOR MORE INFORMATION) HIGH HATS LIGHTING LEGEND S SWITCHES

FLUSH MOUNTED LINEAR LIGHT

LED TUBE LIGHT

WALL SCONCE TRACK LIGHTS

LED TAPE

CEILING TILE PANEL LIGHT CAMERAS C SPEAKERS S

REFER TO MEP DRAWINGS FOR EXIT SIGNS AND EMERGENCY LIGHTING

ALL ACOUSTICAL TILE CEILINGS TO BE ACC-1, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

ALL CEILING AREAS TO BE PAINTED TYPICAL. EXPOSED DUCTS, PIPES TO BE SPRAY PAINTED TYPICAL.

MIXED MEDIUM & GRAPHIC DESIGN

Outside of architecture, art has been a significant part of my life. I have taken many classes at local art schools, focusing on various mediums. I enjoy creating pieces with charcoal, pencils, pens, acrylics and oil paints. Medical Illustration has also played a large role in my experimentation of different mediums.

Additionally, I have found graphic design another outlet of creativity. Although not formally trained, I enjoy the graphic process of branding as well as customizing prints for a variety of occasions.

INSTYLE AWARDS ELEVATOR 2021

InStyle commissioned Stefan Beckman Studio to design the popular elevator set for the Instyle Awards. I had the opportunity to create the wallpaper graphics, patterns & FF&E Selection.

My goal was to design an impactful & colorful scene that differed from past “Old Hollywood” elevator designs. Creating a bold black & white wallcovering pattern and carpet allowed the pink to pop.

Graphic Design - Hermes Tablescapes

Graphics created with Adobe Illustrator

- Outdoor Dining

Rendering

Graphic Design - Snapchat Anniversary Invitation

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26 TBD THE LOT STUDIOS WEST HOLLYWOOD LOS ANGELES, CA

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26

SNAP TURNS

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26

10

*Invitations created with Adobe Illustrator

**All invitations follow Snapchat media & branding requirements

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26

THE LOT STUDIOS WEST HOLLYWOOD LOS ANGELES, CA invitation

SNAP TURNS

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26

THE LOT STUDIOS WEST HOLLYWOOD LOS ANGELES, CA

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 26

THE LOT STUDIOS WEST HOLLYWOOD LOS ANGELES, CA

Jellyfish 2018 - Acrylic

Coy-fish 2020 - Acrylic

Jellyfish 2019 - Acrylic

Commissioned by Dr. Boardman - Pencil Commissioned by Dr. Boardman - Charcoal Commissioned by Dr. Bell - Pencil