Issuu

SELECTED WORKS

Kaitlyn Truong truong.kai@northeastern.edu

2026

2025-2026

about

education

Kaitlyn is a designer from Medford, Massachusetts. She gained professional work experience at The Galante Architecture Studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Capitol Theater in Arlington, Massachusetts. Growing up close to her grandmother, she fostered a love for the arts and pushes for a design-driven, sustainable future in architecture.

Northeastern University

Fall 2024 - Present

Boston, Massachusetts Bachelor of Science of Architecture

Danish Institute for Study Abroad København, Denmark Study Abroad

skills

Revit Adobe Suite Products Rhino Model Making (3D Printing, Laser Cutting, Woodworking) AutoCAD

Fall 2026 - Present

contents

Randolph Fire Station

Mass Timber Emergency Infrastructure for Rural Communities

Generations in Common

Supporting Intergenerational Living through Modularity

Between Land and Water

Connecting Copenhagen’s Cityscape and Waterfront

Mixed Media Editorial, Model Making

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Randolph Fire Station Proposal for rural emergency response infrastructure in Randolph, Maine, USA.

In collaboration with Northeastern University Solar Decathlon 2025-2026 Northeastern University

Fire stations across the U.S. are strained by chronic underfunding, aging infrastructure, staffing shortages, and a $4 billion national fire truck backlog, forcing reliance on outdated facilities. In Maine, these challenges are especially severe in rural areas, where aging stations and rising wildfire risk have led to slower or missed responses. In 2024, Maine secured nearly $18.5 million for fire station upgrades. Within this context, the design of the Randolph Fire Station fits the context of an awarded $2.6 million, focused on serving as a resilient model for rural fire infrastructure.

A mass timber structural system forms the building’s foundation, exposed timber trusses span the apparatus bay and bunk rooms to create large, flexible spaces Scale: 1/16” = 1’

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Wildfire Exposure Risk to Human Safety Gardiner, Maine 911 District

In Maine, rural geography and increasing wildfire exposure intensify aging infrastructure, limited funding, and firefighter health concerns. Many departments rely on outdated stations with poor ventilation, energy efficiency, and resilience, affecting firefighter health, emergency response, and community safety.

Data provided by US Fire Service’s Wildland urban interface dataset.

High risk

Low risk

Risk increase from 1990 to 2020

Randolph Fire Station

Exterior Render

3x 5.0 ton geothermal heat pumps Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Geothermal wells heat the residential and public wings of the firehouse Site Plan Set between two roads and neighboring homes, the station creates a clear path of entry and escape. A through-drive apparatus bay allows trucks to enter from one side and emerge from the other, eliminating backing and accelerating emergency response. Layered planting buffers sound and creates privacy between the station and surrounding homes.

Plant Selection

Monthly Load Profiles

Quercus rubra

Myrica pensylvanica

Pinus strobus

Ilex verticillata

Thuja occidentalis

Juniperus communis

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Randolph Fire Station

Gym

Second Floor

Second Floor Plan

Mechanical Room

Decontamination Room

App. Bay

Kitchen

Mechanical Room

Decontamination Room

Office

Kitchen Office

App. Bay

Community Room

Office

Ground Floor Plan

Office

First Floor

Community

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Decontamination Zones Diagram

Return from call

Drop off soiled PPE/gear in decontamination

Restock primary gear in apparatus bay, reserve gear in pressurized equipment room

Negative Pressure/Dehumidification

Shower within the hour/change into casual uniform

Positive Pressure

Retire to lounge/kitchen/gym/dormitories

Dedicated Exhaust

Randolph Fire Station

Bunk Room Axonometric Rooms are spacious and provide personal storage, single beds, a desk, and chair. Generally each firefighter can return from a call to their own room, providing them with personal space to relax and recharge.

Long-Term Use Plan As the impacts of climate change combine with the rapid suburbanization occuring across Maine, it is increasingly important to design with the future in mind. The station is a flexible space, with fold out bunks that can provide sleeping quarters for firefighters in case of a severe emergency.

Healthy Living Residential Area Sections

Strenghtening the Mind and Body The quality of exposed wood and natural light, supports firefighter health in reducing injury and building cardiovascular and mental resilience.

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Woof Framing Model Photos

PROJECT NAME

Wood Framing Axonometric

Roof Framing

Load Plan

Structure Timber Details

Wall at Ground Floor Slab (6”)

Wall at App. Bay Ground Floor Slab (14”)

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Material Mapping

Environmental Building Systems

Photovoltaic Panels

Cross Ventilation

Conduit and Disconnect

Backup Generator

Fire stations have inherently high energy use due to their 24/7 operation. Maintaining indoor air quality is especially important, as vehicle exhause and other particulates must be constantly removed. As a result, exhaust systems in the apparatus bay and decontamination areas operate at high airflow rates around the clock. The design is used to minimize the reliance on mechnical systems to create an overall efficient design despite those inherent operational demands.

Annual Energy Use Profile

Monthly Solar Production

8% 20%

26%

Heating

31% 14

Geothermal Wells

Interior Lighting Interior Equipment Cooling

Randolph Fire Station

Skylights

Water Reclamation System

Operable Windows Radiant Floor

Monthly Load Profiles

Heating Load Cooling Load Outdoor Temperature

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Generations in Common Urban design framework for Mission Hill focused on intergenerational housing.

Professor Rawan Alfassar Spring 2026 Northeastern University

ST AT ION

ST .

GU RN

ST .

PA R

KE RS T.

PR E

TREMO N T ST.

residential commercial adaptive re-use bike

Ground Floor Plan (1:1440)

ST .

ST.

ST . EM ON T TR

ISS

HA LL E

EN T

In collaboration with Chandler Morris and Audra Yap Individual drawings by Kaitlyn Truong

This project reimagines Mission Hill as a community-centered neighborhood where housing, ecology, and public life are woven together. Ground-floor commercial spaces activate the street, while pedestrian paths, green buffers, bioswales, and shared courtyards create a network of spaces for movement, play, and gathering. Stepped roofs extend this network upward, becoming gardens and flexible spaces for recreation and community use. Together, these strategies transform the residential block into a connected landscape that supports both the everyday life of its residents and surrounding communities.

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Mission Hill as a Microcosm native asian black/african american hispanic/latino hawaiian/pacific islander white other (alone) two and more

Cultural diversity reveals how unequal access to wealth shapes different pathways to housing stability and homeownership.

Homeownership Desert percent of renter households for whom gross rent is >30% of their income

percent of renter households for whom gross rent is >30% income 705+

3500+ university/hospital renter occupied housing unit

High rental costs across Boston make it increasingly difficult to save for homeownership, with affordability remaining a major barrier.

Modularity Diagram

Generations in Common

3br

2br + studio

3br + internal stair

2br + studio

2 2

3br + internal stair

2br + studio

3br + internal stair

25’

20’

10’

A modular housing approach allows for a reduced cost in construction while allowing units to + and - as household needs evolve.

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

residential commercial adaptive re-use bike

Illustrative Isometric

Generations in Common

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Use Greenspace to Prioritize Walkability and Safe Mobility • •

residential commercial adaptive re-use 22

bike

Bioswales act as a barrier Widened sidewalks increase visibility

Generations in Common

Expand Greenspace and Ecological Health in Flexible, Multi-Use Public Space • •

Rooftop is transformed for dedicated theraputic/sensory gardens Each rooftop allows for a variety of programming

Support an intergenerational community • •

A playground and glazed commercial fronts attract all ages Benches follow organic movements of people

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Between Land and Water Harborbath in Copenhagen’s inner harbor, building a connection with the cityscape and waterfront

Professor Jacob Nørløv Fall 2026 Danish Institute of Study Abroad (DIS)

Copenhagen’s harbor has transformed from an industrial edge into a new blue public realm that reconnects the city to the water. Located at the southern end of the Havnegade promenade, the project proposes a new harbor bath rooted in Copenhagen’s local bathing traditions. Combining sauna-ing, plunging, and café going, the architecture explores the threshold between land and water, choreographing movement from the city into the harbor. The bath becomes a hidden gem: a place discovered through movement, framed views, and changing relationships between water, body, and architecture. Designed for both locals and visitors, it creates a year-round destination for gathering, retreat, and immersion in the harbor.

Scale: 1:200

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

The surrounding buildings seen from the site are very orthagonal, some feeling uninviting.

Interpreting the curve of the adjacant bridge to depart from the existing path.

What qualities emerge when geometry is softened and simplified?

Between Land and Water

Site Context at (1:3030)

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Floor Plan (1:400)

Between Land and Water

07 08

Swim

Bathroom

Cold Plunge

Changing Room

Storage

Vestibule

Kitchen

Sauna

Cafe

Bike Parking

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Along the path, wooden slats create a perforated threshold, filtering movement, sunlight, and views through the project. Inside, ribbon windows frame the surrounding landscape and water, connecting the café to nature.

Section (1:200)

Between Land and Water

The roof becomes an extension of the landscape, using its inward tilt as a stormwater drainage system while directing views back toward the site. At each bend, the green roof tilts, creating moments of enclosure while extending greenery across the project

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Greenery creates a pocket of intimacy where wood, water, and landscape come together. Seating invites pause, while direct access to the water connects the sauna to a cold plunge

Elevation (1:200)

Between Land and Water

“Thick” space becomes program, “thin” space becomes circulation.

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

Chelmsford Fire Station 3 + 5 Mixed Media: Model featuring a French cleat hanging system and transparent apparatus bays

With The Galante Architecture Studio Summer 2026

Mixed Media: Chelmsford Fire Station 3 + 5

3D-printed buildings with cork and chipboard differentiating hardscape materials. Seaform trees indicate privacy between adjacent properties. Scale: 1/32” = 1’ 35

Kaitlyn Truong | Selected Works

BRAVADO Mixed Media: Editorial design for three spreads exploring African cultural jewelry and expression of self. With The Avenue Magazine at Northeastern University 2025-2026

As a teenager, I remember the first time I saw a classmate wearing a belly chain. When asked about it, she simply said, “It’s my culture. My mother wore it. My grandmother too.” I, like her, did not learn my identity through books, but through jewelry. As a child of a Senegalese immigrant living in France, I understood who I was through heavy gold bracelets, timeworn silver pieces and heirloom jewelry passed down through my family. This jewelry was never simply decorative: It carried stories of migration, pride and loss. By styling these pieces, I began to understand what they said about my heritage and about myself. In many African cultures, jewelry is not an accessory but a language. Gold carries powerful symbolic weight in Senegal, particularly among Serer women, as it is associated with femininity, fertility and spiritual protection. These pieces are rarely sold, even in times of financial hardship. They are passed down through generations, embodying lineage, unity and memory.

writing ISMAEL MBAYE photography SAMANTHA LIOANAG set design JENNA CELESTIN & RAINA SHROFF design KAITLYN TRUONG styling AYA EL MAJDOUBI & EMILY SHROPSHIRE hair & makeup MIA BENAISSA modeling COURTNEY CADE & BRYCE GOULD

Within this cultural landscape, the Tongoro label emerged. Founded in Dakar, Senegal, by Senegalese designer Sarah Diouf, Tongoro is a contemporary African luxury brand that is internationally recognized for translating Senegalese culture into the global fashion language. While the brand is famous for its Wolof-inspired textiles and runways, Tongoro’s jewelry offers a lens through which to examine how cultural heritage as it is reinterpreted and elevated within contemporary fashion.

Mixed Media: BRAVADO

Tongoro is not the only African label to modernize traditional African jewelry. We Are NBO, a jewelry brand based in Kenya, locally produces its jewelry and builds a strong social mission to empower its community through craftsmanship. The brand primarily works with gold, drawing inspiration from Kenyan landscapes, wildlife and mineral textures to create modern accessories. Like Tongoro, We Are NBO demonstrates how heritage, ethical production and global ambition can coexist. These designers show that today, jewelry is no longer just a haphazard accessory or marker of financial status. Designers across the world use adornment to reclaim their history, heritage and voice, allowing for consumers to do the same in a high fashion setting. During one of my recent trips to Senegal, I met my family’s jeweler. From him, I received a bracelet, an object that became more than decoration; it became an anchor, a fragment of rooted memory. When I paired it with my contemporary European jewelry, I realized that my identity was not shaped by a conflict between cultures, but by an ongoing dialogue between them. My jewelry is a meeting point between past and present, collective memory and personal expression. It is an archive, a protest and a projection. When I wear inherited jewelry and contemporary pieces inspired by these traditions, I am not only remembering where I come from — like Tongoro, I am participating in my heritage’s continuation.

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Over the past two decades, fashion has been forced to confront its relationship with cultural borrowing, a practice embedded in the industry since the birth of haute couture. Yves Saint Laurent’s 1967 “Maroc” collection, inspired by his travels to Morocco, embraced North African turbans and body jewelry through a hyper-Westernized lens. More than half a century later, the same concerns persist. At Chanel’s 2022 Métiers d’Art show in Dakar, the label showed a collection filled with oversized wooden beads, sculptural gold lions and cowrie shells. The show prompted debates around cultural appropriation, despite its collaboration with local artisans.

For Tongoro, however, the conversation around cultural influence is fundamentally different. Diouf, who grew up in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and Paris, gained inspiration for the label during regular trips to Dakar for a Ghubar, an online fashion magazine she founded in 2009, she told Essence. Tongoro’s clothing and jewelry sports a “100% made in Africa” label, with materials sourced from Africa and production taking place in Dakar. “I am an African woman, and I wear my cultural heritage with pride, wherever I go,” Diouf wrote in an editorial for Nataal.

This philosophy is applied to Tongoro’s jewelry, including their gold Petaw earrings, a large, gold cowrie shell shaped earring, a symbol of prosperity and protection, and their Duafe necklace, an ode to African femininity and strength. The brand’s most iconic adornment, its Cairo facial jewelry is half ornament, half sculpture. It traces a continuous line along the contours of the face, echoing traditional African makeup, symbolic scarification and ceremonial markings. Alicia Keys, Naomi Campbell and Iman Bowie wore the piece, however, it was Beyoncé who hoisted it into the popular zeitgeist with her 2019 “Spirit” music video.

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THANK YOU

Kaitlyn Truong 38 truong.kai@northeastern.edu