University of Houston, ARCH 5500: QUAD Zero Catalyst Block
Harrisburg Health Center
•Spearheadedthedesignofapatient-centrichealthcenterfocusingonsustainability,biophilicdesign,andtherapeutic lighting to promote healing environments.
•AddressedhealthdisparitiesintheSecondWardbydevelopingacomprehensivecarefacilitythatnotonlyprovides medical services but also fosters community engagement through inclusive spaces.
Hopewell Cultural Center
November 2024
•Partnered with a fellow student to design a culturally resonant community center in Columbus, Ohio, which aims to bridge historical divides caused by the legacy of Christopher Columbus.
•Contributed to the overall design through the development of floor plans, structural design, and final renderings
EXPERIENCE
Ingenious Automation, LLC.
Part- Time Designer
•Assisted in the marketing and branding initiatives through the creation of visually engaging product designs that enhanced brand identity.
•Contributed to the development and creation of machine components, improving design functionality and efficiency.
Freelance Renderings
Self- Employed
•Developed photorealistic renderings using advanced software like Revit, Photoshop, and Twinmotion, ensuring accurate representation of designs and materials.
•Collaborated with clients to refine their design concepts, offering expert insights on how to enhance visual impact while maintaining structural integrity.
SKILLS HONORS
•Languages: Spanish (Fluent)
•BIM and Visualizations: AutoCad, Revit, Rhino, Twinmotion
• University of Houston, ARCH 4510: Re-imagining Columbus a Center for Healing
Dean’s List: Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2023, Fall 2023 , Spring 2024
Herman Scholarship Issued by Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design
Latinos in Architecture Mentorship Program Scholarship
•Future Women in Architecture- Member
•
Volunteered as a mentor for underclassmen class
•Latinos in Architecture Mentorship Program - Student
February 2022 - Present
October 2024- Present
HARRISBURG HEALTH CENTER
Academic Semester 9, Year 5 Health Center Houston, TX USA 2024
Harrisburg Health Center is a project focused on creating a healthcare initiative designed to address the significant health disparity in Second Ward by providing accessible, high-quality medical care. Second Ward has faced socioeconomic and systemic barriers, and the neighborhood’s low income has impacted access to healthcare. Not only are nearby clinics under-resourced, but the rise of prominent health conditions such as cardiovascular, respiratory, and preventable diseases has increased due to high pollution in the area and the food desert that limits access to nutritious foods. By tackling these deeprooted issues, Harrisburg Health Center will create meaningful improvements in healthcare access, ensuring that all residents, regardless of socioeconomic background, have the opportunity to lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Initial Sketches
Massings and Concept EnvelopeSetbackandReliefFacadeOrientationandActivity
Given the project’s location, integrating the building into the streetscape was essential.
Certain sections of the facade are recessed to highlight entrances and create a sense of depth.
Heat-prone areas are shielded with metal panels to minimize heat absorption, while the clerestory and atrium allow natural daylight to flood the space.
The plaza and garden act as transitions between the building and surrounding streets, maintaining a strong connection and visual orientation to the street.
In designing this building, I focused on creating four interconnected zones: educational, social, health, and wellness. The educational zone offers workshops, a nutrition center, a demonstration kitchen, and classrooms. The social zone, on the first floor, features a central atrium, coffee shop, therapeutic garden, and workspaces. The health zone on the second floor includes a clinic offering primary and specialty care. The wellness zone provides private consultation rooms for personal, health, and financial concerns. Sustainability was also a key driver of this project, including biophilic elements like a central skylight for natural light and ventilation. The skylight collects rainwater for irrigation and toilet flushing, while clerestory windows ensure daylight without excessive heat, supporting the building’s net-zero energy goal.
Site Plan
Kitchen Therapeudic Garden
Counceling
Room
Station
Room Counceling
Panels
and Cleristory
Patient Exam Room
Therapeudic Gardens
Section A-A Perspective Section
B-B
Section
Lounge
CYPRESS PAVILION
Academic Semester 8, Year 4 Research Field Station Baytown, TX, USA 2024
The Cypress Pavilion is a collaborative project focused on creating a research lab influenced by the feral delta. With my partners Astrid Gallareta and Evelyn Palafox we were able to design a pavilion that can have flexible research spaces and access to the exterior habitat. This project explores human environmental interference and the impact of subsidence and flooding that has affected the area. Overall, the Cypress Pavillion demonstrates a proposal for creating typologies that will not only reduce flooding risks and water cleansing, but to heal the affected environment.
Initial Sketches
This project began through the study of the surroundings and focusing on the properties of the bald cypress. The bald cypress is a tree that purifies water, is attributed to the spawning of native fish, and is a habitat for many other species. We modified the land by creating multiple wetland typologies that the pavilion would have access to as a reference to Junya Ishigami + Associates Water Garden where the site’s land is modified to create a relationship of humans to nature. Our building does this by its organic shape wrapping around the typologies to represent the meeting point of human intervention and acceptance of the environment. The organic shape of the building was based on the position of existing trees in the selected site, and the roof’s varying heights mimic the tree’s heights, giving it an organic feel. When it came to materiality, we went with using recycled steel plates in the roof that have a bent-like appearance to represent leaves and the chipping of the tree bark. Our structure consists of steel rebars that form an organic shape as well as thin pillars that support the roof while the interior consists of adjustable cloth-wrapped offices that keeps the environment present for the visitors.
Gaia Form
Cypress DomeFreshwater SloughMaritime Hammock
Wetland Typologies
Site Plan
Floor Plan
Exploded Axonometric
Oudoor View Research Lab
Axonometric View
Physical Model
LUMINOUS PLAZA
Academic Semester 4, Year 2 Mix- Use Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
This building is located in Houston, Texas where it will serve as student dormitories and public gathering space. It is conveniently located on the Menil campus and in proximity to St. Thomas University. The elongated design can create spaces that become points of socialization. Additionally, the building’s roof can bring diffused sunlight into the spaces and the exposure of the building promotes air movement. The Luminous Plaza is a welcoming space where visitors can be in the semi-shaded outdoors, and promotes socialization among the occupants.
Initial Sketches Components
At the start of the project, I wanted to keep intact the existing use of the site as a park and the existing trees. During my research, I focused on creating a space that would bring daylight, and also connect to its surroundings. With this, I created two courtyards in the center of the building that are surrounded by multiple passageways, and they guide the visitors around the building. This led to the concept of the courtyard passage as the building’s circulation comes from the courtyards. Moreover, the extension of the building throughout the site is also influenced by the courtyards as each program has access to them, and the extended pathways can expose the visitors to their surroundings.
Site Plan
Second Floor Plan
The Luminous Plaza consists of courtyards that provide direct access to the ground floor programs which consits a bookstore, coffee shop, and basketball court.
The building’s second floor is dedicated to the student dorms that connect to an accessible balcony, and it provides views of the Menil and St. Thomas University campus. The structural system is made of precast concrete columns and T- beams that support the roof. Additionally, wooden slabs that are underneath the roof structure bring contrast to the concrete and help in diffuing the light coming in.
Section
Physical Model
HOPEWELL CULTURAL CENTER
Academic Semester 7, Year 4 Cultural Center Columbus, OH, USA 2023
Hopewell Cultural Center is a collaborative project that I worked on alongside my partner Stephanie Velasquez. This project aims to promote collaboration, learning, and connecting with nature. This project explores the importance of history, as Columbus, Ohio is associated with the memory of Christopher Columbus and of Native tribes that once inhabited the region. Overall, this building will showcase the importance of history and culture, while promoting a space for healing where visitors can reflect on the past, and look towards the future.
Throughout our research on the history of Columbus, Ohio, what stood out the most were the mounds created by the native group called Hopewell. These mounds are UNESCO sites that were used as burial sites that contained artifacts, and were celebratory spaces that demonstrated the social commitment of the group. Moreover, if the mounds are excavated, they will disintegrate. The mounds are located throughout Ohio, and their purpose guided our concept, which is excavation. The concept of excavation focuses on the visitor experiencing the building as if they were to be digging into a mound and coming out. This building can portray excavation through the exposure of the building’s programs and the building being multi-floored with a portion being underground.
Massing Excavating
Extruding Masses
Greenery
Circulation
Travertine Walls Components
Site Plan
South Elevation
The extensive plaza creates an inviting atmosphere, drawing visitors in and connecting them with nature. The underground floor hosts an auditorium and a small gallery that looks onto a sculpture garden. The sculpture garden is inspired by the concept of excavation, and can only be accessed by entering the building. Moreover, the first floor has public spaces that have access to daylight and exterior views from multiple openings. Likewise, the second floor has access to the openings and consists of an administrative office, the main exhibition space, and a research facility that is accessible to the public. The building is seamlessly connected by a central skylight and a travertine wall that guides visitors throughout the building.
Section B-B Perspective Section
Exhibition
Lobby
Underground Exhibition
Physical Model
PHOTOGRAPHY
Nikon D3400 DSLR Camera
I’ve developed a deep appreciation for capturing the beauty of nature. While nothing compares to experiencing nature firsthand, I’m drawn to nature photography for the opportunity to freeze those fleeting, unique moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
