Selected Works + Projects 2025
Educational Environments:
01 Purdue University
University of Michigan
Marymount School 04 The Laurel Tower
Mixed-use Residential:
Single-Family Residential:
Civic / Cultural:
Urbanism:
Commercial:
Vista Tower
Gregory Residence
Islamic Cultural Center
Mériadeck Green Belt
SEED's Market
Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Role: Design Team Member
Typology: Higher Education
Location: West Lafayette, IN.
Size: 164,430 SF / 679 Beds
Client: American Campus Communities (ACC)
Date: April, 2018
Status: Request for Proposal - Unbuilt
Given the urgent need for undergraduate student housing on campus, Purdue University has proposed to bring in ~1,115 new beds. The project consists of two separate student housing facilities located on two different sites, the first is the Meredith Facility. The Meredith Facility residence hall is anticipated to include a minimum of 605 beds with a building height of 6 stories at the eastern two-thirds of the building and 8 stories at the westernmost third. The requested unit mix includes double rooms in a pod style configuration, with a limited number of single and triple rooms, with communal bathrooms as well as private bathrooms within each resident advisor community. The facility also anticipates including an academic learning program with ground floor flexible academic spaces and student amenities. Throughout the duration of this project I contributed to the resident unit planning and building form, as well as all graphic and drawing documentation for the final packaged proposal.
PROPOSED UNIT
8 Stories / 86'-0" 42 Beds / Floor, Total 294 Beds
PROPOSED UNIT
-6' Closet with Shelf and Haning Rod -Extra-Long Lofted Twin Bed -Dresser with 4 Drawers -Desk (24"x42") and Chair
PROPOSED UNIT
6 Stories / 69'-0" 39 Beds / Floor, Total 195 Beds
PROPOSED UNIT
6 Stories / 66'-0" 38 Beds / Floor, Total 190 Beds
and massing.
Glass Brick Masonry Opaque Panel
Glass
Brick Patterning
Brick Masonry
Opaque Panel
Above: Reference images of ground floor amenity/academic spaces.
Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Role: Design Team Member
Typology: Higher Education
Location: West Lafayette, IN.
Size: 145,250 SF / 435 Beds
Client: American Campus Communities (ACC)
Date: April, 2018
Status: Request for Proposal - Unbuilt
The second of the two proposed housing projects for the University of Purdue is Third Street North. It is anticipated to include a minimum of 400 beds with a mix of semi-suite and suite units while maintaining a building height of 6 stories. The building was requested to be separated into two wings and connected by a glass enclosed bridge on floors 2-6. Recognizing the opportunities of the pedestrian axis that intersects N. Russell St. is an important principle in the massing of the building. The ground floor of the south wing was requested to include the main entrance for residents, common areas, and support spaces for the residence hall. The ground floor of the north wing was requested to include flexible space to be programmed by the University and/or the Developer. Together these two buildings hope to enliven campus academic and social wellbeing, as well as contribute to the campus aesthetic in a contextually sensible way.
739 SQ FT
PROPOSED UNIT - SUITE DOUBLE
-6' Closet with Shelf and Haning Rod
-Extra-Long Lofted Twin Bed -Dresser with 4 Drawers -Desk (24"x42") and Chair
6 Stories / 66'-0"
49 Beds / Floor, Total 245 Beds
-1 Bathroom (Shared):
-Enclosed Toilet -Enclosed Tub/Shower -Private Sinks and Vanities
578 SQ FT
PROPOSED UNIT - SEMI-SUITE DOUBLE
-5' Closet with Shelf and Haning Rod -Extra-Long Lofted Twin Bed -Dresser with 4 Drawers -Desk (24"x42") and Chair
-1 Bathroom (Shared): -Enclosed Toilet
-Enclosed Tub/Shower -Private Sinks and Vanities
6 Stories / 66'-0" 38 Beds / Floor, Total 190 Beds
Above: Aerial view of Third St. South within neighborhood context. Below: Prominent building elevations.
Glass
Brick Patterning
Brick Masonry
Glass
Brick Patterning
Brick Masonry
Opaque Panel
Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Role: Design Team Member
Typology: Higher Education
Location: Ann Arbor, MI.
Size: 1,373,253 SF / 3,535 Beds
Client: American Campus Communities (ACC)
Date: August, 2018
Status: Pre-Construction Phase
For this proposal, the University of Michigan was seeking a design team and developer to construct, operate, maintain, and finance a new state-ofthe-art residential, dining, and retail mixed-use village on the University’s North Campus. The University envisioned a new, distinctive community providing approximately 1,050 graduate and 2,400 undergraduate beds with complementary support spaces to include dining, outdoor and indoor amenity spaces, laundry, administrative offices for Residential Life staff, parking to support all aspects of the Project, and limited retail serving North Campus and the greater community. The “village” was requested to include amenities that will make it an attractive place for prospective students to live, learn and play, as well as provide enhancement for faculty, students, and staff who work and learn on North Campus. Throughout the duration of this proposal I contributed to the master planning and unit planning of both undergraduate and graduated facilities, as well as all graphic and drawing documentation for the final packaged proposal.
Above: Master plan of North Campus "village" with resident halls and amenities.
- typical undergraduate housing floor plan and individual units.
COOKFOX Architects
Role: Design Team Member
Typology: Education
Location: New York City, NY.
Size: 155,000 SF
Client: Marymount School
Date: October, 2019
Status: Under Construction
During the spring and summer of 2019, I contributed to the completion of 100% schematic design and construction document sets for the Marymount School of New York City. Marymount is an all-girls Catholic middle & high school located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is a 14-story high-rise equipped with a regulation size gym, double height Broadway style theater, STEAM and fab-lab work spaces, music rooms, chapel, cafeteria with chef quarters and outdoor herb gardens, library with reading room, as well as science, art, and traditional classrooms. Through the DD and CD phases I worked on the detailing and coordination of the interior spaces including all classrooms, specialty spaces, corridors, stairs, etc. I also conducted and organized a comprehensive door schedule and coordinated with related consultants for all hardware and security purposes.
Solomon Cordwell Buenz
Role: Design Team Member
Typology: Mixed-use Residential Tower
Location: Philadelphia, PA.
Size: 565,000 SF
Client: Southern Land Company
Date: March, 2019
Status: Construction Completed - Built
During the fall and winter of 2018, I contributed to the completion of both 100% design development and construction document sets for The Laurel Tower. The Laurel is a 565,000 sf mixed-use residential tower located on Philadelphia’s iconic Rittenhouse Square. It is situated along S. 21st St. on the block between Walnut St. and Sansom St. A three-story retail low-rise podium faces Sansom St., while the tower entry is located south along Walnut St. The stone-clad entry pavilion respects the historic street wall through its contextual materiality and rhythmic articulation, while the 48-story stepped, glass and metal panel tower provide a modern complement to the prewar architecture of the area. Through the DD and CD phases I worked on detailing of the exterior façade on both the tower and retail podium, as well as assisted in much of the unit planning and detailing for the condo and apartment levels of the main tower.
Levels 28-42, typical condo level floor plan.
Role: Architectural Intern
Typology: Mixed-use Residential Tower
Location: Chicago, IL
Size: 1,800,000 SF
Client: The Wanda Group & Magellan Development
Internship Dates: May 2015 - July 2016
Status: Construction Completed - Built
During a 15 month-long internship at Studio Gang I had the opportunity to work on several projects ranging in a variety of scales and typologies. I contributed to designs, details, documentation and modeling through the SD, DD, and CD phases for several large-scale projects including: Solstice on the Park, Vista Tower, Folsom Bay Tower, Writers Theater, Kresge College, Goose Island Beer Company, and NY Fire Rescue. I worked directly with the interiors department on developing design options for multiple high-rise interiors including: kitchens and bathrooms, a club room, corridor renovations, and interiors for two private residences. I gained experience in project management and independently generated permit and construction sets on a micro bakery and private outdoor deck, which was taken from concept to construction. The following pages showcase specific details towards the design development phase of the Vista Tower in which I contributed to detailing and documenting of the exterior facade assembly and interior components.
*Additional project information and details available upon request.
SCALE: 1/32" = 1'-0"
Right - Building components diagram.
Above: Left - Frustum form and glazing types diagram. Above: Level 23 key plan. See opposite page for corner condition details.
Operable Window
Shadow Box
Operable Window
Shadow Box
Operable Window
Shadow Box
Above: Detailed axon and section of corner "shoulder" condition with glazing types. Above: Left - Corner "walking" column and exterior facade enlarged plan detail. Right - Downward frustum slab edge detail. See enlarged slab edge detail below.
Existing Multi-Level Single Family Home
Simplified Mass of Addition Option
Brandon Hall Architects
Typology: Single-Family Residential
Location: Wilmette, Illinois
Size: 3 Story Addition, Including Basement
Client: Private
Date: February 2023
Status: Permitted - Unbuilt
Throughout the Spring of 2023 I had the opportunity to collaborate with a colleague embarking on a mission to develop their own practice. The project types included throughout this collaboration were bespoke single-family residences throughout the Chicago area. The work showcased - "Gregory Residence" is an existing home located in the north suburbs of Chicago with a 3 story addition (including basement) to house new programmatic elements such as: updates to an existing kitchen, a family and dining area, a new master bedroom, new master bathroom, additional closet storage, and a full basement. The collaboration with conducted both virtually and in-person, part-time. A full permit set was completed in Revit and approved by the city.
Graduate Thesis, University of Cincinnati
Typology: Cultural Center
Location: Cedar-Riverside - Minneapolis, MN
Size: 33,200 SF
Client: The African Development Center of MN
Date: April 2017
This thesis aims to address history and culture through the built environment by designing a modern Islamic cultural center in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis, MN. Cedar-Riverside is known for its large American-Muslim population which consists of many second and third generation Somali immigrants struggling to integrate themselves into aspects of Western society. To bridge the neighborhood's cultural gaps, a nontraditional building design hopes to produce a new architectural language that is free of the perceived “Islamic image” and is welcoming to a diverse range of user groups. Programmatic elements include: a library for cultural resources and religious texts, a public gallery with rotating exhibitions pertaining to Islamic art and culture, a café/restaurant, a small community mosque for worship, and outdoor public park space. As a result, the cultural center aims to be a productive and relatable venue to all American-Muslims while also being outward looking and accessible to those outside of the Muslim community.
Roof / Light Well64’ Maximum Height Per Zoning Code
Curtain Wall + Glass Rain Screen Enclosure
L06: Community Mosque (Open to below)
L05: Community Mosque
Vertical Core
L04: Religious Text / Archive
L03: Children’s Resource Center
L02: Public Resource Center
Sunken Gallery and Exhibition Space
L01: Cafe and Retail
Elevated Public Park
Above: Exploded axonometric view of
Seminar, University of Cincinnati
Typology: Sustainable Urban Intervention
Location: Mériadeck - Bordeaux, France
Team: Kristin Ridge, Anam Ahkter
Exhibition: “Ambiances”
Date: June 2017
This project was designed for the international workshop, “Living Modern Architectural Heritage in the Age of Sustainability: Ambiances and Quality of Use” hosted by the University of Bordeaux, France. Teams of studying sociologists, planners and architects collaborated to investigate how energy efficiency can be achieved while taking into account the original architectural and practical qualities of Mériadeck, an historic mixed-use site in the center of Bordeaux. The proposal aimed to preserve the eclectic modern architecture of the site to its best original state and modify the elevated pedestrian walkways into becoming a sustainable and inviting element for all users. By cladding the guardrails with green materials, retrofitting a rain water collection system, and providing adequate seating it would increase the environmental and social qualities of use in an otherwise dilapidated space.
Graduate Studio, University of Cincinnati
Typology: Natural Food Format Market
Location: Cincinnati, OH
Size: 36,600 SF (omitting parking garage)
Client: The Kroger Company
Exhibition: “Food in the Natural Format"
Date: May 2015
SEED’s is a fully developed and branded architectural concept exploring the future of an all-natural grocery market. In it comprises all of the conventional grocery store programmatic elements with the addition of an on-site growing farm for ready-to-pick produce. Through the innovation of mobile hydroponic columns, a variety of food can be grown on a rotational basis and available for customers all year round. Users can partake in the planting, growing and trimming process of retrieving their fresh food with the help of on-staff agricultural experts in hopes of bringing awareness to the community towards the quality and care of food. Additional programmatic elements include a “third place” for community gatherings and leisure rest, as well as an advanced easy pay system for mobile device check-out.
Kristin Ridge Architectural Designer
About Me: I have played an integral role in several firms across the nation, especially in the multifamily high-rise residential as well as academic/higher education building sectors. I am always looking to grow and seek new projects types to enliven my experience with the built environment. Years of Experience: +7
Career Goals: Obtain Licensure - Currently studying for all A.R.E.
Project Goals: Lead projects in varying scales at the Project Manager level and gain Construction Administration experience.
Office Goals: Find a long-term fit to grow and evolve at the professional level.
Architectural Internships
Valerio Dewalt Train | Chicago, IL
Architectural Designer, July 2023 - April 2024
Contributed to the designs and documentation in SD through DD phases for "201 Hillsborough", a 20-story multi-family residential tower located in Raleigh, NC. Contributed to the design and documentation in SD through CD phases for multiple tenant improvement spaces focused on workplace interiors.
BHA pllc | Chicago, IL
Architectural Designer, January 2023 - October 2024 (Part-Time)
Collaborated with Brandon Hall Architects on milestone design and permit submissions for bespoke single family residences, as well as K-12 academic projects throughout the Chicago area. Assisted with coordination between interior and architectural sets to push forward documentation to project completion. Developed individual marketing plans for in-house and client presentations.
DLR Group | Chicago, IL
Architectural Designer, March 2022 - August 2022
Contributed to small-scale hospitality projects affliated with the Hyatt Company through contract work.
Sheehan Nagle Hartray Architects | Chicago, IL
Architectural Designer, March 2020 - June 2021
Contributed to the designs and documentation in SD through CD phases for the mission critical data center "VCN 1-2", located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. VCN 1-2 is a site specific data center design with a fully customized multi-story administration building equipped for its' employees. This project was conducted completely virtually throughout the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Architects | New York, NY
Architectural Designer, April 2019 - October 2019
Contributed to the designs and documentation throughout the DD and CD phases for the Marymount all girls Catholic school of New York City. The Marymount School is a 14-story high-rise equipped with a comprehensive academic program geared for the development of young women. Specifically worked through both phases of design with project team members and related consultants on the detailing, scheduling and coordination of the interior program including all classrooms, specialty spaces, corridors, stairs and doors.
Solomon Cordwell Buenz | Chicago, IL
Architectural Designer, February 2018 - March 2019
Contributed to the design and documentation for proposals of higher education student housing and campus design for the University of Purdue and the University of Michigan. Completed both DD and CD phases for The Laurel, a 565,000 SF mixed-use residential tower located on Philadelphia’s iconic Rittenhouse Square. Assisted with construction administration throughout the completion of Addison and Clark, a 516,000 SF mixed-use, transit oriented development located in Chicago.
Studio Gang | Chicago, IL
Architectural Intern May 2015 - August 2015, Full Time September 2015 - July 2016
Assisted multiple project teams with designs, documentations and modeling through SD, DD, and CD phases for several projects including: Solstice on the Park, Vista Tower, MIRA Tower, Writers Theater, Kresge College, Goose Island Beer Company, NY Fire Rescue, and Aqua Tower. Independently generated permit, bid and construction sets on a micro-bakery to chef Iliana Regan as well as a private outdoor deck which was taken from concept to construction.
DIGSAU | Philadelphia, PA
Architectural Intern, September - December 2014
Worked on the design and documentation of renovations and additions to an existing elementary school in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania from concept through the SD phase. Assisted with construction administration on the University of Delaware Dining Hall and Dormitories. Operated laser-cutter and assisted project teams with 3D modeling, creating graphics and co-assembling presentations to help visualize ideas for client meetings and in-house purposes.
William McDonough + Partners | San Francisco, CA
Architectural Intern, January - May 2014
Assisted project team through the SD and DD phases with details and documentations for a carbon neutral 28-acre master plan of an Urban Marine Research and Innovation Center at the historic Port of Los Angeles. Created presentation materials and rendered schematic imagery for a LEED Platinum 180,000 SF mixed use mid-rise tower.
University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH
Master of Architecture, Honors, 2013-2017
Thesis Research and Design: Minneapolis Islamic Cultural Center; Addressing History and Culture through the Built Environment.
Abroad: "European Sustainable Urbanism" summer 2017 travel program and guided field work focusing on sustainable urbanism and redevelopment sites throughout the European cities of Copenhagen, Malmö, Hamburg, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Paris and Bordeaux.
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) | Savannah, GA
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture, Cum Laude, 2009-2013
Abroad: Spring 2012 semester study abroad program with comprehensive architecture and design studios throughout the Provence region at SCAD's campus in Lacoste, France.
Activities: Four year consecutive member on nationally ranked equestrian team. Savannah chapter member of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS).
Exhibitions
“Ambiances” | Bordeaux, France
University of Cincinnati at the University of Bordeaux, June 2017
Week-long international workshop and exhibition focusing on, "Living Modern Architectural Heritage in the Age of Sustainability: Ambiances and Quality of Use."
Natural Food Format Grocery Store | Cincinnati, OH
The Kroger & Co. sponsored studio at the University of Cincinnati, Spring 2015
Semester-long fully sponsored travel and research studio by The Kroger Co. with curated exhibit of student work towards developing a new natural format grocery store concept. Proposed conceptual ideas are being piloted in select Kroger stores throughout the nation. Software | Revit, AutoCAD, Rhino, 3DS Max, V-Ray, ArcGIS, Adobe Suite, Bluebeam Revu, Microsoft Office Suite.
