LAUREN CHRISTOPHER
Selected Works 2023-2024
BSD: Architecture l University of Nebraska-Lincoln
LAUREN CHRISTOPHER
811 N St.
Lincoln, NE, 68508
EDUCATION
University of Nebraska, Lincoln - Lincoln, NE - BSD in Architecture
August 2021 - Present
Experienced in Rhino 7, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom, Revit 23-24, Adobe Creative Suite, Twin Motion, Enscape, Autocad, and Word Applications.
Experienced with laser cutting and 3D printing. Experience with stick welding.
Exceptional communicator and collaborator.
Organized, people oriented, hardworking, personable, and open-minded.
EXPERIENCE
University of Nebraska, Lincoln - College of Architecture, Lincoln, NE
Undergraduate Learning Assistant for DSGN 110 - Design Thinking
August 2024 - Present
Supporting students by facilitating workshops, offering feedback on project work, and assisting with class activities to enhance the learning experience in creative problem-solving.
University of Nebraska, Lincoln - College of Architecture, Lincoln, NE
Ambassador & Student Blogger
August 2023 - Present
Guiding prospective and current students through the academic and social aspects of the architecture program, providing insights, support, and encouragement to enhance their educational experience.
Farnsworth Group, Bloomington, IL
Architectural Intern
May 2024 - August 2024
Assisted with design development, drafting, and project documentation while gaining hands-on experience and exposure to various aspects of the architectural profession.
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
Graphic Design & Communications Assistant
May 2022 - May 2024
Created visually engaging materials and supported communication efforts to effectively promote and convey the institution’s messages and initiatives.
State Farm, Bloomington, IL
Park/Grounds Management
May 2023 - August 2023
Maintained the landscape and facilities by performing tasks such as water treatment, mowing, and repairing, ensuring a clean, safe, and aesthetically pleasing environment for visitors.
INVOLVEMENT
College of Architecture - Peer Mentor
August 2023 - Present
In this role, I work with ten, Freshman architecture students, mentoring them in any way they need, whether that be how to deal with the stress of college, how to get involved on campus, etc. I attend Intro to Design with them every Tuesday, which is an introduction course to the architecture program and design. Along with attending class with them, I am in charge of grading their assignments for the course as well. I meet with each student individually each month to discuss their experience thus far, and hold office hours each week, where they can come and ask any questions they may have about classes and college.
College of Architecture - AIAS Member
August 2023 - Present
As a member of AIAS, I am able to go on firm tours, meet with a mentor who is a working architect in Lincoln to review my work and sharpen my skills, attend events put on by AIAS, and make connections with my peers and professionals.
UNL Honors Program - Peer Mentor
May 2022 - May 2023
In this role, I voted and proposed bills that dealt with the students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We worked directly with the chancellor’s office and the Nebraska government to come up with bills and amendments for the sake of the students at UNL.
ASUN - Senator for the College of Architecture
January 2022 - February 2023
In this role, I voted and proposed bills that deal with the students of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We worked directly with the chancellor’s office and the Nebraska government to come up with bills and amendments for the sake of the students at UNL.
Alpha Xi Delta - External Philanthropy Assistant
February 2022 - February 2023
In this role, I helped plan our philanthropy events for the past spring semester and this fall semester. We planned events such as, a football tournament, karaoke fundraiser, and began planning a parents formal which includes an auction that raises money for the local foster care closet, which provides free clothing for children experiencing foster care.
RHA - Senator and Co-Chair of DIS Committee
August 2021 - May 2022
In this role, I voted on and proposed bills regarding the students of the residence halls and their well-being. I also worked as the Co-Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee
4-12 ALONG THE WATER’S EDGE
14-20 THE DENVER EXPERIENCE
22-26
TRICKY GLASS
ALONG THE WATERS EDGE
ARCH 410: Professors Monique Ekaete Bassey & Michael Harpster Fall 2024, Wilderness Park, Lincoln, NE.
Walking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors:
Re-Indigenizing Southeast Nebraska is a three-year, $1.58 million project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, led by the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Otoe-Missouria Tribe. The project aims to promote healing and reconciliation in southeast Nebraska by reconnecting the Otoe-Missouria to their ancestral lands and educating the public about the history and ongoing presence of Indigenous peoples in the region.
Partners: Elise Benson, Miles Godfrey, Sarah Maher, Olivia Rowe
Conceptual sketch of site orientation and form done by Elise Benson, Sarah Maher, Olivia Rowe, Miles Godfrey, Professor Monique Ekaete Bassey, and myself.
Following our first community engagement session with the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, my group and I theorized three different themes to focus on during our project: Education, Celebration, and Preservation. The first theme is Education, which synthesizes ideas of survival, language and storytelling, as well as goals of tribal agency, the relationship with the public, and overall healing. Our second theme, Celebration, includes multigenerational inclusivity, supporting clan identity and pride, in addition to language and storytelling. The final theme we identified was Preservation in terms of both the environment as well as Jiwere Nut’achi culture.
Views Along Trail Drawing
Conceptual diagram done by Sarah Maher.
Conceptual hatch and sheared view drawing showing proposed built structures.
CONCEPTUAL EXPERIENCE VIGNETTES
Communicating different types of activities one could experience in the building through flexible program.
Conceptual vignette of the relationship between the private art studio and public gallery.
Conceptual vignette of a public painting class in the cultural studio.
OPERABLE WALL ITERATIONS
Operable walls, positioned around the studio, allow for a multitude of programs to fit a flexible and interchangeable number of activities.
Throughout the Cultural Studio, several interior spaces are directly adjacent to the outdoor environment. By strategically installing Operable Walls, these areas experience diffused natural lighting when closed off, and transition to a complete interconnectedness with the surrounding nature when open. These walls are made of a woven wood material, further incorporating & reflecting themes of relation and community.
The bridge connects the two peninsulas on the site, serving as a threshold and transition path for users travelling from the cultural studio to the encampment pavilion, providing an immersive experience while voyaging over the water. The encampment pavilion holds space for ceremonial dances, meetings, and tribal elections, with accessible changing rooms and a parking lot which includes spaces for regular vehicles and RV’s, in case of desired overnight stays and easy access for elders.
Daytime Bridge Render V.S. Night Time Bridge Render
Encampment Pavilion Render
Filled with music and laughter, the encampment pavilion is a structure that fosters a feeling of connectedness for the tribe, with each other and their relatives, while engaging in various encampment activities.
THE DENVER EXPERIENCE
ARCH 311: Professor Pedro Aguero Spring 2025, Denver, CO.
Live-Work Catalyst P2:
This studio explores the potential of Live-Work Catalysts, spaces that integrate co-living and co-working by redefining the physical and psychological boundaries of traditional spaces in ways that encourage connection, collaboration, and innovation while also ensuring reflection, relaxation, and restoration. Imagine boundaries as dynamic elements that adapt to individual needs and foster both community and privacy.
Partner: Carley Rubenking
MASSING AND CONCEPT
Target users included Young entrepreneurs moving to Denver Colorado, who are trying to make friends, build community, while also starting a business. We wanted to design a coliving/co-working building that provided spaces for networking, building a community, collaborating with others, and immersing newcomers into Denver’s rich culture through indoor and outdoor connections offering views to the city and program placement that allows for an easy transition between public and private spaces.
Sequential massing diagram
Interior Co-living and Co-working Transition Space Render Exterior Co-living Render
ARCH 310: Professor David Newton
Fall 2023
Spacial Cognitive Machines Phase 2: The Promenade
In this project, I was asked to research a chosen material precedent and develop a design that adapts the materiality, structure, and detailing language of that precedent to create a design for a promenade that functions as an extended mind for understanding and generating knowledge around a chosen cognition and perception focus area.
Interior Render
The cognitive process I focused on in this project was proprioception, which is the position and movement of our body in space. The precedent that I chose was the Ricola-Europe SA Production and Storage Building in Mulhouse-Brunstatt, France. When ideating for my promenade, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to create a space that brought out the connection between the human body’s movement and visual perception through architectural elements.
In this space, I wanted to add architectural elements that make one second guess their first instinct, and maybe even cause one to trip slightly if they don’t decode the architectural elements of the promenade correctly. I added certain elements to make users question their initial movements, and move differently than how the architectural elements are communicating. There’s a multitude of mundane activities that one performs each day, and when things are slightly changed, it can make one wonder how the body works with the mind.
AI
generated image using Dalle ll. This image heavily inspired the three-layer glass element.
Interior Render
