María Ávila Final Portfolio

Portfolio Summer 2026 College of DuPage

Stewart Residence

Project Overview The Brownstone Residence project focused on modernization while honoring architectural heritage. The clients, Kris and Valerie Adkins, desired an updated home that preserved its historic charm, including original details and ornate wood moldings. As frequent hosts, their primary functional goal was to open up the floor plan, creating a seamless, subtle transition between spaces perfect for entertaining.

Deliverables and Technical Execution Managed the project comprehensively from initial concept through detailed documentation, delivering a complete construction set.

residential design

Documentation: Authored full demolition, construction, reflected ceiling (RCP), electrical, and furniture plans, alongside detailed interior elevations.

Software Stack: Precision drafting was executed in Autodesk AutoCAD, followed by 3D modeling in SketchUp Studio and high-end photorealistic rendering in Enscape.

All drawings are not to scale. Noted scales represent the industry standard

Materials The Contrast: The color scheme anchors on a cool-toned palette, featuring Benjamin Moore’s Gentleman’s Gray—a deep, sophisticated hue with rich blue undertones.

To soften the coolness of the blue undertones and prevent the space from feeling stark, natural wood tones were introduced through the flooring, dining tables, and seating legs. This grounding element introduces organic texture and essential warmth to the space.

All drawings are not to scale. Noted scales represent the industry standard

Design and Space Planning Living and Dining Rooms: Received careful, minor updates to enhance their existing historic character.

Kitchen and Breakfast Area: Expanded significantly to incorporate a new breakfast nook and custom cabinetry, drastically maximizing storage capacity.

Laundry and Mudroom: To optimize functionality, the north exterior door was relocated. This architectural adjustment allowed for a larger, highly efficient laundry room and the addition of a dedicated north-side mudroom, complete with specialized storage for off-season outerwear.

All renderings created in autodesk autocad, imported into sketchup and enhanced with enscape and adobe photoshop

California courtyard

Design Concept: Inspired by the rhythmic undulating curves of the California coastline, The Coastal Meridian is a residence designed to exist in dialogue with its environment. Rather than imposing rigid geometry on the landscape, the home adopts a fluid, organic silhouette that mimics the natural erosion and sweeping arcs of the Pacific shore.

The architecture is defined by a bold, circular footprint bisected by a central meridian. This structural partition serves as more than a wall; it is a sensory buffer, artfully carving the residence into two distinct realms: a vibrant, expansive social wing and a secluded, tranquil private sanctuary.

Architectural and Interior: Fluid Connectivity: The continuous round exterior eliminates harsh corners, echoing the soft edges of coastal bluffs and tide pools.

The Transparency Threshold: Floor-to-ceiling glass envelopes the structure, dissolving the boundary between indoors and out. This allows the inhabitants to “absorb” the panoramic horizon while flooding the interior with a shifting, natural solar rhythm.

The Programmatic Split: The central spine acts as an acoustic and visual filter, ensuring that the energy of the social spaces remains distinct from the restorative quiet of the sleeping quarters.

Materials

Elemental Palette: The interior materiality is an extension of the view. Textures and tones are pulled directly from the landscape: - Deep Cerulean & Mist: Inspired by the Pacific and the morning marine layer.

Warm Ochre & Sand: Derived from the sun-drenched beaches and sandstone cliffs.

- Driftwood & Slate: Providing grounding, organic neutrals.

A key benefit of utilizing SketchUp Studio is its exceptional graphic versatility, which allows a single 3D model to be expressed through various visual styles depending on the presentation’s phase and purpose.

Enscape Lighting.

Sketchy Edge With Jitter

Utilizing Enscape’s photorealistic rendering capabilities provided a vital opportunity to test and refine a comprehensive, layered lighting strategy. By simulating the shift from daytime natural light to an evening environment, the critical roles of ambient, accent, decorative, and task lighting became immediately apparent.

Night

rendered using plug-in enscape

3D Printing style

Day

This digital daytime-to-nighttime translation allowed for intentional, data-driven fixture placement, ensuring the residence remains both beautifully illuminated and highly functional at any hour of the day.

All renderings created in autodesk autocad, imported into sketchup and enhanced with enscape and adobe photoshop

All drawings are not to scale. Noted scales represent the industry standard All renderings created in autodesk autocad, imported into sketchup and enhanced with VRay and adobe photoshop

Stewart Residence

Project Scope Acoustic and Visual Partitions: To subtly delineate the expansive open floor plan without sacrificing light, custom architectural screens were introduced. Crafted from 2” x 8” wood slats angled at 45 degrees, these custom partitions establish a sense of privacy between the main living zones while naturally enhancing the room’s acoustic properties.

Custom Built-Ins: Tailored built-in cabinetry was integrated throughout the home, grounding each distinct zone and adding unique structural character and storage capacity to the individual rooms.

The Canvas: To establish a pristine, crisp gallery feel, the drywall surfaces are finished in a clean white paint, allowing the architectural forms and furnishings to take center stage.

Imported from Autodesk AutoCAD to Trimble SketchUp for a two-point perspective

All drawings are not to scale. Noted scales represent the industry standard All renderings created in autodesk autocad, imported into sketchup and enhanced with VRay and adobe photoshop

Autodesk AutoCAD

3D Render

All drawings are not to scale. Noted scales represent the industry standard All renderings created in autodesk autocad, imported into sketchup and enhanced with VRay and adobe photoshop

Rainbooks - Retail

Project Overview

Materials and Finishes

Rainbooks is a vibrant, color-forward bookstore located within an upscale lifestyle center in Oakbrook, Illinois. Specially designed for children and young adults, the retail environment seamlessly blends engaging commercial spaces with dedicated interactive zones. A primary functional feature is the integrated Storytime and Reading Area, which offers interactive, structured programming to engage children safely while giving parents the freedom to shop.

Ceiling Finishes

Wayfinding

ADA

Circulation

Acoustics

All drawings are not to scale. Noted scales represent the industry standard All renderings created in autodesk autocad, imported into sketchup and enhanced with VRay and adobe photoshop

Orange (Level 1 Reader) Yellow (Level 2 Reader) Green (Level 3 Reader) Blue (Level 4 Reader) Violet (Young Adults) Indigo (Seasonal/New Books)

Reading/Story Time Area

Merchandise plan

Architectural Directionality: Custom ceiling treatments and flooring patterns are meticulously aligned to establish intuitive sightlines. This structural overhead and underfoot details guide customers naturally toward the central cashwrap, simplifying the navigation experience.

Red (Board Books)

rendered Floor plan

Centralized Cashwrap: The main checkout counter is intentionally positioned at the geometric center of the footprint. This strategic placement ensures universal client accessibility while optimizing lines of sight, granting employees 360-degree visual control over the entire retail floor.

Bubble plan

Strategic Space Planning MERCHANDISE LEGEND Reading/Story Time Area & Interior Architecture

All renderings created in autodesk autocad, imported into sketchup and enhanced with enscape and adobe photoshop

María Ávila is a designer and artist who holds a degree from the College of DuPage. Driven by a deep passion for art and design, she leverages a strong background in graphic communication to bring an advanced, nuanced understanding of color theory, balance, and visual composition to her interior environments. María treats every project as an opportunity for continuous professional growth, always eager to master new techniques and innovative design solutions.

Through intensive academic studio work and hands-on project execution, she has developed core strengths in detailed space planning, bespoke furniture sourcing, material curation, and photorealistic visualization.

Phone number: (224)704-4302

email: meavilad@gmail.com