McKenzie Silk - Interior Design Portfolio

interior design

portfolio

professional experience

mckenzie silk

14th Street NE, Unit 203, Atlanta, GA 30309

mckenzie.silk24@gmail.com

704-910-7460

education

technical skills

activities + honors

George Washington University, Interior Architecture MFA Studio Award (2023) NIH Children’s Inn Student Design Competition Winner (team project)

IIDA Student Member

Alpha Phi, Eta Omicron Chapter Member (2016 - 2019)

NEXT Competition

Steelcase

NIH Children’s Inn

Florence Hostel: Due Elle

Japanese Tea Ceremony

Photography + Sketches

Steelcase NEXT Competition

NEXT Robotics

Located in the heart of Boston’s Seaport District, the NEXT office space provides a comfortable, intuitive, technology-driven workspace for ‘nexters’ to work collaboratively and effectively. The design was influenced by research on holistic wellness as well as the vibrant work culture of the client and surrounding area of Seaport.

site: 101 Seaport Blvd., Suite 600, Boston, MA 02210

sf: 11,000

type: workplace

concept: atomic

Smallest unit of matter that has the potential to create large amounts of energy; a key component of a greater system that holds a lot of power.

The strength and complexity behind an atom’s structure can be used to describe how different departments in a company work together in terms of collaboration, communication and productivity

scale: NTS

material palette

1. Tom Dixon - Mirror Ball Pendant

2. FLOS Glo Ball Pendant

3. Louis Poulsen - Patera Pendant

4. FLOS Arco Floor Lamp

5. Continuous Line (SIMES) - LED Color Cove

1. Aleta Seating by Viccarbe

2. Copa by Viccarbe

3. Steelcase Roam Collection

4. Work Belle Sofa by West Elm

5. Fatboy Original by Fatboy

6. Tangent Lounge Chair by Blu Dot

7. Steelcase Flex Collection - Workstations

8. Avi by Orangebox

9. Convene Table by Steelcase

1. European White Oak

2. Terrazzo

3. Marble

4. Polished Cement

5. Steelcase Fabric - Coconut

6. Steelcase Fabric - Citrine

7. Steelcase Fabric - Lemongrass

8. Steelcase Fabric - Oregano

9. Benjamin Moore - Calm OC-22

10. Polished Chrome

As soon as you enter the space off the elevator lobby, your first view is the office lounge or ‘nucleus’. The lounge is visually defined by a series of cove lights that emit a green glow. Your eye will follow the cove lights that form a path to connect each of the three team spaces or ‘atoms’ within the office to the lounge. The ceiling feature represents the atomic structure, as well as the collaborative, connected and energizing work culture at NEXT. At any given point within the space, you are able to find your way back to the ‘nucleus’ and feel connected using the way-finding queues.

home office display

NIH Children’s Inn

NIH Children’s Inn

We participated in a design competition with Perkins&Will to re-imagine the ‘Beacon of Hope’ tower addition to the existing Children’s Inn on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) campus. The ‘Beacon of Hope’ is a three-story tower that acts as the entry and check-in area for new patients and their families. Our team was chosen as the winner of this competition and our design will be used as inspiration for the Perkins&Will team.

site: 7 West Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814

sf: 1,000

type: healthcare

team members: McKenzie Silk, Danielle Lee, Isabel Du Clos, Maggie Williams

concept: ‘ascending towards hope’ / surrealism

Our goal was to design a space that evokes nostalgia, warmth, and magic for all ages to enjoy while balancing visibility throughout the space to create a safe environment.

We found inspiration in Adam Stanley’s quote, “no matter how far away we are from home, when we look up into the clear night sky we will always see the same moon.” From this, we derived: “home is just a moon away”. Surrealism provided a source of visual inspiration, as it brings a fantastical element to the space that can be appreciated by users of all ages.

scale: NTS scale: NTS

This space features an outdoor courtyard with a custom banquette for families to gather as if they were in their own backyard. From the first floor, users can access the second floor via a tubular elevator that accommodates up to 3 individuals and is wheelchair accessible. We decided to rethink the use of an elevator as a mode of accessibility, but rather a key feature that promotes wonder and exploration. A custom nook for reading or lounging morphs into a bookshelf that houses the patients ‘treasure (mail) boxes’. To further support our concept of ‘ascending towards hope’, we wanted to naturally draw the eye up to the ceiling. We decided to recreate the night sky by featuring an oversized moon pendant surrounded by stars.

Florence Hostel: Due Elle

lobby

Florence Hostel: Due Elle

Located in the heart of Florence on the Piazza della Signoria, Hostel Due Elle provides an elevated hostel experience for guests to become immersed in the Italian culture. The design of Due Elle is inspired by the shape of the Piazza and the intended function it serves to the community. The space includes a bar, cafe, patio, bookstore, lounge, gym, three different types of room accommodations and a private loft for the ‘bunk rooms’.

site: Piazza della Signoria, 4, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

sf: 46,000

type: hospitality

concept: interlocking

The “L” is derived from the shape of the Piazza della Signoria and Generali Building, both representing a ‘L-shape’. When the building is shifted, rotated and expanded, the two ‘Ls’ interlock, connecting them at a special point of overlap. This connection ties back to the true purpose and function of a piazza- to provide a space for the community to gather, communicate, celebrate, and socialize. The interlocking spaces within the hostel provide many different areas for guests to connect with others and the surrounding environment, serving as an extension of the Piazza.

LOUNGE

fourth floor plan

scale: NTS

first floor plan

scale: 1/16” = 1’-0”

third floor plan

scale: NTS

second floor plan

scale: NTS

BA2 BA1 STAFF MGT S1

material palette

1. Curtains: Linen Screen - Natural (Knoll)

2. Pool: Mosaic Tile - Rapids Tropical Breeze (Ivy Hill Tile)

3. Cafe Floor: Foyer Royal Marble - Delicate (Marca Corona)

4. Bookstore Floor: Marble - Rosso Verona (Santa Margherita)

5. Lobby Floor: Terrazzo Tile - 574 Italian Blend (Terrazzio)

6. Bookstore Floor: Zellige - 24k Gold - Bejmat (Clé)

7. Bookstore Walls: Del Ray Peach - 067 (Benjamin Moore)

8. Cafe Walls: Calm - OC-22 (Benjamin Moore)

9. White Oak - East (Woodgrain)

1. PD1 - Mezza Luna 2 (IN-ES.ARTDESIGN)

2. PD2 - Luna 1 (IN-ES.ARTDESIGN)

3. PD3 - Sola 1350 (David Trubridge)

4. PD4 - Nagoya (Santa & Cole)

5. RD 1 - Continuous Line (SIMES)

1. Bitta Bar Stool Bela Rope (Kettal)

2. Noguchi Table (Herman Miller)

3. Marl Handwoven Moroccan Wool Rug (DWR)

4. Raphia Rattan Chair (Casamania & Horm)

5. Mesh Central Module 2 (Kettal - Patricia Urquiola)

6. Sarek Round Table 75 (Bõln)

7. Centre Table D135 (Kettal - Patricia Urquiola)

8. Naïve Side Table (EMKO)

9. Cadaqués Sofa (Santa & Cole)

Japanese Tea Ceremony

A Japanese tea ceremony is a formal and special occasion that takes place when the seasons change. The goal of a Japanese tea ceremony is to gain inner peace. In order to do this, one must CONNECT - with themselves, with nature and with others. This pavilion visually and conceptually represents the journey someone takes when experiencing all three steps of connection during a Japanese tea ceremony.

site: Signers’ Island, 1800 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20245

sf: 750

type: cultural

concept: connection

first floor plan

second floor plan

scale: NTS scale: NTS

repetition + hierarchy interlocked + connected

I asked myself what connection looks like structurally, which helped me arrive at the interlocking shape of the pavilion. The pavilion is made up of a series of squares ranging from 4’ to 20’ and are all divisible by the number 4. The squares are repeated, nested, interlocked, connected and show a distinct hierarchy.

elevation scale: 1/4” = 1’-0”

section scale: 1/4” = 1’-0”

As you flow through the pavilion you will notice that you are able to see each step / stage from any point during the ceremony. In the first step, you enter up a set of stairs into the waiting room, where the guests gather before the tea ceremony begins. In this space you are connecting with yourself. The benches on either side of the wall are separate which represents singularity and creates physical distance between guests, signaling that this is an individual activity. In the center of the waiting room is a 4’ transparent reflection pool with a mirroring 4’ skylight in the roof to highlight the water. This allows the guests to physically look at themselves in the reflection of the pool, as well as prompts the act of self-reflection on their values, experiences and their life as a whole. When standing in the waiting room you are able to see a glimpse of step II through the picture window in the wall outside of the waiting room. You are also able to see step III. When looking down to the ground level through the reflection pool.

In the second step, you exit the waiting room to either the left or right. On the opposite side of the wall you will approach a bench that invites you to experience the surrounding nature and view. From the bench, you are among the canopy of the center tree. After experiencing the view of the garden and center tree from this position, you can choose to take one of two staircases which brings you back to the ground level. Returning back to the ground level represents the grounding elements of nature and the act of becoming grounded when you connect with nature. Additionally, both sets of stairs are longer and wider than the entry staircase in order to depict the length of time it takes to participate in a Japanese tea ceremony, as well as the time-consuming nature of connection. Once you are in the garden, there are three benches surrounding the tree. From a plan view, the three garden benches and the bench on the overlook (floor 2) make up a 20’ triangle surrounding the center tree. The three benches prompt you to sit and spend time looking at the view of the tree and pond, strengthening your connection with nature. From step II you are able to see directly into step III from the benches and step I through the picture window.

Lastly, you arrive at step III where the tea is consumed as a group. You are now directly below the waiting room area, where you are able to see the reflection pool above directly mirroring a 4’ tea table on the ground. The two benches from the waiting room are now connected as one bench wrapping around the entire tea room. This represents the unifying and bonding nature participating in a tea ceremony with others has. Additionally, as a group you are now sitting together as one- connected. From the tea room you are able to look out to the gardens in step II and up through the reflection pool in step I. The act of looking up through the reflection pool at the end of the ceremony is a ‘full-circle’ event, completing the connection process and your journey to inner peace.

5 Photography + Sketches

statue structure raleigh, nc raleigh, nc

rooster hand burlington, vt burlington, vt

circle circles

raleigh, nc

raleigh, nc