ARCHITECTURE
2025
SELECTED WORKS
Nadeen El Baw
COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTUIRE
VAULTED LIBARY PROFESSIONAL WORK
About Me
I’m Nadeen El Baw, a fifth-year B. Arch student at the Illinois Institute of Technology with a specialization in digital design. My work explores how structure frames form, drawing from Mies van der Rohe’s principles while integrating resilience, community engagement, and adaptive reuse. Through projects like Rising Roots in Lahaina and Vaulted Library in Chicago, I investigate architecture’s role in shaping social and environmental resilience. I’ve interned in Chicago, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, gaining diverse design experience. With a focus on digital design, I strive to create innovative, context-driven solutions that bridge past and future.
Education
Illinois Institute Of Technology
Bachelor of Architecture- Digital Design Specialization Chicago IL, (Graduation May 2025)
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Study Abroad Semester Barcelona, Spain (Spring 2024)
King’s Academy High School Diploma Madaba, Jordan ( May 2020)
Reference
Christopher Groesbeck cgroesbe@iit.edu
312-722-4561
Kristin Jones kjones24@iit.edu 312.810.4228
STUDIO INTEGRA, LTD
Contact
3330 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60616 Phone 312-468-9266 Email Nadeenbaw1@gmail.com
Experience
BIM Intern- DBHMS
Chicago, IL 06/2023-08/2023
Produced architectural drawings and integrated HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and technology systems into BIM models while collaborating with architects and engineers. Led coordination efforts and closed out 12+ projects during the Senior BIM Coordinator’s absence. Generated eight engineering reports, contributing to sustainable, high-performance building designs using Revit.
Architectural Intern- 4A Architects
Riyadh, SA 06/2022-08/2022
Developed and refined floor plans for three villas, iterating and adjusting layouts. Worked on a mixed-use, two-building apartment complex, producing detailed unit layouts, floor plans, and 3D models. Designed and analyzed multiple façade options for a private villa using rendering software, optimizing material selection, shading strategies, and structural performance. Conducted site visits to oversee construction progress and collaborated with clients to review designs and implement strategic improvements.
Project Intern - AMPC Engineering
Amman, Jo
Collaborated with engineers and project managers to develop project timelines for commercial developments, ensuring efficient workflow and execution. Reviewed technical drawings, provided critical feedback to civil engineers, and contributed to a deeper understanding of the built environment through design insights.
Site Plans
Plans
Church first floor
Community Center first floor
School first floor
Housing first floor
Rising Roots
Lahaina, Hawaii | Spring 2025
Nadeen El Baw, Aya Abdallah, Leila Hoxha
Christopher Groesbeck Kristin Jones
Software used Rhino Grasshopper D5 Render Adobe
Evolving from a design for the United Methodist Church of Lahaina, this thesis scales the project into a city-wide master plan reimagining Lahaina’s civic core after the 2023 wildfires. Rising Roots transforms a site of loss into one of healing, culture, and resilience—centering community needs over commercial redevelopment
Concept
A Place for Culture, Not Consumption Rather than restore touristdriven retail, the project prioritizes local life—designing for storytelling, gathering, worship, and everyday connection. Grounded in Hawaiian values and post-disaster recovery, the proposal reclaims Lahaina for its residents.
Form & Strategy
Taking inspiration from the banyan tree, the design branches outward from a civic bridge that anchors five active public plazas. Elevated housing, soft landscape transitions, and fire-resistant materials support climate adaptation, while circulation flows organically across the site.
Spatial Framework
The proposal is structured around three interwoven layers: the pier, rebuilt as a cultural landmark and place of remembrance; the shoreline walkway, a continuous public edge that restores access to the ocean and strengthens ecological buffers; and the elevated bridge, which acts as the civic heart—stacking infrastructure, public programming, and movement across the site. Together, these elements redefine Lahaina’s city center as a walkable, resilient, and community-led landscape.
MASTER PLAN
Site Plans
First Floor Plan
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
SITE SECTIONS
Physical Model
03 Campus DesignCollege Of Architecture
Arizona | Fall 2023
Group Professor: Nadeen El Baw, Sarah Tessier Andrew Tinnuci
Software used autocad
3ds max Grasshopper Climate Studio
For our campus design project, we selected a site within the Arizona campus to develop a shop, studio, and gallery space that seamlessly integrates with the natural landscape. Inspired by sand dunes and desert mountains, the design follows the site’s topography, gradually stepping down toward the gallery space, creating a fluid spatial experience.
Each arch and building orientation was carefully planned to frame key viewpoints of the surrounding landscape. The studio space opens to expansive desert horizons, fostering inspiration, while the shop is positioned for a more enclosed, focused workspace. The gallery, as the final destination, captures a framed view of the distant mountains, emphasizing the intersection of nature and creativity.
To adapt to the Arizona climate, the design incorporates overhangs and passive cooling strategies, maximizing natural light while minimizing heat exposure. Curved elements enhance airflow, creating a comfortable environment throughout the year. This project reflects our commitment to designing with the landscape, fostering a strong connection between architecture, nature, and human experience.
DESIGN PROCESS
SITE ANALYSIS
SUN STUDY
SITE VIEWS
SHOP ARCH VIEW
STUDIO ARCH VIEW
GAlLERY ARCH VIEW
SUN STUDY WINTER SOLSTICE
SUN STUDY SUMMER SOLSTICE
Second Floor plan
Ground Floor plan
Gallery Section
Form Finding
Grasshopper Script
Courtyard Render
Nadeen ElBaw
Gallery Render
Nadeen ElBaw
Adaptive ReuseLibrary
Pilgrim Baptist Church, Chicago | Spring 2023
Professor Sharon Xu
Software used
Rhino lumion
Adobe
This library design transforms the historic Pilgrim Baptist Church through adaptive reuse, preserving key architectural elements while introducing a contemporary spatial experience. The concept maintains the original brick walls and arched windows, which inspire the arched roof form of the new structure. By strategically breaking up sections of the existing brick walls, the design establishes five distinct zones, each dedicated to a specific library function, with the central zone serving as the primary circulation space.
The building’s form shifts dynamically in both plan and elevation, with each zone varying in height to reflect its programmatic function. The middle zone, the tallest, features an outdoor terrace on the fourth floor, reinforcing a connection to the surrounding environment. These shifts also extend to the ground level, where recessed areas create outdoor pockets, enhancing indoor-outdoor flexibility through bi-folding doors that blur the boundaries between enclosed and open spaces.
A truss structural system not only defines the spatial organization but also functions as integrated bookshelves and seating elements, seamlessly merging architecture with program. The arched roof, derived from the church’s original arched windows, establishes a strong visual and conceptual link to the site’s history while reinterpreting it into a modern, multi-functional library that serves as a dynamic community space.
Nadeen ElBaw
Concept
Section Perspective
Diagrammatic Sections
Section Model
Professional Work
Riyadh, SA | Summer 2022
4A ARCHITECTS
Software used
Auto Cad
Revit
Corona
Enscape
Adobe
I worked on three distinct projects, each requiring a tailored design approach. The first was a set of three villas in the Al Tahif compound, where I was given the exterior layout and tasked with configuring the interior spaces to optimize functionality and flow.
The second project, Al Rayan Apartments, was a conceptdriven design for a two-story apartment building, allowing for greater freedom in form development. Through extensive sun and wind studies, I generated diagrams that informed the building’s shape and orientation. This process led to the creation of unit layouts, offering loft, onebedroom, and two-bedroom options.
The third project focused on façade design for a private villa. Using Corona rendering software, I explored multiple façade options, refining material selection, lighting strategies, and architectural detailing to enhance the villa’s overall aesthetic and performance.
VILLA B
AL RAYAN APARTMENT
PLANS CONCEPT
Nadeen
Nadeen
Nadeen El Baw 2022 | 2025
Nadeenbaw1@gmail.com
