Natalia Chavira Portfolio

PORTFOLIO

Architecture/ Interior Design

Natalia Chavira

RESUME

Natalia Chavira

Architectural Designer

nataliachavira2295@gmail.com

San Diego, CA

Professional Practice

JWDA Architects, Architectural Designer, San Diego, CA, Nov.-Present | 2021-2023

Worked in the conceptual and schematic phase in multi-family residential projects

Created preliminary drawings packages to submit to the city

Set up presentations for client and consultant meetings

Created 3-D visualization in order to help team make facade decisions

Ryan Young Interiors, Design Intern, San Diego, CA | Sept. - Jan. | 2017-2018

(619) 850-3690

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ nataliachavira

Education

M.ARCH

Pratt Institute

2021| Brooklyn, NY

BFA Interior Design San Diego State University

2017 | San Diego, CA

Assisted in project material verification

Completed project specification tear sheets

Assisted in organizing resource library

Contributed in material selection

Rutledge Haro Design, Design Intern, San Diego, CA | Feb. - May | 2017

Assisted designers in material selection

Called sales reps for pricing

Filed P.Os

Organized material library

Provided space planning alternatives

Freelance Project for San Ysidro Middle School, San Ysidro, CA | 2016

Lead designer in computer room renovation

Provided space planning services

Developed floor plans

Provided furniture specs

Technical Skills

ENTRE CAMINOS

CRITIC: PETER MACAPIA

LOCATION: TIJUANA-SAN DIEGO

PRATT INSTITUTE

SPRING 2021

DESCRIPTION

This project takes on issues regarding immigration, specifically between San Diego and Tijuana. San Diego and Tijuana is a region that shares so much culture and tradition, but is separated by a border wall. With a growing number of people wanting to come cross the border for numerous reasons, there continues to be no justice for these individuals. Immigration cases are at an all time high, the backlog makes it so that individuals may wait over a year to receive a court date. Individuals may be forced to wait in Mexico or in the custody of ICE. These individuals need better treatment and an intervention to this system must be done. This project aims to introduce a new way of thinking about the border wall while simultaneously offering a proposition that would allow a more seamless migration across the San Diego/Tijuana Region.

In this project, the border wall is gone, and a network of paths, that is representative of the path people take to reach the border, is connected with buildings the serve the migration to and from the border.

GENDER NEUTRAL REST AREA

CHANGING ROOMS RESTROOMS

SHOWERS

RESTROOMS

CHANGING ROOMS

FAMILY REST AREA

SHOWERS

EXHIBITION SPACE PLAZA

LOCAL ARTISTS SHOWCASING WORK THAT SHOWCASE STRUGGLES OF BORDER CROSSING

WERC FACILITY

CRITIC: JOE MACDONALD

LOCATION: THE BRONX

PRATT INSTITUTE

SPRING 2020

DESCRIPTION

The WERC facility is a Waste-to-Energy facility located in the Bronx, NY. It’s intention is to provide the neighborhood with secondary programs that enrich and educate the community on what the facility does. The facility houses a recycling center and incinerator. The buildings are meant to be monumental and grand through its form, but still attempt to be subtle through the use of material such as glass, steel, and GFRC panels. Because placing this type of program in a city or neighborhood might be intrusive, the objective was to incorporate secondary programs that invite the community to the building. There was also an intention to educate on the community on waste management.

Because these types of programs give off an excess of energy the main secondary program, a diving pool, was incorporated. The excess energy that is given off from the incinerator is used to not only to temperature control the building, but to heat the diving pool. In addition to the pool, an education center was also incorporated as well as pop up shops where the focus is on selling recyclable goods to the community. Lastly, even spaces are scattered through the building that are intended to be used to hold events for and by the community.

NATALIA CHAVIRA

REINFORCING PANEL

MULLION

IG UNIT

50% FRIT LOW E COATING

EXTERIOR TRIM CAP

PRESSURE PLATE

1. WINDOW FRAME

2. INTERIOR SILL TRIM

3. FLASHING

4. INSULATION

5. MASONRY

6. GFRC PANEL

7. UNDERCUT

8. IG UNIT

9. THERMAL BREAK

10. WEATHER BARRIER MEM.

MASONRY MULLION

WEATHER BARRIER MEMBRANE

INSULATION

GFRC PANEL

1. GFRC PANEL

2. UNDERCUT ANCHOR

3. SUSPENSION RAIL

4. INSULATION

5. MASONRY

6. WALL BRACKET

7. VERTICAL PROFILE

8. FASTENING DOWEL

9. THERMAL SEPERATOR

10. WEATHER BARRIER MEM.

INTERCONNECTED

CRITIC: STEPHEN SLAUGHTER

LOCATION: CINCINNATI, OHIO

PRATT INSTITUTE

FALL 2020

DESCRIPTION

This studio examines how one analyzes, constructs, represents, and projects the speculative design of an urban site on the banks of the Ohio River. The project looked at two complementary methods architects and urban designers employ to approach city making. One approach examines the city as a series of distinct physical/political spaces and operates to discover and comprehend the effects of typological convention. The second approach is concerned with the city as a technical device that organizes time as well as space. This method envisions the city as the performance of both large and small scale processes that supports the operative vitality and sustainability of the city.

The project features an elevated pathway that allows for its users to access it through different elevations. The pathway intersects existing buildings to create interstitial spaces that the community can access and make their own. The project includes programs such as light industrial, educational and cultural institute, non-profit organizations, urban garden as well as residential. The program is intended to help heal and uplift the community. Different types of public spaces were incorporated such as green spaces, plaza, and places where the community can take over and make the space their own.

APERTURE

CRITIC: BRIAN RINGLEY

LOCATION: SPECULATIVE PRATT INSTITUTE

SPRING 2020

DESCRIPTION

Aperture was an investigation into facade development and analysis that led to a double facade system. The double facade system is made up of a window wall and sunlight analysis that led to the development of the GFRC panel facade. The GFRC panels are being held up by the substructure that then is connected to the balconies that wrap around the buildings. The double facade system allowed for the introduction of the balcony that serves as a means of circulation, but also a space to get fresh air and enjoy being outside. The GFRC panel aperture size helps direct sunlight into the building where it needs it the most. Where the aperture is the largest is where the sunlight tends to hit the least, thus the need to get sunlight in that space is necessary. Through a series of sunlight analysis, the size of the aperture changes depending on the amount of sun received on the north, south east and west sides of the Buildings.

The project, although speculative, dives deep into how a facade system may be constructed and the necessary structural elements that may be needed. The project is successful in the way that it provides a realistic sense of how a double facade system works together and how the interstitial spaces are created through that process.

PANEL Z CLIP

GFRC PANEL

ALUM. SUBSTUCTURE

PANEL CLIP

ALUM. SUBSTUCTURE

GFRC PANEL

ALUM. SUBSTUCTURE

PANEL Z CLIP PANEL CLIP

SHIELDED

CRITIC: MARIA SIEIRA

LOCATION: RED HOOK, BROOKLYN

PRATT INSTITUTE

SPRING 2019

DESCRIPTION

The Maritime middle school was a second semester graduate architecture core studio project in which there was a large emphasis on program and interiority. Located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the middle school location has for a long time been part of a flood zone. With that in mind, the middle school has been redesigned to fit and accommodate these circumstances. The first floor of the school acts as a sacrificial floor, meaning that many of these spaces are multipurpose and not essential to any specific need. Also, this being a maritime school, there is a special curriculum which the program responds to such as a boat building area and swimming pool which are integral parts of the daily curriculum. Ultimately, the exploration of non-standard surfaces was a major driving force.

The Maritime middle school was a second semester graduate architecture core studio project in which there was a large emphasis on program and interiority. Located in Red Hook, Brooklyn, the middle school location has for a long time been part of a flood zone. With that in mind, the middle school has been redesigned to fit and accommodate these circumstances.

LIVE-WORK

CRITIC: STEPHANIE BAYARD

LOCATION: DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN PRATT INSTITUTE FALL 2019

DESCRIPTION

This live work space is intended to be located in the very busy Downtown Brooklyn. This has taken the idea of live-work to the extreme by proposing that the people living in this high rise are also working in the building as well. There are various types of co-working spaces as well as vast amenities that will invite not only individuals, but families as well. These amenities include, an indoor soccer field, pool, yoga studio just to name a few. This high-rise is made up of three towers that are bridged together by various intersecting glass bridges that act as the co-working and amenity spaces. Each one of these spaces also includes a form of outdoor space for the residents.

The relationship between a living space and working space was explored and examined in this studio. What does it mean to work and live in the same place? How do you architecturally accomplish that separation that is healthy between the two. These were things that were looked at in the project. Both types of spaces are intersected by a space that serves another function. This allows for a mental separation that the user experiences when circulating through the building. In some cases, some may live and work on different floors in order to further achieve that separation.