Issuu

2024 – 2026

Portfolio Rory Smyth

Organization

Works 4

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01 Stony Brook Lattice Urban Design Studio April 2026

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02 Shoutengai Multi-Housing Urban Housing Studio December 2025

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03 Multimedia Revisiting The Double House September 2026

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04 Havnegade Veranda Architectural Design Studio September 2026

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05 Diary Photography 2022–2026

06 Closing

This portfolio is the culmination of my ongoing architectural studies at Northeastern University, my extensive familiarity with creative disciplines, and my continued investigation of both the avant-garde and the vernacular. While I have chosen architecture as my field of study, I understand it as a branch in my broad development as a designer and a person, rather than the extent of my design work. I believe design sensibilities and praxis are best developed broadly and applied intelligently.

Foreword

Thank you for reading.

The Stony Brook Lattice

01 The Stony Brook Lattice Illustrative Full Site Axonometric

Urban Design Studio Led by Marie Law Adams Completed with Lorena Medina Diaz Boston, Massachusetts April 2026

Designing Emergent Systems Mission Hill and Northern Roxbury have historically been shaped by racial prejudice and urban renewal, tools that have enabled external forces to develop the region without particular consideration of the local population, whether the acting entities were public or private. Due to this continued history, this project designs the site with economically and culturally resilient systems that platform and provide spaces for the systematically oppressed ethnic groups that occupy the area. This involves a simultaneous consideration of intimate, human-scale spaces for the local population to enjoy, as well as commercial and publicly visible spaces that engage the city of Boston. The Stony Brook Lattice aims to architecturalize the diverse local cultures already present in the Mission Hill area in order to create spaces that are resilient to encroaching institutional development and gentrification, making a more permanent space for the expression and growth of these cultures.

The Stony Brook Lattice Contextual Studies Lorena Medina Diaz / Rory Smyth

Mission Hill & Roxbury Urban renewal has been the defining force in the history of Mission Hill01 & Roxbury02, with decades of highway projects and corporate ownership pushing disadvantaged populations further from Boston proper. The Southwest Corridor Parkway03 serves as a lasting scar of this era, marking where local residents fought against a highway that would have destroyed the nearby neighborhoods. The site is directly bordered by the Roxbury Crossing Station to the South and two public housing projects to the North, being Mission Main and the Alice Taylor housing complex. Beyond these neighborhoods is a variety of academic institutions that have slowly been buying up land in the area. Lorena and I approached the site conscious of this, and aimed to develop a site able to resist this encroaching influence. This specifically involves developing socially and economically resistant systems, necessitating high density and commercial spaces.

03 01 02

Precedent Lorena and I drew inspiration from past urban contexts that shaped our childhoods, analyzing what was functional and what we wanted to bring to this project. For Lorena, this meant looking at urban space in Cancun and Cuba, where street programs were loose and largely pedestrian. I looked closely at Japanese models for urban planning, heavily referencing Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City, as I spent part of my childhood in Tokyo and it has deeply influenced my approach to urban design.

LONGWOOD HARVARD MASSART

NORTHEASTERN

TA YL OR

WENTWORTH

ICE

MISSION MAIN

PARCEL 3

MISSION HILL PLAYGROUND

SOUTHWEST CORRIDOR

VARIOUS BUSINESS

PARCEL 25

MADISON PARK HIGH SCHOOL

ROXBURY CROSSING STATION

MISSION HILL ROXBURY STAKEHOLDERS / SPATIAL ARCH3170 LORENA MEDINA DIAZ RORY SMYTH

RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL/MIXED USE INSTITUTIONAL RECREATIONAL TRANSIT FUTURE PLANS

The Stony Brook Lattice Full Site Lorena Medina Diaz / Rory Smyth

1”/180’

Illustrative Full Site Axonometric

Full Site Plan (1F)

Existing buildings are preserved while remaining space is blanketed with high-density housing. The abandoned Brewery buildings are adapted into an early life/late life community center, while a youth and young adult community center is constructed adjacent to Parcel 25. An out-of-use building south of the Brewery is adapted to a mixed-use building containing a grocery store and a parking lot. The tree-lined Main Corridor runs NortheastSouthwest through the site and is lined with mixed-use buildings, acting as the rigid axis from which the alley network branches outward from. From anywhere on the site, trees will be in view. In opposition to the rigid alley network is The Stony Brook Parkway, a new parkway tracking the historic path of the Stony Brook tributary. This parkway takes on a fluid design motif, a break from the formal layout of the site. The Southwest Corridor is newly split by the Orange Line, providing green space to the site.

The Stony Brook Parkway is more clearly seen in black, taking on a fluid form in sharp contrast from the rigidity of the site.

The Stony Brook Lattice Street Section Rory Smyth

Main Corridor Section The axial spine of the site, the Main Corridor creates pedestrian-accessible commercial spaces and uses traffic calming measures to put the pedestrian experience at the forefront of the design. The street is lined with benches and trees that discourage vehicle intrusions. CIRCULATION

Street Vignettes Various street typologies that emerge throughout the site due to building arrangement. Alley width is sensitive to building height to accomodate a more comfortable experience on foot.

Main Corridor 29’

Front Alley I 12’

Front Alley II 10’

Back Alley 16’

2BR 3x

CIRCULATION

STUDIO 3x 2BR 2x COMMERCIAL

Full Width - 29’

Car Access - 10’ Widens for emergency alley access

CIRCULATION

2BR 3x

CIRCULATION

Program Diagram

The Stony Brook Lattice Strategy & Systems Lorena Medina Diaz / Rory Smyth

Zoning Node Strategy Neighborhood Integration

Fundamental Typologies

MAIN CORRIDOR TYPOLOGY

‘TOWER’ TYPOLOGY

‘ROWHOUSE’ TYPOLOGY

COMMUNITY CENTER A Adaptive Reuse

COMMUNITY CENTER B

Exploded Program Diagram *Made with Lorena

High Density Housing 3-Story ‘Rowhouse’ Typology 6-Story ‘Tower’ Typology

2br Studio

Mixed-Use Main Corridor Typology 5 Stories Housing 1 Story Commercial Supermarket Site Garage 3 Stories Housing Community Centers Community Center A Elderly & Early Life Communtiy Center B Education, Youth, Fitness

Existing Buildings

Site Stony Brook Parkway Node Strategy Street Grid Alley for access Alley for service

2br + Studio

3br

Transect I Detailing by Rory Smyth

The Stony Brook Lattice Transect I Rory Smyth

Overall View

Moves

This transect focuses on detailing the high-density alley housing strategy that is adapted across the site, also including an approach to the Main Corridor and the Orange Line. This transect includes plan and section cuts along some buildings to clearly display interior-exterior relationships.

Aesthetic Considerations

This high-density urban strategy was largely informed by childhood time spent in Tokyo, which is reflected in the utilitarian aesthetic and employed material palette. Similar to Tokyo, alleys are used for housing, stairwells open directly onto alleys, and the pedestrian experience is prioritized.

Group Work Strategy

For our transects, Lorena and I independently developed aesthetics and material palettes as expressions of our respective cultures.

Main Corridor & Park

Community Space & Park

Material Strategy Public Spaces Main Corridor Commercial Space Parks

Brown Herringbone Brick Main Corridor Path Beige Velour Brick Commercial & Community Facade Slim Wood Slats Benches & Seating More public areas denoted by warm, inviting colors and brick facade.

‘Front’ Residential Alley Private Spaces Front & Back Alleys Housing Circulation Residential

Black Herringbone Brick Alley Path

焼き杉板 Yakisugi Wood Slats 6-Story Housing Typologies Silvered Wood Slats Rowhouse Housing Typology More private areas denoted by cool, neutral colors and wood facade.

Transect I Detailing by Rory Smyth

The Stony Brook Lattice Transect I Rory Smyth

Focus Views

08 07

04 06 05 01

Focus A

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08

Main Corridor & Park

Main corridor is primarily pedestrian, allows car access Trees and planters break up scale and introduce nature to urban environment Commercial spaces reflect main corridor material palette, understood as shared space Residential units overlook main corridor, reinforces pedestrian scale Micro-parks scattered throughout scheme, designed for lingering Community spaces accessible to local residents, open into nature Material differentiation for residential units Egress circulation opens directly onto pedestrian alley

Focus B

‘Front’ Residential Park

03 02

02 03 04

05 06 07

Ground floor articulation, creates pockets for resident programming Balconies create pedestrian safety Slim alley opens opportunities for interactions Material differentiation between public and private space Circulation opens to back alleys Skylights introduce light to circulation cores Micro-parks scattered throughout scheme, designed for lingering

Focus C

01 02

04 01

02 03 04 05

06 07

Community Space & Park

08 09

Micro-parks create a transition between rigid and fluid forms Trees provide acoustic protection Trees & polycarbonate pavilions provide dappled & comfortable light Community spaces open to microparks with folding doors Both permanent and transient furniture enables resident programming Pedestrian bridges connect the split corridor Micro-parks mirrored across Orange Line, invites public access Service alleys widened for emergency vehicles Benches & planters soften edge

Transect II Detailing by Lorena Medina Diaz

The Stony Brook Lattice Transect II Lorena Medina Diaz

Overall View

Moves

This transect focuses on detailing an instance of the Stony Brook Parkway as it travels through the site. The relationship between the rigid residential strategy and the fluid green space strategy is explored in a series of proposals that line the parkway, including pavilions, outdoor seating, and the warping of buildings to mediate this relationship.

Aesthetic Considerations

Lorena drew aesthetic inspiration from her childhood in Cuba and Cancun, employing a largely warm stone palette. Throughout the transect, elements such as brise soleil screens and the outdoor emphasis on spatial design reflect these experiences.

Looking Down

Ground Floor

C Main Corridor & Alley Relationship

Transect II Detailing by Lorena Medina Diaz

Focus A

01 02 03 04 05 06

The Stony Brook Lattice Transect II Lorena Medina Diaz

Focus Views

Looking Down

Stony Brook corridor is the backbone of the neighborhood, connecting Alice Taylor and Mission Main to Roxbury Crossing Primarily pedestrian, allows bikes and skates. Family friendly and safe for kids to play around Balconies offer a view of public life without leaving the private area Community spaces accessible to local and surrounding residents Fluid and Solid interact with one another at the intersection of the corridor and the alleys Seating areas scattered throughout the public space encourage interaction among residents and a more leisurely pace of life

Focus B

01 02 03 04 05 06

Material differentiation between public and private areas. Open stairwell to bring light and ventilation into the residences. Permeable materials around the site to facilitate water drainage. Fluid reflected in floor designs and seating elements. Nature scattered across the ground floor and facades. Residential units overlook corridor and alley, reinforces pedestrian scale

Focus C

01 02 03 04 05

Ground Floor

Main Corridor & Alley Relationship

Direct connection between the Main corridor and the Stony Brook corridor via alleys. Commercial and community spaces help bring together the community. Roof plane changes and the balconies help break up the rigidity of the residential structure. Large windows provide better lighting in the apartments. Fluid reflected in floor designs and planters.

The Stony Brook Lattice Models Rory Smyth

Transect I Model

1”/32’

Transect II Model

1”/32’

Shoutengai Multi-Housing

02 Shoutengai Multi-Housing 1’/32” Charred Basswood Model 1’/32” Site Model

Urban Housing Studio Led by Anthony Averbeck Boston, Massachusetts December 2025

Housing the Multitude The Urban Housing Studio presents a simple question: how do we design housing that fills the “missing middle” gap in the American housing market? An effective response to this question necessitates understanding and creating housing at an appropriate density, but also considering for whom the housing is built for. Boston’s Fenway neighborhood is a unique market, including abnormally large amounts of visiting academics, seasonal students, as well as permanent families, many of which do not fulfill the standard nuclear family model. In response to the demographics of the region, Shoutengai Multi-Housing accommodates the range of needs by offering 3 modes of living: Standard studios, shared amenity studios, and modular suites. The project also creates Shoutengai(商店街) pedestrian retail avenues, encouraging community engagement and providing a transition point between the peaceful Fens parkway and the bustling Boylston.

Shoutengai Multi-Housing Siting & Moves

Base Typology Single load corridor Private circulation

Crease Response to site Conform to axes

Modulate Response to neighbors Division of voids

Resolving The Site The awkward form of the site requires sensitive consideration of the surrounding conditions. This sequence diagram illustrates a resolution that directly interfaces with the two adjacent streets to the site, creates appropriately scaled public and commercial spaces, and separates the private circulation from publicly accessible spaces.

Division Public circulation Variation of typology

Resulting Typology Sheltered public space Separate private circulation Centered park space

Shoutengai Multi-Housing Overall

Shoutengai Multi-Housing

Overall Site Axonometric Perspective Section

Full Plans 1"/64’

Site & Roof Plan Relationship to Church Shared Pavilion Space Playground Relocation

A B C

2F Plan Regular Housing Plan Shared Amenity Studios Standard Studios Modular Suites

D E F

G 1F Plan Commercial Space Central Public Plaza

Shoutengai Multi-Housing Focus

Shared Amenity Studio

Standard Studio

Shared kitchen space Kitchens open to avenue

Separate units Balcony overlooks avenue Maintains social connection

Circulation

Private Circulation Shared Balconies

Shoutengai Avenue Commercial Space on Both Sides Pavilion Cover Creates Privacy & Shade

Modular Suite

4 bed flats

Doors between units Enables a variety of layouts Lightwells

1 bed flat + office 2 bed flat 4 bed flat

Lightwell

8 bed flat Intergenerational living

1 bed studio + office Shared meeting and work space

3 bed + art studio Housing for artists

Floor residents share a weekly communal dinner

Floor opens as daycare after school hours

Shoutengai Multi-Housing Models

Multimedia

Doma(土間) Interior Perspective

03 Multimedia Revisiting The Double House Self Guided London, United Kingdom September 2026

A Departure from Gesture A house tailored for two artists, one visual and one auditory, that creates various spaces of creative collaboration. Involves historical research into Japanese vernacular 町屋 Machiya townhouses as an exploration of shared space and grid layouts. The scale of this project offers a chance to investigate the often-overlooked minor qualities of architecture — the intimacy of space, painting with light, taking the assumption of shadow. Multimedia emerged from the culmination of the minor rather than the totalizing single gesture, an exercise in extreme sensitivity and space.

Multimedia Recontextualizing

An Alternative Approach During my most recent visit to Japan, I was invited by a family connection to their friend’s house, a 100+ year old Kominka(古民家) farm house in Odawara. During this visit I also visited the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum(江戸東京たてもの園) near Musashi-Koganei, where I saw similar farm houses. I was struck by the non-linearity of these buildings, having many multifunctional spaces and large doma(土間) earthen entrances. Observing these spaces called into question my approach to my first-semester studio final, the Double House. I designed the house for an artist and a musician, but missed opportunities to create spaces of collaboration between them. The freeform circulation and program of these buildings offered a solution, as well as a unique aesthetic exploration.

古民家、小田原

江戸東京たてもの園

Doma(土間) Flexible Earthen Space Exhibition Space Entrance Studio

Private Living Space 2 Bedrooms Living room Various Free Program Spaces

Grid Layout

GF 1"/8’ N

Multimedia Plan

Multimedia Section

Havnegade Veranda

04 Havnegade Veranda Illustrative Plan 1:100

Architectural Design Studio Led by Marie-Louise Holst København, Danmark September 2026

A New Transitory Node The Havnegade Promenade presents a rare edge condition in the context of Copenhagen. Backed by 6-story residential and small commercial spaces, the site currently supports circulation between Gammel Strand and Nyhavn. The Havnegade Veranda maintains the quiet solitude present in the site, providing programs that accommodate both local and tourist populations as well as multiple recreational pools and a lap pool. The transitory nature of the site persists, with new space to invite social activity.

Havnegade Veranda Siting

min. 92m

Kongens Nytorv

Residential & Minor Commercial

Nyhavn

Gammel Strand Havnegade Promenade

Site / Sequence

1:500

Maintain Site Linearity Rotation

Fill Cavity

Plan

Havnegade Veranda

1:200 N A

Elevation

1:200

Section A

1:100

Havnegade Veranda Program

Sauna

Shower Pier Roof Density articulates privacy Polycarbonate cover

Cafe Stand & Outdoor Seating Supports local cafe & bakeries

L 25

Submerged Area B Kid Friendly

A Submerged Area A Sunset View Minor Jump

Section B Sauna & Shower Cavelike Interior

Sauna Roof Cavelike space Clerestory lighting

View Opera House Kengo Kuma Water Culture House

Pier’s End

Kayak Storage & Ramp View platform on top Christianhavn view

Lap Pool 5m x2 Major Jumps

Havnegade Veranda Models

1:100

Diary

小田原、神奈川県 Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture

05 Diary Photography Self Guided 2022 - 2026

Meditations Photography has been a foundational medium in my maturation into new forms of expression. Beginning around 2018, it was the first medium that I engaged with out of earnest fascination with its qualities, and it has shaped how I approach creativity. Photography involves a pragmatism – the space before you is defined and set – but also an emotional depth in how that space is expressed. It grounds my aesthetic understanding in what is present and visible, a valuable quality in our disconnected immaterial world. I find much of my architectural creative output to be colorless and objective, perhaps to a fault; Photography is my study of Atmospheres, the Vague, the Emotional.

01 Monoculture

Diary Monoculture Brighton, United Kingdom

Recognizing our totalizing approach to space, across border, across culture

Expanse London, United Kingdom

Diary Monoculture

III

Multitude 品川区、東京都 Shinagawa City, Toukyou City

01 Monoculture

Recognizing our totalizing approach to space, across border, across culture

02 Patina, Overgrowth

Diary Patina, Overgrowth 小田原、神奈川県 Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture

Understanding time & nature as final designer

日光、栃木県 Nikkou, Tochigi Prefecture

03 Atmospheres

Diary Atmospheres 日光、栃木県 Nikkou, Tochigi Prefecture

Ephemera

Diary Atmospheres

Escape 小田原、神奈川県 Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture

03 Atmospheres

Ephemera

III

03 Atmospheres

Diary Atmospheres 箱根、神奈川県 Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture

Ephemera

Diary Atmospheres

Sunsong 江の島、神奈川県 Enoshima, Kanagawa Prefecture

03 Atmospheres

Ephemera

Closing

Special thanks to Fall 2026 Marie-Louise Holst Marie-Louise Jensen Høstbo Fabio Gigone Rodrigo Antonio Rieiro Díaz

Architecture Design Studio 20th & 21st Century Danish Architecture Detailing & Sustainability in Scandinavian Architecture Research Assistantship: Retracing the Community-Oriented Housing Experiments of Gunnar Hoydal in the Faroe Islands

Spring 2026 Marie Law Adams Lucy Maulsby Kiel Moe

Architecture, Infrastructure and the City Modern Architecture Environmental Systems

Fall 2025 Anthony Averbeck Paxton Sheldahl & Sylvia Illia-Sheldahl Shuishan Yu

Urban Housing Advanced Architectural Communication Modern Chinese Architecture

Spring 2025 Oakland, CA Sarah Hirschman Alec Stewart Hans Papke Fall 2024 London, UK Toby Chai & Vasilena Vassilev Toby Chai & Vasilena Vassilev Natcha Ruamsanitwong My Friends My Family

Site, Space, Program Topics in Architectural History Architectonic Systems Fundamental Architectural Design Fundamental Architectural Representation Buildings & Cities

For their support

All work shown is original unless otherwise stated

Thank you for reading, Rory Smyth

2024 – 2026

Portfolio Rory Smyth