Project Site Highlight: Dunbar Spring Neighborhood in Tucson, Arizona
This portfolio is the culmination of diverse explorations—digital modeling, physical prototyping, sketching, and iterative design— all coming together to shape ideas into meaningful spaces.
P4
site captures
The Puzzle reimagines scattered neighborhood volumes by stacking them vertically, transforming disjointed spaces into a cohesive and dynamic public environment.
This upward approach creates multiple levels, offering opportunities to expand the concept of urban design beyond traditional horizontal layouts. The design allows for elevated viewpoints to observe the city, discover surrounding spaces, and explore different layers of activity and interaction. By weaving integrative elements throughout the urban fabric, The Puzzle fosters connection and accessibility, creating a versatile public space meant to inspire discovery, engagement, and a sense of community for all who visit.
stacking volumes vertically
neighborhood volumes
The Puzzle acts as a design parti by stacking and connecting disjointed neighborhood volumes, much like assembling pieces of a puzzle. This approach transforms scattered spaces into a cohesive vertical composition, creating layered opportunities for exploration, discovery, and a deeper connection to the urban environment.
model views
physical model captures
Cuartito distills the essence of a neighborhood into a single, versatile room that seamlessly merges function and intimacy. Designed to embody the spirit of multiple neighborhood entries, the room is compact yet dynamic, incorporating minor levels that encourage exploration and create a layered, engaging experience within a small footprint. The apertures and exits blur the boundaries between interior and exterior. Natural light, airflow, and views enrich the space. Cuartito is more than just a room—it is a hub of interaction, discovery, and contemplation, balancing openness and privacy while connecting users to both nature and the surrounding urban fabric.
section typologies
The parti of Cuartito is rooted in the idea of creating a single, dynamic space that embodies the essence of the neighborhood’s multiple entries. The room is compact yet layered, with minor levels that encourage exploration and discovery. It adapts to various uses while it maintains an intimate space.
digital model views
physical model captures
apertures + volumes
Vistas is a casita designed to balance reflection and connection through three distinct volumes. The first volume, extending into the earth, creates a quiet basement for contemplation with carefully placed apertures that bring in natural light. The second and third volumes on the first floor offer flexible gathering spaces, with apertures throughout the casita framing views that connect the interior to the surrounding landscape. The design uses light and shadow to create a dynamic environment, allowing for seamless movement between spaces that support both solitude and communal activities.
The concept explores the overlapping of several conceptual volumes, creating a space that extends beyond the ground. This layering generates a dynamic environment, offering both depth and connectivity.
Transforming the neighborhood’s spaces—its corners, pockets, and unexpected pathways—into a connected urban network for gathering and movement. Through layered interventions, the design hopes to redefine how people experience and engage. Prioritizing discovery, the intervention draws people into unexpected spaces with visual cues and textured elements. Circulation encourages moments of pause, for cyclists, drivers, and pedestrians, guided by shaded pathways, structural overhangs, and light patterns that reveal the neighborhood’s hidden layers. This project redefines urban exploration, transforming spaces into a experience that celebrates movement, gathering, and the beauty of the unexpected.
This concept explores the deconstruction of a traditional neighborhood grid. By expanding and scattering its components, the design transforms the organized uniformity into a dynamic, fluid grid. The fragmented elements—homes, spaces, or nodes—are reimagined as individual yet interconnected units. A series of new grids or interwoven structures emerge, serving as connective tissues that unify the scattered pieces while maintaining their unique identities.
neighborhood intervention
circulation before and after
An existing building is seamlessly interwoven with an intervention structure that wraps around it. The result is a space that fosters community by bringing elements closer together, while still preserving areas of privacy. This balance allows for connection and intimacy, uniting the individual spaces within a cohesive, shared environment.
This portfolio marks a milestone in my architectural journey, reflecting my growth and laying the foundation for continued exploration and discovery for future studios.