Sophi Steffes
2025 Architecture Portfolio
Contact
ssteffes@iastate.edu
402-452-4774
@sophisteffes
https://issuu.com/ssteffes/ docs/portfolio
Education
BachelorsofArchitecture
Iowa State University
Class of 2026
HighSchoolDiploma
Marian
Skills
School
Sophi Steffes
Architecture - 4th year student
CumulativeGPA: 3.95
Work Experience
RDGPlanningandDesign
Omaha, NE
May 2024 - Present
Createdprogrammingandmassingmodelsforanupcomingcommunitycenter
Builta3DprintedandCNCcutmodelofDowntownDothan,ALremodelplans
FollowedalongontheDothanCityHallrelocationandremodel
SBAArchitects
Ames, IA
May 2023 - August 2023
ModeledprojectsinRevitandcreatedclientmaterialmoodboards
Capturedandprocessed3DsitewalkthroughsusingiGuidetosupportbuilding developmentmeasurements.
Affiliations + Activities
IowaWomeninArchitecture
Secretary
ChiOmegaSorority
Secretary
Recruitment Assistant
Sisterhood Support Team
Greek Week Co-Chair
Homecoming Display Co-Chair
HomecomingCentral
Display Director
FraternalValuesSociety
Values Educator
DanceMarathon
Stewardship Director
GammaSigmaAlpha
Honors Society
ClubVolleyball
Four-Year Member
30 - 20 - 10
THE CULLINARIUM
Partner:AngelaJones
2024
Thissemester-longprojectfocusesondesigningaCulinaryInstituteonDrakeUn campusfeaturesdistinctpocketsofspaceshapedbyitsbuildings,whichorigina exploration,wedecidedtotaketheoppositeapproach—enclosingtwodistinctsp site.Thisdecisionallowedustocreateacohesiveyetdynamicspacethatenhan culinaryinnovation,education,andcommunityengagement.
niversity'scampus,respondingtoitsexistingspatialconditions.The allyledustoconsidermergingtwoareas.However,through pacestocarveoutanew,purpose-drivenenvironmentwithinthe ncesthecampusfabricwhileestablishingadedicatedhubfor
Thecoreoftheinstituteisavib gatheringanddiningspace.Th entrepreneurshipandculinary wingsaccommodatespecialize demonstrationkitchen,staffbr southwingfunctionsasthebac spaces,storagerooms,washin packagingroom,andotheress adrinkservicedemonstrationl indoorgreenhouse.Alargeope multi-functionalspaceforeduc
brantfoodhalllocatedonthewestsideofthebuilding,servingastheprimary hisspaceisactivatedbyfourincubatorkitchensavailableforrent,fostering experimentation.Extendingoutwardfromthefoodhall,thenorthandsouth edprogramming.Thenorthwingincludesaninnovationkitchen,a eakareas,andconferenceroomstosupportlearningandcollaboration.The ck-of-housearea,housingateachingbakery,teachingkitchen,mechanical grooms,abutchery,ameatdrylab,aflexkitchen,abrandingand sentialsupportspaces.Onthesecondlevel,theprogramexpandstoinclude ab,bottlingroom,twoclassrooms,alibrary,administrativeoffices,andan enareaisalsoincorporatedtohostevents,reinforcingtheinstitute'sroleasa cation,research,andcommunityengagement.
Materialselectionwasinfluencedbytheexistingarchitectural languageofDrakeUniversity.Thenorthandsouthwingsarecladded inbricktomaintaincontinuitywiththecampusaesthetic,whilethe foodhallintroducesamoderncontrastwithaglasscurtainwall wrappedinmetalfinsandpanels.Themetalfinsextendintothe building’sinterioronthesecondlevel,seamlesslyconnectingthenorth andsouthwingstomaintainacohesivevisuallanguagefromexterior tointerior.Structurally,thedesignfollowsa20'x30'grid.Thefoodhall, thoughtwostories,featuresadouble-heightceilingtoenhance ventilationandmatchthescaleoftheadjacentAliberHall.
Thisprojectchallengedustothinkcriticallyaboutspatialrelationships, programmaticorganization,andmaterialintegrationwhiledesigning aspacethatsupportsculinarycreativityandeducation.
ThePhysicalModel
Thefinalphysicalmodelwas meticulouslycraftedusing plexiglassand3D-printed elements,withchipboard andcorkutilizedforthesite toensurecohesionwiththe broadersitemodel.
THE STRAND
Partner:JillianGounaikis 2023
LocatedinLedgesStatePark,Iowa,TheStrand HybridResearchCenterwasdesignedin responsetoauniqueandchallengingsite condition—asteep,denselywoodedravine. Thisprojectrequiredintegratingthreecore functions:ananimalrehabilitationcenter,a plantresearchfacility,andaneducational center.Beyondmergingthesediverse programs,weneededtocarefullyconsider thetopographywhencraftingasiteplanthat seamlesslyguidedvisitorsthroughthe landscapewhileincorporatingagarden, barnyard,andmultipurposespace.
Throughmultipledesigniterations,we developedtheconceptofaninhabitablewall —anelongated,linearstructurethatdraws visitorsthroughthebuildingtowardthe multipurposespace.Alongthiscentralspine, aseriesofcantileveredroomsextend outward,hoveringovertheravinetoimmerse visitorsinthedramaticlandscape.Eachof theseoverhangingplatformsservesaspecific educationalpurpose,offeringunique perspectivesofthenaturalenvironment.To enhancespatialengagement,theseplatforms varyinheightandslabthickness,reinforcing thedynamicrelationshipbetween structureandtopography.
PlansMadebyPartner
Akeydesigngoalwastocreateafluidmovementexperiencewithinthe inhabitablewall,allowingpeopletotransitionbetweenplatformheightsas theynavigatethespace.Thiswasachievedthroughacarefullyintegrated systemoframpsandstairsthatmimicthenaturaldepthoftheravine, offeringanexperientialjourneythroughthesite.
Tostructurallysupportthecantileveredplatforms,wedesigneda continuousstructuralspinethatrunsalongtheinhabitablewall.This systemconsistsofverticaltrussesthatconnecteachplatform,distributing loadsefficientlyandensuringstability.Additionally,threedistinctstructural platformsweredeveloped,eachtailoredtothefunctionoftheroomabove andtheextentofitscantilever.
Thefinalrende theravine,illus landscape.The immersiverese challengingye
ersandsectionsshowcasetheinhabitablewall'srelationshipwith stratinghowtheinteriorspacesextendoutwardtoengagewiththe edesignsuccessfullymergesarchitecturewithnature,offeringan earchandeducationalenvironmentthatrespondstoits etinspiringsite.
LOTUS EVENT CENTER
LocatedintheGardenoftheFiveSenses inNewDelhi,India,TheLotusEvent Centerdrawsinspirationfromthelotus flower,asignificantsymbolinHinduism andBuddhism,bothwidelypracticedin India.Thegardenservesasavenuefor outdoorevents,andthiseventcenter wasdesignedtocomplementits surroundingswiththreeindoorspaces andanopen-airtoplevel.
Adefiningfeatureofthedesignisits externalizedstructureandstairsystem, whichnotonlyenhancesthebuilding’s sculpturalqualitybutalsocreates dynamicshadowsandreflections throughouttheday.Thecircularevent roomlocatedonthefirst,second,and thirdfloorsemphasizethebuilding’s organicform,reinforcingitsconnection tonature.Theinitialconceptstemmed fromsectionalstudiesofZahaHadid’s OneThousandMuseum,leadingtoa seriesofdesignexplorationsinRhino thatultimatelyshapedthefinalform.
Thetopfloorwasintentionallyelevated abovethetreeline,offeringvisitorsa secludedexperience.Thislevelwas designedasameditationspace, providingatranquilenvironmentwhere guestscanoverlookthelandscapeand findasenseofpeace.
Structurally,thebuildingiscomposedofasinglerepeating shape,whichisadaptedandmanipulatedtocreatethe curvedframework,spiralcore,andsupportingelements.This shapeflowsthroughthedesigninawave-likemotion,guiding themovementofboththestructureandthestairsystem.
ThePhysicalModel
Thefinalmodelwasentirelyhandmade,allowingforafocuson craftsmanshipandanintimateunderstandingofhowtheform materializedthroughphysicalconstruction.Thishands-onprocess wasessentialinbringingthedesigntolife,emphasizingthe precisionofthestructure.
Thisprojectexploredtheevolutionofformandcomposition throughaprocessofimageabstractionanditeration.It beganwith30photographstakenoncampus,whichwere distilledinto20minisketches,thenrefinedinto10mediumsizedsketches.Fromthesestudies,Idevelopeda12”x12” pendrawingusinghatchingandstipplingtechniques, whichultimatelyinformedthefinal24”x24”painting.
Thepaintingwasoriginallyexecutedinsixshadesofpurple, thenselectivelytapedoffandrepaintedinsixshadesof blue.Thislayeringcreatedadynamicinterplayofcolorand contrast,establishingahierarchybetweenthebackground andtheorganic"blobs"inthecomposition.Eachphaseof theprojectwascompletedbyhand,emphasizingprecision andengagementwithmaterialandtechnique. 30 - 20 - 10 2021
