About me
My name is Summer Svedlow, a graduate student at CU Denver pursuing my Master’s in Architecture. This portfolio is a catalog of my journey throughout my academic career, showcasing projects that explore sustainable and human-centered designs. I am interested in furthering my pursuits in architecture and becoming a creative thinker and an efficient team worker. I strive to think creatively and in new ways to create exciting designs and grow new concepts and ideas.
Resume
Summer Svedlow
ssvedlow@outlook.com | (970) 227-3391 | Denver, CO | linkedin.com/in/summer-svedlow
A diligent and passionate architecture graduate student dedicated to creating a sustainable, equitable, and beautiful world by designing spaces where people live in harmony with nature.
EDUCATION
Master of Architecture
University of Colorado Denver | Denver, Colorado
GPA: 3.6
Relevant Coursework
• Design Build
• Architecture as a Single Source Project Delivery
Bachelor of Architecture
University of Colorado Denver | Denver, Colorado
GPA: 3.8
Bachelor of Art and Design: Emphasis in Art History
Expected Graduation May 2026
• Managing Quality & Risk
• Sustainable Design Practices
August 2021- May 2023
August 2019- May 2021 University of Northern Colorado |Greeley, Colorado
SKILLS
• Rhino
• Revit
• Adobe Creative Suite
EXPERIENCE
Peer Advisor
• SketchUp
• Leadership and mentoring
• Microsoft Office Suite
August 2024-Present University of Colorado Denver | Denver, CO
• Provides guidance to students on their resumes and cover letters during one-on-one appointments that enhances their confidence in their writing and communication skills.
• Offers support and empathy to students facing challenges, such as difficulty securing interviews, leading to a boost in their proactive job application efforts.
• Collaborates with a team of six to deliver peer-level advice improving student support by incorporating diverse perspectives.
• Creates and produces engaging promotional videos for Instagram, showcasing career development tips for university students, resulting in an increase in student attendance to career center events.
Au pair June 2023-April 2024 Wellington, New Zealand
• Adapted quickly to cultural norms and differences in New Zealand to effectively connect with the children cared for.
• Maintained a clean and organized home environment by implementing routines that improved efficiency and reduced stress.
• Created engaging and imaginative activities for children that promoted creativity and fostered their developmental skills.
Peer Advocate Leader
CU Denver | Denver, CO
July 2022-December 2022
• Provided peer-level support that promoted student achievement, growth, and learning, resulting in an increase in overall student engagement.
• Established a connection with first years, transfer, and international students to help them navigate a successful college career which enhanced students’ confidence at the university.
• Planned and presented on time management and study skills, helping students develop healthy habits to thrive in a stressful environment.
Table of Contents
Pueblo Art Gallery & Studio
STRUCTURE WALL ESSEMBLY
The solid, grounded nature of the stone structures creates a harmonious contrast with the three lighter structures: a water pavilion, a greenhouse, and a visitor center. The pavilion and greenhouse are airy, open spaces that highlight the aquatic garden and desert plants, while the visitor center features a glass façade with small diameter timber screening that changes in porosity. The combination of stone and black steel elements creates a striking contrast
SITE SCALE: 1/8” = 1’ STONE STRUCTURE ROOF ESSEMBLY
Program
Two distinct programs were created: one open and light, and the other intimate and closed off, offering a more personal, exclusive experience.
Threshold
Circulation
The two structures are thoughtfully distributed and oriented relative to the gardens.
Aperture and Threshold
The stereotomic subtractions in the stone pavilions create thresholds and curate views to the garden, while the tectonic assembly blurs the boundary between inside and outside, allowing light to filter through.
SITESCALE: 1:30
1 Wellness Residency
Spring 2023
Instructed by:
Ekaterini Vlahos, Katie Donahue, and Nathan Gulash Group Members:
Mahelet Denbaw, Abigail Arrendondo, and Xandra Lorenz
The main concept of this project was to create a four month residency in the RiNo district in Denver, Colorado for two thinkers that would allow for the time and space to collaborate, create, and further develop their intellectual activities. The accelerated development in the RiNo district has displaced the long-standing historic neighboring communities resulting in gentrification, increased eviction, and unemployment rates. In turn, these actions cause measurable anxiety and depression for the residents. The two
types of Thinkers, Tattoo Artists and Social Psychologists, will interact with the affected residents to develop positive mental and physical transformations. The Residency design creates the space and opportunity for a personal reset to improve the Thinkers’ wellness and creative process. The enfolding approach to the design encourages self-reflection, collaboration, and interactions between the Thinkers.
Tattoo artists come from many backgrounds. They can connect with others easily through their work, which is both expressive and intimate. The artist and the client can create a personal expression of art or a spontaneous act of expression. The tattoo artists work with tattoo machines to transform the clients and continuously practice to heighten their skills. The artists need a small and clean area for tattooing and a place to create and practice developing their art. They often display their work in the gallery and gain inspiration from the artist’s books in the library.
Site Plan
1/32” : 1’
• Modular skylights to filter the sun into the hallway
Legend
Legend
Early/ongoing gentrification
Early/ongoing gentrification
Early/ongoing gentrification
Healing Garden
Low-income/succeptible to displacement
• Horatios Garden, Glasgow, Scotland
Advanced gentrification
Low-income/succeptible to displacement
Low-income/succeptible to displacement
• relieves the patients from symptoms of pain, stress reduction, and improves wellness
South Platte River
Advanced gentrification
Advanced gentrification
Bike path
South Platte River
South Platte River
Roads around the site
Bike path
Bike path
Pathways
38th Street
• Gardens of the Ministry of Education and Health, Rio de Janeiro
Roads around the site
Roads around the site
Rail way
38th Street
38th Street
• guides the observer through the garden while leaving room for choosing which paths to continue on or move away
Rail way
Rail way
Public space
Common space
Private space
Horizontal Circulation
Vertical Circulation
Vertical Circulation
A social psychologist studies a community’s interpersonal and group dynamics and social challenges, such as prejudice, implicit bias, bullying, criminal activity, substance abuse, and anxiety and depression. They study how individuals affect and are affected by other people, external pressures, and social and physical environments. Social psychologists will go into the community to research the effects of gentrification and displacement, bringing back their findings to discuss and research with others. They will also need a space to relax, decompress, and disconnect from the desolation they see.
River View
• Winter time (January)
• Spring time (March)
• Views to nature become a great distraction from
and discomfort
Skylight
• VELUX Commercial
• Modular skylights to filter the sun into the hallway
Healing Garden
• Horatios Garden, Glasgow, Scotland
• Relieves the patients from symptoms of pain, reduces stress, and improves wellness
Pathways
• Gardens of the Ministry of Education and Health, Rio de Janeiro
• Guides the observer through the garden while leaving room for choosing which paths to continue on or move away from
TRANSVERSE PERSPECTIVE SECTION
LONGITUDINAL PERSPECTIVE SECTION
SOUTHWEST ELEVATION
Glass
Glass
• Natural light boost production levels and wellness
• natural light boosts production levels and wellnes
Cork
Cork
• Sustainable material that can perform rigid points
• Sustainable material that can perform rigid points
• acoustic insulation
• acoustic insulation
Ash Wood
Ash Wood
• In a construction heavy site, wood is a byproduct that can be reclaimed for a different use
• In a construction heavy site, wood is a byproduct that can be reclaimed for a different use
Frosted Glass
Frosted Glass
• filters the light of heat and glare
• filters the light of heat and glare
• provides privacy into the hallway near the bedrooms
• provides privacy into the hallway near the bedrooms
Concrete
Concrete
• Requires minimum materials and energy to create
• Requires minimum materials and energy to create EXPLODED ISOMETRIC
Exploded ISO
Pueblo Art Gallery & Studio
Fall 2022
Instructed by:
Prathyusha
Viddam, Brian Dale, William Martin
The main concept of this project was to create a media and events center of our choosing for a site in Bessemer, Pueblo adjacent to the Steel Mill. I chose to build an art gallery and an art studio for the people of Bessermer, Pueblo. Pueblos’ poverty rate is at 23.5%, the poorest county in Colorado, and the Steel Mill, currently owned by Evraz, has a detrimental effect on the community. This structure is a place for all the artists in Pueblo to create and display their art for others in the community to enjoy. It provides a place for entertainment and creativity for free. Guests are greeted with a sculpture garden out
front that has triangular stone structures for graffiti before they enter the gallery where the art continues. There are plenty of spaces within the gallery building to view the art as well as to enjoy the view that Bessemer has to offer. At the back of the gallery is outdoor seating for the cafe as well as four studios for artists of different trades to be able to work in for free. These spaces encourages the creation of art and expression is an area that is facing economic hardship, offering a platform for the community to engage with creativity and foster cultural growth.
- Sculpture Park
Vignette - Gallery
EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC
Polycarbonate Cladding
Steel Frame
• allows light to be filtered through while preserving the precious artworks inside
• exposed due to the polycarbonate cladding that makes the building translucent
Concrete
• Can be used as graffiti walls
• allows for a moment of solitude from the mostly translucent structure
Model
ITERATIONS MAPPINGS
Pueblo sits on top of a super fund site due to the pollution from the Steel Mill. Due to the proximity to the Steel Mill, the site and the surrounding neighborhoods are in some of the most dangerous areas of pollution.
Absolute Public Public Semi-Private
Absolute Private
Charfield Floating Pavilion
The Floating Pavilion provides a serene resting spot for paddleboarders and kayakers on Gravel Pond, situated just below Chatfield Reservoir. Designed to adapt to the reservoir’s fluctuating water levels, the pavilion floats on the pond’s surface, seamlessly moving with the water and harmonizing with the natural environment. It works with nature instead of against it to create a fun and calming environment for the users. Located between the paddleboard rental store and the scenic foothills, it creates a calming and enjoyable space for users. To access the pavilion, visitors must paddle out, offering an opportuni-
ty to fully experience and appreciate the beauty of the pond. Wooden columns outline a suggested path for navigating the pavilion. The roof offers shade and mimics the rolling hills of the Rocky Mountain foothills. Additionally, the roof features a sun deck where visitors can relax and take in the beautiful views. The Pavilion offers a tranquil escape on Gravel Pond, blending with its natural surroundings. The design enhances the experience for the paddleboarders and kayakers alike and encourages the users to celebrate the stunning views and have fun.
Fall 2024
Instructed by:
William Koning, Michael Jenson, Patricia Joseph, and Erika Sweigert Nava
The pavilion is located in the middle of Gravel Pond, a pond located just below the Chatfield Reservior. The pavilion is placed near the kayak rental store and park area that gets quite busy during the warmer seasons. This encourages users to get out into nature and into the water to experience the joys of Colorado’s outdoor activities.
SITE PLAN
Flat panels on roof to allow users to lay comfortably
Oak wooden panels that create a wave like pattern that emulates the foothills
Circular wooden columns to tie up paddleboards or kayaks
Oak wooden columns
Furniture
Oak flooring
FLOOR PLAN
Additional Art
2019-2020
These works were created during my undergraduate studies in Art History at the University of Northern Colorado. This collection showcases a range of projects that explore different styles, techniques, and historical pe -
riods I studied throughout my coursework. Each piece reflects my growing understanding of art, as well as my ability to translate theoretical knowledge into creative expression.
“Koi Fish” (2020)
“Dead Flower Series in Ink” (2019)
“Subdivision Series” (2019)