I am currently a fourth-year undergraduate student at Northeastern University, from Long Island, New York.
I am interested in commercial and residential design and passionate in working to create projects that will bring various communities together through innovative design ideas.
I am proficient in 2D / 3D design software including Adobe Suite, AutoCAD, and Rhino and am a beginner in Revit.
Alone, but together Stitch to Connect Hopkins
Carleton Place
Barber Shop
Serene Haven
Chinatown Library
Density of Voids
Re-Designing Architecture: Breaking the Norm Mini-Magazine
but together
April 2023
Northeastern University
ARCH2140: Urban Institutions
In this project, we were tasked to design an urban “walk-up” housing of three to four stories With the site location relatively near the Northeastern University campus, yet still far enough outside to blend in with the Boston community, this type of apartment design was attempting to address the “missing middle”: duplexes (two-family buildings) and triple deckers (three-family buildings)
My project focuses on having such variety in unit configurations while creating a publicly accessible shared space both internally and externally through common areas and amphitheaters This is a project of being alone, yet together in one space with a community made up of family and student residents in the area.
The idea of being “alone, yet together” is applied to my project through a diagrammatic abstraction. It shows the “individual” in their own circle of space, seated besides another individual in their own circle of space, seated besides another individual with the same private circle. This is then repeated until numbers of individuals are gathered together, each respectively in their own circles, but now are within the same larger area represented by the bigger circles surrounding this group.
To show the difference in the individual versus the collective group, the circle surrounds more individuals to show many people gathered in a shared environment: the interior common spaces.
This idea is then applied to my project by placing the individual versus the collective group in its respective locations based on my design’s programmatic system.
Each module follows a simple double-loaded corridor system with four units on each floor. To add variety to unit configurations, the third and fourth floors are duplexes, catered towards bigger families. The duplexes are also connected to a semi-public outdoor roof terrace.
As each module is aggregated along the site, it follows a pinwheel plan design and is rotated 180 degrees, while the corridors remain still, from module to module as you go up each floor. The interior shared spaces are formed when two modules are connected together, creating a “bridge-like” common area for residents.
The exterior amphitheaters were designed to work with an elevation change on one of the site areas. Ramps changing in 6 foot elevation lead to the amphitheater which then rise back up to ground level.
The building facade, grey zinc cladding for the unit modules and copper for the middle common spaces, used throughout the project is subtle, yet distinguishes itself as unique from the other common material used in the surrounding buildings in the neighborhood.
This studio project was a group collaboration in which we were tasked to work on an area located in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood and design a community which would welcome this neighborhood and the other surrounding neighborhoods (Mission Main and Roxbury) into this location. Throughout the past, this area has been used for parking space, and overall has been a low activated place, despite being situated in a key location for neighborhoods to interact with one another.
Stitch to Connect
December 2024
Northeastern University
ARCH3170: Architecture, Infrastructure, and the City
Our group’s key theme was to strengthen the connectivity between the various communities neighboring our site. We approached this by working with the site line edges and maneuvering it to push in or push out in a way that would draw people and welcome them into our site from all sides along our site We also honed in on adding long pathways (green and purple arrows) and daylighting the stonybrook river (orange arrow) that run through the entirety of our site to push people to our innermost part of the site: our ecological backyard.
Including accessible shared space through the use of a shared natural backyard was another strong idea we wanted to explore, and thus most of our buildings lie along the edges of our site line. To physically, make our site more accessible to neighboring residents, we chose to extend the current train station over the 4 lane street (shown in orange).
By choosing to experiment with the edges of our site through this idea of pushing and pulling, we then played with this idea even further with the building masses.
Since our project required 450 units of housing and we wanted to maximize the amount of our backyard space, we chose to have the residential massing be a skip stop system in order to maximize units while keeping the square footage at a minimum. These masses (yellow) follow the line of our new site borderline.
We also agreed that it was important to include commercial and institutional programs on the ground floor, making them easily accessible to all.
From our group work to design our community, we each chose a section of the project to zoom in on and explore even further by representing what the experience could be through a transect drawing. I chose the section showing the connection at the street we pushed into the site (Prentiss street) and how it brings people through our building mass and finally, into our ecological backyard. The key theme in this transect was visibility. With an exterior single-loaded corridor in this residential massing, residents have visibility into Prentiss street, while unit balconies give visibility into the backyard space.
This transect not only was important in showing the visibility through all sides, but also the connectivity to the ground floor institutional program we added: the daycare. Having the daycare on the ground floor was important as it made it accessible to the residents in the building as well as the neighboring communities. The landing directly above the corner of the daycare allowed for a small shared area connecting the exterior corridor circulation directly to the ground floor daycare.
Another key point represented in this transect section is the corner that is created after our push-in of Prentiss Street. This turned into our childfriendly drop off area. During daycare hours, the corner where cars could usually pass would be blocked off and create a roundabout driveway space, flexible for different uses. An idea we had imagined for this area was a place to learn how to ride a bike. The triangular plaza of the drop off acts as a landing while crossing the street as well as being a resting area for children and residents to enjoy.
Existing conditions
03 Hopkins
November 2023
Ageloff & Associates
Throughout my co-op internship at Ageloff & Associates, I faced a variety of tasks, including creating new drawings from surveyed information of existing conditions and drawings. From the existing conditions, the baseplan drawings can be drawn to then iterate for further design development. For the Hopkins project, I was tasked to draw exterior elevations, highlighting the existing window and ac unit conditions and thus comparing these conditions to the future proposed design. Based on the exterior elevations, I then drew the new condenser unit detail design, in accordance to building code, which would interact with the proposed design and sit under the window and just above the floor.
Proposed conditions
Bedroom condenser unit detail
July 2024
Delargent Design Architecture, PC
During my internship at Delargent Design Architecture I worked on buildings needing renovations as well as new projects needing new designs. Projects varied from residential to commercial. I was tasked to create technical drawings in plan, section, and elevation to present proposed design ideas to clients. This client asked for extensive renovations of their existing home, specifically in their backyard, basement, and attic.
Carleton Place
Elevation drawings typically presented existing conditions, with callouts to new or proposed design choices. In this project, the relocation of the window and filling in of the exterior wall was called out in elevation. Further interior changes, especially in the basement and attic for this project, were called out in section drawings.
While at Delargent Design Architecture, I also worked on creating and or revising site plans This specific sheet in the drawing sheet typically includes zoning information for
August 2024
Delargent Design Architecture, PC
The space, prior to becoming a new barber shop, was a small office space. Thus, the existing floor plan shows that there were changes to the walls as well as the addition of new couches and salon stools, while the reflected ceiling plan shows changes to the ceiling lights.
Serene Haven
December 2024 Northeastern University ARCH5230: Structural Systems
In this project, we were tasked to create a pavilion that would be a space for retreat, meditation by manipulating its structure to allow for light to enter the space in a unique way.
My design focused on creating a space that would capture the feelings of serenity. The way light enters is through an open square at the top of the pyramid-shaped roof structure. Additionally, the angular triangles made at the corners of this square, which also begin to follow the pattern of the secondary members of the roof, are small cut open spaces to bring in light at an angle. The choice in where light entered the space was to evoke feelings of “holiness” and “calmness” one would typically experience in sacred spaces.
The roof was designed to be a hip truss to emphasize the idea of serenity through the light entering at the top of the structure. The repetitive aspect of the chord members of a truss will not only provide the system with more support, but also create a sense of order within this very open design.
With the nature of the truss system creating a hip roof (in this case four sloping sides that meet at the top to form a flat ridge), the open square at the top is further strengthened as the place for light to flow through the middle glass enclosure and into the rest of the structure. Glass is used as an enclosure around the areas where light would flow, but it is not meant to be the main appeal of the project. Therefore, the total area in which it covers is very small in context with the rest of the structure
The vertical system is expressed with shear walls with repetitive studs along the entire length of each wall Having the space fully enclosed and only leaving openings at the top of the roof structure emphasizes solitude and quietness. The focus was to be able to create an environment, a safe haven, where people can interact with light within the structure free from outside distractions
07 Chinatown Library
December 2022
Northeastern University ARCH2130: Site, Space & Program
The site for the library project we were given is located just beyond the center of Chinatown and lies between Kneeland Street and Harvard Street.
The task was to design a welcoming public library that would have three streets, each acting in its own way, surrounding its edge. Additionally, the library would have to invite local residents as well as people passing by, as the site lies just outside the main Chinatown attraction area.
Out of the three streets that border the site, I concluded that Hudson Street and Tyler Street had the most circulation, both with vehicles and people. However, Harvard Street remained relatively quiet in circulation.
For the final library design, I imagined possible circulation paths that people could take based on the conclusions of the three street circulations and how this could relate to the pathways in which one could enter onto the site and library space.
The plan design for each level follow a pinwheel system, but differ slightly with extrusions pushing and pulling the massing creating moments of balcony space for some areas .The center is open to keep the consistency of the courtyard presence throughout the entire structure.
Bigger programs in the library lie closer to the area furthest from the center, while more individualized programs surround the perimeter of the center courtyard facades.
The library addresses lack of accessible public space for local residents with the open courtyard on the ground floor as well as exterior open space prior to entering into the library itself.
The shape the courtyard creates as it’s kept open throughout the whole structure creates a center space where visitors can look into the center space as well as across to all other sides of the library. Having glass cover the inner facades of the library gives visibility to visitors while still giving flexible spaces of privacy to be alone as well.
08
In my design studio during my semester abroad, the theme for our projects was “program.”
We were tasked to design a creative campus that would become an “extension” of the current Segovia campus of IE University.
Density of Voids
May 2024
IE University - Segovia ARCH3155: Program
We analyzed the surrounding site conditions, and the overall city of Segovia. Throughout this process, my group focused on analyzing the trees, and thus the voids created by the trees throughout the surrounding site. We also analyzed densities of people and the trees throughout the city.
The focus of my project was the density of people and trees and thus creating a campus that blends in with the already existing surrounding site.
The grey pathway is irregularly shaped to emphasize the idea of blending in by taking a path that focuses on the surrounding environment rather than having a typical straight pathway.
When designing my campus, I honed in on relating the design to this idea of density and voids and thus created several volumes in the shape of cubes with five sizes with programs relating to its size, and thus density of people that would occupy that volume: 4 x 4 m, 6 x 6 m, 8 x 8 m, 12 x 12 m, and 16 x 16 m. When placed on the site, the volumes are each rotated in a way to relate directly where the trees are along the site.
Benches are placed at points on the pathway to offer place of rest to interact with the surrounding nature, as well as being a gathering point to interact with other students and visitors of the site.
The connection to the river was extremely important for my project so I have the volumes placed on both sides of the river.
I had a strong idea to revitalize and repopulate the main areas along this site by drawing activity towards the voids immediately surrounding such hotspots.
In terms of programs, my emphasis was to have a campus embodying density of people and therefore this would be the driver of what programs would be hosted in my campus.
Re-Designing Architecture: Breaking
the Norm
Mini-Magazine
December 2024
Northeastern University
ENGW3314: Advanced Writing in Arts, Media, & Design
With the freedom to explore an argument in my own desired format, I chose to make an argument relevant to architecture students today, in the form of a mini-magazine.
The argument I am presenting in this magazine is that there is an innate issue with the way we, undergraduate architecture students, are taught when we first enter Northeastern Whether this is through the precedent projects we are given or key ideas to base our design ideas off of, we are absorbing a very “one-sided” perspective of information.
The content within the magazine itself begins with an introduction section explaining how architecture is typically taught when you’re first exposed to it as an incoming architecture student at NEU. The next section dives into a bigger topic within this controversy, mass urban planning and development. Specifically, how this typically is one cause of biased perspectives and limits unique ideas to grow when thinking about design and the process.
From this magazine, the takeaway I hope for readers is to have a greater understanding that the issue with how we’re being taught when entering this major at NEU affects us when designing, and that this must be made aware. In order to continue architecture education with a more holistic perspective, we must acknowledge the flaws in the architecture pedagogy and conventional urban development projects. We must learn from the perspective of the people who we are designing FOR, not only the experts we are working WITH.
