Architecture Portfolio | Valentina Sanz

OBJECTIVE WORK EXPERIENCE

June 2023 - Aug 2023

Passionate about architecture's transformative potential and dedicated to designing spaces that inspire dialogue and renewal within our urban fabric. Seeking to leverage leadership skills to address current socio-economic, cultural, and environmental challenges, integrating domesticity and cultural sensitivity into my designs. Actively pursuing opportunities for growth that allow for exploration and collaboration.

BRIC Architecture; Portland, OR Architecture Intern

Executed, with Revit, detailed programming strategies, and fenestration and material studies. Collaborated in the construction of a sustainable 25 ft tall stage set for Portland’s Pickathon cultural event using recycled 2x4s, bending them with a steamer and jig to resemble arched tree-like bays. Led a storytelling collage project illustrating the influence architecture has on our daily experiences. Engaged in the firm’s Listening and Learning equity outreach programs, communicating with a dozen plus community leaders and serving as the primary translator for Hispanic members.

June 2022 - Aug 2022

June 2021 - July 2021

John Lum Architecture; San Francisco, CA Architecture Intern

Prepared interior elevations with Vectorworks software and ensured their ADA compliance. Coordinated the project’s reflected ceiling plans with their respective floor plans and sections. Measured and created existing floor plans for a residential project's demolition and remodeling.

Selman Arquitectos; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Architecture Intern

Edited detail drawings of beach villas with AutoCAD.

Modified SketchUp models for a residential lobby renovation. Produced a Revit model for car company office construction addition.

Cornell University; College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; Ithaca NY Bachelor of Architecture | Business Minor

GPA: 4.08/ 4.00 | Expected Graduation Date: May 2025

LEADERSHIP

June 2023 - Oct 2023

Jan 2022 - May 2023

NOMA Barabara G. Laurie Student Competition; Portland, OR Design Co-lead for Cornell’s NOMAS Chapter

Won 1st place, competing against 38 architecture schools across the United States.

Co-led the chapter’s design team, creating a project centered around cultural revitalization, memory activation, and healthy living for the Albina Portland community.

Organized recurring individual meetings with the subteams to optimize communication efficiency. Presented project to a juror and NOMA attendees, synthesizing research, narrative, and design into one.

Ithaca Carbon Neutrality 2030; Ithaca, NY

Project Team Co-lead

Co-managed a 4-subteam effort that focused on achieving Ithaca’s 2030 energy goal by analyzing the town’s building, transportation, waste management, and renewable energy sectors and iniciatives. Mediated team conflicts and fostered student collaboration through effective communication. Conducted energy-use simulations in Grasshopper, testing retrofit options to improve energy efficiency in mixed-use buildings in Ithaca.

Dean’s Honor List: Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021, Fall 2020.

PLATE Publication: Fall 2020 design studio project selected for the PLATE Publication at Cornell AAP.

Software: Rhino, Revit, Vectorworks, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Enscape, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office. Languages: English (advanced), Spanish (native), Italian (beginner).

Interests: Travel journal sketches, Team soccer and volleyball, Long-distance running.

RECLAIMING ALBINA’S LEGACY

Barbara G. Laurie Student Competition | Portland, OR Fall 2023 | Prof. Imani Day

OVERLAPPING SPACES

Multigenerational Recreation Center | Philadelphia, PA Fall 2023 | Prof. Florian Idenburg

INTERWEAVING CULTURES

Thresholds and Fabrication in San Juan Hill | New York City, NY Fall 2022 | Prof. Sydney Maubert

SOUNDSCAPE OF HOSPITALITY

Traces of Time and Space | Overtown, Miami FL Spring 2023 | Prof. Tao Dufour

THE VIEWING PLATFORM CONN

Structural Model | Films Mountain, Switzerland

Fall 2021 | Prof. Mark Cruvellier

EXPLORATION OF MEDIUMS

Where it all Started | Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Prof. Orling Dominguez

RECLAIMING ALBINA’S LEGACY

NOMAS COMPETITION | PROF. DAY | FALL 2023 HOUSING, RETAIL, & PUBLIC SPACES | PORTLAND, OR

Won 1st place at the 2023 Barbara G. Laurie NOMA Competition. Team project with NOMAS Cornell Chapter. As a design co-lead, I conceptualized the project’s design and oversaw the responsibilities of the other team members.

In order to heal Albina’s fractured history, the proposal weaves a new tapestry into the landscape. Five healing pillars serve as the foundation of the design: community spaces and building facades emerge with medical health, green roofs promote healthy lifestyles, resilient environmental systems and rainwater collection systems are integrated, and vibrant residences engage with businesses. Communal niches are strategically carved out of the site: one in the land, mapping lot lines memories, and the other in the buildings’ voids, echoing the demolished heritage of past housing. The design therefore fosters reciprocal relationships as a means of healing and mending past events -- although people’s homes might have been taken away, their sense of culture and community will remain.

MEDICAL CARE

COMMUNAL SPACE ACTIVATION

Natural Light

Open Events Space

Green Roof

HOME AND RETAIL CONNECTION

Roof Garden

HEALTHY LIVING

Roof Water Collection

Sewerage Filtration Pipe

Gardening

RAIN WATER COLLECTION

BOOKSTORY

Microcosm publishing storefront adjacent to the site. They are an independent book and zine publishing community company.

RESIDENTIAL

Local house in the community demonstrating Portland’s vibrancy and use of color as a form of identity.

URBAN LEAGUE OF PORTLAND

Community organization that aims the community to attain equality employment, health, and quality

i. Current Site Lot

ii. Historic Lot Line Map Strategy

CHURCH

LEGACY EMANUEL HOSPITAL

CHURCH

HILL BLOCK

Historic building that was demolished for the hospital expansion. It was the center of the business district in Albina.

BASKETBALL COURT

PORTLAND

aims to empower equality in education, of life.

RESIDENTIAL

In 1972, the hospital expanded, and hundreds of homes and businesses of the community were demolished. The expansion never happened.

PORTLAND BANK

Historic house in Portland. Pitched roofs are common around the area along with playful facades.

iii. Topography Formation

iv. Carving Integration Strategy

Medical brigade pop-ups help mend the hospital’s community relationship. Weekly night live performances and

A couple-owned coffee shop facilitates

Residents tend their gardens and teach the young how to care for them.

events activate the cultural center. Movable partitions open up to protect the community from the rain.

The side steps and open space activate the center’s main entrance.

facilitates the residents’ economic mobility.

OVERLAPPING SPACES

PROF. IDENBURG & JOHANESEN | FALL 2023 RECREATIONAL CENTER | PHILADELPHIA, PA

Team project. The team worked in unison on design phases and project conceptualization. Both members evenly divided the final drawings, overseen by all.

Delving deep into Philadelphia’s recreation program initiatives, the project aims to transform Murphy’s Recreation Center (the current site) into a space that caters to elders, adults, and children, fostering inclusivity across generations. The goal is to create a hub that encourages multigenerational engagement, transcending age, gender, race, and ethnicity labels. Drawing from the existing building and employing the architectural concept of overlapping boxes, the design improves circulation, introduces innovative programming, and actively encourages interaction among different age groups. Grounded in research showcasing the positive impact of intergenerational engagement on communities, the design goes beyond spatial overlap; it strives to create a welcoming environment that fosters shared connections among people.

Out of the 156 recreation centers in Philly...

Only six are Older Adult Centers...

And only one is located in South Philly.

Project axonometric placed in context of Whitman’s neighborhood.

i. Building outline of Murphey’s Recreation Center, the existing center located on the site in Whitman, South Philly.

ii. Analyzing Murphey’s architectural strategy where a series of seven overlapping volumes intersect one another.

iii. Expanding on the overlapping principles of Murphy’s building to create a multigenerational recreation center.

iv. Exploring the intersection between interior and exterior overlaps to provide relief and connection to the outdoors.

Overlap for Circulation; Hallway Overlap for Circulation;

Overlap for Multi-generation Engagement; Separate / Closed Overlap for Multi-generation

Overlap for Program Activity; Bball & Pottery Overlap for Program Activity;

Circulation; Interior to Exterior

Overlap for Circulation; Vestibule Multi-generation Engagement; Separate / Open

Overlap for Multi-generation Engagement; Joined / Open Activity; Spectator Views

Overlap for Program Activity; Daycare & Events Room

Longitudinal Section

Perpendicular Section

Concept Axonometric demonstrates the three types of overlapping strategies.

Multipurpose room axonometric demonstrates its versatility for large events.

Garden and eating room axonometric shows interior-exterior overlap.

INTERWEAVING CULTURES

THESHOLDS & FABRICATION | PROF. MAUBERT | FALL 2022 CULTURAL MARKET & MUSEUM | NEW YORK CITY, NY

The project aims to create a space of performance and gathering for the displaced communities of San Juan Hill. Recognizing the central role of food in cultural expression and community, the design incorporates a museum and local food market to showcase the art and practices of these marginalized communities. Essentially, the project brings a private act from the domestic space into the public realm for diverse cultures to enjoy. Derived from a study analyzing domesticity in a Latin American home, the concept of the project is deeply rooted in performance and its relation to the human scale. For instance, typical Latin American homes feature two rooms with the same program: one for private use and the other for public gatherings. Despite mirroring each other, these spaces serve distinct purposes and exhibit different materialities.

Lincoln Square site plan highlighting the area’s cultural distribution

Lincoln Center Barricade

Lincoln Square community before demolition.

Community “erased” from their former home.

Initial Concept Sketch

Ground Floor Plan Museum and Market

Longitudinal Section

Juxtaposing Lincoln Center

Welcoming and Encompassing

Sectional and Elevational Form Studies

Intersecting Geometries

Final Site Model; CNC and 3D

SOUNDSCAPE OF HOSPITALITY

TRACES OF TIME | PROF. DUFOUR | SPRING 2023 RELIGIOUS NETWORK PAVILIONS | OVERTOWN, MIAMI

At the heart of Overtown’s community was the church, acting as a sanctuary that provided a haven and unity for most African Americans. However, after the construction of the I-95 highway, which forced the displacement of countless residents and businesses, the community’s spirit was severed. Therefore, the project aims to restore Overtown’s sense of belonging within its religious network by incorporating five interconnected pavilions that reflect the church’s influence. At the core lies the chapel, surrounded by a performance center, library, residence studio, and communal dining area. A continuous and oscillating path connects them all, serving as a sacred procession. Within the interplay of the pavilions’ surfaces, the path assumes a transformative role, occasionally becoming a threshold, an entrance, or an elevated walkway, creating moments of transition and revelation. These elements work to foster an atmosphere of hospitality and warmth, inviting the entire community to engage.

Spiritual Rituals Concept Sketch

Overtown after Highway

Conceptual Site Plan of Religious Network Expansion

Miami Broader Area

Overtown before Highway

Similar to how Overtown has expanded networks of roads and highways, the project seeks to expand on its networks, but rather the religious and spiritual ones, with efforts of creating a safe haven for the community -- a community that has endured history of violence and displacement. It brings into its roots programs centered around cultural expression, belonging, and warmth.

Overtown Current Networks

Expansion of Religious Spine

Highway

Trace Paper Progress Plans and Sections

Studying how the central chapel radiates outwards to the other pavilions.

Exploring the connection between the pavilions in relation to the path.

Analyzing how the path changes purpose through elevational manipulation.

Path as an Entrance Sequence

Path as a Ramp and Exterior Auditorium

Perpendicular Section

Longitudinal Section

THE VIEWING PLATFORM CONN

STRUCTURAL MODEL | PROF. CRUVELLIER | FALL 2021 PRECEDENT STUDY | FILMS MOUNTAIN, SWITZERLAND

Team Project. The team divided tasks evenly among members, including finding the rock for the site, calculating the angle at which materials met, using the metal shop to cut the pieces, and assembling the model.

Anchoring at the outermost edge of the Flims Mountain in Switzerland, the Viewing Platform Conn presents a 180-degree panoramic view of the Ruinaulta gorge. The intervention integrates itself into its surroundings through carefully selected materials and its distinct shape. Key structural concepts of the building include the lateral loadresisting systems and building materials. The structure resists lateral loads generated by wind and earthquakes through a braced frame system, allowing all forces to be in pure tension and compression. The diagonally braced frames connect to the A-frame and wooden platform for stability. Regarding materials, steel exhibits excellent material strength, easily withstanding high-stress levels, while wood efficiently performs under compression.

EXPLORATION OF MEDIUMS

WHERE IT ALL STARTED | PROF. DOMINGUEZ ARTWORKS | SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Before embarking on my journey in architecture, I initiated my career as an artist. Exploring various mediums and styles of representation always intrigued me. Having a clear color palette and understanding how different mediums react to varying materials’ properties proved crucial for this series of artworks. These practices have shaped my understanding of architecture, the home, cultural production, and space. They enabled me to perceive the potential of even the most ordinary spaces and daily activities. Practicing art not only introduced me to architecture but also instilled in me a sense of composition, color balance, and attention to detail. Most importantly, it fostered in me a drive for constant exploration to achieve the envisioned purpose and narrative; in essence it taught me to be open-minded.

Gouache & Colored Pencils

Plastic Chair, Newspaper, Glue, & Oil Paint

Hispanic Domestic Practices Handmade Textile