Victoria's Architecture Portfolio

Victoria

Herrera | PORTFOLIO

Victoria Herrera | PORTFOLIO

VICTORIA HERRERA

(310) 910 - 8064 • 00.victoriaherrera@gmail.com

EDUCATION

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA

Bachelor of Architecture | June 2023 | GPA 3.11

Hochschule Biberach University of Applied Sciences, Biberach, Germany

September 2021 - 2022

• Completed coursework centered on timber construction, sustainability, and climate design.

• Designed a green office building in a group of 4 through the creation of construction details.

• Adapted a greater understanding of the German language and culture.

EXPERIENCE

World Market Sales Associate, Hawthorne, CA

November 2023 - present

• Assisted customers in finding and buying merchandise in a cordial and professional manner.

• Processed 15-40 ship from store orders before store opening hours.

• Prepared orders for customers through the navigation of company specific IBM software. Independently Contracted Design Work for BRIJBI Homes, Inglewood, CA

October 2022 - March 2023

• Communicated with the client to create renders for a bathroom redesign.

Vellum Furniture Design Competition, San Luis Obispo, CA

November 2022

• Designed and constructed a stool through sewing, woodworking, and reupholstering unconventional materials.

• Nominated for the Cradle to Cradle award for utilizing reusable materials.

Solar Decathlon Europe, Wuppertal, Germany

June 2022

• Collaborated with 30 students to present a unit powered by renewable energy.

• Coordinated bilingual presentations of the team’s final design through project tours.

• Hosted a dinner for competitors to facilitate discussions on solar design.

TRIO Student Assistant (remote work), San Luis Obispo, CA

October 2020 - June 2021

• Managed the TRIO Instagram by designing and posting workshop and announcement flyers.

• Co-facilitated workshops composed of 10-15 students via Zoom.

• Kept data analytics to track how many students attended workshops.

Target Checkout & Service Advocate, San Luis Obispo, CA

Sept 2019 - July 2020

• Established stronger communication skills for interacting with colleagues and guests.

• Designed creative posters showcasing the manager’s expectations for the month.

• Administered closing operations to develop leadership skills.

AIA House Tours Docent (volunteer work), San Luis Obispo, CA

May 2019

• Guide for American Institute of Architects’ house tours.

AWARDS

Oliver McCammon Scholarship | June 2018

California Polytechnic University Castagna Architecture Scholarship | June 2020, 2021, 2022

Community Foundation of San Luis Obispo Study Abroad Scholarship | September 2021

TECHNICAL SKILLS

LANGUAGE SKILLS

English (Native) Spanish (Heritage Language, Fluent)

(Limited Working Proficiency)

01_WOVEN HARMONY

HBCU Library Project in Los Angeles

02_TERRAE: OF THE EARTH

Roman Ruins Museum in Kempten, Germany

01_WOVEN HARMONY

+Project: Library and Student Union (for a hypothetical Historically Black University)

+Instructor: Thomas Fowler

+Term: Winter - Spring 2021

+Site: Port of Los Angeles

THE LIBRARY

Woven Harmony embraces the intertwined nature of the black community. The main objective for this project was to reimagine Terminal Island in Los Angeles as a Historically Black University and create a library for the campus that embodies traditional HBCU values of community, inclusion, and empowerment. With the help of a team of two other students (Defne Gorgulu and Peipei Wu), the first week of the project consisted of converting Terminal Island on the Port of Los Angeles to

an HBCU campus (see images on the left of this page). Although short, this portion of the project exercised our ability to work with a larger scale and consider the urban planning of such a vast site.

The next developmental phase was that of the library. Fixed on the campus as the central hub of the student body, its design was based on both the conceptualization of art and the need to provide students with a place that exercises their values and autonomy. With

consideration of Mark Bradford’s Biggie Biggie Biggie collage (see below), the general form of the building was intended to include various layers of materiality, work space, and free space.

FLR 1

In this project, the radial nature of the design in plan brings emphasis to one of the most important parts of the building: its structural trees. Although dainty-seeming in their stringy materiality, the structural trees uphold the project through their interconnectedness, emphasizing the importance of interdependence within the occupants of the library. Their likeness to trees connect the structure to the environment of the site.Furthermore, the trees act as wells of light, bestowing openness upon anyone inhabiting the spaces near them.

FLR 3

FLR 4

FLR 5

WOVEN HARMONY

CONSTRUCTION DIAGRAM

Copper & Glazing Curtain Wall System

Column & Beam Structural System

Structural Trees, Concrete Floor Plates, & Foundation

CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

(left) The circulation of the project was intended to loosely influence the experience of students. For a project with a variety of program, it was more important to ensure different student resources were quickly accessible to those that needed them.

(below) One of the most important aspects in consideration to the program arrangement was to consider which parts of the program needed more privacy and which parts were to be made more public.

EAST - WEST SECTION

Overall, the staggered program intends to create transparency between groups of people in the library occupying shared spaces such as the grand reading room covered with book stacks and study spots.

CONSTRUCTION

WALL:

Perforated Copper Panels

Metal Brackets

Bronze Clips

Steel Pipe

Concrete Cavity Wall

Insulation

Concrete Interior Wall

FLOOR:

Plywood Sheathing

Vapor Barrier

Concrete Slab

Corrugated Decking

Steel I-Beam

Spray Foam Insulation

Ceiling Space for Cables

Drop Ceiling

PV WINDOW DETAIL:

Mullion Cap

Gasket

Thin Film Substrate Module

Electrical Contact

Spacer with Wiring

Air Space

Laminated Glass at Interior

Wiring Through Mullion

Mullion

DETAIL at 1/4 scale FULL WEST WALL DETAIL at 1/8 scale

HBCU

These images showcase the interior environment of the grand reading room. The picture above illustrates a large mural exhibiting important black historical figures to promote black excellence. The picture below gives an idea of the beautiful views that connect the interior to the outdoors.

02_TERRAE: OF THE EARTH

+Project: Museum Celebrating the Roman Empire’s History in Kempten, Allgäu, Germany.

+Instructor: Wolfgang Brune

+Term: Winter - Spring 2022

+Site: Cambodunum Park

ROMANRUINS

MUSEUM RENDERVIEWSITEVIEWS

Terrae is a museum that celebrates the remnants of the Roman Empire in Southern Germany.

The objective of the project was to satisfy the user experience with a simple circulation and form. Because of these features, visitors of the museum can focus their experience around treasuring the views of the site, the materiality of the building itself, and the ruins that make up the history of Kempten. This project aims to use thick clay walls whose erosion over time emphasize the longevity of the artifacts on display and serve as a reminder for visitors about how impressive Roman construction

museum in kempten | winter spring 2021 must have been to survive years of harsh conditions.

Inspired by Peter Zumthor’s Kolumba, Martin Rauch’s Ricola Herb Center, and Clément Vergély’s L’Orangerie, Terrae utilized a wide array of research to understand the construction of this project.

1 - Reception

2 - Locker Hall

3 - Coat Check Room

4 - Foyer

5 - Bathrooms

6 - Storage

7 - Cafe

GROUND FLOOR

1 - Workshop Room

2 - Exhibition: Roman Domesticity

3 - Exhibition: Crafts & Trade

4 - Exhibition: Gods & Men

2ND FLOOR

A strong and intentional circulatory experience means the visitors of the building will be able to intently focus on the subject matter of the exhibits themselves and provides a rational execution to catering to the user experience.

1 - City Planning on the Mediterranean Model

- Outdoor Terrace

TERRAE: OF THE EARTH

SECTION B

The monolithic museum was carved in section to allow for proper daylighting. Large window openings are supported by a wooden frame that is light enough to be supported by the rammed earth exterior.

TERRAE: OF THE EARTH NORTH WEST ELEVATION

NORTH EAST ELEVATION

CONSTRUCTION

ROOF:

Concrete Substructure

XPS Insulation

Concrete Substructure

Reinforced Trass Lime Mortar/Mud

Brick/T-Beam Ceiling Structure

WALL:

Rammed Earth

Insulation

Rammed Earth

FLOOR (2ND & 3RD FLOORS):

Surface Finish

Rammed Earth

XPS Insulation

Concrete Substructure

Reinforced Trass Lime Mortar/Mud

Brick/T-Beam Ceiling Structure

FLOOR (GROUND FLOOR):

Rammed Earth Base

Mix of Cork/Trass/Clay

Foam/Glass Fill

time abroad/sketch excursion

renovation projects

vellum furniture competition

thesis

time abroad

For my 4th year off campus experience, I studied in Germany at the Biberach University of Applied Sciences. I was able to complete a variety of courses related to sustainable design, designing with wood, and designing with raw materials. The experience was very immersive as the course material was all in German.

In the pictures to the right, the first shows our team’s Solar Decathalon project next to the projects of other schools, the second shows my dedication to finding architectural works we talked about in school such as Zumthor’s Kunsthaus in Bregenz, Austria, and the third is of Heidelberg, Germany (the most photogenic city in the south).

Our Project!!

1

3

2

These sketches were done for a drawing excursion in Salzburg, Austria. It was a four day adventure that taught me how to proportionally draw in perspective.

4

renovation projects

This project was completed for BRIJBI HOMES LLC in Inglewood. I utilized Rhino and InDesign to complete interior renders for a bathroom remodel in LA. I worked in close communication with the client to create interior mood boards and come up with the final product.

Via Panchon | Plan scale: 3/4” = 1’0”

Via Panchon: East Elevation | scale: 3/4” = 1’0”

Via Panchon: West Elevation | scale: 3/4” = 1’0”

renovation projects

This project was completed for a technical interview with MAERTENS LLC in Los Angeles. I utilized Revit and Enscape to complete interior renders for a kitchen remodel of a house in Ojai, CA.

vellum furniture competition

Every year at Cal Poly, the College of Architecture & Environment Design hosts a furniture competition. For my project, the main concept was to construct a piece of furniture using all reusable materials sourced from thrift stores and my peers at school.

My sustainable approach meant my project was nominated for the “cradle to cradle” award. This project taught me the importance of understanding the limitations of the materials you are using. For instance, the legs of the stool had to be carefully connected differently than how the stuffed animals needed to be sewed and connected.

(top right) The chair’s layers are shown.

(right) Enjoying the fruits of my labor.

(below) The chair now sits in a 1st grade class at Sandra Cisneros Elementary in LA.

(above) In shop photo of the chair legs being assembled.

thesis

With the intent to take on a site close to home, I utilized the abandoned mall in Hawthorne, CA as a case study to research how to reimagine the typology of enclosed malls. My thesis taught me the responsibilities that come with redesigning spaces on a vast site. I carved into the existing monolithic structure to introduce elements of natural and functional materials that would create a space more pleasant and nurturing of the environment and for the community.

Reminder of the Human Scale

This model served as an opportunity to further explore the specifics of what someone moving through the space would experience. The whimsical approach to designing the PV shading structure attached to the roof serves as an opportunity to have design elements that contrast the mundanity of the existing post and beam concrete structure.