Awarded Honorable Mention in CBDX Cities for All International Urban Design Competition, Hosted by University of Calgary
Revit + Enscape + Photoshop + Illustrator

December 2020

Competition Brief:
This international design ideas competition—the first in the CBDX series—asks, What does a city for all look like? How does it operate and function? How can it come into being? What place, structure, thing, system, process, or relationship must be forged to engender a more just and equitable ‘city for all’? And in particular—this is perhaps the most crucial question—the competition asks, How are these aims navigated by, through, and with the current uncertainty wrought by the ongoing global pandemic and the long-term existential threats of environmental degradation and climate change? This is the year a wide-ranging set of inequities—that have always been there—have been brought to bear. The only difference is that now a significantly larger percentage of the public, and wider society, has become aware of how urgent addressing these issues are. As various movements have demonstrated, such as Black Lives Matter, the time to act is now. ‍Thus, this competition asks entrants to consider how matters of equity and activism, ecology and environment, and health and wellness might converge—and unfold—within our future cities.

See more about the competition and the other incredible entries at this link

Residential Renovation Project
Role: Architectural Designer (Design Support & Coordination, Client Management, Renderings & Graphics, etc)
Revit + Enscape
2020 (Ongoing)

Supporting a South Minneapolis homeowner with an overhaul of their finished attic space into a bright, comfortable, and refreshing master bedroom suite that prioritizes indoor environmental quality and a variety of integrated plantings. Includes entirety of architectural design process, from existing conditions and precedent studies to design development and documentation, with interior finishes and construction administration support planned.

Client: Paxton-Buckley-Loda School District, IL
Role: Architectural Designer / Construction Administration (Design Support & Coordination, Client & Contractor Communication, Submittals / RFIs, Site Visits, Renderings & Graphics, etc)
Revit + Sketchup + Enscape

September 2018 - August 2019

When planning for the expansion of their elementary school, the Paxton-Buckley-Loda district in southern Illinois used the opportunity to envision a progressive and modern facility that would support the use of flexible 21st Century learning practices and help those practices take root throughout their schools. With the support and advocacy of a passionate superintendent, our team helped guide them through the design process.

While I was not part of this project’s initial design phases, the project’s unique circumstances led my construction administration role to become much more involved in the final design and detailing of the project than it typically would be. Due to the contractor’s overly-conservative budgeting during the design process, many design elements across the project had originally been reduced or removed in order to meet the assumed budget. However, when the bid results actually returned significantly under budget, we collaborated closely with the client and contractor in order to rapidly and efficiently bring desired portions of those elements back into the project in alignment with the construction schedule and budget. Additionally, we worked with the client to use this chance to improve the material and finish palette, add new school pride graphics, refine detailing, etc. The end result is a project that exceeds the design quality and capabilities of both the original design intent and the project that was bid, while still meeting the intended budget.

Client: Lakeville Public School District, MN
Role: Architectural Designer (Schematic Design through Completion of Construction Documents, Renderings / Walkthroughs, Presentation Graphics, etc)
Revit + Enscape

November 2019 - January 2020

The Lakeville school district has been experiencing unexpectedly rapid population growth, causing many of their schools to be operating beyond their intended capacity. In order to relieve pressure on their elementary schools, the district decided to strategically expand Lake Marion Elementary within a rapid timeframe, with the project first beginning discussions in October 2019 and opening when classes start in fall 2020.

This incredibly tight timeline required intense collaboration between our team, the district, and the contractor. Additionally, in order to meet the construction schedule required, the entire SD/CD/DD process was reduced to only 13 weeks, with a construction estimate deadline every 4 weeks to ensure the project was still on budget. Finally, the client’s use of lease levy funding to raise funding outside of a typical referendum timeline created rigid constraints of the total square footage allowed in the addition (up to 20% of existing) as well as the types of spaces allowed.

In spite of these challenges and constraints, our small design team was able to create results that consistently exceeded the client’s expectations in both quality and quantity. My extensive experience in BIM modeling, renderings and graphics, design and construction documentation, and more helped our team complete an exceptionally challenging project.

Role: Graphic Designer
Adobe Illustrator

March 2017 - April 2020

Data literacy and clarity are crucial for any kind of visual communication with clients and stakeholders. During my time at DLR Group, I constantly volunteered to lead and support graphic design projects for our team in order to help improve how our design work was being understood by the clients.

The primary goal was always to ensure that every stakeholder (who often ranged from educators and administrators, facility staff, students, parents, etc) could not only understand the data at a glance, but also have the necessary context and background information to understand why that data is important and how it affects their goals. Ensuring that everyone clearly understands the data can create better stakeholder engagement, comfort, and advocacy, which should be a priority in every project.

Role: Primary Designer (Research, Conceptual Design & Modeling, Renderings / Walkthroughs, Presentation Graphics, etc)
Sketchup + Enscape

October 2018 | 4 weeks

My passion for affordable sustainable housing led me to volunteer to assist one of the firm’s leaders in creating a unique and innovative design proposal for a community housing prototype. The housing was intended as highly-supportive living facilities for residents with special needs such as autism, allowing them to live independently or with their families while having the support services they require close at hand. As these residents can be more sensitive to their environments, a primary focus of the project was occupant health and well-being to support a positive lifestyle.

The project was packaged into a proposal presentation that was shared with city leaders and potential investors in the Twin Cities as well as around the region.

The following is a selection of my graphic design experience throughout my professional career, including projects at firms, as a freelance designer, and personally, as well as a small collection of academic work as well.

Projects are listed in reverse chronological order. If images are part of separate projects, clicking on the images will connect to their main project page.

Third Place in Home Matters ‘Home Today, Home Tomorrow’ Design Competition
Revit + 3ds Max + Photoshop + Illustrator

Spring 2016

A creative housing concept focused around providing the ability to shift and adjust key spaces through a series of accessible and intuitive modifications, allowing for a highly-flexible building program that adapts to the occupants’ needs and stage in life while also encouraging a more social and sustainable lifestyle.

Third Place in Home Matters Design Competition
Revit + 3ds Max + Photoshop + Illustrator

Spring 2015

A housing complex focused around nurturing a sense of independence and community in each resident by providing a variety of opportunities for personal growth and social connection while also helping to shoulder key emotional and financial burdens that would otherwise hold them back.

The emphasis on mental well­-being, social connections, urban agriculture, integrated family and tenant services, and highly-efficient sustainable design all come together to provide a more stable emotional and financial base for the residents and the surrounding community.

Entrant in St Paul Prize Design Challenge
Revit + Photoshop

Fall 2016

Two week solo design competition for young professionals that challenged us to create a vibrant and exciting mix-used housing solution for the Payne Phalen neighborhood in St Paul. In addition to creating a healthy and nurturing living environment for residents in all life situations, the designs also had to feature prominent connection with a neighboring trailhead, as well as space for local businesses.

The submission was limited to two boards, including key image and drawing requirements.

Client: Edina Public School District, MN
Role: Architectural Designer (Schematic Design through Construction Documents, Fit Plans, Concept Designs and Graphics, User Group Meetings, Coordination with MEP / Structural, etc)
Revit + Adobe CS6

August 2015 - February 2016

Large-scale design project focused on revitalizing and expanding a prominent, high-capacity school through the creation of highly-flexible and collaborative learning spaces. The project’s unique constraints in the existing building and site required creative and thoughtful strategies in order to provide a comfortable and modern learning environment.

My primary project responsibilities focused within the interior architectural design, including the development of schematic plans throughout the building and subsequent implementation into detailed plans.

Client: Starbucks Coffee (various locations - primarily Chicago & Washington, DC areas)
Role: Architectural Designer (All design phases)
Revit + Adobe CS6

April 2012 - September 2013

As a designer at NORR, I worked as part of a small team focused on creating unique, engaging and environmentally-responsible store designs for Starbucks Coffee.

Each project was guided through the major design phases: 
-Site surveys, existing condition documentation and creation of a highly-detailed EC model
-Local code / permitting research
-Creating schematic and conceptual design packages, complete with FF&E options and visualizations
-Completion of construction document sets, including custom component design details
-Submitting necessary permit applications and LEED documentation

Drawing and illustration are an old love of mine. Here are a selection of some designs from the last few years.

University of Kansas Design+Build Studio
Conceptual Design + Detailing + Fabrication + Construction

Fall 2008 | 13 weeks

Our studio was commissioned by the KU Ecological Reserves to create the first of a series of public viewpoints that would showcase the beauty of the natural prairie and surrounding landscape, and is meant especially as a place for school field trips. The design put an emphasis on low costs, recycled materials and ease of maintenance. The structure takes cues from its surroundings, subtly emulating the natural forms around it; the bench becoming the waving tallgrass, the deck acting as an extension of the bluff that it rests on, and the railing as a defined horizon line.

Graduate Studio - Team Project
Sketchup + Adobe Suite

Spring 2011 | 5 weeks

Included in UNDER.ON.GONE. graduate design exhibition, which was recognized by the AIA Central States for Excellence in Master Planning / Urban Design

When the interstate highway first cut through this area of Kansas City, the residential Westside neighborhood was both physically and psychologically separated from the more urban Crossroads District. In the decades since then, the differences between the two neighborhoods have continued to increase. This project sought to find a way to repurpose the highway structure between the two in order to stitch the neighborhoods back together in harmony, as a stronger community.