4th Year  |  Revit, SketchUp, Photoshop

Objective: Design a day spa to be located in an existing building in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland.  Create a memorable client experience while maintaining the original character of the building.  (As this project was completed in an architecture studio class while studying abroad, the professor’s intended focus was solely creating a strong concept and user experience.  Therefore, attention to building codes and ADA was not required.)

Concept: Aisthesis, the name of the spa, refers to more than just visual perception.  It refers to general perception with all of the senses, as well as the impression that the perceived senses leave on the body.  The spa experience will heighten its users’ awareness of their everyday senses by taking those senses away, and reintroducing them one by one.  In addition to this client experience, the design of the spa will maintain the character of the original building in which it exists, as well as drawing inspiration from the surrounding nature of Switzerland.

4th Year  |  Revit, SketchUp, Photoshop

Objective: Design a bike-friendly, sustainable hostel that fits seamlessly within the Danish culture.

Concept: The concept of the hostel revolves around sustainable “cycles.”  As bicycling is an extremely popular and sustainable form of transportation in Denmark, the function and form within the hostel are inspired by bikes.  Recycled materials are used throughout the design, as well as processes encouraging guests to recycle during their stay.  Rain water, which is plentiful in Denmark, is harvested and used as gray water throughout the hostel.

Interior design is most sustainable when it can be easily removed from the core building and changed when the building program is reassigned.  Inspired by the mobility and sustainability of bikes, the 3D spatial divisions throughout the hostel are wooden pieces held together by a metal frame, which can be easily moved or changed.  These forms are inspired by the pattern created by a bike tire tread, and the metal framing is inspired by the metal frame which is essential to a bike’s form.

3rd Year  |  Revit, Rhino, Grasshopper, Model Building

Objective: Lobby spaces act as the face of the building, greeting those who enter and giving a hint as to what may follow.  Design a dynamic environment for a residential or hospitality tower lobby.  The design should revolve around the reception desk, which should be the focal point that all materials and details respond to.

Concept: Design a hostel lobby that represents the transition from basics to luxury.  Use design elements to inform the guests that unlike most hostels, which consist of bare basics that lack attention to design, this hostel will provide a luxurious experience while remaining affordable.  Design a reception desk that physically embodies this transition from basics to luxury using materiality and form.