design portfolio BY ALEXA JENSEN
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About Me ResumĂŠ
URBANISM Alternative Mobilities
DESIGN Graduate Thesis Publications Ethereal Emanation Analog GrowHaus Designwork
ARCHITECTURE Multi-Family Housing Music Venue
Holistic Health Yoga Clinic
about Passionate urbanist, designer, life traveller, positivity engager and serial coffee drinker.
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S K IL LS Software | Technical
QGIS Cartography • Adobe Illustrator • Adobe InDesign • Adobe Photoshop • Google Sketchup • Data Visualization • AutoCAD • Hand Rendering Techniques (Graphite, Oil, Watercolor Marker, Illustration) • Microsoft Office
E D UCAT I ON Parsons School for Design | 2014 - present Master of Science in Design and Urban Ecologies
University of Utah | 2009 - 2012 Interpersonal Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies Team Management Skills • Quick and Efficient Learner • Adaptability to New Weber State University | 2007 - 2009 Environments • Detail Oriented and Dixie State College of Utah | 2007 - 2008 Pragmatic Study Abroad | 2005 & 2007 Research
Community Based Participatory Action Research • Interviewing Techniques • System Analysis • Project Planning • Urban Redevelopment • Sustainable Design • Housing Rights • Critical Race Theory
R E COG N IT IO N
Italy • Austria • Germany • Switzerland • France • England
Bonneville High School | 2004 - 2007
WORK E XPERI E NCE
City of Lakewood | Planning and Sustainability Internship | Present
Academic Achievement Scholarship Working to achieve a 10 year initiative for a more
Parsons School for Design • 2015 sustainable city. Projects include: zero waste initiatives throughout the municipality and citywide, Salt Lake City Pecha Kucha district- scale sustainability research, affordable Design Competition Winner • 2010 housing and social sustainability model research Academic Achievement Scholarship and database collection. Dixie State College • 2007 - 2008 GrowHaus | Digital Design Internship |
Dean’s List Present
Dixie State College • 2007 - 2008 Designing communications and marketing Tennis Team Captain materials for a non-profit who produces Bonneville High School • 2007 and distributes organic food to low-income communities. Projects require a sensitivity to local residents as well as a knowledge of the GrowHaus visual identity.
A F F IL IAT IONS
Right to the City Alliance | 2015 Nordstrom | Assistant Department Renters Assembly - Educating and Advocating for Manager | 2012 - 2014
the Right to Housing in the City Leading and motivating a team of employees. American Institute of Architecture Collaborative and analytical thinking strategies, data review and analysis in order to competitively Students | 2010 - Present compare business results from previous years, Habitat for Humanity | 2009 drafting effective business plans to increase Pecha Kucha Salt Lake City | 2010 results, and managing the store.
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urbanism E X P LO R AT I O N S O F T H E U R B A N Q U E S T I O N
alternative mobilities
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Based on a quantitative and qualitative study of the commuter vans that run between New York City’s satellite Chinatowns, our group has designed a participatory process for communities that are underserved by public transportation to co-create their own mobility systems. While participatory processes have become more commonplace in urban design, mobility remains a project that is usually approached from a top-down perspective. We believe that the ‘Right to Mobility’ is closely related to the ‘Right to the City’- and by taking collective responsibility for connecting parts of the city that have been neglected by traditional processes of transportation, planning and political will, this right can be reclaimed.
Collaborators: Mariana Bomtempo, Masoom Moitra, Tait Mandler + Alexander Valencia
New York City may have one of the most robust public transportation systems in the world but it does not work for everyone equally. For those whose movement is not based on the centrality of Manhattan or a 9 to 5 work day often have transportation needs that go significantly underserved. However, some Immigrant communities that are low income and where English is not the primary language have solved their own mobility problems, often with systems reminiscent of their native countries. “Dollar Vans� are self-organized commuter vans that have become increasingly more common in New York City since the 1980s. With the growth of the Chinese immigrant
population, there became an economic and cultural incentive for fast and linguistically accessible transportation between the developing Chinatowns. Unlike the other dollar vans in the city that pick up passengers all along their routes, the Chinatown vans operate mostly as shuttles between their destinations. This system has no formal maps and emerged without authorization but is currently being assimilated into the city’s authorized transportation through licensing of the vans. We came to understand the Chinatown vans to be a successful system, as measured by the riders themselves. Our mobility co-design process is informed by insights from the Chinatown vans.
alternative mobilities
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Chinatown dollar vans are significantly faster than public transit
= 20,000 riders RIDERS PER DAY = 20,000 = 20,000 riders riders riders RIDERS RIDERS RIDERS PER PER PER DAY DAY DAY = 20,000
Dollar Vans 120,000 Dollar Vans Dollar Dollar Vans Vans 120,000 120,000 120,000
MTA Bus 342,000 342,000 342,000 342,000 MTA MTA Bus Bus MTA Bus
25th largest US bus system 25th 25th largest largest US bus bus system system 25th largest USUS bus system 11th largest US bus system 11th 11th largest largest US bus bus system system 11th largest USUS bus system
NUMBER OF VEHICLES NUMBER NUMBER NUMBER OF OF OF VEHICLES VEHICLES VEHICLES Dollar Vans 900 vans 900 900 vans vans vans Dollar Dollar Dollar Vans Vans Vans 20900 people / van
2020 people 20 people people / van / van / van
While anyone can ride the vans, they are clearly run by and for the Chinese cultural enclave. Patterns of migration to and settlement in New York City are affected by geopolitical forces as well as local land use and real estate markets. The commuter vans serve as a vector of socioeconomic connection. They allow families to easily visit each other, provide home-work transportation, and facilitate the flow of capital via consumption between enclaves.
MTA Bus 1,200 buses 1,200 1,200 buses buses buses MTA MTA MTA Bus Bus Bus 501,200 people / bus
5050 people 50 people people / bus / bus / bus
OPERATING COSTS licensed van
$34,350 per year
Insurance $7,663 Oil & Maintenance $150 Emissions $15 Inspection $150 Hack License $275
Gas $26,097
$26,247 per year
unlicensed van
Gas $26,097
Oil & Maintenance $150
GAS CONSUMPTION
FLUSHING
MANHATTAN - FLUSHING 13.8 miles 16-25 TRIPS PER TANK
ELMHUST
MANHATTAN
MANHATTAN - ELMHURST 7.8 miles 29-45 TRIPS PER TANK
MANHATTAN - SUNSET 6 miles 38-58 TRIPS PER TANK
SUNSET PARK
alternative mobilities
SUNSET - FLUSHING 17.4 miles 13-20 TRIPS PER TANK
1980 MANHATTAN MANHATTAN
MANHATTAN
MANHATTAN MANHATTAN
QUEENS QUEENS
BROOKLYN BROOKLYN
BROOKLYN
BROOKLYN BROOKLYN
MANHATTAN MANHATTAN
1990 1990
BROOKLYN BROOKLYN
QUEENS QUEENS
BROOKLYN BROOKLYN
2000 2000
2010 2010
CHINATOWN FLUSHING
WORKING POPULATION: 26,935
CHINATOWN MANHATTAN
WORKING POPULATION: 26,950
CHINATOWN SUNSET PARK WORKING POPULATION: 28,001
1o QUEENS
BROOKLYN
2000
2010
Growth of Asian Enclaves Around Chinatown Van Routes
MANHATTAN MANHATTAN
QUEENS QUEENS
MANHATTAN
QUEENS
QUEENS QUEENS
1980 1980
1990
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Evaluate + Process Community Input to Conduct A Second Round of Research + Interviews.
1. Initial Meeting to Frame Situation Identify and Identify the Stakeholders and “Situation”. Community Organizations + Investigation of Situation with Lexicon + Metrics.
2.
b
Assembly to Information + Rider Feed
Return to the Question of Rider Demand to Find a Conclusive Demand.
3. Specify Potential Riders + Community to Outreach for a Collaborative Workshop/Meeting.
Workshop with Workbook to Identify Rider Demand + Challenges from a Community Perspective.
Our hypothesis is that some communities may be more adept at cooperatively creating and sustaining their own mobility systems than the MTA. From this, we designed a process for communities to realize their ‘right to the city’ through their ‘right to mobility.’ This should be understood as a participatory process for alternative mobilities that challenges the typical topdown approach to mobility. This process may be used by community organizations, government agencies and independent consultants.
alternative mobilities
4.
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Workshop Updated Wor
a
Workbook Collaboration to Identify A Common Sense of Direction
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9.
b
Revise Design + Create Comprehensive Action Plan
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Present + Gather dback.
a
Analysis + Design
p with rkbook.
Identify Formal Structures, Economic Systems, Social Cohesion, Protocols, Policy/Regulations, + Criteria for Success From Riders, Community, Organization and Collaborator Feedback. Develop a Preliminary Action Plan.
MISSED CONNECTIONS
Workshop with Revised Preliminary Action Plan to Further Develop Criteria For Success
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8
a
b
Pilot Revised Preliminary Action Plan to Further Develop Criteria For Success
Legend Facilitators
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Collaborator Organizations
b
Riders
Consultation to Discuss Feasibility
Technicians MISSED CONNECTIONS | D ESIGN REVISION
STEP 6b
STEP 9
Revise Design To Create A Comprehensive Action Plan
These nodes of connection have been identified by the potential ridership. What kinds of connections can be created between them?
Extract information from Pilot Program of the Preliminary Action Plan
X
X
X
Revise Program and Create a Comprehensive Action Plan Based Off of Pilot Program Results
x
X
Bay Parkway Job Center
Laborer Homes
Common Work Areas
Approximately how many daily riders would this system serve?
route 1
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What would be the most appropriate vehicle to connect these people and places? HELLO
bicycles Notes:
cars
minivans
vans
minibuses
buses route 2
x x
ยกHOLA!
ยกHOLA!
ยกHOLA!
This participatory model would work well for many underserviced communities, including disabled communities, the elderly, community board voters, and day laborers. To test our participatory process, we took the day laborer scenario through the design phase to test its feasibility.
1. 2.
3.
4.
alternative mobilities
5.
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6b
6a
7b
7a
8a
8b
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DESIGN D E S I G N & P U B L I C AT I O N S T U D I E S
AC TIVE DIS POSI TION 9 SPACES OF POSSIBILITY
These two Graduate thesis Publications were compiled to showcase the work of the Class of 2015 Design and Urban Ecologies Students & Theories of Urban Practice Students.
Collaborators: Gamar Markarian
thesis publication
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MS DESIGN AND URBAN ECOLOGIES Thesis presentations 2015
School of Design Strategies
AC TIVE DIS POSI TION 9 SPACES OF POSSIBILITY
These two Graduate thesis Publications were compiled to showcase the work of the Class of 2015 Design and Urban Ecologies Students & Theories of Urban Practice Students.
Collaborators: Gamar Markarian
thesis publication
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MA Theories of Urban Practice
School of Design Strategies
et
FURNITURE
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ethereal emanation|a.
21.5”
.5”
ethereal emanation|a. jensen .5”
s within a glass shade. The base is dy foundation for the lamp to sit and is wired to a 40 watt, amber
‘Ethereal emanation’ grows from its base and illuminates within a glass shade. The base is made of plywood that has been tiered to create a sturdy for the within lamp to sit Ethereal emanation grows foundation from its base and illuminates a glass shade. The ba within. cord runsa through metal made of plywood that hasThe been tiered to create sturdy foundation for the lamp to and is wired to a 40 watt, within. The cordtubing runs through aluminum metal tubing and is wired to a 40 watt, am 21.5” amber-coated bulb. 4”
coated bulb. 90
60
120
60
150
30
30
180
4”
360
240
120
CANDLEPOWER
120
240
360
0
[RE]DEFINE : ANALOG
CHARCOAL, OIL STIPLE, WATERCOLOR MARKER, GRAPHITE.
[RE]DEFINE : ANALOG
CHARCOAL, OIL STIPLE, WATERCOLO
analog
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OR MARKER, GRAPHITE.
Clockwise from left to right:
Depthless | Charcoal House on a Lake | Oil Stipple Streets of Villa France | Watercolor Marker + Pen 24th Street Church | Pencil Lola | Charcoal
½àhÖ½Ú healthy food is a right not a privilege
í The GrowHaus is a non-profit run in Denver, Colorado that produces and distributes organically grown, high-quality foods to the low-income and environmentally-gentrified neighborhoods of Elyria-Swansea and Globeville. The GrowHaus visual identity is both fun and culturallysensitive. These flyers represent designwork completed during a summer-long internship.
Growhaus designwork
ÓåT àÁå ¹=Ö²há
Tµ Z åÖÛ
GROWHAUS desde 2009
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ly ria ,c -swansea
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idos con el un
The GrowHaus
cruising Proudly Presents
for
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community a también event
General Admission $25 También Members $15 Children $15 www.thegrowhaus.org/cruising-for-community Join The GrowHaus' bike tour around Elyria-Swansea, Globeville. The 6-mile riding event begins at The GrowHaus with coffee and a light breakfast, moves to a guided talk with partner organizations and community gardens, and ends with free lunch at Stem Ciders. This is an event for all! For questions please call (720)515-4751 or visit www.thegrowhaus.org/cruising-for-community for your también discount code, visit www.thegrowhaus.org/tambien-donation
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ARCHITECTURE A R C H I T E C T U R A L E X P LO R AT I O N S
GROUND FIRST SECOND
SUPPLY
SUPPLY
COMMONS
COMMONS
LAUNDRY
RECORDING
JAM SPACE
VENUE
THIRD
multi-family housing+ music venue LIVING SPACES
ROOFTOP GARDEN
LIVING SPACES
LIVING SPACES
LARGE JAM SPACE
LIVING SPACES
COURTYARD VENUE
RR
UPPER COURTYARD
RR
RR
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ATION ALLS
The Granary District of Salt Lake City attracts many local artists and musicians as well as being home to many low-income residents. This low-income housing unit serves as an artist’s community, specifically for musicians. Musical artists can collaborate, practice, record, perform and live within the music community while non-residents can enjoy local outdoor and indoor 1921 1952 shows.
GRANARY DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS
SOUND REVERBERATION OFF SLANTED WALLS SOUND SOURCE
72 SUMMER SOLAR NOON
6 WINTER SOLAR NOON
72 SUMMER SOLAR NOON
SOUND SOURCE
25.6 WINTER SOLAR NOON
YEARLY SUN FILTRATION
SOUND REVERBERATION OFF SLANTED WALLS
STIC DIAGRAM SOUND SOURCE
YEARLY SUN FILTRATION
72 SUMMER SOLAR NOON 25.6 WINTER SOLAR NOON SOUND SOURCE
SUN FILTRATION DIAGRAM
ACOUSTIC DIAGRAM
SUN FILTRATION DIAGRAM
ACOUST
SUNSUN FILTRATION SYSTEM YEARLY FILTRATION SOUND SOURCE
The housing unit + music venue is designed for optimal acoustics in the outdoor and indoor performance areas and features sustainable sunfiltration in the summer and winter months . SOUND SOURCE
SUN FILTRATION DIAGRAM
ACOUSTIC DIAGRAM
DETAIL CONSTRUCTION SECTION
multi-family housing+ music venue
SOU
UTH SECTION C
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WEST SECTION B
SOUTH SECTION A
PUBLIC MIXED PRIVATE
Yoga is a moving meditation. The transitional flow from one position to the next is just as important as the pose itself. Just as one would transition through the poses of a vinyasa, one should transition through a clinic - mindfully and fluidly.
FOLDING PLANES TO CREATE FLUID MOVEMENT
The holistic health yoga clinic for downtown Salt Lake City is an FOLDING PLANES TO designed CREATE FLUID MOVEMENT environment to promote community health and wellness through the combination of eastern and western medicine.
CILBUP DEXIM ETAVIRP
Holistic health yoga clinic
O THE NEXT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE POSE WOULD TRANSITION THROUGH THE POSES OF A ULD TRANSITION THROUGH A CLINIC - FLUIDLY. R DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE CITY IS DESIGNED TO OF ITS PATIENTS THROUGH THE COMBINATION OF EASTERN & WESTERN MEDICINE.
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PROCESS MODELS - FOLDING PLANES
MOVING PROCESS MODEL | BASS WOOD
3. CHECK IN/OUT & SCHEDULING 4. CHILDREN’S ROOM 5. RESTROOM 6. EXAM ROOM 7. MEDICAL ASSISTANTS 8. OFFICE MANAGER 9. PHYSICIAN OFFICE 10. RECORDS & CHARTING 11. STAFF LOCKER/RESTROOM 12.CONFERENCE ROOM 13. BREAK ROOM 14. WORK/COPY 15. WASHER/DRYER 16. SHIPPING/SUPPLY
WEST SECTION
NORTH SECTION
Holistic health yoga clinic
36 1. CAFE & PHARMACY 2. LOBBY AND WAITING 3. CHECK IN/OUT & SCHEDULING 4. CHILDREN’S ROOM 5. RESTROOM 6. EXAM ROOM 7. MEDICAL ASSISTANTS 8. OFFICE MANAGER 9. PHYSICIAN OFFICE 10. RECORDS & CHARTING 11. STAFF LOCKER/RESTROOM 12.CONFERENCE ROOM 13. BREAK ROOM 14. WORK/COPY 15. WASHER/DRYER 16. SHIPPING/SUPPLY
1. CAFE & PHARMACY 2. LOBBY AND WAITING 3. CHECK IN/OUT & SCHEDULING 4. CHILDREN’S ROOM 5. RESTROOM 6. EXAM ROOM 7. MEDICAL ASSISTANTS 8. OFFICE MANAGER 9. PHYSICIAN OFFICE 10. RECORDS & CHARTING 11. STAFF LOCKER/RESTROOM 12.CONFERENCE ROOM 13. BREAK ROOM 14. WORK/COPY NORTH SECTION 15. WASHER/DRYER 16. SHIPPING/SUPPLY
1. LARGE YOGA STUDIO 2. LARGE MEDITATION STUDIO 3. PRIVATE YOGA & MEDITATION STUDIO 4. SUPPLIES 5. RESTROOM
WEST SECTION
WEST SECTION