amy.pokora L E E D
A P
architecture portfolio
educational background
a m y. po ko ra L E E D
A P
anpokora@gmail.com
relevant experience
professional experience
professional s k i l l s
Masters of Architecture Candidate University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
Graduation: June 2013 September 2011
Bachelor of Environmental Design Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Graduated Magna Cum Laude (GPA 3.85)
2007 - 2011
LEED Accredited Professional US Green Building Council, Washington DC
August 2011
Employee June 2010 - March 2011 Intern July 2009 - December 2009 TSG Architects AIA, Gonzales, TX Work extensively on LEED credits for a new building project Review and compile Request for Qualifications Design PowerPoint presentations for clients US Green Building Council Student Group University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon Officer of newly formed student group Ecological Design Center: HOPES Conference 2012 University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon Co-chair of Rammed Earth Discussion Panel of professionals Administrative Support February 2011 - August 2011 Brazos Technology, College Station, Texas Managed complex Repair Maintenance Authorization process Built detailed instruction process manual for basic office tasks Music Instructor 2005 - 20011 Piano + Violin Teacher, College Station, Texas Established and advertised a new music studio Tutored ages grade school to adult in piano and violin Model Building Time Management Technical Writing Graphic Design: Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign Software Capabilities: Revit, AutoCAD, eQuest, Microsoft Office
what can only be made by a laser cutter?
This abstract design assigment was simple: create an item that can only be made by a laser cutter. Research into the principles of the laser cutter took me through four iterative generations of the design. Each design further developed the idea of the laser cutter. The easiest identifying mark of the laser cutter is the burns. Also, the path of the laser cutter is etched on the wood, depicting the process of the design. The cube is used since the laser cutter makes precise cuts each time. In addition, for a laser to function, it must be kept in an enclosed area, which is why each item includes an enclosure. Since the laser cutter does not create waste from any cuts, the inteior negative space leftover from the windows of the enclosure becomes the inteior elements. In essence, extensive research was the driving force of this design.
Spring 2010 Professor Marcel Erminy Texas A&M Universiy
The iterative process strengthens every design. This abstract design depended upon this process. Research determined the intent of the object, and numerous iterations strengthened that intent visually. Following the completion of one object, I compiled a list of what features worked well and what items failed. With each design, the intent and form became more successful and apparent, resulting in a beautiful final product. This design process as a whole demonstrates my belief in the importance of repetition, research, and analysis in every design project.
Spring 2010 Professor Marcel Erminy Texas A&M Universiy
flooring.design
The Gonzales Memorial Hospital was in desperate need of a renovation. The focal point of the renovation was a new nurses’ station in the central space of the patient area. Another large portion of the upgrade was a new flooring. The hospital requested a flooring design which would not only create an inviting and welcoming atmosphere, but also guide patients and family members through the space. At the forefront of the nurses’ station lies the Gonzales Memorial Hospital’s logo, marking this area as a focal point of the hospital. This logo also is seen upon one’s initial entry into the hospital lobby. The hallway design creates a softened feel to a building type which often emits a cold and institutional tone. This hospital project received a Special Award Recognition for Interior Finishes from the Associated Builders & Contractors at the 21st Annual Excellence in Construction Awards.
Fall 2009 Tim Gescheidle, AIA TSG Architects AIA
eccentric.couple
Musicians view the world as their stage and their lives as a performance. This eccentric characteristic yields its own design to accomodate the everyday life of an ever-performing musician. The strict rectangular exterior houses numerous curved stages inside, which is mirrored in the ceiling as well. Additionally, this long shape facilitates ventilation through the space. The large windows on the north and south of the home create a space beautifully lit from indirect natural lighting. Additionally, the mullions of the windows and the railing of the porch display the same energy as a musical performance, as if changing dynamic levels as one experiences these features. The intent of the design was to create a space that both acoustically and visually appeals to a musician. Since none of the interior walls reaches the ceiling in the main space, even a faint snap of the fingers can be heard from opposite sides of this Austin dwelling.
Fall 2008 Professor Gerald Maffei Texas A&M University
urban.house
N
Site Plan
Northwest View
An urban environment creates a new set of design issues, including limited space and limited privacy. This urban home is part of a development of similar homes, each with a unique business attached. The business integrated into this house is a bakery. The central element of the space is the kitchen, which is the heart of the structure. The house has one large kitchen, which serves both the bakery and the residents. From the street, people may look into the bakery through a large curtain wall, drawing people into the establishment. In order to preserve privacy for the residents, one enters into a courtyard before entering into the home. This creates a space separate from the urban street for the family and their guests. Furthermore, to allow light in the basement, a sunken courtyard is included in the back of the house, creating an intimate outdoor area as well as windows for the basement. The footprint of the building could only cover half of the site, preserving green space.
Spring 2010 Professor Marcel Erminy Texas A&M University
Section aa
Section bb
Basement
First Floor
Section cc
Section dd
Second Floor
Roof Plan
eugene.co-housing
The Links Ecovillage is a Co-Housing establishment for fifteen different families. This unique development combines all aspects of daily life through a live-work program. Each of the fifteen units attaches to a work space of varying sizes. This integration of living and working provides not only the convenience of working close to home, but also brings more life into the home.
1000 sf
500 sf
500 sf
500 sf 250 sf
Sleeping
Living
500 sf
1000 sf
Working
500 sf
500 sf
The site was conceived by studying the program diagramatically. Each portion of the program was given an appropriate area. By manipulating these 500 square feet squares, a dynamic and interesting site evolves. Much like a puzzle, these square units create interesting and active outdoor spaces as well as indoor spaces. The spaces, alcoves and corners formed create desirable areas on a human scale.
250 sf Sleeping
Living
Working
Activity Distribution
Fall 2011 Dr. Virginia Cartwright, AIA University of Oregon
A
B
B
A
Circulation Diagram
Sandwiched between the northern edge of downtown Eugene and the southern edge of Skinner’s Butte, this site reacts to both borders. The steep slope of the butte receives each unit on an individual slab, so that the village gently climbs up the butte. The southern edge of the site, facing downtown, has an active streetfront. The main design goals were to link the project to the city of Eugene, to Skinner’s Butte, and to the residents themselves. The site ammenities of the project beautifully combine these aspects. The most important site feature is the circulation infrastructure. These paths encourage residents to move about the site. Residents are able to frequently interact with one another and the environment.
Longitudinal Section
C
C
TYPICAL FLOOR Unit Level 2 TWO 1/4” = 1’ 0”
TYPICAL FLOOR ONE WALL SECTION Unit 1/4” = Level 1’ 0” 1 1/2” = 1’ 0”
Transverse Section
Each unit divides the program into three sections: public living area, private sleeping area, and working area. The individual unit has a large front entry porch, which includes a small vegetable garden, an open area, and a covered entry. This exterior vestibule acts as an entrance to both the working space and the home, creating a true integration of the program. Each unit has an ADA bathroom and bedroom located on the first floor.
Detailed Unit Section
The overall design of The Links Ecovillage emphasizes the community. The site itself deliberately creates opportunities for people to interact with one another. The diagonal axis of the site plan, running from the northwest corner to the southeast corner, creates a process of moving about the complex. The residents of The Links Ecovillage are truly linked to Eugene, linked to the environment, and linked to eachother.
crockett.community.living
rendering: Jenny Whisenhunt
The design for Crockett Community Living is the result of the AIA New Urban Models for Aging Competition for student teams. The AIA challenged students to choose a high density site to design a residence that included a continuum of care for seniors. This program encompasses three levels of care in one facility: independent living, assisted living, and skilled nursing. My partner and I chose a site in downtown San Antonio next to the Riverwalk. The dynamic nature of the site greatly informed all design decisions. Additionally, a small historic building, the Staacke Building, is located on the south central side of the block. Our goal was to create an exciting and lively residency, while adding to the urban fabric of downtown. My teammate and I collaborated throughout the design. She is responsible for the renderings, while I completed the technical drawings. My teammate focused on the historical aspect of the project, while I took charge of sustainability concepts.
Spring 2011 Dr. Susan Rodiek, AIA Texas A&M University
first floor path
third floor path
rendering: Jenny Whisenhunt
fifth floor path
NS
distance learning main lobby
administration offices
exterior courtyard
wellness center
EW
daycare center
wellness cafe
NS
SITE PLAN 0’
12’
24’
48’
site analysis: Jenny Whisenhunt
beauty salon
EW
In creating a residence for senior living, one question remained at the forefront of the design: how can we increase the quality of life for seniors, both mentally and physically? The answer to this question came through walking. Desinations are located throughout the complex, giving reasons for residences to walk. Whether meeting friends in the courtyard, visiting the wellness center, walking by the daycare, or simply enjoying the fresh air, the building gives many opportunities to live an active lifestyle. There are three main walking pathways in the complex on the first, third and fifth floors. The paths flow from indoors to outdoors and have a variety of lengths and destinations, depending on the preference of the resident. The first floor is filled with activity, both indoors and outdoors. Crockett Community Living provides a complete living experience, increasing the quality and happiness of everyday life for each senior resident.
Spring 2011 Dr. Susan Rodiek, AIA Texas A&M University
The Staacke Building was constructed in 1894 by the Staacke Brothers. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. In its present state, the 100’ square footprint is surrounded by a parking lot and partially filled with retail. Crockett Community Living gently surrounds the historic building, and preserves the structure and facade through adaptive reuse. In the design, the ground floor is retail. The upper floors are reserved for the Small Houses, which hold groups of ten skilled nursing residents. Since these residents are less mobile, they will enjoy the beautiful views and historic presence of the Staacke Building. Crockett Community Living not only provides the highest quality of living for senior residents, but the facility also revitalizes downtown San Antonio and the history Staacke Building.
west elevation
distance learning
independent living
office
assisted living
support
stor.
support
assisted living
support
support
beauty shop
office
stor.
small house 2
support
support
stor.
TYPICAL UNIT PLAN
office
0’
office
support
pantry stor.
8’
Independent Living
family staff ptry lounge lounge
stor. support
4’
assisted living
pantry
support
assisted living
2’
large gathering space
office
pantry
stor.
stor.
small house 3
small house 1
Assisted Living
stor.
small house 4
office
stor.
support
sprt
support
2
0’
10’
20’
40’
3
0’
10’
20’
40’
south elevation
Skilled Nursing
fire.station no.6
The City of College Station’s new Fire Station No. 6 included four major components to the program: an apparatus bay, administration areas, living spaces for the fire fighters, and a community center. The site is adjacent to a city park and pavilion, which remained central to the design from its conception. Simple spaces created by manipulating index cards slowly transformed into cohesive buildings forming a fire station. With the creation of the first scheme, three words dictated all other design decisions: elegance, honesty and economy. Elegance refers to a clean, precise design. Honesty refers especially to revealing the structure. Economy refers to the systems, in creating an efficient and effective product. Integration was key to this project. The design evolved along with a grid system, stemming from a direct connection to the existing pavilion. This grid grew as a succession of mirrors and transformations along parallel axes to create the final plan.
Fall 2010 Professor Michael O’Brien Texas A&M University
Honesty in the structure means to reveal connections, details and systems. In order to expose the structure, the fire station has an open steel structure. The grid system created by the wide flanges is visible from below, so that one is always aware of the structure above. At the community center, this trellis system reaches past the building, drawing guests into the space. Cruciform columns are revealed through small windows and can be seen even from the exterior of the building.
The primary focus of this project was to smoothly integrate the structure and mechanical systems into the complete design. My teammate and I collaborated together in the integration of these components. The design of the community space and the apparatus bay, the two focal points of the project, were specifically my responsibility. The community space extends to the park, both in form and design. The stained concrete flooring pattern begins inside the space and reaches to the pavilion. N
N
4 5
1
3
2
chiller boiler
mechanical plan
community room section with acoustical panels and ducts
partition wall provides shade & privacy rendering: Tammy Tijerina
natural light in bedroom hallway from skylights
skylights in roof above sleeping quarters
Economy in the way of mechanical systems meant creating multiple uses for one architectural feature. The partition wall in front of the sleeping area serves as one example. The lighting of the hallway demonstrates a complete integration of systems. Structure dictates the shape of the skylight, the skylight provides natural light, lessening the electrical load, and the design the light creates reinforces the triangular shape within this hallway. To the far left, the mechanical plan outlines the supply ducts, return ducts, chiller and boiler. The conditioning systems were sized according to the estimated daily peak load. Six air handler units stemming from the center of the facility serve five zones. Duct containers were designed for the community space, in order to hang the ducts in an attractive unit. The 30 ton chiller and 335MMBtu boiler are located near the apparatus bay. This allows for easy maintenance and pulls these loud pieces of equipment away from the building.
Fall 2010 Dr. Charles Culp, LEED AP, FASHRAE Texas A&M University
light.tower
The client for this light study is the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. This abstract design is filled with symbolism surrounding the papacy, which drives much of the form of the structure. In focusing on the behavior of light in the tower, different materials were utilized to show how they interact with light, each with a different opacity. The wood, the most opaque material, creates shadows against the structure. The frosted glass softens the light, distributing it evenly. The canvas allows one to see some of the building, but it envokes curiousity in the viewer to discover the remainder of the tower. Lastly, the clear glass, both in the small groundmounted columns and the tube, fills with light, so only the light is seen, and the container disappears. Overall, this structure illustrates numerous techniques in creating various types of lighting.
Spring 2009 Dr. Julie Rogers Texas A&M University
Drawings
light studies
Fall 2007 Dr. Richard Davidson Texas A&M University
If you have anything really valuable to contribute to the world it will come through the expression of your own personality, that single spark of divinity that sets you off and makes you different from every other living creature. Bruce Barton