SELECTED WORKS UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE CONTACT EMAIL - brooklynpoff@gmail.com WEBSITE - https://brooklynpoff.wixsite.com/portfolio
CONTACT
MY PHILOSOPHY
brooklynpoff@gmail.com issuu.com/brooklynpoff/docs/brooklyn_poff linkedin.com/in/brooklynpoff
The core of design revolves around human relationships. It is this intimacy which makes architecture a rich exploration. Designing on a human scale and approaching the built environment through a more humanized lens is what I strive for in every project. The future of architecture lies within deriving diverse experiences from the built environment, and I am excited to bring that to the forefront of my own design philosophy.
SKILLS
EDUCATION
Adobe After Effects Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop AutoCAD Enscape Lumion Revit Rhino 6 VRay Rendering
University of Tennessee, Knoxville Bachelor of Science in Interior Architecture (2018-2022) 1794 Honors College (2018 - 2020)
AWA R D S A N D MEMBERSHIP
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
4th Place - SkillsUSA Locals Architectural Drafting December 2018
Interior Design Intern DIA | Knoxville TN | May 2021 - Present Perform development of design solutions, select finishes and materials, attend site visits, participate in production from programming to rendering.
1st Place - SchoolsNEXT Competition High School Division October 2017 Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Kappa Chapter Director of Philanthropy November 2019 - December 2020 Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society Member April 2021 - Present Peer Mentor College of Architecture August 2019 - Present Diversity Council College of Architecture November 2019 - Present ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) Member February 2019 - Present
Frederick County Career and Technology Center CAD Architecture and Design (2016 - 2018) Middletown High School Honors, AP, and Dual Enrollment Coursework (2014 - 2018)
Research Assistant Jinoh Park| Knoxville TN | January 2021 - May 2021 Draft plans, create diagrams, conduct survey, and participate in interviews. Teaching Assistant IARC101 | Knoxville TN | August 2020 - December 2020 Aid students in their understanding of the course content, grade papers, and work in tandem with the professor. Reico Kitchen and Bath Intern | Frederick MD | May 2019 - July 2019 Design and consult clients on kitchen and bathroom projects, take inventory of the show room products, and assist on site visit measures.
COMMUNITY SERVICE Ronald McDonald House Charities November 2018 - Present Little League and Babe Ruth Baseball Volunteer March 2015 - Present Basketball Statistics Keeper Volunteer December 2015 - Present
THE BRIDGE 2021_FALL HOCHUNG KIM
OASIS 2021_SPRING CHERYL BAXTER
knoxCOLLECTIVE 2020_FALL HOCHUNG KIM
NEST @ NEYLAND 2020_SPRING JINOH PARK
glow EATERY 2019_FALL FELICIA DEAN
2021_FALL HOCHUNG KIM
Using evidence based research, the program developed based off the needs that the Fulton Market was lacking. The common theme of inequity has plagued all of Chicago since its inception practically, and the Fulton Market is no different. The program hopes to rewrite that narrative, and instill a more positive change in the area. After synthesizing the research it became evident that at the heart of the persisting issues, fostering a sense of community could go a long way to creating a sustainable and equitable Fulton Market. Programmatically, it was identified that green space, a library, and multifamily housing will best serve the community’s needs.
Household Income
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Supply/Demand Gap for Affordable Rental Housing
2016
Demand
This bar graph shows the dire need for affordable housing across Chicago by highlighting the growing gap between the supply and demand. The data trend shows that the supply is growing at a much slower rate than the demand, which is increasing over the observed four year period. Recently, Fulton Market has mandated that all new residential buildings must have 30% of its units be affordable, and this requirement locks the price in for the next 30 years. This will help alleviate the housing crisis that Chicago is facing, and especially addresses the housing inequity in the Fulton Market area.
Neighborhood with 40%- 60% of population below the poverty line
Neighborhood with 0% - 20% of population below poverty line
Neighborhood with 20% - 40% of population below the poverty line
ROGER’S PARK
EDISON PARK
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FOREST GLEN O’HARE
NORWOOD PARK
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LINCOLN PARK
LOGAN SQUARE
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NEAR NORTH SIDE
WEST TOWN
AUSTIN WEST EAST GARFIELD GARFIELD PARK PARK
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NEAR WEST SIDE
NEAR SOUTH SIDE
NORTH LAWNDALE
Community
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CLEARING
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WEST ELSDON
DOUGLAS
FULLER PARK
GARFIELD RIDGE
BRIGHTON PARK
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GREATER GRAND CROSSING
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CALUMET HEIGHTS
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SOUTH CHICAGO
AVALON PARK
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Out of the 77 officially recognized communities on this map, the Loop has the lowest hardship index (3) while Riverdale has the highest (98).
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The outer edges of Chicago, particularly the south, struggle the most with poverty; they face more discrimination than those at the center of the city. Residents of communities in the Far Southeast Side have fewer resources and opportunities to improve their lives
ARCHER HEIGHTS
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Chicago’s communities remain strictly segregated despite decades of post-segregation policy on both a federal and city level.
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Areas below the poverty line
ARMOR SQUARE
LOWER WEST SIDE
PULLMAN
BEVERLY
EAST SIDE
ROSELAND MOUNT GREENMAN
SOUTH DEERING
MORGAN PARK
WEST PULLMAN
RIVERDALE
HEGEWISCH
The main floor of the building houses a children’s space that focuses on exploration, play, and learning. Interior treehouses create a fun atmosphere, further fueled by the playscapes and miniature basketball court. The bookshelving units have built in seating to promote comfort, and the surrounding tables serve as maker spaces for library programming. The learning stairs are a monumental move that begin the procession into the library space, and allows users a space to socialize and relax. Main Level
Programmatic Section Perspective
CLASSROOM
COMMUNITY SPACE TEEN SPACE BRIDGE
ROOF TOP LOUNGE SPACE BRIDGE
CHILDREN’S SPACE
LOBBY
MUSEUM
Circulation Axon
Classroom Space
The classroom space can be utilized for any age group to continue exploring Chicago and Fulton Market history. The children’s space in the library is best characterized by whimsy and fun, with interior treehouses encased by books. The lobby is a light soaked space that houses book return, waiting area, and tech space that is free for all to use.
Children’s Space
Lobby Space
2021_SPRING CHERYL BAXTER
Community growth can only be achieved when all stakeholders are involved and everyone has a voice. Knoxville, Tennessee faces a growing population of children aging out of the foster care system yearly, and these children almost immediately face homelessness and never have the opportunity to pursue a trade or higher education. Oasis aims to rewrite that narrative while also reinvigorating east Knoxville into a thriving community. The program includes public housing, a learning kitchen, and restaurant that work together to form an ecosystem within the architectural intervention.
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Perspective Section_A
Knoxville has over 1000 children currently in foster care; when a child ages out, 2 out of 5 face immediate homelessness. This is an underserved and at risk population that gets passed over time and time again. By addressing community involvement through empowering and serving vulnerable groups, it provides a great opportunity to reinvigorate east Knoxville The overall concept revolves around the idea of an urban utopia, almost like a haven for the community. It is a lively, safe, experiential escape. The preexisting “Real Good Kitchen” has space to host cooking workshops in the learning kitchen to further integrate with the community and educate others on healthy cooking habits. The residents of the public housing on the second level are employed by the learning kitchen as cooks and servers for the restaurant on the main level, which is also equipped with a full service bar. The second level provides a lounge space for residents and restaurant goers alike, allocating space for more bonding between community members. The human experience is informed by the site-specific experience of the building which is working in tandem with the urban intervention of public housing.
Perspective Section_B
Separate material strategies were used on each floor to create a break in program, with some material elements found on both floors to marry the spaces together while still creating a dichotomy in materiality. Those who live in the public housing are gaining skills and connecting with the community in a way that would not be typically accessible otherwise. People can see their food being cooked right in front of them, which brings everyone together in an intimate and integrated fashion, as food is a labor of love. Glass block on wall to delineate separation between kitchen space but allows for some level of transparency between spaces (connection through separation). The addition of public housing to the program provides an escape from a bleak reality of homelessness and instead creates a transition to the next stage of life.
Bar/Reception Axonometric
Kitchen Axonometric
Dining Axonometric
Kitchen Perspective
Bedroom Unit Perspective
The dining area towards the back of the restaurant is a more private area, denoted by the dropped ceiling and plush materiality. The resident rooms have a combined closet murphy bed casework piece to make the best use of space in the room. Greenery is included throughout the second level to give residents an improved overall wellbeing and connection to nature.
2020_FALL HOCHUNG KIM
Due to the pandemic, the workplace was forced to undergo a transformation that saw a complete overhaul of the office and how it is utilized. That in mind, this studio sought to tackle what the post-pandemic office landscape looked like while incorporating generative design as an iterative and exploratory process. Beginning with a case study on Google Plex in Mountain View, California, the research phase helped to inform the following design methodology. Drawing on concepts of flexibility, community, and developing an understanding of work typologies, knoxCOLLECTIVE became realized as a coworking experience suitable for entrepreneurs and freelancers alike.
Googlets yield the best results
Flexibility + Adaptability allows for the formation of teams and a more fluid workflow
Concentration + Collaboration
Leveraged Learning
a balance between individualized and collaborative work
instilling company culture and prepping the next generation of googlers
POOL
Employee Culture + Workflow of Google Plex
CLUB HOUSE
COFFEE SHOP
SUPPER CLUB
CONFERENCE
LIBRARY
I-BAR
OPEN HUDDLE
OPEN MEETING
CLOSED MEETING
HUDDLE ROOM
WORKSTATION
WORKROOM
Decoding Work Typologies of Google Plex Highlighted Typologies Present in Final Design
Using the Grasshopper plug-in on Rhino, the voronoi structure lends itself to providing a basis for the office program. The iterative process was worked through a more scientific methodology, using the variables of distance between cells and the amount of cells. The spatial layering phase included taking the iterations and laying on top of one another to derive a three-dimensional form. Spatial Layering B had the best opportunities to create a dynamic and active program, and ultimately shaped the final design.
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Voronoi Iterations
Spatial Layering Iterations Voronoi Explorations Derived from Grasshopper
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POD THREE “THE COLLECTIVE” COFFEE AND TAP HOUSE
POD TWO COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE
THE VOID PUBLIC SPACE
UP
UP
POD ONE CIRCULATION AND BATHROOM CORE
POD FOUR PRIVATE MEETING SPACE
Level_01
POD THREE SEMI-PRIVATE WORKSPACE
POD TWO COLLABORATIVE WORKSPACE
OPEN TO BELOW POD FOUR PRIVATE WORKSPACE
POD ONE PUBLIC WORKSPACE
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RECESSED BEAM FEATURE WALLS FOLD INTO CEILING PLANE
LIGHTING RECESSED INTO CREASES, ILLUMINATING INTERIOR SPACE
OPEN TO BELOW AREA TO ARTICULATE ATRIUM
Ceiling Condition
PUBLIC SEMI PUBLIC SEMI PRIVATE PRIVATE
Public vs. Private Axonometric
COVE LIGHTING FEATURE
SEMI PUBLIC - COLLABORATIVE BREAK OUT ZONE
BENJAMIN MOORE LUCKY CHARM
AVENUE BLACK GRESPANIA CERAMICA
MEDIUM STAIN HARDWOOD
FLANGELESS RECESSED LIGHT
LIGHTSOUND EASY PENDANT BY KARBOXX
PUBLIC SPACE - LEARNING STAIRS
SHERWIN WILLIAMS DYNAMIC BLUE
POLISHED CONCRETE
MEDIUM STAIN HARDWOOD
TUPLA WALL BY KARBOXX
FLANGELESS RECESSED LIGHT
VIEW OF PODS ONE AND TWO FROM ATRIUM
PRIVATE SPACE - POD SEATING AND LOUNGE
AVENUE BLACK GRESPANIA CERAMICA
SHERWIN WILLIAMS LEMON TWIST
FLANGELESS RECESSED LIGHT
VIEW OF PODS THREE AND FOUR FROM ATRIUM
SEMI PRIVATE SPACE - COFFEE AND BREWERY
BENJAMIN MOORE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE
SHERWIN WILLIAMS IRON ORE
RECLAIMED WOOD
SLATE
POLISHED CONCRETE
FLANGELESS RECESSED LIGHT
DRINK63 PENDANT
2020_SPRING JINOH PARK
Historically, the “college experience” of living in a dorm has a negative connotation. The Nest @ Neyland seeks to change this. Through researching the lifestyle of students at the University of Tennessee, it became obvious that the current model of student housing does not align with how students are using space today. Students desired a more private living situation with amenities that were not included in their current housing. From the lifestyle research, the concepts of privacy, a need for an academic haven, and community, were found to be most desirable by students when looking for housing. With this in mind, the Nest @ Neyland provides a more mature and autonomous living experience for the modern day undergraduate, graduate, or non traditional college student.
The concept wheel became the guiding principle behind the design. The outermost ring is comprised of analyzing the lifestyle desired by students (top), the essential living condition (right), and defined local context (left). The middle ring breaks down the broader ideas presented in the outer ring, and the center is comprised of the final concept.
The current west campus housing is dilapidated and outdated, and is surrounded by many important university owned buildings such as the aquatic complex and gym. Creating a new student housing complex on the west end of campus takes advantage of a vibrant area in need of housing that keeps up with the modern student.
Multi-use furniture is a defining characteristic in this project. The college dormitory is a compact space which calls for creative storage solutions that maximize both efficiency and floor space. The bed becomes both a place to sleep as well as a closet and storage system. The bed folds up to become flush with the surrounding shelving which allows for a closet that is accessible through a door at the base of the overall unit. The stairs pull out for use as drawers, and the shelving around the window is available for clothes and trinkets alike. The bookshelf has a component which folds down into a table. The chairs are built into the book case and slide out upon use.
BEDROOM
W/D
BEDROOM
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2-a 2-c
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BUILT-IN SHELVING
SHARED SPACE MURPHY TABLE FOLD OUT
DINING
UNDER BED STORAGE
PULL OUT STEP STORAGE
COUNTER OVERHANG FOR SEATING
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4-d 4-a
2-b 2-d
BALCONY
KITCHEN 3-b 3-c
4-b 4-c BUILT-IN SEATING
UC FRIDGE FREEZER
Bedroom Space
As surveyed in students at the University of Tennessee, a need for privacy was a must in living arrangements. The solution was to create a private entrance for each roommate, complete with separate living quarters complete with a personal bathroom. Incorporating greenery and plant life in interior spaces has been shown to boost the mood of its inhabitants, reduce stress levels, amplify creativity, and filter out pollutants in the air. Making a retreat in the private space is important for student health and wellness, because college can be a stressful experience and having somewhere to wind down and take care of oneself is increasingly important. The shared communal space features a kitchen space equipped with a built in washer/dryer combination and dining area. The balcony is accessible through using garage style doors, which helps to open up the space for entertaining. The shared space allows roommates space to hangout and get to know one another and keeping it separate from the more intimate space.
Bathroom
Communal Space
2019_FALL FELICIA DEAN
Beginning with research on the dance style of voguing, a diagrammatic exercise was completed which explored movement of the body in space. This was then used in both two-dimensional compositional and three-dimensional volumetric studies using the frames of movement as the constraint for abstracted diagrams. From these studies, the restaurant began to take form using a fast casual dining typology. The idea of performance and voguing became integral to the design itself, as the dining experience evolved to also include entertainment. Performers, staff, and restaurant goers have the opportunity to perform and learn different styles of dance as well as the cultural history behind it. The concept for the space was to encompass equality and create a feeling of being present in the moment. This called for a tranquil, relaxed atmosphere that fosters a sanctuary-like space where acceptance is born. The dining experience fully engages everyone from the diners, to the performers, to the restaurant staff. Because the driving force behind the design is rooted in equality, measures have been taken to include an ADA ramp to allow people of all abilities to use the space in the same way. The quality of the dining experience is enhanced by having the design so open, which furthers the concept of engagement with the space as well as transparency between the diners and the staff.
Starting with diagramming bodies in motion, the two figures are locked in a voguing competition where one competitor informs the other. The performance played off the strengths of each voguer, complete with expressive flairs of identity in each movement. Using these frames as inspiration, two-dimensional and three-dimensional compositional studies were completed focusing on certain organizational principles of design. The three-dimensional study served as an abstracted insertion into the ceiling plane of the final design.
BATHROOM
PERFORMER HOLDING AREA AND STAGE
DINING/ENTERTAINMENT AREA
ORDERING AREA
KITCHEN
BATHROOM
Main Level
The site is an existing building located in North Knoxville, Tennessee. It was important to take in the surrounding context and culture when determining the restaurant typology. The area had a higher need for a fast casual setting over fine dining or drive through. This is because fast casual can offer more convenience than fine dining options while providing healthier choices than fast food restaurants. The flow of the restaurant allows
COMMUNAL DINING AREA
Roof Level
diners to “build” their meal in the ordering area while providing seating areas for those who wish to dine in the restaurant. A stage is located on the first floor which allows performers, staff members, and diners alike to participate in performances of all kinds. This ingrains a thread of entertainment into the dining experience, providing something that no other restaurant in the area can offer.
PRIVATE DINING AREA
Longitudinal Section_A
Transverse Section_A
Transverse Section_B
Introducing a sense of organization in the sectional quality of glow Eatery was one of the most important concepts of the design. The private spaces are diagonal from each other, with the first floor dining and the covered roof top dining. The mirrored ceiling element on the first floor over the dining and entertainment space help to perpetuate a feeling of intimacy due to more active and lower ceiling plane than the serving area, which has a flat ceiling with an existing truss system. The covered dining on the rooftop mimics the folded, planar quality of the mirrored ceiling on the first level. There is connection of these two spaces further by the use of a clerestory window that allows the rooftop diners to still enjoy the entertainment on the first floor. The more public areas within the restaurant have a diagonal connection, as the ordering counter and open rooftop dining carry the connotation of open and communal space.
Roof Level Dining Experience The most striking element within the restaurant is the mirrored ceiling insertion. Inspired by the three-dimensional volumetric study in the research phase, the ceiling plane becomes as dynamic as the performers that move through the dining space. It also serves as an allusion to dance studios, which use mirrors as a learning tool for dancers. The disorienting , chaotic nature of swooping folds found in the design creates a separate entertainment experience that offers distorted viewpoints of the performance at hand. The ceiling then becomes part of the active space of the restaurant when it is activated by the human experience. The essence of voguing is all about chaotic nature, which is captured in the form and material of the ceiling plane.
Main Level Dining Experience