Urban Design Portfolio - Colby Lee 2023

Bio

EDUCATION

University of Utah College of Architecture + Planning

Salt Lake City Utah

Bachelors of Science in Urban Ecology

• 08.2018 - 05.2021

Learning Abroad Student, Volterra, Italy

• 08.2019 - 11.2019

Colby Lee

colby.kit.lee3791@gmail.com

801-455-3791

linkedin.com/in/colby-lee-088205204/ Salt Lake City, Utah

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• Adobe Photoshop

• Adobe Illustrator

• Adobe InDesign

• AutoCAD

• ArcMap

• ArcGIS Pro

• Ms. O ce

WORK EXPERIENCE

Utah Housing Coalition Salt Lake City, Utah

Summer Research Intern

06.2021 - 10.2021

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

Asian Star Chinese Restaurant Midvale, Utah

Floor Manager

05.2018 - Present

• Independently conducted research and data gathering for two separate projects: Native American housing in Utah and COVID-19 Renter Evictions

• Made liberal and creative decisions regarding the final format and presentation of each research project

• Independently interviewed relevant sources and professionals to gather compelling data for reports

Resume

• Developed strong interepersonal, team communication, and leadership skills.

• Handled work flow, communication, and leadership between 6-8+ kitchen and up-front sta , displaying situational awareness and multi-tasking abilities.

• Extreme flexible and adaptive

Envisioning development from existing function and observations

Studying the link between density and accessibility to guide future development

Urban Mediation Project

This project focuses on making close and objective observations of a site. This in turn, is then used to determine new possible developments that are both beneficial and appealing to the community.

The site of this project is located in a smaller residential section of the city of Volterra, an ancient Etruscan walled town in the Soutwest of Florence. Many parts of the city, due to the progression of time and multiple reconstructions, has been left with many pockets of unused spaces scattered within its walls. This progression of time and an ingrained human habit has left this space almost as if in a state of limbo— long enduring disuse and disregard.

Volterra, Italy

Inspections and observations based on a multitude of criteria determined how to fill and use the space. Some of the initial inpsections conducted were through basic circulation observations and negative space visualizations.

Circulation observations show that this space, although empty and unoccupied, is never stepped upon or even acknowledged. Even though there is adequate space to be used for a multitude of purposes, almost all reported residents entering in and out of the area stick closely to the original pedestrian walkway. In addition to a brief negative space visualization, it is as if the space itself is completely walled o and covered.

Besides the site itself, the surrounding context also plays a crucial role in determining a potential use for the site. The surrounding context of the site is a pedestrian pathway to and from the main roads of the city. Young or old, it is through this area that many pedestrians reach their homes, school, work, or other daily destinations.

Thus it was determined that this site had the potential to be used for a small recreational space for the community. This could be a space used as a small stop for pedestrians to spend time and amuse themselves during their brief respite.

The unused site and its surrounding context. Many pedestrians travel through this area without ever touching or aknowledging its existence.

The proposed design of the development is both playful and engaging. The interior was designed to mimic a small maze puzzle, as if to o er a fun side trip and adventure to the main trip. As many students traverse this way to reach their schools, this type of design seems to be the most fitting.

The directionality in which pedestrians walk by the site heavily influences the outer design. This design notion is especially prominent when approaching from the south side of the site. many pedestrians enter the site and its surrounding context through a narrow walkway and tunnel that abruptly opens into the wide empty space. Almost as if the ceiling is taken away from your vision, as you exit the tunnel and into the open site your vision is naturally drawn upward. Therefore pedestrian’s eyes will naturally be drawn upward as they approach from the southern entrance. This is the main reasoning behind the diagonal reduction in the south exterior.

In approaching the design, the social and culture aspect of the community also must be respected. In Italy, it is common to find many common spaces throughout the city, often refered to as Palazzos. Paying homage to this notion of a shared city common space is yet another observation that influenced the final direction of the design.

East section view and the large facade of the adjacent residential building

West section view flush against the reisdential building and retaining wall on the south side of the site

Proposed site plan and circulation route of the site

Community Revitalization Project 2

A Community Striving Towards Its Renaissance

The area was mainly comprised of factories, warehouses, and granary silos; which would soon become the area’s defining trait, and the origin for its moniker. However as the railroads and industrial zones gradually shifted west, many businesses abandoned the area, leaving the industrial structures, factories, and warehouses vacant. As further years would go by, the area would enter a state of urban decay.

However, in recent years, the district has seen a renewed sense of fervor and liveliness that it has not seen in many decades. Joining hands with the passion, identity, and history of the older generations, a new generation of artists, restuaranteurs, and entrepreneurs have landed the district into the spotlight. The district is now being recognized and re-discovered as a space for makers, artists, breweries, restaurants, and entrepeneurialism

Identity

INDUSTRY Community

The rich heritage and industrial spirit, along with the inheritance of its past: the warehouses and industrial spaces, are all begging to be renewed and reborn.

Located just south west of downtown Salt Lake City, the Granary district, one of Salt Lake City’s oldest neighborhoods is undergoing rapid advancements. Built around around a railroad corridor in the late 1800s, the district was one of the main centers of light and heavy industry.

Remains of Decay

The object of focus for this community revitalization starts at one fo the district’s oldest and most historically rich buildings. The “Pickle Building,” built in 1894 was originally opened by the Grant Family as a soap factory under the name of the Grant Soap Company. It was not until 1906 that the building was taken over by the Mount Pickle Company, then becoming dubbed as the Salt Lake “Pickle Building”.

The area that this building occupies is surrounded with remants of an older time. Across the street, down the street, and around the corner lay multiple unused and abandoned factories. Some buildings have already been torn down, with nothing but piles of rubble noting where they previously lay. There are, however, many new buildings that have been built in the area, and some have even been refurbished and renewed. The inspiration of this project was to further this reuse and renewal, starting with a building with much historical value and distinguished character.

Adaptive Reuse Visualizations

Main facade of the pickle building

Pickle Building next to another abandoned factory, the Bissinger Building

Large, empty, and unused spaces of the surrounding area

Laying the Groundwork

Location and surrounding context of the Pickle Building Site Plan

The main objective of this adaptive reuse project is to create a multi-purpose space for the community. A space in which community members can easily access, whether it be for food, recreation, shopping, or meeting friends. The lot on which the building currently sits on has plenty of space for a variety of uses.

Some of the main areas of interest are as follows:

• Multipurpose Pedestrian Alley and Walkway

• Public Pavilion

• Paved Outdoor Common Space

• Field, Garden, Fountain, and Seating Area

Scale 1:200

10 20 50

• Community Greenhouse

• Public Restrooms

General Site Plan

This proposal places a heavy emphasis on shared common areas for the community to use. Shared spaces provide the setting for many important social and cultural activities to take place. These spaces allow communities to organize meetings and hold events, and allow individuals to encounter local art, gastronomy, and other members of the communty. The more open and welcoming a space is the more people are likely to access the space and feel comfortable in it. These are places for inclusion, diversity, and sociability.

Site Detail of the Paved Outdoor Common Space

Site Detail and Measurements of the Field and Garden

Density and Accessibility

Project Salt Lake City

3

For any populations within dense metropolitan areas, accessibility to crucial amenities such as grocery stores, parks, public libraries, and schools are extremely necessary. For people living in these areas—especially those walking—accessibility enables everyone to attend, participate.

This analysis seeks to determine how current levels of development and densities throughout the Salt Lake City area a ects levels of accessibility to certain amenities. Additionally, this project will seek to determine areas of high accessibility compared to areas of considerably lower levels of accessibility.

Although the data itself and results show that this method is inaccurate, it provides a great entry into dialogue and further research into the topic

Factors of Accessibility

Grocery stores are imporant for bringing healthy food options and daily essentials to residents residing within cities. Individual store and shops service zones are shown above in a 1/2 mile radius

Add 8 shapefiles: SLC municipality, Census Blocks, Parcels, Transit Stops, Schools, Grocery stores, Parks, Libraries

Data Management ToolsFeature to Point for Parcels

Through GIS, Select By Location: The 7 shapefile amenities within the source layer (SLC Municipality)

Select by Attributes: Parcels that are either residential or Multi-housing (Res or MH)

Data Management Tools - Feature to Point for Parks

Create proper buffer distance for each 5 amenities and export each as shapefile

Export the Parcels Attribute table to Excel. Multiple the scores by the number of housing units on each parcel.

Sum the number of housing units on each parcel then sum for each census block

Join by Spatial Location: Census Blocks to Parcel Points (all attributes)

Join attributes from a table: Parcel Points to Parcels

1.0447

Editor - Create point features for parks at entrance points

Select by Location: Select parcels in each service area and add accompanying amenity scores (1 if parcel is within the buffer, 0 otherwise).

Sum the numbher of housing units for each census block. Multiple amenity scores by number of housing units on each parcel then sum for each census block

Calculate accessibility score for each census block

Network Analysis - Add SLC Roads and Junctions, create service area for each of the 5 amenities.

Mulitiply the scores by the number of housing units on each parcel

Divided total score for each amenity by the total number of housing units in the census block. Calculate the accessibility score for each census block

Update symbology for census blocks to graduated colors of quantities based on accessibility scores

The analysis model and calculations method that we provided were unable to create a solid connection between accessibility and density. Of course, although the relationship of density and distance strongly a ects accesibility levels, it is not the only deciding force.

Even so, there is still an important takeaway from this visualization. What is most obvious is that there are many neighborhoods and communities that do not have any form of acccessibility to the amenities that we laid out in the study (i.e public libraries, parks, transit stops, public schools, grocery stores). As shown in the accessibility score map, there are many census blocks and households that are not within a walkable distance.

Visualizing Job Growth

Project Salt Lake City

Industry growth in Utah is projected to change significantly by 2050. Beyond just an increase in total overall jobs, Utahn cities are widelgy expected to shift its focus in the types of jobs citizens take. Salt Lake City, especially, is expected to show this trend as the main jobs taken by residents will shift from industrial to mainly o ce jobs.

The point of this exercise is to visualize this change in job growth and the change in industry trends. Visualizing such a change is extremely important as will allow cities to get ahead of the trend and plan for the future changes in their job market. This information informs and influences the future design of its cities and it outlines how cities and their populations will grow and adapt with it.

Job growth will be visualized through county scale projections released by the Utah Gardner Policy Institute further regionalized by Tra c Area Zone (TAZ) polygons and census tract polygons. These individual TAZ polygons and Census tract polygons will help create the location identity for each individual data analysis to be represented across the city.

As the original census tract data set contains all four of the career categories, individual tables had to be constructed. From there the data set was then converted into a 3D object in the form of a The four career categories are Industrial, Retail, O ce, and Non-typical.

The pedestal created from the 3D representation of the cesus tract allows for the data to sit upon the pedestal, allowing us to visually represent the di erent data sets and their di erent values

Initially the map was defined by individual census tract blocks. In order to visualize the data set three-dimensionally, the census tract was converted into a three dimensional shape. The shape is comprised of a cylindrical base extending from the base map and is topped with a hexagonal pedestal.

The focus of this exercise will be centered around Salt Lake City, Utah’s capital