elijah schmit
design portfolio
2023
resume Elijah Schmit 2727 Manse Avenue Lincoln, NE 68502 (402) 802-5267 elischmit4@gmail.com
education
work
Lincoln Southeast High School Lincoln, NE August 2015- May 2019 GPA: 4.2
Architecture Internship Overland Partners Architects Dallas, TX May 2023- Present
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL August 2019- May 2020 GPA: 3.85
Assists with multiple projects across all phases of the design process from SD to CD.
University of Nebraska- Lincoln Lincoln, NE August 2020- May 2023 Bachelor in Science of Design Texas A&M University College Station, TX August 2023- Present Pursuing Master of Land and Property Development
Works to develop design concepts, modeling, generating deliverables, and double checking drawing sets before sending out to print. Server Vincenzo’s Ristorante Lincoln, NE August 2019- May 2023 Deliver food and drinks in timely manner Perform daily restaurant preservation. Head and Assistant Coach Nebraska Prospects (Age 12-18) Omaha, NE August 2020-October 2022 Coached top high school baseball players to improve their college appearance and skill.
organizations
volunteer
references
Real Estate Development Association Univeristy of Texas A&M Member 2023- Present Vice President
Youth Group Leader Horizons Community Church Lincoln, NE August 2016-2019
Austin Ash Overland Partners Architects austina@overlandpartners.com (469) 369-8822
Lead group of Elementary School kids through bible study, games, and crafts to grow their relationship with God. Assisted in church-based fundraiser for The Food Bank.
Matthew Miller University of Nebraska-Lincoln mdbm@unl.edu (512)573-9381
Alpha Tau Omega University of Nebraska- Lincoln Member 2020-2023
Michael Harpster University of Nebraska- Lincoln mharpster@unl.edu (402)601-9649 Sarah Karle University of Nebraska-Lincoln skarle@unl.edu
This portfolio looks to demonstrates my unique design process having attended two undergraduate universities, combining their different approaches to the design process. My in-depth bottom-up thinking process that allows for a strengthened design in the end as the independent variables of weather, site, and history mesh simultaneously from the beginning with the controlled variables of solid-void, program, and the creation of space. Unique user experiences are crafted to change the narrative on the perception of a certain program, which is evident in this display of works. I look forward to growing in my design philosophy and finding new ways to approach a project that connects the user to the function of the architecture. I hope you enjoy my collection of works, Elijah Schmit. All work done by me unless otherwise stated.
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Void Visitor Center Indian Cave State Park, Nebraska Architecture Studio- Collaborate 2023
This semester long project was a cohesive effort between interior design and architecture disciplines to create a project that highlights the unique ecosystem of our site. Indian Cave State Park is situated in the only oak woodland in the state of Nebraska, containing features of the oak woodland, savannah, and forest, each celebrated within our site. To create an immersive and educational experience, we utilized the architecture to merge the ecosystems of the site. The split bar design utilizes a solid-void concept to break up the programs of the visitor center and pavilion and not disrupt the view of the landscape. The buildings are then angled toward the forest, allowing for an enticing entrance, pulling the guests onto the deck, immersed in the forest. The roof is angled to match the change in landscape heights between the savanna, low, and forest, high. The charred wood materiality is a harsh contrast to the colors of the savannah to help the building stand out, where the natural oak complements the savannah around the entry and throughout the interior. These architectural moves allow our building to serve as the woodland- the transition period between the savanna and the forest. In collaboration with Elena Garcia Makena Ninete Caitlin Maloney
Sketch by Elena Garcia
Concept Sketches
Massing
Public-Private Split
Void Integration
Roof Connection
Entrance Emphasis
Final Massing
Massing Diagrams
SiteGarcia plan Sketch by Elena Site Plan By Caitlin Maloney
Site Axon
By Elena Garcia
Site Section
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03 06 06
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06 07
01 04 UP 05
08
D
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
Pavilion Kitchen Storage Lobby Gallery Offices Breakroom Mechanical + Electrical Conference Room
09
B
Floor Plan
North Elevation
South Elevation
North- South Section By Elena Garcia
East- West Section All Renders by Caitlin Maloney
By Elena Garcia
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Ascend Sheldon Art Museum Addition Lincoln, Nebraska Architecture Studio- Integrate 2023
Implementing an addition to a college campus can be a delicate task, balancing educational demand with student intrigue. The goal is to create a building that not only serves to educate the students but expand their communal space as well. This addition to The Sheldon Art Museum on the University of Nebraska- Lincoln campus aims to achieve this balance to extend the museum program in an unobtrusive manner, respecting the current circulation paths of the students and leaving the historical qualities of both the Sheldon and Sunken Garden unmodified. Replacing the Sheldon Art Museum’s North parking lot, currently situated on a main circulation intersection of campus, Ascend brings the museum to the forefront of campus. The flexible student learning spaces and café provide new open-ended gathering spaces for both the students and museum guests to shape their own program of the space, expand their education, and meet new people.
In collaboration with Trent Weatherwax
Concept Sketches
Massing
Vertical Circulation
Grid
Site Circulation
Sun Context
Final Massing
Massing Diagrams
Entry Level
Garden Level
Grand Staircase
Education Level
Circulation Diagrams
55’ 3 30’
1:12
35’
1:12
Sheldon Museum of Art
Site Plan
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Det. 7.09
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Elev. 9.00
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Elev. 9.01
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Entrance Cafe Lounge Core Freight Elevator Stairwell Restroom Service Garage Garden First Floor Plan
By Trent Weatherwax
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Sect. 10.01
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01 Education 02 Flex Space 03 Study Benches 04 Core 05 Garden Balcony 06 Stairwell 07 Restroom Second Floor Plan
East Elevation
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137’-3”
TOP @ ROOF
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119’-10”
TOP @ EDU
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97’-0”
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3 12.02
East-West Section By Trent Weatherwax
1. PARAPET DETAIL ROOF MEMBRANE
sim1 12.02
WOOD FIBER FOAM BOARD EPDM
BEAM
R-15 POLYSTYRENE INSULATION ROOF DECK
MULLION ATTACHMENT TO COLUMN
SLAT CEILING
2. WALL DETAIL CURTAIN WALL
LINOLEUM FLOORING C.I.P. LIGHTWEIGHT CONCRETE DECK
FLASHING BRICK 1” AIR GAP VAPOR BARRIER
2 12.01 3. FOOTING DETAIL 5/8” GYP. BD.
6” CONCRETE 2” EXTRUDED POLYSTYRENE (CONTINUOUS) CONCRETE FOOTING
4” GRAVEL
3 12.01
Wall Sections
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sect. 15.01
North-South Section
All renders by Trent Weatherwax
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Bike Workshop and Office Space Beatrice, Nebraska Architecture Studio- Situate 2022
Small towns across the United States are dying as families move to the big city, placing insurmountable pressure on small towns to adapt to survive. Weave looks at the needs of a small community forty miles south of Lincoln in Beatrice, NE and the amenities they can provide to keep their small town on the map. Beatrice has begun to reinvest in their downtown center following a shift in the office environment during covid as more people began to work remotely. The city is also developing an extensive bike path system that cuts right through the downtown area, near our site, to host the annual interstate bike race. Our proposal compliments both the need for flexible office space and a workshop for the bikers all within the tight constraints of the preexisting building. The a unique split-level floor plan allows for both programs to coexist within the same space. The bike workshop sits on the ground plane that weaves through the building to allow for easy access through the building for the bikers, while the office spaces sit above and below the ground plane to create more private workspaces that are still connected to the community.
Concept Sketches
bby ce epWorkshop fe rooms age 03
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Lower Level Floor Plan 03 02 03 02
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Entrance Bike Workshop Office Space Cafe Restrooms Storage
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Entry Level Floor Plan
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Entrance Bike Workshop Office Space Cafe Restrooms Storage
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North-South Section
South Elevation
All renders by Eliot Stoner
North Elevation
East- West Section
on Concept Sketch
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High-rise Office Building Chicago, Illinois Architecture Studio- Situate 2022
A city reborn out of ashes following the Great Fire of 1871, Chicago has become a city full of architectural marvels. Works by the likes of Mies van der Rohe, Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham and more recently Jeanne Gang craft the mosaic skyline of Chicago. With a site positioned on prime real estate along the Chicago River at the intersection of North Columbus Drive and East North Wacker Street, Seam holds the potential to be the next powerful addition to the Chicago skyline. The proposal honors aspects of the architecturally rich skyscrapers of Chicago in one design; from Aqua’s concrete slab floor plates to Mies van der Rohe’s exposed steed skeleton. Using verbiage derived from a different art media, textiles, the floor plan resembles two towers “tied” together through the central elevator core serving as the “seam” of the building. Each tower has different office environments to accommodate the new wants and needs of the workforce today, allowing for multiple experiences based on the users wants. The exterior form also resembles the natural flow of textiles that has been stretched too tight around the building cores.
Concept Sketches
Site Massing
Tower And Core
Site Connection
Exterior Space
Final Massing
Concept Diagrams
E Grand Ave
E Grand Ave
E Illinois St.
E Hubbard St.
N McDurg Ct.
N New St.
E Illinois St.
N Columbus
Dr
Michigan
Ave
E North Wacker St.
N Stetson Ave
E Wacker Dr
E Wacker Dr
Site Plan
Site Section
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Lobby Cafe Secuturity Restrooms Plaza
Lobby Floor Plan
Lobby Flexible Office Space Private Office Space Restrooms Conference Room Relaxation Space Patio
Office Floor Plan
Floor Plans
South Elevation
East- West Section
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Elevate Cabin Estes Park, CO Architecture Studio- Ideation 2020
This three-week project looked at creating a new camping destination unites the wants of glamping, or luxurious camping, with the rugged outdoors of traditional camping within the Rocky Mountains. To create a user experience that allocates both the outdoors and luxury, many conditions were considered, specifically materiality and programmatic organization. Given the small area of the lot fitting all the programmatic needs on the same level was deemed impossible for glamping standards. To combat this issue, an additive and subtractive process was used. The concrete mass resembling the rocky terrain was deducted to create voids while the sleeping quarters were introduced as a floating mass above, developing the subtracted voids into a user space. The difference in process is expressed in the materiality, resembling the natural environment of camping. The elevated living spaces become a modern log-wood cabin construction to emphasize the glamping while the bottom become cast in place concrete resembling the direct connection to nature in traditional camping.
Concept Sketches
Site Massing
Subtraction
Addition
Final Massing
Concept Diagrams
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Campfire Dining Area Storage
First Level Floor Plan
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Bedroom Balcony
Second Level Floor Plan
East Elevation
North- South Section
NorthEast-West South Section
North Elevation
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Whiskey Distillery Omaha,Nebraska Architecture Studio- Organize 2021
A whiskey distillery has extremely specific programmatic needs, but the organization of the process within the space can be more flexible. Most distilleries are organized with the public spaces upfront and the processing in the back, hidden from view. Distill looks to change that standard, focusing on a different programmatic organization that inserts the whiskey enthusiasts right in the middle of the process. The distillation process is celebrated through the architecture, framed and encased on the exterior to draw curious pedestrians in from the street, revealing itself upon entry as a vertical stack encompassing the building’s core. A continuous ramp system wraps the stack providing a fully accessible tour at any time of day for all visitors. Contrary to conventional whiskey distillery designs, the tasting room is tucked away in the rear of the building, becoming the last destination the user is guided to. Upon arrival the light and lively atmosphere of the stack transitions into a quiet, intimate tasting space where the consumer encompasses themselves with their whiskey, paying full attention to the aroma, complexity of flavors, body, and finish of their tasting.
Concept Sketches
Massing Sketches
Massing Diagrams
Site Plan
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Storage Restrooms
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Lobby Tasting Room
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Bottling Room
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Fermentation Barrel Storage
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Fermentation Room Distillation Room Office
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Event Space Mill Room Mash Room
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Malt Room
Floor Plans
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Lobby Malt Mash Mill
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Fermentation Distillation Bottling Tasting Room
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Event Space Office Restrooms Storage
12 North- South Section
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Malt Mill Distillation Tasting Room
East- West Section
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