Jared Helfrich Lee professional portfolio
LifePark Church Mount Pleasant, SC
The Church at LifePark has been rapidly outgrowing the capacity of its original building, designed by SMHa in 2007. As part of our master plan, the Church elected to create a new building adjacent to their current worship center. This will eventually expand and will be incorporated into a larger structure that will house adult worship space. In the immediate future this building serves as spillover adult worship as well as classrooms and assembly space for youth worship. The design for the new building revolves around incorporating their park space as a focal point for a curving porch, as well as a monumental stone wall on the North face of the church which will eventually become the identifying feature of 'The Well' - a central interior gathering space.
12 bays representing apostles
The monumental fireplace
Carolina Park Sports Amenity Building
Mount Pleasant, SC
Carolina Park is a large planned community in a rapidly developing area of Mount Pleasant. The town has a master plan in which it substantially upgrades the existing sports fields while adding new baseball and softball fields. At the center of it all sits the new amenities structure which serves the fields with a meeting room, catering kitchen, bathrooms, and storage. It also will act as a backdrop for concerts and an outdoor seating area during large tournaments and events. The white board and batten with standing seam roof is meant to relate to the language of the community "billboard barns" which are neighborhood landmarks.
View from the approach
Edgefield
Daniel Island, SC This structure acts as both a screened-in event space served by a catering kitchen and bathrooms as well as housing equipment for the pool. The owner envisioned having a 'crows nest', and the form of the structure solidified this by elevating the platform between two masses to allow the negative space to act as exterior circulation. The screened porch sits above the flood line by perching on pilings which are exposed to add to the rustic aesthetic. Elevated plan
Ground level plan
Assembly space
The crows nest
2019
1940s
182 Meeting St Charleston, SC
First Citizens bank is the primary tenant in this historic Meeting St. structure, however the building was originally designed as an ice warehouse in the 1800s. Our scope involved completely gutting and modernizing the design of the interior from its dated 1990s upfit as well as renovating the exterior to add both a more modern entry and restore the rest of the facade to its historic form. The bank now uses this building as their regional headquarters.
A modern entry canopy
A restored classic facade
Section through river
Aerial of community hub
ULI Georgetown Competition
Goat Island path
Georgetown, SC
The Urban Land Institute hosted a competition for the town of Georgetown to examine possible uses for a section of their downtown which has been empty since being largely destroyed by fire. Our team felt that the location needed to maximize its connection to the waterfront which was once entirely used for the logging industry, but in more recent years has been transitioning to recreation and tourism use. By using remnants of the original brick firewalls we focused the flow of pedestrian traffic and sight lines towards the harbor and Goat Island, which is envisioned as a shared park space. The primary site is conceived as a convertible space between community events such as a farmers market as well as more permanent enclosed space that could be rented for a convention.
Street view
Bedell Residence Bethesda, MD
The existing home was too small for its new owners and their children, and also featured an aesthetic that was at odds with the more historic portion of its neighbors. The home was expanded to include a rear screened in porch, as well as upstairs bedrooms and a master suite. The tudor character found throughout the neighborhood was embraced in the design. Second Floor
Entry Hall
First Floor
Existing front facade
New front facade
New street view
Ebel Residence Bethesda, MD
The largest challenge in renovating the Ebel residence was eliminating existing split-level at the owners request, while also avoiding making the house feel over-large on a strongly sloping site. Circulation was completely changed within the house to a rear staircase which allowed for a more natural entry, and the kitchen was opened to a new rear porch via doors which opened to reveal a countertop that served both interior and exterior.
Kitchen from rear porch
New stair
Sharma-Francis Residence Bethesda, MD
This new home was created for a pair of local professionals who wanted a new house on a lot in an old neighborhood. It was essential to the owners that the home have a traditional feel with modern amenities and interior layout. The beautiful kitchen was the focal point of the owners daily routine, but the stairs served to separate the front office allowing the home to also double as a work space.
Monumental stair
The communal kitchen
Side facade
Parrish Residence Bethesda, MD
The Parrish family, owners of a very charming cape cod home, found their expanding family was extremely tight in their existing space. When looking to expand, we embraced the form of the cape cod and quite literally doubled down on it to allow us to retain its character. This double form reveals itself along the side of the sloping site while maintaining its small profile from the front yard. This extensive expansion allowed for a large open main-level living space and enough bedrooms to fit everyone.
Great room
Wilkinson Residence Bethesda, MD
The Wilkinson family, long time owners of this home, were eager to change the street appeal of their house from the existing dated mansard roof. The form of the house was also a tough fit for the needs of a large family, lacking windows for multiple upstairs bedrooms as well as not providing a true master suite. The renovation and expansion changed this, and allowed the home to capture a steeply sloped portion of their lot as more usable space in a new screened porch.
Existing street view
Renovated street view with porch expansion
This portfolio represents a portion of my work, I am happy to discuss a wide range of projects and experience.