Portfolio by Jennifer Idrobo

JENNIFER IDROBO

PROFILE

WORK EXPERIENCE

Quito, Ecuador

Phone: +593 981 679 958

Email: jidrobo93@gmail.com

Web: jenniferidrobo.myportfolio.com

EDUCATION + PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Architectural Professional with over 7 years experience in residential and commercial projects. Working independently and in partnernship with construction company.

Architectural Professional | Multidisciplinary Designer | Owner

J.I. Architecture Group

Jun 2017 - Present

• Working in partnership with J.R.I.B./G2 Building Solutions

• Design and development of construction drawings, 3D models, and renderings.

• Prepared and maintained architectural documents.

• Monitored on-site project development, worked closely with engineers and general contractors.

• Generated tailor-made solutions for our clients, providing designs that fit their needs.

Lead Architectural Project Manager

J.R.I.B./G2 Building Solutions (Partnership)

Jan 2019 - Present

• Creative partnership for the development of projects.

• Designed and developed construction drawings, 3D models, and renderings.

• Prepared and maintained architectural documents, and project photographs.

• Managed client and vendor relationships.

• Coordinated and monitored on-site project development with contractors.

• Researched new materials and systems.

Architectural Intern | Architectural Designer

J.R.I.B./G2 Building Solutions

Intern: Jun 2012 - Jun 2017 | Designer: Nov 2017 - Dec 2019

• Assisted in project visits and supervision, in Ecuador and Colombia.

• Designed and developed construction drawings, 3D models, and renderings.

• Prepared project bids, and managed correspondence and project documents.

• Developed graphics for promotional materials and updated project photographic records.

BFA Architecture

Savannah College of Art and Design SCAD

Mar 2013 - Jun 2017 Savannah, GA United States

UX Design Master Class

Filament + EY

Oct 2020

Glass in Architecture Academy Architectural Record Apr 2021

Metal in Architecture Academy Architectural Record Jun 2022

SKILLS

Thermal Bridging Academy

Architectural Record Sep 2024

Glass and Glazing Design Academy Architectural Record Dec 2024

COMPOSTELA LOBBY

CORPORATE | INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE + FURNITURE DESIGN QUITO, ECUADOR

Torre Compostela is an office building located in the Financial District of Quito (Ecuador). The design concept of its lobby drew from the building’s exterior neutral color palette, facade materials, and its surroundings. Lobbies are one of the first spaces a person experiences when entering a building. Therefore, we aimed to create a space that draws people in and makes them feel welcome as they enter the building.

The main facade of the building combines glass and aluminum composite material elements in grey tones. The client wanted the same neutral palette to be applied to the lobby’s design. Materials such as stainless steel, smoked mirrors, glass, granite flooring, and upholstery follow this neutral color palette. However, during the design process, contrasting tones were incorporated through wood elements to create a sense of warmth and make the space feel more welcoming to visitors. These elements include wall panels, vertical louvers in the mezzanine, and fur niture.

There were some design limitations, horizontal depth and two spaces with significant height differences. The depth of the lobby is 5 meters (~16 feet), with pre-established circulation spaces. Additionally, the client wanted the receptionist to have a direct line of sight to the garage door and thus had a preferred location for the reception desk. We explored other layouts, but this was the client’s final choice.

The project sits across the street from La Carolina Park; this inspired the proposed mural with perforated CNC stainless steel panels recreating the silhouette of a tree. The varying volumes of

the mural were replicated in other elements of the design, such as the ceiling of the atrium and the vertical louvers in the mezzanine. These elements helped create visual movement within the lobby’s atrium and also inspired the selection of the ornamental lighting fixtures from Vibia. In contrast, for the access corridor to the left, the material selection and design use simpler elements with smooth wood cladding and recessed lighting fixtures throughout the hallway leading into the elevator hall.

For the mezzanine, we wanted to create a sense of privacy for the offices at both ends without completely sealing them off. It was important to consider there will be two glass screens to close off these spaces. The solution was to use vertical louvers in wave patterns, creating the needed sense of privacy for the offices’ occupants and maintaining some visibility to and from the lobby.

The reception desk and mailboxes were designed following the client’s requirements. Using the same warm-toned wood as in other elements of the lobby, the signage with the building’s name is designed using a contrasting grey glass with white lettering and stainless steel fixings in the corners. The mailboxes follow a similar color palette with the shell in wood and the divisions in deep dark grey.

DESIGN STUDY A45

RESIDENTIAL | INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE

Design Study A45 is a take on reimagining the proposed design of an existing apartment, by shifting the focus to the client’s specific needs. During the pandemic, this project was used as a design study to examine how we could potentially use an approach similar to UX Design to develop the design of the apartment. To do this, we started out by creating a persona and defining their needs and requirements for the design of this two-story apartment. Based on this persona, the work began by modifying the layout, repurposing rooms, and enhancing circulation and spaces. Tailormade solutions guided the development of the design, taking into account the requirements of the client/persona. Particular attention was placed on creating a design that provides a sense of place for the client. Their priority was to create a space that felt warm and welcoming. Though each room has a specific use, we used the project’s materiality to unify the design by featuring wood elements and a predominantly neutral palette to maintain a cohesive and inviting atmosphere throughout the apartment.

Developing this design study was an exercise to remind ourselves design is not only about making something look good. Understanding the client’s ‘Why?’ can guide the ‘What?’ and ‘How?’ of the design solutions we can provide to them. Our design processes can be strengthened by reimplementing a user-centric approach. Ultimately, this can lead us to make better design decisions fulfilling the needs of our clients and helping them create spaces that are unique to their needs and provide the comfort they seek.

REDLINE NOTES. To accommodate the client’s needs, both floors required modifications from the original plans. On the upper level, an open plan combines the main entrance, dining area, living room, and kitchen. The first significant change was eliminating the staff bedroom and washroom to increase headspace for the staircase, allowing us to push it forward from its original position. This allowed for improved circulation for both levels. With the remaining space, we created a pantry and storage area for the kitchen. The stairwell is protected with a minimal tempered glass railing, leaving the walls behind the staircase available for artwork. The centerpiece of the upper floor is the gas fireplace clad in grey marble, it sits between the dining area and living room. Both areas can enjoy the fireplace while on and/or a framed view of the city due to its design. The balcony has two access points through the living room and the kitchen for BBQ use.

On the lower level, the apartment’s original design included a master bedroom and two smaller bedrooms. The client did not require additional bedrooms, so these two rooms were repurposed into a reading room and a home office, respectively. The reading room kept its enclosure so it can double as a guest room if needed. The home office is fitted with custom furniture to create a comfortable working space for our clients. The additional bathroom was readjusted to provide more space for the family room. Custom-designed shelves installed in the nooks created between walls and columns maximizing space usage. Minimal changes were made to the master bedroom and bathroom. A tub was added to the master bathroom, with some slight alterations to its layout. In the walk-in closet, we added a vanity.

RESIDENTIAL

APARTMENTS B95

| REMODELING - ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

QUITO, ECUADOR 2023

Apartments B95 - For this project, the client requested the redesign of a previously existing layout. The physical space, the top floor of a small residential building, was unfinished and only partially built, with no clear design intent. The desired goal was to design and divide the entire story into three studios and one three-bedroom apartment

In this third and final iteration, once the boundaries of the three-bedroom unit were chosen by the client, the remaining area needed to be divided into three studios. The challenge was to have three functional units that had sufficient circulation space. The skylight at the center is unalterable as it extends down to the bottom levels. Using the skylight’s perimeter, I created a corridor following its shape leading to the three studios, and connecting them to the preexisting staircase. The apartment has a preexisting separate access directly from the staircase corridor. The building already has a separate laundry area in the lower levels, so this was discarded from the program of these renovated units. The program for the studios includes: a kitchen, small dining area, living room, (1) full bathroom, and (1) bedroom.

The client had a predetermined area selected for their apartment. Their primary request was to have three bedrooms. Additionally, the client had a specific choice for the location of the master bedroom and bathroom. The program includes: two additional bedrooms each with their own bathroom, a powder room, dining room, kitchen, and living area for a total of 140m2 (~1507 sq ft).

The area of each unit ended up as: Studio A - 33 sq m (~355 sq ft); Studio B - 27 sq m (~291 sq ft); Studio C - 34 sq m (366 sq ft), Apartment - 140 sq m (~1507 sq ft).

STUDIO A | 33 sq m (~355 sq ft)

A one-bedroom, one-bathroom studio with an open plan kitchen, dining area, and living room. The bedroom includes a study area. The large windows allow for plenty of natural light in the social and private areas. Interior pocket doors were used for the bathroom and bedroom to maximize space usability.

STUDIO B | 27 sq m (~291 sq ft)

A one-bedroom, one-bathroom studio with an open-plan kitchen and dining area. Taking into consideration the importance of natural light for the circadian rhythm, and the limitations of the preexisting layout, it was crucial to keep the bedroom within proximity of the only available window. A possible design consideration is to install a frosted glass door to allow natural light into the rest of the apartment when the bedroom door is closed, while still giving privacy to the bedroom.

STUDIO C | 34 sq m (~366 sq ft)

A one-bedroom, one-bathroom studio. The kitchen, dining area, and living area are integrated. This final iteration was selected as it allowed for better circulation and access to preexisting windows providing natural light to the social area and bedroom, as well as natural ventilation into the bathroom.

APARTMENT | 140m2 (~1507 sq ft)

The apartment has three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms. The master bedroom has its own TV/reading area, walk-in closet, and full bathroom. There were structural elements that we had to work around.

Each of the additional bedrooms has en-suite bathrooms.

Per the client’s request, the social area and kitchen were designed as an open-plan area.

LIVING/DINING AREA

KITCHEN

LAUNDRY/SERVICE AREA

BATHROOM BEDROOM

PROPOSED LAYOUT

APARTMENTS M33

RESIDENTIAL

| REMODELING - SCHEMATIC DESIGN QUITO, ECUADOR 2022

LIVING/DINING AREA

KITCHEN

LAUNDRY/SERVICE AREA

BATHROOM

BEDROOM

Apartments M33 - The owner was looking to divide a large apartment into two units. The apartment is in an older building and there were a few constraints to take into consideration. There could be no major changes to the window location and sizes, and the entry could not be moved from its original location due to the stairwell right outside of the apartment’s front door. Additionally, there were built-in closets in most of the rooms which the owner wanted to keep as much as possible. An initial survey was conducted to proceed with the schematic design. The owner asked to maintain as much of the original layout as feasible. For the entry we opted to have a small foyer between the entries of the two units, keeping the original front door.

The first unit has a large dining and living area, and the kitchen is opened up to include a breakfast bar. For the master bedroom, we selected the existing bedroom, with the client, extending the wall to move its door into what would become unit 1. The second bedroom takes over the space of the pantry and small portion of the living area. To allow natural light into this bedroom we included two clerestory windows. Both bedrooms have their own bathroom.

Unit 2 keeps most of the original layout with a few modifications. The original shared bathroom is divided into a powder room facing the social area and the remainder becomes a full bathroom for the master bedroom which keeps its original layout. One of the bedrooms is opened up to the social area converting it to a kitchen and laundry area. The original fireplace is kept in place in the living area. The second bedroom retains its original layout, including the en-suite bathroom.

ACM Flashing

Flashing structural support

HPL Wood Cladding

Tubular aluminum structure

Wood screws (color matched)

Window perimeter cladding ACM

ACM Window Flashing

HPL Wood cladding

Wood screws (color matched)

Tubular aluminum structure

HOUSE A

RESIDENTIAL

| CLADDING DESIGN

QUITO, ECUADOR 2020 - 2021

‘House A’ is a two-story residence in Quito, Ecuador. We were tasked with cladding the two protruding volumes of the house, an additional volume from the top floor, and a louver system. We suggested HPL panels facade cladding produced by Parklex-Prodema (Spain). These are highdensity timber-faced panels protected with an exterior coating highly resistant to UV radiation and weathering, a key factor in a city like Quito. The panels also require very little maintenance and have special coatings that protect the color, significant factors for the owner.

On this project, we faced two constraints, the material’s panel size, and the window placement The panels are manufactured in a standard size of 1220mm x 2440mm. We needed to design an assembly pattern that would maintain the clean aesthetic of the house’s design while also reducing waste as much as possible. To achieve this, we centered the length of the panel on each of the large windows and used smaller pieces to fill in the gaps framing the windows with the assembly pattern. Once we determined the assembly pattern for each facade, we proceeded to design the substructure respecting the technical guidelines specified by the manufacturer. We used an aluminum tubular profile grid anchored to the concrete walls of the house for the substructure. Adding vertical brackets as necessary to maintain a completely flat surface for the installation of the panels. To attach the panels to the substructure we used exposed screws that were color-matched to the panels.

WAYFINDING

WAYFINDING | EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN

For an apartment building in Quito, we proposed a clean and simple design for the wayfinding system. The building has a neutral palette, and this had to be reflected on the wayfinding signage. The wayfinding system for this project included signage for restrooms, apartment numbers, building amenities, stairs, elevators, and emergency exits.

Restrooms + Apartment Numbers. This wayfinding signage was designed to be one piece. Manufactured with laser cutting machines on 4mm carbon steel for the restrooms, and 6mm carbon steel for the apartment numbers; finished with black electrostatic paint.

For the building amenities, stairs, elevators, and emergency exit wayfinding, we maintained the style and font but changed the materiality. We designed these to be stainless steel plates, with stainless steel fixings and black lettering and symbols applied to the surface. Although these needed to be different because they were for the same project, they needed to be visually similar to the first two sets (apartment numbers and restrooms) to form the wayfinding system for the building.

Stainless steel fixing

Stainless steel panel Black lettering and symbol (plotted adhesive)

Stainless steel fixing Stainless steel panel Black lettering and symbol (plotted adhesive)

BAZ RESIDENCE

RESIDENTIAL | FURNITURE DESIGN

The client requested a floating patio bench for their backyard terrace, taking advantage of the existing retaining wall. The surface of this wall was not level, leading us to offset the backrest a few centimeters to compensate for this, so we could achieve a smooth and planar surface for the backrest. The bench’s height and seat depth were determined in collaboration with the client on-site, per their specific needs. They asked us to consider the addition of a full-length removable cushion, and ornamental cushions for the backrest they intended to use.

Initially, the proposed design featured longitudinal slats for the bench seat. However, the client had some concerns regarding the attachment of the full-length cushion and requested a design change. The final design includes transverse slats, accommodating the client’s request. The change of slat orientation also led to an update of the structural design, fabricated with structural stainless steel, featuring four triangular brackets anchored to the concrete wall, with longitudinal elements to support the slats at three points. Due to the structure’s and slat’s right angle edges, we incorporated a stainless steel round profile to the design which was welded to the structure.

The seat’s slats were fabricated using two HPL Parklex-Prodema panels bonded together, obtaining a 16mm thickness for each slat, and increasing the slats’ tensile strength. The slats are spaced so the client can attach their intended full-length cushion.

The coffee tables follow a clean and simple design. The structure was fabricated using a square stainless steel profile. The tabletop is also fabricated with two HPL Parklex-Prodema panels bonded together.

BLUE: 70mm x 30mm (2¾” x 13⁄16”)

TRIANGULAR BRACES (x4)

50mm x 20mm LONGITUDINAL STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS (x4)

- INCREASED IN SIZE FROM 50mm x 20mm -

70mm x 30mmTRIANGULAR BRACKETS (x4)

RED: 50mm x 20mm LONGITUDINAL STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS (X4)

NOTES:

• ADDRESSING YOUR REQUEST TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF THE SLATS, THE STRUCTURE REQUIRED A CHANGE TO PROPERLY SUPPORT THE SLATS IN THE REQUESTED DIRECTION.

• ADDITIONALLY, THE TRIANGULAR BRACES ARE MADE WITH A BIGGER TUBULAR PROFILE (DESCRIBED ABOVE).

• DUE TO THE DESIGN CHANGE THAT WAS REQUESTED, THE STRUCTURE DESIGN NEEDED TO RESPOND TO THAT. MEANING, THE LONGITUDINAL SUPPORTS NEEDED TO INCREASE IN QUANTITY INSTEAD OF THE TRIANGULAR BRACES.