Masters of Architecture / University of Texas at Austin
The Austin Performing Arts Center (APAC) is a new cultural hub in the heart of Austin. This mixed-use development houses a residential tower, hotel, arts academy, retail, and 3-stage performing arts venue. The building sits on a new urban planning strategy employed for this section of the city: the super block. By closing off two streets that proved to be low traffic corridors, we created an urban hub that prioritizes people over cars and expands the existing republic square park by one full acre.
The tri-tower strategy anchors the corners of the lot and creates a physical gradient from bustling cityscape to urban parkland. The tallest tower holds the residential tower, the middle tower holds the hotel, and the shortest tower holds the performing arts academy. Within the connective tissue of the three towers is the publicly-facing programs such as retail, satellite art gallery, and the performing arts facilities.
Our site research revealed to us that one of the four original downtown Austin city parks was demolished back in the early 20th century. We are proposing to revive this park through a super-block planning strategy - one that expands the existing Republic Square Park by 1 acre. This planning strategy prioritizes people over cars and becomes a catalyst for community gathering. On the ground floor of the building, a satellite gallery for the Austin Museum of Art invites park-goers and passerby’s to experience an admission-free gallery space, further emphasizing the connection to visual and performing arts. The second floor houses the two main theatre spaces, the large proscenium theatre and the smaller speaker hall.
Double-Pane Glass Wall
Flashing
Charcoal Gray Stone Pavers
TPO Roof Membrane
Sloped Rigid Insulation
Timber Column
PILLAR Column-to-Floor Connection System
Glulam Beam 7 Ply CLT Floor Structure
Expansion Joint
Bolted Steel Plate
Concrete Core Wall
Charcoal Gray Stone Tile
1” Acoustical Mat
Raised Steel Floor Plenum Framing
Vertical Wood Fin Expansion Joint
Horizonatal Wood Fin Hanger
Floor Grille
Ventilation Port
Underfloor Air Distribution Duct
Flashing Bolted Steel Plate
Double-Pane Glass Wall
Flashing
Charcoal Gray Stone Pavers
TPO Roof Membrane
Sloped Rigid Insulation
Expansion Joint
Bolted Steel Plate
Concrete Core Wall
Glulam Beam
PILLAR Column-to-Floor Connection 7 Ply CLT
Expansion Joint
Bolted Steel Plate Concrete Core Wall
Vibrant transparency runs the entire length of the facade that ebbs and flows with the natural geometries of the park. The connective tissue in between the towers is defined by a central core strategy which houses most of the mechanical, administrative, and circulation services. This core becomes a wayfinding and informational device for guests entering the building from the various entry points.
Main
Balcony Seating
Main Theatre Details
Ceiling, Catwalk, and Roof Balcony
Primary
Early in the semester, one of the most interesting parts in our discussions of public space was the topic of people watching. I find it highly entertaining to observe the diverse human behavior that you find at places like parks, swimming pools, and urban plazas. This observant pastime satisfies my innate curiosity for others in a nonintrusive way.
A local public space I find myself doing this is the Barton Springs pool, located here in Austin, Texas. The long, meandering walk that you take from the parking lot to the ticketing booth to finally finding your personal patch of grass on the hillside is full of public spectacle, where you as a visitor are on display at all times. By taking cues and tangible elements from the existing Kitsilano pool and combining them with the unique social complexities of Barton Springs, this proposal is a resilient and flexible response to landscape and pool rehabilitation that fits the needs of the future Kitsilano neighborhood.
All and all, the project is about the public spectacle, the urban stage. Being able to see above, beyond, through, and into all of the varying spaces was a large driver of the concept. The dividing line between paid visitors to the pool complex and a general passerby becomes blurred by the ability to see into and beyond these spaces. The building is anchored in the southwest corner of the site to allow all of the program to spill out from it. The intentionally subdued nature of the proposal allows the public spectacle of people watching and to not distract from the incredible natural world that exists beyond the bounds of the site.
Early sketches + concept development
Many of the programmatic spaces and services are buried into the existing hillside, allowing the expansive spaces such as the grassy seating hill and paved upper plaza to become the urban stage. In turn, the swimmers, bikers, joggers, and passerbys become the prominent spectacle on this urban stage, allowing this public space to be more about the users than about the building itself. This intention to keep most of the building grounded and subdued reflects the relaxed spirit of the Kistilano neighborhood. Single-family and medium-density multi-family housing coexist with small, local cafes and resturants, wide sidewalks, and a plentiful tree-scape. It’s a quiet neighborhood with expansive shoreline views looking out over the downtown skyline and the mountains beyond.
The propsal is compoesd of a continuous, meandering concrete wall which retains the earth and physically grounds the project to the site. In contrast, the timber structure provides an expansive, covered pavilion that houses a variety of uses. The oversized glulam columns and beams are a nod to the region’s impressive abundance of regenerative timber forests.
The project title, liminal space, is best understood in section. This site proposed a unique opportunity to link and connect the urban landscape to the rugged coastline. From the top of the site you can be enjoying the pleasures of a developed urban space, such as grabbing a coffee or browsing a nearby retail store. From there you can make your way down through the tree-lined site, where the park becomes the buffer, or liminal space, before you reach the rocky beach. This journey through the site as well as the moments of pause and reflection is to be experienced by everyone, not just those who are able-bodied. With this, the landscape design provides an abundance of flat surfaces and gentle sloping ramps for universal accessibility.
The pavilion becomes a community gathering space that provides enough flexibility for a wide variety of activities such as a dance hall, weekend farmers market, or pop-up art exhibition. In addition to the covered flex space, the proposal includes a cafe on the upper level which opens to an art gallery below, observation deck extending out towards the water, 320-seat amphitheater, hydrotherapy pool, community sauna, and over 5,000 square feet of mechanical and back of house service spaces.
1 PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY
2 AMPHITHEATER
3 OBSERVATION DECK
4 DANCE HALL / FARMERS MARKET PAVILION
5 POOL MECHANICAL SPACE
6 ART GALLERY
7 CAFE
8 BACK OF HOUSE / STORAGE
Austin is a landscape city defined by its waterways, greenbelts, and hilly topography. Generally, the city regulates its urban development with careful attention to these natural features. This master-plan and housing prototype recognizes this careful coexistence with nature and the ever present need for more housing modalities in the city.
A prominent new development in Austin is its focus on urban farming and agriculture. Bringing farming back into the city limits helps to cut transportation costs and bring people closer to their food - both physically and emotionally. A new urban planning strategy focused heavily old-world agro-ecology and state-ofthe-art agricultural technology can bridge this gap between people and their plates. This master-plan and housing prototype is in-tune with the current needs of local cultivation and provides residents a way to live a more self-sufficient and food-conscious
The two common modalities of housing in Austin are single-family residences and the influx of multi-family towers. These modalities are not intrinsically negative, but they can coexist within more flexible, adaptive modes of dwelling. This presents an undeniable need to consider a missing middle in our housing market. Single-family homes provide a sense of ownership, private access, and ample outdoor space. High-rise multi-family address a fundamental need for land efficiency, increased density, and a reliance on shared resources and amenities. The missing middle addresses these positive attributes of both modalities and bridges the gap with an alternative form of housing.
Agropolis is a missing middle housing prototype that emphasizes the connection to food and cultivation. Just like our housing situation, urban agriculture can introduce this missing middle in the debate for the future of agriculture. We can re-imagine future city development with traditional principals of old-world agroecology while also incorporating state-ofthe-art modern technological advancements in agriculture. Finding a synthesis between the traditional and the radically new. Agropolis synthesizes this missing middle in both housing as well as in agriculture.
After researching ancient courtyard typologies and exploring modes of domestic space planning, we were each given a slice of the current location of the Colorado Apartments located in West Austin. We were tasked with re-imagining a courtyardstyle home in a multi-family housing development through a bottom-up urbanism approach.
Densifying this site was one of the main objectives since it is currently very sparse. There was no definitive density metric to meet, but rather as much as we saw fit. My intention for this project was to design a subtle, humble, low-rise neighborhood of 38 mid-sized apartments that seamlessly coexist with the historic, single-family homes adjacent to the site. Densifying as a means for sustainability and mitigating sprawl was a key element to the design. Still maintaining occupant privacy within this increased density was equally as important, as I wanted residents to still have the amenities present with single-family residences. The result are buildings that passively take advantage of the site’s micro climate as well as respond to the site’s natural changes in elevation.
Welcome! Within this portfolio are a few selected projects from my undergraduate and graduate education. Through these academic projects, I have grown in my technical and interpersonal skills. With that, I am hoping to gain professional experience in an architecture firm through a Summer 2022 internship. I look forward to speaking with you further!
Masters of Architecture
Austin, TX
jfelicelli@utexas.edu
(919) 259-5803
Instagram: @jfelzxarch
Software Adobe Suite, Microsoft Office, Revit, Rhino 6, Sketchup, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, Enscape, Vray
Interpersonal
Working effectively in teams, professional & thorough communication, punctuality time management, passionate engaged learner
Austin, UT
In the initial stages of design, I focused on creating access to publicly-facing courtyards as well the opportunity to have a personal courtyard carved into each unit. The public courtyards are shared spaces in the spine of the development, creating spaces for community gathering, gardening, and lounging. The interior courtyards help to separate the programmatic needs inside each unit (ie. living vs. sleeping spaces). This interior courtyard also introduces plentiful daylight into the living spaces and increases the occupants biophilic connection.
The two main opportunities in this project were the approach to density as well as the 70ft topographical change from the road to the river. To increase density while still providing occupants with adequate space and personal property, each unit exists on its own while sharing a wall with one other unit. The units are all one-story in order to not obstruct the view of the river and surrounding landscape to passerby’s and visitors to the site.
For the topographical change, the approach was to create an interior walkway that would step-down every few feet and connect all the units on the site. This walkway “floats” above
Flashing Cap
Standing Seam Metal Roof 3:12 Roof Slope
North-Facing Double-Pane Clerestory Window
4” Limestone Veneer
Air Gap
Masonry Ties
2” EPS Continuous Insulation
Vapor Barrier Membrane
R-19 Insulated Wood Stud Wall
Finished Wood Flooring
Through-Wall Metal Flashing
Hand-drawn detailed building section through 1 unit
The steep slope (approx. 70’) offered a unique opportunity for the housing complex. By keeping the height of the buildings low and grounded, the new development does not compete with the existing units adjacent to it or obstruct the view of the river.
To increase density while still providing occupants with adequate space and personal property, each unit exists on its own while sharing a wall with one other unit. The interior walkway connects all the units together, creating a public courtyard that gently steps down with the natural topography.
Spring 2021 | Professor Matt Fajkus | Design Excellence Nomination | Presented at AIA Design Week Partner: Fernando Olmedo Rivera
Drought is a natural disaster that has chronic, longterm affects, and is typically harder to point to as compared flooding and wildfires. With these complex characteristics, it is imperative to bring awareness and educate our community members about the harsh realities of droughtstricken environments like Central Texas. This semester we focused on mitigating the effects of drought through educational facilities, drought research facilities, and design-driven techniques and strategies for mitigation. This community center responds to the issues of drought through water collection, water management, ecological and landscaping strategies, and creating an equitable and accessible community amenity. We utilized low water intensive materials, a structure that lightly touches the ground to mitigate soil disruption, and incorporating passive design strategies to offset some of the energy needed to run the facilities.
The water would come from inverted roofs on the property and HVAC condensation from nearby manufacturing facilities. The clean HVAC condensate is drawn off into sewer lines, but it can also be reused for other purposes, such as filling toilets, fire sprinkler system reservoirs, or irrigation. Following the natural topography of the land, this collected water would run through the site through a series of connected arroyos and collect at a pond at the bottom of the site. This water would be treated on-site and reused through the facilities for purposes such as toilet flushing and irrigation. The focal point of the project being an observation tower would extend above the treetops and become an architectural destination point within the city drawing community members in. A continuous and connected walkway system would provide accessibility throughout the site and allow all members of the community to experience this natural setting within the bustling city.
Timber connections
Structural layout and material selection
At the base of the site is a man-made water retention pond and a constructed wetland. This feature collects the water that runs down through the series of arroyos. Visitors to the site can access an observation tower through an extensive elevated walkway system that begins at the community center. Visual accessibility was established through the use of an open-air structure as well as common construction materials and strategies. By creating a free and open public amenity, people will visit throughout the year and be confronted with the reality of drought periods when the arroyo system has dried up and the landscape has drastically changed in response to climatic changes.
Drought-Resilient
Montopolis Neighborhood,
Texas Hill Country Blanco, Texas
Unity Park Pavilion Downtown Lenoir, North Carolina
Courtyard Density
Brackenridge Track, Austin,
Elisabet Ney Museum
Hyde Park Neighborhood,
Other Works & Smaller Various Site Locations Resume Jessica Felicelli |
(919) 259 - 5803
Blair Austin Studio
Architectural Intern
May - Aug. 2022
• Built Revit models and completed full SD & CD sets for single-family custom residential homes in central Texas.
• Developed preliminary hand sketches for client approval and reviewed code requirements for new projects.
• Updated company marketing materials & past drawings sets to new company standards.
Arete Engineers
Drafter & Designer
Aug. 2019 - March 2020
• Designed and drafted foundation, wall, roof, and retaining wall drawings and diagrams using Microstation.
• Attended weekly building site visits to assess progress of projects, photo documentation, and as-built conditions.
• Collaborated with architects, engineers, and other project consultants to discuss updates, changes, and recommendations to the structural plans.
RDH Building Science
Engineering Assistant
May - Aug. 2019
• Wrote and edited building condition assessment reports based on site visits and performative field investigations.
• Drafted and designed building enclosures and enclosure details for commercial condominiums in the Pacific North West.
• Prepared QTO and bidding documentation, and other professional communications with architects, engineers, and consultants.
University of Texas at Austin
Masters of Architecture
• Certificate in Sustainable Design: Technology & Environment
Appalachian State University
Bachelors of Science in Building Science
• Concentration: Architectural Technology & Design
May 2023
2016-2020
UTSOA Career Services Associate Summer 2021 - Present
Environmental Controls: Heat, Air, Water Summer 2021 & Spring 2022
Visual Communications I & II
Fall 2022 & Spring 2023
4x UTSOA Design Excellence Nominations 2021 - 2022
Dean’s Ambassador Spring 2022 - Present
AIA Austin Student Liaison 2022
ASU Architectural Excellence Department Award Spring 2020
DIGITAL | Revit, Rhino, Sketchup, Autocad, Adobe Suite, Bluebeam, Enscape
ANALOG | Handsketching, Model Making, Woodworking