portfolio
design statement pearl gardens
valmont elementary
15 fold convention center
urban landscape
lucinda lamp
robotix artwork refuel biography resume
02 contents
spring 2008
fall 2008
spring 2009
fall 2009
spring 2010
Jessica L SImon
03 design statement
Design starts with a problem that a designer is waiting to solve. It is our responsibility as designers to come up with a probable conclusion. There are many ways to approach a design. It is my holistic approach to come up with a contemporary, modern, sustainable, and functioning design to maximize the potential that fits into the built environment. I strive to find solutions that can coexist on this planet. I originally went into architecture because I wanted to use my talent for the greater good. I hope that one day I can build homes in third world countries and help develop a more sustainable lifestyle in our society. In our current society, built on greed and a high sense of personal wealth, it sometimes feels that living a sustainable life is out of reach for many. However, I believe that it only takes one person to make a positive change in the world and I hope to be one of those individuals. “The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen,� by Frank Lloyd Wright. The University Of Colorado Architecture School took me on a journey to strengthen my skills as an architect. There are stepping-stones to being an impeccable designer. During school I started off by learning drawing techniques and computer programs. I learned the history of architecture, social behaviors, building materials, structure, systems in a building, theories, and environments that are affected by certain designs. I became a sponge, absorbing all of the wisdom from my professors. When I was given a theory and I would place that philosophy into a studio project. Every project involves trial and error to find the optimum solution. I would research, diagram, sketch, and build models until all hours of the night. This progression helped guide me to a design. All of these endeavors helped me grow away from a free-floating artist and into a driven designer. Through out each project my discovery of what a good design is and how it can influence the world expanded. I came to realization that I have a talent. With this talent it is my objective to maximize the potential of the built environment and to make this world an improved place.
04 pearl gardens
Pearl Gardens was derived from a series of simple diagrams. The idea was to maximize the potential space. The location is on 20th Street and Pearl Street, the maximum footprint is 80’ x 80’. Since the building is a mixeduse 30% must be commercial and 70% is residential according to code. The maximum space is then 80’ x 80’ x 36’ according to height restrictions. Then the residential is lifted to get maximum programmatic benefits. The sunlight and mountain views were considered for the residents. The best-suited place for circulation was in the middle of the building and provided a staircase and elevator. The maximum amount of residential units is 4. They are 2 story condominiums and each has 1280 square feet. The parking for the residents is located underneath the condos and provides 2 parking spaces for commercial. The outdoor space is then maximized by adding a outdoor lower garden and lifting the residential hallway. The skin system is wrapped around the building to provide security, light, privacy, and provides an opportunity for architectural expression.
Jessica L SImon
There are three courtyards on the site. The first floor courtyard is where the residential entrance is located and there is outdoor seating for the commercial spaces or for public use. The Second level courtyard is intended for the residents to have little gardens or just their own outdoor hangout area. The third level courtyard is a roof top garden. It is not intended for use of the public, it is intended to make the building more sustainable. The idea of using urban gardens in the mix-use is to create a sense of community and sustainability.
The building is located on the corner of 20th street and Pearl Street in Boulder, Colorado. Five major components directly affected the initial design of the project. These components included, pedestrian traffic, noise pollution, car traffic, solar movement, and views of the mountains. These preliminary impacts led to the initial concept of maximizing the potential of the site. There are two commercial spaces and four residential units. the commercial components are on the Pearl Street side to allow noticeable business entrance. They also do not have a specified program so they can be rentable to any kind of business owner. The residential units are located on the back of the site to get the best mountain views. The residential units are also in the back to avoid some of the noise pollution that Pearl Street creates. The residential units are all two bedrooms.
06 valmont elementary
The site is located in Boulder, Colorado off of Valmont and 63rd. The project consists of watercolor drawings and AutoCAD drawings on Mylar. The project was done in 1/16� = 1’ scale. The model was built out of basswood, copper wire, chipboard, and foam core. The site has an existing historic building on it. The structure used to be an elementary school. The design is intended to rejuvenate the old building and connect it to a new building. With the idea of form follows function, the program was a school for kindergarteners to fifth graders. The shape of the new structure was primarily based upon its intended purpose. Simple watercolor drawings helped to determine the form of the building. These simple diagrams helped decide where the program went and which one would be the most functional. Since the site is located off of two busy streets and residential homes are located on the other two sides it made more sense to have a large outdoor space in the middle of the school. To insure children’s safety and to not disrupt the neighbors the playground was placed in the middle of the building. This allows for more natural light and airflow to come into the structure. The building was designed to code, to insure it was handicap accessible, and accessible for fire safety. There is also a green area on the side of the school that is fenced in for children to play sports, such as soccer, football, capture the flag, or anything that requires a bigger space.
Jessica L SImon
It is significant that the design helps children in various stages of development. The most important stages of development happen during childhood. Children can be stimulated by anything, such as, light, color, size of the building, visuals, sounds, and navigational aspects of the school. Children need a healthy and stimulating environment to learn. It was imperative that all of these qualities played into the aesthetics of the building. The curvature of the building is intended to give a welcoming feeling to the children. It is to make it appear pleasant and comfortable. The school is surrounded by windows to provide an abundant amount of natural light. It is proven that natural light benefits children. Overall Valmont Elementary was developed to satisfy the needs of young children. The program for the building consists of a library, bathrooms, faculty offices, administration offices, entryway, utility room, art room, music room, gym, cafeteria, kitchen, special education room, computer lab, playground, and individual rooms for each grade.
08 fifteenth fold convention center
The fifteenth fold convention center is located in Boulder, Colorado off of Canyon and Broadway. It is a continuation of the Urban Landscape project. All of the drawings are ink on Mylar and done in 1/8� = 1’ scale. The models were made mostly out of basswood. Phenomenal transparency was the theory for the park project. The idea is to use this theory along with Cadence and The Coullis. Cadence is a balanced rhythmic flow and the instruction was to make an organic cadence. The Coullis is about draping a view and controlling what a viewer sees. The idea is to make all of these theories be coherent and produce a beautiful auditorium. Since the objective was to make an auditorium, music was a theme in the design. The first objective was to make a threedimensional model to explain cadence. Since the project was to design an auditorium it relates to music. The design of the model was based off of music on a staff and turned into an object. However, this object was not organic enough, it was too concrete and needed to be more organic.
Jessica L SImon
The final plan was derived from the original model and demonstrates the Coullis, phenomenal transparency, and cadence. The concrete qualities of the original cadence model were changed into a rhythmic flow. There is an organic rhythm in the layout of the columns. The columns come up and form a rooftop and this demonstrates the natural rhythm three-dimensionally. Some of the columns do not connect to a wall and demonstrate the Coullis by folding over the building. This folding feature controls what individuals see and creates a wrapping affect. There are fifteen layers of folding in the design. The layers consist within the ground plan and roof heights. The ground plan relates to the existing urban park and continues the idea of phenomenal transparency by manipulating the materials on the landscape. The building is intended for large meetings, presentations, performances, and has a large entrance exhibit hall. It is a form of organization, organic rhythm, folding, and controlled views in this design. Overall this was an attempt at demonstrating and explaining these theories in a sculptural way.
The compositions above drove the design for the landscape. The compositions were derived from the ideas of De Stijl influence on architecture and phenomenal transparency. Artists fromthe early 20th century did cubist paintings such as Piet Modrian, “Compostion with yellow, Red, Black, and Grey,” and Theo Van Doeburg, “Counter-composition XVI.” These paintings started a movement involving geometric abstractions, which influenced architecture. The diagrams are an interpretation of this movement.
The Urban Landscape is located in Boulder, Colorado off of Arapahoe and Broadway. It is near a public library, bike paths, and a walking mall. Pedestrian traffic is dominant in this area. All of the compositions were done in 1/16” = 1’ scale. All of the drawings are ink/color pencil on Mylar and are on 24”x36” Mylar. The Urban Landscape model is in 1/16”=1’ scale and has basswood, chipboard, sandpaper, and foam core as materials. The objective of this project was to plug program into the best schematic drawing. The larger composition was chosen because it could transfer the idea of transparency and it has large grid for placing program. The program was volleyball, racquetball, bocce ball, olympic swimming pool, skate ramps, and cricket. The challenge was placing these objects into the diagram drawings and using the idea of phenomenal transparency to convey the theory. Phenomenal transparency is a form of organization, instantaneous perception of diverse spatial positions within the same area, forms are implied rather then portrayed. Placing the program on the diagram was a challenge when using this concept. Using materials to organize the site and show ground transparency as well as program transparency had to be relevant. However, there were two obstacles, turning the program into a three-dimensional space and a river went through the site. Deciding which portions to take out and turn it into a three-dimensional park was problematic. It was important to have the park be multi-functioning. There is a large skate ramp with stairs on the sides so it could be used as an outdoor auditorium. Some of the areas are intended for having a picnic near the river, or playing a sport. The sides of the skate ramps are intended to have rock-climbing/bouldering walls on them. The city of Boulder is an outdoors, athletic town, it was important to make the landscape be purposeful for the city and provide multi-functioning activities. Overall the theme of the project was to comprehend phenomenal transparency and how it can be incorporated into a landscape.
10 urban landscape
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Jessica L SImon
12 lucinda lamp
The intention was to fabricate an object. The process involved manufacturing an inventive design. Throughout the semester the goal was to develop a lamp design through trial and error. There was a specific company called Dform who had interlocking fixtures that inspired Lucinda. The project involved testing and looking up patterns to come up with a modern stylish lamp. Originally wood was the material of choice. Different patterns were tested with the wood. Some days the laser cutter would help manipulate a pattern but through testing it seemed as though wood was not giving a satisfactory appearance to the project. Before dismissing wood, different widths of the wood were tested and even 1/32” wood was not as pliable as envisioned. Then the pattern was manipulated to see if wood could be acceptable but it still was not giving a clean modern look. The material was then changed to acrylic. This is when the laser cutter became a useful instrument. 1/8” acrylic was originally tested with the interlocking patterns. The original orthogonal pattern was not appealing put together. The appearance of the acrylic was pleasant, but the appearance of the glue was not. Glue was messy and it was evident where pieces were glued together. It did not look clean and sophisticated. An idea arose to connect the portions without glue. Finally a decision was made that the members should join through interlocking.
Jessica L SImon
The new plan was to link pieces of acrylic together. The main goal was to figure out the joining. More patterns developed through this joinery process. However the pattern did not have a huge prevalence on the project since it could be easily manipulated. The interweaving with the pieces created a unique pattern to the design. The major idea was to figure how the interweaving would work. It was then time to figure out how to unite the members so they would stay in place and create an angle ¬¬when joined. The angle was a necessity so it would form to be a cylinder. The main design was to the right, with a hole in the middle and joints on the ends. The intent was to piece together the membranes in a simple manner. A simple design with 1/8”acrylic was formed and the conclusion was that 1/8”was more structurally suitable but did not create a small enough of an angle. The acrylic then switched to 1/16”. The 1/16” was pliable, had a better angle, and the pieces linkage enhanced. The advantage to it being pliable allowed the lamp to have a flexible circumference. It allowed pieces to be taken away or added to the fixture. The one flaw was the structurally stability. The first prototype of the 1/16” was fragile. The individual pieces had to be manipulated to be more structurally sound. It made sense to manipulate the rectangle. The rectangle had to be large enough for the joining to occur but small enough for stability. The next step was figuring out how the outer shell would hang.
There was an assessment to be made, floor lamp or hanging light fixture. A hanging light fixture seemed to be the way to go because it could later on be manipulated into a floor lamp. The following phase included how it would hang. Since it was intended to be a pendant fixture, finding a lamp and wire had to be slick and posh was in order. Once the proper fixture was found another problem arose. How was the light going to attach to the lampshade? Glue had been problematic before so there had to be alternatives to attach the lamp and pendant holder. A round membrane unit was designed to go under the shade and in the middle of it was the light fixture. Connecting the round membrane to the shade involved some study. Tests were done using piano wire and acrylic tubing. Little holes were designed into the individual pieces so the tubing could run through it. Piano wire seemed to be pliable and was not cohesive with the design so acrylic tubing was used. It seemed ridiculous to run the tubes across the whole diameter and it made more sense to use one-inch long pieces of tubing and place them into the holes. The tubing was then hammered into the holes to insure a secure fit. The light fixture with the circular membrane was then placed below the shade and pulled up so it would hang from the one-inch acrylic tubes. Overall the project produced a slick, posh, sophisticated light fixture that was manipulated through many tests and done without any bonding agents.
14 robotix
Digital Design focuses on the configuration of digitally cogitated atmospheres and experiences. Essential principles manipulate the course of a design; understanding and computing these principles are the first steps to designing. Design is our own perception of space to communicate beautiful forms. When designing we are faced with a problem and we must find the best possible solution. We must do various studies and through trial and error come up with a design. Digital design is part of the trial and error process. It may not begin with digital software, but in our modern society it ends with some influence of digital design. In some perspectives it is believed that digital design is over used and the intellectualness of understanding ones project is lost. Digital design is a relatively new invention that must be embraced in our modern society, it is our goal as designers to utilize the tools around us, but not forgot the fundamentals of designing: drawing. As new problems call for new solutions, a changing world must cater to new designs; but the importance of our pasts must not be forgotten.
Jessica L SImon
Digital design is an apparatus to architecture. Robotix exemplifies a digital space that is expressed in 2D and 3D forms. Through the various programs used in that semester the goal was to convey the idea of robotics through an abstraction of images and create an abstract conceivable space. Robotix shows how computer software can be useful through manipulation of the programs. Through many trials and test using the software an object was created. Robotix utilizes Rhino and Photoshop to create spaces, which were digitally, meditated environments. The theme of robotics led the design of a futuristic abstract object that came out of orthogonal lines from the original Photoshop diagrams. Through simple design techniques and through trying testing different designs, Robotix came to be a form at a large and small scale. This simplistic approach led to an innovative and successful idea of how robotics can influence architecture. This was an arbitrary approach to robotics influence on architecture. It was a manipulation of previously abstracted pictures that were fabricated using digital design to create cogitated atmospheres.
“Love or Lust,” is a pop art oil painting done in the spring of 2008. It was done on a wood board at the size of 24”x 36”. This painting depicts the trials of dating and how two people can have separate feelings about a romance. One person may believe that a relationship will bloom from their romance. The other person may just be in it for the physical attributes. It is up to the viewer to depict what the situation is. Love or Lust.
“Lady of the Hour,” is a quick sketch of a naked woman done in the fall of 2009. It was done on charcoal paper and is 4” x 5”. It is done with red color pencil on paper. This is a simple and quick piece but its simplicity makes it beautiful. This piece is located at the top right hand corner.
15 art work
“Boulder Flatirons,” was done in the spring of 2009. It was done on a canvas at the size of 8” x 10”. It is an oil painting that depicts the flatirons in the fall time. “Circle,” was done in the spring of 2010. It’s a sculpture made of wooden circles. It is roughly 30” x 40”. All of the circles were white washed different colors and layered on top of each other. This piece is a way of finding peace with curvature. This piece is located at the bottom right hand corner.
16 refuel
Refuel is located on the west end of Pearl Street Mall in Boulder. Refuel was a design derived from an existing posh restaurant in Boulder called The Kitchen. The Kitchen believes in the farm-to-table movement, being sustainable, and having a sense of community. All of these ideas were to be considered in the design. The site has a limited lot with a German century old brick house, which needs to be unified and adapted into the design with minimal modifications. The idea is to create a restaurant by combining the historic building with a new building and incorporate the values of farm-to-table. The problem was to make the old and new co-exist without destroying the integrity of the existing building. Through diagraming the site, lines were pulled from the historic building to create a grid. This is grid is to help keep a consistency between the structures. Once the grid was formed spaces were defined. Then program was placed in the organized spaces. The grid lines helped organize where the kitchen, bathrooms, storage, dinning areas, entrance, table placement, outdoor gardens, and outdoor seating went. The end result optimized the space and left the sincerity of the old building. The project was done in 1/16� = 1’ scale and uses ink on Mylar. The model is made mostly of basswood and chipboard. There are three diagrams, two plans, four elevations, two sections, and a perspective drawing.
Jessica L SImon
Farm-to-table is a movement, which is concerned with producing local food and delivering that food to consumers. It is the stages of production for a food item that leads to consumption of a bystander. Typical it involves local, organic farms. The idea is to incorporate these values into Refuel. To have the consumer recognize and realize where there delicious food comes from. It helps incorporate a sustainable lifestyle. The farm-to-table movement is group oriented and it was imperative that the design gives a sense of community.
This idea of community would then be reciprocated into a good meal and help promote people gathering around a table and sharing good food and drink. Refuel creates a sense of openness and invitation by having huge windows at the front of the restaurant and seating outside. There are five gardens on the rooftop to help make the building more sustainable and multifunctioning. The intention is that some of the food could be produced on the rooftop and go straight to the table.
Jessica Simon was born in Boulder, Colorado in 1987. She felt that growing up in Boulder was both an adventure and a blessing. One of the main attractions to Boulder is the University because of this you can find stimulating intellectual conversation pretty much anywhere that you go. Boulder sits in a valley below the foothills providing a mecca for athletes, the town also has a fair number of start businesses. People that live in Boulder strive to be successful, well rounded and that has made her the lady that she is today. In this inspirational city that offers so many invigorating outlets she has pursued yoga, hiking, snowboarding, camping, cooking (her favorite), bouldering, and the list continues. She aspires to make the world a better place by giving the gift of her sustainable architectural designs. After furthering her education and getting a strong foundation in building sustainable living, working within the environment, she plans to travel the world over and plant the seed of sustainable design; her wish is to make a better world for everyone and feels not only a strong calling but it is her duty as a fellow human to make life beautiful for everyone she meets.
18 biography
She did not grow up wealthy which was a struggle for a child when most of her friends were from affluent families. For a child the experience was miserable; when she ventured outside of Boulder’s bubble she came to realize the full spectrum of what it means to be rich and poor and came to the conclusion that material possessions are nice although they are not the most important thing in life; what is important is working towards being a good person, having compassion, empathy and finding peace within and throwing that back out into the world. This is what gave her strength, courage, and compassion for her fellow beings. At an early age she was diagnosed with a reading, speech and language disability; formulating sentences, reading and talking was a jumbled mess. Her mother, Carrie, had her go into the guidance of a child psychologist. The psychologist placed her in several programs to help with her disabilities. Carrie knew that her daughter was highly intelligent and instead of focusing on her daughter’s disabilities she in turn focused on her creative side. She had a basket full of art supplies and instead of turning on the television she would have her daughter draw, paint, sculpt, and build. She encouraged her to use her imagination. With the love, care, hard work and dedication she overcame her disabilities. Knowing that she needed to learn how to function in a left-brain system, her mother found an alternative middle school. This school catered to right brain thinkers and was had a strong community based emphasis. The schools theme was a hands-on, experimental approach to learning. The school advocated working in groups but also taught students to work independently and be self-sufficient they also taught students to respect individual difference. She was forced into strong leadership positions, which helped mold her into the leader that she is today. When she went to high school the artist in her blossomed, all thanks to her art teacher who inspired and encouraged the artist within her. At the end of her high school career she decided that her future was in architecture; the strong love of creating beauty through design would one day take farther than what she ever could imagine. She then went on to college and did her undergraduate degree in environmental design with an emphasis in architecture. She currently is traveling the country looking for work, waiting for the right opportunity to help her mature and grow her talent as a designer. She wishes to attend graduate school in the next year or so, after graduate school, open her own firm, and make her dreams come to life.
Jessica L SImon
Education University of Colorado Environmental Design Program Matriculated Spring 2010
Bachelors of Environmental Design, with an emphasis in Architecture Studios 1-4:For each studio the goal was to find the best suitable solution to the problem presented by the faculty. Utilized: drawing skills, model making skills, Adobe programs (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Flash), Revit Architecture, AutoCAD, and Rhino.
Relevant Experience Ginger and Pickles Toy Store: Social Media Marketer 2007 - Present • • • • • • • • •
Social media marketing: Utilizing Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google Analytics, Wordpress, Blogging, Bitly, Hoot Suite, Klout, and You Tube Channel to increase sales on the website and store Development of an Ecommerce website: choose product best suited for the website; uploaded pictures and descriptions of merchandise onto the website, used Photoshop to edit product pictures, maintained the website by blogging, linking websites, and utilizing the features of Wordpress. Used Merchant Applications Inc. to receive inventory, create price tickets, look up products, and product information Accounting work using QuickBooks Pro 2007 Opened and Closed: includes organizing the store, handling money, opening and closing cash register, keeping accurate track of days accounting records, setting security, locking doors, and opening with a big bright smile. Customer Relations: marketing and closing a sale, handling currency, wrapping presents, and upbeat customer service skills to enhance every sale. Visual Merchandising: arranging displays around the store in a creative, fashionable way to draw customers into the store and creatively designing the window displays to enhance product that is sold in the store and make sure that all items were a “must have” to both children and adults Microsoft Office Programs (Word and Xcel) are used for orders, inventory, and flyers. Assembled toys for displays and repaired broken toys
The Orange Couch: Barista 2011-2012 • • • •
Customer Relations: Greeted every customer with a smile; made coffee drinks using an espresso machine, provided personalized customer care, main focus was customer satisfaction and service excellence along with beverage and quality which is a must in a competitive food industry Opened and Closed the coffee shop: cleaning the coffee shop, opened and or closed the cash register which included accurate skills, setting up tables, making coffee specialty coffee drinks, setting up the espresso machine, cleaning the espresso machine, preparing pastries, and restocking supplies The Orange Couch was a fast paced environment and multi-tasking was a necessity Trained new employees
Redstone Meadery: Mead Ambassador 2010-2011 • • • • • •
Customer Relations: includes selling mead and other merchandise, ensuring an enjoyable experience for customers, along with samples of mead customers received a full description of the product, gave tours of the plant and explained how it is made, bottled, and labeled, bottled, and labeled Customer service skills and marketing skills were essential in increasing in increasing sales of mead Promotions: entails asking potential customers in Boulder, Colorado and at special events to try our product, always done with a huge smile, and the best customer service Created and released a Facebook business page: maintenance includes keeping track of posts, posting events, posting pictures, and managing/maintaining blog Opened and Closed: includes organizing the store, cleaning the tasting room, bathroom, and dishware, counting the register, and restocking Labeling involves using a professional label machine to put labels on the bottles
19 resume
Gadzooks: Assitant Manager 2004-2007 • Opened and Closed the store: organizing the store for the next day of business, cleaning the store, kept the store looking presentable, handling money, counting the register, going to the bank,over saw all employees: made sure they came to work on time, presentable, and ready for the day’s sales • Customer Relations: greeting the customers, strong marketing and sales by helping to dress the customer by offering a range of outfits that were attractive and tasteful, listened to what the customer wanted based on their style, then found appropriate clothes that fit the person’s lifestyle and needs • Loss Prevention: involves responsibility for loss and prevention of merchandise, keeping a keen eye on all customers as well as employees; contacting the authorities after I apprehended a shoplifter • Advised associates of their daily duties and placed each associate in different positions/duties throughout the store • Received merchandise and placed it in its appropriate location
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