Jonelle Simunich Portfolio
Pocket Park Thesis Studio Diagrams + Site Sections Public Space The Quad Ditmars Boulevard Sustainable Use Map USGBC Design Competition City Hall Chaos and Order In Celebration Of Graphic Design
Drawing of a Tree Neighborhood Re-Design In Celebration Of
Table of Contents |Portfolio
Shading Sketch
Pocket Park | Spring 2011 | BA Hunter College
I sought to design a park that would allow visitors the experience of being on stage. Additionally I desired to maximize the seating spaces available and to incorporate art within the experience. The everyday inhabitants of this park are business people seeking an ideal lunch spot, while the occasional inhabitants are viewers of performances. In terms of design, I began by dividing the park into spaces; stage, seating, and standing. The stage doubles as seating when performances are not occurring. The seating areas: upon the wooden decking and built into two of the three walls is provided for both types of visitors. The standing area is meant for short-term conversations or people who need a quick break. This park will be occupied with moveable tables and chairs as to maximize the uses available to patrons. Throughout the workday the furniture will be spread around the wooden decking. In the case of a performance the furniture can be moved onto the concrete space as well as the portion of deck that is not used for the stage.
Pocket Park | Spring 2011 | BA Hunter College
Thesis Studio Diagrams | Fall 2013 | MUP Hunter College
- Thesis Studio - Adobe Illustrator - Diagram for program of neighborhood
Thesis Studio Sections | Fall 2013 | MUP Hunter College
- Thesis Studio - ArchiCAD - Adobe Illustrator - Adobe Photoshop - Diagram for new street design
Public Space | Winter 2013
- Photography - Fourbarrel Coffee - San Francisco, California
The Quad | Spring 2011 | BA Hunter College
My goal was to design a bench to fill a void in the East Village, NYC. While strolling down the sidewalk pedestrians view empty planter boxes where trees once stood. I have often considered what to do with these spaces and came to the conclusion that a bench is the best solution. The inhabitants of this bench are people who have been walking in the neighborhood and are in need a short rest, those who want to sit without the need to make a purchase, and those who have purchased food and are without a space to enjoy it. In terms of design, I aimed to follow the logic of the sidewalk. An average sidewalk square is 4’-0” by 4’-0”. This bench, appropriately named ‘The Quad,’ is 4’ x 4’ x 4’ and holds 4 people. The Quad’s structure is made of three intersecting planes crossing at 90-degree angles. The seat of the bench is located precisely in the center of the 4’ viewing plane at 2’. I intend for the bench to be made of concrete allowing each of the three planes to be of equal importance. The only place in which the grid is broken is when one of the 2’ x 2’ pieces is removed to create a ‘love seat’ for two, allowing the inhabitants to choose if they want a private or public experience.
Prompt This assignment was to select a site in New York City that could benefit from Land-Use, Zoning, Transportation, Infrastructure, and/ or Urban Design Changes; followed by research, site visits, a land use survey, to provide backround for our subsequent recommendations for improvement. 21st AVENUE 21st AVENUE
Ditmars Boulevard| Fall 2013
| MUP Hunter College
DITMARSDITMARS BOULEVARD BOULEVARD
33rd STREET
33rd STREET
31st STREET
31st STREET
29th STREET
23rd AVENUE 23rd AVENUE
29th STREET
Summary Astoria is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in New York City, not to mention within the country at large. The region boats a rich history of settlers and settlements over the years. Over time the process of development has varied, including the progression to develop away from the waterfront. Boasting a rich history of farms, mansions, manufacturing, along with retail and residential uses, Astoria has over the years been home to a variety of usages. Today Astoria boasts a diverse group of individuals; rather than the preceding populations fleeing to allow for new immigrant groups to enter, Astoria has maintained a sense of the working class and adopted new groups with ease. The built and natural environments are unlike the other boroughs as individuals primarily live in single or multi-family homes rather than apartment buildings. This permits increased greenery on residential blocks creating a pleasing pedestrian experience. The structures are low rise, with few building surpassing six stories, the majority are three or four stories. While the commercial strip, Ditmars, is lined with retail stores they are not overwhelming and offer a plethora of options for adventurous eaters. All in all Astoria is a region of diversity providing an assortment of culture, food, and makeup.
Proposal I researched two issues. First was finding a solution to the above ground train, which is both noisy and an eye sore. I proposed submergeing it, and subsequently extending to the airport benefiting both residents and New Yorkers alike. Second was the lack of open space in the study area. I resolved this issues with a combination of urban design, infrastructure, and zoning changes. My proposal was to split a prominent grocery store parking lot in half, retain the left half customer parking and turn the right half into a plaza and green space for neighborhood residents, customers, and passersby.
Ditmars Boulevard | Fall 2013 | MUP Hunter College
Site Description The project site is in Astoria, Queens at the intersection of Ditmars Blvd and 31st St. and the last stop on the NQ train line. My focus was on this intersection as Ditmars is the most prominent streets in Astoria and boasts diversity of use, resident, and function.
EAST SE COND
S TR E E T
FI R ST AV ENUE
- Assignment - Graphic Design + Land Use - Adobe Illustrator - East Houston Street, NYC
ESSEX
LUDLOW
ORCHARD
AL LE N
Sustainable Use Map | Fall 2013 | MUP Hunter College
EAST HOUSTON
STANTON
T REE B IKE L ANE C ROSSWALK G REEN R OOF P ARK
S USTAINABLE U SE M AP
J ONELLE S IMUNICH URBG 707 F ALL 2013 A DOBE I LLUSTRATOR L AB
USGBC Design Competition | Spring 2008 | Cosumnes River College
This project was both a class assignment and a team competition. Students were placed into groups of five. The program was to design a building that housed retail and restaurant spaces, apartments, and educational facilities as well as including parking within the dense urban fabric. The project was to be located in Sacramento, California on the site of the old rail yard. Currently this space is comprised of vacant lots, and the city has a master plan to develop most of the area. Our objective was to design a building that would interact with both the new residents and the neighboring community while providing communal space for patrons. We achieved this by creating public spaces that are easily accessible to the general public and allow for interaction in a diversity of ways. As well provided are private communal spaces for residents of the compound. This project was then judged by a panel of individuals from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and put on display in their Sacramento Offices. My team came in second place and was invited to an award dinner to commemorate our efforts.
City Hall | Winter 2011
- Personal Activity - Photograph - City Hall - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Chaos and Order | Fall 2006 | Cosumnes River College
The brief of this project was to create two spaces, one chaotic and one ordered centered around Cartesian access. Each student was randomly assigned to a partner who would be his or her client. Through the interview process I learned of my clients love of the beach, forest, dense urban center, and rural countryside. I sought to include elements from all four areas within the design. I began by choosing wood as the main material with metal accents. I then choose to separate the spaces, setting the ordered space high off the ground to allow water to flow underneath as well as provide a better view of the surroundings. The chaotic space on the other hand is at ground level and open to the elements allowing for an easily accessible beach feel. The spaces are connected by an unstable bridge offering a since of risk and curiosity to the transition process.
In Celebration Of Graphic Design | Spring 2008 | Cosumnes River College - Assignment - Graphic Design - Photoshop - www.BCJ.com
Shading Sketches | Fall 2010 | BA Hunter College
- Assignment - Study drawing - Charcoal on tinted paper
Drawing of a Tree | Fall 2010 | BA Hunter College
- Assignment - Drawing of a tree - Pastel and charcole on colored paper
Neighborhood Re-Design | Spring 2011 | BA Hunter College
The area being considered for re-design is located within New York City on the Lower East Side and a section of the East River Park. The re-design began with the path. Currently the path from the neighborhood to the park does not provide a pleasurable experience. The new path begins at the corner of Houston and Columbia St., cuts through the public housing, crosses over the FDR, and leads to a two-story park. Upon arrival to the park a wooden pathway leads to a staircase down to the existing space. The park itself is broken into three sections: private, public, and semipublic. I intend these areas to be used for an endless number of activities. The private section is without trees and ideal for relishing in the sun. The remainder of the park has a plethora of trees to create a canopy for the patrons. When park-goers are prepared to transition a grand stair provides the way. This staircase has three purposes: to connect one park to another, to provide additional seating, and to provide amphitheater seating for the new stage located across from it. At the base of the stair is a grand seating area filled with movable tables and chairs to provide restaurant seating as well as a gathering area for performances. Underneath the elevated park are a restaurant, bicycle parking, and a restroom.
In Celebration Of | Spring 2008 | Cosumnes River College
This project brief was to analyze an architecture firm and design an educational facility in their fashion. The facility must consist of classrooms, dining space, rest areas, a lobby, and an art gallery. The firm I was assigned to were Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ). BCJ allow the path to dictate the shape of their designs. I set out to use their concept for this facility. Through analyzing the site I found the ways people choose to cross through the space and designed the building around this path. The building lobby is placed in the center of the path, creating an easily accessible transition from one side to the other. A corresponding water feature guides visitors through the site. The classrooms are located on the north side of the space as it is the most private and have less traffic flow, while the art gallery is located to the south allowing for more of the public to interact with the building.
In Celebration Of | Spring 2008 | Cosumnes River College