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4 ARDEN AT KOHLER’S CROSSING 16 NORTHWENT 26 ARROWEYE HOUSE 44 CLIFF DRIVE RESIDENCE 46 SHAPE OF SOUND 47 INVISIBLE CITIES 49 RESUME
KOHLER’S CROSSING
PROJECT DESCRIPTION Arden at Kohler’s Crossing is a 263-unit multifamily project strategically located in Kyle, Texas, along the growing I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. A new mixed-use zoning was secured, allowing for high-density multifamily and retail development. This spurred similar rezoning efforts around the site, thereby transforming a previously underdeveloped stretch into a lively mixed-use community. This development aligns with the city of Kyle’s masterplan of aiming to establish itself as a vibrant city independent from its sole identity as a suburb of Austin. CONTRIBUTION I joined the project during the initial construction phase serving as the Development Manager. I effectively managed relations with the General Contractor, conducted contract negotiations, and addressed RFIs, and leveraged insights from our in-house construction experts to keep the project within budget while navigating evolving construction costs. As drought conditions worsened during the construction period, I collaborated with landscape designers to select native plants that required minimal irrigation, and preserve the existing trees on the site. I played a key role in in integrating community-revitalizing retail tenants and collaborated closely with property management to create a tailored marketing and lease-up strategy that involved partnerships with local businesses.
ORGANIZATION SITE STATUS ROLE
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KALTERRA KYLE, TX LEASING DEVELOPMENT MANAGER 5
PUBLIC TRANSIT
PROJECT SITE
HIGHWAY I-35
TOWN CENTER DISTRICT
CITY CORE CONNECTORS
CURRENT GROWTH DISTRICT
REGIONAL CONNECTORS
FUTURE GROWTH DISTRICT
VYBE TRAIL SYSTEM
LOCAL NODES GROWTH SENSITIVITY DISTRICT
KYLE GROWTH DISTRICT AND CONNECTIVITY PLAN
PROJECT SITE NEW RETAIL NEW MULTIFAMILY MULTIFAMILY RETAIL INDUSTRIAL SINGLE FAMILY GREENSPACE FARMLAND UNDEVELOPED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT SPURRED BY SECURING OF MIXED-USE ZONING
VYBE TRAIL SYSTEM I-35 HIGHWAY WATERWAYS SITE
THE VERGE APARTMENTS PRIORITIZED DIRECT ACCESS TO THE VYBE, KYLE’S CITYWIDE TRAIL SYSTEM, WHILE ALSO BECOMING A VYBE SPOT. THIS TRANSFORMATION INCLUDED DEDICATING ITS NEARLY 2-ACRE COURTYARD TO A BLEND OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AMENITIES, 3
SUSTAINABLE PLANTING, AND A WELCOMING SPACE FOR COMMUNAL GATHERINGS.
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1.THE VERGE APARTMENTS SITE DATA 7.07 ACRES 263 UNITS 37.19 UNITS/ACRE 342 PARKING SPOTS 1.3 SPOTS/UNIT 235,602 SF TOTAL VALUE $45.9M 2. DENTIST OFFICE 3. ABBOTTS FROZEN CUSTARD 4. H TEA O 5. TONY C’S PIZZA 6. RUDY’S COUNTRY STORE AND BAR-B-Q 7. MIGHTY FINE BURGERS, FRIES & SHAKES 8. ZAXBY’S
SITE PLAN
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ELEVATIONS
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PRESEVED TREES Lacey Oak Southern Live Oak
PLANTED DROUGHT RESISTANT NATIVE TREES Desert Willow
Bur Oak
Chinquapin Oak Bald Cypress Cedar Elm
COURTYARD PLANTING
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CLUB ELEVATIONS
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A1 UNIT PLANS AND ELEVATIONS
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NORTHWEND
PROJECT DESCRIPTION Northwend is a mixed-use development aimed at serving the influx of young professionals moving to Austin. It is strategically located for easy access to major corporate headquarters and transit. It aims to bring high-density multifamily and retail development just across the street from the proposed Rundberg station on the Light Rail Red Line. The project emphasizes walkability with a central promenade, carefully chosen retail tenants, and green space. CONTRIBUTION I conducted the initial feasibility study, identifying environmental and coderelated site constraints. I was also involved in the acquisitions process and in negotiations with the seller. Being an in-house design-development project, I conceptualized the site plan and collaborated with the finance team to establish proforma assumptions. Additionally, I partnered with civil engineers to address regrading concerns and worked with the city to secure new zoning and overlays. This effort resulted in increased site density and allowable development height.
ORGANIZATION SITE STATUS ROLE
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BERCY CHEN AUSTIN, TX PERMITTING DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGNER 17
GREATER AUSTIN CONTEXT
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LOCAL SITE CONTEXT
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PUBLIC TRANSIT
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FUTURE PUBLIC TRANSIT
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EXISTING SITE The rear parcel is undeveloped and is overgrown with invasive plants, while the front parcel features aging strip retail with nearly 100% impervious coverage and high vacancy.
BUILDABLE ENVELOPE IDENTIFIED The rear parcel is designated for single-family residential use with a height limit of 35’, while the front parcel is zoned as community commercial with a maximum height of 60’. The height on the front parcel is further constrained by compatibility standards. Additionally a creek buffer, erosion hazard zone, and large drainage easement are identified on the rear parcel.
MULTIFAMILY PUBLIC/PRIVATE
REZONING AND REGRADING The rear parcel is rezoned to community commercial to allow for a maximum height of 60’ and to waive the compatibility standards on the front parcel. By dedicating 36% of units as affordable at an average of 60% AMA, a density bonus is unlocked, allowing for a maximum height of 90’. By providing direct access to Rundberg Station, the site achieves a TOD overlay, reducing the parking requirement. Lastly, regrading allows the drainage easement in the rear parcel to be contained within the creek buffer, and 1.4 acres of parkland are dedicated.
CIRCULATION AND MASSING The central axis is identified on the front parcel as a pedestrian promenade that connects to parkland through a shared access easement. Small-box retail and entertainment are planned along the promenade with rooftop public/private courtyards surrounded by podium multifamily housing. The real parcel is less dense with garden-style multifamily that offers a gradual step down to the neighboring residential communities.
REZONING AND MASSING
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RETAIL DEDICATED PARKLAND CREEK PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION COMPATIBILITY RESTRICTIONS BUILDABLE ENVELOPE
SITE PLAN
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ARROWEYE HOUSE
PROJECT DESCRIPTION Perched upon a pristine slope in Austin’s hill country the Arroweye House was designed to harmonize with its natural surroundings. Being mindful of the hillside’s integrity, the architecture employs split levels and a small footfrint to minimize cut-fill. Incorporating rounded corners and a breezeway housing the vertical circulation and greenhouse the design integrates natural movement into the building’s form, reducing the dependence on air conditioning during scorching Texan summers. CONTRIBUTION I led client meetings to establish the initial design brief and throughout the design process, including value engineering discussions. Additionally, I partnered with the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center to strategize wildflower preservation and introduction on the site. My responsibilities also encompassed conducting energy efficiency studies and orchestrating coordination among design consultants, the construction team, and city authorities to ensure an efficient and constructible design, given the challenging site conditions.
ORGANIZATION SITE STATUS ROLE
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BERCY CHEN AUSTIN, TX PERMITTING DESIGNER
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CLIENTS SPOKE ABOUT THE BREEZE ON THE HILLSIDE, AND THEIR LOVE FOR THE TRADITIONAL COURTYARD HOMES OF SPAIN. WHILE THE SIDE WAS TOO NARROW TO ALLOW FOR A TRADITIONAL COURTYARD, THIS CONCEPT CREATES A CIRCULATION SPACE THAT ACTS ALLOWS FOR WIND, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CIRCULATION CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CHANCE ENCOUTERS THAT COURTYARDS FACILITATE
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SITE LOCATED ON A STEEP HILL WITH SEVERAL HERITAGE TREES AND A MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE OF 35%. HOUSE SITE TO MAXIMIZE VIEWS, AVOID TREES AND MINIMIZE FOOTPRINT
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CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN - EMPHASIS ON INDOOR PLANTINGS
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SITE PLAN- GIVE SOME CONTEXT ABOUT THE SITE
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NORTH ELEVATION
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WEST ELEVATION
EAST ELEVATION
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SPRING TEXAS BLUEBONNET WIDOW’S TEARS
CIRCULATION SPACE
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SUMMER BUSH PEA DAMIANITA
FALL
WINTER
TEXAS LANTANA
TROMPETILLA
MEXICAN HAT
TIULIPAN DEL MONTE
SEASONAL WILDFLOWERS
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CLIFF DRIVE RESIDENCE
PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Cliff Drive Residence beautifully harmonizes nature with architecture with a grand live oak tree stands sentinel, casting cooling shade over the courtyard. This design celebrates the seamless flow between indoor and outdoor areas, artfully enclosed by graceful curtain walls surrounding the central courtyard. Inspired by European architecture, arched windows exude timeless allure, complemented by the regal double-curved terracotta roof. This project epitomizes Austin’s natural beauty and European influences, creating a serene home where the boundaries between inside and outside gently merge, offering a delightful fusion of living spaces. CONTRIBUTION I established the design brief with the client that balanced market appeal and unique flair. I also ensured the preservation of two heritage trees on site, developed a parametric construction model to achieve a striking double curved roof within the building envelope, and coordinated effectively with external consultants to prepare a permit-ready set. Additionally, I worked closely with city authorities to address and resolve permit-related comments.
ORGANIZATION SITE STATUS ROLE
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BERCY CHEN AUSTIN, TX BIDDING DESIGNER
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THIS HOUSE FEATURES A HERITAGE LIVE OAK TREE AT ITS CENTER, EVOKING THE COURTYARD HOMES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN AND EMPHASIZING THE SEAMLESS BLENDING OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR SPACES
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SITE PLAN
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CONCEPTUAL AXON
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CONSTRUCTION FLOORPLANS
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NORTH ELEVATION (COURTYARD)
NORTH SECTION
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EAST SECTION
WEST SECTION
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DOUBLE CURVED TERRACOTTA ROOF
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VIEW OUT TOWARDS COURTYARD
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SOUND OF SPACE
INVISIBLE CITIES
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The sound of the sea is a constant, ever-
Visualizing Italo’s Calvino’s Invisitble Cities explores the medium of drawing to interpret text into a variety of spatial conditions.
changing thrum with countless variables. “The
DESPINA
Shape of Sound” project seeks to encapsulate
“When the camel driver sees, at the horizon of the tableland, the pinnacles of the skyscrapers come into view, the radar antennae, the white and red windsocks flapping, the chimneys belching smoke, he thinks of a ship; he knows it is a city, but he thinks of it as a vessel that will take him away from the desert, a windjammer about to cast off, with the breeze already swelling the sails In the coastline’s haze, the sailor discerns the form of a camel’s withers, an embroidered saddle with glittering fringe between two spotted humps, advancing and swaying; he knows it is a city, but he thinks of it as a camel from whose pack hang wineskins and bags of candied fruit, date wine, tobacco leaves, and already he sees himself at the head of a long caravan”
the unique auditory essence of the sea at a particular moment and location. “The Shape of Sound” represents an exploration of process at the crossroads of art and technology. I utilized ocean waves as the initial input, extracting auditory and postional metrics to craft a script that creatively visualizes this data. I then employed a KUKA robot to trace the path generated by the sound wave according to the script to produce art.
ZOBEIDE
WRITE A CONCEPT ABOUT THE MASSING
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“They saw a woman running at night through an unknown city; she was seen from behind, with long hair. After the dream they set out in search of that city; they never found it, but they found one another; they decided to build a city like the one in the dream. In laying out the streets, each followed the course of his pursuit; at the spot where they had lost the fugitive’s trail, they arranged spaces and walls differently from the dream, so she would be unable to escape again. New men arrived from other lands, and they changed the positions of arcades and stairways to resemble more closely the trail so no avenue of escape could remain. The first to arrive could not
HYPATIA “True, also in Hypatia the day will come when my only desire will be to leave. I know I must not go down to the harbor then, but climb the citadel’s highest pinnacle and wait for a ship to go by up there. But will it ever go by? There is no language without deceit.”
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EDUCATION
WORK EXPERIENCE
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMEMENT
Bachelor of Architecture
DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
DESIGN + CONSTRUCTION
University of Texas at Austin
Kalterra Capital Partners
Cum Laude Design Excellence
Pro Forma Fundamentals Certificate ULI TREC Qualifying Education
SKILLS Project Management Architectural Design Construction Management Zoning and Land Use Regulations Entitlement Site Analysis Market Analysis Financial Analysis Affordable Housing Financing Public Policy (with a focus on affordable housing regulations) Sustainable Design and Construction Community Engagement
SOFTWARE
Managed all Central Texas developments, from acquisition to lease-up Oversaw development schedules and budgets throughout the design, pre-development, and construction phases Arden at Kohler's Crossing - Kyle, TX Mixed-use project in Kyle, Texas, transformed an underdeveloped area in alignment with the city's masterplan Managed relationships with the General Contractor, conducted contract negotiations, and addressed RFIs, leveraging in-house construction expertise to maintain budget amid fluctuating construction costs Collaborated with design and engineering consultants to select native, low-irrigation plants and preserve existing trees, enhancing the site's sustainability Developed a tailored marketing and lease-up strategy in close partnership with property management Arden at Ritchie - Waco, TX 278-unit garden-style, family-oriented HUD project, strategically positioned near a new school in Waco’s growth path Partnered with the acquisitions team for market research and conducted feasibility studies, identifying environmental and resource constraints Coordinated with engineers, utility providers, and city officials to facilitate utility provision to the ETJ site Designed community-centric housing featuring amenities like co-working spaces, green spaces, and a community garden, in collaboration with design consultants Ensured strict adherence to HUD compliance, safeguarding the project's viability and legal standing Additionally oversaw Arden 231, Arden at Solm’s Landing, Arden at Culebra, and Arden at Kissing Tree Projects
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE Bercy Chen Studio
Argus Adobe Suite Testfit Procor Revit AutoCAD Rhino
2021-2022
DESIGN + OUTREACH VOLUNTEER Community First! Village
2020-2022
A 430-micro-home community for formerly homeless individuals on a 50-acre site outside Austin city limits, originally relocated due to concerns about real estate prices; now a flourishing community offering healthcare, sustainable food production, and community events that draw in nearby homeowners who initially opposed its presence. Collaborated closely with local designers to contribute to the design and functionality of the micro-homes Presented the project to my peers at the University of Texas at Austin, advocating passionately for sustainable housing solutions to support the homeless population.
BUILD VOLUNTEER 2016-Present
RELATED EXPERIENCE RESEARCHER 2020-2021
Oversaw design teams to execute multifamily and high-end residential projects from initial concept to construction documentation Arroweye House -Austin, TX, The residence is located in Austin's hill country, with a minimal footprint, integrated natural elements, and a breezeway to enhance airflow and increase energy efficiency Led client meetings, setting design briefs and guiding value engineering discussions, ensuring client needs were met Collaborated with the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center for wildflower preservation strategies, enhancing the site's natural landscape Conducted energy efficiency studies and coordinated between design consultants, construction teams, and city authorities, overcoming challenging site conditions for functional and constructible design Additionally contributed to the Cliff Drive Residence and the Bold Ruler House
ARCHITECTURAL INTERN Part of a multidisciplinary team responsible for the design and construction of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford Worked closely with hospital staff and patients to understand pain points and integrated solutions into the design
Category: Furr-niture Collaborated with LRK architects as part of the Kalterra team to design and create the "Sub-Woofer" record player table/dog bed The design involves a series of CNC cut boards assembled to create the profile of a dog. This assembly allows for both sitting and accommodating a pet The project was auctioned to raise funds for the SPCA, contributing to the welfare of animals in need
Central Commons Affordable Housing Project - Fremont, CA Assisted in the construction of a vibrant community of energy-efficient condos and public spaces located near transit hubs Holiday Blitz Build - Austin, TX Annually participated in the Home for Holiday Blitz builds, building 2 homes in six weeks
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER
Ratcliff Architects
2023
Bark+ Build Design Competition 1st Place Winner
Habitat for Humanity
Led due diligence for $100M+ multifamily projects, overseeing proformas, schedules, entitlements, and permits. Collaborated with investors, consultants, design teams, and the City of Austin to ensure project success Northwend - Austin, TX Affordable transit-oriented mixed-use development located on the Project Connect Orange Line Led Northwend's feasibility study, identified key constraints, and drove the acquisition process, including seller negotiations Conceptualized the site plan, collaborating with finance for proforma assumptions in this in-house design-development project Addressed regrading issues with civil engineers, optimizing site usability Negotiated new zoning and overlays with the city, significantly enhancing site density and development potential Additionally coordinated Burleson (PFC), East Riverside Condominiums (LITCH, Density Bonus, TOD)Projects
Bercy Chen Studio Excel
2022-2023
2019
2020
Urban Information Labs Studied housing development in Austin over the last 50 years. I worked on evaluating demographic, transit, property value, and zoning data to map patterns that dictate housing development Applied this analysis to understand how public policy might exacerbate or begin to alleviate the housing inequity in the city
FOUNDER AND DESIGNER NOxapture
2021-Present
Pioneered the NOxapture tile project, leveraging photocatalysis to effectively neutralize airborne pollutants. Engineered an innovative maximalist tile design to optimize airflow disruption, increase surface area, and enhance TiO2 exposure for superior pollutant neutralization. Collaborating with materials scientists and engineers to develop scalable production processes and assess implementability of sustainable materials in real-world applications