Kaitlyn Wesley Portfolio - Virginia Tech by Kaitlyn Wesley

KAITLYN WESLEY

selected works 2022-2025

Cover Graphic

Graphite wash of a building on North Main Street in Blacksburg, VA

KAITLYN WESLEY

980-239-2297

kwesley@vt.edu

linkedin.com/in/kaitlyn-wesley

SKILLS

Revit

AutoCAD

Sketchup

Rhino Bluebeam

Adobe Creative Cloud

Microsoft Office Suite

Hand Drafting

Hand Modeling

ORGANIZATIONS

American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)

Member, Aug 2024-present

Alpha Rho Chi

Member, Nov 2021-present

-Professional Fraternity for Architecture and the Allied Arts

-Assisted the social chair with logistics for multiple events

-Organized a portfolio review with professionals and faculty for the School of Architecture to attend

Leadership and Social Change

Residential College

Aug 2020-May 2022

-Living Learning Community

-Took two Exploring Citizen Leadership classes

I’m a fifth year architecture student with a thesis focusing on prefabrication and modular architecture as a way to create affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness. I’m in the process of becoming a licensed architect, having completed 1,122 hours toward my AXP, and am working towards getting LEED certified.

EDUCATION

Virginia Tech, 2020-2025

Bachelor of Architecture + Landscape Architecture Minor

Dean’s List Fall, 2020-present

University College Dublin, Spring 2024

Housing + City Architecture Studio

Design-Build

Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center, Fall 2023

Integrative Building Design Studio

EXPERIENCE

Society of Architectural Historians

Cataloging Intern, Sept 2024-present

-Digitized and published photos of architecture taken by architects and scholars

-Collected and archived information about existing monuments and buildings

-Used Journal Storage (JSTOR), a digital library of books, academic journals, primary resources, and photos to document information

BHDP Architecture

Architectural Intern, May-Aug 2023 + May-Aug 2024

-Attended site visits to verify completed construction

-Worked independently on design presentations for client meetings

-Assisted with finish plans and schedules

-Researched exterior materials based on client vision during design development

-Analyzed NavVis 3D scans to model existing conditions with Revit

Cole and Denny Architects

Architectural Intern, Aug-Dec 2023

-Participated in measuring the existing conditions during site surveys

-Prepared construction documents in Revit

-Modified redlines to enhance the clarity, accuracy, and quality of documents

03 Sculptor Studio and Apartment

Fall Semester 3rd Year, 8 weeks

07 Professional Work BHDP Architecture

04 Bohemia Gallery and Collection

Spring Semester 3rd Year, 12 weeks

01 Tree Library

Fall Semester 4th Year, 1 semester

Located in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia is a special collections library dedicated to trees. The library allows people in the community to learn about nature and its importance in our lives. The use of Cross Laminated Timber and tree columns show the different forms a tree can produce. In the center of the library are two trees that you circulate as you travel through the building.

view of atrium from above

section with tree

view of atrium toward trees building vs nature

1912 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map of Alexandria collaged with existing site conditions

02 Canal Intervention

Spring Semester 4th Year, 1 semester, Dublin

Along the Royal Canal is a neighborhood surrounded by fences creating a divide between the water and homes. This divide caused the place to be vacant and not a place for people to gather. The interventions begin to play with accessibility to the water and bringing the life back to the canal.

looking south toward the canal and homes

sectional difference between homes and canal

sketches of different fence and homes conditions along the path

section through homes backyard and fence to the canal

photo collage of .25 mile long site

03 Sculptor Studio and Apartment

Fall Semester 3rd Year, 8 weeks

Space for a sculptor to reside at Virginia Tech and sculpt rocks for a semester. Situated in the Duck Pond between the upper and lower pond with trees providing privacy and shade from the main walking paths. The form of the building angles toward the pond so you can see it from every room in the building.

material study through exterior axon

interior model photo of skylight to allow light to shine over sculpting stations

interior model photo from sculpting stations toward Duck Pond

0.005” copper

aluminum frame

double pane insulated glass

0.005” copper

8” copper gutter

2” insulation

3” air gap

3/4” basalt stone tiling

5/64” vapor barrier

1” air gap

6” insulation

3/4” plywood

4” x 16” wood beam

plywood

8” diameter concrete column

6” concrete on 2” metal deck

8” insulation

8” cast in place concrete

05 Thesis in Progress

Fall Semester 5th Year

Thesis Title: Affordable Housing for All: The Role of Modular Prefabrication in Addressing Homelessness

Thesis Statement: How can modular architecture be used in cities with housing crises, more specifically cities with homelessness, to provide quick and easily constructible homes

Homelessness is closely tied to the lack of affordable housing, an issue exacerbated by the ongoing housing crisis. High housing costs and stagnant wages have pushed individuals out of secure housing, contributing to the rising rates of homelessness. This research explores the potential of prefabricated Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panels to expedite the construction of low-income housing for homeless individuals. By utilizing a kit of parts—comprising a set number of modular components— housing units can be assembled more efficiently, reducing construction time and cost. The focus is on designing a flexible system that can be adapted to various urban environments, making it possible to construct in multiple cities and sites.

model showing different unit configurations by removing modules

one bedroom exploded module

three bedroom exploded module

06 Design-Build Stage

Spring Semester 4th Year, 1 semester, Dublin

Client: Mud Island Community Garden

Design Team: University College Dublin Architecture and Engineering Majors

Mud Island is a lively place in need of a new stage for performances. The client tasked us to design a stage with a roof that also covers the caravan parked behind for easy entrance to and from the stage.

sketches of initial design

performance at Mud Island Community garden with stage

group model that develops the initial sketches

Stage Roof Plan

Floor Board Plan

Stage Floor Plan

Right Elevation

Left Elevation

VCM2 VCM1

VCR1 VCR2

VCM1 VCM2

VCL1 VCL2

07 Professional Work

72,000 SF Warehouse Redesign

Location: Memphis, TN

Design Team: BHDP Architecture

Description: The scope of the work includes reimagining and reorganizing existing office space, locker room, break room, employee entrance and visitor entrance.