Architecture Work Sample - Kate Halsey

KATE HALSEY WORK SAMPLE

SELECTED WORKS 2018 - 2023

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EDUCATION

Virginia Tech

Bachelors of Architecture

2018 - May 2023 expected

Study Abroad - Dubai, UAE

Sept 2021 - Dec 2021

SKILLS

QUALITATIVE

Communication

Problem-solving

Creativity

Interpersonal relations

Project management

Team coordination

TECHNICAL

InDesign

Illustrator

Photoshop

Revit

Rhino

SketchUp

AutoCAD

Enscape

Grasshopper

Model-making

Laser-cutting

REFERENCES

Wayne Norbeck

wn@dxastudio.com

Co-Founder, DXA Studio

Joseph Wheeler

joewheel@vt.edu

Architecture Professor, Virginia Tech

KATE HALSEY

240-688-1267

khalsey9@vt.edu

katehalsey.design

EXPERIENCE

ARCHITECTURAL INTERN | DLR GROUP / WASHINGTON, D.C.

May 2022 - Aug 2022

• Produced designs for commercial, educational, and municipal buildings.

• Formulated the graphic representation for development opportunities.

• Discussed my findings in project and site meetings.

• Arranged the construction documentation for architectural drawings.

DESIGN INTERN | DXA STUDIO / NEW YORK CITY

June 2021 - Sept 2021; (remote) Dec 2021 - May 2022

• Prepared materials for projects involving leading architects.

• Participated in company meetings and bids for new projects.

• Furthered skills in detailed 3D modeling and professional documentation.

• Documented site visits and composed presentations.

FUTUREHAUS TEAM LEADER & MEDIA MANAGER | D.C., NYC, VA, DUBAI

April 2019 - Ongoing

• Physically reassembled and constructed the house in Blacksburg, VA, in Times Square in New York City, and in metropolitan Alexandria, VA.

• Showcased the solar-powered smart project to over a million visitors.

• Led a team of eight student guides at the World Expo 2020 Dubai as well as coordinated marketing and media for various social sites and affiliates.

MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

Aug 2020 - May 2021

• Composed a variety of marketing content for the design school’s social media.

• Developed outreach strategies and informative graphics for updating students.

CREATIVE DISTRICT DESIGNER | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE

August 2019 - May 2020

• Designed faculty apartments for Virginia Tech’s new innovation district.

• Reconfigured floor plans to allow for a prefabricated, modular cartridge system to be inserted into a preexisting structure.

INVOLVEMENT

STUDENT LIFE COUNCIL

Chosen by head faculty for the school’s Student Life Council; we discuss relevant student issues and provide input on emerging projects important to campus life.

AMERICAN MARKETING ASSOCIATION

Coordinate with real organizations to provide them with advertising, posters, logos, signage, etc. from the graphic design committee.

PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHY | WORLD EXPO 2020 DUBAI

Finland Pavilion

Spain Pavilion

Poland Pavilion

Russia Pavilion

FUTUREHAUS

1ST PLACE - SOLAR DECATHLON MIDDLE EAST

STUDENT TEAM LEADER - FOUR YEARS

FutureHAUS is a modular, solar-powered smart home which traveled to Dubai, UAE in 2018 to compete in the Solar Decathlon Middle East, where the project was awarded first place. Upon its return to the United States, I assisted with its reconstruction on several occasions: on campus in Blacksburg, VA, in Times Square in New York City, and in Alexandria, VA. Throughout this time, our team showcased the project to over 200,000 people and gave tours to a wide variety of visitors. After two years of repairing and improving the home, our team reconstructed the FutureHAUS in July 2021 for the World Expo 2020, where we spend three months tour-guiding over a million visitors. My involvement with this project over the past four years as the team’s marketing leader and communication coordinator has greatly strengthened my knowledge, experience, and skills in the world of construction, sustainability, and technology.

CARTRIDGE CONCEPT & ASSEMBLY METHOD

Our system of prefabricated pieces allows us to ship folded walls rather than boxes of space. Made up of twelve modular structures that are built separately and configured on site, the cartridges include: entry, kitchen, bathroom, office, AV wall, closet, mechanical, master bedroom and spine cartridge. Each configured piece is pre-wired, pre-plumbed, preinstalled, contributing to a plugand-play assembly method.

TRAVELING ABILITY

Each module is designed to be produced in a factory, transported on a truck, and placed with a forklift or crane. With 4’ wide and 10’ tall max measurements, they fit efficiently and legally on standard 8’ wide flatbed trailers. The collection of cartridges transport on just five trailers. Once it reaches its destination, the pieces are unloaded from the truck and set on the modular prefabricated foundation.

FLEXIBLE SPACE & AGING IN PLACE

In addition to its sustainability and packaging method, FutureHAUS promotes flexible spaces and accessibility features. With the addition of movable walls, the rooms have the ability to reconfigure based on the user’s required programmatic needs throughout the day. Technological features like adjustable counter tops and toilets to touch-toopen automatic cabinets offer operation by people of all ages and abilities.

The home office space expands by shifting the AV wall partition into the living space to provide ample working space while allowing others to utilize the living room. Moving the wardrobe partition and collapsing the office enlarges the bedroom and creates enough space in both the bedroom and the living room for comfort.

Typical Daytime Scene

Typical Nighttime Scene

FUTUREHAUS NEW YORK CITY

Our project was invited to join NYCxDesign Week, New York City’s annual celebration which showcases worldwide talent and diversity, including immersive public design experiences. Composed of a team of twenty students and a few faculty, we assembled the smart home in the middle of Times Square in under 72 hours. We then gave tours to over 100,000 visitors over the following two weeks.

FUTUREHAUS WORLD EXPO 2020 DUBAI

Due to my lengthy involvement with the project, I was able to work as an ambassador and tour liaison for three months at the World EXPO 2020 Dubai, the world’s largest global event that links innovation, technology, and art. Virginia Tech was the only university with a project showcased at the Expo, as all other surrounding pavilions were designated as entire countries. My experience was useful when leading a team of seven other student assistants in giving the project’s rundown to hundreds of international visitors a day.

THESIS IN PROGRESS STEINERT HALL REVIVAL

Steinert Hall, an abandoned concert theater buried below 162 Boylston St., remains one of Boston’s best-kept secrets. Built in 1896, it was once recognized as the headquarters for Boston’s performing arts. The goal of M. Steinert and Sons was to create a unique acoustic space unaffected by the noisy streets of downtown Boston. The theater quickly became notable, hosting famous pianists, violinists, and opera singers.

In 1942, the deadliest fire in nightclub history claimed the lives of 492 people at Coconut Grove in downtown Boston. This event pushed the development an entirely new set of building and fire codes throughout the city. Located 40 feet below street level with limited fire exits, Steinert Hall’s owners were not able to afford the costly renovations required to keep their doors open. The theater has now been closed for more than 72 years, and has become an urban legend many have since forgotten about.

The next question is how to best share it with the community. The intent is to restore it and to add and integrate essential needed spaces, ultimately reinstating it as a representation of the Boston music, arts, and cultural scene.

PROPOSED ADDITIONBOUTIQUE HOTEL

PIANO ROW MICROCOSM

RELATIONSHIP TO HALL & GROUND

conceptual form, floor plan & elevation changes

proposed facade formfollows grid of building and signifies its difference with steel facade

addition uses cut lines informed by the building itself, extrudes existing shape

elevation forms

Piano Row north elevation

ORIGINAL BUILDING & CUT-IN ADDITION

level 1

levels 2-4

rooftop bar

level 1

levels 2-4 (alternating amenities)

PROGRAM + PLANNING

bumped sectors naturally separate program

RESTAURANT

STAIR/ELEVATOR

ROOFTOP BAR

CO-WORKING LOUNGE

GYM & SPA

ENTERTAINMENT LOUNGE

LIBRARY

ADDITION HOTEL ROOMS

ORIGINAL HOTEL ROOMS

CONCERT HALL

LOBBY

HOTEL RESTAURANT - RENAISSANCE AMBIANCE

mosaics, tiles, and granites call influence from concert hall’s painted frescoes

THE CITY OF BOSTON AND PIANO ROW

The Piano Row District is a historic district encompassing two blocks of buildings facing Boston Common. The strip is known as “Piano Row” because of the concentration of music-related businesses, including the store for Boston’s longtime Steinway dealer, Steinert Hall.

62-176 Boylston St - Piano Row

BOYLSTON ST

BOSTON COMMON

historical fabric- analyzed each facade along Piano Row for context

62-176 Boylston St - Piano Row

BOYLSTON ST

BOSTON COMMON

EARLY DESIGN STUDIES

HART ISLAND RENEWAL

The most disturbing history that you’ve probably next heard of is that of Hart Island - New York City’s neighboring island which, at one mile in length, holds the remains of over one million people. Since 1869, the poor, the unclaimed, and the sick have all been cast aside to this land of unmarked trenches and dilapidated buildings. A place which at various times housed victims of the AIDS epidemic, patients of a women’s insane asylum, and incarcerated young men now holds the remains of people who either rest unclaimed or whose loved ones cannot afford to pay for their proper burial. Our mission was to shed light on this history and to reclaim the land to respect those who were interred here as well as the people who wish to visit them.

In partnership with Alice Arnesson

VISITOR CENTER

As Hart Island is becoming more accessible to the New Yorkers, the island is in need of a proper visitor center. The shoreline terminal offers a welcoming facade and a focal point for visitors. The asymmetrical dock and open walls have been designed to highlight the views of Hart Island’s beautiful landscape and of the sea.

The museum is a bright space with windows which frame the views of Hart Island and feature interior walls filled with photos and facts about its history. During warmer months, the large sliding glass doors of the walkway open to blur the boundary between inside and outside. The new buildings coalesce with the landscape, featuring an integration that both respects and enhances the site. The new structures enhance the historical experience by reusing brick from the demolished ruins.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

Analyzed the current Van Cortlandt Library in the Bronx and formulated a new design which would better incorporate the needs of the surrounding area. The upper level for students of all ages guarantees access to educational materials and technology and provides a warm atmosphere of inviting spaces. The lower level, geared towards adults, is illuminated by natural light and orients patrons to search, study, and converse.

wifi hotspots public computer access

first level

second level

DWELLING ON THE HILL

Showcases the creation of a home meant for a single family. With an emphasis on the separation between public and private spaces, the sloped landscape naturally creates a quiet barrier between the two. This home offers an innovative layout that fully maximizes its spectacular mountainous view while capitalizing on the circulation of work and play spaces.

240-688-1267

khalsey9@vt.edu

kh KATE HALSEY

katehalsey.design