I don’t want things to just work, I want them to work well. I love mechanical watches, perfectly imperfect fountain pens, and cars that do more than get me from point A to B. I am a competitor; board games, pickle ball, studio projects, and even lighthearted arguments such as “Does pineapple belong on pizza?” or “Do plastic utensils make some food taste better?”
I enjoy community—engaging with friends, pot-luck dinners, going to the movies, and late-night conversations. I like thinking ahead, organizing, and planning for contingencies. These characteristics served to prepare me for my role as a natural leader with friends, classmates, and colleagues. Interacting with elegant and sophisticated design has helped shape my aesthetic philosophy—to create enduring design that works well.
Playing off the local single-family home + ADU typology, our approach attempts to emulate the attraction of standalone dwellings while densifying in a way that maintains the charm of quiet residential streets. Imaging ADUs as an elevated network of above-garage units, and if quirkiness is what makes Austin “accessory” units attractive, why not elevate them to a true place of viewing while connecting their network of unique individuals?
What if our approach to densifying the East side respected the existing residential character, encouraged thoughtful commercial bleed, and elevated its hidden dwellers?
THE SITE
Located in East Austin, the site is one block from major commercial street E Cesar Chavez. Respecting the scale of both the commercial zone and residential neighborhood was very important. The “tower” unit is closest to this commercial zone and is elevated an additional level to respond to the scale of the growing commercial presence in the area. As the units approach the street on the residential side they begin to step down to create a less imposing front face. In response to the commercial bleed in the neighborhood a commercial space was incorporated on the west corner of the site, hoping to increase foot traffic and visitation to the area.
UNIT TYPES
RESTAURANT 2153sqft AMENITY 1530sqft UNIT C 870sqft - 1 BED - 1 BATH
A 2280sqft - 3 BED - 3.5 BATH
B 2220sqft - 3 BED - 3.5 BATH
Conversation Pit
Breakfast Nook off Kitchen
Living Room Kitchen
Library Nook off Living
Towards Secondary Bedrooms in Connector
Off Chalmers Ave Approaching Restaurant
Dining Towards Willow St.
Grab and Go off Restaurant Entrance
Exiting Private Dining to Lounge
Open Bar + Kitchen
On “Elevated Street” Looking West
IN SECTION
The experience within and circulation around the courtyard served as the central focus of this project. Careful analysis and visualization in section were undertaken to understand the spatial qualities and the feeling of living within that environment. Initially, a third level was included in the townhome; however, it was removed as it made the courtyard space feel claustraphobic.
Section through Connector
Section through Courtyard
LANDSCHAFT HOTEL
YEAR: SPRING 2024
LOCATION: DUISBERG, GERMANY
PARTNER: ARAN CULHANE
Landschaftspark in Duisburg, Germany, is part of the Industrial Heritage Trail, which links major industrial landmarks in the Ruhr region. Established in 1991 on a former steelworks site, it uniquely combines industrial heritage and natural beauty. Visitors can explore old blast furnaces, walk elevated pathways, and enjoy stunning illuminated structures at night.
There is something inherently beautiful about structures designed purely for function. Every pipe and vent in the complex served a purpose. Our approach to creating a hotel and restaurant off the trail respects the site’s industrial heritage, honoring its design features without directly imitating them or misleading users about how the building works.
THE SITE
Drawn to the two large pipes soaring overhead on the site, the hotel design was intended to interact with them. The solution was to split the building in half with the pipe, seperating its function of hotel and restaurant. On the hotel side, small windows offer guests a peek at the pipes, while the rooftop terrace of the restaurant brings visitors up close and personal with them.
Birds-eye View
Landschaftspark
Courtyard Hotel Tower
Hotel Room
Central Stair from Bar
Restaurant
IN SECTION
The split in the building was designed to clearly separate overnight guests from day visitors coming to Landschaftspark. This approach ensures that visitors do not feel like they are walking through a hotel to reach the restaurant or bar, while also providing hotel guests with additional privacy.
Muliti-level Persective Plan-Section Cut
TEXAS ROWING CENTER
YEAR: FALL 2023
LOCATION: AUSTIN, TEXAS
The Texas Rowing Center is a privately owned public space floating on the Colorado River with the Hike and Bike Trail running alongside it. Over the years, Matt, the owner, has built a paddle board rental business and rowing club. The existing site has buildings scattered around from various periods of growth. I was charged with creating a new facility that incorporates Matt’s business needs and keeps its place in the essential urban fabric of the Hike and Bike Trail.
THE SITE
The Rowing Center rests on the north bank of the Colorado River near MoPac Bridge and Austin High School. The Hike and Bike Trail runs next to the site and is heavily used by runners and bikers at all times of the day.
CIRCULATION
My main objective was to unify the existing boathouses by storing all the rowing shells under one roof. Along with that, I wanted to separate the rowers from the paddle boarders to streamline traffic flow within the building. The 40ft tall tower is the main route for circulation, allowing rowers to go to the second floor gym and the public to access the cantilevered cafe at the other end of the building.
ROWERS
RELAXERS
IN SECTION
A key design feature is the hanging boat storage. I found it more efficient to store all of the boats in the rafters rather than on the ground. In doing so this creates a large open space below with the boats hanging overhead like chandeliers. Storing the boats off the ground also allows for the space to be used for after-hours events such as parties, concerts, or weddings.
The model has a piece of etched acrylic in front of it showing the sight lines of those experienceing the building from the Hike and Bike Trail or second floor of the building.
DIMENSIONS
SCALE
1/4in = 1ft
W x H x D - 13in x 5.5in x 24in
Basswood THE STRUCTURE
3D-Printed BOATS
PHOTOGRAPHY
YEAR: 2022-2024
LOCATION: UNITED STATES
Photography has always been a passion of mine, and I was inspired by my dad, who always carried a camera around while I was a kid. I emulated him and tried to take interesting and meaningful photos myself. Summer of 2022 is when I really dove in and purchased my first dedicated camera, after years of “shot on iPhone” it was time to get serious. My Fuji XT-5 has been one of the single best purchases of my life. The joy and creativity it gives me is endless. These photos cover a broad range of my interests. Architecture, Cars, Landscapes, and more recently Street Photography.
