Natalie Fleshman Graduate Portfolio 2024

natalie fleshman

interior design graduate student graduating may 2024

about me-

I am a postrgraduate interior design student at Florence Institute of Design International, and I am passionate about designing spaces that are grounded in communities and improve the experiences of users in their day to day lives. My interest in design was sparked when visiting Tuscany, Italy in high school. Inspired by the historic architecture and art juxtaposed with modern design, I have enjoyed bringing this personal interest to my projects by shaping concepts around historic inspiration and community context, and giving this new life in a spatial sense. Throughout the different projects assigned through varying prompts shown in my portfolio, there has been one common thread: the desire to design in a way that is meaningful to the users and relevant to the local community. I believe design becomes much more impactful when it moves beyond aesthetics and towards a concept based on the history, culture, and people associated with a project. I hope to continue discovering what’s important to communities and reimagining these things through my designs. As designers, we are tasked with bettering the lives of others through what we create. We design for health and well-being, efficiency, sustainability, and a multitude of other things. I want to take this a step further and enhance these goals by celebrating people’s values and history through design.

My positions on the board of IDEAS (Interior Designers for Education and Sustainability) at Virginia Tech allowed me to learn from a range of professionals in the field, and pass the knowledge I gained onto younger students. I also thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the community of Blacksburg outside of Virginia Tech, especially through volunteering with local teens with disabilities. This experience taught me so much about how integral diversity is in making up the fabric of a community and helped inform how I hope to design for inclusivity and accessibility

I am continuing my education this year by pursuing my masters in Florence and have thoroughly enjoyed immersing myself in the culture, exploring the historical context in my design projects.

curriculum vitae

EDUCATION

Florence Institute of Design International

AUGUST 2023 - MAY 2024

Interior Design Master

GPA 3.94/4.0

Virginia Tech

AUGUST 2019 - MAY 2023

BS Interior Design

Italian Minor

Summa cum Laude

GPA 3.92/4.0

EXPERIENCE

Barrows / Interior Design Intern

MAY 2023- AUGUST 2023

ROANOKE, VA

Worked with design team at a Steelcase Dealership, with primary responsibilities including coordination of material library, assisting with showroom redesign, and accompanying design director on site.

Perkins and Will / Interior Design Intern

JUNE 2022- AUGUST 2022

NEW YORK, NY

Worked on healthcare and corporate interiors projects, assisting through schematic design, design development, and construction documentation phases. Primary responsibilities included on site Matterport scans, development of perspective renderings, floorplan edits, creation of presentations for client meetings, furniture and material selections, and documentation of furniture RFPs.

Elaine Stephenson Interiors / Interior Design Intern

JUNE 2021- AUGUST 2021

ROANOKE, VA

Primary responsibilities included creation of AutoCAD and hand drafted floorplans, material and furniture selection for a wide variety of residential projects, communication with vendors by phone and email to acquire information and place orders, documentation of notes in client meetings for principal designer.

HONORS

Space International Hotel Design Magazine Feature

AUGUST 2023

Virginia Tech Interior Design Excellence Award

THIRD AND FOURTH YEAR, 2022 / 2023

ASID Portfolio Competition / Finalist

SPRING 2022

VT Steelcase Hybrid Collaboration Competition / Second Place

SPRING 2022

INVOLVEMENT

IDEAS / Professional Development Chair

SEPTEMBER 2019- MAY 2023

SKILLS

RevIt Enscape

Photoshop

Indesign

Sketchup

3DS Max

Vray

Dialux Lighting Software

Bluebeam

DesignSpecareW

Interior Designers for Education and Sustainability; ASID Student Chapter of the Year 2020 Event Coordinator: 2020-2022

Freshman Liaison: 2019-2020

Array Community Library

La Distesa Coworking Hotel Ambasciatori

3

4

5

Ospedale degli Innocenti Gallery Children’s Library Furniture Design

Ambasciatori

array community library

UNDERGRADUATE SENIOR YEAR YEAR LONG RESEARCH AND THESIS ADAPTIVE REUSE / LIBRARY REVIT / ENSCAPE

35,000 SF

objective

In a NYC neighborhood which experiences high levels of poverty and loneliness, the library will act as a source of light for the East Harlem community. It will radiate outwards, creating a safe space from the chaos of the city and filling the void of third spaces to allow for interaction between generations, space for learning, and quiet personal reflection. Accessibility and neurodiversity support through design methods will be a top priority in order to create a safe space for all in the community.

location 81

East Harlem has historically been a “multi-ethnic enclave of Manhattan”, and still serves a similar purpose today. Beginning in the 1800s, immigrants came from Germany and Eastern Europe, and later Italy and Puerto Rico. The area remains diverse and continues to be a neighborhood that welcomes immigrants, many being Hispanic and Latino.

concept statement:

East Harlem has long been a home to immigrants from all over the world, a central point from which their stories radiate. The library will emanate a sunrise; a universal symbol that draws people in to its warmth, serenity, and hope. This reflects the goals of the library, drawing a diverse demographic to learning and respite from the city. The radial nature of the sun reflects the array of cultures and knowledge that the library represents. Similar to how the different wavelengths of light create the colors of a sunrise, activities in the library will disperse from a common center on each floor to facilitate wayfinding and connectivity. The colors of a sunrise will also serve to designate each floor to help with wayfinding in a large building.

wayfinding

section:

Graphic behind help desk designates floor colors to facilitate way finding, and each floor has a color strip outside of the elevator. The East wall, shown in the section, incorporates a gradient from the shorter wavelengths of yellow to the longer wavelengths of red as the space grows more private.

plans

1

1 coffee bar

2 bar seating

3 help desk

4 main elevator

5 community book display

6 lobby lounge

7 semi-private seating

8 service elevator

9 cafe back of house

1 lounge and overlook

2 neighborhood history graphic

3 lounge and overlook

1 printing service

2 book drop

3 circulation

4 fidget furniture lounge

5 work table stack built in

6 fiction book stacks

1 reading lounge

2 non-fiction book stacks

3 group study rooms

4 small study rooms

Level

Floorplan- Lobby and Cafe 1/8”=1’-0”

Level 2 Floorplan- History Display 1/8”=1’-0”

Level 3 Floorplan- Fiction Literature Collection 1/8”=1’-0”

Level 4 Floorplan- Non-Fiction Literature Collection 1/8”=1’-0”

1 parent reading corner

2 bean bag seating

3 story corner

4 craft/class tables

5 dress up/play stage

6 children’s book stacks

7 book storage

8 mother’s rooms

1 tech checkout

2 maker’s space

3 job training

4 tech storage and repair

5 tech access tables

1 catering counter

2 event/conference space

3 event storage

4 large conference room

5 small conference room

Level 5 Floorplan- Children’s Literature Collection 1/8”=1’-0”

Level 6 Floorplan- Technology Floor 1/8”=1’-0”

Level 7 Floorplan- Conference Center 1/8”=1’-0”

Level 8 Floorplan- Rooftop 1/8”=1’-0”

Main lobby space facing southeast wall, looking up into mezzanine. Custom built bookshelf demonstrates wavelength gradient and displays culturally relevant books. Design respects historical existing brick shell and cross beams, and uses them to aid organization.

Axon showing help desk and coffee bar, encouraging pedestrians to come in off of the street

textures in material palette are not abrasive, and aid with acoustics, wayfinding, and a sense of place through balance

Fifth Level holds the children’s collection. Book stacks have reading niches built in, and the East wall holds more books, as well as a stage for play and bins with educational toys and costumes. Lighting fixtures aid in acoustic absorption.

The detail views to the right reflect research based design decisions within the library on the third level. An interview with research on studies in the area, revealed key factors in design that is inclusive for neurodiverse individuals and individuals lines, attention to glare and acoustics, choice in seating, accommodating movement, and accessible book stack height.

Third Level holds the library’s fiction collection, while providing quiet places to read and rest away from the overstimulating city. Turf acoustic ceiling helps designate the floor as an orange one, while helping with keeping the floor quiet.

with an Accessibility Strategist & Librarian for Disability Studies, and individuals with disabilities. These include way finding strategies, clear sight height.

maker’s spaces allow community access to tools, materials, and creative technology in order to expand education beyond only literature

computer access table simulates some visual and acoustical privacy in an overall larger space

aside from typical desktop computers, users can check out technology such as cameras and tablets that they may not have access to elsewhere

rooftop garden provides access to nature, existing green metal roof is kept intact,

nature, a respite from the city and public space with greenery to support rest and focus and rooftop looks down into event space on seventh floor, providing natural light

la distesa coworking

MASTER SEMESTER 1

FALL 2023

ADAPTIVE REUSE / WORKPLACE

REVIT / ENSCAPE

5700 SF

objective

The goal of this project was to repurpose a hostel in Florence and to design a coworking space with emphasis on sustainability and the incorporation of greenery into the workplace.

location

An existing hostel, or Ostello Tasso, is located outside of the city center of Florence, in an area where the urban cityscape meets a more rural and green landscape. It is a neighborhood that historically attracts all ages of individuals for living and working due to its proximity to the city of Florence, but away from the bustle of tourists.

Via Villani 15 Florence, FI

concept

Inspired by the way that the city grid breaks down into countryside in the area surrounding Ostello Tasso, La Distesa coworking will support both traditional and hybrid work models. Organization and forms will follow a similar pattern to the city of Firenze, with a more structured front area on each floor, and a more flexible and fluid organization that surrounds this organization.

Much of the design focus centers around the flexibility of furniture in order to support many different space uses, which in turn supports sustainability with the possibility that the coworking space can easily morph into something new in the future. Materials and color palette are inspired by the natural landscape of Florence; the main material of focus, cork, contributes to the sustainability of the space as a recyclable material, as well as the flexibility of the space as a lightweight and easily moved material in furniture.

wheels to aid in flexibility

metal frame encasing cork planter

rubber coating applied to interior to resist moisture from soil

cork- lightweight, portable, and recyclable

2 flexible conference space

3 open desking

4 phone call booths

5 small meeting rooms

LEVEL 1 NTS

LEVEL 2 NTS

LEVEL 0 NTS

LEVEL 3 NTS

ROOFTOP NTS

1 wellness rooms 2 mothers’ rooms

1 small business office 2 mezzanine work lounge

1 small business office

JULY

DECEMBER

sun and shadow study aids with placement of plants and furniture in order to maximize natural light benefits

structured curtain walls towards front of space create a quiet place to work, while the flexible furniture surrounding allows for collaboration and brainstorming

flexible furniture is portrayed in a loose, organic layout in order to give a realistic idea of what the spaces may look like day to day when users move them according to their individual needs, and emphasizes the distinction between static and dynamic areas

Section portrays slope of glass roof structure to allow for water runoff, as well as the connection between the mezzanine and main cafe space

hotel ambasciatori

MASTER SEMESTER 2

SPRING 2024

HOSPITALITY

REVIT / ENSCAPE

20,450 SF

objective

The purpose of the project was to bring new life to the hotel closest to the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence, known for being a major hub for travelers.

location

The hotel is adjacent to the station, and is also nearby to some of the most famous landmarks in Florence, so it is a popular destination in order to rest for travelers from all over the world.

Via Luigi Alamanni 3 Firenze FI

1 swimming pool / jacuzzi

2 spa check-in

3 spa treatment rooms

4 gym

5 restrooms

6 circulation

1 spiral stair to mezzanine

2 check-in area

3 caffeteria

4 restrooms

5 admin offices

6 break room

7 storage

8 circulation / luggage storage

1 breakfast / work lounge

2 master suite

3 kitchen

4 storage

5 terrace cooking class

6 terrace painting class

7 circulation

8 restrooms

LEVEL -1 NTS

LEVEL 1 NTS

LEVEL 2 NTS

concept

The hotel’s adjacent location to SMN train station makes it a hub for people traveling in and out of Florence from all over Italy and the world. While cities may begin to blend together in a traveler’s mind, the new hotel design will invite guests to STOP in their tracks and take a closer look at Florence.

This objective will be achieved through a more SATURATED FLORENTINE COLOR palette and HIGH VISUAL CONTRAST that demands attention, with forms that suggest users to stop and spend time, such as circular spaces differentiated from the surrounding area.

Section portrays spiral staircase intervention between first and second level, terrace structure to allow for plants blocking unpleasant view and for water runoff, and the pool depth that dips into the level below.

longitudinal section NTS

suite design

Sample suite design demonstrates how the concept is incorporated into the room through linear patterns meeting circles, with saturated colors drawing the eye to important areas

material palette includes darker wood stains, marble, terrazzo, and rich fabrics to reflect the saturated Florence color palette

hotel amenities

Amenities such as a pool, jacuzzi, cooking class space and painting class space allow for guests to really stop and take in Florentine culture among the business of travel

lobby design

ospedale degli innocenti gallery

MASTER SEMESTER 1

FALL 2023

ADAPTIVE REUSE / CULTURAL SKETCHUP / ENSCAPE

25,000 SF

location

The Ospedale degli Innocenti in the Florence city center, designed by Filippo Brunelleschi during the Renaissance period, is a former orphanage commissioned by the Arte della Seta, or Silk Guild in the 15th century. Today, the sublevel houses the Museo degli Innocenti, preserving the building’s historical legacy, but much of the space remains unused.

objective

In order to better engage the public, the design installations in the piazza, portico, and interior courtyards are meant to add a new element of interest to the spaces in order to draw people in to the gallery spaces. However, the new additions respect and enhance Brunelleschi’s orginial design, without altering any of the original structure. The gallery is meant to infuse new art into the historic center, and places an emphasis on sustainability and introducing greenery in an area where there is otherwise none.

1 entrance / string intervention

2 ticket office

3 restroom / coat check

LEVEL 1 NTS

concept

The Ospedale degli Innocenti carries a heavy emotional past, and the structure itself has a commanding and permanent- feeling presence. In order to highlight these culturally significant qualities, the gallery installation is designed as a contrast to the weight of the building; inspired by the Silk Art Guild and the process of weaving silk, sheer fabrics drape through the space and lead visitors from one work of art to the next in a warp and weft pattern. The flowy, silk-like curtains achieve an ephemeral quality as they play off of the large, permanent structure, and the colors of the installation are pulled from the vibrant colors within the city and its famous artwork.

The outdoor vegetation is comprised of both deciduous and evergreen plants, in order to reflect the concept of permanence vs ephemerality. Deciduous plants selected are from all over the world and bloom during different times of the year to give a more variable and fleeting feel to these areas, while the evergreen plants are largely from the local region.

Sustainability is approached through materiality choice; the drapery consists of TENCEL Lyocell FIbers, which are bio-based, compostable, and resistant to dust mites for longevity, and the string installation on the facade is made from recycled polyester cord.

Section portrays the contrast of the solid and historic building with the ephemeral slik drapery and people moving throughout the space

interior gallery space with existing wooden beam ceiling contrasting new art, drapery leading visitors from piece to piece, and windows connecting with the exterior gallery

exterior gallery also leads visitors from piece to piece, and provides green space with areas to sit and enjoy the art

crest and chute children’s furniture

MASTER SEMESTER 1

FALL 2023

FURNITURE DESIGN

3DS MAX / VRAY

objective

Upon completion of the public library thesis project, it became evident that the furniture market is lacking furniture to support children’s learning spaces, especially furniture that is exciting, interactive, supports the need for flexibility, and accomodates children’s growth over the years. The Crest Shelf and Chute Table, inspired by ideas that are interesting to children, seek to fill this need.

logo design:

ergonomics

4 y/o

7 y/o

10 y/o

concept

The Crest Shelf is inspired by the visible light spectrum, and the wavelengths of the primary colors due to their draw towards children. The scale of the shelf is proportional to the scale of each wavelenth, with the width of the shelf color decreasing from red to blue. This allows for different size children to use the shelving system in a way that suits them. The shelf design is modular, and can be configured both vertically and horizontally, as well as monochromatically to accomodate spaces catering towards a smaller age group.

hand models from clay

concept

The Chute Table is inspired by the parachute game in which children hold onto one corner of a parachute and create a dome to sit in. The shape of the table derives from the color divisons of the parachute, which also lends itself to modularity. Each parallelogram shape can stand alone for individual work, or the tables can come together into a hexagon for collaboration and play. The front of each module has a space either for shelves, or for a lightweight seat made from expanded polypropelene.

hand models from clay and balsa wood

7 y/o

crest shelf construction and packaging

chute shelf construction and packaging

thank you!