ELEMENT: AIR
Located in the suburbs of Fairmont, West Virginia, the Wind Monument was formed from a 12’ x 12’ cube. Made of steel, white quartz, smooth sandstone, and limestone, the structure stands out from the existing buildings made of red brick and concrete. Thanks to the form being an open air display in downtown area, this structure is accessable and inviting to visit for people enjoying lunch outside, taking a break, or heading home for the day.
The Wind Monument stands as a testament to the power of the Holy Spirit in the daily lives of believers.
When the breeze blows through the structure, the weathervane rotates to indicate the direction re ected in the pattern of the oor.
Between the music of the built-in windchimes in the pillars and the airy feeling of the fresh breeze, the Wind Monument is a wonderful way to experience the e ects of the open air.
FLOOR DESIGN
Tucked away in the suburbs of Fairmont, West Virginia, the Fire Monument was carved from a 12’ x 12’ cube of sandstone brick. Made to mimic the dark caves present throughout Jewish scripture, the structure’s pale yellow and muted gray contrasts with the surrounding town’s classic red brick design. The thick and solid walls of the rough exterior blocks all light from entering except through the entrance at the west, the interior relying on the light from the candles and oil lamps exclusively. The thin sheets of perforated metal along the walls of the prayer spaces and the metal of the roof re ect the light of the ames, allowing the individual’s view and time in the space to be deeply personal and encourage their own self-re ection.
Designed to be a reimagining of a private holy space, the jewish Fire Monument stands as a memorial to the Miracle of Hanukkah. The cave-like building herolds back to the traditional stories of the holiday, where the people in hiding from persecution unexplainably had the oil for their Menorah last eight nights instead of the expected one. Visitors who come in will take a candle from the basket, light it from the ceremonial oil lamp in the southeast corner of the space, and proceed into one of the prayer spaces for private re ection and thought.
ENTRANCE PERSPECTIVE
PRAYER ROOM
OIL LAMP
AERIAL VIEW NORTH PERSPECTIVE
FLOOR PLAN
ELEMENT: WATER
Water possesses various properties, however the shiny metal structure of the Water Momument focuses on the sensory appeal of water with emphasize on its re ective nature. Constructed from titanium, steel, and concrete, the 12' by 12' cubic building is designed to capture and re ect the light and sound generated by owing water.
The roof, supported by tapered steel beams, is contoured to collect and channel rainwater into the building, forming a single thin sheet that cascades down the southern wall. At the heart of the interior space, facing the water wall, sits a steel bench with a titanium backing, inviting visitors to observe the rain while remaining sheltered. The combination of the titanium sheet backing of the bench and the titanium walls creates a northern section that functions as a hall of mirrors, amplifying the rays of sunlight bouncing o the water and the rain's splashes, designed to be reminiscent of gazing into a pond's surface. Whether experienced in rain or sunshine, the shimmering structure o ers a serene environment for self-re ection and contemplation.
CONCEPTS ITERATIONS FLOORPLANS
PARKING LOT VIEW
SKETCH VIEW
GREENHOUSE FLOOR
STORAGE FLOOR CONCENTRIC CIRCLE ITERATION
TRADITIONAL GREENHOUSE
For this Farm to Table restaurant project, the goal was to propose a design that both respects the existing structures around the location and stands out as a point of interest. The main elements of this design are security and maximized food production, working with the visual appeal of both the building and the site layout. Comprised of brick, glass, and steel, this restaurant uses the materials of Pittsburgh to create a place for people to take a break from city life to eat a fresh meal and experience the gardens right at home.
The boundaries of the farm are de ned and protected by a yellow steel fence, the design mimics the arches of the 16th Street Bridge and is interspaced with cameras for additional security. Secure spaces like the Ultraviolet Greenhouse and the roof storage are accessible only by keycard through both the elevator and the stairways. The utilitarian crop plot layout re ects the base shape of the restaurant, providing for a maximized and accessible production space. The design of the building provides the most e ective use of square footage while maintaining a minimal footprint on the site, allowing for increased garden space. The site has two seperate sections of greenhouse to maximize the amount of square footage for interior growth.
The Fairmont Interfaith Space building utilizes colored lighting and water features to guide worshipers of the three Abrahamic religions through the site, leading them through contemplative alcoves and ultimately to the Main Gathering Space. The design concept was based on the core principles of Sacred Geometry and Platonic Solids, with every aspect of the structure being derived from the shape of a perfect square.
As the sun rises and sets, the sunrays lter through the blue-green toned eastern hallway and red-yellow toned western hallway stained glass skylights, in uencing the atmosphere of the prayers hosted within the octagonal contemplative spaces. Each contemplative space alcove is comprised of a built-in brick bench centered around an octagonal fountain, allowing for self-re ection and personal prayer of worshipers. The foundation is re ected in the courtyard. The frosted opaque laminated glass skylight illuminates the Main Gathering Space in pure, homogeneous white lighting, symbolizing purity and holiness in contrast to the secular spaces.
Overall, this Interfaith Space creates a re ective environment for worshipers through its geometric structure, seperation of secular and sacred spaces, and its stained glass colored lighting.
FLOOR PLAN AERIAL SITE VIEW
Concept One gained its form through Sacred Geometry, where two perfect octagons were connected by their vertices to form the space.
Concept Two was based on the sunpath of the site with a direct focus on maximizing usage of the nature sunlight through stained glass.
Concept Three was designed to address the need for religious hierachy and seperation of personal and private spaces through sharp juxaposition.
EAST HALLWAY
MAIN GATHERING SPACE
WEST HALLWAY EXPERIENTIAL VIEW
LADY’S ABLUTION SPACE
FAIRMONT, WV SITE ANALYSIS
Freshman year of Architecture school was focused on learning the basics of our technological equipment, building an understanding of our resources, and opening the door to professional design. To showcase
writing of Italo Calvino, an Italian writer and journalist. Based on our chosen “Invisible City”, we sketched what we imaged they looked like, and began to utilize everything we had learned. Crafting the completely independent work with assistance from our professor regarding more complicated tools and design features we had not already discussed in class, such as 3D printing, topography and placing cameras.
During this project, I was introduced to RevitCity, a database of downloadable features not
EXPERIENTIAL VIEW
ONION DOME SUNSET VIEW
ROOFLINE VIEW
The Cube Transformation project required me to “transform” a 4-inch by 4-inch cube through methods such as addition,, subtraction, extrusion, and rotation over a total of ve shapes. Following the digital and physical model creation and presentation, the ve shapes were combine into something functional. I chose to create a chandelier, using each shape in a way that accented their di erences, for example the fth shape being used as the central trimming showcase the complexity of the design.
The new shape had many design limitations, for example the building material was restricted to 1/16 inch chipboard and the nal structure had to contain a 4-inch by 4-inch void that was clearly recognizable as the original cube.
This project was one of my most important learning experiences in the terms of SketchUp, modeling skills, and understanding design limitations. Before this point, all our designs were relatively unfettered by physics. The limitation of only being able to design something you could actually build, with the addition of testing said models for stability before presentation, restricted yet re ned my design skills in ways I still use today.
LAMP DISPLAY INTERIOR VIEW
LAMP SECTION
The Saint Agnes Catholic Church project was designed to address the demands of the growing community by expanding the services o ered. Originally built in 2008 as a modernization of the 1891 Saint Agnes Chapel, the church serves the local catholic population of Shepherdstown, West Virginia
The addition proposed by the Mills Group consists of two wings: the Classroom Wing and the Event Space Wing. The Classroom Wing, located on the northeast facade, comprises of everything the church will need to facilitate sunday school, host meetings, train the choir, and store the band’s supplies. The Event Space Wing, located on the southwest facade, contains the facilities needed to support wedding preparations, religious ceremonies and celebrations, and the yearly church plays.
My role in this project was to interpret the original construction documents into a 3D Revit model for the architects, render the proposed plans from meetings and the landscape architect’s SketchUp model in Revit, document the existing site, organize the sheets for presentation, and begin designing the internal spaces such as the commercial kitchen, the stage, the music classroom, and the bathrooms. As of December 2024, the project is still in development.
EXISTING MAIN ENTRANCE
EXISTING WEST FACADE
EXISTING PERSPECTIVE
EXISTING COLUMBARIUM GARDEN
DOCUMENTED FLOOR PLAN
ADDITION FLOOR PLAN PROPOSED SITE PLAN ALTERATIONS
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT 3D RENDERING
EXISTING SIDEWALK COVER
EXISTING SOUTH FACADE
West Virginia, especially the eastern panhandle, is home to a plethora of Civil War buildings and other structures in need of revitilization. The 970 Washington Street Renovation focuses on taking the old funeral home in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and converting it into three independent units. These units would then be used as storefronts or cafe spaces, including a proposed co ee shop and a souvenir outlet. In addition to the division of the units, the client wanted to modernize the exterior, removing the covered porches and installing a new awning over the central unit to lighten up the facade and restore the existing blocked windows. For the westmost unit, a large covered patio was designed to increase the squarefootage and o er outdoor seating for the shop.
My role in this project was to create the demolition plans, research the historical preservation regulations of Harpers Ferry, model the renovations on the existing facades, and design the covered porch on the west building unit. As of December 2024, this renovation is still under review by the City of Harpers Ferry.
PROPOSED STOREFRONT FACADE
PROPOSED WEST PATIO
PROPOSED STREETFRONT
EXISTING STREETFRONT
PROPOSED FLOOR PLAN
To keep up with the needs of the community, the City of Ranson commisioned an addition to the Ranson Public Works Building. This addition was designed to match the existing building and seamlessly connect the physical labor spaces with the o ce and training areas. Working with the engineering rm Kimley-Horn, the proposed wing will accommodate continued growth.
The new wing will contain the redesigned o ces, locker rooms, storage areas, and a breakroom with a kitchenette. These proposed spaces will allow for training sessions to be held on the premises for new hires, provide hygenic access for the workers, and aid in the transition of the existing building to be converted into a workshop space.
My role in this project was to document the existing site and structure conditions, render the proposed design in Revit, and design the interior spaces including the kitchenette, the locker rooms, the bathrooms, and the o ces. As of December 2024, the Ranson Public Works Building project is on hold.
