ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO undergraduate portfolio selected works from fall 2020 - spring 2023 georgia institute of technology shaina lofton
shaina lofton
education Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA - Bachelor’s of Science in Architecture - Expected Graduation: 05/24 -Current GPA: 3.95
fourth-year architecture student
Union Grove High School McDonough, GA - High School Diploma as of 05/20 - GPA: 4.51
experience Silver Studio Architects Atlanta, GA - Junior Project Designer - 05/22 - Current - Supports design teams with various projects using skills in Revit and Bluebeam Revu Resident Assistant - Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA - 08/21-05/22 - Establishes relationships with residents, plans hall events, and responds to duty calls. - Encourages community atmosphere by implementing educational and social programs - Attends, participates and contributes to monthly staff meetings addressing resident needs Student Assistant - Georgia Tech Buzzcard Center Atlanta, GA - 09/20-08/21 - Answered questions for customers and printed lost/stolen buzzcards - Helped with administrative support
leadership and involvement Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society for Architecture and the Allied Arts Georgia Tech National Organization of Minority Architecture Students President, Marketing Chair Lambda Sigma Vice President
awards Fall 2021 Architecture Portfolio Winner Gary Coursey Scholarship Recipient Miss Purple and Gold Faculty Honors and Dean’s List
skills
(P) 678-749-3870 2
(E) shaina.lofton13@gmail.com
ProÞcient with Autodesk Revit, Inventor, and AutoCAD ProÞcient with Rhino ProÞcient with Adobe Creative Suite Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat ProÞcient with Microsoft OfÞce PowerPoint, Excel, Word Advanced drafting skills Basic German speaking skills Photography 3
“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” - Maya Angelou
As Maya Angleou stated, every person, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexuality, craves the safety and comfort of a home. Growing up in metro Atlanta, I have become too familiar with communities that lack this comfort. Various neighborhoods in Atlanta have the resources and spaces to provide safe, permanent homes, yet the city lacks the motivation to design and create these spaces. While I Þnd these communities to be beautiful, cultural centers unique to their areas, it is heartbreaking to see many of them succumb to the lack of sustainable, urban development that would keep these communities moving forward. Through my time at the Georgia Institute of Technology, I have taken various courses in architectural history, city planning, urban societies, and architectural design. These courses have equipped me with not only the knowledge, but the passion to design communities that are a safe, equitable, and beautiful for the people still hoping to ease their “ache for home.”
contents how do I address community development?
Engaging the Community To engage a community is to connect with the intented audience that you are designing for. A successful designer cannot design in a community that they remain detached from. Getting to know the community leaders, characteristics of the architecture, the history, and the landmarks that deÞne a community are vital in the preocess of community development.
Extending Resources To extend resources is to make it feasible and accessible for community members to access food, water, transportation, safety, healthcare, and more. In a city with disadvantaged communities, it is important to design communities with the intention of bringing in the resources that they may lack.
Establishing Landmarks To establish a landmark is to establish attractors for a neighborhood. Where Downtown Atlanta has the Skyview Ferris Wheel, and Midtown Atlanta has Piedmont Park, every community needs an eye-catching landmark that will help distinguish them from others.
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the medium twofold the gardens the “light” house the prototype interwoven the rowhouse drawing geometry constructing geometry analysis
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Engaging the Community
The Medium is an all-inclusive art and food park located in English Avenue, a historically underserved community in Atlanta. Using the arts of painting, sculpture, cooking, music, and, most importantly, grafÞti, The Medium will help to revitalize the community’s art scene and provide a sanctuary for artists to ßourish. The visitors will enter adjacent to historic St. Mark’s Church, a neighborhood landmark. The alley includes ßoor murals and art installations which act as a threshold to transport visitors to the main central courtyards. On site, there are 5 shipping containers which serve as incubator kitchens for community vendorslooking to grow their businesses. Sloped green spaces encourage people to gather, create, and connect. On the back of the site, stands a double height interior art galley adjacent to the vibrant open-air gallery. On the back side of the gallery lies the grafÞti tunnel, where anyone visiting the Medium can showcase their art on the walls. This tunnel leads to a secondary arts courtyard which acts as an extension of the art galley and directs you into the main arts courtyard. The shapes of the paths and mounds are all drawn from grafÞti and street art while the shipping containers act as anchors for the landscape.
Fall 2022 | Instructor Julie Kim Collaborators Nicole Bridges, Cullen Whelan, Amelia Quek 8
Þnding beauty in graÞtti | Midtown Atlanta, GA 9
exterior perspective
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overall plan
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programmatic axonometric
spatial analysis 14
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gallery perspective
arts courtyard perspective
enlarged container plans
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use diagram
character diagram
section
section 19
day and night perspective
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walkthrough video
model photos
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Engaging the Community
Twofold is a part of a larger project focused on urban interaction in the Atlanta neighborhood of Cabbagetown. Cabbagetown is heavily characterized by its unique color palette and its historic connection to the working class. Inhabited by two artists, this Duplex is a modern take on the H-Plan and the Dogtrot vernaculars. Upon visiting the site, it was evident that this home would have to compatible with the other homes in the neighborhood while also taking advantage of its unique position on the corner of two streets to create an effective circulation. For this speciÞc project, I chose a couturier and a lithographer, two artists with varying needs and schedules. Because the lithographer needed a private space and the couturier needed a more public space, the Þnal design had two separate dwellings with a split-bridge in the middle. Each side of the house was shifted ßush against the bridge so that the lithographer had a more private part of the lot compared to the couturier.
Spring 2021 | Instructor Megan McDonough Solo Project 24
the culture of a neighborhood | Cabbagetown, Atlanta, GA 25
exterior perspective
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ßoor plan with context
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sections
east elevation
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view diagram
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Extending Resources
“The Gardens” at Iverson Park is located adjacent to Candler Park MARTA station, and it is a transit-oriented development intended to connect a “missing-middle” walkable community to a public transportation center. This community has the means to support itself with respect to water and food, contribute to the economy of its greater context by (1) providing easy access to jobs, (2) providing spaces and methods of production, and/ or (3) creating spaces in which exchange may occur, and be diverse and encourage the equal access of resources for all. This will encourage residents to eat local foods, contribute to the development’s economy, and maintain the communal aspect of the neighborhood. In addition, the unit variations allow residents from all aspects of life, from large families to student roommates, to reside here. With close access to the MARTA station, residents do not need to travel with personal vehicles. Instead, the neighborhood encourages the use of bikes and walking to travel. The site also has vegetation dispersed throughout that will allow for water collection and storage that can be directly used by the residents.
Spring 2023 | Instructor George Johnston Solo Project 34
the abandoned rails | Candler Park, Atlanta, GA 35
bird’s eye view
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masterplan
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unit to block relationship
block to site relationship
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perspective
perspective
site section
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water management
unit axonometric
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model photos
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Extending Resources
The “Light” House is an accessible lighing research center that uses local materials to conduct daylighting experiments. Located along Sweetwater Creek, the research center was designed to provide the study subjects with a hands-on immersive experience that takes them through a naturallylit gallery experience. Participants will then be tested in the fMRI lab so that the researchers can measure brain activity. The researchers within the lab would be able to test the brain for any signs of these “core effects” that took place as a result of the material reßectivity and/or absorbtion. Apart from the gallery space, the subjects and researchers will be able to use the building’s outer courtyard as an public space open to the sounds of Sweetwater Creek and directly pathing a path to the nearby mill. The building’s design follows a cycle of descention within the landscape that brings people from the top of the hill to the edges of the water.
Spring 2022 | Instructor Harris Dimitropolous Solo Project 46
the sound of the creek | Sweetwater Creek, GA 47
exterior perspective
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Þrst ßoor
interior perspectives second ßoor 52
basement 53
section a
section b
interior perspectives
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elevation
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Extending Resources
The Prototype is a bus stop protoype for Georgia Tech’s campus. It uses materials such as steel and engineered lumber, and the material connections are designed in way to easily replicate the bus stop model. Located in front of Georgia Tech’s recreational center, the CRC, this bus stop prototype attempts to replicate the rounded geometries of its context. This prototype is completely enclosed, providing shading and protection for everyone passing through. The steel panels on the north side of the model prevent too much heat from getting inside the bus stop while the glass panels on the east and west sides of the model allow light to enter the space. On the interior, there is rounded seating that reßects the rounded exterior geometry. This seating, unlike the rest of the bus stop, is made of wood panels in order to contrast the steel mullions and panels on the outside facade. This prototype focuses on getting circulation from both directions. Because the CRC is a high-circulation area, this bus stop has plenty of sitting and standing room for people to use as they are waiting for the bus. The steel columns and mullions play an important role in creating harsh shadows, as shown below.
Fall 2021 | Instructor Charles Rudolph Solo Project 56
weathered bus stop | Georgia Tech Campus, Atlanta, GA 57
exterior perspective with callouts
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Establishing Landmarks
Interwoven focuses on the relationship between ornamentation and structure. Given the ornament of celtic knots, we analyzed, deduced Þgures, and reconÞgured our own celtic knots. We were then able to create screens and variations of celtic knotworks that we soon integrated into the structure of our building. Given our site in downtown San Francisco, we thought about the facade and view conditions of our building. We ensured that certain faces of our building were oriented in a way that would showcase the views of the bay and the nearby park. We also studied the circulation around our site to help us orient our entrances and internal circulation. The concept of our building was a sustainable industrial design research academy. Because of this, we aimed to integrate large studio spaces with fabrication labs. Our circulation allowed the public spaces to connect with each other using a long atrium, and the private spaces were Þlled in along the back sides of the building.
Fall 2021 | Instructor Hayri Dortdivanlioglu Collaborators: Giselle Benitez 62
ornamentation as structure | West Midtown, Atlanta, GA 63
exterior perspective
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Þguration process 66
conÞguration process + connecting the knots 67
site analysis
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section a
interior perspectives
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Establishing Landmarks
The rowhouse is a popular American vernacular form most commonly found in the northeast region. Because of its historical importance and its cultural signiÞcance to areas such as Boston and New Jersey, the Row House has become a “landmark” for certain neighborhoods. The streets lined with rowhouses become strong characteristic for these regions. The typical row house, shown below, includes exterior symmetry, and it also included a narrow shape with limited ventilation, similar to the shotgun. In creating a simple version of the rowhouse, I was able to analyze and understand why this housing type works well for these areas, and why they continue to be a staple for these neighborhoods.
Spring 2021 | Instructor Megan McDonough Solo Project 74
the “cottage” vernacular | Candler Park, Atlanta, GA
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circulation
structure
ßoor plan and elevations
design variation
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Additional Works
Apart from photography, sketching and drawing is a great way to show my visions for my designs and capture the images that I see daily. In various courses, I was given the opportunity to draw and analyze different spaces. I drew spaces around campus, and I drew depictions of various designs that I had in my early years here at Tech. Whether they are quick sketches, free hand perspectives, or measured mechanical drawings, the following images are all made to increase my skills in drawing geometries.
Fall 2020 - Spring 2021 | Instructors Megan McDonough, Gustavo do Amaral Solo Projects 78
sketch of dorm stair | Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
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east architecture perspective
mechanical drawings - geometry
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mechanical drawings - space and void
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mechanical drawings - space and void
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Additional Works
While the following models are relatively simple, they are early representations of my Þrst models here at Tech. Made without machinery such as laser cutters and 3D printers, these models allowed me to better understand scaling, material ßexibity, and the importance of designing with intention. The primary material used for the following models is cardstock, a material that is thin yet ßexible to work with.
Fall 2020 - Spring 2021| Instructors Megan McDonough, Gustavo do Amaral Solo Projects 84
model - pavilion
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model - space and void
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model - space and void
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Additional Works
Analysis is a very important skill to implement while in architecture school. The Þrst stage of many projects begins with research and analysis, and both must be thorough. My Þrst undergraduate project was a graphical analysis of my neighborhood, shown to the right. This analysis allowed me to see how small changes on a map, like a road that is angled slightly to the left can make such a big difference when you actually experience the space. The next couple of spreads are analysis of real-life neigborhoods and buildings that have informed my designs. To the right is an analysis of a McDonough neighborhood, and, on the following page is a Grasshopper analysis of Fjordenhus in Denmark. As I continue to research community development, I intend on using these skills in analysis to better inform my design decisions.
analysis of neighborhood | McDonough, GA
Fall 2020 - Fall 2021 | Instructors Gustavo do Amaral, Mehmet Bermeck Solo Projects 88
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2D analysis
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3D analysis
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thank you.
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