architecture : selected works
Vanessa Croft
B.EDs 24’, M.Arch 26’
Dalhousie University
vanessa croft education
Master of Architecture | M.Arch
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Expected 2026
Bachelor of Environmental Design | BED
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Dean’s List | 2022 - 2024
Diploma | Architectural Technology
NAIT, Edmonton, AB
Dean’s List | 2020- 2022
Health Studies
Queen’s University, Kingston ON 2017- 2019
Highschool Diploma
Brentwood College School, Mill Bay, BC
2017
recognitions
President of Dalhousie Architecture Student Association
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS 2022 - current
William P. Lydon Memorial Award for Academics & Community Involvment
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS 2024
John Garvey Shield Award for Outstanding Leadership
Brentwood College School, Mill Bay, BC 2017
VP of Student Activities Council
Brentwood College School, Mill Bay, BC 2016-2017
Captain of Soccer Team
Brentwood College School, Mill Bay, BC 2015-2017
skills volunteer
+ Revit
+ SketchUp
+ Rhino
+ AutoCAD
+ Adobe Suite
+ Enscape
+ Teamwork
+ Communication
Dalhousie Architecture Association
Habitat for Humanity
SwaziKids Org, Swaziland Africa
email: vanessacroft@dal.ca
phone: (587) 989 - 1999
linkedin: Vanessa Croft
experience
2023
2023
2022
2022
Architecture Intern | METAFOR
Edmonton, AB
+ Design drawing and media artwork production, 3D massing, client presentations, pre-design reports and site visits for masterplan, hospitality, residential, and mixed-use projects.
+ Develop Master Plan for a hospitality group, site located in Jasper National Park; involved client and consultant engagement, precedent research, develop programmatic options, pre-design reports (zoning bylaws and code reviews), and a site visit.
+ Assessed the impact of a stuctural envelope upgrade on interior space; proposed interior layouts that included inclusive and accessible washrooms and floor plans.
Architecture Student | CTA Architecture + Design
Edmonton, AB
+ Design drafting and artwork production on a large scale project using Revit and Adobe Suite programs.
+ Implemented a standardized RFP document to enable; Utilized the document and sent 10 projects out to bid.
+ Organized a new material room and made new industry connections for products and materials; Start of lunch and learns.
2020
2020
2019
2019
Painter | Scholars Edge Painting
Kelowna, BC
+ Exterior and interior finishes on residential and commercial buildings. Skills learnt were time management, customer service and the need to pay attention to details.
Construction & Design Intern | Orange Theory Fitness
Edmonton, AB
+ Assisted in studio space planning and organization of franchise design packages for the operation of a studio.
+ Supported the extensive growth pipeline by performing build out costs and providing visibility into the franchise’s strength’s, weaknesses, and opportunities; Achieved by organizing all construction documents for 160 licenses, personally reaching out to every licence.
+ Implemented a new filing and archive system for the corporate office.
sable
lunenburg housing
4 the bridge free lab veil craft house +
6 explorations hobbies +
project
01 CONVERSION
museum of art and culture
year
bachelors | winter 2024
about
halifax, ns location
The site: Contains the original facade of what was known as the Dennis Building.
This design is a deliberate acknowledgment of the city’s historical narrative, leveraged to create a site-conditioned building which responds to the properties of space. The footprint of the previous building is now filled with an earthen material, grounding the building in the history of its location while providing a tangible connection to Halifax’s past. In contrast, a neutral container fronting Barrington street blurs the boundaries between the new and the old. The corten steel penetrates the two objects, realizing the conversion of one form to the other.
This design philosophy extends beyond the physical structure to influence the museums approach. Exhibitions are design to be open and fluid with spaces that encourage a dynamic interaction between the viewer and the viewed. The intention is that spaces are made to be visible yet only accessible through the corten steel circulation vessel. This challenges and invites the visitors to explore, reflect, and engage with the city’s rich artistic and cultural heritage.
SketchUp technical program used
Enscape
Adobe Creative Suite
site plan 1 : 500 site plan 1 : 15,000
1:15,000
EVENT HALL
ATRIUM
EXHIBITION
EXPLORATION
+ movement of user effecting spiral count per floor
SEEKING
+ inner diameter opening, effecting light experience
MOVE PLAY
HEIGHT & INTERACTION
+ change in height effecting user experience
opening, experience
VIEW
+ diameter of opening effecting view and light access
LIGHT
+ the pull outwards effecting light and user experience
& spiral effecting play of staircase
stringer
Mass Timber Roof Panels
Built Up Bents Wall Panels
Floor Panels
Built Up Beams
Screw Piles
Manufacturing Site
Sable Island Site
“stable sable table”
03 OUTLOOK
bachelors | winter 2023
about
The Look Out Housing project, situated in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, is a second term project that responds to mass tourism and the need to give back to the residential members of the UNESCO heritage site.
The ten residential units, three shared ammenities spaces develops a sense of closer community while acknowledging the need for privacy and social interaction. The community is joined by a series of buffer zones acting as a gateway to the public/private - courtyards, designated pathways, outdoor programs, etc which blends the public and private spaces harmoniously.
The public Look Out frames the top of King street to drive attraction away from the water front and towards Lunenburg’s first vista point and the community beyond. The platform offers views beyond Lunenburg, and hosts a gallery for local artists to display their work.
Ultimately, this housing project listens to the landscape, drives public to flow in a new direction, while respectfully blending the private and public communities.
technical program used + Adobe Creative Suite + SketchUp + AutoCAD
lunenburg, ns location + Hand Drafting
BLEND FLOW LISTEN
narrative
narrative
public program
the look-out frames the top of the street, driving attraction away from the waterfront and towards an undiscovered part of town
private narrative
public narrative
private program
communal living spaces centered between residential homes. structures are working with the landscape - a 12m change in slope
construction detail + elevation | 1 : 30
project
04 THE BRIDGE
blue forest shores free lab
bachelors | summer 2023
year
team partner
Blue Forest Shores
leader
Glen Hougan
students
head of jeddore, ns location
Camylle Arsenault | Dontae Dipanfilo | Chivon Jung | Nicholas Leech | Darsh Oberoi | Kate Randall | Sarah Ragab | Princess Villano
about
In partnership with Blue Forest Shores, this free lab aimed to create a footbridge using only natural materials. We used Da Vinci’s self supporting bridge as the primary structure, followed by a built footbridge to lay on top. All the materials used were taken from blown down trees within the property. As a team, we debarked, carved, and milled each log on site before constructing the final structure.
project
05 THE VEIL
craft house + year
bachelors | summer 2023
about
halifax, ns location
The proposed architectural design for the Craft House, located on the corner of Cornwallis & North Park Street, embodies a vision that aims to engage the public while maintaining an air of intrigue. The building serves as a creative hub to a ceramic studio, metalworks studio, textile studio, and carpentry studio where artisans explore their crafts and share their works.
The concept aims to hide the building within a veil, accessing it only through the access points from either streets. The veils serves as a metaphorical invitation, as it captivates the attention of the public and asking them to explore further. By concealing the building behind the translucent facade of wooden louvres, individuals are enticed to enter or walk through to discover the world of craftsmanship within. The louvres combined with glass curtain walls and mass timber framing allow for a balance of light/shade, transparency/ privacy, and indoor/outdoor interactions.
The program organization encourages the public to flow through the space, allowing interactions with curated exhibits and craftsman along the way towards the community space. The community space penetrates through the veil, allowing for veiws. This fosters a sense of discovery and connection to the craftspeople and their creations, along with the surrounding community. The interplay between the built environment and the site blurrs boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces to ultimately encourage the public to interact and bond with local artisans.
technical program used + Adobe Creative Suite + SketchUp
+ Hand Drafting
site plan 1 : 15,000
CORNAWLLIS ST.
The Veil
CRAFT HOUSE+
CRAFT HOUSE+
The proposed architectural design for the Craft House, located on the corner of Cornwallis & North Park Street, embodies a vision that aims to engage the public while mainting an air of intrigue. The building serves as a creative hub to a ceramic studio, metalworks studio, textile studio, and carpentry studio where artisans explore their crafts and share their works.
The proposed architectural design for the Craft House, located on the corner of Cornwallis & North Park Street, embodies a vision that aims to engage the public while mainting an air of intrigue. The building serves as a creative hub to a ceramic studio, metalworks studio, textile studio, and carpentry studio where artisans explore their crafts and share their works.
The concept of the design is the idea of hiding the building within a veil, accessing it only through the access points from either streets. The veils serves as a metaphorical invitation, as it captivates the attention of the public and asking them to explore further. By concealing the building behind the translucent facade of wooden louvres, individuals are enticed to enter or walk through to discover the world of craftsmanship within. The louvres combined with glass curtain walls and mass timber framing allow for a balance of light/shade, transparency/privacy, and indoor/outdoor interactions.
The concept of the design is the idea of hiding the building within a veil, accessing it only through the access points from either streets. The veils serves as a metaphorical invitation, as it captivates the attention of the public and asking them to explore further. By concealing the building behind the translucent facade of wooden louvres, individuals are enticed to enter or walk through to discover the world of craftsmanship within. The louvres combined with glass curtain walls and mass timber framing allow for a balance of light/shade, transparency/privacy, and indoor/outdoor interactions.
The program organization encourages the public to flow through the space, allowing interactions with curated exhibits and craftsman along the way towards the community space. The community space penetrates through the veil, allowing for veiws. This fosters a sense of discovery and connection to the craftspeople and their creations, along with the surrounding community. The interplay between the built environment and the site blurrs boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces to ultimately encourage the public to interact and bond with local artisans.
The program organization encourages the public to flow through the space, allowing interactions with curated exhibits and craftsman along the way towards the community space. The community space penetrates through the veil, allowing for veiws. This fosters a sense of discovery and connection to the craftspeople and their creations, along with the surrounding community. The interplay between the built environment and the site blurrs boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces to ultimately encourage the public to interact and bond with local artisans.
model 1 : 200
elevation 1 : 200
project
EXPLORATION
joinery
This project delves into the act of joining, speculating on the transformative potential as an application for architectural connections across various scales. The focus begins at exploring multiple variations of joinery methods, starting at the small scale of a singular connection, then expanding to the potential in shaping architectural form and function. The chosen joinery methods serve as a driving force behind the design which dictates the form, composition, and spatial relationships within the architectural context.
Moving beyond practicality and function, the exploration then considers human interaction and engagement with the joints. By designing the connections, they become more of an architectural element that can harmoniously blend with the floor, wall, and roof. The joints become an integral part of the architectural elements, blurring the distinction between structural connections and surface treatments, creating a visual interest to the user. I specifically focus on the connection of a column, to a floor joist and framing. The joints should merge the column with the surrounding architectural elements, blending and supporting the vertical support with the horizontal plane.
Through exploring joinery methods, this project reflects the transformative power of connections in architecture, showcasing the inhabitable space and interactions of the surrounding environment shown throughout the drawing. By harmoniously joining objects, and integrating them into architectural elements, the project highlight the influence of joinery on the way we experience and interact with built spaces.
PHOTOS
i enjoyed taking,
tofino, bc
taken on a 35mm film,
lunnenburg, ns
peggy’s cove, ns
lawrencetown, ns
thank you, vanessa
e. vanessacroft@dal.ca ph. (587) 989 - 1999 lkd. Vanessa Croft
thank you, vanessa.