Miami University Over The Rhine Design Studio, Cincinnati, OH, US, Design Intern

In a team of five people, 3 Miami students and 1 other recent graduate of Miami University. Under supervision of the Community Coordinator, a licensed architect, NCARB.

Hosted by Cole+Russell Architecture and Design in downtown Cincinnati, OH

C U R R E N T P R O J E C T | New sustainable building envelope

C L I E N T | Peaslee Neighborhood Center

A P P R O A C H | Working with a non-profit client, we are proposing ways to make their building cut energy costs and look more approachable to potential tenants. CR Architects are lending us their expertise and advice as we take on this project on our own, apart from the firm. We are also looking to engage with the Living Building Challenge in order to decrease cost of building maintenance. This design program will end in early May, which is when we expect to have construction documents, a physical model, and graphics posters for the client's use in the future after they organize a capital campaign.

Miami University, Oxford, OH, US, BArch, Architecture

The Department of Architecture and Interior Design at Miami University has provided me with a great education that encouraged me to explore many different ways of design. Through the department's extensive study abroad programs, I was also able to study in London, UK for 5-weeks with intensive studio hours that focused on sustainable design. I also took a course on Autodesk Revit where I mastered basic and intermediate skills in the program to make 3D models and renderings.

Currently, I am living in an area in Cincinnati called Over-the-Rhine through Miami University's Center for Community Engagement as a design intern. We work in conjunction with Cole + Russell Architect and Design to propose a new building envelope for Peaslee Neighborhood Center. As a non-profit entity, our client is looking for new ways to engage their members and prospective tenants. It is a great opportunity to learn in an office setting while still being able to work on a separate project from CR. Through this program, I am establishing IDP credit through NCARB as I work towards becoming a licensed architect.

Previous to this current experience, I finished up my last semester of school doing the Residency Program in Over-the-Rhine, an award-winning program that allows students to engage with OTR residents who have been historically impoverished. We worked with them to enhance their quality of life. Our semester's project was to renovate the first floor of a 150 year-old building in this historically registered area. Our client, Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, wanted to make it a commercial space to rent out to a future tenant. Before this was possible, our studio helped to structurally stabilize the floor and the walls to prevent anymore damage. Because our client was non-profit, we had to balance our budget and help them understand the various processes of going through code review and permits. By the end of the semester, we as a studio created a set of complete construction documents of the space. It was a great opportunity to learn construction, construction details, and many of the roles that architects play in the making of a building or space.

I am the recipient of two departmental scholarships based on both merit and financial need. As a student of architecture, I am always eager to learn new things about designers, new technology, and sustainable design. I have completed my minor in sustainability, and hope to work for a firm that sees the urgent need to design in environmentally-conscious ways.