Marissa studied civil engineering (EIT) with a focus on structural, and is currently in her final year of a Masters of Architecture degree at Pratt SoA. In the years between the schooling, she has avidly pursued a wide range of experiences related to the design and building of homes--from architectural documentation and rendering, to biking across the continental U.S. to build with and fundraise for grants for affordable housing organizations, to more building with a non-profit network of tiny home villages. She aspires to use architectural design to integrated supportive homes and public spaces that promote hands-on services for existing communities.
Amie Gross Architects, Long Island City, NY, US, Intern
Assisted in the revision and expansion of construction documents across several ongoing affordable housing and institutional projects, and contributed to compiling a preliminary written report and Revit model for an institutional renovation.
BC+J Architecture and Planning, Bainbridge Island, WA, US, Project Manager
Managed the production of full construction documentation, and filings and permit/variance acquisitions for several single-family residential projects, with increasingly independent involvement in construction administration as the primary project contact.
BC+J Architecture and Planning, Bainbridge Island, WA, US, Intern
Interpreted municipal codes for land use analyses in the Puget Sound for office-wide use for project predesign, including aspects of energy code compliance, drainage mitigation, removal of significant vegetation, and shoreline protection. Modeled in Revit for hand-measured as-built conditions and for design development sketches for single-family homes and some mixed-use spaces.
James Wentling Architects, Philadelphia, PA, US, Intern
Assisted in the revision of construction documents for design-build single-family house plans and production homes, as well as for one 81-unit multi-family development. Visited project sites to assess existing conditions and observe construction administration. Created marketing graphics for projects, and edited and compiled graphics content for second edition run of firm-sourced book on themes of suburban housing in the U.S.
Maryland State Highway Administration, Baltimore, MD, US, Planning Intern
Created pedestrian facilities layers in ArcGIS for Eastern Shore and western rural counties. Assisted on outreach programming for pedestrian and cyclist safety education in the city, and sat in on DC-metro area interagency budget and planning meetings for multi-modal integration in engineering "Complete Streets"
Abby Schwartz Associates, Wayne, PA, US, Intern
Researched materials and finishes for residential interiors, and drafted breakout floor plans
Pratt Institute, MArch, Graduate Architecture and Urban Design
Studying, studying, studying
Villanova University, Bachelors, Civil Engineering
Studied civil & environmental engineering, with a focus on structural. Senior capstone project for Structures (Buildings) was "Three Chapels In Panama," and involved a site visit in Wacuco, Panama as part of ongoing College of Engineering service trips. Construction began in 2016, by engineering students on a subsequent service trip, and has since been completed.
Boston University Study Abroad, London, UK; Paris, FR, Architecture & Urbanism
Studied architectural history, as well as concepts of modern architecture, landscape, and urban planning in London and Paris.
