Jessica Downardundergraduate portfolio

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Spiral staircase railing

Education 2001-2006: Ventura CollegeMajor: ArchitectureAIAS President

2006-2010: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis ObispoMajor: Architecture

2008-2009: Virginia Tech: Washington Alexandria Architecture CenterMajor: Architecture

experience 2005-2008: RGS Design Studio, Ventura CaliforniaPosition: Lead drafter/ office managertasks: Draft construction documents, research building codes, make site visits, photoshop renderings, answer telephones, filing

2009-2010: Architecture Design and Discourse Publication Staff, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Californiatasks: Organize submissions, layout design

Skills AutocadRhinocerosVrayAdobe Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash)Microsoft Office

Interests WatercolorPhotographyFilmMusic

Jessica Downardjessicadownard@gmail.com805.746.5330

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SLO Design School 01The Center for the creation of asimo

Danish embassy

salk institute expansion

CCA: College of Photography

Spiral staircase railing

project display drums

puzzling

hasit

0203040506070809

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01 SLO Design SchoolSan Luis Obispo, CaliforniaFall 2007 4 5

underground parking

auditorium

storage

classrooms

storage

restrooms

restrooms

dorms

dorms

dorms

dorms

restrooms

restrooms

restrooms

storage

cafeteria

outdoor space

outdoor space

classrooms

studios

studios

student Lounge

library

underground Floor first Floor second Floor third Floor

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Located at the intersection of Marsh and Higuera Streets in San Luis Obispo, California, the SLO Design School is boarding school for high school aged children. This school is intended to foster design abilities in high school children who are interested in pursuing a career in the design field. The school is intended to cater to both local students, as well as those abroad with the addition of dormitories (located on the second floor). The spaces are organized to allow for open public spaces to be on the bottom floor, while maintaining privacy as you move vertically upward.

02 The Center For The Creation Of AsimoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSpring 2008

circulationadministrationassembly support

lobbyexhibition spaceassembly line

structural diagram

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program diagram

circulation diagram

vicinity map exterior renderings

This facility was designed to house the manufacturing and public display of Honda’s robot Asimo. The overall concept for the design of the building was the idea of interconnectivity. The basic overall form of the building consists of a series of interlocking rectangular solids that all get connected by the exhibition area. The exhibition area runs the length of the building and penetrates the other spaces, allowing viewers to get an in depth look into how the manufacturing process occurs.

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The proposal for the new Danish embassy in Washington D.C. includes all facilities needed to accommodate a growing nation. There are many parts open to the American public, all the necessary facilities to run an operate a working embassy, as well as an on site residence for the ambassador and family. One very important part of Danish architecture that I made sure to include in the embassy is the use of light as a building material. The reason light is so important to the Danes is due to the fact that Denmark gets so little natural light, every bit they get is worshiped, hence the importance of using a lot of glass and keeping the internal floor plan as open and airy as possible.

03 Danish EmbassyWashington D.C.Fall 2008 8 9

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04 Salk Institute ExpansionLa Jolla, CaliforniaSpring 2009

When Jonas Salk and Louis Kahn first spoke of designing the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, their original plan set to include more than just the two lab buildings that got built. One thing that was in the original plans was the addition of a community center to serve the scientists and their families. Using the existing labs as a jumping off point, this addition hopes to fully fulfill Salk and Kahn’s original dreams for the Salk campus. The program for the expansion includes a library, fitness centers, meeting spaces and more. The concept behind the form stems from utilizing the sloping terrain to create a building nudged into the hillside, leading to the fantastic coastal view.

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05 CCA: College of PhotographySan Francisco, CaliforniaFall 2009 - Spring 2010 12 13

Existing architecture is unable to fully satiate our voyeuristic desires. By inserting the public realm in to a usually private space and allowing the public to get a view of that private space, architecture has the ability to reach its full voyeuristic potential. In deciding to tackle the topic of voyeurism in architecture, what better topic to utilize than the realm of photography?

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06 Spiral staircase railingAlexandria, Virginia

The spiral staircase at the WAAC (Washington Alexandria Architecture Center) was built many years ago but has never been open for use due to the lack of a railing system. In deciding to construct a working railing system, it was decided that a system consisting of curved glass supported by solid aluminum supports would do the job. The system consists of two aluminum “pucks” clamping each stair, linked to a large aluminum rod that extends up to support the curved glass.

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07Project Display DrumsSan Luis Obispo, California

In attempt to design and construct an innovative way to display each student’s final thesis project, it was decided that each project along inner circumference of large drums. Each drum is part of a system of pulleys attached to a light cylinder that allows users to step[ inside each drum, pull the light upwards and view each project. Each drum measures 5 foot in diameter and consists of 6 interlocking pieces of mdf that had been cnc’d. The drums are then covered with black fabric on the exterior and covered on the interior with print outs of each student’s project.

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08 Puzzlingtransformable furniture

Most furniture we use every day only serves one purpose. It is the intention of puzzling to do more than the average piece of furniture by encouraging play. Each piece has strategically placed slits which allow for the pieces to interlock with each other creating seating, storage and various table surfaces.

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09hasitPortable Furniture

HASIT (hang and sit) is a portable chair intended to allow users to have comfortable seating where ever they may go. Each strap piece is made of high strength climbing straps and all have the ability to disassemble and be placed inside the large metal tube. The tube itself serves a great purpose in being the main structural element and leg rest.

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