As I a designer, I believe it is my responsibility to create sustainable and functional environments. Within my designs, my focus is to create a symbiotic relationship between people and nature, while enhancing quality of life, enjoyment, and experience.
This 50,000-square foot public library is located in the heart of Austin, Texas. The library, which was once Austin’s Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, was built to promote education in a neighborhood where the high school graduation rate is barely 50%.
The Rosewood Public Library consists of a community room, a computer room, a full children’s area, a teen zone, and a café. The inspiration for this entire project Central Texas’ iconic oak tree; its growth, protection, and - most importantly - its rooted stability.
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Upon walking into the Rosewood Library, guests are
greeted by five 100% water -efficient green walls. Offering a nice contrast to the natural
foliage, modern self-check out kiosks provide guests with an
effortless experience
Concept Im
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The stacks at Rosewood Public Library accommodate a variety of needs. Studyareas provide quiet places to work, while high-back furniture allows forpeaceful places to sit and read. To better serve the neighborhood’s Hispanic culture, stacksare labeled clearly in Spanish on one side and English on the other.
Located on the north side of the library, a vibrant and open cafe allows guests to grab a quick bite or cup of coffee while they read or study. All tables are equipped with power, encouraging a long stay, while an outside patio invites patrons to venture outside with their books on sunny days.
Inviting youth from all over, the Teen Area is prepared for all aspects of a teen’s life. Study rooms provide space for after school homework time,
and a video game room gives the young people a spot to chill out and relax in a safe environment off the streets.
The Children’s Area in the Rosewood Library will delight everyone. Equipped with interactive play walls, and a life-size oak tree, the space welcomes children to come learn and explore. Materials in the room include 100% wool, and FSC certified wood. The great tree even contributes to LEED points.
Located on the edge of the Texas Hill Country, Vista Oaks Retirement Community is a 44,000-square foot facility that accommodates both assisted living, and memory care residents.
Vista Oaks houses 24 residents while incorporating a full ‘Town Center.’ The east side of the building features a two-level residential area: the first floor contains 12 individual Assisted Living units, while the second level is comprised of 12 identical units that serve as home to the residents of the Memory Care program.
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2The Town Center includes a game room, movie theater, beauty salon, cafe, doggy bakery, and an indoor dog park. An integral element of this design involves not only forming a sense of community within the residency, but creating an interactive relationship between patients and the non-resident citizens who will regularly visit the facility.
Each unit is designed to fit the needs of all the residents’ lifestyles. The apartments are ADA compliant throughout, and are decorated with high-contrast colors for those with poor vision. For space saving, cantilever tables and window seating is a part of every unit.
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A large game room with a full bar is located on the first floor, allowing residents and family to sit, relax, drink, and play games. This space has multiple game tables, including chess tables, in the atrium, giving the ‘chess in the park’ feel. Custom poker tables can be easily converted into regular tables, which allow the room to be used not only as a game room, but as an assembly space as well.
Due to the extreme Texas heat, it is important to bring the outside in. 100% water-efficient green walls provide a variation of plants that reflect the Texas Hill Country. Nooks with benches provide places for the residents to relax and feel like they are outside while escaping the grueling temperatures.
Located in Denver’s Washington Park neighborhood, this quaint bar and restaurant provides a variety of atmospheres for all types of people. The tea shop located adjacent to the restaurant is a cozy spot to curl up or purchase a favorite English tea. These two facilities make up approximately 1,300 square feet; they belong to the same owner, whose main concern is sustainability. This project was a group collaboration between myself, Marty Corette, and Shannen Ferrira-Mckean.
The Double Windsor Bar and Restaurant, and the Hodge Podge Tea Shop are located in the popular neighborhood of Wash Park The goal was to create a local hang out that appeals to both young people and the families in the neighborhood. Although influenced by differing aspects of English life, these two businesses provide harmonious, complimentary environments.
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The restaurant’s inspiration is drawn from an old English Manor, the tea shop’s from a Victorian
garden. This makes each space unique, ensuring that many different types
of people will find one atmosphere enjoyable. This older English style
also ensured that the Bar and Restaurant would fit well
into this historic Denver neighborhood.
With sustainability of great importance to the client, much of the furniture
and fixtures used were salvaged. The flooring throughout the
restaurant is reclaimed barn wood.
The Hodge Podge Tea Shop décor is inspired by the Victorian era’s use
of florals. However this tea shop puts a whole new spin on the look by using
black and whites for the floors and walls, and drawing the colors from the sustainable upholstery
throughout the space. The Tea Shop also features skylights that help light up the space with natural light
Designed as the Denver Office for Glaceau’s Smartwater, this 10,000-square foot project was all about creating a work environment for all different types of employees, while still keeping the clients happy.
A third floor space, this office was designed to accommodate employees who thrive in varied work environments. Located throughout, group seating and individual seating provide workers with multiple work locations away from their desks.
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Mimicking the Smartwater goldfish ‘mascot’, a tank of glimmering goldfish becomes the focal point of the reception. The reception is located next to the conference room, ensuring that guests do not have to walk through the office to get to a meeting. The reception also has coat storage and a surface for setting out pastries, ensuring complete guest satisfaction.
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Creating a division of space, the centrally located thirty-foot water wall creates white noise to aid the building acoustics within the open design. Armstrong Soundscape canopies hang above allowing the open area to feel more intimate.
The break room accommodates office gatherings as well as individual lunches. The area also includes a green wall with circular moss planters, bringing nature in while also creating a cleaner indoor air environment.
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Privac
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1. Lobby 500 2, 6, 7, 4, 8 Y Y N/N N2. Service Area N/A 1, 16, 7, 8 Y Y N/N N Desk,Computer3. Teen Area 1,500 8 Y Y Y/Y N TV, Couch, Chairs, Computers, Stacks4. Children's Area 1,500 1,2, 8, Y Y N/Y N Chairs, Desks, Play Area, Stacks, Computers, Staff Desk5. Computer Room 500 8, Y Y Y/Y N Computers, Projector, Screen, White Board6. Community Room 1,500 1, 8 Y Y Y/Y Y Storage for chairs/tables, sink, projector, screen7. Staff Area 11,350 1, 2,8,11 N Y Y/Y Y Offices, work space for sortin, break room, copier
8. Restrooms 1,000
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19 Y N Y/Y Y Sinks, Toilets, Urnials
9. Individual Study Rooms (3) 450 16, 8, 10, 11 Y Y Y/Y N Desk, Chairs, Speakers, White Board10. Group Study Rooms (2) 750 16, 8,9,11 Y Y Y/Y N Desk, Chairs, Speakers, White Board11. Café 2,000 7, 8, 9,10,18 Y Y N/Y Y Chairs, Booths, Cooking Equpiment12. Fiction 5,500 13, 18, 8 N Y N/N N Stacks13. Non-Fiction 5,500 12, 16,18, 8 Y Y N/N N Stacks14. CDs 250 15, 8, 17 Y Y N/N N CD Stacks15. DVDs 250 14, 8, 17 Y Y N/N N DVD Stacks16. Reference 2,000 2,9,10, 17, 18,8, Y Y N/Y N Seating area, safe way to store books17. Periodicals 1,000 16, 18, 8, 14,15 Y Y N/N N Magazine and newspaper stands, Comfortable seating18. Seating Areas N/A 12,13,16,17, 8, 11 Y Y N/N N Comfortable Chairs, Side Tables 19. Green Roof N/A N/A -EXTERIOR N Y N/N N Vegetation
Circulation 12100Misc. 9900Total 57,550
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Criteria Matrix
Criteria Matrix Smartwater Offices Sq
uare Fo
otage Needs
Adjacencie
s
Major/M
inor
Public Acce
ss
Daylig
ht/View
Privac
y Visu
al/Aco
ustic
Plumbing
Specia
l Equipment
Specia
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erations
1 Reception 406 sq ft 2 Y Y N/N N YCoat Closet, Drink Cart
2 Conference Room 363 sq ft
1, 3,4,5,6,7,8,9,11,12,13 Y ? N/Y N Y
Media Equipment
3 COO Office 285 sq ft14,2,4,5,6,7,8 N Y Y/Y N N
Seating for Meetings
4 CFO Office 147 sq ft 15,3,5 N Y Y/Y N N5 HR Office 147 sq ft 3,4 N Y Y/Y N N
6Sr. Product Development Office 147 sq ft
8,14,2,3,11,17 N N Y/Y N N
7 Sr. Proj. Mgr. Office 147 sq ft9,13,2,3,12,17 N N SOME N N
8 Sr. Designer Wrk Station (4)80.5 sq ft T=322 sq ft
6,11,2,3,17 N N SOME N N
9 Proj. Mgr Wrk Station (2)80.5 sq ft T=161 sq ft 7,12,2,17 N N SOME N N
10 Server Room/IT Office 300 sq ft 17 N N N/N N Y Server Room
11 Designer Wrk Station (8)64 sq ft T=512 sq ft 8,2,17 N N N/N N N
12 Proj. Assis. Wrk Station (4)64 sq ft T=256sq ft 9,2,17 N N N/N N N
13 D.Admin. Assit Wrk Station 64 sq ft 6,2,17 N N N/N N N
14Proj. Admin. Assist. Wrk Station 64 sq ft 7,2,17 N N N/N N N
15 Assistants (2)64 sq ft T=128 sq ft 3,4, N N N/N N N
16 Break Room 290 sq ft N Y N/N Y Y Sink, Fridge, Microwave
17 Work Room/File Storage 266 sq ft
6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 N N N/N N Y
Copier, Work Space, File Cabinets
Total Square Footage 4005 sq ft
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Criteria Matrix