Beginning My Architectural Journey
A structured breakdown of volumetric techniques
Fold
Pleat
Crease
Turn
Pierce
Weave
Unfold
Press
Score
Cut
Wrap
Hinge
Compress
Pull Up
Pull Down
Rotate
Twist
Enfold
Knot
Balance
This was a good learning experience that helped me understand how simple paper transformations can create different forms, shadows, and spatial qualities. It also helped me become more comfortable with the design process.
Figure 2.1
Figure 2.1
This volume helped me experiment with how changing the direction and placement of folds can affect the overall form. It was a useful step in learning how small adjustments can make a noticeable difference.
Figure 2.2
Figure 2.2
This volume was a fun experiment with pull-down, twist, and enfold. These actions helped me create more movement and depth while making the form feel more dynamic.
Figure 2.3
Figure 2.3
This volume gave me a better understanding of how folding, pressing, wrapping, and hinging can work together to create structure. I enjoyed seeing how each action changed the overall form.
Figure 2.4
Figure 2.4
This volume allowed me to explore how pleating and rotating can create rhythm and movement. I liked seeing how these simple actions could give the form a more layered and dynamic quality.
Figure 2.5
Figure 2.5
This volume helped me explore how wrapping, hinging, pulling down, and unfolding can work together to create a more intentional space. I liked seeing how simple changes could create different openings, boundaries, and spatial relationships.
Figure 2.6
Figure 2.6
/ / PROJECT 02 // PORTFOLIO
For this volume, I focused mainly on wrapping, hinging, pulling down, and unfolding. I wanted to keep the overall design simple and precise while still creating interesting spatial relationships. Each action was used intentionally to control the movement, openings, and boundaries of the form. This helped me understand how small, careful changes can affect the way a space is organized and experienced.
Figure 2.7
Figure 2.7
Figure 2.7
Figure 2.7
/ / PROJECT 02 // PORTFOLIO
For this volume, I shifted my focus toward pleating, pulling down, and hinging to begin creating a more intentional sense of space. I experimented with how these actions could define openings, boundaries, and movement through the form. I made a few mistakes from making impulse decisions during the design process, but working through them helped me better understand what I wanted the final composition to achieve. Overall, I was able to create a space that felt close to my original idea while learning from the adjustments along the way.
Figure 2.8
Figure 2.8
Figure 2.7
The final composition represents the point where my creative process and the design skills I developed throughout this project came together. I am especially proud that the final form turned out almost exactly as I envisioned it. From the beginning, I learned to sketch out my ideas, take my time with precise cuts and folds, and avoid forcing every action verb into the design. Instead, I focused on using the actions that actually supported the space I wanted to create.
One of the biggest challenges was finding the right scale and staying patient through the repetitive process. As the project developed, I began thinking more about the human figures and how they would move through and experience the space. This changed the way I considered openings, boundaries, and circulation. One unexpected change was turning a slab I originally imagined as a roof into a surface that extended downward, creating another path for the figures to travel through
The shadows and depth created by the final form also became an important part of the experience. If I were to improve it, I would explore a smaller scale that could allow more light to move through the space. Overall, this final product reflects ideas inspired by where I come from and the abstract spaces I have experienced throughout my life. Spaces that feel inviting and designed around the human experience.
focused on using actions like folding, pleating, hinging, wrapping, and pulling down to create an intentional and welcoming space. These verbs helped guide the form while keeping the design simple and precise.
/ / PROJECT 02 // CONCEPT SKETCHES & INSPIRATION
A field study exploring how elevation shifts organize circulation and frame spatial experience. Documenting campus stairs, ramps, and structural ladders through direct site observation and geometric drawing.
VERTICAL STUDY OF STAIR
STUDYING DYNAMICS OF STAIR TWEAK
CLOSE UP ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL
/ / / ARC 101 // FINAL STUDY
Comparative analysis of the two primary circulation thresholds chosen for the final spatial assembly, exploring structural weight, shadow rhythm, and tactile movement through space.
FIGURE 01
FIGURE 02
Orthographic projections and detailed sectional views for the two selected staircase studies, analyzing structural attachments, tread-to-riser ratios, and circulation
📍Armstrong Student Center, 550 E Spring St, Oxford, OH 45056
📍Miami University, 501 E High St, Oxford, OH
/ ARC 101 // PROJECT 04
OAK REVIVAL
The first staircase stood out to me because of the additional design along the side. It made me think about how a staircase can do more than just move people from one floor to another. That added space creates another possibility for how the area could be used. While drawing it, I found this part the most challenging because it had a different shape and required me to pay closer attention to the details. I also noticed that the staircase feels welcoming as you move through it, creating a clear sense of where you are going.
The second staircase interested me because of its unique railings and the curved steps at the bottom. These details changed the way the staircase felt compared to a more typical set of stairs. Drawing it helped me understand how the size and shape of a vertical transition can affect the experience of moving through a space. The larger scale made it more difficult to capture accurately, especially from top to bottom. Compared to my first staircase, this one had more curves and changes in form, which made it more complex to study and draw.
— SPATIAL EXERCISES
A collection of rapid, intuitive spatial experiments exploring massing, paper transformations, and shadow play through swift physical modeling.
/ // PROJECT 05 — FORM & SPACE
I liked that this project was our first time working in the workshop and learning how to use the different tools. It made the process feel more hands-on and helped me understand how important precision is when building a model. The hardest part for me was cutting the wood perfectly to my measurements so that all of the pieces would fit together correctly.
I decided on my dominant form by sketching different ideas and choosing the composition I liked most. I ended up changing my design two times. The first change was adding another part to the design, and the second was making the composition more centered. Looking at the model from different angles also surprised me because some views looked more visually appealing than the angle I originally imagined it from.
This project taught me that proportion plays a big role in creating a balanced and visually appealing design. I also learned that forms work better together when there is a sense of balance and the overall composition feels visually pleasing.
This exercise focused on creating a unified spatial composition using three distinct rectilinear volumes. The study explored proportional relationships, dominant and subordinate forms, primary structural axes, visual balance, and overall unity. Through sketching and model-making, I experimented with how different forms could work together to create a composition that felt balanced and visually interesting from multiple viewpoints. The project also focused on understanding how small changes in size, position, and proportion can affect the overall appearance of a three dimensional composition.
I enjoyed being able to experiment with the cardboard wall, especially choosing the color and adding another material to the design. The most challenging part was cutting the paper accurately so it could fit into the wall and look intentional. This project showed me how much small details can affect the overall quality of a model and how important precision is when working with different materials
This exercise focused on constructing two partitions and a three-column colonnade. The project explored materials, connections, precision, and how architectural elements can work together to create and define space.
I enjoyed adding the final touches and small details because they were what really brought the elevation to life. Gluing the smaller details in place was one of the hardest parts because they were easy to move or misplace. Through this assignment, I learned that elevation drawings are about more than just showing the front of a building. The details, proportions, and placement of different elements help communicate what the building actually looks and feels like. I also learned that small details can make a big difference in the final result.
This exercise focused on understanding elevation as an orthographic drawing—examining vertical appearance, architectural proportions, opening rhythms, and the precise relationship of a building form to the ground plane.
This project focused on creating a one-point perspective drawing of a campus location using observation and freehand sketching. The exercise explored how vanishing points, horizon lines, and perspective lines can create depth and make a flat drawing feel three-dimensional. Through studying the buildings, pathways, and surrounding landscape, I worked on capturing the proportions and overall composition of the space. I also used shading and different line weights to create contrast, emphasize important details, and bring the drawing to life. The goal was to accurately represent the viewpoint while developing a better understanding of how we see and experience architectural spaces.
This section showcases my final one-point perspective drawing of a campus location. Through perspective lines, shading, and attention to detail, I explored how to create depth and capture the proportions and overall feeling of the space.
This project focused on designing an abstract architectural structure using a 3D-printed joint and laser-cut planes. Through sketching, testing, and building, I explored how different shapes and connections could work together to create a larger composition.
I started by sketching different ideas and developing a design for the joint and planes. I then created the digital models, tested the connections, and made adjustments before fabricating and assembling the final structure.
This project made me realize how much a small detail can change an entire structure. The joint might seem like a small part of the design, but it affects how the planes connect, how the structure comes together, and how the final form looks. I liked exploring how simple elements could be arranged to create something more complex and unexpected. The processalso showed me that a design does not always work exactly as planned, and testing different connections is part of figuring out what works best. Overall, I learned to look beyond the individual pieces and focus more on how they interact with each other to create one complete composition.