2. 1201 Massachusetts Avenue
This MA thesis project, entitled “The Imaginative Pleasure of Unexpected
Scale,” is a mixed-use building of micro-apartments and retail shops that
celebrates small square footage rather than seeking to distract from it. Small-
scale living, which is often seen as undesirable, can actually be a positive
experience that promotes neighborly communities and a childlike sense of joy
and play. This project received the Excellence in Thesis Design Award and was
a semi-finalist for the IIDANE Graduate Student Award.
3. 711 Boylston Street
Goal: Design a flagship store for an existing company, focusing on custom
lighting solutions that reflect the brand’s identity. The client selected,
ModCloth, is an online retailer of women’s fashion, accessories, and home
goods. They have been praised for their continuing commitment to body
positivity and individual style. In addition to display areas, a cash wrap, and
fitting rooms, the program includes soft seating and an ice cream parlor so
that shoppers may relax and socialize while in the store. Custom lighting
solutions include a double-layered LED cove, balloon-like displays that turn
colors when approached, and a jukebox-inspired doorway that changes colors
when passed through. These features, as well as playful decorative fixtures,
reflect the retro, whimsical aesthetic of the client’s clothing.
4. 212 Elm Street
Goal: Research a historical style and distill one of its characteristics into a
contemporary design. The style for this project was Art Deco, focusing on the
movement’s abstraction of forms into geometric planes. These colored planes
are formed from single pieces of sheet metal which can ship flat to reduce
costs. The program is a jazz club that incorporates the display of Art Deco
artifacts: a lacquered baboon screen, a chrome toothpick holder, and the
Tamara de Lempicka painting “Portrait of a Young Girl in a Green Dress.”
5. 1584 Wesleyan Drive
Goal: Design an academic building for the forward-thinking “NEXT University”
in Norfolk, VA including classrooms, a faculty hub, and a student cafe. The
project was a student design competition run by Steelcase and students were
asked to incorporate Steelcase furnishings throughout as well as to embrace
the company’s philosophy of integrated technology and flexible learning
spaces. This project was one of two selected from the class to be entered into
the competition.
