Amanda Rapson is an architectural intern and graduate student. She has worked on various projects such as psychiatric hospitals, university facilities, and feasibility studies. Her experience ranges from design, modeling, construction documentation, and project management. She is skilled in BIM, CAD, 3D modeling, hand drafting, and other design programs. Rapson is pursuing a Master of Architecture degree with an expected graduation in December 2016.

1. The Architectural Design Work of
AMANDA RAPSON

3. AMANDA RAPSON
21 COURTNEY ST, UNIT #9, FALL RIVER MA , 02720 (401) 808-1873
arapson372@g.rwu.edu
EDUCATION ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY
Master of Architecture, EXPECTED DECEMBER 2016
Bachelor of Science in Architecture, MAY 2015
Minor - Sustainability Studies
EXPERIENCE ARCHITECTURAL INTERN, JANUARY 2015 - PRESENT
GMI ARCHITECTS, BRISTOL RI
- Contributed to the design of psychiatric hospitals/behavioral health facilities
- Prepared project studies and presentations
- Assisted in construction administration on multiple projects
DESIGN INTERN, MAY 2014 - JANUARY 2015
RWU CAPITAL PROJECTS AND PLANNING, BRISTOL RI
- Created schematic layouts for new university offices
- Led meetings with outside contractors
- Assisted in material and furniture selections
ARCHITECTURAL INTERN, JUNE – AUGUST 2013
LLB ARCHITECTS, PAWTUCKET RI
- Completed a Revit model for the URI Memorial Union Feasibility Study
- Documented existing conditions of RISD’s buildings for a Master Plan
- Generated detail drawings for construction sets
STUDENT ASSISTANT, SEPTEMBER 2011 – MAY 2015
SAAHP, BRISTOL RI
- Lead private tours to incoming students & their families
- Maintained an organized file & copy system with Professors
- Directed students in the completion of forms
LIFEGUARD/SWIM INSTRUCTOR, NOVEMBER 2008-2013
LIFEGUARD SUPERVISOR, JUNE 2007-2013
YMCA/MASONIC YOUTH CENTER, WARWICK RI
- Maintained a safe environment for patrons by enforcing pool/park rules
- Responded to emergency medical situations, administered first aid
SKILLS
www.linkedin.com/in/amandarapson
Revit
Auto Cad
Sketchup
Photoshop
Indesign
Illustrator
Microsoft Office Suite
Hand Drafting
Sketching
Code Research
Programming
Marketing
AFFILIATIONS American Inisitute of Architecture Students, Member
Special Events and Fundraising Director 2013 - 2014
Center for Student Academic Success
Student Advocate, 2013-2014, 2014-2015

4. 4

5. 5
Boston’s New Market Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Collegiate Cross Pollination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Connection and Exchange . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Shifting Minds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The Art of Exhumation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Visual Arts Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Tennis Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Nike Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Backbay Townhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Modern Barn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Westside City Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Schneider Residence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Masonic Youth Center Shelter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Oak Knoll Lane Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Graduate Design Work
Undergraduate Design Work
Professional Independent Work Experience
TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Urban Agriculture | Boston, MA
ARCH 515.01 SP16
Boston’s New Market-Hall
Under the guidance of teaching-firm-in-residence,
CBT Architects, the task of this studio was to address
the idea of the “sharing economy” in the modes of
transportation, food production and housing. We
worked in teams creating rules and guidelines for a
new master plan Boston’s South Bay area. We then
individually took on an individual task, mine being food
production.
The building I designed is a new market model for
dense urban areas. The market would be located in the
agricultural zone of the new South Bay and aimed to
educated urban dwellers on food production by being a
PYO (pick-your-own) model. All food sold at the market
was grown in the building or the agricultural zone.
Items would be picked off the vine they were grown
on. The purpose of this was to show to urban dwellers
what fresh, health food really is and to expose that food
we buy in normal supermarkets is never really as fresh
as they say. The building is designed into long fingers
allowing light to penetrate through all areas. It is also
an expandable module that could be expanded in each
direction indefinitely.

7. 7
The food we buy at
supermarkets here in the
US is almost never fresh.
Because of shipping and
importing, the “fresh” fruits
and vegetables we buy can
be anywhere from 2 weeks
to 6 months old by the time
we purchase it. This new
market aims to educate
people on how their food is
grown and where it really
comes from.

8. 8
Wellesley College Arts Expansion | Wellesle, MA
ARCH 513.02 FA16
Collegiate Cross Polination
The new Wellesley Arts building is intended to
give a feeling of how the different size spaces
interact with each other. Spaces for the arts
may be large and their boundaries unknown,
or they may be small, enclosed and private.
But instead of separating those spaces from
one another, by giving the arts spaces that
collide, we create a sense of community
between the artists no matter what their
work preference may be. By colliding these
spaces an artist is not forced to work in
solitude, or in an open environment. They
may choose what size spaces fit their needs.
Large skylights and window openings allow
for natural light, ventilation, and a sense of
nature in the indoors. By blurring the lines
between interior and exterior we create a
blend of flexible spaces that can be opened
and closed to the elements, allowing artists
and visitors of the building to experience
nature and be inspired by it.

9. 9
Main Atrium

10. 10
Timber Innovation District | Providence, RI
ARCH 515.01 SP15
Connection and Exchange
Under the guidance of teaching-firm-
in-residence, Gray Organschi, this
studio was tasked with designing a
way of energy production, housing
and infrastructure using heavy timber
construction. The environmental benefits
of using timber in urban environments
as well as its structural capacity make it
an ideal choice for urban environments.
Within my team I was tasked with
designing a pedestrian bridge to span
over the Providence River where the
old I-95 highway used to be located, to
connect the heavy timber housing and
energy plant projects my teammates
were doing. I wanted to show the beauty
and flexibility of wood so I designed a
system of 3D triangulated spans that
crisscrossed each other at varying
E
levels. This multitude of paths allows for users to
pick where they want to go, experiencing the bridge
differently each time they cross it. The pedestrian
bridge also had several program components such
as a amphitheater and public gathering space. I
utilized the program Rhino to create the model and
plans of the bridge.

11. 11
CC

12. 12
The Fall 2014 Advance Studio project given by Professor Gary Grahm, FAIA to
design a mental health facility challenged me to design/establish a new standard
of care for individuals suffering from mental health issues. Our design approach
focused extensively on program, with major emphasis on the clinical treatment
unit itself. Our program requirements and goals for the building were driven by the
ideas of our “client” Michael Krupa. The site, located in Devens Massachusetts is
situated on 5 buildable acres between a capped landfill and the Red Tail Golf Club.
Because of its location, the site experiences a 40’0” grade change from West to
East. The site conditions along with our comprehensive program analysis made this
project a pleasant design challenge, which I believe my design solves in a simply
organized and concise way.
The building responds
to the slope of the
site by having the
main entrance on
the highest level and
having the patient
units stacked and
set into the hillside,
making the building
single story in the
front and double story
in the back.
The New England Recovery Center | Devens, MA
ARCH 413.02 FA14
SHIFTING MINDS
AA BB

13. 13
The building is
comprised of
three modules
based off of
the size of a
designed unit.
These modules
are stacked and
shifted away from
each other as a
response to the
site.
CC DD

14. 14
Main Entrance / West Elevation
Nurses Station on Unit
Noisy Multifunction Space

15. 15
Set back behind the trees, visitors
and patients first approach the
Recovery Center by passing under
its overhanging roof which covers
the entrance and roadway. Visitors
can park and walk in from the
parking lot, and ambulances are
directed down the service road
to the ambulance entrance where
patients can be treated. The units
themselves are organized around
a pivotal point; the nurses station.
Positioned at the intersection of the
hallways that contain the patient
bedrooms the nurses station is a
focal point on the unit sitting below
the celestory windows. Directly
across from the nurses station
is the noisy multifunction space,
where patients and the staff can
interact throughout the day in a
bright space filled with natural light
and views out into the landscape.
”
Interior Main Entrance
View to Green Space
South Elevation
North Elevation

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WRITTEN BY AUTHOR’S NAME
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NAME
Columbarium Expansion | Montevideo Uruguay
ARCH 413.02 SP14
The Art of Exhumation
View Down Expansion n
This studio was taught by Professor Luis
Carranza Ph.D in the spring semester of 2014. The
assignment was to double the capacity of the
existing Columbarium in Montevideo by Nelson
Bayardo, without touching it or altering it in any
way. What made this studio challenging was that
it was analog, everything has to be produced
by hand without the aid of a computer. The final
“renders” to the left were perspectives drawn by
hand and shaded with charcoal. The images of
the boxes and flowers were collaged in to give
them depth and more life.
My intervention for the Columbarium by Nelson
Bayardo in Montevideo Uruguay sought to mimic
and make continuous the experiential feeling one
has when entering under the seemingly floating
mass of the columbarium. The conceptual ideas
of exhuming the ground, adding on top of the
ground and then combing them together brought
about the final form. My intervention surrounds
the original Columbarium, redefining how one
interacts with and approaches the building.
The addition is sunk down 4’0” and features a
unique double exterior wall that holds back and
hovers out over a reflecting pool that surrounds
the expansion and reflects soft light up into the
interior space; creating a feeling similar to the
experience of crossing under the floating mass
of the Columbarium. The interior ceiling plane
also matches with the height of the underside of
the columbarium, creating a seamless transition
between the two spaces. The expansion also
features artwork by the Japanese artist Haruko
Maeda. Her work serves as a bridge between the
Western and Eastern ideas of existence, life and
death, represented with skeletons and natural
forms, which works well with the columbarium
because it itself is a container for life and death.

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THE CAPTION INTRODUCTION should
give the reader a quick description of
”
Before coming to
this final design, I
worked on studio
assignments for
this project making
models out of
plaster, string,
fabric, wire and
wax. The idea was
to represent ideas
with these materials
that could them be
translated to the
final design.
Expansion Floor Plan
Expansion and Existing Corner Gathering Area

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Visual Arts and Visual Arts education at Roger
Williams University seeks to strengthen the
liberal arts education by encouraging and
creating a community where movement and
interdisciplinary experiences stimulate the
creative process, experiences and discussions.
The Visual Arts Centre supports the creative
community by providing functional spaces that
encourage movement and interaction between
the disciplines.
This project was the second project of the
Fall 2013 semester given by Professor William
McQueen, AIA. The project was to replace
the inadequate sized art building on RWU’s
campus and create a space more suited for the
Visual Arts Education. The site took over the
pre existing buildings footprint and extended
north into a small quad adjacent to the Gabelli
School of Business and the College of Arts
and Sciences. My parti came from the existing
greenery on the site, stretching across it to
reach both outcropping of trees. The building
was literally reaching for nature.
Art Building Replacement | Bristol, RI
ARCH 313.02 FA13
RWU Visual Arts Center
View to Main Entrance Site Plan
Longitudinal Section
Building Model Transverse Section

19. 19
Art is not what
you see, but
what you make
others see
- Edgar Degas
The Visual Arts Center
supports the creative
community by providing functional
spaces that encourage movement
and interaction between the
disciplines.
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
View to Student Lounge
Main Atrium Gallery Space

20. 20
Campus Sports Complex | Bristol, RI
ARCH 313.02 FA13
RWU Tennis Center
First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan

21. 21
The Roger Williams University Tennis Centre
serves to strengthen the fabric of North Campus
by articulating a greater sense of movement and
place throughout the site. This notion of re-weaving
the site into the greater campus context will in
turn strengthen the campus community and the
athletic community alike, bringing them seemlessly
back together. The open spans across the tennis
courts are made possible by special designed 3D
truss system.
1
Axo
2
Axon
The 3D Space Frame Trusses were created in
Sketchup with lines, and then turned from 2D to
3D using a plug-in program. The modeled trusses were
then imported into Revit as a massing family to be used
in the building model.
Longitudinal Section
Transverse Section
East Elevation
View on Covered Walkway
Interior Main Entrance Lounge
Tennis Courts
View of East Elevation and Walkway
Exploded Anxonometric
3D Space Frame Trusses
Detailed Building Section

22. 22
RWU Graduate Housing| Bristol, RI
ARCH 214.02 SP13
Nike Hall
The intention for this project was
to create a new dormitory on the
Roger Williams campus that solved
the issues of community and privacy
faced in a dorm setting. Each suite is
entirely private. To highlight a sense
of community within each suite
the common rooms are extruded
out on the east and south facades.
To create a sense of community
throughout the entire building,
the single loaded corridor reveals
stepping walkways with extruded
sitting areas to allow for interaction
between all four levels. The single
loaded hallway also faces the west
facade which is clad in a sun shading
system which allows the building
to appear solid yet be transparent.
Informal gathering and study
areas transform the circulation
spaces over the main lobby and
formal study areas that step and
cantilever over each other. By
creating defined public and private
areas and creating a transparent
yet solid western facade, the issues
of community and privacy were
addressed.
Informal
gathering
and study
areas transform
the circulation
spaces over the
main lobby and
study areas
Main Entrance

23. 23
The
western
facade
is clad is a
patterned
sun shading
system that
allows the
building
to appear
solid yet be
transparent.
Third Floor Hallway
Back View of the Building
Group Room
Study Room
West Elevation
Third Floor Hallway
Final Presentation

24. 24
Boston Townhouse | Boston, MA
ARCH 214.02 SP13
Back Bay Town
The intention for this project was to fill a void left
in the metropolitan puzzle where a townhouse
in the Back Bay had burned down. An owner’s
unit and two rental units were called for in the
program. Privacy is maintained throughout each
suite , but a sense of community is encouraged
through a shared circulation space and roof
top terrace. Importance is given to the owner’s
unit as its public spaces exist in the front of the
unit facing the street, while the rentals have
private areas facing the street and public
spaces facing the rear entrance. A series of
outdoor terraces gives each unit a connection
to the outdoors and access to natural light.
typical terrace wall construction
4’ modular brick
2" air space
2" xps ridgid insulation r30
adjustable wall ties
16" o.c. vertically
24" o.c. horiziontaly
air and moisture barrier
8" CMU w/ truss typ horizontal Joint ref 16" o.c.
#3 rbar vertical reinforcement
48" o.c. horizontally
1x4 cedar horizontal wall siding
typical deck construction
see detail 1
Stainless steel handrail
Glass panel
2" rail socket caucked and sealed
sealant and backer rod
LCC flashing w/ 1/2" hemmed turn down both faces
Copper Fabric Flashing
8" cmu bond beam w/ 2#5 rbar grout fill
copper fabric flashing w/ weep holes at 1/4 points
3 1/2" X 5 1/2" x 1/4 Lintel L
2 3 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 1/4" Lintel L w/ cmu grout fill
Steel Panel covering
stucco finish system
1/2 plywood sheathing
1x3 nailer
Terrace Parapet Detail 1 1/2"=1’2 Townhouse − Boston MA − RWU ARCH 231 Conmat − sp13
Amanda Rapson #21
5/3/2013
1’ 8"
4"
2"
2"
deck
4th floor
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT PRODUCT
PRODUCEDBYANAUTODESKSTUDENTPRODUCT
PRODUCEDBYANAUTODESKSTUDENTPRODUCT
PRODUCEDBYANAUTODESKSTUDENTPRODUCT
Exploded Axonometric
Longitudinal Section

25. 25
Keeping with the local vernacular, the
buildings exterior uses the same material
pallet as its neighbors, but still stands
out with its design.
Sectional Model Main Entry Rental Unit
Front Facade

26. 26
Heavy Timber Construction | Dartmouth, MA
ARCH 214.02 SP13
A Modern Barn
1/4" = 1'-0"
1
North Elevation
1/4" = 1'-0"
2
South Elevation
1/4" = 1'-0"
3
East Elevation
1/4" = 1'-0"
4
West Elevation
arch214_02_13sp_p3_rapsona
The intention for this project was to create an iconic home
modeled after the traditional New England Barn style. To make
this home iconic, I elongated the barn form, creating a space
16’ wide and 72 ‘ long. The public living and eating spaces exist
on the first level as well as two guest bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths.
The second level is completely private for the master suite
except for an open study which over looks the living spaces. A
studio spaces exists over the two car garage which follows the
form of the main barn. A minimalist approach is taken to the
interior with concrete floors, the exposed heavy timber frame
and whitewashed walls.
Building Exterior
View from Second Floor
Building Exterior

27. 27
1
107
2
107
3
107
-
---
1
107
2
107
3
107
-
---
1/4" = 1'-0"
1
First Floor
1/4" = 1'-0"
2
Second Floor
1" = 20'-0"
3
Site
4
Structure Axonometric
for the
arth"
k about
oncept led
a
modern
ht livng
passive
timber
anding
sape, and
eping the
tructure,
ling to
yet
arch214_02_13sp_p3_rapsona
A102
9
The simple heavy
timber structure
creates the recognizable
barn form in an iconic
modern way
View of Home and Detached Garage/StudioMain Living Space
Kitchen Building Model
Building
Model
First Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan

28. 28
Federal Hill | Providence, RI
ARCH 213.04 FA12
West Side City Hall
The intention for this project involved creating a new
city hall located on Federal Hill in Providence RI. This
new city hall would be a building to unite the public with
their Government. A central atrium space is used for the
main circulation between the two sections of the building
and can be used by the public for farmers markets and
events. Public offices are located in the front portion of
the building, while a main double height council chamber
exists on the back half. Elevated above the public but with
transparent walls, the council chamber serves as an icon to
the public that the government should be transparent and
has nothing to hide from them.
This was my last hand
drafted assignment
before switching to Revit.
Interior AtriumCouncil Chamber
Council Chamber

29. 29
The wall of doors
between the main
atrium and outside
gathering space can
all be opened at once,
blurring the lines
between interior and
exterior space, bringing
nature inside.
Building Model

30. 30
Bristol, RI | Spring 2014
Schneider Residence
In the spring of 2014 I was approached
by one of my old freshmen year studio
professors, Mauricio Barreto. He told me
he had a friend John Schneider, who
was a contractor that needed some help
with a project he was working on.
I meet with John and his wife Patti to go
over the project. They had purchased a
lot of land in New Hampshire and were
designing a home to be built there. John
worked for a construction company
that would build the home, but Patti
had a hard time envisioning the spaces
just from looking at a basic floor plan.
They asked if I could take what that had
designed, and build a computer model
of it so they could visually get an idea of
the home.
I created a Revit model based of the hand
sketched floor plan and dimensions they
had provided me, and created a model
and some renders of it. When I met with
them again and showed them what the
plan translated to, they didn’t like it.
From there I suggested small changes
to the layout that would give them the
open concept feeling they were going
for. After making the changes I rendered
the spaces again and they felt much
happier with the design. UP
UP
1/8" = 1'-0"
1
Level 1
Hand Drafted Floor Plan
Re-worked Floor Plan
3D View

31. 31
After redesigning the floor plan
to an open concept floor plan,
it allowed for a continuous flow
from the living area, dining and
kitchen
Front of Home
View from Dining to Living View from Living
Master Bedroom View from Kitchen to Dining and Living
Master Bathroom Living Area

32. 32
Warwick, RI | August 2014
Masonic Youth Center Shelter
by eight knee braces attached to the main posts
and beams. The front and back gable ends of the
roof are sheathed with cedar siding and the roof
is covered with architectural shingles. Construction
of the shelter took one full day. The center plans
on additionally creating a paved stone walkway
from the front of the shelter to the road, and a small
paved patio area in the back. They are also going
to be installing a small wishing well at the entrance
so they visitors may make donations when staff are
not present.
In the summer of 2014 the director of
the Masonic Youth Center, a private
park owned by the RI Freemason
Society in Warwick RI, (where I was
employed from 2007 - 2013 as a
lifeguard) was looking to build a small
shelter at the park entrance where
staff check the ID Cards of visitors.
They had already poured a 12x10
concrete slab where they wanted it
to be positioned. The director wanted
to get an idea of what it would look
like before construction started, and
asked me if I could provide some
rendering of what the Shelter would
look like.
After brainstorming ideas with the
construction team including my
father, Robert Rapson and uncle
Stephen Rapson, I took the ideas and
translated them into the computer. I
used sketchup to design the shelter
and imported it into Revit to create
renderings with materiality.
The shelter was a 12x10 open sided
structure with a covered roof.
Framed with 6x6 posts, the 8/12
pitched roof extends 2’ over the front
providing extra protection from the
elements. Lateral bracing is provided
Final Rendering
Beginning of the Day Roof Framed Out

33. 33
Framing Front Gable Sheathing Roofing
Finished Shelter

34. 34
Upton, MA | August 2015
Oak Knoll Lane Kitchen
In August of 2015 I was approached by a local contractor who asked if I could help transfer a
rendered kitchen layout into construction documents. The client owned a small home in Upton
Massachusetts and wanted to expand his kitchen. He had the below rendering completed,
but no measurable, dimensioned plans. I went with the contractor and field measured the
home, and after completing a base existing plan I added in the kitchen addition.
The addition itself was a relatively small footprint. After completing the plans and interior
elevations, the client was better able to visualize the proposed work. Questions were raised
about the efficiency of the layout and the small amount of counter space. The client then
decided to go back to his kitchen designer and rework the layout to maximize the amount of
space and storage he would get.
This was a valuable experience for me as I was able to work directly with the contractor and
the client. Producing the drawings was relatively fast paced and gave me an idea of what
doing residential work might be like in the future. The drawing set produced included a
title sheet, existing floor plan, a demo floor plan, floor plan, dimensioned floor plan, exterior
elevations/framing plan, interior elevations and a typical detailed wall assembly.

35. 35