1. SUMMER SPENCER

2. create usable terraces for
indoor/outdoor community spaces
connect the architecture to the
landscape AND THE CITY through form
orient tower for optimal north | south
lighting
push tower to the northern edge to create
a park in the southern corner for solar
exposure
standard downtown mid-rise building
Park Towers
San Diego City College, San Diego, CA
PROJECT
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION
*Team Members: Kendra Gartrell[architecture], David Simpson[architecture], Dom Gonzolez[structural], Connor Strong[structural], Alec Zavala[structural]
**All work shown, renderings and diagrams, were produced by myself
Our goal for the project was to create a well performing building for the southern California climate, while creating a ‘backstop’ for the city college
campus that would also shield the campus from the adjacent freeway. Our form stemmed from our desire to stay away from monolithic structures
as the surrounding buildings are all low rise buildings; by breaking the tower apart into smaller components it creates smaller areas of focus and
overall a more human scale architectural form.

4. building analysis |
developing the skin system
From the beginning we knew that our project would have to respond
accordingly with the San Diego climate. We oriented our building to be largely
south and southwest facing to optimize views towards the bay as well as
for solar heat gain in the winter. So when it came time to developing and
designing a skin system we took into account various considerations, such as
privacy and shading but also maintaining the views out towards the bay and
Coronado. We also needed a skin system that allowed for the residences to
have natural ventilation, taking full advantage of the cool breezes that come
off the ocean.
DOUBLE PANE GLASS
ALUMINUM MULLION
PANEL CLIP AT TOP
AIR FLOW
THE WOOD SLAT SCREENS
AND OPERABLE WINDOWS
ALLOW THE RESIDENCES TO BE
NATURALLY VENTILATED
WOOD SLAT SCREEN
OPERABLE WINDOW
CONCRETE COLUMN
CONCRETE TOPPING SLAB
CONCRETE TWO WAY FLAT SLAB
SUMMER SUN PATH
60% OF THE SUN BLOCKED
BY THE WOOD SLAT SCREEN

5. Lotus
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, CA
PROJECT
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION
*Team Members: Emma Entress, Georgine Mooney, Katerina Petrova,
Katy Soreide, Camille Vantalon
This was for the Design Village competition in Poly Canyon,
a long-standing tradition for the freshmen architecture
students to participate in at Cal Poly. The task was to create
a structure that adapted to the environment of the canyons
as well as being structurally supportive and sound enough
for the team to inhabit it overnight.

7. The inspiration for this project was the Hayes Valley community
which has experienced an artistic rebirth ever since the adjacent
freeway was torn down. To celebrate that rebirth the concept was
centered around a housing project directed at the artistic population;
specifically designing a live/work environment which would continue
to foster a greater sense of community while also functioning as a
more environmentally and financially sound model of life.
RENT COSTS
TIME SPENT
COMMUTING
COST SPENT
COMMUTING
CO2 EMISSIONS
*IN THOUSANDS [LBS]
SEPARATE LIVE + WORK
*AVERAGE FOR SAN FANCISCO [IN MINUTES]
*AVERAGE COST FOR RETAIL SPACE [THOUSANDS]
**$40-$80 SQ FT/YR [DEPENDING ON VARIABLES]
*AVG COST STUDIO APARTMENT [THOUSANDS]
**$3.00-$3.75 SQ FT/MONTH
$$
$$$$$
$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$
*PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION [IN THOUSANDS]
*PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION [IN THOUSANDS]
*AVERAGE COST FOR STUDIO
APARTMENT [IN THOUSANDS]
**COST INCLUDES ESTIMATED
HOA FEES FOR COMMUNITY
SPACES AND FEATURES
THE AVERAGE SAVINGS RANGE
BETWEEN $4000-$5000 PER
MONTH AS COMPARED TO
RENTING SEPARATE SPACES TO
LIVE AND WORK IN
$$$
FOR A HOUSEHOLD WITH NO
CARS IT IS ESTIMATED THAT
LESS THAN 1000 LBS OF CO2 IS
GENERATED
WORKING FROM HOME CAN
ELIMINATE ON AVERAGE 30
MINUTES OF TIME PER DAY THAT
WOULD HAVE BEEN SPENT ON
COMMUTING TO AND FROM
WORK
WORKING FROM HOME CAN
ELIMINATE ON AVERAGE $2000-
$12,000 PER YEAR ON COSTS
ASSOCIATED WITH COMMUTING
TO AND FROM WORK
$
LIVE + WORK
Live.Work.Show
Hayes Valley, San Francisco, CA
PROJECT
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION

8. EDM [electronic dance music] often features coinciding elements within any given song; the sharp
staccatos mix with the fluidity of digitally enhanced voices and sounds. This served as inspiration for a
small concert hall on the central California coast. The sharp angles of the building shift throughout the
overall form symbolizing the many beats and sounds within any given electronically enhanced song. Yet
the overall form reflects the harmony of the total and final sound.
Shifting Breaths
Morro Bay, CA
PROJECT
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION

9. Hotels are uniquely structured in that they are cultural hubs for
international travelers. The issue is that the local culture often
is not translated upon its guests within. Historical Islamic cities
are structured as uniquely separated ‘units’ jammed within a
hap hazardous grid within the city limits. The ‘units’ are inwardly
focused with an emphasis on internal privacy and external
shading. The key difference between the historical and modern
cities developing across the Middle East is that modern cities
are developing upward, making the historical model of outward
growth outdated.
What if the vernacular design approach is reconfigured with a
vertical emphasis? By taking elements from the traditional urban
settings and rearranging them along a vertical axis the Islamic
culture is able to coexist within the modern framework.
Vertical City
Dubai, UAE
PROJECT
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION

10. EXTERIOR [STREET] INTERIOR [RESIDENCE]
HIDE [IT] STACK[IT]
URBAN PLANNING [TRADITIONAL] URBAN PLANNING [MODERN]
Privacy is a huge factor in the Middle Eastern Culture. In traditional and vernacular
designs the windows are oriented high on the walls so that passerbys cannot see
into the residence. If the window is placed low on the wall wooden screens are
placed over the windows to create privacy for the home. Often screens are used
over all of the windows regardless of height. This practice follows the strict beliefs
and customs regarding modesty that some Muslims practice.
Traditionally cities consisted of relatively short [2-4] story buildings spaced closely together to create shaded streets and pathways. In
addition to shade, these alleyways also created small wind tunnel effects that aided in keeping the occupants cool in the summer heat.
The buildings were not designed or shaped to create an overall plan, rather they appear to be a haphazard and last minute addition to
the city’s composition. The urban buildings, regardless of type or status consistently were built with solid exterior walls as almost every
building featured an inner courtyard onto which the rooms were oriented towards.
COOL[IT]
The courtyard home was the traditional building method and style for the Middle East. The buildings
were consistently built with almost solid exterior walls and interiors that opened onto an inner
courtyards. These inner courtyards functioned as the primary living space for families as they were
isolated and private from the streets and the city. The courtyards also functioned as cooling systems
for the house as they act as a heat escape as well as generating wind circulation around the courtyard.
The courtyards were largely shaded and often featured water fountains and pools for added cooling.
COURTYARD HOME [INWARDLY FOCUSED]
DUBAI[VERNACULAR]
EXTERIOR [STREET] INTERIOR [RESIDENCE]
HIDE [IT] STACK[IT]
URBAN PLANNING [TRADITIONAL] URBAN PLANNING [MODERN]
Privacy is a huge factor in the Middle Eastern Culture. In traditional and vernacular
designs the windows are oriented high on the walls so that passerbys cannot see
into the residence. If the window is placed low on the wall wooden screens are
placed over the windows to create privacy for the home. Often screens are used
over all of the windows regardless of height. This practice follows the strict beliefs
and customs regarding modesty that some Muslims practice.
Traditionally cities consisted of relatively short [2-4] story buildings spaced closely together to create shaded streets and pathways. In
addition to shade, these alleyways also created small wind tunnel effects that aided in keeping the occupants cool in the summer heat.
The buildings were not designed or shaped to create an overall plan, rather they appear to be a haphazard and last minute addition to
the city’s composition. The urban buildings, regardless of type or status consistently were built with solid exterior walls as almost every
building featured an inner courtyard onto which the rooms were oriented towards.
COOL[IT]
The courtyard home was the traditional building method and style for the Middle East. The buildings
were consistently built with almost solid exterior walls and interiors that opened onto an inner
courtyards. These inner courtyards functioned as the primary living space for families as they were
isolated and private from the streets and the city. The courtyards also functioned as cooling systems
for the house as they act as a heat escape as well as generating wind circulation around the courtyard.
The courtyards were largely shaded and often featured water fountains and pools for added cooling.
COURTYARD HOME [INWARDLY FOCUSED]
DUBAI[VERNACULAR]

11. DOUBLE PANE GLASS
ALUMINUM MULLION
INSULATION
STEEL WIDE FLANGE BEAM
GYPSUM BOARD
METAL WALL STUD
FIREPROOF HONEYCOMB PANEL
PERFORATED GLASS FIBER
REINFORCED CONCRETE PANEL
AIRSPACE [1’WIDE]
PANEL CLIP AT BOTTOM
PANEL CLIP AT TOP
ACOUSTICAL CEILING
STEEL DECKING WITH CONCRETE FILL
OPEN WEB STEEL JOIST
Lower Level Pool
Open to Below
Upper Level Pool
Lounge/ Interior Terrace/ Cafe
Exterior Terrace
Exterior Terrace
Cafe Kitchen
Open to Below
Storage/
Janitorial
Storage/ Janitorial
Open to Below
Lounge Space
Open to Below
Luxury Shops
Open to Below
Open to Below
Open to Below
Administration
Administration
Open to Below
Luxury Shops
SECOND FLOOR [ INCLUSIVE ]
LOBBY | SHOPPING
SEVENTH FLOOR [ INCLUSIVE ]
RESTAURANT
THIRTEENTH FLOOR [ EXCLUSIVE ]
HOTEL SUITES

12. Idea1 is a mixed use [residential live/work and commercial] project located in the east village of San Diego, CA. Its goal is to
transform the community through a culture of entrepreneurs and “makers”.
The project consists of ground floor live/work apartments designed to showcase the creative talent of the area on the streets
and three upper floors of shared office space to be rented out by the entrepreneurs of the community, giving them the
opportunity to network and expand their business in a supportive environment.
IDEA1 [The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP]
San Diego, CA
PROJECT
LOCATION
DESCRIPTION
*Images shown are property of The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP
**All renderings were produced by myself through Lumion with a Revit model owned and created by The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP

14. california polytechnic state university | san luis obispo
architecture | Fifth year undergraduate
summeres4@yahoo.com | sespence@calpoly.edu
858.442.8992