ABOUT ME
When I was a kid, I wanted to be a clown. At least that's what I chose to illustrate in an elementary school assignment that I recently unearthed. While drawing wasn't always my go-to form of communication, I tended to produce many unconventional forms of creative outputs to express myself: walkthrough haunted houses in my basement and garage, home videos lovingly spoofing my favorite genres, unfinished (barely started) epic fantasy novels, video games on free online platforms, flash animations, theatre performances, songs, and more. I was a non-stop amateur creative machine, an unpolished but passionate jack-of-all-trades.
With a strong academic background in math and science, it surprised many (myself included) that I decided to major in architecture, a hitherto untouched form of creative expression outside of Legos. But I finally found a home to channel my artistic tendencies and hone a craft in a rigorous academic setting at the University of Virginia School of Architecture.
Posing triumphantly in front of my completed undergraduate architectural thesis
Photo credit: Nolan Reilly
Illustrating my aspirations in elementary school
There, I learned to channel my values of social justice, mental healthcare, environmentalism, etc. into fleshed out, polished projects. I learned that design is an often overlooked conduit for change, and that combined with other fields such as psychology, policy, business, and healthcare, our physical environment can affect profound change on individuals and communities. I learned that designing a theatre set isn't so different from designing a building, and that making people feel joy in a theatre for two hours is a commendable use of time and effort.
If architecture is about ego, it will fail. It must come from an innate desire to see people truthfully, and to see that there is always a better way for people to live.
Previously
Eric Colbert & Associates
Washington, DC
Junior Architect
I worked primarily in the Design Development phase for 4725 Cheltenham Avenue, a100+ unit residential building in downtown Bethesda, MD. On our small team, I made design decisions, generated renderings, and constantly pushed high Revit modeling standards. My renderings were published in multiple local online magazines:
I also worked in conjunction with Morris Adjmi Architects and Gensler on modeling the facade for the Buzzard B mixed-use apartment building as part of the massive 100 V St development in Southwest D.C. I came on during late Design Development and worked to model the facade to a Construction Document level of detail while refining and cleaning elements of the designs.
Cheltenham rendering by me
100 V St Rendering (Not generated by me)
Previously
Clark Construction
Bethesda, MD
VDC Engineer, Kickstart Trainer
After about a year performing VDC work full time, I led a three month rotational training program where approximately ten engineers from around the country gathered in our corporate offices to become trained in fundamental VDC and BIM-related skills to help analyze and create models for construction planning and constructibility assessment.
We conceptualized VDC from 2D to 5D, where we walked through exercises ranging from clash detection, site utilization planning, schedule simulations, and model-based takeoffs. These engineers returned to their jobs with essential BIM skills that helped lead themselves, their jobs, and the company to success in a virtual construction environment.
I was the second person to lead this program after it was developed in 2018, and I helped refine and grow the curriculum as well as manage the teaching and support.
Note: The programs above are programs that are trained on or used during the Kickstart program
Note: The work above was taken from Google Images and is meant to serve as a representation of what I do and what I train others to learn. It was not completed by, or at, Clark Construction.