DESIGN ADJACENT PROJECTS

TINY VICTORIES

The Tiny Victories Project is a design initiative that delivers small, dignified micro-homes for individuals transitioning out of chronic homelessness at Community First! Village in Austin, Texas. Launched as a design competition by AIA Austin DesignVoice in partnership with Mobile Loaves & Fishes, it challenges architects to create efficient, climate-responsive homes under 200 SF that balance privacy, identity, and community. The first phase (1.0) led to built prototypes that were lived in and later evaluated through post-occupancy feedback.

Together with four fellow architects from Page/, we developed a concept we titled Porch with a Home. Although it was not selected as a competition winner, the Founder and CEO of Mobile Loaves & Fishes admired the design and made it available for construction. 

Below is a link to the Tiny Victories Project

DESIGN PRINCIPLES

  • A home should transform life through personal choice and agency.

  • The porch is as important as the home, serving as a flexible extension into the landscape.

  • Design should encourage individuality while also fostering community connections.

DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS

  • Compact living unit paired with a flexible, customizable porch for privacy, comfort, or community.

  • Use of natural, durable materials for longevity and comfort.

  • Integrated storage solutions to maximize efficiency.

  • Clerestory windows and operable openings to provide daylight, ventilation, and connection to surroundings.

  • Desk with views and layered storage for both functionality and a sense of refuge.

  • Overall balance of functionality and warmth in a small, highly considered footprint.

IIDA INVOLVEMENT

IIDA TX OK - PRODUCT RUNWAY

This annual fashion show is where design firms collaborate with product vendors to turn architectural materials into one-of-a-kind couture outfits. It’s a fun, high-energy event that highlights creativity in the design community while supporting the chapter’s education fund.

Our overall theme that year was Meet Me at the MET, and our assigned category was Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy. The Houston event is known for encouraging dramatic outfit transformations, so we designed a high-fashion cowl neck that doubled as a helmet and a chest scarf that transformed into a cape.

WINE EXPERIENCE

PURSUIT OF A NEW DREAM

After leaving the design world for awhile in 2021, I decided to pursue a career in wine. I have aspirations to open my own winery in Colorado when the time proves right.  These are some of the steps I have done to achieve it:

  • earned WSET Level I thru III

  • Completed WSET Business of Wine course

  • Earned my Winemaker's Certificate with UC Davis

  • Shadowed a custom crush facility and Hafner Winery in Sonoma County during Harvest 2021

  • Completed a full time apprenticeship with Chill Switch Wines during Harvest 2024

  • Working on-going wine events starting in 2024 thru present day (see list below)

  • Committee member of Colorado Winefest

  • Committee member of the Colorado Cru Project

  • Yearly attendee at VinCO since 2024

WINEMAKING APPRENTICESHIP

Chill Switch Wines is a boutique, natural winery in Cedaredge, Colorado, founded in 2012 by Dave Aschwanden, that uses only Colorado-grown grapes and produces wines free from additives like color enhancers, flavorings, stabilizers, and clarifiers. 

I was assisting in all winery activities and jobs for 4 months, living onsite, and being fully immersed in the culture and job.  After working with barrels and shoveling grapes weekly, I became aware of muscles I never knew I had. 

WINERY TASKS

  • processing grapes (crush, de-stem, press, cold soak)

  • overseeing fermentation 

  • winery sanitation 

  • racking & blending

  • topping off barrels

  • harvesting grapes / picking up grapes from growers

  • wine analysis / tasting notes

  • assist in private tasting

  • worked events / festivals

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

  • multi-tasking time sensitive tasks

  • documenting full process

  • post analysis of each week

  • analytical thinking

  • objective analysis

  • mathematical conversions

  • organization

  • customer service

WINE EVENTS / FESTIVALS

  • Colorado Winefest - September 2025

  • Denver Wine Walk - September 2025

  • Denver Wine Walk - April 2025

  • Slow Food & Wine - March 2025

  • Private Event Denver - December 2024

  • Cedaredge Applefest - October 2024

  • Colorado Winefest - September 2024

  • Taste of the Cedars - September 2024

  • Chill Switch Wine Club Dinner - August 2024

  • Estes Park Winefest - August 2024

  • Castle Rock Winefest - July 2024

  • Fort Collins Wine Walk - June 2024

  • Sip in the Spring - May 2024

  • Denver Wine Walk - April 2024