Ella Benoy_Portfolio 3-6-26

PORTFOLIO

INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Ella Benoy

1. Library of Congress Map

Maps are my absolute favorite piece of decor. I got this one at the Library of Congress on my dream trip to D.C. last year!

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1. The Eames House

The house that first got me truly excited about studying architecture, and my current research topic.

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3. My Fall Playlist on Spotify

I love to curate playlists to match any vibe, and I have loved this one for it’s nostalgic and comforting feel since the moment I created it.

4. En Route Anchovy Earrings

I absolutely love fish and want little bits of them in every part of my life, so these are the perfect jewelry piece.

About Me

THE EIGHT THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

Hi! My name is Ella Benoy, and I’m a junior at Utah State University double majoring in Interior Architecture and History. I’ve always been fascinated by the way the past affects the present and how individual stories can tell so much about an overall narrative. I bring this perspective into design by focusing on the minute details that create a person’s experience and allowing the overall story to be dictated by these small details. I’m passionate about the research and true understanding behind every design choice, and love to base designs on ultra-specific ideas and perspectives.

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5. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

A completely perfect story in every way that I could read over and over again.

6. Houseplants

I love having as many plants as possible; they always make a space so beautiful.

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7. Leuchtturm Dotted Notebooks

Journaling and scrapbooking are the perfect ways to organize and understand myself and my life, so why not do it in gorgeous, bright notebooks.

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8. Oregon Pacific Coast Highway

The most comforting, beautiful place in the world, and the most meaningful destination for me.

775.671.0754 | ellacb4@gmail.com

Logan, UT 84321

EDUCATION

UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY - Logan, UT

Bachelor of Arts: Interior Architecture and Design

Bachelor of Science: History

Honors College

4.0 GPA

Expected in 05/2027

AWARDS AND CERTIFICATES

LEED Green Associate 2024

ASID Student Portfolio Competition Semi-Finalist 2026

Nevada State Seal of Biliteracy (Spanish)

National Merit Finalist and Scholarship Recipient

Nonresident Presidential Scholarship (USU)

Chick-Fil-A Remarkable Futures Scholarship

EXPERIENCE

CHICK-FIL-A

• Worked within a team of up to 20, focusing on speed of service and accuracy

• Maintain motivated effort in balancing school and work

Leadership - USU USGBC (student chapter)

ASID Student Member

IIDA Student Member

Greenbuild Volunteer

SKILLS INVOLVEMENT

AutoCAD

Revit

Hand Rendering

Photoshop Illustrator InDesign

Research

Model Making Construction Docs

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• Offered supplemental math education to students from Kindergarten to High School

• Fostered positive interactions with students, parents, and coworkers

JAPANESE-ITALIAN FUSION RESTAURANT

DRIFTWOOD LEARNING CENTER

CONCEPTUAL COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER

CARRIGALINE

TINY HOUSE

CYPRESS MEDICAL SPA

TENANT IMPROVEMENT

01.

THE FLOATING WORLD

The Floating World is an upscale cafe located in Historic Downtown Logan, Utah for all to enjoy—from college students to high class adults. The space focuses on fostering collaboration, positivity, and creative expression through the inspiration of Japanese Ukiyo-e art, Italian mosaics, and “aggressive” positive culture. Featuring warm colors and light woods from ash to oak that promote a welcoming, comfortable, and stimulating atmosphere, the restaurant functions as a novel space for visitors to dine on Japanese-Italian fusion eats. The cafe represents the pleasures of life that Ukiyo-e has come to symbolize, and welcomes guests to be unapologetic, odd, and creative. With fish as a motif of positivity, strangeness, and out-there thoughts and ideas, the space allows for expression and collaboration of all kinds.

multi-cultural . collaborative . accepting

ukiyo-e

translation: “floating world” 浮世絵

the first iteration of many in japanese woodblock printing. focus on collaboration, nature, and life’s pleasures.

mosaico

italian mosaics “aggressive” positivity

italian art style dating back to the greeks that emphasizes nature, geometry, and idols; representing italy’s rich cultural diversity

a cultural trend focusing on unrefined positivity. the idea that good things will happen whether you want or expect them to.

VARIED

CUSTOMERS AND EXPERIENCES

KITCHEN OPEN TO DINING

collaboration/study focus lounge/casual sit-down dining

intimate/high-end dining

commercial kitchen

With many dining options, including a walk-up point of sale, community tables, intimate two- and four-tops, comfortable banquettes, and bar seating, people can find any experience they seek here. From studying, to dates, to family meals, and anything in between, any diner can find a place within The Floating World, and stay for as long as they’d like. Guests will find an upscale feel to the food and beverages, whether or not they seek an upscale experience. We seek to offer guests a third-place to find community and comfort no matter who they are.

SAKANA -

CUSTOM WALLCOVERING

PATTERN

BASED ON HISTORICAL PRECEDENT

abstracted from

JAPANESE UKIYO-E PRINTING

ITALIAN MOSAICS

KRAVET ARCHIVE ARTS AND CRAFTS PATTERNS

INDESIGN | ILLUSTRATOR

Through studying Japanese and Italian art to narrow down the inspiration for this Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant, Japanese woodblock prints— specifically their origin: Ukiyo-e style—and Italian mosaics became my focus. I was first drawn the motif of water and the sea and how it was represented in both these countries. Waves and the ocean are heavily

featured in Italian mosaics. Mosaic art’s skilled craftsmanship, material, and block-based formula was shared by woodblock prints in Japan. I studied the themes and ideas behind both art styles to truly understand what made them special. Ukiyo-e art references the idea of “the floating world” as a place of completely free creative expression, expression of tastes and interests, and an attempt for the people to satisfy their hunger for novelty. To connect these ideas of the sea and playful creativity, I abstracted motifs from these arts and crafts patterns from the Kravet archives that felt playful and energetic, and reminding me of the ocean. Using these forms, with both woodblock prints and mosaics as an inspiration, I created this wallcovering pattern to give guests at the restaurant a feeling of punchy, playful, and eclectic, but sophisticated pleasure.

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REDWOOD URGENT

CARE AND MRI CLINIC

The Redwood Urgent Care clinic is a space designed to support all people - nurses, providers, patients, and supporters— and their ability to connect, support, and persevere. This center is a healing environment that the community can rely

interpersonal connection and community this center offers a trauma informed, culturally competent, and empathetic environment, by incorporating welcoming colors and curves, accommodating families of all sizes, and applying universal way finding that transcends language barriers. WELL Building standards, along with biophilic design principles help form a space in which people can feel connected with their community while receiving essential care during a vulnerable time.

HEALTHCARE DESIGN

PHOTOSHOP INDESIGN expansion to existing center

GROUP PROJECT

interpersonal connection

creating a space that facilitates all people’s (patients, providers, and supporters) ability to persevere and support one another to build up the community as a whole.

sense of place

topography

the motif of topography is repeated throughout the design to represent the building’s relevance to personal and community identity and their sense of home.

SCHEMATIC DESIGN PROCESS

FOCUS ON CONNECTING ALL GUESTS AND PROVIDERS TO NATURE THROUGH CIRCULAR OUTDOOR COURTYARDS, THEN REPEATING THAT CURVE THROUGHOUT THE LAYOUT

As a patient walks up to the center they are greeted by universal and intuitive way finding strategies to ease their experience, as well as a glimpse of the theme and design of the space through the topographical, sculptural overhang casting an exciting shadow below and the patient courtyard waiting space to allow them to feel connected to nature and the area around them.

PATIENT JOURNEY MAP

To ease a patient’s experience, the clinic area offers more intuitive way finding, including, darkening colors as they move further into the space, and differing floor colors to provide a pathway. For the nurses, while their sight-lines to the exam spaces could not be obstructed, they still get a perceived sense of privacy in their workspace created by the clerestory windows, desk, and floor matching shapes. Nurses and providers are still centrally located to decrease travel distance in their work day, while still having their own space to work.

03. DRIFTWOOD LEARNING CENTER

Driftwood Learning Center exceeds the average learning center. It combines the practice of farming with Friedrich Nietzsche’s philosophy, and Indigenous perspectives of community and fostering harmonious relationships with nature. The integration of classic and modern technology, hands-on learning, and open dialogue creates an ideal environment for adult learners to gain knowledge and improve their mental well-being. As individuals learn to listen and understand those with different backgrounds and ideas, the community as a whole thrives.

Based on the idea of connecting farming with philosophy, the space connects the community to nature and to each other, allowing the individuals to better themselves to come back and better their community.

COMMERCIAL DESIGN

idec competition 2025

ILLUSTRATOR

INDESIGN

GROUP PROJECT

TEMPORARY

DESIGN

Inspired by the innovation by TenFold Engineering, the learning center will be a mechanized, foldable structure, able to be shipped around the country. Excluding the restrooms and VR spaces in the center—which will be fully constructed rooms transported separately, then placed into the structure as a whole—the walls and floors of the center will hinge into three simple lines (pictured in the center of the drawing) to be transported, then unfolded at the destination. The greenhouse will be built of a length of panels that collapse into a simple stack connecting into the other folded walls. Roofs will be two separate pieces, and floors will fold in with the rest of the structure. This transportability allows there to be multiple centers throughout the country working simultaneously, and each center to be temporary in each location.

RESEARCH

connecting farming to philosophy through indigenous and communal ideas

indigenous principles

Robin Wall Kimmerer, an indigenous scientist, in “Braiding Sweetgrass”, specifically describes natural science as a “conversation” between her and the plants she cultivates

“Wisdom begins in wonder ”

PLATO

nietzsche’s communal ideas community in learning

Some interpretations of Friedrich Nietzsche’s work find evidence of his views on self-improvement actually lending to what he expects of an “idealized community”. In his views, one should focus on one’s own humanity and overcome oneself, in order to return to the community and enrich it.

In education, a strong sense of community produces positive outcomes: including an increase in the flow of information, feelings of connectivity among other learners, feelings of belonging, connectedness social support, higher self-esteem, and overall well-being.

VR LEARNING SPACE

CONTINUOUS

BROADCAST TO OTHER SIMILAR CENTERS

ENTRANCE INFORMATION

ADAPTABLE CONFERENCE ROOM

AMPHITHEATER

FARMING PRACTICE PLANTERS

GREENHOUSE SEATING OUTDOOR SEATING

2994 sqft temporary built space

COMMON LEARNING/ COMMUNITY SPACE

connection to nature technological innovation

varied community interaction

LECTURE STYLE AMPHITHEATER SPACE

The center provides multiple ways for visitors to gain new skills in farming. An amphitheater-style lecture hall sets the mood for lectures hosted by local farmers and elders in the community to understand how those in attendance can become more involved in community food production. This presentation space will allow not only the community to learn from these farmer but also the farmers the chance to pass some of the mental weight of their high-risk job onto those who benefit from their expertise.

A community can be built upon understanding the differences of the individuals within. To better oneself, is to better the community. Each person should strive to become the best version of themselves in this space, in service of their community.

04. CARRIGALINE

From the Irish root carrig- meaning rocky outcrop, this home is abstracted from cliffs in Ireland emphasizing verticality and sharp edges through striking wooden slats on the exterior and sharp corners throughout the house’s floor plan. Within the home, that sharpness is juxtaposed by soft mid-century curves and accents, to create a natural, vintage haven in the forests of Utah.

An emphasis is placed on connecting the indoors to the outdoors with windows leading to comfortable, split-level, outdoor space, while the second floor bedroom opens directly into a sprawling balcony.

The small home marries a sense of coziness in its small scale, while maintaining a flow from space to space perceived separations between spaces instead of literal dividers.

MID-CENTURY, NATURAL LIVING

Featured in this cozy living space are corner windows welcoming the homeowner into the outdoors inspired by the mullion-less windows of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, an open, mid-century, brick fireplace inspired by No. 3 in the Case Study House series designed after World War II, and a step down into the living area with a change in ceiling heights to delineate the space.

The home creates a mixture of privacy and openness using the wooden slats, to allow the homeowner to view and appreciate the nature surrounding them through the bedroom windows and balcony, while still feeling enclosed and protected within the slats.

CLIFF INSPIRATION

NORTHWEST EXTERIOR RENDERING

N S W

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CYPRESS MEDICAL SPA

AUTOCAD INDESIGN ILLUSTRATOR

Cypress Medical Spa, located in Salt Lake City Utah, creates a feeling of opulence and comfort for customers. With curved corners and bright eye-catching features leading them into the space, customers and providers feel dignified and calmed, whether there for a laser procedure or a massage.

Acoustics and sound were important considerations in the design, as well as patient journey to keep their experience novel, but high-quality.

Inspired by luxurious lakes in the Mediterranean, the design features glass blocks and tiles, warmly lit in each procedure and massage room. The design also features a spacious conference room for community presentations to entice visitors into their services, while adjacent consultation rooms ease that transition.

COMMERCIAL DESIGN TENANT IMPROVEMENT