DESIGN
PORTFOLIO
EMMALINE JOSEPHINE MILLER
SAVANNAH SOUL CENTER
ATOLL
STUDIO SPRING 2025
STUDIO FALL 2024
ECOTOURISM CENTER
COMMUNITY CENTER
1
2
CONTENTS
MISCELLANEOUS
CIRQUE
STUDIO WINTER 2025
TRANSIT CENTER
3
WORK FALL 2024 - SUMMER 2025
WATERCOLOR & FURNITURE DESIGN
4
ATOLL
ECOTOURISM CENTER
HURGHADA, EGYPT
ARCH 303 SPRING 2025
BIRD’S EYE VIEW
SITE PLAN & CONCEPT
Hurghada, Egypt has grown from a small fishing village into one of the largest cities on the coast of the Red Sea through it’s development as a premier tourist destination of clear water and pristine beaches. This vibrant city relies on tourism as a major part of their economy, and the Sunny Days Resort boasts one of the best destinations for those wanting to immerse themselves in marine life. Located within two peninsulas of the resort, Atoll becomes the bridge between tourists and the vast sea, immersing them in the rich marine life through the institution of this ecotourism center. From their outstretching limbs, coral reefs create an inviting and lively home for all kinds of marine life, serving as a place of sanctuary for these dynamic life forms. As these precious reefs are under threat of being compromised due to climate change and global warming, Atoll presents a unique opportunity to raise awareness of these life forms through eco-conscious design. Utilizing recycled steel, this ecotourism center showcases the strength and stability properties of the material and provides users with a first hand view of these beautiful reefs in their natural habitat.
SUNNY DAYS RESORT
HURGHADA, EGYPT
SUNNY DAYS PALMA DE MIRETTE RESORT
CORAL REEF
Using the coral polyp as it’s main conceptual drive, Atoll transforms the site into an inviting and outstretching space focused on growth, rehabilitation, and education around these beautiful reefs through its programming. With resilience and eco-conscious design at the forefront of the project, Atoll reflects the organic nature of the marine life it was designed to showcase.
ECOTOURISM CENTER
SITE PLAN 0’
75’
CONCEPT - CORAL POLYP
SECTION AA 0’
20’
BRIDGE ENTRANCE
AMPHITHEATER
BEGINNING OF CORAL REEF The coral reef is located right off the coast of the two peninsulas of the site. Its proximity to the site allows the bridge to become a place to view and learn about this complex ecosystem.
AMPHITHEATER The Amphitheater serves as a dual purpose space; it provides views of the sea both above and below the water while creating a space to educate users on the marine life and what they see while experiencing the center. It also becomes a place of repose for users wanting to use Atoll as an escape from the lively resort.
MAIN PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE Running through the center of the ecotourism center is a pedestrian bridge that connects the two points of the peninsulas on the site. This bridge gives users the opportunity to experience the site from a higher perspective and connects them with both edges of the resort.
STAGE & PRESENTATION SPACE The presentation space includes a stage for lectures and exhibitions to take place within the center. Events surrounding corals reefs and other marine life in the Red Sea provides users with the opportunity to learn about the organisms they are viewing.
BRIDGE ENTRANCE
The entrance to the bridge and amphitheater celebrates the use of steel as the structural system and finish material of the ecotourism center. It invites users into the space and compels them to move across the site.
STEEL APP
Throughout the ecotourism center, stee applications. From structural to aest material throughout Atoll. Because of steel is essential to achieve the desired s elegance and lightness. A series of expo are used throughout the structure to
HSS COLUMN PIN CONNECTION The five major HSS beam and column structural systems come together and connect at the base of the main bridge. Using a series of pin connections, the columns would attach to a singular base tied back to the rest of the structure.
STRUCTURAL PLAN 0’
SOUTHERN BRIDGE ENTRANCE
WESTERN ELEVATION 0’
35’
6’
15’
PLICATION
el is used in a multitude of construction thetic uses, steel is a major building f the long span nature of the project, span while preserving the form’s overall osed hollow structural section elements o celebrate the material’s application.
EXPLODED BRIDGE STRUCTURE Ensuring that the main bridge is both structurally stable and light enough to span, a series of steel elements are used to build up the interior structure. Channels cap the ends of a corrugated metal deck where a thin layer of concrete is poured to seal everything together.
AA
NORTHERN BRIDGE ENTRANCE
ADAPTIVE REUSE: STEEL STRUCTURE & ARTIFICIAL CORAL REEFS Located along the coast of the Red Sea where vibrant coral reefs have thrived for many years, Atoll is positioned for users to experience and learn about these beautiful and vibrant displays of marine ecosystems. As climate change continues to persist causing rising temperatures of open waters, mass coral bleaching events and infectious disease outbreaks have become more frequent, directly putting these reefs at risk. One of the solutions that researchers have begun to employ to combat these negative effects is the institution of artificial coral reefs. These artificial reefs are steel forms, know as “steel stars,” that are placed on the sea floor to serve as a stable foundation for the coral polyps to latch onto. Steel has unique strength and stabilizing properties that help anchor the new coral to the ocean floor and provide them with the stability they need to grow and thrive within their ecosystem. The rough texture of steel also helps the coral hold onto the form, providing them with the base that they have been losing as a result of dying reefs.
3 COMPONENTS OF HSS GEOMETRY USED TO CREATE STEEL STARS
BEAM The beams will be used to create the exterior curves of the steel stars.
1 3 COLUMN
2
The two columns of the structure will be used to make the interior curves of the steel star.
Located in direct proximity to a coral reef, Atoll is presented with the unique opportunity to transform into an artificial reef after it’s architectural life. Because of it’s heavy reliance on steel for it’s structure and construction, the elements were designed with the idea of adaptive reuse in mind. The HSS columns and beams were designed to be modular; derived from the geometry of a steel star so that they could be taken apart and reconfigured into the form and placed onto the ocean floor instead of ending up as waste in the environment.
Splitting up the shapes, they beg quadrant is defin that will come
BEAM & C
Using the same traditional steel comes together t
CONFIGURATION OF HSS STEEL STARS
3
3 1
HSS ELEMENTS
The basic diamond shape made from the 3 geometric HSS elements can then be repeated creating various different sizes of the artificial reefs
2
2 3
NEWLY CONFIGURED HSS COLUMNS & BEAMS AS STEEL STARS
1
3
beams and columns by their gin to form four quadrants. Each ned by two structural elements together to form a diamond.
COLUMN GEOMETRY
e elements that make up a star, the HSS structural system to form a stable diamond shape.
IMPLEMENTATION OF HSS STEEL STARS
NEWLY CONFIGURED HSS STEEL STARS NEW CORAL GROWTH ON ARTIFICIAL REEFS Coral polyps are placed onto the steel stars where they are provided with a safe environment to thrive and multiply.
Welded together into their new form, the HSS elements provide a rough and stable surface for the coral to latch onto.
SAVANNAH SOUL CENTER
COMMUNITY CENTER
SAVANNAH, GA
ARCH 301 FALL 2024
VIEW DOWN BULL STREET
SITE PLAN AND CONCEPT
37TH STREET
BULL STREET
SAVANNAH SOUL CENTER
SITE PLAN 0’
100’
250’
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
Located within the rigid grid system of Savannah, Georgia, which is know for it’s meticulously designed layout, the city provides a unique urban context for the Savannah Soul Center to live. This community center surfaces as an intentional interruption f rom this predictable, regular urban rhythm and encourages users to experience a new pattern of daily life. Savannah’s iconic grid system, while historically signif icant and eff icient, fosters a lifestyle shaped by routine, repetition, and uniformity. The Community Center emerges as a deliberate break f rom the predictable rhythm of daily life. The center rejects the orthogonality of the environment it is located in and embraces the new directionality proposed by the architecture and landscape. The Community Center serves as a space where spiritual, mental, and physical heath are all at the foref ront of the mind of the user. Where specif ic movement and experience can often feel monotonous in routine, the Savannah Soul Center encourages dynamic discovery and activity as a deliberate interruption to the rigid grid.
DISRUPTION
RESOLUTION
COMMUNITY
The Savannah Soul Center materializes as a very intentional interruption to the structured, square nature of the grid it lives within. It encourages intentional exploration and a new perspective as a user, directly cutting through the shape.
A break from this routine ultimately leads to resolution, comfort, and relief. The community center embraces this change and welcomes those looking for a physical space to represent this change.
This resolution emerges as a vibrant community of users who are invigorated by this new, altered directionality of life. They create the space that encourages spiritual, mental, and physical well-being.
CONCEPT - ALTERED DIRECTIONALITY
THE PLAN The plan of the Community Center revolves around the new circulation axis that cuts diagonally through the center of the site; this new path is both physically and conceptually a representation of the break f rom the grid and daily patterns users experience upon stepping foot in the center. The program reflects the gaps within the surrounding architecture and transforms the space into a lush oasis for spiritual, mental, and physical health.
COURTYARD ENTRANCE
AA 10
8
7
4
6 5
GALLERY FACADE 1 | CAFE / RESTAURANT 2| OUTDOOR CAFE SEATING
6| PH
3| CAFE / RESTAURANT KITCHEN
7| ME
4| RECEPTION / COMMUNITY OUTREACH
8|C
5| PHYSICAL THERAPY
9| CH
FLOOR PLAN 0’
6’
15’
13
12 9
3 1
2
BULL STREET
HYSICAL THERAPY
10| YOGA STUDIO
EDITATION SPACE
11| OUTDOOR SEATING
CHANGING ROOM WITH BATHROOM
12| INTERIOR COURTYARD
HANGING ROOM WITH BATHROOM
13| LOCAL ARTIST GALLERY
37TH STREET
11
THE GRID
EXPLODED AXO
The site for the Savannah Soul Center is unique for its placement within the urban grid. Situated on the corner of Bull and 37th street, pedestrians and other traff ic are constant sources of engagement with the architecture. Utilizing the cafe as a way to pull users in f rom the grid, they are then immersed in the organic discovery presented within the interior courtyard. The program surrounding the courtyard supports and introduces this new pattern of daily life.
MASS TIMBER GIRDER The most important framing element in the structural system; the girder spans the longest distance and all other structural elements frame into it.
MASS TIMBER BEAMS The beams frame directly into the girder and are the main structural supports for the polycarbonate panels.
POLYCARBONATE ROOFING PANELS The shading element and main overhead roofing material in the structural system.
LOCAL ARTIST GA
I
CONSTRUCTION: EXPLODED AXON The main structural material used in the Center is mass timber; it’s warmth, structural strength, and low carbon footprint support an inviting and sustainable environment. Polycarbonate panels are hung f rom the structural components as a lightweight and translucent exterior skin which allows a light glow to cascade throughout the Center.
ON
CAFE / RESTAURANT RECEPTION & COMMUNITY OUTREACH
ALLERY
INTERIOR COURTYARD YOGA STUDIO
OUTDOOR SEATING
PASSIVE STRATEGIES: CROSS VENTILATION AND INSULATION Throughout the design of the Savannah Soul Center, the use of passive design strategies was the driver to define the different spaces and their uses within the form. Cross ventilation was employed in the more physical use spaces, such as the yoga studio, to provide that programming with a connection to another aspect of the site and of the design. Additionally, polycarbonate panels used on both the facade of the gallery and the roof planes of the rest of the center provide insulating properties to different spaces, On the roof, the polycarbonate becomes a threshold for natural light to wash over all the spaces. Light and shadow are introduced as an ever changing part of the design. On the facade of the gallery, they provide these same qualities while adding a layer of privacy to the space.
POLYCARBONATE PANEL FACADE LOCAL ARTIST GALLERY A space dedicated to celebrating local artists and creators within the city. Utilizing the polycarbonate panels on the facade, a wash of natural light fills the space and establishes this part of the form as a place for contemplation.
SECTION AA 0’
15’
INTERIOR COURTYARD The heart of the community center, the interior courtyard draws users in from Bull Street into the interior of the space. With a balance of landscaping and hard scape, the courtyard is presented as a multipurpose space that ebbs and flows with the needs of its user. Users are compressed upon their initial break from their daily rhythm with discovery of the center but ultimately released as they enter the courtyard and are fully immersed in the space.
SECONDARY WOOD SHADING Thin wood beams line the interior southeast corner of the center, echoing the sloping shape of the roof it lives next to. It is symbolic of the transition users go through upon entering the space; they are making a conscious decisions to break through the rigid grid of their daily lives and embrace dynamic discovery and exploration.
YOGA STUDIO One of the spaces in the Savannah Soul Center that is designed to appeal to the user’s mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. A welcoming space of natural light and passive ventilation, the studio becomes a symbol of the characteristics of the community center.
CIRQUE
TRANSIT CENTER
SINAIA, ROMANIA
ARCH 302
WINTER 2025
VIEW DOWN BULEVARDUL LIBERATII
SITE PLAN & CONCEPT
GARA SINAIA (TRAIN STATION) HOTEL CARAIMAN
BULEVARDUL LIBERATII
BULEVARDUL CAROL I
SITE PLAN 0’
50’
150’
SINAIA, ROMANIA
ALL FOUR SEASONS
MOUNTAINS & SKIING TOURISM
HIKING & BIKING
RICH CULTURAL HISTORY
TRAVEL
Sinaia is a small town in Romania located within a valley of the Carpathian Mountains, just a short 1.5 hour train ride from the country’s capitol, Bucharest. With a local population of just over 9000, the city, its people, and economy rely heavily on the tourism industry which brings in approximately 200,000 visitors annually. From skiing, hiking trails, markets, to a vibrant cultural history, Sinaia truly provides something for every kind of tourist. The site for the transit center is located in the heart of the city on a sloped hillside. Nestled between two major streets in Sinaia, Bulevardul Liberatti (0 ft) and Bulevardul Carol I (58 ft), the site boasts an almost 60 foot elevation change between the two streets. The goal of the transit center is to replace a collapsing stone path for travelers with a hub for education, accommodation, and repose within the city that connects two major landmarks near the site: the Gara Sinaia Train Station to the southeast and the Hotel Caraiman to the northwest.
CONCEPT - OROGENY Orogeny is the geological process of how mountains form through the uplifting, folding, and layering of tectonic plates on one another. While this is the physical process of how Sinaia came to be, it is also a representation of how the Romanian culture developed. Rich in history and influenced by many different cultures, Romania is a complex blend of many different layers of customs and traditions from all over the world. Cirque uses these themes of layering and uplifting in a physical and conceptual manner as design drivers for the transit center to become a symbol of Sinaia’s identity.
EXPLODED AXON
UTILIZING LAYERS: CONSTRUCTION & CONCEPT Embracing the theme of overlapping and layers manifests in the overall form of Cirque, but the design also feeds this theme through construction as well. Utilizing different building materials to establish multiple layers throughout the transit center is essential to its execution. Creating these layers on multiple planes of the form allow the design to highlight different spaces and programming uses of the transit center. Using construction materials that have a translucency to them, such as glass and polycarbonate, also provides a unique effect of the layers where light and shadow now become a part of the overall feeling within the space.
GLU
Offse main pane the enha
THIN SET CON
The main roof layer s is made of concrete. in Sinaia, concrete durability throughout
BB
BULEVARDUL CAROL I 5 3
POLYCARBONATE ROOF PANELS
4
Sitting on the exterior of the wood roof framing, these panels serve as a secondary layer of enclosure for Cirque. Utilizing these panels allows the design to play with translucency and the insulating properties of the material.
2
1| WOMEN’S RESTROOM
1
2| MEN’S RESTROOM 3| TICKETING & CONCIERGE 4| WAITING LOUNGE 5| BULEVARDUL CAROL I ENTRANCE
ULAM STRUCTURAL FRAMING
et from the main structure of the transit center, the framing’s n purpose is to provide a surface for the polycarbonate els to live. Additionally, this space created between main and secondary structure creates air pockets that ance the form’s energy efficiency and occupant comfort.
THIRD FLOOR PLAN
NCRETE ROOF
35’
0’
sitting below the framing and panels . Another common building material provides structural strength and the main construction of the form.
45’
BB 3 1| LOUNGE / OBSERVATION 2| BALCONY SEATING
2
3| ADDITIONAL SEATING 1
OPEN TO BELOW
SECOND FLOOR PLAN 0’
35’
45’
1| BULEVARDUL LIBERATII ENTRANCE
5| WELCOME CENTER
2| OUTDOOR MARKET BOOTHS
6| WOMEN’S RESTROOM
3| RECEPTION
7| MEN’S RESTROOM
4| STORAGE
8| CAFE / RESTAURANT 9| CAFE / RESTAURANT KITCHEN
9
5
4
6
8 AA
FIRST FLOOR PLAN 0’
35’
7 3 1
2
45’ BULEVARDUL LIBERATII
SECTION AA 0’
15’
SLOPING ROOF STRUCTURES Used to help guide snow off the roof but also symbolic of orogengy; the different slopes and levels of the roofs are representative of mountains beginning to form, uplifting from the earth.
The two entrances and exits of the transit center directly connect to Bulevardul Carol I and Bulevardul Liberatii, two of the busiest streets in Sinaia with the train station and Hotel Caraiman positioned on them. Circulation throughout Cirque serves to direct users through these two main points.
CIRCULATION & POINTS OF ENTRANCE
OUTWARD VIEWS
Analysis revealed that the south end of the site was at a slightly higher elevation revealing that this portion of the site would provide the best outward views. The second floor was designed to be mostly lounge and observation space to take advantage of this opportunity.
MEZZANINE LOUNGE & OBSERVATION RECEPTION & WELCOME CENTER
Sinaia experiences all four seasons, including heavy snowfall in the winter months. Ensuring that the roof sloped enough to guide snow off and avoid the extra load on the roof structure was an important design driver of Cirque.
SNOWFALL & ROOF ORIENTATION
VALLEY WINDS
Additionally, the site is located in a valley between two mountain ranges with a prevailing northern wind. These sloped roofs are designed to break the wind over the transit center and reduce some of the lateral forces pushing on the building.
MASS TIMBER APPLICATION: GLUED LAMINATED TIMBER Throughout Sinana and the rest of Europe, mass timber is one of the most popular and commonly used building materials. Known for it’s accessibility, aesthetic, and environmentally conscious benefits this building material works perfectly with the intent and purpose behind Cirque. Specifically, glulam application is utilized throughout the transit center to provide a versatile and welcoming environment for all users of the space. Creating both the linear and organic shapes in the structure of Cirque is only possible with a material such as glulam and establishes a unique and distinct architectural language for the form.
BULEVARDUL CAROL I ENTRANCE / EXIT The entrance to the transit center on Bulevardul Carol sits directly across from Hotel Caraiman, one of the most popular hospitality locations in Sinaia and has direct access to transportation, lodging, and retail. This provides travelers and tourists with direct access to the heart of the city upon exiting the transit center.
GLULAM MASS TIMBER STRUCTURAL SYSTEM Glulam mass timber columns and beams are used throughout Cirque for their accessibility, affordability, and aesthetic appeal. Timber is a readily available resource in Sinaia and is used in most architectural applications throughout the city because of its strength and versatility.
SECTION BB 0’
15’
OUTDOOR MARKET RETAIL BOOTHS
Sinaia is home to a vibrant population of locals that rely on the city’s tourism for their employment, financial, and economic means. From this industry, a community of local businesses have developed and flourished as a result of the large number of tourists visiting the city every year and creating a space for them is an essential aspect of Cirque’s program.
The glulam mass timber columns on the facade of Cirque are not only structural devices but also a means for transforming the architecture into a space specifically for these local businesses. The columns divide the facade into built-in booths for vendors to display their merchandise with a prime location on Bulevardul Liberatii, directly pulling arriving passengers from the train station to the transit center.
MEZZANINE LOUNGE & OBSERVATION SPACE
With the site providing the most panoramic views of the city on the second floor of Cirque, the majority of this floor’s programming serves for pause and observation throughout the space. Surrounded by large windows that allow natural light to flood in, the mezzanine provides the perfect atmosphere for a space of repose from the bustling life of Sinaia.
MISCELLANEOUS
WORK
WATERCOLOR & FURNITURE DESIGN
WATERCOLOR
CHURCH; PAROS, GREECE
BALCONY; ATHENS, GREECE
CAFE VIN; ATHENS, GREECE
ORGANZA side table | pine with oil finish
FURN 200 FALL 2024
LEFT ELEVATION
TABLE TOP
FURNITUR
RE DESIGN Organza began f rom the concept of designing a table that transformed orthogonal, milled wood back into its natural, organic form: trees. This intent materialized into table legs that began as a straight piece of lumber but they become a symbol of the life that still exists within the piece. There is an addition of negative space within the design of the leg to introduce a sense of breath and airiness that is felt within the branches of a tree.
THE TREE
What our furniture is made of and the inspiration for the curving form of the legs. Establishing the intent of breathing life back into a static piece of furniture through every aspect of the design.
THE LEG
TABLE LEG DESIGN
The exterior curves of the leg were created by sketching out the shape on the lumber and then using a band saw to make the curved cuts. The interior opening was made using a combination of a drill press and band saw.
The form of the leg is inspired by the natural curves of the branches, roots, and trunk of a tree. The curves are soft and subtle yet define the form from afar while the removal of wood in the center of the leg gives a feeling of lightness and opacity in the table.
FURNITUR
TABLE TOP DESIGN While serving as a side table, Organza was designed around displaying one unique kind of vase. It is a piece of furniture that serves multiple purposes of function and intention. While the concept of bringing back life into the piece is reinforced through the organic form, the intent does so in a very physical way, establishing the table’s main purpose- displaying nature.
The side cha tab tab disc
OVERALL DESIGN The final design of the table reflects characteristics of the branches on a tree: elegant, slender, and undulating.
RE DESIGN
RIGHT ELEVATION
VASE RECESS The vase within the table is recessed below the table top, almost seeming as though it is floating. The platform that the vase sits on is connected to the table by eight wooden dowels that connect underneath the top through holes made with a drill press.
TABLE TOP
e legs of the table are solid on one e but have a void on the other. This ange between the elevations of the ble forces viewers to move around the ble and experience it from all angles, covering new elements of the design.
The top of the table has all routed edges to reinforce the theme of an organic and curving form. It was created by gluing two flat pieces of lumber together to create a surface to cut the interior and exterior circles with a band saw.
LEG DETAIL All four table legs share the same concept, but they are all unique in execution of curves including where the are located and how intense they are seen in the leg. Additionally, each leg has a void on the same side creating the “open” and “closed” views seen in the right and left elevations. LEFT ELEVATION
THANK YOU
EMMALINE JOSEPHINE MILLER Munster, IN | (219) 798 - 6123 | emille30@student.scad.edu | emmaline.miller@yahoo.com