Esther_Wu_Portfolio

ESTHER WU

WORK COLLECTION

Recent Pratt Institute graduate with a BFA in Interior Design (2026), passionate about interior design since childhood.

THE NET

Public Infrastructure

Time:

GenslerSummerInternProject2025

Location:

West125thStreet&Broadway,NY

Team:

D.Ambul,G.Gourgel,A.Clark,E.R.

McDevitt,andK.Rudini

Theprojectreimaginesthehistoric125th St–ManhattanvilleStationinHarlem,a majortransithubthathasnotundergonea significantredesigninover75years, proposingimprovementstoaccessibility, publicidentity,andmaterialsustainability.

Iconductedon-siteuserinterviews,site documentation,anddemographic researchtoestablishthestation'scontext.

Idevelopedthediagrams,proposedthe conceptdirection,bio-materialmaking andbuiltthefullpresentationdeck presentedtotheGenslerNYoffice.

Duringoursitevisit,weintervieweddailyusersto understandtheirrealneeds.Manysharedthatthey appreciatethestationasitisandonlyhopeforsmall improvements,showinghowmeaningfulitistoWest Harlem.Evenso,ourobservationsrevealedopportunities toenhanceaccessibility,sustainability,andcomfort.

INACCESSIBLESUBWAY STATION

ACCESSIBLESUBWAY STATION

Fromoursiteanalysisanduserinterviews,accessibility emergedasamajorissue.Despiterepeatedapplications, thestationstilllacksADAaccess.Ourproposaladdsa newelevatorandasecondaryentrancetoimprove verticalcirculationandreducecongestion.

Litterisamajorchallengesincedebriscanfallthroughthe elevatedstation’sopenstructure.Weproposeanewmesh systemwithatrash-collectionnetthatcatcheswaste beforeitreachesthestreetandremainseasytomaintain.

TICKETING LEVEL

GROUND

Throughexperimentswithorganicwasteandnatural pigmentsincludingspirulinaandcochineal,we developedbiodegradablebiotilesandplasticpanels. Thesematerialsnotonlyvisualizetheenergyofthe Manhattanvillecommunitybutalsoproposeasustainable alternativetoconventionalsubwayfinishes.

BEYOND HUMANCENTERED

Non-Profit Initiative

Time:

PrattInstituteSeniorThesis2026

Location:

45WaterSt,Brooklyn,NY

Thisthesischallengeshuman-centered designbycreatingtransitionalshelter environmentsshapedaroundcanine behaviorandsensoryneeds. LocatedinDUMBO,Brooklyn,the projectreimaginestheshelterthrough gradientsofenclosure,materialtexture, airflow,acoustics,andnaturallightto supportcalm,confidence,and interactionforbothdogsandpeople.

Longitudinal Section

GROUNDFLOORPLAN

MAIN ENTRY WITH A DOG ART GALLERY

Transverse Section

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Exploded Axon

SHARED GARDEN

Bycreatingvisibilitybetween dogsandeverydaypubliclife,the gardenencouragesawareness, emotionalconnection,andgreater attentiontowardshelterand rescuedogadoption.

ROOF

Concreteslabroofwithglassbrick windowstoallowdaylightwhile maintainingprivacyanddurability.

SECOND FLOOR

Dedicatedtohuman-focusedprograms includingstaffareas,offices,classrooms, andveterinarylabs.

Staff-onlyareas

Public-accessspaces

MEZZANINE FLOOR

MATERIALS BOARD

Designedprimarilyforthedogsandtheir dailylivingenvironment.

GROUND FLOOR

Maindogfacilitiesandpublic-access spacesthatsupportcare,interaction,and communityuse.

MULTIFUNCTIONAL CHAIR

Designedforsharedexperiences,canine comfort,andeverydayfunctionality.Thispiece supportsabetterqualityoflifefordogsby providingcomfort,choice,andengagement.

1. SITTOGETHER

Acomfortablespace fordogstorelax besidetheirhumans.

3. EAT&DRINK

2. CLIMBUPAND EXPLORE

Therampallowsdogs toclimbupeasilyand exploretheir surroundings.

4. REST&SLEEP

Separatebowlsmake mealtimeandhydration convenientand accessible.

Acozynookwith asoftbedfordogs torest,recharge, andfeelsecure.

Meet-and-GreetRooms

InsideoftheMeet-and-GreetRoom

SKAL & INK

Hospitality, Hostel

Time:

Spring2025

Location:

NordreToldbod19,1259København, Denmark

Team:

Skal&Inkisawriters’hostelon Copenhagen’swaterfrontdesignedasa placeforinspiration,rest,andcreative exchange.Theconceptdrawsfrom Vikingstorytellingtraditionsandthe imaginativespiritofHansChristian Andersen,connectinglocalhistorywith theactofwriting.

Thenamereflectsthisdualidentity.Skal referencestheshellandmaritime characterofthesite,whileInk representsnarrative,imagination,and storytelling.

“Skalˮ(shellinDanish)bringsinthelocalandcoastal vibe,while“Inkˮnodstostorytellingandwriting.

Together,Skal&Inkmeans writersbythesea.

At Nordre Toldbod 19, the hostel overlooks a historic harbor with generous daylight and views to the water and Kastellet, grounding the project in openness and landscape.

The core idea is storytelling as a shared experience. Writers from around the world come to Skal & Ink for inspiration, from novelists and journalists to screenwriters and bloggers, each seeking a space that supports their creative process.

Four People Rooms

Double Room

Dining

Bar

Lobby

Reception

Storage

Sound Mapping Diagram

Theorangezonemarkstheloudsocialareas. Thebluezonemarksquiet,focusedareas. Thebluelineshowsthemainpathmoving guestsfromloudtoquietspaces.

ActivityDensity

MainCirculationPath

Back-of-HouseEntry

ResidentOnlyEntrance

MainEntrance

Circulation Diagram

Thebluepathshowsthemaincirculationroute fromtheentrancetokeyareas.

Thegradienthighlightsareaswithhigher activitylevels.

Program Diagram

Colorcodingshowshowthehostel’sprograms areorganizedbyfunctionandprivacy,guiding guestsfromsocialzonestoquieter,private areas.

Section B

Section A

Showsthelobbyandbarareawithbar seating,aphotobooth,andadjacentdining.

Highlightsthemainloungewithflexible seating,areadingnook,andasocialzone.

Thelightingstrategyblendsskylightdaylightwithambientartificial lighting.Skylightsprovidesoftnaturallight,whilefixturessupportevening useandcirculation,creatingabalanced,comfortableatmosphere.

INNERSLEEVE

Hospitality, Cafe/Bar

Time:

Spring2026

Location:

181SmithSt,Brooklyn,NY

Team:

Thisprojectexploresacozycafébarand listeningloungeinspiredbyBrooklyn’sstrong musicandartculture.Designedasanintimate socialhub,thespacecombinesspecialtycoffee, cocktails,vinylrecords,androtatinglocal artworktocreateawarm,lived-inatmosphere wherepeoplecanrelax,connect,discover artists,andsharemusictogether.

BATHROOMFLOORPLAN

VASE & FOLIAGE

Kravet Student Design Challenge

Time:

Fall2024

Location:

KravetLLC,200LexingtonAveSuite210,NewYork,NY

Team:

J.Lai,N.Ushe

"Vase&Foliage"isacontemporaryreinterpretationofan Ottomantextilearchivepiece,designedformoderninteriors. Inspiredbythehistoricmotifofvasesandfloral arrangements,thisdesigndistillsitsessenceintoamore abstract,geometricform.

This project was created for the Kravet Student Design Challenge hosted by ASID NY Metro. Completed in five hours, it reinterprets an archival Ottoman textile into a contemporary geometric composition while preserving its botanical roots. The original vases become bold lines and stylized leaves, expressed through a triadic paletteofmutedblue,mustardyellow,warmbrown,andoff-white.

By developing the pattern across velvet, woven, and printed fabrics, the design offers multiple expressions that suit different seasons and interior needs. Each material brings its own character, allowing the pattern to shift from warm and tactile for cooler months to light and airy for spring and summer. This work received the honor of WinneroftheKravetStudentDesignChallenge.

POND, 2023

Textileandmixedmedia

Esther Wu is an interior designer based in New York, holding a BFA in Interior Design from Pratt Institute. A summer internship at Gensler's New York Design Center deepened her focus on sustainable materials, bio-based finishes, and how material choices shape the experience of public space. Born in the United States and raised in Taiwan, she brings a cross-cultural perspective to questions of accessibility and identity in the built environment. She is currently pursuing NCIDQ licensure, with a long-term commitment to practice that puts users as the center of every design decision.