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_Blue_Jawanza_Portfolio

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As a 2nd generation architecture student, I combine my foundation in spatial design with a passion for visual expression and storytelling. My experience in 3D visualization, digital modeling, and manual sketching drives my curiosity about color, texture, shading, materiality, light, and atmosphere. An internship in lighting design sharpened my eye for scale, proportion, and spatial illumination. My interdisciplinary background in visual art, film, acting, and music inspires a narrative-driven approach to every project.

JAWANZA

SHANNON MAHAWA BLUE

COMPOSITIONS

INTERLUDE

WASHINGTON,DC I 6,500 SQ FT I 2025 SKETCH-UP I ENSCAPE I AUTOCAD PHOTOSHOP I IN-DESIGN INDIVIDUAL

SOUND WARPING FORM

JAZZ SOUNDWAVEWARPING FORM

The concept is driven by the idea of a jazz soundwave moving through architecture, an energetic, rhythmic force that shapes the building from the inside out. This soundwave becomes the generator of form, producing warped, curving geometries that bend, dip, and rise as it travels through the townhouse.

THE SOUNDWAVE

The continuous wave not only defines circulation and structure, but also embodies the spirit, rhythm, and soul of Black culture.

As the wave flows, it exposes hidden pockets of space, shifts in volume, and visual connections that parallel the cultural experience of jazz—layered, emotional, and deeply rooted in resilience and expression.

Basement Level:

1.Home Theater

2.Art Storage

3.Jazz Club Lounge

4.Bathroom

5.Drink Bar

6.Utilities/Storage

Grand Salon Level:

1.Foyer

2.Closet

3.Powder Room

4.Grand Salon

5.Kitchen/Dining

Bedroom Level:

1.Bedroom 1/Bath 1

2.Bedroom 2/Bath 2

3.Bedroom 3/ Bath 3

4.Home Office

5.Landry

Penthouse Level:

1.Mix Public/ Private Indoor Lounge

2.Primary Suite

3.Primary Bath

4.Primary Closet

5.Private Balcony

6.Public Balcony

ORGANIZATIONAL PARTI

*PRIMARY SUITE - PENTHOUSE LEVEL

LIVING IN A WAVE.

*OVERVIEW OF BASEMENT LEVEL FROM FOYER - GRAND SALON LEVEL

THE SUN-DIAL

WASHINGTON,DC I 8OO SQ FT I 2024 HAND-DRAWN I PHOTOSHOP I PROCREATE INDIVIDUAL

NATURAL HUMAN HABITS

WORKING WITH THE SUN

THE SUN-DIAL IN FORM

The shelter is inspired by 1970s architecture, drawing from the language of many American hotels from that era. This influence gives the project an optimistic, temporary quality, while maintaining the warmth and human scale characteristic of the period. The form of the shelter is conceived as a habitable sundial, with its orientation and geometry shaped by the movement of the sun.

COMMUNITY SHELTER SITE PLAN

THE SUNRISE
THE SUNSET

THE SUN WITHIN DESIGN

Specially placed windows on the east and west elevations allow morning light to enter the bedrooms and corridors, using sunlight as a natural alarm that signals the beginning of the day. As the sun continues its path, light only reaches the loft space in evening, empthasing a daily rhythm tied to natural cycles rather than artificial cues.

WEST FACING SECTION

COMPOSITIONS

A DESIGNERS MIND

MARKS I CASSIE BUILDS IT I THE GLASS PODIUM I HAVING FAITH I HISTORY

the first

breath of a story before it is bound to what it becomes.
Zephyr Pendant Enigma Pendant

*did not design nor photograph lights

BUILDS IT LIGHT DIAGRAMS

These lighting studies translate organic 3D forms into 2D space through restraint and clarity, preserving the depth and atmosphere of the light. The work marks a moment of discipline before creative faith is fully asserted. These studies sit at a moment where thought meets structure.

CASSIE
Anthos Sconce

HAVING FAITH - 2021 - BLENDER

Having Faith represents the moment of belief before consequence. It reflects an unwavering trust in creativity, choosing to push ideas forward without designing in fear, limitation, or uncertainty. At this stage, faith is expansive and hopeful, driven by the conviction that ambition should never be softened for the sake of safety.

The Glass Podium reflects the moment when elevation becomes exposure. What once lifted me above everything eventually fractured. In falling back to the surface, the same structure that supported me became the source of pain. The piece captures grief as a realization, not from the fall itself, but from trusting what was never meant to hold forever.

THE GLASS PODIUM - 2022 - BLENDER

HISTORY - 2024 - ACRYLIC

History follows collapse. After the fall, the work turns outward, away from the self and toward a collective memory that has always carried both joy and sorrow. This piece frames

Blackness not as a static past, but as a living, active continuum shaped by resilience, celebration, loss, and survival. It acknowledges that grief is not singular, but with pride is often born from endurance.

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