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
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.
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
*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.
