In this portfolio contains the evolution of student projects at the University of Arkansas, study abroad experiences, and personal works over the course of my undergraduate career thus far.
MARY NELSON | mgnelson05@gmail.com | (806) 231-9374
NEXT STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION 2025
TABLE OF 03-09 10-14 19-24 15-18
HINODE, SENIOR LIVING FACILITY STUDENT PROJECT
SKETCHES, DETAIL DRAWINGS, & PERSONAL WORKS
Driven by the growing importance of human connection and wellbeing in the workplace, the Los Angeles NEXT office is conceived as a network, linking people much like the Southern Pacific Rail lines once connected the city. Honest materials such as metal and exposed concrete reference the strength of rail infrastructure, softened with warm woods and textiles to reflect community, care, and trust. The layout draws from the logic of a rail junction, organizing shared spaces into a central hub with focused work zones arranged around it to balance collaboration and restoration. Natural light, flexible furniture, and transparent partitions reinforce a workplace centered on people— where professional and personal life are thoughtfully connected.
THE STATION | CENTRAL HUB
SHARED SPACES
COLLABORATION
COMMUNITY
REGENERATION
COMMUNITY SPACE
WORK SPACE
CLIENT MEETING
CENTRAL HUB AS CONNECTOR
FOCUSED WORK
BUBBLE DIAGRAM
ZONING DIAGRAM
LEVEL 4 BLOCK DIAGRAM
LEVEL 4 INITIAL PLAN
CONFERENCE ROOM
MULTIPURPOSE ROOM
The Luft Chair, named after the Danish word for “air,” investigates visual lightness through slender proportions and honest construction. Built entirely of solid wood and assembled with exposed wooden dowels, the chair expresses honesty in materiality and making. Rather than minimizing structure, the design celebrates it, allowing joinery to define both form and function. The chair highlights craft, structural clarity, and the relationship between solid material and negative space.
STUDY MODEL
FORM + PROPORTION STUDIES
A meditation on time, perception, and the quiet beauty of change, the design responds to the ways vision softens with age—colors blur, edges fade, and warmth becomes increasingly meaningful. A palette of soft greens, washed reds, sun-faded oranges, muted pinks, and grounding tans reflects this shift, offering hues that are both visually gentle and emotionally resonant. Materials such as raw wood, warm concrete, and textured stone embrace imperfection and patina, reinforcing memory and tactile engagement. Soft cove lighting is integrated along pathways and thresholds, diffusing like early morning light to guide movement with subtlety rather than emphasis.
STUDIO TYPE A ACCESSIBILITY ENLARGED PLAN
DINING HALL ENLARGED PLAN
Exploration in observation, craft, and fabrication thinking beyond formal studio projects.
The storage system functions as both organized classroom storage and an interactive learning station. Five modular units allow children to rotate between activities, with cubbies, open shelving, and a central fold-up table that transforms storage into an active workspace using interchangeable tubs. Teacher-controlled upper storage and a dramatic play zone on the opposite side balance independence, flexibility, and classroom organization.
