Nathan Salas Portfolio 2026

NATHAN SALASARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

NATHAN ALEXANDER SALAS

832-808-0358 • nathansalas530@gmail.com • www.linkedin.com/in/salasnathan

EDUCATION

Aug 2021 - May 2026

University of Houston - Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture & Design

• Bachelor’s of Architecture

• Academic work selected for Prospectus publishing

• Ex-officer & member of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS)

• Member of Latinos in Architecture (LiA)

Relevant Coursework

• Architecture Design Studio I - X

• Design Technology I - VI

• Architectural Construction Detailing

• Architectural Sketching

WORK HISTORY

Jun 2025 - Present

Jun 2024 - Jun 2025

Jun 2021 - Jun 2025

EXTRACURRICULARS

Jun 2025 - Present

Oct 2023 - Nov 2024

PBK / Collegiate Architectural Intern

• Assisted project teams with schematic design and construction document production using CAD/BIM workflows.

• Produced diagrams, plans, and presentation graphics to support internal design reviews.

• Conducted site research, code analysis, and material studies to inform educational projects.

• Collaborated with architects and consultants to coordinate revisions, redlines, and drawing set updates.

Keeland Design & Fabrication Lab / Fabrication Lab Technician

• Operating fabrication equipment: CNC, laser cutters, 3D printers, and wood & metalworking tools.

• Provide guidance to students and staff on proper equipment use and safety protocols.

• Ensure precision & quality in fabrication projects through expert technical support.

• Schedule & coordinate machine use to maximize efficiency and accommodate high-demand periods.

Entrusted / Mitigation Assistant

• Skilled in stocking and arranging supplies to maintain workflow and organization.

• Experienced in performing equipment maintenance to ensure optimal functionality.

• Proficient in optimizing procedures to enhance overall production efficiency

• Committed to ensuring the effectiveness of mitigation strategies and operational improvements

American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS) / Store Manager

• Responsible for general management of the store including acquiring volunteers.

• Work with treasurer to buy supplies as needed according to budget.

• Keep and accurate store inventory and budget.

• Maintain relationships with suppliers.

Latinos in Architecture (LiA) / Mentee

• Mentorship initiative under American Institute of Architects, — attended professional networking events with architects and peers.

• Received portfolio reviews, academic guidance, and career preparation through oneon-one mentorship.

• Participated in conversations on representation and career pathways in architecture.

• Contributed to community outreach and volunteer efforts supporting architectural education.

SKILLS

• Rhino

• Autocad

• Revit

• Adobe Illustrator

• Adobe InDesign

• Adobe Photoshop

• Adobe Lightroom

• Physical Modeling

• Sketching

• Photography

• 3D Printing

• Bilingual

OYSTERSCAPE

OYSTERSCAPE I

Location: Professor:

Typology:

Software:

Partner(s): Baytown Nature Center Rafael Beneytez-Duran

Post-Industrial / Ecological

Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite, D5 Sridhar Srinivasan, Simon Chiquito

OysterScape is a housing prototype at the Baytown Nature Center that merges architecture with ecological restoration. Conceived as a Gaia Device, the structure reuses steel framing sourced from existing ExxonMobil industrial structures and is filled with oyster shell gabion modules.

Above the water, these modules define porous living spaces; below, they extend into the bay to encourage reef growth, improve water conditions, and promote biodiversity. Designed to flood and adapt, the building can expand over time with rising sea levels, allowing it to evolve alongside the recovering coastal environment rather than resist it.

Micro-Scale Study

Meso-Scale Study

Macro-Scale Study

Ecological Infrastructure

Oysters are quiet engineers of the coast. As they cluster together, they build reefs that slow waves, stabilize shorelines, and create shelter for countless species. Their shells accumulate into living ground, turning suspended sediment into habitat and murky water into a place life can gather. In OysterScape, the reef is not background but structure itself. The drawing imagines architecture learning from this collective behavior, where building is less about occupying the site and more about participating in its repair.

Material Ecology

Decommissioned scaffolding from Baytown’s industrial refineries is reclaimed and reassembled as the exoskeleton of our architecture, retaining the site’s industrial language while giving it new purpose. This structural framework is designed to evolve, expanding as additional scaffold modules are integrated over time. Within it, oyster-filled gabions gradually calcify, shifting from porous mesh to a protective shell. Tidal cages regulate this process, functioning simultaneously as cultivation systems and modular construction elements that enable the building’s incremental growth.

MOTION HALL II

Location:

Professor:

Typology:

Software:

Partner(s):

3350 W Dallas St, Houston, TX

Kevin Story Performance Hall Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite

Ashley Gonzalez

Motion Hall is a performance venue near Allen Parkway, designed to frame views of Buffalo Bayou to the north and the city to the south. Emphasizing transparency, the building features a curtain wall system paired with a kinetic façade that provides shading, enhances acoustics, and reinforces its identity. Inspired by the welcoming circular lobby of the Alley Theatre, the hall adopts an open span layout with a soaring concrete structure chosen for durability and acoustic performance. Warm acoustic wood panels soften the interior, creating a balanced, immersive environment that blends sustainability, function, and architectural presence.

Iteration Sketches

Concept Diagram

VERTICAL VILLAGE

Location:

Professor:

Typology:

Software:

Partner(s):

3611 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX

Sam Clovis

Housing Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite Erada Zeynu

Our high-rise housing project re-imagines vertical living as a “city within a tower”—a selfsustaining environment that fosters community, accessibility, and natural integration. Two interconnected towers are strategically oriented, with one rotated to optimize wind flow for passive cooling and dynamic spatial relationships. Exterior stair pathways wrap the façade, linking amenities and encouraging outdoor movement and social interaction. Units are divided by type, with studios and one-bedrooms in one tower and two-bedrooms in the other, each supported by tailored amenities. Distributed communal spaces activate every level, redefining high-density housing as an open, connected vertical ecosystem.

Initial Iterations

Concept Sketches

Concept Diagrams

832-808-0358 • nathansalas530@gmail.com • www.linkedin.com/in/salasnathan

Thank you for taking time to view my work.