Sarah Gruen Masters of Architecture Portfolio

SARAH GRUEN

Hello! I’m Sarah Maher, a current a Masters of Architecture caninidate at the Boston Architectural College. My interests in innovative material applications, adaptive reuse, and connecting to greater urban contexts have continued to fuel me from my undergraduate degree throughout my graduate studies.

While I am still an emerging professional, my strengths in design communication, proficiency across multiple design software platforms, and experience creating sensitive, client-centered solutions position me well for entry level designer positions. I am excited to continue designing positive spaces for people in the remainder of my graduate degree and beyond.

(224)-803-8534

sarahemaher@yahoo.com https://issuu.com/s.arahmaher

BAC - Gateway Office

Gateway Fellow (January 2026 - Present)

Initial planning and proposal for ‘SCRAP’ Lab resource, a website and future hub for the catalogue, education, and reuse of deconstructed building materials

Sinclair Hille Architects

Architectural Intern (May 2024 - May 2025)

Provided a range of services assisting in creation of concept models, marketing materials, detail drawings, as well as participating in client meetings and taking part in OAC meetings for various projects

Work Experience Organizations

BSA Student Member | (2026-Present)

AIAS Member | (2022-Present)

Tau Sigma Delta Member | (2024-2025)

Member of Tri Delta | (2021-2025)

Skills

Boston Architectural College

Boston, MA

Aug 2025 - May 2027 (Expected Graduation) Anticipated Degree | Masters of Architecture GPA | 4.00

University of Nebraska - Lincoln College of Architecture Lincoln, NE

Aug 2021 - May 2025 Bachelor of Science in Design: Architecture Minor in Community and Regional Planning

GPA | 3.85

Deans List | Spring 2022, Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023, Spring 2024, Spring 2025

TABLE OF CONTENTS

[01-14] OMAHA ART COLLECTIVE (OAC) | Bridging Historic Contexts

Omaha, NE

ARCH 411 - Spring 2025 - 15 weeks

Professor: Beau Johnson

Collaborator: Jacob Leuck

* Industry Partnership Award Competition Merit Award Winner

[15-24] HOME AGAIN | Transitional Living

Dorchester, MA

ARC3308 - Fall 2025 - 8 weeks

Professor: Erik Schiller

[25-34] ALONG THE WATER’S EDGE | Indigenous Commemoration

Lincoln, NE

DSGN410 - Fall 2024 - 10 weeks

Professors: Michael Harpster & Monique Ekaete Bassey

Collaborators: Elise Benson, Olivia Rowe, Lauren Christopher, & Miles Godfrey

[35-44] EBB AND FLOW | Conceptual Dining Experiences

Lincoln, NE

ARCH 211 - Spring 2023 - 10 weeks

Professor: Zac Porter

OMAHA ART COLLECTIVE (OAC) | Omaha,

NE

ARCH 411 - Spring 2025

Professor: Beau Johnson

Collaborator: Jacob Leuck

Industry Partnership Competition Merit Award Winner

The Omaha Art Collective (OAC) is a unique artistic addition to the evolving urban fabric of the Omaha, using the often overlooked but integral urban alleyway and represent its true potential as a canvas for the artistic operations of a city. This center uses art and creation to promote creative education and interconnectedness between artists and non-artists to gather, create, and engage in cultural exchange. By combining this uplifting program with the urban alleyway, the OAC brings about a new positive connotation to what interstitial spaces can provide.

Role : Co-Design Lead

Tools : Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite, Enscape, Grasshopper, 3D Printing

Deliverables from this semester included a full project book ranging from zoning and building code analysis to construction detailing.

DISTRICTLIMITOFSIXSTORIES

HISTORIC DISTRICT

HISTORIC DISTRIC REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

ALLEYWAY MAPPING

COLLABORATOR: JACOB LEUCK

URBAN ALLEYWAY ANALYSIS

The alleyways of downtown Omaha had great potential to serve as spaces that inspire social interaction. Alleys also offer a unique glimpse into the history of cities and buildings. They reveal details of how buildings were built and used, their social, cultural, and economic history, and lessons about the urban space that are still relevant today.

These layers form a sedimentary casing which surround and form a “fossilized” building. By analyzing these layers, a building’s hidden truth can be understood, in the same way studying a fossil’s shell can reveal something unknown. These unused, “sedimentary” spaces were engaged with potential not only for circulation, but for social interaction.

[1] EXTRUDE

As part of the regulatroy requirements for the district, the site boundary was first extruded to maximize square footage.

[2]

STACK

After modeling the alleyways surrounding the site, the now positive 3D geometries were stacked to create various internal massing opportunities for the building.

[3] REMOVE

The volumes were then removed from the mass to return the alleyways to their true negative volumetric expression while maintaining their new positive connotation.

[4] ALIGN

By listening carefully to the breaks and gaps in the massing, the floor levels were determined, creating varying heights and experiences throughout the building.

[5] POPULATE

The massing was then filled with program that matched the volumetric opportunites outlined in the previous steps, like using intamate spaces for personal programs such as classrooms or offices.

PLAN AND STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

The layout of each floor of the building responds to the specific alleyway volumes that lay on that level by embracing the void. Perforations of volumes to the outside were used for terraces for visitors to connect with the outdoors and downtown Omaha. What could have restricted organization instead inspired and supported the varying program within the OAC.

To preserve the solidity of the walls that define an alley, a system of exclusively bearing walls and beams supporting composite mass timber composite floor slabs was chosen. This selection provides a warm yet strong barrier to clearly define spaces. Combined with the positive environmental impact, a type IV construction was the clear choice for this project.

STRUCTURAL

COLLABORATOR: JACOB LEUCK

CONCEPTUAL COLLAGES

COLLABORATOR: JACOB LEUCK

THEMATIC CONDITIONS

Initial design analyses revealed the guiding themes that the OAC needed to addresss in order to create a truly meaningful space, including creation, collaboration, intentional reveals, and engagment of the street corner.

Programmatically, the OAC addresses sevral themes to do and make, but the use of them within the architecture itself is what creates curiosity and draws people up and into the building to engage in the desired cultural exchange.

1

ALUMINUM FLASHING

VAPOR BARRIER

RIGID INSULATION

VAPOR BARRIER RIGID INSULATION

FACADE CONNECTION

FACADE CONNECTION

DRIP EDGE

STEEL PLATE

DRIP EDGE

STEEL PLATE

STEEL PLATE

STEEL PLATE

7-PLY CLT FLOOR SLAB

7-PLY CLT FLOOR SLAB

16”X24” GLULAM BEAM METAL STUD WALL 1” IGU

WINDOW MULLION

16”X24” GLULAM BEAM METAL STUD WALL 1” IGU

TRENCH HEATING UNIT 3” CONCRETE TOPPING SLAB

WINDOW MULLION TRENCH HEATING UNIT 3” CONCRETE TOPPING SLAB

STUD WALL DUCT WIRE HANGER

STUD WALL DUCT WIRE HANGER

CEILING

DUCT

DUCT

STEEL SUPPORT CABEL

METAL SUPPORT PLATE

METAL SUPPORT CABEL

METAL SUPPORT CABEL

SLIDER STABELIZING SCREW BRICK

CABEL SLIDER

INTERIOR

GREEN ROOF ASSEMBLY

GREEN ROOF

1. PREFINISHED ALUMINUM COPING

2. BLOCKING

1. PREFINISHED ALUMINUM COPING

2. BLOCKING

3. RIGID INSULATION

4. METAL STUD WALL

3. RIGID INSULATION

4. METAL STUD WALL

5. AIR GAP

6. WATERPROOF MEMBRANE

5. AIR GAP

6. WATERPROOF MEMBRANE

7. METAL PANEL WITH DRIP EDGE

8. ENGINEERED SOIL WITH PLANTINGS

7. METAL PANEL WITH DRIP EDGE

8. ENGINEERED SOIL WITH PLANTINGS

9. FILTER FABRIC

10. STRUCTURAL DECK

9. FILTER FABRIC

10. STRUCTURAL DECK

11. MOISTURE RETENTION LAYER

11. MOISTURE RETENTION LAYER

12. AERATION LAYER

13. DRAINAGE LAYER

12. AERATION LAYER

13. DRAINAGE LAYER

14. PROTECTION COURSE

14. PROTECTION COURSE

15. RIGID INSULATION

16. GRAVEL PERIMETER EDGE

17. GUTTER

18. METAL CURB

15. RIGID INSULATION

16. GRAVEL PERIMETER EDGE

17. GUTTER

18. METAL CURB

FLOOR ASSEMBLY

19. 1” IGU

FLOOR ASSEMBLY (DETAIL #)

20. 3” CONCRETE TOPPING SLAB

19. 1” IGU

21. TRENCH HEATING UNIT

20. 3” CONCRETE TOPPING SLAB

22. WINDOW WALL MULLION

21. TRENCH HEATING UNIT

23. 7-PLY CLT FLOOR SLAB

22. WINDOW WALL MULLION

24. 24”x16” GLULAM BEAM

23. 7-PLY CLT FLOOR SLAB

25. ALUMINIUM FLASHING

24. 24”x16” GLULAM BEAM

26. WATERPROOF MEMBRANE

25. ALUMINIUM FLASHING

27. OSB SHEATHING

28. AIR GAP

26. WATERPROOF MEMBRANE

27. OSB SHEATHING

29. VAPOR BARRIER

28. AIR GAP

30. RIGID INSULATION

29. VAPOR BARRIER

30. RIGID INSULATION

CEILING ASSEMBLY

31. METAL STUD WALL

32. HVAC DUCT

CEILING ASSEMBLY

31. METAL STUD WALL

33. DUCT WIRE HANGER

32. HVAC DUCT

34. GWB CEILING

33. DUCT WIRE HANGER

34. GWB CEILING

MULLION ASSEMBLY

35. 1” IGU

MULLION ASSEMBLY

36. MULLION RECEPTOR

37. WINDOW WALL MULLION

35. 1” IGU

36. MULLION RECEPTOR

38. FACADE CONNECTION

39. STEEL PLATE

37. WINDOW WALL MULLION

38. FACADE CONNECTION

40. STEEL CABLE SUPPORT

41. CLOSURE BRICK

39. STEEL PLATE

40. STEEL CABLE SUPPORT

FOUNDATION

41. CLOSURE BRICK

42. SLAB ON GRADE FOUNDATION

43. 20” FOOTING

44. PILE

FOUNDATION

42. SLAB ON GRADE FOUNDATION

43. 20” FOOTING

44. PILE

HOME AGAIN | Dorchester, MA

Transitional Living Facility

ARC3308 - Fall 2025

Professor: Erik Schiller

The Home Again Transitional Living Center is an inclusive, accessible transitional housing complex for unhoused individuals coming from drug rehabilitation centers around Boston. This unique center is a supportive step for individuals on the path to recovery and independence by offering a variety of housing styles that fit the progressing needs of residents.

Role : Design Lead

Tools : Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite, Enscape

PROCESS SKETCHES

SITE ANALYSIS AND FOCUS

Home Again is located on the Columbia Point Peninsula, meaning the site responce had to address concerns of pressing flood and storm water concerns as well as aknowledging the existing tripledecker neighborhood and prevelence of the triple-decker housing typology.

With opportunity to propose a new regulatory zone, Home Again follows the standards laid out by 3F-5000 in Boston’s zoning regulations as a way to blend the homes within Dorchester to this new development. This aids in the idea of being ‘home again’ as the future residents of the center can identify the center as belonging to a neighborhood feel instead of sticking out. As future residents are from local Boston treatment centers, there is the possibility that they may have called Dorchester home at one point.

SITE STRATEGIES SECTION

The site around the building had to balance being a space that promoted healing for residents and being welcoming for the public. This was done to help breakdown the stigma that transitional housing or people who live there are unsafe. The waterfront stepped shoreline is the most public element, with the trail system and vegetation bridging the private living facility. While FEMA regulations define the current 1% annual risk flood plain at 11’,

Wave Breaking Stepped Shoreline

SITE STRATEGIES

Boston predicts the SLR-BFE (Sea Level Rise Base Flood Elevation) by 2070 to be at 13’ in elevation. However, the city advises that the lowest horizontal member (known as the SLRDFE or Sea Level Rise Design Flood Elevation) for buildings in this zone should be no lower than 15’. In responce to expected sea level rise as well storm water surge concerns, a number of site strategies were employed to ensure planned and protected access to the beauty on the site.

UNIT TRANSITION AND EXPERIENCE

Recovery looks different for different people and in stages. The unit layout and density typologies are designed with this in mind. Residents who are first coming from treatment who are needing the sense of community and accountability they may have had in treatment will start by living in a co-live unit.

Theses have a primary entry and a secondary private unit entrance to promote a sense of individuality. Residents can then transition to a two or one bed unit as they gain independence and prepare finances and skills to move out of the center. A live in councelor stays on each floor in a one bed unit.

BED TYP UNIT

The ability to balance resident independence and privacy with buidling security was paramount to the design and organization of Home Again. Giving residents an identifiable home, even if it looks similar to the “tripledecker” next to theirs, helps create a sense of place and familiarity. Similarly, interior hallways which could have been cramped, transitional spaces are utilized to further support community and home by forming interior neighborhoods.

RETHINKING THE TRIPLE-DECKER

With bright exterior lighting, a “sidewalk”, and individual front “stoop”, the idea of home is replicated at a scale and level applicable to residents who did not have a home. Home Again provides the individuality residents missed in treatment with recognizable massing and scale, thoughtfully designed interiors, and variable unit densities to support a treatment and recovery journey. Residents can feel at home again from entry to move out.

ALONG THE WATER’S EDGE | Lincoln, NE

DSGN 410 - Fall 2024

Professors: Michael Harpster & Monique Ekaete Bassey

Collaborators: Elise Benson, Olivia Rowe, Lauren Christopher, & Miles Godfrey

Along the Water’s Edge is a land-back indigenous commemoration project, in collaboration with the Jiwere-Nut’achi tribe of Oklahoma. The selected site is Wilderness Park, seamlessly blending the city of Lincoln with Nebraska’s native landscapes. Collaborative workshops throughout the project process helped to inform design decisions and ensure the voices of the tribe were heard and accurately represented.

Role : Graphics Lead & Tribal Interviewer

Tools : Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite, Enscape

SITE SELECTION AND ANALYSIS

Giving the tribe agency to choose the level of connection to the public was an important factor in consideration of site selection. The 1,472 acres of Wilderness Park was chosen due to its convenient public access, historical presence of the Jiwere Nut’achi tribes, and location of Salt Creek, connecting to the importance of water in the tribe’s creation story.

The overall proposal includes three major steps: a trail and signage system, a cultural studio, and an encampment pavilion. Working off of tribal engagement sessions, the proposal is tied very closely to the cardinal directions and the adjacent Salt Creek.

PROPOSED SITE PLAN

COLLABORATOR: ELISE BENSON

INTERACTIVE SIGNAGE EXPERIENCE

COLLABORATOR: OLIVIA ROWE

BRIDGE TRANSITION TO ENCAMPMENT PAVILION

COLLABORATOR: LAUREN CHRISTOPHER

ALONG

CULTURAL STUDIO FLOOR PLAN

PRIVATE ARTIST STUDIO

INTERIOR FIRE PIT EXPERIENCE

COLLABORATOR: OLIVIA ROWE

ALONG THE WATER’S EDGE

INTERIOR CONDITIONS

Inside the cultural studio, flexibility is found through program dedication and the use of operable walls. By strategically installing these walls, these areas provide a connection to nature valued by the tribe.

Jiewere-Nut’achi values are reflected further through an indoor fire pit, where materiality, views connecting visitors to the outside, and ability to cook over an open fire in the winter months inspire story telling.

EMBRACING THE ART BASKET WEAVING

ORIENT FOR VIEWS AND TRIBAL CONNECTIONS

IDENTIFY OPPORTINITES FOR INDOOR/OUTDOOR CONNECTIONS

ORGANIZE AND PROGRAM OF WOVEN PATTERN

INITIAL MASSING SKETCHES COLLABORATORS: ENTIRE TEAM

BRICK

Clerestory windows as well as extended ceilings in programmatic overlaps allow natural light to enter the interior of the building. In combination with the operable walls, this provides a bright and airy atmosphere to the studio, further connecting to nature.

NORTHEAST ELEVATION AND CLADDING VIEW

COLLABORATOR: ELISE BENSON

SENSORY EXPERIENCE

The exterior of the cultural studio is cladded in a system of pentagonal bricks. Embracing the practice of using adobe, the offset pentagonal shape of each brick mimics a woven pattern, connecting the overall form to the visual materiality.

EBB AND FLOW | Lincoln, NE

ARCH 211 - Spring 2023

Professor: Zac Porter

Located at 2040 O St in Lincoln, NE, the site presented opportunity for positive public connection with its adjacency to a relatively unused public park. Previously being used as a car dealership, this small sliver of land did not have direct access to food. With this considerations in mind, this site had the qualities to hold this transformative dining space.

Role : Lead Designer Tools : Rhino, Adobe Creative Suite, VRay

MULTICULTURAL RESIDENCY AND

Ebb & Flow serves as a connection between a person’s two most intimate spaces: where they rest their head, and where they share their meals. The space was to operate as living quarters for three rotating chefs from around the world who would

RESTAURANT

cook for the restaurant they resided opposite of. The combination of material and programmatic concepts allow Ebb & Flow to manipulate the dining experience and transform the social interactions that occur around a shared meal.

STRUCTURAL

A material choice of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) presented the unique condition of bringing the exterior in and could serve as the driving force for the project. The exterior of the building would be clad in a series of self supported concrete panel system. Being cast into CLT would create the staggering in material, providing the “Ebb & Flow” of the outside.

STAGGERED SUPPORT

On the interior, those same CLT molds from the concrete panels would be used to mirror the same movement happening between customers, chefs, and wait staff. A primary wooden structural support system is utilized to support the shell of the building and to hang the panelized system of the exterior off of.

PROGRAMMATIC CONCEPT

The dining experience is centered around the concept of the table and how it can be manipulated and deconstructed. Customers begin the meal together at one table for opening statements from the chefs, then are split apart to gather opinions and memories in their respective dining parties. The group comes back together at key moments in the meal such as pallet cleansers and finally at the end for thanks from the chefs.

TABLES SEPARATED FOR