Sam Charles Design Portfolio by Samuel Charles

Project

New Jersey

Denali

Time spent on Project: 10/22-8/24

Cover: Lateral Section Cut of Lab Extension

Project Team:

GC: Unispace

Architect of Record: Damian Besculides

Project Manager: Amy Herda-DeCoursy

Design Lead: Alicia Inman

BIM Managers: Sky Kong, Mithil Ambolkar

Design Team: Steve Ritchie, Amanda Vieu, Jess Hamilton, Sky Kong, Karim Wahba, Tori Hoffmann, and Sam Charles

MEP Consultant: AKF

Acoustical Engineer: Cerami

Structural Engineer: Severud Associates

Specialty Lighting Designer: Onelux

AV Systems Designer: AVI-SPL

Sustainability Consultant: Buro Happold

IT Consultant: RBSJ Tech

Code Consultant: Milrose Consultants

This project is for a new R&D lab facility in the Northeast. Part of an existing campus, the client decided to build a new state-of-the-art lab facility as well as build out their existing adjacent office space into what amounts to a ~300,000sqft scope.

Beginning with a preliminary site survey of a similar R&D facility in the fall of 2022, I assisted with the development of this project from the test-fit phase to issuing CD’s. Some of the examples shown are early diagrams I helped create during the concept or “basis of design” phase. Blocking and stacking exercises were extremely helpful in communicating design ideas to our clients and collaborating with lab-users. Flow diagrams were also useful to better understand circulation.

Top Left: Ground Floor Material & Personnel Flow Diagram

Top Middle: Ground Floor Blocking Diagram

Top Right: East/West Stacking Diagram

Middle Left: 1st Floor Material & Personnel Flow Diagram

Middle: 1st Floor Blocking Diagram

Middle Right: North/South Stacking Diagram

Bottom Left: 2nd Floor Material & Personnel Flow Diagram

Bottom Middle: 2nd Floor Blocking Diagram

Bottom Right: North/South Stacking Diagram

CA Experience

Downtown Chicago

Time Spent on Project: 9/22-1/23

Personal Images Taken During

Project Delivery

Project Team:

GC: Unispace

Superintendent: Ryan Krause

Project Manager: Matt Donatelli

Project Architect: Nick Pettit

Design lead: Yong In

Design team: Esther Giles, Sara Gotschewski, Yong In, Nick Pettit

Furniture: Custer Inc.

Branding/UX/UI: Allkinds, Downstream

This was a fun one. For a client in the heart of Chicago’s river north, Unispace built out their existing office into a brand new studio-workplace environment. I was lucky enough to hop on this project as it was being sent out for permit. Being a design + build firm, this was a great way to learn about the methodology as well as help grow professionally as this was my first time on a job-site. I spent at least one day a week shadowing our site superintendent throughout the entire delivery process. Getting firsthand knowledge from demo to completion was invaluable for me.

The whole Construction Administration process was a huge chance for me to learn the basics of construction. The building is one of the most historic structures in the loop and that presented its own unique opportunities and challenges. I assisted in the submittal process, developed relationships and new understandings from subs, and spent a lot of time asking dumb questions.

Top Left: Studio shortly after demo

Middle Left: Part of Studio after completion

Bottom Left: Site after demo

Top Right: Entry after completion

Bottom Left Middle: Entry nearing completion

Bottom Right Middle: Entry as drywalling began

Bottom Right: Entry shortly after studs went up

South-Downtown

MArch II - Fall 2025 Studio Project

Cover: 3D Site View

Urban Housing Studio

An urban housing project was chosen for our first semester of the MArch II program. The site is a dilapidated hard-scape of parking lots and buildings in decay. It lies in the historic district of Atlanta’s “south-downtown”. The neighborhood is home to the state capital building, popular nightlife and shopping district ‘underground Atlanta’, and sits upon the remains of Atlanta’s historic train stations, giving the city its original name of Terminus.

I really enjoyed this project because it was an introduction to Atlanta for me. I had only lived here for a week before the semester started, and I had a very surface level understanding of the city, its culture, and history. Researching the site I began to see how many layers were beneath my feet, as mentioned before, right below the site exists a catacomb of retail, nightclub, and mystery know as “underground Atlanta”. Below that you’ll find the underfunded and underutilized MARTA public transportation system, keep digging and you’ll find the remnants of a massive rail network that built the city and most of the south into what it is today.

Through several massing studies and the idea of a layered site, I began to find form with subtraction. This outcome gave way to terraces inside of the building envelope, light penetration deep into the building, and a strong street facing presence. The program was a mix of unit types, private and public spaces, and a commitment to a public serving amenity that would be a positive on the community.

Left: E/W Section Cut - Middle: 3D Model - Right: Massing Model Right: Interior Courtyard Perspective of 3D model

The entire ground floor is open and walkable to the public, with 0 private dwellings on the level, equipped with a computer lab, small library, street facing gallery, wet and dry maker spaces, cafeteria, and prep kitchen. On the floors above are the private units, ranging from studios to 3-bedrooms, all with access to an outdoor space.

Above: 4th Floor Plan - Top Right: 1st Floor Plan - Bottom Right: Views of 3D Structural Model

Clifton Young Adult Library

OTR, Cincinnati, OH

7 Week Project, Professor: Katherine Setser

Cover: Axonometric Massing Diagram

Ascend into enlightenment. The premise of the Clifton Young Adult Library. A multidimensional space devoted to the quest for knowledge and self improvement.

A Library

is an institution created to collect and share knowledge with its citizens. The Clifton Young Adult Library was designed to aid in that quest for knowledge, offering over 1600 linear feet of literature, public computer access, classrooms, reading spaces, studyrooms, etc.

Many modern libraries have transcended strictly literature based programs, and in doing so, have diversified their definition. Wet & dry maker spaces, movement studios, and music practice rooms create a place for learning in a variety of activities.

Ascending into enlightenment is the principle behind the library’s design. As you actively rise through the building, the amount of bookshelves and reading spaces grow. In concert, natural light becomes increasingly abundant. The lightwell even allows natural light to creep into the deepest areas of the library, and floods the open areas with a euphoric glow.

Right: Interior perspective Bottom: First floor plan

Throughout the entire design process, massing diagrams were vital. This was one of my first large scale projects, and using massing diagrams and voulmetric studies I was able to better visualize and understand the scope of this structure

Admin

- Staff Offices

- Staff & Volunteer Lounge

- Study rooms

- Meeting rooms

- Shipping & Reciving

Literature

- Fiction

- Non-Fiction

- Periodicals

- Digital media

- Reading spaces

- Circulation Desks

- Book Bot & Storage

Movement

- Movement studio

- Multipurpose room

- Wet & Dry Maker Spaces

- Music Practice Rooms

- Auditorium

Left: Axonometric Bottom: Massing diagram

Oxford Transit Shelter - OTS

Artz Park, Oxford, OH

6 Week Project, Professor: J. E. Elliot

Cover: 3D model pictured on site

Artz Park is a small green space found on the southwest edge of Miami University’s campus. A rail line defines the eastern edge of the park; the space is commonly used by pedestirans/ bikers, and a bus stop rests on the west side of the site.

The goal of this project was to create a rest stop for travelers, while exploring the green space widely used by community members.

Although commonly used for transport, the park in it’s current state only has a handful of benches for commuters to sit upon.

Middle: Site Sections B and C

Bottom Right: Site Plan

Top right: 3D basswood model

The program is comprised of 84 linear feet of seating, 2 bike racks, ADA compliant ramps for train track access, and a gender neutral restroom. The inspiration behind the shelter’s design is derived from the dynamic nature of travel. As a train flys by, a bus speeds away, objects are launched into motion. The roofing mimics that sensation, seemingly lifted by air as locomotives zoom past.

Minimal installations around the park preserve green space while providing enough structure to comfortably support passengers awaiting both trains and buses.

Top of the page: 3D model bike rack view Left: Vinnette Below: 3D model view from train tracks