Growth Topography

My expertise lies in the art of ideation and prototyping, where I craft objects and material solutions to seamlessly translate visions into reality. At the core of my approach is a collaborative and iterative creative process, which integrates a rigorous research methodology. This method not only assists individuals and teams in materializing concepts but also serves to effectively test viability and longevity. Within this portfolio, you’ll discover a collection of projects that I have brought to life through innovative design and meticulous fabrication strategies—whether by my own hands or in collaboration with dedicated teams.

Description: The Generative Design table is an entry sculpture/table that welcomes visitors to Steelcase’s Washington DC showroom. I was tasked to create a piece that would spark conversation around the future of design and evolving technologies. The process of designing the piece was a  feedback loop between the designer and algorithm with explorations in programs like Fusion Generative Design and Grasshopper- a dance between parametric opportunities, and humanization to consider spatial interaction and craft (fabrication). The finish on the piece is a custom chameleon clear coat I designed that shifts in color across the facets and with the light.  

Description: The Urban Farm Pod is a prototype for an easy-to-assemble living-room grow kit for the nuclear family- a furniture-scale opportunity to bring people closer to the food that they eat. The self-contained system features a self-circulating water and nutrient distribution system that is responsive to the needs of the individual plant species and respective sub-irrigation units. 

Description: Myco-Form Surface is an environmentally conscious furniture designed with a lifecycle perspective. Crafted using mycelium (the vegetative roots of fungus) and pressed organic materials, this furniture is intentionally created to be compostable, naturally biodegradable, and safely reintegrated into the environment. Once composted, the components of Mycoform Surface contribute valuable nutrients to the soil, fostering more resilient living ecosystems.

Description: Post Carbon City imagines a future Manhattan restructured and revitalized by biological means. The new New York City balances relationships between information networks that the metropolis depends on and Earth’s finite resources. Vital components of life are monitored and attuned to the needs of all organisms that help it thrive. 

Description: The Spiral Cocoon presents an innovative architectural screen solution meticulously crafted to carve out a tranquil respite within any open-plan interior. Constructed from woven felt with bespoke fasteners, this piece ingeniously allows filtered light to permeate while ensuring privacy. Initially showcased as a custom installation at Neocon 2017 within the Steelcase Worklife Showroom in Chicago, it featured an unconventional touch – living turf replacing porcelain tiles, framing the floorspace underneath. This unique design not only added a biophilic element but also provided a nurturing space for untamed ideas to incubate.

Description: Material and site research inform this exploration of a system that produces bioremediation artifacts from the inoculation and curing of urban waste. These pioneer species become a catalyst for regenerative synergies between public and industrial modes of occupation of a creek Superfund site whose industrial legacy has greatly influenced its urban context. By co-opting and intensifying strategies of public engagement, this project addresses a collective principle: one that seeks to nurture beneficial exchanges between living urban systems.