michelleleotaud…design in process

michelleleotaud…design in process

Table of Contents

Resume

Selection of Projects

Sustainable Projects

The Trullo Transitions

A Catapult for positive integration

Techniques workshop

Retail Projects

Green Express

Kiss

Optique

Commercial Projects

One Woodbrook Place

Renaissance

Agostini Insurance Brokers

Residential Projects

Janoura Residence

Singh: Moka, Trinidad

Singh: Apes Hill, Barbados

Arrindel Residence

Contact

68 Ellerslie Park,

St. Clair, Trinidad W.I.

mleotaud@gmail.com

Resume

EDUCATION 2012-2013 Institute of European Design Turin, Italy Masters of Sustainable Architecture 1997 – 2001 Florida International University, Miami, FL Bachelor of Design Major: Architecture

1996 – 1997 Lehigh University Bethlehem Pennsylvania Major: Engineering 1989 – 1996 St. Joseph’s Convent Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

EMPLOYMENT March 2009 Present Architect, OBMI Ltd. 28 Stone St. Port-of-Spain, Trinidad Responsible for managing consultancy team

for production of documentation from sche-matic stage through construction documenta-tion. Also highly responsible for conceptual design, and site supervision, specifically of commercial and retail architecture, and interior design. Currently a strong emphasis on coordi-nation, and project management in mixed use schemes and high rise buildings.

April 2007 – March 2009 Architect, TMC Architects Ltd., 122 St. Vincent St. Port-of-Spain, Trinidad

Responsible for all planning, design and site supervision of commercial and retail archi-tecture, interior design and coordination, and project management.

April 2003 – April 2007 Interior Architect, HCP Architects Ltd., 27 Cipriani, Blvd., Port-of-Spain, Trinidad Responsible for all design and site supervi-

sion of commercial interior architecture, some residential architecture and interior design, project management, and imaging and graphic rejuvenation of HCP Architects Ltd.

July 2002 – February 2003 Interior Designer, Ethan Allen, Miami, Florida, U.S.A. Responsible for interior design for residential

and hotel projects. Also responsible for furni-ture and accessory sales and some product marketing.

August 1999 – February 2002 Office and Graphic Assistant F.I.U. Photography & Graphics University Park Tamiami Trail, Miami, Florida, U.S.A. Responsible for assisting graphic designers

with Photoshop, and Powerpoint presenta-tions, such as CD covers, posters, T-shirt designs, logos, and presentation layouts. Also responsible for assisting office manager with accounts payable and accounts receivable, upkeep of databases, and other clerical duties.

Resume (continued)

PROFESSIONAL INTEREST An Architectural design aesthetic that merges both modern de-

sign with tropical architecture at the same time being aware and responsible of the site’s environment and sustainability.

RECENT PROJECTS

The Renaissance at ShorelandsShorelands, Trinidad • Two20storeywaterfrontresidentialtowers,accommodating

74 luxury apartments, 12, 2 bedroom, 24, 3 bedroom and 28, 4 bedroom residences above a 3 storey podium accommo-dating extensive amenities and secured parking. Each tower is crowned with four spacious penthouses and 2 luxury resi-dences comprising of 360 degree views and rooftop pools.

One Woodbrook Place187 Tragarete Rd., Trinidad • 2Ms.f.Multi-useprojectconsistingof421residentialapart-

ments, and 200,000 sf of retail and commercial space. This unique development is the first in the region.

Trincity MallTrincity, Trinidad • ThelargestretailmallintheCaribbean.

Architectural and Interior Design services of: • Severalluxuryhighriseapartments,OWP • SinglefamilyResidence,ApesHill,Barbados • SinglefamilyResidence,68EllersliePark,Maraval • SinglefamilyResidence,17EllersliePark,Maraval • SinglefamilyResidence,TheOrchardatMoka • SingleFamilyResidence,NewburyHill,Glencoe • ResidenceOutdoorEntertainmentArea,GoodwoodPark.

Interior remodeling and outfitting of: • KISSBakingCompanyRebrandingMallOutlets • GreenExpress,EnvironmentallyFriendlyCleaners • OPTIQUE,AFerreiraOpticalBoutique,WestMall • BmobileOutlets,FrederickSt.,HenrySt.&CharlotteSt. • LaughlinandDeGannesToolStore,SanFernando • AgostiniInsuranceBrokersLtd.,HenrySt. • TropicalPower,Chaguanas • TSTTMobileStores(conceptualdesign)

COMPUTER SKILLS Fluent in Vectorworks 12.0, Microsoft Office Applications, Adobe

Photoshop, and AutoCAD. Working knowledge of Sketch-up, Revit Autodesk 2009, Ecotech, and Design Builder.

LANGUAGES Fluent in English, basic understanding of Spanish

ACHIEVEMENTS Golden Key Honor Society Member Who’s who in American Colleges 2000 Member National Women’s Hockey Team Player of the Year TTHB 2005 and 2011

PUBLICATIONS Spring 2001 Key Biscayne Fire Department. The booklet con-

sisted of projects designed by myself and my Design 5 class-mates for the Key Biscayne Fire Department’s (Miami, FL) new site. It served as a prototype and reference for other Fire Depart-ment buildings throughout the region.

REFERENCES Excellent references provided upon request

Sustainable Design, GREEN Architecture, LEED, Environmentally friendly; these are all words that seem to be at the forefront of all recent topics be it social, political, or cultural. It’s not just a fad it’s become reality and designers must do their part to defuse the environmental crisis.

I am an architect with an affinity towards modern design but with a tropical heart. Being from the Caribbean beauty in our

surroundings is as natural as breathing. However our society is not yet developed to realize that we need to address our en-

vironmental problems now, before it makes a greater impact on our ecology. I would like to obtain my degree in sustainable

architecture because I want to develop a more ambitious solution to defusing our environmental problems on a more global

stage and help my compatriots live more sustainably as individuals. I would like to equip myself with the tools necessary for

educating my clients to have a better understanding of their responsibility to the environment as developers.

Sustainable Design

A Boutique Hotel and Spa , Puglia Italy

The Trullo is a Bold noticeable Architecture, rather than competing with it we chose to use the existing fea-tures to develop a contemporary interpretation. The main economic function of this area is tourism. Thus the SPA and Boutique hotel will provide a unique and necessary destination.

The existing stone walls became the catalyst for the extension and the modules.

By extruding, pushing and pulling these elements we created definitive boundaries for our spaces.

The infill walls then became lighter elements to bal-ance these massive walls allowing natural light to filter

through the spaces.

The Trullo Transitions

The

Trul

loC

once

pt

The

Trul

loC

limat

ic U

nder

stan

ding

The Module

The Spa

Module Construction ProcessModule Aggregation

The

Trul

loO

ff G

rid M

odul

e

The Environmental Section

A School in Gaza City, Gaza

Gaza City, as we are aware has been a war torn zone

for many years. The school provides a change of pace

for the children that will attend. It provides protection as

suggested by a series of elements, the boundary wall,

the building itself, the bamboo screens all surrounding

the inner courtyard.

Once you pass through the main entry you leave the

troubled world behind symbolized by the water, wash-

ing away the worries of your daily life and entering into

a safe space.

The community can also use the covered courtyard or

the integration gardens. These become spaces of in-

teraction, of calmness, of leisure, and of learning.

The school becomes a Catapult to the future, a cata-

pult for positive integration…

A Catapult for positive integration

Gaz

a C

ity

Con

cept

for S

ocia

l Int

egra

tion

Gaz

a C

ity

Environmental Strategies :- Passive Cooling using prevailing windsStorm Water HarvestingLocal Material UseSun Shading as a cultural architectural languagePlanning for multi use for education at large

Unconventional Construction Methods.

Torino, Italy

This workshop was lead by an Italian architectural firm,

ARCO. They have a strong desire to remind the indus-

try that we can get back to basics and that this is not

only sustainable economically and socially but also en-

vironmentally.

Workshop

Sustainability Workshop 1

Traditional materials making a comeback…earthbags and bales of hay create large thermal mass walls

1. Buckets are filled with earth

2. Old Feed bags are filled and packed with earth

3. After 3 layers of earthbags a wooden structure is placed to stabilize structure

4. The wooden structure is filled with clay pellets to absorb moisture.

5. After all the wood is in place straw layers are placed on top as though laying bricks and they are strapped down.

6. A mixture of hay and plaster is created and hand applied to the bales.

7. The roof structure is applied

8. A second layer of straw mixtures is applied

Sustainability Workshop 2

1. Bottles of water with square section are collected and filled with Sand2. Before putting the second layer a layer of cement is placed to fix bottles inplace3. This process is repeated untilldesired height of wall is achieved.4. After putting all the layers a line of twine is wrapped around each of the bottle caps for stability.5. Another layer of cement is trowelled on and the bottle tops and bottoms are cleaned so that the wall has a sense of transparency.6. Allow to set and bench is complete.

Use of Recycled Materials …old water bottles create fixed furniture

Throughout the past few years, I have worked on two of the largest multi-use schemes in the region. I have helped provide the creative and technical

foundation for these landmark projects.

The success of these projects can be attributed to my team’s integrity, dedication and loyalty to our clients.

It is my belief in order to have a successful project you must have a team of experienced and innovative professionals, passionate and hardworking

in their endeavors.

Individually and collectively, you must be committed to helping your client both with the tangible and the intangible.

Commercial Design

Mixed Use Development

Residential Towers

Commercial

Retail

7 Acres

One Woodbrook Place is a mixed use development consisting

of 431 residential apartments housed in three towers of 25,18

and 16 storey’s respectively. There are four podium apartment

buildings as well consisting of 5 stories each.

The developments also houses 100,000 s.f. of commercial

space and 100,000 s.f. of offi ce space, in multi-storey buildings

engaging Port-of-Spain’s newest park.

Along with green building concepts, OWP is designed in accor-

dance with New Urbanist Principles; Live Work and Play and is

situated within urban landscaping. It is the fi rst of its kind in the

region providing a community within a community, connecting

people on a larger level.

One Woodbrook Place

OWPResidential Interiors

Ascend the skyline of Port of Spain and you will enter into a space perched within the sunset, hanging over the horizon and allowing vistas over layers of history and cultural intrigue… a place of luxury and wonderment…. and you will know that you have arrived.

PenthouseLower Floor PlanLIVING

PenthouseUpper Floor PlanSLEEPING

OWPExterior

2 Floors ofBasementParking

The Residential ExperienceWORKLIVEPLAY

High End Residential

Residential Towers

50,000 s.m.

The Renaissance at Shorelands is an oceanfront, luxury resi-

dential development consisting of two 20-storey towers on

50,000 sm.

Each of the Towers has four penthouses, each crowned with

three storey rooftop residences. The community elements for

this project include a grand lobby, concierge and valet service,

an infi nity pool, gym, spa and clubroom.

The renaissance at Shorelands is equipped with SMART build-

ing technology and a Berthing Marina.

The Renaissanceat Shorelands

The Renaissance at Shorelands

This 19,000 s.f. project involved a Corporate reimaging, includ-

ing both the exterior façade and interior remodeling. The build-

ing street front was updated simply with alucobond paneling

and an enhancement of the entry portal. The interior challeng-

es were to create a more customer oriented environment and

move to a multi service platform of insurance products. This

included both customer interface spaces as well as employee

workspace.

Agostini InsuranceBrokers

Agostini Insurance Brokers

Imagine a space where customers are infl uenced to shop!Retail design is a creative art in which combines many different design ideas together of which it’s primary purpose is to stock and sell products to the

consumers. The spaces must be designed in a way that makes a fun and trouble free shopping experience for the consumer.

Imagine a space where employees want to work! The focus is to maximize your fi nancial performance with innovative and fi nancially effective branding strategies, going beyond store design by

infl uencing the employees to develop their customer service skills and produce results with measurable returns on your investment.

Imagine a space that is technologically savvy!Having a point of sale system that provides a quick and effi cient checkout is always a plus for the consumer. Introducing new technology for the

security system helps prevent a lot of theft. And by also introducing new electronic games starts sending the message that the brand is keeping

current and understands its customers.

Imagine a space that encourages customers to buy!The space must be specially made to your product. Retail spaces must also be designed to bring people to the retail space to shop. Designs are

meant to be attractive to encourage you to at least look around at the products on sale.

Imagine that space is YOURS!!

Retail Design

An environmentally friendly dry cleaners.

A radically different Dry Cleaner outlet.

The ecologically rooted process founded in 1999 presents to

Trinidad the world’s largest brand of environmentally friendly dry

cleaning. This award winning system introduces a new level of

environmental sensitivity to the dry cleaning sector of Trinidad

and Tobago. Of specifi c concern to this proposal was the zone

allocated to the customer and front counter services. The cre-

ation of an interior environment celebrating not only the state of

the art processes and equipment but presenting visual and tac-

tile stimuli that roots the customer in the environmentally driven

philosophy behind the operation. Space planning to achieve er-

gonomic effi ciency and a fl uid capacity to change imagery were

incorporated. Materials were selected from a green perspective

coupled with energy effi cient lighting systems. This relatively in-

timate environment synced with the environmental processes

have set the context for repeat business and success.

Green Express

GR

EE

N E

XPR

ES

S

The Falls at Westmall, Westmoorings, Trinidad

Retail Outlet; Optometrist Facility and

Fashion Eyewear Showroom

Designed as an upscale luxury optometrist facility at The Falls

at Westmall, the resulting store is a contemporary blend of tex-

ture and colour. Using innovative and interesting lighting with

retail display elements, the store becomes a new approach to

optometry creating a unique environment for the client. The use

of glossy wood fi nishes and tensile fabrics blends well with the

trendy fashion eyewear on display. This modern design com-

bines an inspired artistic atmosphere together with the prima-

ry purpose to stock and sell products to the consumers. The

space developed ultimately makes a fun and trouble free shop-

ping experience for the consumer.

Optique

OP

TIQ

UE

Retail Outlet for Cakes and other Treats

Gulf city Mall, Trinidad

This outlet served as a prototype store of approx 565 s.f.

located in one of the major malls in Trinidad, Gulf City Mall. It is

modern and edgy yet retaining the elegance and stature of the

already well established brand of Kiss Baking products.

The marketing concept was to have the Cafe itself be attractive

to all types of customers both existing and new. It stands out

amongst the other shop displays but compliments the cakes

and desserts without overpowering them. The use of imagery,

signage, colour and display is a great recipe for re branding Kiss

Desserts and in bringing this product into the current trend and

taking it forward.

These new stores will not only retain the large clientele base

that Kiss already has but also attract new customers making

the brand far reaching, because as the saying goes everybody

needs a kiss!

Kiss Desserts

KIS

S

A home occupies special places in our hearts and minds. Conjures up unique feelings and mental images. For those of us in the business of creating new residential spaces – a setting for new perspectives,

discoveries and experiences –

there is no greater reward than crafting a place that is authentic, unique and the blank canvas for making beautiful memories.

As an architect, I recognize that I have an opportunity, or better yet, a responsibility to preserve and enhance the very essence of a site. My success is

based on the fundamental principle of embracing the very culture, and history specifi c place, combined with the lifestyle needs of my clients, allowing

these resources to dictate the design path taken.

Forming a house into a home!

Residential Design

Ellerslie Park, St. Clair, Trinidad

A single family luxury residence.

4000 s.f.

With 3 ensuite spacious bedrooms, this modern home is

equipped with all the luxurious spaces one might expect in their

dream home. The house also holds a music room, a library, a

fi ve car garage, and a large indoor and outdoor entertainment

space. It is an open fl oor plan with the spacious rooms divided

only by the layout of the furniture. The use of local fl ora and

fauna along with a low level pond demarcate the entrance to

the massive stainless steel entry door. The external experience

is only surpassed by the interior one. Specialty lighting, double

volume ceilings, state of the art sound system, and the sleek

modern furniture allow for a jaw dropping moment. This is a

home that will stay current for years to come.

Janoura Residence

Janoura Residence

“Contemporary Lines, amongst natural beauty

A Home where you want to LIVE…”

The Orchard’s, Moka, Trinidad

A single family home

A 3500 s.f., 3 bedroom 3 ½ bathroom Spanish transitional

home. Inspired by its surroundings, the site is located in a de-

velopment once part of an orchard. The house is laid out on the

site in an L-shape, engulfi ng the land and the views. The main

outdoor entertainment is located at the heart of the house and

is easily accessible to both the kitchen and the pool. Sitting on

this open verandah one truly feels that you are amongst the

orchard trees. All the large trees were preserved on the site and

the design was sensitive to their existing locations. Although the

client had very Spanish inspired tastes the fi nal result is transi-

tioning towards a tropical home.

Singh Residence

Singh Residence, Moka

“Relax in a soothing environment”

Apes Hill, Barbados

A single family luxury Residence

2500 s.f.

A 3 bedroom 3 ½ bathroom Modern Tropical home. Barbados

is internationally known as a tourist destination. Its island hos-

pitality is surpassed only by its natural beauty. Its crystal clear

waters and white sand beaches are forces one cannot resist.

These natural forces are brought into the design of this house,

making it as irresistible to the user as Barbados is to its tour-

ists. By bringing nature into the house I have created a warm,

tropical atmosphere. At the same time, keeping the lines clean

and fresh, to produce a style that fi ts easily into the tranquil

Barbados environment whilst embodying its own unique char-

acteristics, thus making it a HOME.

Singh Residence

Singh Residence, Apes Hill

“Sophisticated elegance with a distinctly tropical feel…”

Apes Hill, Barbados

Newbury Hill, Trinidad

Single Family Residence

This house was designed with 3 ensuite bedrooms, 4 bath-

rooms in a Modern Style. Newbury Hill is strategically placed

overlooking the western coastline of Trinidad. The layout of

the house has maximized the beautiful views at this hill top

property. With an infi nity edge pool caressing the contours of the

mountain the home owner has a wonderful entertainment space

that fl ows from the mountain through the house overlooking the

valley.

These natural forces of the site inspired the simple modern lines

allowing the house to compliment the beauty of the site and not

overpower it. By keeping the lines clean and fresh a unique style

is produced that stands out amongst the hill but at the same

time fi ts easily into the tranquil environment.

Arrindel Residence

Arrindel Residence, Newbury Hill

Michelle Leotaud, mleotaud@gmail.com