Architecture Portfolio
Designing homes with heart — from sketch to scale model.
Simsbury High School • Class of 2027 • Future Architect
0+
Hours on Home Show Model
0 of 3
Architecture Courses + TA
0
AP Courses
3.9
Weighted GPA
0×
CT Home Show Contestant
0+
Community Organizations
Featured Project
Colonial Greek Revival • 1/4 Scale • Junior Year
Colonial Greek Revival Home
Connecticut Home Show • Architecture 3 / Capstone
A 2,000 sq ft, 3 bed / 2.5 bath home designed in Chief Architect CAD and constructed as a 1/4-scale model over ~250 hours. Displayed at the Connecticut Home Show at Hartford Convention Center and defended before a faculty panel.
View Full Case StudyAbout Maddie
Quick Facts
Tools & Skills
Chief Architect CAD, laser cutter, 3D printer, hand drafting, graphite, charcoal, abstract painting, model making, landscape modeling
I’m a creative and curious person who loves turning ideas into something tangible. Architecture allows me to combine my interests in art, design, problem-solving, and storytelling while constantly challenging me to see things from a new perspective. I’m inspired by the details that make a space feel personal, meaningful, and uniquely its own.
I discovered my love for architecture in 9th grade when I took my first Architecture class at Simsbury High School and built a K-Truss bridge out of balsa wood—watching it hold a bucket of rocks showed me that design is more than drawing, it’s engineering something real. Since then I’ve completed all three Architecture courses our school offers, spent over 250 hours constructing a 1/4-scale Colonial Greek Revival home for the Connecticut Home Show, and was invited by department head Dr. Wendy Ku to be the Senior Teaching Assistant for Architecture 3.
Outside the STEM lab, I cold-contacted architecture firms on my own and landed career-shadowing at QA+M Architecture, where I followed professional architects on Hartford job sites and in client meetings. I attended Penn State Stuckeman School’s Architecture & Landscape Architecture summer camp, where I built topographic site models and presented to faculty. What drives me most is the idea that a well-designed home isn’t just a building—it’s a place where someone’s story unfolds. That’s why I volunteer with Journey Home, refurbishing donated furniture for people leaving homelessness, and with Gifts of Love, packing 100+ school backpacks each summer for families in need.[MADDIE TO ADD A PERSONAL DETAIL HERE]
“Architecture allows me to combine my interests in art, design, problem-solving, and storytelling.”
Portfolio
From CAD designs and scale models to hand-drafted plans and fine art—every project represents learning something new.
Experience & Leadership
From first bridge to senior capstone—a journey through four years of architecture education.
Architecture 1
Learned bridge design and structural methods. Designed a K-Truss bridge with balsa wood and tested its load capacity. Introduction to CAD.
Architecture 2 + Farmhouse Model
Learned residential circulation, the kitchen work triangle, and proper fixture placement. Designed and constructed a 1/8-scale Colonial Modern Farmhouse model.
Architecture 3 + Home Show + QA+M Shadowing
Designed a Colonial Greek Revival in Chief Architect CAD. Built a 1/4-scale model over ~250 hours. Displayed at Connecticut Home Show at Hartford Convention Center and defended to a faculty panel. Career-shadowed at QA+M Architecture in Farmington, CT.
Penn State Architecture Camp
Attended Stuckeman School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture camp. Faculty-mentored studio: sketching, modeling, axonometric drawing, topographic site models. Presented final projects to faculty and families.
Senior TA + Home Show #2 + Senior Project
Invited by Dr. Wendy Ku to be Senior Teaching Assistant for Architecture 3. In the STEM lab 2–3 times weekly helping classmates with Chief Architect CAD, laser cutter, 3D printer. Building a second home for the Connecticut Home Show (~250 more hours).
QA+M Architecture
Contacted several architecture firms on my own seeking to learn more about the profession. Connected with QA+M, a large full-service firm in Farmington, CT. Followed professional architects on job sites in Hartford and attended client meetings. Invited back for summer internship opportunities once enrolled in an architecture program. Coordinated a class field trip to QA+M and connected the firm with Dr. Ku for future visits.
Senior Teaching Assistant
Invited by department head Dr. Wendy A. Ku to serve as the Senior TA for Architecture 3. In the STEM lab 2–3 times each week for an hour each day, helping classmates with Chief Architect CAD software, the laser cutter, 3D printer, and more.
Community & Character
Building spaces people can live in starts with understanding how people live.
“Refurbishing furniture for someone moving into their first home, packing backpacks for a student starting a new school year—these aren’t so different from designing a house. They’re all about building a space where someone’s story can begin.”
Healing Meals Community Project
Grade 10 – Present
Volunteer 2–3 times monthly to food prep, pack organic meals, and write cards of encouragement for community members facing health challenges.
Gifts of Love
Grade 11 – Present
Assist clients choosing groceries and supplies, organize donations, and pack 100+ school backpacks each summer with supplies and food for students in need.
Journey Home
Grade 11 – Present
Collect used furniture from donors, refurbish and reassemble it so it can furnish housing for people transitioning off the streets and into a home.
Freedom Pen-a-thon (NTHS)
Grade 9 – Present
Help set up and work the 22-hour Veterans Day pen-a-thon making 300+ custom wooden pens for US veterans, and raise money for veterans’ charities.
Senior Smiles
Grade 9 – Present
Meet monthly to create hand-drawn greeting cards with personal messages for elderly residents of a local nursing home.
DECA Bake Sale
Grade 10 – Present
Bake and donate treats each year for the DECA bake sale, with all proceeds going to charity.
Little City Pizza
Grade 11 – Present • 14 hrs/week
Hostess: greeting customers, managing take-out orders, handling payments, and maintaining poise in a fast-paced environment. Contribute about half of each paycheck to help my family with monthly household expenses.
Athletics & Interests
Varsity Golf
2 years varsity • Lessons since age 8. Encourage younger golfers and organize team bonding.
Volleyball, Crew & Track
Grades 9–10. Tried several sports before committing fully to golf.
Baking & Cards
Love baking cakes for family and friends’ birthdays, and creating hand-drawn cards.
Resume
A summary of my education, experience, and involvement.
Education
Simsbury High School | Simsbury, CT
2023–2027 • GPA: 3.9/4.0 (Weighted)
AP Courses: Statistics, Language & Composition, Literature & Composition, US History, Seminar, Environmental Studies, Psychology
Architecture Courses: Architecture 1, 2, 3 | Web Design Elements | Drawing | Senior TA for Architecture 3
Honor Societies: National Technical Honor Society | National Honor Society
Architecture Experience
Architecture Student | Grades 9–12
Completed all available architecture courses. Capstone: 250-hour 1/4-scale home model for CT Home Show competition.
Penn State Architecture Camp | Summer 2026
Stuckeman School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture. Faculty-mentored studio.
Career Shadowing — QA+M Architecture | Grades 11 & 12
Visited Hartford job sites, attended meetings. Invited back for summer internship once enrolled.
Work Experience
Restaurant Hostess | Little City Pizza, Avon, CT | Gr. 11–Present | 14 hrs/week
Greet customers, manage orders, handle payments. Contribute ~half of each paycheck to family household expenses.
Volunteer & Clubs
• Healing Meals Community Project (Gr. 10–Present)
• Gifts of Love — Client Assistant & Backpack Program (Gr. 11–Present)
• Journey Home — Furniture Collection & Refurbishing (Gr. 11–Present)
• NTHS Freedom Pen-a-thon — 22-hr event, 300+ pens for veterans (Gr. 9–Present)
• Senior Smiles — Hand-drawn cards for nursing home residents (Gr. 9–Present)
• DECA Bake Sale (Gr. 10–Present)
• Varsity Girls Golf (2 yrs, since age 8) | Volleyball, Crew, Track (Gr. 9–10)
Get in Touch
Open to summer internships and pre-college programs.