1. K ARA DZIOBEK
RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN BArch + BFA 2011

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 EARTH LA FLOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCED STUDIO Spring 2010
7 ACUSHNET HEIGHTS AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVANCED STUDIO Fall 2009
11 LA SALLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE ADVANCED STUDIO Spring 2009
15 URBAN HOUSING PROJECT URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES Fall 2008
17 SCUBA DIVING FACILITY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Spring 2008
19 BROWN STREET PARK INSTALLATION ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN Spring 2008
21 TRAVELER’S CENTER DESIGN PRINCIPLES Fall 2007
23 HOUSING PROJECT URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES Fall 2008
25 MANUAL + DIGITAL REPRESENTATION 2007
27 INTEGRATED BUILDING SYSTEMS Spring 2010
29 WORK EXPERIENCE
33 DEGREE PROJECT SEMINAR
40 RÉSUMÉ

4. EARTH UNIVERSITY
LA FLOR, GUANACASTE REGION, COSTA RICA
PARTNER: CATHERINE RHA
CRITIC: LILI HERMANN
EARTH University La Flor will serve as a resource and infor-
mation center for those within the school and in the surround-
ing area. Converging with the roadside and located primar-
ily along the north-south road with a splay into the east-west
road, EARTH La Flor is the intersection of local community
from Liberia and global knowledge connected from the air-
port. The campus serves as a hub for community participa-
tion and learning, student outreach, and sustainable research
and influence.
Top to bottom :
Site plan, conceptual sketches,
preliminary models
1 advanced studio

5. Our design played with the idea of weaving, with dis-
tinct threads that made up the campus, including ac-
ademics, student living, managed landscape, circula-
tion (vehicular and pedestrian), and natural elements
(water, wind, sun).
advanced studio 2

6. SCUBA DIVING FACILITY
PROVIDENCE, RI
Academic core
The academic core weaves
itself along the road run-
ning through the campus
and acts as a spine that stu-
dents must filter through in
order to access both sides
of campus.
The two housing threads
allow for students to apply
what they learn in the class-
room about sustainability
towards their everyday living
experience.
3 advanced studio

7. H
OU
HOUSING
CL A
SI
S SRO
N
OM
G
S
advanced studio 4

8. 5 advanced studio

9. CAMPUS DURING DRY SEASON CAMPUS DURING WET SEASON
The drastic change in seasons played a large role when designing, especially with the
idea of the managed landscape and water conservation. We wanted to take advantage
of the river water located on site and filtered greywater for agricultural use during the dry
season.
advanced studio 6

10. ACUSHNET HEIGHTS
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
NEW BEDFORD, MA
CRITIC: NADINE GERDTS
The housing design is site specific on both the site scale and
neighborhood scale. It serves as a demonstration house to
show others in the neighborhood how the existing architecture
can be manipulated to maximize environmental sustainability.
The design is flexible to fit any vacant lot within the neighbor-
hood of Acushnet Heights and can be duplicated in larger
sites. It includes environmentally sustainable systems includ-
ing a rainwater catchment system for all indoor and outdoor
water usage, accessible green roof, and a ventilation core.
The form of the house
was derived from manipu-
lating the standard house
size for the neighborhood,
a 24’ x 36’ three-story
building.
7 advanced studio

11. advanced studio 8

12. South East North West
South East North W
Section A Section B
Section A Section B
A
A
B
B
Site Plan First Floor Plan Second Floor Plan
Site Plan First Floor Plan Second F
9 advanced studio

13. Front Elevation facing South
WATER FILTRATION SYSTEM
1. Rainwater runoff from roof is captured
in water wall
2. Storage tank below ground
3. Separated into exterior and interior
use (ext. water is dispensed at timed
Green Roof = Communal Rooftop Gar den
intervals; interior water enters filter
system)
4. Water enters into house for potable
kitchen and WC use
Ventilation Core 5. Greywater from interior
Green Roof enters back into filter and is
recycled back inside
Rainwater Catchment System
advanced studio 10

14. LA SALLE CULTURAL EXCHANGE
CHICAGO, IL
PARTNER: JACQUELINE LAVIN
CRITIC: ANDRE SCHMIDT
Located within the “Loop” on the edge of downtown Chicago,
this design of a cultural center was also supposed to serve as a
connection between the train station and the park located south
of the lot. The design consisted of two main axes that drove the
locations of the surrounding program including theatres, exhibi-
tion space, research center, library, and offices.
11 advanced studio

15. advanced studio 12

16. G 1 2 3 4
13 advanced studio

17. The form of the design is a series of terraces, creating
an interesting roofscape, perfect for rooftop garden and
exhibition space. The models above show the iterations of
the overall form of the cultural center.
With circulation as the driving factor, the ramp from the
train station to the adjacent park is the most prominent
feature of the building, with the rest of the program twist-
ed around it.
advanced studio 14

18. URBAN HOUSING
PROVIDENCE, RI
CRITIC: JONATHAN KNOWLES
The goal of this apartment building is to promote a creative
and collaborative work and living environment for the artist and
A business population in Providence. The two groups of people
B would learn, grow, and benefit from each other.
A
B
A
B
15 urban design principles

19. The first two floors are
spaces for offices and gal-
leries, allowing for the op-
tion of having a personal
office or gallery in Down-
town Providence, while
having a living space and
workspace located above.
The living units are a mix of
2-3 bedroom apartments
and single apartments with
artist studio spaces.
SECTION A
SECTION B
urban design principles 16

20. SCUBA DIVING FACILITY
PROVIDENCE, RI
CRITIC: OLGA MESA
Located on Fox Point, the experience within the facility is
one of filtration. This concept is realized in the layout, the
handling of light, and the scuba diving experience. The
facility houses pools for different skill levels, along with
classroom space below where students are able to view
the divers in action.
D
C
B
A FIRST FLOOR PLAN SECTION D
17 architectural design

21. SECTION A
WATER
The facility dually functions as scuba
practice pools and also a filtration sys-
SECTION B tem for the water from the Providence
River. The water would be treated before
entering into the building, but then trans-
ported from low depths to higher depths.
Similarly, people would be able to swim
from one pool to another.
LIGHT
The building is located underground,
causing the land above to turn into a hilled
landscape park area. Light is cast down
SECTION C from the top of the mounds and pierces
through the holes of the classrooms. At
night, the mounds are lit from the inte-
rior, creating a luminous landscape.
architectural design 18

22. BROWN STREET PARK INSTALLATION
PROVIDENCE, RI
GROUP PROJECT, CRITIC: OLGA MESA
Our project is motivated by a direct engagement with the given materials and by a dynamic
relationship with the sloped ground. Using the rope and wood in equal measure, the rope
is tensioned to induce a bow and increase the strength of the furring strips. This interde-
pendence is pushed to its limits and results in a delicate balance between the materials
and within the form of the construct itself. Drawing on the experiential site mappings and
our early sketch models, the construct aims to both react to the ground of its specific site
and also create an inverted ground that becomes the means of inhabitation. Taken in
section, the ground elevation drops as the lines of the construct sweep upward, creating
an open canopy over the slope. Sited on the boundary between two sections of Brown
Street Park, the construct visually lifts the ground and opens outward towards the clearest
horizon.
19 architectural design

23. The basic construction unit is a
bowed furring strip. These pieces
are combined to create either an ‘s’
shaped length that becomes the el-
evated, cantilevered canopy or com-
bined to create strong bases that
support those cantilevered canopies.
Both the canopy pieces and the base
pieces are woven together to create
an interdependent lattice. Within this
system, there is an inherent flexibility
that allows the construct to adapt to
different site conditions and different
programmatic concerns.
architectural design 20

24. TRAVELER’S CENTER
PROVIDENCE, RI
CRITIC: ANASTASIA CONGDON
The Traveler’s Center is designed as a journey inspired by the
sounds of three distinct textures on site- concrete, leaves and
grass, and rocks. Each sound has their own spatial qualities which
were translated into an architectural environment. The three parts
of the building allow for a different experience and also change
the focus of the surrounding context. Part of the existing bridge
was preserved as a pedestrian park area and also to celebrate the
rich textures found underneath it.
Initial explorations were done through folding paper, experimenting
with different angles and spacing. By thickening the material, this al-
lowed for each part to increase their dependence on each other and
in turn became a series of hinges. The concept of a hinge was carried
through to the overall form of the building and its interaction with the
site and existing infrastructure.
21 design principles

25. design principles 22

26. HOUSING PROJECT
CRITIC: JONATHAN KNOWLES
This housing project is designed to maximize the amount of
light that can enter into the units. The angled walls exist in
order to reflect light and also capture it from above and pull
it into the areas that might not want as much direct light. The
stairwells serve as light shafts within the units as well.
Study models
(top)
Massing model
(right)
23 urban design principles

27. SECOND FLOOR
FIRST FLOOR
urban design principles 24

28. MANUAL & DIGITAL REPRESENTATION
25 manual + digital representation

29. LEFT TO RIGHT
Therme Vals study of light and
water distribution, interior per-
spective of the Fleet Library, an
imaginative plan, four bar link-
age rotational drawings, surface
study done in Rhino
manual + digital representation 26

30. INTEGRATED BUILDING SYSTEMS
22 BIANCO CT, PROVIDENCE, RI
GROUP WORK
What once was worker’s housing, has recently gone through a lot of
renovation and rebuilding. Our interests lied in the overlap between the
old and the new, and the process from what was existing versus was
exists now. The model on this page attempts to point out what happens
if the two stages were to exist simultaneously.
27 integrated building systems

31. integrated building systems 28

32. WELLFLEET PRESERVATION HALL
WELLFLEET, MA
HADLEY CROW STUDIO
The Wellfleet Preservation Hall includes the restoration of the sanctuary
space into a performance hall and a complete redesign of what once once
a parish and is now a mixed-use community center and meeting space.
Design by James Hadley.
29 work experience

33. work experience 30

34. PERMANENT HOUSING COMMUNITIES
MIREBALAIS & PANDIASSOU, HAITI
ENGINEERING MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL
After the earthquake on January 12, 2010, many people in HaI-
ti were left without homes and an even greater need for hope.
Although many of the efforts were focused on providing the people of Port-
au-Prince with quick and temporary housing, there was also a great need for
structurally stable permanent houses located outside the city, which in turn
would help to decentralize the country. Our team of 13 volunteer architects
and engineers proposed 3 housing variations to fit on the two site plans that
included approx. 60 units per community complete with structural drawings,
electrical drawings, and water/waste water design.
31 work experience

35. work experience 32

36. THE MAKING OF THINGS:
DEGREE PROJECT SEMINAR
CRITIC: SILVIA ACOSTA
The idea of this chair design was flexibility and user initiation.
When not in use, the chair can be propped up against the
wall, and then when needed, it can be folded down to create
a chair. The piece can be positioned in a variety of ways.
As a chair, it can either use the wall as support or fold over
to support itself. In addition, it can be used as a foot rest if
placed next to a couch.
33 degree project seminar

37. Alex often sat at one of the benches at the Memorial Park on South
Main St. in Providence. During our first conversation, he told me that
he wanted to go to the homeless shelter in Cranston but they wouldn’t
let him on the bus because he smelt too bad. This raised awareness
to the fact that there is no public shower facility for homeless people
to use, other than at Crossroads RI, but the wait is very long. He is
now staying at the emergency shelter at Mathewson Street Church.
Everyone has a need for privacy, especially in moments of bathing. Is
there a way to design a transportable private space to bathe that could
capture, store, and warm up water? These models are explorations of
tectonics that could serve as a screen, a rainwater capturing device,
and flexible to fit a specific size or surface area.
degree project seminar 34

38. PORTABLE CARDBOARD BED
You will need:
(5) Wine boxes (undo flaps)
(5) Chipboard/cardboard slotted inserts (found inside wine boxes)
(2) Beer boxes (flattened)
The design of the portable cardboard bed is a
response to the 282 people who were without a
bed to sleep on in the shelters in Providence. The
amount of people staying in the shelters is far more
than ever before, and as a result, the resources that
they have are inadequate. This bed would allow an
individual to be elevated while providing comfort,
and could essentially be made by anyone and used
recyclable materials.
35 degree project seminar

39. 1. 2.
1. 2. 3.
2. 3.
3.
2. 3.
4. Assemble
You will need:
1. (5) Wine boxes (undo flaps) 4. ASSEMBLE
4. Assemble
4. Assemble
2. (5) Chipboard/cardboard slotted inserts (found inside wine boxes)
3. (2) Beer boxes (flattened)
PORTABLE CARDBOARD BED
u will need:
Wine boxes (undo flaps)
hipboard/cardboard slotted inserts (found inside wine boxes)
eer boxes (flattened)
degree project seminar 36

40. 37 degree project seminar

41. After the physical making of objects and
investigation of ideas related to flexibility and
portability, the projects were the beginning of
my degree project which focuses on recon-
necting homeless people in Providence, RI.
The project works at both the human scale
and the urban scale, bridging the homeless
from the streets to a permanent supportive
housing facility.
degree project seminar 38

43. K ARA KARA DZIOBEK
DZIOBEK
PO Box PO Box 21, S. Chatham, MA 02659 | | 508-246-2272 | kdziobek@risd.edu
21, S. Chatham, MA 02659 508-246-2272 | kdziobek@risd.edu
OBJECTIVE To become a licensed architect and a LEED accredited professional. Seeking a full time internship
position in a firm with a highly collaborative design team that focuses on innovative and
sustainable design for a positive social impact
EDUCATION Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) – Providence, RI
Bachelor of Architecture ’11, Bachelor of Fine Arts ‘10
Additional: Resident Assistant, With One Voice (Christian A Cappella), Alternative Spring Break leader, After
School Arts Tutor (Fort building class), HOPE (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere), Advocate for
the homeless community, RISD Christian Body
EXPERIENCE Rhode Island School of Design – Providence, RI
Resident Assistant 2010-2011
Engineering Ministries International – Costa Rica office, Project trip to Haiti
Architectural Intern – Summer ‘10
Designed the housing units for two permanent housing communities in Mirebalais & Pandiassou, Haiti;
finalized CD set of engineering and architectural drawings
Alternative Spring Break – Mexico, Guatemala, Ecuador
Spring Break – ’07, ’08, ’09, ‘10
Led in organizing, fundraising and hosting events for service trips – trips focused on construction work,
beautification, and community development
Hadley Crow Studio – Orleans, MA
Architectural Intern – Summer ‘07, ‘08, ‘09
Drafted construction drawing sets for several residential and commercial projects, 3-D rendering, and model-
making
Town of Orleans – Orleans, MA
Private Contractor – July-September ‘07
Created an electronic database for four cemeteries that included AutoCAD drawings, photo documentation
and analysis, surveying
WORK STUDY Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission – ‘10
Office assistant: computer and database work and architecture-related work
Providence Preservation Society – ’09
Office assistant: computer and database work, special events, mailings, filing, reception
SKILLS Computer: Proficiency in AutoCAD, Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Rhino, SketchUp,
PowerPoint, and Microsoft Office
3-D: Architectural model-making, structural understanding, excellent craftsmanship, 1:1
construction, ceramics
2-D: Manual drafting, painting, photography, photo manipulation, and graphic design
Organizational skills: Strong client communication experience and office skills – following office
standards, data entry, and meeting deadlines
Other: Conceptual understanding, intermediate level Spanish, enthusiastic and passionate about
humanitarian work, self-motivated, ability to be both a leader and team player, detail-
oriented, expert at multi-tasking, reliable, strong work ethic, adaptable, and positive attitude
AWARDS Steven Mendelson Community Service Award 2011
Prescott O. Clark Scholarship 2009-2011 résumé 40
Patricia M. Smith Scholarship 2009
RISD Merit Scholarship 2006-2011