Jordan Boudreau

he/they
Santa Cruz, CA

Portfolio

I have a passion for creating spaces that build healthier relationships between people and the natural world.

Through design, planning, and community engagement, I work to build spaces and systems that uphold sustainability and environmental justice. Below, I have curated examples of past projects that demonstrate this work.

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability

Palo Alto, CA — 2022-2023, Gehl

As a designer at urban design firm Gehl, I was part of the four person team who drafted the design principles and campus vision for the new Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability—Stanford’s first new school in 70 years.

Belonging Study

I conducted a study that invited Stanford students and staff to photograph spaces on campus that make them feel either a sense of belonging or exclusion, in order to inform our design principles.

Using a proprietary app developed by a colleage at Gehl, participants took photos around campus, which were geotagged, rated as positive or negative by participants, and participants were asked to tag what factors contributed to that feeling (nature, architecture, people, comfort, etc.). This allowed us to see not only where students and staff felt a sense of belonging on campus, but also to see what factors contribute to their sense of belonging; and whether that differed across demographic groups. I culminated this analysis with by highlighting trends in the data, which were then used to help shape the design principles we recommended to Stanford. A few findings are included below (click to zoom in).

Design Principles

We developed over 60 design principles to guide Studio Gang and the Campus Architect in the design of the School.

I contributed many of these principles, specifically ones that addressed the relationship between indoors and outdoors and prioritizing a sense of connection with nature. Three of these principles are shown below (click to zoom in).

Massing, Land Use, and Circulation Diagams

I was in charge of creating massing, land use, and circulation diagrams used in our final planing recommendations.

A selection of these diagrams are included below, including one that was used by Stanford and Studio Gang to announce Studio Gang’s involvement in the project.

UCSC Seymour Marine Discovery Center

Santa Cruz, CA — 2023-2024, UCSC

In my work at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, UC Santa Cruz’s aquarium, I led a team of volunteers, staff, and interns designing and fabricating the first full overhaul of the Center’s exhibits in 20 years. All new content for the space is bilingual in English in Spanish, wheelchair accessible, and connected to stories of local climate solutions in Santa Cruz and the Central Coast.

Working within a tight budget, I designed all graphics, exhibition labels, and wayfinding myself, and personally built all exhibition furniture. This included a new wheelchair-accessible reception desk and exhibition tables, an indoor terrarium (including drainage and grow lights), and 6 upholstered benches—all without using any plastic materials.

Public space and wheelchair-accessible reception desk

Bilingual Signage

Maps / Wayfinding

Cafe One

Fort Bragg, CA — 2021-Present, freelance

I am serving as the lead architectural designer on a 3,500 sq. ft. new building and half-acre garden for an organic cafe and diner in Fort Bragg, CA. I lead both the architectural and landscape design, while working with an architect of record, consultants, engineers, and local agencies to ensure compliance and acquire permits.

Renderings

Construction/Permit Drawings

New Haven Greening

New Haven, CT — 2018

In a GIS-based class on Sustainable Urban Design, I conducted an analysis on limits to pedestrian accessibility, overlaying impassible infrastructure and existing green spaces to identify opportunities to create pedestrian-oriented links between currently isolated neighborhoods. Communities of color in New Haven are particularly impacted by this issue.

Infrastructure in New Haven that is physically impassible to pedestrians: highways, train tracks, and industrial areas.

Boundaries of New Haven neighorhoods are often defined by impassible infrastructure—diving communities from each other.

Between any two given neighborhoods separated by impassible infrastructure, only a handful of underpasses or bridges exist—none of which are well designed for pedestrians.

By finding adjacencies between these links and existing parks, pedestrian streets, and greenways, we can idenify opportunities to connect neighborhoods together for pedestrians.

I take a closer look at one of these opportunities in the isometric drawings below.

As a final project, I proposed linking the central New Haven Green to nearby Wooster Square Park as a case study diving into this issue. By leveraging an existing two blocks of pedestrian-only roads along this corridor, converting two additional blocks and one bridge over railway tracks to also be pedestrian-only could make it possible for pedestrians to have a safe and pleasant walk between two iconic public parks and neighborhoods. This pattern of pedestrianization and greening could hopefully grow to connect even more parks and neighborhoods together over time.

Existing condition: Downtown New Haven and the Wooster Square area are divided by train tracks; the bridges that span these tracks are very unpleasant as a pedestrian.

Proposed solution: Link these neighborhoods by creating a pedestrian-only corridor between the New Haven Green and Wooster Square Park.

Resume

Education

Yale College
Bachelor of Arts in Architecture & Environmental Studies
3.8 GPA
Distinction (honors) in both majors

Major in Architecture
Concentration: Urban Studies
Thesis topic: Blurring the lines between city, school, & natural world

Major in Environmental Studies
Concentration: Environmental Education
Thesis topic: Supporting ecological literacy through urban planning

Highlighted roles

UCSC Seymour Marine Discovery Center — Santa Cruz, CA
Associate Director of Community Engagement Jan 2023 - July 2024

In this role, I oversaw the spaces and exhibitions at UCSC’s marine science museum. By developing connections in the City, at non-profits, and on campus working on sustainable infrastructure, I spearheaded an exhibition highlighting local climate solutions. I also implemented fully bilingual signage, more free public space, and greater wheelchair accessibility. This role gave me familiarity working within the UC system, managing the use of a space on campus, and creating bridges between UCSC and the community.

Gehl Studio — Hybrid — San Francisco, CA
Urban Designer April 2022 - Jan 2023

At Gehl, I used Gehl’s public space public life (PSPL) field survey methods to collect and analyze data, and to develop sustainable, people-oriented design principles and planning documents for campus clients including Google and the Mayo Clinic. My primary project at Gehl was to help create the campus master plan for the new Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability on a small, 4-person team. My role involved site analysis and mapping; conducting a survey of students’ sense of belonging on campus; drafting design principles around circulation and outdoor space; and creating many of the maps, drawings, and diagrams used in our planning documents.

Hudson River Housing — Millbrook, NY
Fellow in Community Building Aug 2019 - Aug 2020

In this year-long post as a Grace Year Fellow, I helped establish and run a “Tri-Town Coalition” seeking to build local affordable housing in a bilingual community while meeting the Comprehensive Plans of each of the three towns. This included hosting monthly open forums to gain community input, and identifying sites for potential affordable housing developments.

Current Roles

Cafe One — Remote — Fort Bragg, CA
Lead Architectural Designer & Project Manager Jan 2021 - Pres.

I am serving as the lead architectural designer on a 3,500 sq. ft. new building and half-acre garden for an organic cafe and diner in Fort Bragg, CA. I lead both the architectural and landscape design, while working with an architect of record, consultants, engineers, and local agencies to ensure compliance and acquire permits.

Various firms (Incl. DBL, Sloan, and Turner Brooks) — CA, NY, and CT
Designer, Drafter, and Consultant Various periods, 2019 - Present

I have worked in various roles in small firms over the past 5 years. I primarily design residential projects, with some experience in landscape architecture, emergency housing, and commercial projects. I also help ensure code compliance for permitting on various residential and commercial projects.

Mendocino Art Center — Remote — Mendocino, CA
Interim Education Director July 2024 - Pres.

I am serving in a temporary role at the MAC, helping run the Center while strategizing for the campus's future.

Other Past Roles

Mendocino Art Center — Remote — Mendocino, CA
Treasurer, Board of Directors Apr - October 2024.

I helped re-establish stability after a financial crisis. This involved P&L, budgets, review of fixed assets and real estate, and drafting a business plan.

Kids in Nature — Santa Cruz, CA
Lead Outdoor EducatorPart time — Sept 2021 - May 2022

I led elementary students in outdoor natural history lessons around Santa Cruz and on UCSC’s campus, developing a familiarity with our local ecological context.

Urban Resources Initiative — New Haven, CT
City Parks Project Manager May - Aug 2019

I conducted research and drafted site plans for park improvements, collaborating with consultants, contractors, and community volunteers to carry out the work. This role was formative to my commitment to community engaged design.

BIO

As a designer with a passion for environmental education, I specialize in shaping places that foster conviviality, environmental literacy, social justice, and a love of the natural world.

CONTACT

jordanboudreau@me.com
1 603 560 9422