vivek sai - cv

Professional Experience

Vivek Sai [email protected] 323.334.6682

1

Architect/Designer

West Edge Architects, Marina Del Rey, CA

06/05/2008 to 06/30/2012

University of Southern California – Harris Residence Hall – First Floor renovation

As project manager, was responsible for all aspects of the project from conceptual design to construction, under supervision of the President of the firm. Responsibilities include:

1. Preparation of schematic design options for client approval. The conceptual design phase included multiple client/user group meetings to determine the best possible configuration of the new common student space. Schematic drawings include various space planning options, ceiling designs & finish designs.

2. Translation of conceptual designs into construction drawings. This phase involved extensive coordination between the various consultants (structural, MEP) and finalization of a complete set of drawings, suitable for a construction permit and for bid. On finalization of the general contractor for the project, a final construction set of drawings, incorporating user directed changes and cost issues, was prepared.

3. Coordinated and organized consultant and architect responses to RFIs and Submittals issued by the contractor during the construction process. Made weekly site visits, until final checklist & completion of the project.

City of Hope Hospital – Buena Vista Facilities, Logistics & Support Hub Building

Was involved with the project team in various design, permitting & construction aspects of the renovation of a 40,000 Sq. Ft. warehouse into office space. Project also included the redesign of the surrounding landscape and parking as well as the construction of a new bridge access to a previously disconnected portion of the hospital campus site. Responsibilities include:

1. Schematic design & construction drawings. This included architectural design aspects as well as extensive coordination with the structural & MEP engineers to ensure overall architectural vision & user requirements are fulfilled. Some specific contributions to this phase of the project include: ‐ Design of the entire Ceiling & Roof Space of the project. This included detailing out

structural enhancements (in coordination with the structural engineer) to the warehouse to safely support all new additions within the space & on the roof. Coordinated with the MEP engineer to finalize new HVAC and Lighting Layout for the entire project, including the finalization of specific light fixtures

‐ Schematic Design and Construction documentation of Landscape Screen Wall to west side of building.

‐ Preparation of details (in coordination with the structural engineer) for the various interior storefront systems in the entire project.

‐ Preparation of details for Wall types and various methods of supporting new walls without compromising the integrity of the existing warehouse structure



2

‐ Was involved in preparation of construction documents of various sub-projects, namely, the dust evacuation systems for the carpentry and machine shops, site planning and design and exterior improvements

2. Coordinated and organized relevant consultant and architect responses to RFIs and Submittals

issued by the contractor during the construction process. Made periodical site visits, until final checklist & completion of the project

Rio Hondo Master Plan Update

As Project Manager, was involved in the creation of documents to analyze the present master plan of Rio Hondo College and envision future planning and growth. Responsibilities include:

1. Preparation of drawings to illustrate better traffic & parking management as well as improve pedestrian access to the main campus. This phase included design alternatives for additional parking lots and structures, as well as the design of various pedestrian plazas and site improvements.

2. Preparation of design options for vehicular drop offs & additional access to the main academic buildings. New sites for expansion of the college’s academic facilities were also identified.

3. Preparation of documents to illustrate future temporary and permanent locations of academic divisions, coordinated with all future construction to happen within the campus.

West Los Angeles Public Transit Study

As Project Manager, compiled West Edge Architect’s on-going voluntary research into solutions for a better transit oriented Los Angeles. The project involves looking at the public transit question in Los Angeles at a regional and local level, and devising a strategy for the future, in coordination with existing proposals in Measure R. West Edge’s Proposal looks to illustrate through a street car line along Lincoln Boulevard in West Los Angeles, a viable template that can be followed to better connect existing transit lines with new ones concentrated mainly on numerous busy commercial corridors throughout the city. The project also involves overseeing the efforts of 2 graduate interns who are assisting the firm in compiling a valid presentation. Responsibilities include:

1. Preparation of documents to illustrate our vision for the future of Los Angeles. This includes extensive research into the regional context of public transit in Los Angeles and existing proposals for the future which would have a bearing on our vision. Research is also being conducted into similar plans for other cities in the US, which can better inform our efforts.

2. Extensive research into the general & specific plans for the West Los Angeles and Santa Monica area. Zoning regulations shall also be studied to better illustrate present conditions and future growth as envisioned when a public transit line is introduced.

3. Specific design proposals for the stations and other areas where the proposed transit line interacts with the built environment. This will include the preparation of 3D drawings of the area as well as schematic drawings.



3

Minovitch Research Institute

Was involved with the project team in the design of the housing element within a self sufficient, sustainable, advanced research facility located in the Nevada desert. Responsibilities include:

1. Preparation of a schematic master plan of the housing units to serve the research facility as well as adjoined commercial facilities. Careful consideration of the surrounding environment, climate conditions was important to the design of the units and the master plan as a whole

2. Preparation of 3D renderings of the various portions of the project and presentation of the same in the form of display boards to the client

Cedars Sinai Hospital – Renovation of Existing Parking Structure

The project involved the redesign and renovation of an existing parking structure, to visually and functionally integrate it with the new hospital building being constructed next to it. West Edge Architects was hired as the design consultant for the project by the project architects. Responsibilities include:

1. Preparation of conceptual design concepts and illustrations of the same for approval by project architects. This involved organizing all existing information on the building and creating a 3d model illustrating the as built condition of the parking structure. Various recommendations were made to improve the exterior façade, as well as the interior & exterior pedestrian and vehicular access and flow. Project Architect’s & client’s comments were constantly incorporated.

2. Preparation of 3d model of parking structure after design changes. Preparation of series of boards to illustrate the entire redesign proposal to the client.

University of California at San Diego, Redesign of the International Center

West Edge Architects was one of 3 firms to be shortlisted to prepare conceptual drawings for the redesign of an existing building in UCSD to a larger, improved international center. Responsibilities:

1. Preparation of conceptual design options 2. Preparation of a physical to scale model of one of the above options

West Edge Architects – Office Drawing Templates and Standards

Was responsible for the design and creation of various West Edge construction sheet & annotation templates, ensuring graphical uniformity in all of the firm’s design and construction representation and through that facilitating a fast turnaround of construction documents. Some responsibilities in the past include:

1. Was involved in creating and implementing set office standards for construction drawing representation in AutoCAD. This involved the creation of various standard blocks, templates and attributes that can be used repeatedly in all our projects



4

2. Implemented a new system for incorporation of architectural details into construction documents. This new system facilitated the creation of an office detail library, which contains various typical and atypical details that can be easily reused in multiple projects

3. Have been responsible for the same for Conceptual Design and Design Development drawings as well

City of Hope – Kaplan & Halper Research Buildings

Project included the renovation of 2 existing laboratory spaces in the City of Hope Hospital campus. Responsibilities include:

1. Creation of schematic design options for client approval 2. Translation of selected option into construction drawings for construction permits and bids.

Was also responsible for addressing the city plan checkers’ concerns and corrections to secure a permit for construction. Involved coordination between various city departments and consultants.

3. Made periodical site visits during construction. Was responsible for architects responses to RFIs and submittals sent by general contractor.

Teledyne –Building 1 & 8 Interior Renovation

Project included the renovation of 2 existing research/manufacturing spaces Teledyne Industries. Responsibilities include:

1. Creation of schematic design options for client approval 2. Translation of selected option into construction drawings for construction permits and bids.

Girardi – Renovation of Existing Building

Project involved the renovation of an existing office building to falilitate incorporation into a new high rise office building proposed on the neighbouring property. Responsibilities included the creation of construction documents, coordinating with various engineering consultants, for construction permits and bids

LAUSD – Patrick Henry Middle School & Granada Hills High School

Was involved in incorporating DSA(Division of State Architect) requested changes to the permit & construction documents for the new HVAC systems for the gymnasium of Patrick Henry Middle School and Granada Hills High School.



5

Architect/Designer

URS Corporation, Los Angeles, CA

06/19/2006 to 05/30/2008

Port of Los Angeles, Long Beach: Assisted in preparing the conceptual design report, mainly aimed at providing an understanding of the security processes and development involved in the construction of the new joint-agency container inspection facility, port of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California. The project involved the construction of new, custom, explosion and radiation proof scanning structures, dedicated to monitor all incoming freight traffic to the ports. Primary responsibilities within this project include: - Conceptual design of the exterior façade of the various structures - Graphical representation and presentation of design concepts and security processes within the report St. Rose Hospital Site Development: Assisted in the preparation of design and construction documents for the site development and renovation of specific structures within St. Rose hospital in Hayward, California. The scope of work included construction documentation of renovations to the St. Joseph pavilion, medical arts building and the cancer center, the construction of a new modular CT scan building, while making improvements to the site master plan. Scripps Healthcare: The project involves the sb-1953 npc-3 and spc-2 retrofit of various buildings in Scripps mercy hospital in San Diego, California and Scripps memorial hospital in Encinitas, California. Responsibilities involved periodical site visits with the project manager to document existing conditions and preparation of construction documents for the above. URS Los Angeles Tenant Improvements: Worked on the preparation and updating of preliminary design and construction documents for the tenant improvements to the seventh, eighth and eighteenth floor offices of URS Los Angeles. Was actively involved in all stages of the project, from conceptualization and permits/approvals to construction documentation & site supervision. URS Graphical Representation: Was given primary responsibility to design various marketing brochures and other graphical representation alternatives for the different departments of URS Los Angeles and San Diego. Realm of duties as a designer also include the graphical design of RFP-RFQ initiatives, project datasheets, PowerPoint presentations and other graphical marketing materials for the office. Was also involved in creating and implementing set office standards for construction drawing representation in AutoCAD. This involved the creation of various standard blocks, templates and attributes that can be used by all departments of the firm, ensuring graphical uniformity and through that facilitating a fast turnaround of construction documents. Desalination Plants, Carlsbad and Huntington Beach: Prepared conceptual design alternatives for the exterior facades of the desalination plants located in Carlsbad and Huntington Beach, California. Responsibilities included client approval of design alternatives and creation of schematic plans and elevations of the proposal for entitlement purposes



6

531 Park View St. Apartments Voluntary Rehabilitation: Assisted in the preparation and updating of construction documents and drawings for the renovation of park view apartments for the housing authority of the city of Los Angeles. Was also responsible for the subsequent approvals of and updating changes in documents as per the specifications of the planning department at the city of Los Angeles. CVS Pharmacy: Assisted in the preparation and updating of construction documents and drawings for a few CVS pharmacy stores in the southern California region.

Naval Base, Coronado: Assisted in the preparation and updating of construction documents and drawings for the renovation of the 52,000 sq. Ft. Administration building at the Coronado naval base. Toys R Us: Assisted in the preparation of various documents illustrating the changes and improvements needed to numerous toys ’r’ us stores in the southern California region. Trico Vernon Temporary Hotel Remodel: Worked on the creation of conceptual design options for the exterior elevations and part of the interior spaces of an industrial building slated to be adaptively reused as a hotel.



7

Graduate Student/Teaching Assistant

University of Southern California - Masters in Planning (Urban Design)

08/08/2004 to 05/12/2006

Graduate Teaching Assistant – Design Skills for Urban Planners, Fall 2005: Assisted Professor Clara Irazabal in the instruction of graduate planning students, mainly in the realms of urban design, spatial visualization and investigation, while proposing alternatives for the Grand Avenue development project in Los Angeles, California. Responsibilities included:

‐ Feedback and grading of weekly assignments & presentations, ‐ Assisting students without a design background with conceptualization and design

representation. Also had set office hours every week to assist students in their weekly assignments

‐ Providing instruction in the computer lab section of the class on various 2- dimensional and 3-dimensional visualization and representation software such as form z, 3dstudiomax, AutoCAD and Photoshop. Was responsible for the creation of the syllabus for this section as well as weekly handouts and instructional material.

Graduate Teaching Assistant – Urban Design Laboratory, Spring 2006: Project for the semester dealt with the revitalization of the downtown section of the Los Angeles river. Responsibilities for this class were the same as the design skills class of fall 2005. International Planning & Development Laboratory, Beijing & Chongqing, China – Summer 2006: Was part of a USC team that was consulted by World Bank China to evaluate the development priorities for small cities in the Chongqing municipality, study past & present planning methods and make recommendations for the future.

‐ Was responsible for the preparation of the entire PowerPoint presentation, as well as partially assisted in the graphical content of the final report.

‐ Was one of 5 to be selected to present to World Bank & Govt. Officials of the Chongqing Municipality. Was responsible for the presentation of the analysis of Bishan City in China. The presentation looked to shed light on the development priorities we recommend for a viable future for Bishan and the process & research by which the team reached these conclusions

Urban Land Institute Gerald D. Hines Student Urban Design Competition, 2006: Was part of a 5 person team from USC to participate in the urban design competition. The project “Mill Creek Square” was awarded an honourable mention by ULI. The project also received awards for academic achievement from the Los Angeles and California chapters of the American Planning Association Masters in Planning Comprehensive Examination - 2006: As part of the mandatory comprehensive examination required to complete the Masters in Planning program, prepared a report on a proposed development at the El Monte Bus Transit Facility. The report analyzed the proposed project through the questions put forth by the examiners. An analysis of the existing conditions & surroundings as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal were outlined and 3 alternative proposals for the site were illustrated. The 30 page report was required to be



8

submitted exactly 10 days after the start of the examination, which ended with a 30 minute powerpoint presentation to a panel of 3 chosen by the faculty of the USC Planning program. Guest Lecturer: Have been invited, during graduate studies at the University of Southern California and Post Graduation, to present past projects to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in courses related to architecture and urban design. Principal

V3Studio, Mumbai, India

12/2003 to 06/2004

Was one of 3 partners to start an Architectural/Interior Design practice in Mumbai, India. Was involved in 3 projects until the start of graduate studies at University of Southern California. Interior Remodel Of 600 Sq. Ft. Office Space, Mumbai, India: Principal designer for the renovation of a 600 sq. ft. office in Santacruz east, Mumbai, India. Was involved in the project from conceptualization and design development to construction documentation and site supervision. Interior Remodel Of 1100 Sq. Ft. Residence, Mumbai, India: Principal designer for the renovation of an 1100 sq. ft. apartment in Andheri, Mumbai, India. Was mainly responsible for conceptualization, design development and client approval. Interior Remodel Of 900 Sq. Ft. Residence, Mumbai, India: Principal Designer for the renovation of a 900 sq. ft. apartment in Vashi, Mumbai, India. Was mainly responsible for conceptualization, design development and client approval. Project Architect

Kulin Kapadia & Associates, Mumbai, India

07/01/2003 to 07/05/2004 Interior Remodel Of 2000 Sq. Ft. Residence, New York City: Project designer for the interior remodel of 900 sq. ft. of a 2000 sq. ft. apartment in the residential tower for United Nations employees in New York City. Was mainly in charge of conceptualization and design development, through the creation of night time and day time perspectives of the remodelled space in 3dstudiomax. Construction of the project has since commenced and was completed late 2007.



9

Interior Remodel Of 1000 Sq. Ft. Residence, Mumbai, India: Project designer for the interior remodel of a 1000 sq. ft. apartment in the upscale Marine Drive area of Mumbai, India. Was in charge of conceptualization and design development, client approval of the same, material and finishes selection, cost estimation and site/contractor supervision of the project. Responsibilities included periodic site visits, vendor research and material procurement, while keeping within the slim budget of the project. Interior Remodel Of Sony Music Office, Mumbai, India: Assisted in the preparation of design documents for a proposal for the interior remodel of the corporate offices of Sony Music in Mumbai, India. Responsibilities included recreation and representation of conceptual design ideas in 3dstudiomax, as well as assisting in the preparation of the proposal document. Interior Remodel Of 700 Sq. Ft. Office, Mumbai, India: Project designer for the interior remodel of a 700 sq. ft. office space in Santacruz East, Mumbai, India. Was involved in the project from conceptualization to site supervision.

Junior/Trainee Architect

Sameep Padora & Associates, Mumbai, India

02/01/2003 to 06/30/2003

Residence, Kulu-Manali, India: Assisted the principal architect in the design development of an independent residence, located on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, in northern India. Was involved in the preparation of a detailed physical model of the residence design and investigating alternatives and design ideas through the modification of the same. The final model created was integral to obtaining dimensions of the unconventional roof structure of the residence. Was also responsible for the translation of the model into AutoCAD 3d and creation of preliminary construction documents for the structural engineers of the project. The project has since been completed. Interior Remodel Of 800 Sq. Ft. Office, Mumbai, India: Assisted in the design development, construction documentation and site supervision of the interior remodel of an 800 sq. ft. office on Marine Drive, Mumbai, India. Responsibilities included various investigations of the design through physical and computer models. Interior Remodel Of 1100 Sq. Ft. Residence, Mumbai, India: Assisted in the design development in the interior remodel of a residence in Bandra, Mumbai, India. Responsibilities included various investigations of the design through physical and computer models. Memphis Waterfront Development Competition: Assisted in the design development of a proposal for the redevelopment of the Memphis river waterfront. The proposal was an entry into an academic competition floated in mid 2003. Responsibilities included various investigations of the design through physical and computer models.



10

Architectural Assistant

Raj Expedith Associates, Hyderabad, India

01/28/2002 to 09/30/2002

Assisted the principal architect of the firm in the preparation of construction drawings and details for various government funded public space & recreational projects in south India. Responsibilities also included assisting in office templates and drawing organization, as well as periodical site visits to survey existing conditions and construction progress.

vivek sai - cv

Documents