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Nicole Cao
Drawing
Digital Illustration
3D Rendering

I'm an architecture student interested in applying my environmental concept design, traditional illustration, 3D software, and physical fabrication skills in an animation, film, or game dev context.

Biography

Having extensive experience applying my design skills in a wide variety of technical and artistic contexts, I’ve become an adaptive learner with a multidisciplinary approach to storytelling. In addition to creating perspective renderings and writing parametric 3D modeling scripts for architecture firms, I’ve also had the opportunity to apply my software and visual communication skills in new investigative ways while conducting research on environmental psychology. Working alongside Dr. Ellard in the Urban Realities Laboratory, I played an active role in the design of an experiment analyzing the effects of spatial transitions on memory and attention where I took the initiative to learn new game engine and rendering software to develop controlled virtual reality environments, changing the original trajectory of the project to better accommodate COVID-19 limitations. These diverse experiences have shaped my own inquisitive design approach that strives to better understand characters’ natural instincts and critically consider how environmental form and atmosphere set up moments of conflict, resolution, failure, growth, friendship, or just plain silliness.

Skills

Roles

  • Mastery
  • Mastery
  • Intermediate
  • Intermediate
  • Intermediate
  • Intermediate
  • Intermediate
  • Basic
  • Basic

Technical Skills

  • Mastery
  • Advanced
  • Intermediate
  • Intermediate
  • Basic

Other Skills

  • Intermediate

Work Experience

2021 – 2022

Amphibious Architecture Animation Assistant

Buoyant Foundation Project
Created storyboards and construction process animations using premiere pro to showcase retrofit projects for flood-vulnerable housing.

2021 – 2021

Architectural Assistant

Perkins+Will
Created perspective renderings, concept diagrams, 3D models, and detailed physical models to conceptualize and consolidate design narrative of a 200,000 sqft. science and engineering lab building.

2021 – 2021

Environmental Psychology Research Assistant

Urban Realities Laboratory
Built and rendered interactive virtual reality environments using rhino, unity, and altspace for a research experiment examining the effects of spatial compression on memory and attention.

2020 – 2020

3D Laser Scanning Assistant

Research Casting International
Operated laser scanners to produce digital models of prehistoric bones and fossils and edited using Blender for 3D printing and modelling repair (Yale Peabody Museum's tylosaurus and brontosaurus)

Education

2019 – Present day

Bachelor's

University of Waterloo

Architecture