Alex chen mdess portfolio

PHENOMENOLOGICAL JOURNEYS Alex Chen Portfolio of Works

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

ITHACA FIREHOUSE

2

BUFFALO KUNSTHALLE

3

MMHESS

4

STOCKHOLM PUBLIC LIBRARY

5

DANTEUM REDUX

6

MANIFOLD

7

PHOTOGRAPHY

ITHACA FIRE HOUSE DESIGN V | COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN PROF. MULCAHY & MERGOLD

The firehouse is sited on a hill with visual access to surrounding interests such as the student organic farm, vet school barn, and science research tower. The project sought to enrich the firemen’s daily schedule by creating a buried instrument to view the site. As the firemen carry out their daily routine, they are always refreshed by the sights while having immediate access to the fire trucks

PARKING

ENTRANCE

LOBBY

VERTICAL CIRCU�TION / DAY ROOM

DAY ROOM

VERT. CIRC. / OFFICE

OFFICES / CONFERENCE ROOM

SCBA

LOCKERROOM

APPARATUS BAY / MAINTENANCE BAY

MECH.

C�SSROOM / TRAINING

ROOFTOP ACCESS

ELEVATOR

KITCHEN / DINING

G

FITNESS ROOM

DORM ENTRANCE

DORMITORIES (COURTYARD SIDE)

VERT.CIRC. DORMITORIES (CREEK SIDE) / VIEWING CORRIDOR TO “SITE”

CONSTRUCTION SEQUENCE

1F APPARATUS BAY

2F LIVING / WORKING QUARTERS

BUFFALO KUNSTHALLE DESIGN III PROF. WELLS

The Buffalo Kunsthalle Art Gallery injects new cultural blood into the aged city. The museum is designed as a series of terraced galleries facing the Buffalo city hall, acting as urban bleachers to view the activities of the city. The terrace is enclosed by a large glass crystal that erupts out of a large underground hypostyle hall, activating large scale urban activities.

BASEMENT

1st FLOOR

CROSS SECTION

SOUTH FACADE

Timeline of Reconstruction Practices I

Excellent Preservation & Authenticity (unaltered initial concept) I Ise Shrine

II

Good Preservation & Authenticity (altered but never reconstructed) II

Xi’An City Wall

Master of Nets Garden

Forbidden City

Humble Administrator’s Garden

Katsura Imperial Villa

Authentic (reconstruction is historical and authentic) III

III Bulguksa

Todai-Ji

Injeongjeon Hall

New Summer Palace

IV

Developing Authenticity (building is new and rubric of preservation undefined) IV Meiji Shrine

V

Questionable Authenticity (new and completely reconstructed old structures) V Kinkakuji

Yongding-Men

Namdaemun

DESIGN V | TRAVELLING RESEARCH STUDIO PROF. SUH & MIRIN

MMHESS investigates the interplay of traditional culture and global commercialized processes within China, Japan, and South Korea in the context of building preservation.

The preservation strategies were collected and one discovered strategy, retrofit of traditional structures, is shown. Examples include a Chinese garden pavillion, a Siheyuan, and a Hanok.

Total Destruction

2011

manual of mutant, hybrid, & endangered super-species

Minor Restoration

1950

MMHESS

Major Reconstruction Restoration

1900

1500

500

First Construction

I. Yu Yuan, Shanghai China, wooden garden pavillion with gutted interior converted into a concrete museum space.

II. Beijing Siheyuan remodelled for western expats buying a second home in old Beijing neighborhoods. total retrofit.

III. Seoul hanok, tectonical preservation built with traditional structures and methods. minimal system modernization.

I. Exhibition Hall

The Double Shell Sub-strategy

Pre-Condition

Post-Condition

Architectural Economical Historical Social

The Keep-the-roof-and-install-new-structure-and-glass-pyramid-overcourtyard-so-you-destroy-the-siheyuan-idea-Sub-strategy

II. Siheyuqan

I. Original Structure

II. Keeping the Roof

III. New Foundation Laid and Basement Dug

IV. Installing New Steel Structure

Architectural Economical Historical Social

Cosmetic Repair and Systems Replacement sub-strategy

III. Hanok

Fallen Tile Exposed Rafters

Wood for ondol

Roof is Repaired

Architectural Economical Historical Social

Water Heater Replaces Ondol Radiant Heating Pipes House is Occupied Disused Hanok Damaged Wall

Windows Repaired and Walls Repainted

1 8

2

3

7

6

4 5

STOCKHOLM PUBLIC LIBRARY EXTENSION DESIGN VI PROF. WILLIAMSON

The project sought to expand the amount of currently available space . The project was seen as an opportunity to find new ordering systems for knowledge. Here, the idea of nodes as subjects and edges as interdiscplinary searches was explored.

Staircasese connecting different subjects were created in a gridded stack system, unleashing possibilities for the way fields of knowledge are united.

SWEDISH INSTITUTE OF CHILDRENS BOOKS

RESTAURANT THEVOLUME

TEACHING ROOM S

TEMP EXHIBITPACE S

CAFE

ADULT LEARNING ZONE

LARGE AUDITORIUM

CHILDREN’S LEARNING ZONE

NEWS ZONE

CAFE

STUDIOS

SMALL LECTURE HALL

ART GALLERY

INTERSTACK SPACE

LOUNGE SPACE

CONNECTION TO PARK

THE ROYAL WEDDING: CATCH UP ON THE LATEST WITH PRINCE WILLIAM DUCHESS KATE! V

2012 NOBEL PRIZE TO BE HELD AT THE STOCKHOLM PUBLIC LIBRARY

WE’VE GOT THE LATEST NEWSPAPER, MAGAZINE, BIOGRAPHY, AND MOVIES!

DANTEUM REDUX CRESCENDO DESIGN VII | ROME STUDIO PROF. MORRIS

Crescendo is a revisioning of Terragni’s Danteum, designed as a musically inspired architecture that creates a journey for the visitor through Roman history. The visitor ascends through a series of ramps to the various libraries, his travel illuminated by the rays of light piercing through the walls. The facade is an architectonic expression of Liszt’s Devine Comedy Symphony

GROUND FLOOR

ENTRY LEVEL

MANIFOLD

protein model and acoustical panel system DESIGN IX PROF. CACHE

Manifold is an acoustical panel system based on a model of portein secondary structure and amino acids. Because of the fluid nature of the model, the panels are easily customizable and scalable. They can be used in many acoustical situation to dampen the reverberation time.

The panels can also serve as substrate for other media such as lights or mirrors.

PHOTOGRAPHY LA BELLA FIGURA PHOTO I PROF. MIUCCIO

The street fashion photography project sought to capture the identities of the inhabitants of Rome, Turin, Milan, and Naples through street fashion. The Pictorial research expounded the Italian culture of a good first impression “La Bella Figura” as well as the regional flavors of the much sought after Italian style.

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO I PROF. MIUCCIO