ANTHROS DESIGN | RESEARCH | NOTES CHEN, CHUAN HAO (ALEX) | PORTFOLIO
M
an is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun. - Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures
Alex Chen is a designer and aspiring physician anthropologist dedicated to the multiplicity of biopolitical design strategies. He focuses on how quantitative, ethnographic, and design research methods point to new tactics in addressing human health and equity. The works here run through the physical, social, and political - at different scales - to complexify our understanding H. sapiens lives in situ. Through these, we may hope, engage, imagine, and ultimately create the very physical contexts and social contingencies in which we want to live.
CONTENTS DESIGN
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SCRIPTORIUM HIPSTER HOSPITAL FIRE STATION MANIFOLD
RESEARCH
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A DAY AT THE KUMBH MELA MMHESS TOUR, BAHAMIAN IDENTITY CONTESTED CONFIGURATION
NOTES LA BELLA FIGURA TYPE & INFORMATION
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SCRIPTORIUM How do we organize the mass of human knowledge? This Asplund Library extenion proposal contemplates the question of organizing and accessing vast stores of information. By visualizing spheres of knowlege as a network, a system of routes that can be traversed in endless combinations - or scripted - according to the desire of the knowledge seeker, was architecturalized. The building is one big bookshelf, transparent despite its huge volume, such that users can always see, be inspired by, and approach knowledge yonder.
1 8
2
3
7
6
4 5
1 8
8 Floors
8! Floor Combinations = stairs
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3
7
Many potential browse routes 6
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THE ROYAL WEDDING:
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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!
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4
Systems Axon
HIPSTER HOSPITAL How do we take care of health outside of healthcare? Medical spending constitutes a very small part of what matters for social, community, and mental health . The Hipsters Hospital is a misnomer: it’s a shopping centerclub-farmers market-gym-health centerresidence-and private practice that takes care of the Red Hook commuity, a diverse mix of families in social housing and young urbanites, beyond prescriptions and procedures. HH takes Foucault’s biopolitics to the extreme, suffusing it throughout the refurbished warehouse.
The FIVE DOMAINS of BIOPOWER
I. COMMUNITY
II. BIOMEDICINE
III. NATURE + NUTRITION
IV. FITNESS + RELAXATION
V. ENTERTAINMENT
M
Medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing else but medicine on a large scale. - Rudolf Virchow, Die Medizinische Reform,
THE HIPSTER HOSPITAL AS PART OF THE GREEN URBAN NETWORK CONNECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOODS
ITHACA FIRE HOUSE How do we design and program for 24 hours, especially for emergency services personnel like firemen? Located at a picturesque site adjacent to the agriculture school campus, the proposed Ithaca fire house sits in an idyllic landscape while waiting for fire emergencies to arise. By carefully considering the potentials (views) of the site and matching it up to the fireman’s daily activities, the new Ithaca Fire House is a landscape=architecture hybrid that moves continuously between the inside and the outside.
EMBEDDING SITE VIEWS INTO THE BUILDING
To AG. SCHOOL To VET SCHOOL To SPORTS FIELDS
CAMPUS ROAD
JUDD FALLS ROAD
To EAST HI
DRYDEN ROAD (ROUTE 366)
TOWN TRON
To DILMUN HILL STUDENT ORGANIC FARM
IMMEDIATE SIT 1” = 20’
DIAGRAM > FORM ARMATURE > ARCHITECTURE
CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
DINING PATIO
CONFERENCE ROOM
OUTDOOR TRAINING AREA
DOWN to APPARATUS BAY
OFFICES DOWN to LOBBY & DISPATCH DOWN to OFFICES / CONFERNCE ROOM
MAIN ENTRANCE DOWN to CLASSROOM from ROOFTOP
DOWN to DORMITORIES
DAY / GAME ROOM LOBBY & DISPATCH
from ROOFTOP to JOGGIN TRAIL
DOWN from ROOFTOP
to DORMITORIES
DOWN to LOCKERROOMS
C�SSROOM / TRAINING MEDIA COURTYARD
DORMITORIES
KITCHEN & DINING ROOM
FITNESS ROOM
DOWN to APPARATUS BAY
DOWN to DORMITORIES
EXTERIOR RECREATION AREA
LIVING VOLUME / UPPER LEVEL 1” = 4’
MANIFOLD How do we cross disciplines and find inspiration in the natural sciences? Manifold crosses three disciplines: it uses the organization logic embedded in protein molecular structure to create an architectural panel system that attenuates acoustic reverberation through panel fabrication details. Made from laser-cut steel, plexiglass, masonite, and the key white plastic prism that holds all of the pieces together, the panel system worked during preliminary testing and can be scaled according to the space’s program needs.
Protein Modeling Logic Protein Modeling Logic Amino Acid Monomers Amino Acid Monomers
Generic Amino Acid Generic All the Amino Acid same All the except same for R groups except for HO R groups
Atoms Atoms Carbon Hydrogen Carbon Nitrogen Hydrogen Oxygen Nitrogen Oxygen
Single Bonds Single 360º Bonds Rotation 360º Rotation
HO
Carboxyl Group Carboxyl Group
O O C C
Double Bonds DoubleCannot Bonds Rotate Cannot Planar Rotate Planar Atoms Carbon Hydrogen Nitrogen Oxygen
H O Amino Acids H Amino Acids C N H HO C
Double Bonds Cannot Rotate Planar
HO
Tetrahedral Geometry Tetrahedral Geometry 109.5 º Rotation 109.5 º Rotation
N
C
H
R
GeometryTrigonal Planar 109.5 º bonds are Rotation 120º apart
Tetrahedral Part
O O C HO HO C HO
Polypeptide Chains Polypeptide Chains
H
H
O
N
C
H H
N
O O C C
HO HO
Trigonal Planar bonds are 120º bondsapart are 120º apart
H H C C R R
Tetrahedral Part Tetrahedral Part
O
C
C
R
H
H H N N
C
H H C C Driver R Group R double bond Partial Determines R and rigid Structure structure Function flat
H
H H C C R Group Amino R
H H N N
H N
H
O O C H HO C R Groups HO Examples of
HO
N
H H C C R R
real life R groups
R C O
H
H
C C
C H H N N
R R
HO HO
O O C C
H H C C R R
R Groups R Groups Examples of real life of R Examples groups real life R groups
The two end g Thethe twoR-tetra end g angl the R-tetra restricted angld restricted d
H H C
R R C C H H
N
H H N N
H H H
N C R N C φ and ψ Rotations H O H can rotate about OThe two end groups the R-tetrahedron, Peptide these Bond rotations angles, named φ and ψ, are Peptide Bond The newly formed restricted to steric Peptide bond is rigidhindrance Thedue newly formed and roughly Peptide bond isplanar rigid and roughly planar
H O
H
Amino Group
R Group Driver R Group Driver Determines Structure and Determines Function Structure and Function
O
H H
N
C C CH3 CH3
structure flat
C
O CH3 O CO C HO H HO C H HO
H
C
HO
Peptide Bond Peptide Bond Formed by one group attacking thegroup other Formed by one attacking the other
O N-Terminus N-Terminus The first polypeptide, C
C
HO HO
Partial double bond Partial rigid double bond structure rigid flat structure flat
O
C
C C C C H bond R Partial double R rigid H
Amino Acid Polymerization
Carboxyl GroupPolymerization Amino Acid
H
H H Trigonal Planar
O
Trigonal Planar bonds are 120º apart
R
H
H H N N
Carboxyl Group
Generic Amino Acid All the same R-Group except Variation - Different for R-Group RVariation groups - Different
Amino Acids
H H C C R R
NH
R R
Carbonyl Plates O
H
R R
O
C C O O
Protein Modeling Logic Amino Acid Monomers
Carboxyl Group
Generic Amino Acid All the same except for R groups
Atoms Carbon Hydrogen Nitrogen Oxygen
Single Bonds 360º Rotation
O
HO
C
H C
H N
O H
C
HO Trigonal Planar bonds are 120º apart
R Double Bonds Cannot Rotate Planar
HO
O
H
C
N
Partial double bond rigid structure flat
H
Amino Group
R-Group Variation - Different Amino Acids
H
C
C
C
R
H
CH3
C
C R
Tetrahedral Geometry 109.5 º Rotation
Tetrahedral Part
H
O HO
C
H
C R
R Groups Examples of real life R groups
R Group Driver Determines Structure and Function
N
H
φ and ψ Rotations The two end groups can rotate about the R-tetrahedron, these rotations angles, named φ and ψ, are restricted due to steric hindrance
Amino Acid Polymerization
N
C
Peptide Bond The newly formed Peptide bond is rigid and roughly planar
C
C
H
O
R
N
C
R
H H
N
C
H
C
N
C
H
O
R
H
O
C
C C
R C
H
H
N
C
H
O
R
N
C
R
H
O
C
H
N
C
H C
H
O
R
O
C C
R
H
R
N
C C
H
O
R
R
H O
H
N H
C
C
C R
N
N
O
H
H
N H
N
C C
C
C R
N
N
O
H
H
N H
N
C C
C
C R
H
N
N
O
H C R
O
C C
C
H R
H H
O
C O
R O
C C
C
H R
H H
H
O
R O
C C
C
H R
H H
H
O
R O
C C
C
H
H H C
H
H
O
N
N
O
R
O N
C C
O
H
N
R
C
R
H H C
H
C C
C
C
C
H
N
R
H
O
C
O
R
N
N
N
R
H H
H
H
H
C
C
C
C
O
C
O
R
O
C
N
N
R
H
C
H
H
R
H H C
O
N
N
N
R
H H
H
C
C
H
O
R
O C
C O
R
O
C
R
C
C
H
C
N
H
N
N
R
H H
O
H
R
H H C
H
C
C
C
C
O
C
O
R
O
H
N
N
C
H
R
H H
R
N
C
H
O
C-Terminus
Anti-Parallel These two strands run in different directions, the top one goes from N to C from left to right, the bottom one goes from N to C from right to left
Beta - Pleated Sheets Secondary Structure
Beta Sheets This protein secondary structures is made by many antiparallel chains connected via hydrogen bonds
H
O
R
O
N
H
O
R
N
H
H
R
H H
C
H
C
C
N
C
O
C
H
N
C
N
R
H H
N
H
C
H
C O
R
O
C
H
N
C
H
R
H H
C
N
C
Carbonyl Plates This part has a peptide bond embedded within and is divided, showing different origins of the parts
C O
O
O
N
H
H
Peptide Bond Formed by one group attacking the other
N-Terminus The first polypeptide, additional ones are joined at the carboxyl end. N -> C direction
N
H
O
R
R
H
C C
C
HO
R
H H
R
H
C
R
Polypeptide Chains
C
N
C
O
N
H
HO
H
H
H
H
C
C
O
O
N
C
H
R
H
N
HO
C
H
O
Hydrogen Bonds These bonds are weak electrostatic interactions that can be easily broken compared to covalent bonds (solid lines). They allow the protein to mainain a certain shape and morphology
N H
C
H C R
30 Million People? 1/14/2013 Makar Sankranti
1/27/2013 Paush Purnima
2/6/2013 Ekadashi Snan 2/10/2013 Mauni Amavasya Snan
A DAY AT THE KUMBH MELA How do you get 100 million people to take a dip at a shore that’s only 3700 meters? The Kumbh Mela is a Hindu religious water festival that occurs at Allahabad every 12 years, and draws millions of pilgrims from all over. For the two months long festival, an entire temporary tent city is erected. Public health safety, crowd control, and sanitation are all issues that face festival planners and participants. For this research, ethnographic data and custom grasshopper algorithms were used to generate maps of risk.
2/18/2013 Bhisma Ekadashi Snan
2/15/2013 Basant Panchami Snan 2/17/2013 Rath Saptami Snan
2/25/2013 Maghi Purnima Snan
3/10/2013 Mahashivaratri
e to ri th q to e m a th q
in o e o e is ci 3 th p tr th liv b b o a m m ca d “ th a
GEOGRAPHIES OF HEALTH RISK (CROWD CONTROL + HEALTH ACCESS + SANITATION) Entranes
Pedestrian Flow Volume
Main Procession Routes with respect to Main Clinics
MMHESS How do East Asian Nations negotiate traditional identity and globalization? This traveling studio, entitled “Manual of Mutant, Hybrid, Endangered, and Super Species,” was inspired by Atelier Bow Wow’s “Made in Toyko,” and sought to catalog the various ways in which traditional architecture in East Asia, or at least the appearance of it, is preserved in order to maintain a “Chinese-y” or “Japanese-y,” look, ostensibly for tourism and nationalistic pride. Yet, modern construction techniques belies the aged exterior, questioning its authenticity.
36 RETROFIT
Houhai Siheyuan, Beijing
Address: Houhai Beijyan, Beijing, PROC Year of First Construct: 2011 Use: Private Residence Preservation Status: Renovated per preservation zoing requirement Geneology: The old siheyuan was purchased by a wealthy foreigner who kept the roof of the siheyuan but gutted the entire structure. There is now a basement as well as a skylight covering the entire courtyard.
Scale 1/3,000
Original Structure
New Courtyard Glass Cover
Converted Garage
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
36 RETROFIT
Kinkakuji
Exhibition Hall, YuYuan, Shanghai
Address: Huangpu, Shanghai, PROC Year of First Construct: 1559 Use: Pleasure Garden, Exhibition Hall Preservation Status: UNESCO 1997 Geneology: Built by Pan Yunduan, a Ming administrative commisionner for the provice of Sichuan, rebuilt in the 19th century, refitted in the 20th century
Yongding-Men
Namdaemun Scale 1/3,000
Post-Condition
Exhibition Hall Major Reconstruction Restoration
Post-Condition
Exhibition Hall
Minor Restoration Architectural
Architectural
Economical
Economical
Historical
Historical
Social
Social
2011
First Construction Pre-Condition
1950
Pre-Condition
1900
The Double Shell Sub-strategy The Double Shell Sub-strategy
1500
500
36 RETROFIT 36 RETROFIT
Total Destruction Exhibition Hall
36 RETROFIT
Bukchon Hanok, Seoul
Address: Bukchon preservation district, Seoul, South Korea Year of First Construct: 2009 Use: Private Residence Preservation Status: Renovated per preservation zone requirement Geneology: The owner had grown up in the neighborhood when he was little but moved out. After retirement, he returned to the neighborhood, purchased a hanok, and renovated it with government subsidies and private funds. He changed the ondol system to a water heating system, moved the building, and renovated the courtyard.
The Keep-the-roof-and-install-new-structure-and-glass-pyramidThe Keep-the-roof-and-install-new-structure-and-glass-pyramidover-courtyard-so-you-destroy-the-siheyuan-idea-Sub-strategy over-courtyard-so-you-destroy-the-siheyuan-idea-Sub-strategy I. Original Structure
I. Original Structure II. Keeping the Roof
II. Keeping the III.Roof New Foundation Laid III. New IV. Foundation Installing Laid New Steel Structure IV. Installing New Steel Structure and Basement Dug and Basement Dug
Siheyuqan
Siheyuqan
Architectural
Architectural
Economical
Economical
Historical
Historical
Social
Social
Lake
Scale 1/3,000
Tai Hu Stone
Hanok
Cosmetic Repair and Systems Cosmetic Replacement Repair and sub-strategy Systems Replacement sub-strategy
Fallen Tile Exposed Rafters Wood for ondol Fallen Tile Exposed Rafters
Roof is Repaired Wood for ondol
Roof is Repaired
Hanok
Water Heater Replaces Ondol
Hanok
Water Heater Replaces Ondol
Architectural
Architectural
Economical
Economical
Historical
Historical
Social
Social
Flower Garden
Radiant Heating Radiant Heating Pipes Pipes House is Occupied House is Occupied Disused Hanok
Disused Hanok
Damaged Wall
Damaged Wall
Comparative Analysis Comparative Analysis
Windows Repaired and Walls Repainted Windows Repaired and Walls Repainted Old Ondol Location
Gradients of Preservation Gradients of Preservation
TOUR, BAHAMIAN IDENTITY How is identity formed? This project grew out of a week of ethnographic fieldwork spent on Long Island, the Bahamas. By looking at the subjectivities of young adults, who move from the family islands to the capital in order to find love and advance careers, against the changing nature of what it means to be “Bahamian� because of the globalized world, a program was proposed that would use a traveling theater as a means of promoting identity among children. Genealogies and geographic flows were both used in the analysis.
“TOUR” sites “TOUR” fellows can select their destination
“TOUR” Through the Family Islands, the blue is New Providence, (Nassau)
“TOUR” sites REGIONAL
THE FAMILY
FLOWS “TOUR” fellows can select their destination 80
70
60 SEAFOOD PRODUCE GROCERIES SOCIAL SERVICES YACHTS FLIGHTS C.S. HOUSEHOLD NASSAU’ER LI’ER
50
“TOUR” Through the Family Islands, the blue is New Providence, (Nassau) MEDICINE
40
30 T
20
10
0 LONG ISLAND
NASSAU
EUROPE
UNITED STATES
CONTESTED CONFIGURATION Are particular physical geographies prone to conflicts and violence? This mapping analysis looked at the Strait of Hormuz in order to analyze maximum volume of oil that can be transported through the narrow water passage way, given limited time, water lane width, and national maritime boundary discputes. Using GIS, Rhino, Illustrator, and AfterEffects, the project demonstrated how terrain profiles, international treaties, and oil transport technologies draw the inviolable bottom line in order to keep the oil supply solvent.
LA BELLA FIGURA How do we learn the spirit of the city? “La Bella Figura” was a street photography project conducted in four Italian Cities, Milan, Turin, Naples, and Rome. Vying for “thick description” of the photographic subject, the project presents the “style” for which Italians are renowned while suggesting further research into the contrasting relationship between fashion and culture in various cities on the Mediterannean peninsula.
TYPE & INFORMATION How do we graphically tell a story? This collection of images show cases poster design and information graphics, with a specific focus on organization structure and timeline visualization and analysis.
ANTHROS THANK YOU!
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Thanks for your interest and patience! I’m always looking for opportunities to research, work, or collaborate, especially in the fields of medicine, design, and anthropology / cultural research.
CONTACT 516.993.6188 cc735@cornell.edu www.acatalogofhabitualcontours.com 81 Centre Dr. Manhasset, NY 11030
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