fuzziness The word ‘fuzziness’ describes a spatial condition where there’s an indistinct yet luminous atmosphere achieved by the interaction between different lighting strategies and materials. In Louis Kahn’s buildings, it is conveyed by the atrium and concrete walls, which serves as architectural metaphor and mystery; in James Turrell’s artworks with LEDs or skylights and enclosed walls, it becomes more of an illusion; in Alvaro Siza ‘s architecture, interplay between side/top lighting and reflective white walls creates sublime religious and spiritual experience. In these works, untouchable light meets the touchable material, and the two architectural elements being combined, magically introduce nuanced “fuzzy space” for diverse perceptive experience. Inspired by these precedents, my portfolio concentrates on how this quality of ‘fuzziness’ in space could be introduced to healthcare, sustainability and human perception.
01 crafting light
architectural design academic / individual work
02 white forest
architectural design academic / group work
03 translucency/transparency architectural design academic / group work
01 crafting light
arch 202 option studio | UC Berkeley | Spring 2020 academic/individual work instructor: Raveevarn Chokosombatchai(rloom@berkeley.edu) Luisa Caldas(lcaldas@berkeley.edu) site: Berkeley, CA
The goal of this project is to explore a special top lighting strategy and its variations for a sensory healing place for children with autism spectrum disorder. For example, in one of the programs for the project, in a hot healing pool an inverted table hung in the ceiling introduced diffused light and highly reflective concrete walls bounced the natural light to create a bright yet softly lit space for patients to meditate and relax while in the pool. In addition, the center is intended to explore innovative continuum of care and to unlock each individual’s full potential for lifelong learning and fulfillment with a focus on life skills and job training, together with sensory healing. The center is intended to create synergies between special education and innovative research program in Autistic Spectrum Disorder while providing points of interactions with the surrounding community, specifically UC Berkeley Campus and the Bay Area at large.
precedent study
galicia center for contemporary art by Alvaro Siza
Inspired by Alvaro Siza’s design to create a wonderful diffused light environment, especially the inverted table design to diffuse light, this project explores light quality it and its variations create in different programs. The diffused light environment relies on the interaction between the skylight, walls and the table device, designed in consideration of its height from the floor, the width, length and the material. Thus, the precedent study explores different light qualities in a (20 x 20 ft) standard box with nuanced dimensions and materials of the table and the skylight.
standard
double height
triple height
skylight size skylight size
table size table size
table height table reflection rate
table reflection rate wall reflection rate
wall reflection rate
desirable combinations
table aperture
desirable combinations
variations from the precedent
original design direct light environment
target illuminance: bright (> 500 lux)
diffuse light environment
target illuminance: soft (100 - 300 lux)
variations double height spaces with the occupiable table occupiable table
occupiable table with an aperture
target illuminance: soft (100 - 300 lux)
target illuminance: normal (300 - 500 lux)
variations triple height spaces with the occupiable table occupiable table
occupiable table with an aperture
target illuminance: dim (< 100 lux)
target illuminance: soft (100 - 300 lux)
design strategy In order to create a diffuse light environment in the interior, the special top lighting strategy is combined with several normal top/side lighting strategies. For example, in the site, the big triangular volume is cut out to form a large atrium. Shear walls, acting as shading devices, with tall narrow openings on the facades are for side lighting. On the roof, several small skylights indicate the openings for inverted table devices. Programs in the building are classified into 4 categories according to different illuminance targets. Aside from top lighting, some programs are mixed with different side lighting strategies to make up for the additional light requirements. Specifically, the ratios - (% glass area / floor area) are carefully calculated to ensure the areas of glass each program needs.
concept evolution
bas relief of site oblique (9.a.m in summer)
south facade facing Durant Avenue (12.p.m in summer)
programs with target illuminance ranges
normal light environment (300 - 500 lux)
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first floor 12. p.m in summer 1 vocational training room 2 music practice room 3 quiet room 4 music therapy room 5 public theater 6 kitchen
1 vocational training room I 1 vocational training room II light type: mix light light type: mix light strategy: side lighting strategy: side lighting soft light environment (100 -300 lux)
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2 music practice room light type: diffuse light strategy: side lighting 6
dim light environment (< 100 lux)
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3 quiet room light type: diffuse light strategy: side lighting
4 music therapy room light type: diffuse light strategy: side lighting
5 public theater light type: mix light strategy: mixed
6 kitchen light type: mix light strategy: mixed
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Durant Avenue
normal light environment (300 - 500 lux)
bancroft way 1
second floor 12. p.m in summer
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1 vocational training room 2 music practice room 3 quiet room 4 music therapy room 5 public theater 6 kitchen
1 cafeteria light type: mix light strategy: side lighting
2 changing + locker light type: mix light strategy: mixed
soft light environment (100 -300 lux) 3
2
3 quiet room light type: diffuse light strategy: top lighting
dim light environment (< 100 lux) 4
5
Durant Avenue
4 hot healing pool light type: diffuse light strategy: top lighting
5 cool healing pool light type: mix light strategy: mixed
the atrium 12.p.m in summer The atrium is a space taking up five floors for direct light. It is also the main light source to light up the whole building, especially for the basement floor, where some dim light spaces can obtain additonal light. The atrium also helps stack ventilation for the building.
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third floor 12. p.m in summer
normal light environment (300 - 500 lux)
1 clinic room 2 lounge room 3 gallery 4 art studio
1 clinic room light type: mix light strategy: side lighting
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2 lounge room light type: mix light strategy: side lighting
soft light environment (100 - 300 lux)
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1
3 gallery light type: mix light strategy: mixed
4 art studio light type: mix light strategy: mixed
normal light environment (300 - 500 lux)
fourth floor 12. p.m in summer 1 changing room for studio 2 office 3 lounge room for staff 4 public community room 5 open community room
1 changing room for studio light type: diffuse light strategy: side lighting
2 office light type: diffuse light strategy: side lighting
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3 lounge room for staff light type: diffuse light strategy: side lighting
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bright light environment (> 500 lux) 5
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4 public community room light type: direct light strategy: top lighting
5 open community room light type: direct light strategy: top lighting
the cool healing pool 12.p.m in summer The cool healing pool is a triple height space with an inverted table in the ceiling to diffuse light. Due to high reflections of walls and the table, the bounced natural light forms a light pattern surrounding the table.
light quality in sections 1 public theater 2 cafeteria 3 art studio 4 changing room for art studio 5 quiet room 6 music practice room 7 music practice room
The section perspective shows the programs around the light well and their light qualities according to the time during the day. We can clearly see the transition from dim light to bright light in a building with soft and normal light environment in the middle. In addition, light patterns during the day are nuanced. In typical time (9. a.m, 12. a.m, 15.a m) differnt programs present their best light qualities respectively.
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short section through area of light well 15. p.m in summer
public theater with sufficient diffuse light 9. p.m in summer
bright light well 12. p.m in summer
quiet room with decent diffuse light 15. p.m in summer
the quiet room 15.p.m in summer The quiet room is a space taking up four floors. With an opening on the top, people will experience different light patterns in different time.
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section bas-relief through healing pool area 12. p.m in summer 1 gallery 2 changing room for man 3 changing room for women 4 kitchen 5 open community room for staff 6 hot healing pool 7 public community room 8 cool healing pool 9 vocational training room
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section bas-relief through art studio 12. p.m in summer 1 art studio 2 cafeteria 3 reception area 4 music therapy room 5 quiet room
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the hot healing pool 12.p.m in summer The hot healing pool is a triple height space with an inverted table on the ceiling to diffuse light as well. Due to high reflections of walls and the table, the light forms a light pattern surrounding the table. With the help of vapors, the space is really soft and bright without seeing sharp outlines.
02 white forest
arch 249 special topics in the physical environment | UC Berkeley | Fall 2020 Xin Zhou, Virginia Wong(MLA), Clare Witri(MLA) instructor: Luisa Caldas(lcaldas@berkeley.edu) site: San Francisco, CA role: cell structures analysis and tranformation into design process daylighting strategies, especially tube cluster and density analysis material research, visualization and diagrams interior spaces design iteratively according to simulations all the renderings for exterior and interior ventilation strategy research, design and diagrams
The goal of this project is to create a light condenser that allows visitors to get exposed to high light levels that our biology requires for circadian health. In the design, the aggregation of tubs with different densities, materials and sizes enables various levels of light penetration into the interior. The winter space (facing south) consists of larger tubes hanging off of the ceiling with more transparent material, which visitors will experience direct sunlight that can warm up the space despite the low temperature outside. The summer space (facing north), on the other side, receives only diffuse light by using less transparent material and denser aggregation of tubes. The finer tubes at eye-level provide a new experience to visitors. The material used creates layers that visitors might get lost and redirected.
design strategy Inspired by the cell organization and structure from plants, tube clusters with density are used to imitate the cell structure and as top lighting strategies on the roof. Tubes are shading devices to provide different light environments according to the material and density gradient. material gradient
pure glass
PMMA visual transmittance: 85% visual transmissivity: 92%
PMMA visual transmittance: 66% visual transmissivity: 61%
PMMA visual transmittance: 62% visual transmissivity: 53%
transparency
fiber reflectance: rho = 0.2
opaque
functions
structure
shading device/light
shading device/ventilation
seats
flowy fiber
cluster types
selected type
cluster density
height differences of the cluster according to density and material gradient
fibers at the perimeter
The analysis and drawings on this whole page are credited to Xin Zhou.
design evolution
a standard box(L:150ft, W:100ft, H:60ft)
partition in the middle
partition in the summer space
density and material gradient
boolean operation
occupiable spaces
material gradient in elevation winter space
PMMA visual transmittance: 85% visual transmissivity: 92%
summer space
PMMA visual transmittance: 66% visual transmissivity: 61%
PMMA and fiber visual transmittance: 62% visual transmissivity: 53% translucency
transparency
perspective view: 9:00 a.m/6.21
design strategy Due to boolean operations, the interior spaces are complicated yet interesting. Thus, plans on different heights are dynamic, fluid and different. The winter space is closed off and the summer space is open. The glass in the middle with an entrance door divides two spaces and also hides the door so that it will not be pronunced. Because the winter space is covered by glass, which forms green effect, ventilation is really important. We designed glass louvers at the bottom of the south facade and operable windows on the roof as a stack ventilation strategy to enable air flow. For the furniture, different from tubes going downwards from the roof, seats are inversely growing from the ground to keep the same formal language.
The exploded diagrams on the left are credited to Clare Ai Witri and the drawings on the right page are credited to Xin Zhou.
circulation on the ground floor
ventilation
site plan
summer space from the outside: 12:00 p.m/6.21
simulation
9 - points illuminance matrix 9. a.m
12. p.m
16. p.m
6.21
9.21
12.21
useful daylight illuminance (500 - 30000 lux)
500 lux 94.19% of time occupied
750 lux 92.32% of time occupied
1000 lux 89.93% of time occupied
3000 lux 67.86% of time occupied
15000 lux 30.87% of time occupied
20000 lux 26.52% of time occupied
25000 lux 22.73% of time occupied
30000 lux 19.13% of time occupied
daylight factor with different bins for summer space
for winter space
5000 lux 53.55% of time occupied
10000 lux 37.46% of time occupied
9 -points illuminance matrix is for winter space with direct sunlight. In the rendering, we can clearly see different light patterns according to different time. In addition, we used UDI simulation to see if the light condenser could meet high-level sunlight requirement at different bins. It is surprising that even if in the range between 15000 - 30000 lux, the occupied time can still maintain 20% in average, which is satisfactory. In daylight factor sumulations, we used different scale to see the values in the summer space and the winter space respectively. The result is desirable that mean daylight factor is around 3-5 in the summer space with diffused light.
UDI and DF Simulations are credited to Clare Ai Witri and Virginia Wong. 9 - point illuminance matrix is credited to Xin Zhou.
space quality
the winter space/12. p.m/12.21
the summer space/15. p.m/6.21
Renderings are credited to Xin Zhou.
03 translucency/transparency
arch 203 integrated studio | UC Berkeley | Fall 2020 Xin Zhou, Claire Jang instructor: Roddy Creedon(creedon@berkeley.edu) site: San Francisco, CA role: material research, visualization and diagrams the massing study, design evolutions and modelling interior and exterior renderings section perspective modelling and visualization mechanical and structure system analysis lighting and ventilation strategies
The goal of this project is to create an open space that percolates to its urban surrounding, a space that draws civic engagement by announcing the communal activities that take place within. Externally, the project uses transparency and translucency to make spaces seen, unseen, or in-between. The seen activities such as basketball courts, exercise rooms, and gallery are transparent; the unseen activities like locker rooms, restrooms, clinic and office areas are translucent; and operable multi-use spaces are in a transitional state between the two. Internally, the main stair acts as an element that link users across various programs, uniting scattered volumes into a sequential experience.
material research white concrete
marble
reflective panel
mesh
perforated panel
frost glass
channel glass
mesh
perforated panel
frost glass
channel glass
low reflection glass
concept evolution
reflective concrete
high reflection kapilux
natural light
transparency glass
translucency kapilux
artificial light
transparency
translucency
mas
seen space unseen space in-between space seen space for public seen space for stairs
ssing study
c
material gradient The primary interest is how gradient of translucency could be assigned to programming, in order to show different degrees of visibility. Thus, several glass or mixed materials are investigated according to their physical properties. We used rendering method to look at their effects during the day and at night when artificial light is on. In addition, we also researched on opaque materials and their reflection gradient, which are really important in forming interior spaces.
design strategy The primary ways we tried to manifest these interests in the project are developing vocabularies of seen, unseen and in-between space by different gradient of translucency and using stair as an element to unit these spaces into a sequential experience. The seen spaces are all double height spaces scattered in the building and unseen spaces are single height. In order to engage with the public, we also have a street basketball court for civic use.
Material research, massing study and rendering are credited to Xin Zhou. Design evolution is credited to Claire Jang.
site analysis The project is called municipal condenser, a multi-program urban building in San Francisco that is a hybrid of various municipal infrastructure projects that are typically undertaken as discrete programs and independent buildings. Broadly, these programs include recreation and athletic programs, community health and welfare programs, and arts and education programs. The site is an empty lot on the West side of Brady Street, between Stevenson and Colton Street. Brady Street is a small alley within the area identified as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the hubâ&#x20AC;? by the SF Planning Department, but is currently disassociated from any of the neighborhoods that surround it. Thus, the goal of the design is to create an public space that connects to its urban surrounding, a space that draws civic engagement by announcing the communal activities that take place within.
site oblique rendering is credited to Claire Jang
street perspective rendering during the day is cerdited to Xin Zhou
mechanical system
duct system sprinkler system radiation floor system
structure system
column and beam system bracing sytem for lateral force truss system for two courts
in - between space
small and large classrooms with bi-fold doors in the interior and casement window at the perimeter
seen space
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double height spaces 1 basketball court (5F) 2 exercising room (3F) 3 gallery (2F) 4 lobby (1F) 5 street basketball court (1F) 6 light well
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unseen space
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single height spaces 1 locker + changing room (5F) 2 yoga room (3F) 3 clinic (2F) 4 office (2F)
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The drawing on this page is credited to Xin Zhou.
first floor 1 lobby area 2 big open stair 3 street basketball court 4 egress stair 5 loading dock 6 service room 7 mechanical room 8 restroom 9 elevator
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basketball court
The plan drawings are credited to Claire Jan
second floor 1
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t on the top floor
ng and the rendering is credited to Xin Zhou.
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1 gallery 2 small balcony 3 egress stair 4 office 5 big open stair 6 restroom 7 elevator 8 screening room 9 waiting area in clinic 10 clinic office 11 small balcony 12 storage room 13 restroom in clinic
third floor
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1 big open stair 2 yoga room 3 stair in the light well 4 small classroom 5 exercising room
5 3 2
locker + cha
The plan drawings are credited to Claire Jan
anging room
ng and the rendering is credited to Xin Zhou.
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fourth floor 1 big classroom 2 small classroom 3 small classroom 4 mutiuse room 5 stair in the light well 6 mezzanine of the exercising room
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1 lobby 2 street basketball court 3 gallery 4 open stairs 5 screening room 6 exercising room 7 small classroom 8 changing + locker 9 basketball court
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1 roof garden 2 light well 3 locker + changing 4 small classroom 5 small classroom 6 screening room 7 street basketball court
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section A-A
section B-B
The section drawings are credited to Claire Jang and th
section perspective
duct system stair access the roof mesh ceiling
changing room ceiling structure reflective aluminum panel sprinkler system casement window small classroom bi-fold doors furniture rear stair with color gradient fixture mesh ceiling structure for stairs 3â&#x20AC;? metal deck protected beam system channel glass
radiation floor system truss basketball hoop mesh panel on the wall
elevator
A
C
B
A
ventilation and shading strategies 1
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C
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1 basketball court 2 multiuse room 3 small classroom 4 yoga room 5 office 6 gallerry 7 mechanical room 8 lobby
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section C-C
he section perspective rendering is credited to Xin Zhou.
perforated panel
pure glass operable glass window
translucent casement window
translucent gardrail
Apart from cross ventilation horizontally, the light well is the main vent for stack ventilation. Top floor basketball is also using stack ventilation stategy with big openings on the roof. The skylight lights up the space through these reflective surfaces to create a diffuse light environment. Similarly, For seen space with double height space, such as gallery ,we have perforated metals on the outside as shading devices to avoid direct sunlight.
Work in collaboration with Claire Jang for th
he drawings and Claire Jang finshed for final.
building system
translucency gradient on the facade
unseen clinic space
in - between multiuse space
seen gallery
9 points illumi 9. a.m
12. p
6.21
9.21
12.21
Interior spaces enrich different levels of transluce like the light well area, the ceiling is covered wi system in the ceiling, whereas for unseen space lik everything. In addition to polycarbonate materia provide more gradie
light
The rendering and 9-point illumian
inance matrix
p.m
16. p.m
ency by adding more materials. For seen program ith mesh so that people can see the mechanical ke locker room, the opaque reflective panels hide al, frost glass in locker and channel glass for clinic ent for translucency.
well
nce matrix are credited to Xin Zhou.