PORTFOLIO
Ruiqi Bao Architecture M. Arch | B.Art of Arch 2018-2024 University of Pennsylvania Miami University
MULTIDISCIPLINARY COMMON Red Hook Urban Housing Studio - Fall 2023 Ruiqi Bao ARCH 601 Critic: Ben Krone | TA: Alexa Rojas University of Pennsylvania | Weitzman School of Design
My design intention is to create a multi-artistic residential design that would bring together artists from different backgrounds, cultures and ethnicities. Through the design functions of some public spaces, they can get more communication and get more artistic inspiration from each other. Design principles include cutting, separation, and sliding. This principle was used as the basis for the shape throughout the apartment section.
Design Diagrams I concentrated the apartments on the north and south sides of the original building so that they would have better views of the coastal landscape and respond to the street. Different colors represent different units, which are connected to each other and create more usable outdoor space. The core tubes are distributed on the east, west and middle of the building to ensure that people can easily reach the residence. In the schematic diagram of the unit, showing different apartments are designed differently using the same principles. Some are vertical lofts, and some are horizontal flat floors.
Building Plan
Two bridges spanning the apartments on both sides. The space on the bridge is used as a fitness and entertainment area.
Building Section & Elevation
Unit Plans & Chunck & Interior Perspective In the public area, there are flea markets and art exhibitions, bringing more opportunities for artists to integrate art and culture and communicate. A swimming pool was designed on part of the roof of the original building to facilitate residents' leisure and entertainment.
HARMONY PRISM Mid Res Mid Rise Studio - Spring 2024 Ruiqi Bao ARCH 602 Critic: Daniel Garcia University of Pennsylvania | Weitzman School of Design
The morphological design concept of the project is the stacking and embedding of blocks. Due to the constraints of the triangular site, adjusting the angles of the sides and corners of the box can make greater use of the site area and make the appearance more harmonious. The form is mainly composed of a huge "Table" one level above the ground, which carries the quadrilateral blocks stacked on top. To achieve a simpler and cleaner looking shape, we incorporated quadrilateral side angles that stack up without looking cluttered. The uppermost side box uses a pitched roof to make the building more designed and diverse.
Model in Site
Massing Diagrams
Function Diagram
Structural Analysis
Two commercial functions are set up on the first and fifth floors. The first floor features a gift shop and a coffee bar, and the fifth floor hosts another coffee bar to serve the needs of people on the upper and lower floors. The square box area above our "Table" is designated as the main exhibition area. The topmost sloping roof box is used for an indoor garden with educational purposes.
Plans
Ground Floor Plan
2nd Floor Plan
On the first floor, there are three concrete boxes which contain the entrance, and their tops are glazed, allowing the exhibition areas above to be seen online. The gift shop is strategically positioned in front of the entrance to enhance gift sales. The cafe bar is situated in a separate area on the south side and is designed not to obstruct the view of the exhibition. Four separate multi-gender restrooms are centrally located within the interior, offering increased privacy. On the south side, there is a fire escape staircase that leads from top to bottom, and in the lower right area is a uniquely designed staircase by us. The exterior of the building includes some outdoor display areas where art sculptures can be placed, along with seating spaces, which are intended to attract people from outside and enhance their viewing pleasure.
This plan is on the same floor as the "Table". The boundary between indoors and outdoors is clearly visible here. The indoor display area is mainly divided into two parts. On the north side, there is a movable strong display. These walls are movable, which increases the variety of items that can be displayed and allows the display size to be adjusted at will. In the south area, there is a fixed display wall, primarily used for displaying paintings. There are two entrances and exits to the "Table". The outdoor "Table" serves as a viewing and resting area and includes a small green space.
Section
Section Details
Section Details
The section view can effectively demonstrate the functional use of space. Considering the narrowing of space above, the display staircase features different variations in size and shape, yet maintains the same design language as the staircase downstairs. The metal pattern facade is situated above the concrete double T table. On the right, the educational interior garden is directly accessible from the top floor via a small staircase. Additionally, I have designed some double-height display areas where large sculptures can be showcased. Regarding the elevators, there are two in the design. One elevator, located on the left, leads directly to the top floor. The elevator on the right only reaches the 5th floor. This arrangement ensures that the top box is connected to the indoor garden. Furthermore, it enhances the privacy of the top box display area, making it suitable for special exhibitions.
Renderings
Wall Detail
Materials
I used transparent white glass, matte strip-shaped glass, and concrete materials for the building facade. The first floor and the fifth floor (rotating corner floor) function as cafes and souvenir shops. They use transparent white glass to allow people to see the activities inside clearly. The transparent glass on the fifth floor can also give people a sense of disconnection. Concrete material is used on the sloped roof to maximize the light transmission of the sloped glass roof at the top. The material in other areas is clear strip glass plus metal pattern mesh; the mesh pattern is inspired by rainbow signs, which maintains a sense of mystery and transparency at the same time.
The drainage systems on the first floor and the Double T Table are designed to optimize water management. Below the table is a concrete structure that supports the overall stability of the building. Above the Double T Table, massing timber is primarily used as the building's structural material. To enhance soundproofing within the interior, a 2.5-inch concrete layer is laid under the finish floor, coupled with 4-inch grid insulation b en eath the m as s in g tim b er. T he m ain s tru c tu ral suppo r ts are 12x12 gl ue- l ami nated w o o d co l umns. The building showcases a two-layer facade concept, which can be clearly visualized in this design. The interior layer consists of glass to provide clarity and visibility, while an external metal mesh adds a layer of sophistication and protection. Additionally, the fifth floor's outdoor area includes a specialized drainage system. Material differences are evident between the fifth-floor cafe area and the top-floor indoor garden. The fifth floor utilizes clear glass wrapping, offering unobstructed views and a sense of openness. In contrast, the top-floor indoor garden combines massing timber and concrete in its construction.
Physical Models
SEDIMENTARY LAND - URBAN SEED LAB Wetland Studio - Spring 2024 Group Work: Ruiqi Bao & Joyce Zhang ARCH 701 Critic: Simon Kim | TA: Logan Waver University of Pennsylvania | Weitzman School of Design
The Urban Seed Lab merges human and natural systems through a porous design that allows for the integration of water, air, plants, animals, and people, creating a dynamic urban ecosystem. It focuses on research and cultivation in spaces that foster natural growth and community engagement. This approach promotes harmony between human development and ecological processes, emphasizing coexistence and connectivity.
Materials
Clay in Architecture In agricultural civilization, people built structures to protect themselves from the wild, while in the avant-garde age, the emergence of brutalism featured materials and designs that disregarded nature. Nowadays, we are starting to build with concerns about sustainability, primarily focusing on how not to harm nature. Today, we present how nature can be created, nurtured, and form kinship with buildings and humans. The envelope serves as a connection between inside objects and outside nature.
In the plan, the envelope’s duality is evident through the contrasting zones of simplicity and decoration. The simple side features smooth, sharp-cut sur faces that align with low-density growing areas of the ball, minimizing plant growth and fostering clarity and control. In contrast, the decorative side emphasizes organic complexity, with textured surfaces and patterns shaped by high-density vegetation.
The section underscores how the envelope’s materiality and form shift in response to the ball’s growing densities, visually and functionally blending architecture with nature through its contrasting ver tical treatments.
Baloona Wetland
The Ballona Wetlands near Los Angeles represent a synthetic reconstruction of a natural wetland, altered by urban development. Today's wetland is the result of restoration efforts that reintroduce native plants like pickleweed and saltgrass, construct artificial waterways, and manage ecosystems to mimic natural processes. These efforts transform the area into a managed environment that both preserves and simulates its original ecological functions, exemplifying synthetic nature.
Urban Seed Lab
The contrast between simplicity and ornamentation reflects the dichotomy between humanity and nature. The bar serves as a symbolic element mediating this relationship. In exploring its representation, we considered various design approaches: a cohesive, unifying form, a straight and rigid structure, or a fragmented and adaptive one. Ultimately, we maintained the gesture of a bar while introducing porosity, allowing water, plants, animals, and humans to move through it. This permeability has the potential to dissolve the perceived dichotomy, fostering harmonious integration between human and natural systems.
Urban Seed Lab Development
Seeds Research
Urban Seed Lab Plan
Section Diagrams
Renderings
The interaction between smaller geometries and the site creates varied microenvironments, enabling diverse plant growth by accommodating different soil conditions, water retention, sunlight exposure, and spatial opportunities for vegetation.
Urban Seed Lab Section
Renderings
Physical Models and Rendering
SOUL RESONANCE Water | Ice | Fog
Philadelphia Museum Gallery and Public Boathouse - Fall 2022 Individual Work ARCH 501 Critic: Laia Mogas-Soldevila University of Pennsylvania | Weitzman School of Design
The starting point of the design is based on three forms of water, water, ice and fog. With an ultra-modern feeling, it gives people an immersive experience that heals the soul. The exhibition section of the building is intended for a number of therapeutic artists to display their work. People who enter the building will have different emotions according to different light and shadow, different art, game experience, etc., and can vent, relax and enjoy. The combination of ship elements and game healing art forms a sharp contrast with the classic architecture and art next to it.
67ft
51ft
34ft
18ft
20’
10’
1’
20’
10’
1’
20’
10’
1’
20’
10’
1’
20’
10’
1’
CONSTRUCTION PROJECT BY BIM Indivisual Construction Design - Spring 2023 Ruiqi Bao ARCH 532 University of Pennsylvania | Weitzman School of Design This project is based on a simple block design and uses BIM to draw a comprehensive set of construction work drawings, which include commercial and office functions.
BREAD EXTENSION Carol Hill Relief - Spring 2023 Individual Work ARCH 502 Critic: Ezio Blasetti University of Pennsylvania | Weitzman School of Design
According to the observation of different butters added in the production of croissants, different production methods, different milk and other raw materials, the inner layers of the produced croissants have irregular and different sizes of cut surfaces. Take this as a conceptual starting point to explore how the cut surface texture of croissants or other breads can ingeniously combine with architectural shape and spatial distribution.
RELIEFS
GEOMETIC CATALOG & PROGRAM DIAGRAM
GEOMETIC CATALOG & MASSING STUDIES
Entrance
Stores
Entrance
Entrance
Stores
Stores
Viewing point
Viewing point
Entrance
Stores Entrance Entrance
73'
46'
20'
Leisure Harbor Landmark Design Architecture Indivisual Work February, 2021
Over the centuries, many adventurous events have occurred in the harbor. The harbor has a different seaside culture from other places, and it also has the sun and sand that people love. However, they are always far away from cultural centers and are easily overlooked by people. Marina di Loano is an ancient port, but even today, just like in the past and the sailor era, the surrounding residents still need to live a prosperous life through the port. People's lives can be enriched by building landmark harbor buildings, and the city's economy can be developed through tourism.
FOREST
AY
LOCATION ANALYSIS
Marina di Loano is a modern tourist port located in Liguria, Italy. The Loano area is located on the coast of Riviera delle Palme, between the towns of Pietra Ligure and Borghetto Santo Spirito. Loano is made up of piers, seagulls, colorful stucco and palm trees, dotted with a vast coast, stretching for miles from Cannes to Portofino. Loano is one of the most beautiful piers in Italy. The port is not only the infrastructure for navigation, but also the soul. The climate in this area is Mediterranean. Compared with other regions, the climate in Loano is very favorable because the region is less affected by winds in the northern quadrant.
HI
GH W
CHURCH
HARBOUR Monthly Average Sun Hours and Days Average Sun Hours (Graph for Marina Di Bibbona)
Monthly Average Temperature
TIMELINE OF HISTORY
December
October
November
0 September
80
0 July
8
Average Rainfall days
8
1970
1938
In the autumn of 1938, the retired engineer and naval engineer General Filippo Bonfiglietti presented his initial project to build a "fishing port" in Loano, and did all the necessary work to obtain the relevant permits from the local authorities.
5
160
10
August
2020
2021
240
20
May
2020
10
320
30
June
2018
2019
13
40
April
2018
13
12
10
400
February
2016
2017
16
December
2016
16
October
2014
2015
20
November
2012
2014
14
12
24 20
19
July
2010
2013
11
10
May
2012
15
23
15
June
2011
17
April
2010
19
20
March
TOWN
2009
22
January
TRAIN STATION
24
25
27
50
Sun Hours
+200mm
27
February
+400mm
Temperature (ºc)
30
September
Average Rainfall Amount (mm) (Graph for Marina Di Bibbona)
January
Average Temperature (ºc) (Graph for Marina Di Bibbona)
March
Yearly Average Rainfall Amount and Days
August
SITE
1959
The port built in the 1960s is about the same size as the largest port planned by Bonfiglietti. It was built when Loano fishing became less and less important.
In the 70s, many floating piers were built, and the port can now accommodate 450 ships of different types and sizes, which was impossible 40 years ago. There are also more ships and better quality.
2011
The Marina was completed in 2011 and is now open all year round. Marina di Loano can accommodate large boats up to 65 meters long and offers many elegant facilities.
DESIGN STRATEGY Local Seaside Activities
Architectural Strategy
Utilized of Seaside Features
Seaside Elements Wave
Sound
Wind
Fog
Moist
Salt
History
Landscape
Marine Life
Plants
Adventure
Unknown
Tourism
Shopping
Foods
Ferry
Sports
Partys
Ocean Culture
Architecture Fuction
Coastal Economic
ARCHITECTURAL INTENTION
History and Culture
Shopping and Memento
Dining and Relaxation
Sports and Entertainment
Block A
Block B
Block C
Block D
SITE PLAN N
100 ft 0 ft
300 ft 200 ft
500 ft 400 ft
PERSPECTIVE
Block D Sports & Entertainment Centre Block C Catering Centre Spacial Corridor Block B Commercial Centre Block A Seaside History Museum
Square
SECTION
49ft 34ft
34ft
34ft
34ft
16ft
16ft
16ft
16ft 0ft
40ft 20ft
80ft 60ft
100ft
FUNCTION ANALYSIS & RENDERINGS
Glass roof
Exhibition
Restaurant
Restroom
2
Staircase
Block B Outdoor Rendering
Reception
Resting Place Restrooms
Staircase
1
Stores
Block A: Seaside History Museum
3
Block C: Catering Centre
Stores
对应效果图
Restrooms
Staircase Souvenir shop
1
Block A Indoor Rendering
2
Block B: Commercial Centre
3
Block C Indoor Rendering
BLOCK D PLAN & RENDERINGS 2
1
3
Block D: Sports & Entertainment Centre
3
1st Floor
2
4
5
4
6
Corridor: Rest & Cool off 5
2nd Floor
8
8
2
7 9
3nd Floor
1
CAFE & BAR
4
GYM
7
2
RESTROOMS
5
LOCKER ROOM
8
KTV ROOM
3
REST AREA
6
9
BILLIARD ROOM
STORAGE
TABLE TENNIS ROOM
Clifton Library Functional Building Design Architecture Indivisual Work May, 2020
Clifton is a city located to the north of Cincinnati, Ohio. A large number of residents live here. The purpose of the design is to make people's lives easier. This is a multifunctional library where people can not only read, read, learn, but also do business, catering, and organize events. As the average age of the city is relatively low, the library is designed mainly for young and middle-aged people.
BACKGROUND
SITE ANALYSIS
Theater
Shops
Market Clifton Library 1880-1890 Clifton community Residential and Shops Parking Hospital
1870 University of Cincinnati Public Research University
1911 Burnet Woods Park Fountain Green space breathes the city
Public Building Analysis Green Space
University
1880-1890 Clifton,Cincinnati Wide residential area
1878 Cincinnati Music Hall National Historic Landmark
Public Space Analysis 2003 Great American Ball Park opens
1866 John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge built Located at the junction of Ohio River between Ohio and Kentucky
Residential Area
Residential Area
1788 Cincinnati city built Economic and Cultural Center the largest metropolitan area in Ohio Cincinnati Demographics-2021
16k
Cincinnati Over 25 Education Less Than 9th Grade
14k
3%
12k 10k 8k
MALE
Associates Degree
6k
9th to 12th Grade
2k POPULATION
0 0 2k 4k
FEMALE
6k 8k 10k 12k 14k 16k
8%
Cincinnati Average Age
4k
0
25
50
100
AGE
ALL
32.2
9%
MALE
31.2
Graduate Degree
High School Graduate
24%
16% FEMALE 33.2
Bachelors Degree
21% Some College
19%
Traffic and Sun Analysis
BIRD VIEW MODEL
DESIGN GENERATION Main Area
Connecting Parking to Building
Staircases & Parking
More Functional Space
Height difference solves high space
360° City View
SECTION 1-1
87ft Cafe & Restaurant
Cafe & Restaurant
72ft cafe
Study Rooms
57ft Study Area
Reading Area
Study Area
42ft Class Room
Meeting Room
27ft Audience
12ft
Lobby
9 ft 0 ft
10 ft 0 ft
30 ft 20 ft
50 ft 40 ft
FLOOR PLAN
FUNCTION ANALYSIS
N
1 1st Floor Entrance and Exit
Restaurant
Function Rooms 1
Basement Entrance and Exit
Open Staircase
Storage
Study Space
Reading Area Class Room
10ft 0ft
20ft
30ft
50ft 40ft
Conference Room
Study Space Function Rooms
TRAFFIC CIRCULATION
Audience Parking Area
Indoor and outdoor motor vehicle flow lines
Indoor and outdoor pedestrian circulation
PLANS
INDOOR RENDERINGS
1
2nd Level Floor
3rd Level Floor
2
10ft 0ft
20ft
30ft
50ft 40ft
5th Level Floor
DETAIL DRAWING
OUTDOOR RENDERINGS
Waterproof layer Parapet cover Glass drop pendant Insulation
Reinforced Concrete Insulation
Transparent glass
Metal plate
Floor finish
Insulation Galvanized angle steel Glass drop pendant
Glass drop pendant
Tempered glass
Glass card slot
Detail Dawing Place
Glass card slot
NATURE LIVING Timber Architecture Design Mass Timber Studio - Spring 2022 Individual Work ARCH 402 Miami university, Oxford
I used the local natural environment as inspiration, combined with the concept of green architecture as my design guidelines. The rhythmic boxes are arranged upwards like mountains, echoing the hilly landscape of Atlanta. At the same time, I also used the mountain, which is surrounded by forests like a pearl, as our inspiration, hoping that the overall building would give the public a respite from the busy traffic lanes around.
Garden View
View from Indoor to Outside
Surrealist community Conceptual Community Design Architecture Indivisual Work November, 2020
Surrealism is one of the most influential art movements of the 20th century. Its influence in literature and visual arts is still everywhere today. In this project, I used surrealism as an inspiration, starting from the original fragmented information with the predecessor of surrealism, combined with various problems in society as a reflection, to reorganize and develop a surrealist community. It is a perfect community of conceptual abstraction that can accept and tolerate all kinds of marginal figures in society. The community contains five buildings, which represent people's pursuit of housing, food, art, entertainment, and memorial.
DADA POETRY Surrealism originated from the careful thinking of Dadaism. Dadaism mainly opposes inherent rules. Artists will break the inherent habits and rules and use different methods to create new art. I used Dada poetry to cut the words I saw in the newspaper into pieces and put them together to form my poem. Then use the meaning of poetry as I understand to create a drawing.
The half-open door cannot be seen clearly behind it represents some things in society that cannot be on the stage, people's discrimination and unfair treatment. The small person in the middle holds the human heart in his hand, which represents people's various pressures, including mental pressure, social pressure, self-doubt, facial anxiety, and work anxiety. The tower is an expression of death, and people nowadays tend to be pessimistic about death.
POETRY EXPRESSION
MOOD BOARD
DESIGN CONCEPT
Humans are social creatures. People in society now generally have some psychological problems.They will also feel physically and mentally exhausted. People are under various pressures from birth, from childhood parents and family, schoolwork, work, interpersonal relationships, love, education, etc. At the same time, there are phenomena such as unfair treatment, herd mentality, moral kidnapping, privacy exposure, and death fear. Human nature and society are inseparable, and people are often forced to become what they are now because of the current society.
SITE PLAN The appearance of fractal is random and natural. If you zoom in on the fractal image, you will find many repetitive and regular patterns. The community does not exist completely at random. In order to avoid being as rigid as the traditional Founder community, the distribution of fractal as the community will make the community naturally random and regular.
step 1
step 2
step 3
ART GALLERY
Civilization
Unlimited Emotion Social Connection
History
Creation
Education
Art
Culture
Expression
In a surrealist community, people no longer have social restrictions, and people's thinking will be more flexible and jumping. The entire building is enclosed in a ring, and diversified curvilinear elements are added, making the building no longer a dull box, but a flowing artwork. The works in the art exhibition area release the spiritual world of surrealist artists.
HOUSING
Marginalized people
Freedom
Be squeezed out
Self-affirmation
Negative
Positive
Psychological frustration
Focus
Be blamed
Self-attention
The curly shape of the building means that marginalized residents can pay more attention to and accept themselves without any restrictions. The curly shape of the housing faces the other facilities of the community, allowing them to immerse themselves in this surreal world and ignore the comments of the outside world.
ENTERTAINMENT
Combine
Get-together
Diversification
Amusement
Cheerful
Naivety
The building can be not only solid, but also hollow and diverse. People vent their inner emotions through various entertainment activities. This building gathers many functions that seem impossible in reality to be adjacent to each other in the same building, making the whole building a large upright amusement park.
MONUMENT
CAFE Relationship
Hight
Complexity
Overlook
Together
Food
Separate
Satisfy
Independence Death
Self-reliance
Reception
This community does not exclude death, but actively faces and respects it. The shape of the death memorial tower coils from the bottom, and people can also walk from the tower to the top at the same time, which means that people slowly move from the world to heaven. The height of the tower allows people to see the entire community on the tower.
Everyone is an island on the road of life. Each coffee bean building represents an independent and relatively private space. Dining can bring happiness to people, and people can get along or be alone in the building more freely and casually.
Night & White day Photos
SOAP FACTORY
A conceptual scheme is designed by superimposing irregular shapes. The main focus is on the expression of drawings and the production of 3D printing models.
Independent Work September, 2022 ISOMETRIC PHOTOGRAMMETRY
SILOUETTE DRAWING OF CONTAINER WITH CAST
Soap Box
Translucent Soap
Sphere Support
Column Through out the Soap
ISOMETRIC LINE DRAWING
ANALYSIS DRAWINGS
Soap 1
Soap 4 Soap 2
Soap 3
Front View
Top View
Right View
Transit Hub Shelter
Hamilton Housing
Studio work October, 2019 Indivisual Handmade Work
Studio work December, 2019 Indivisual Handmade work
This is an open train station design. The design purpose is to neatly link the train station and the bus station on the basis of not destroying the terrain and the existing trees as much as possible. The shape of the site is a triangle. All requirements need to follow ADA.
Design a housing complex based on the given terrain discribution. Design ten units, incude 3 of one bedroom units, 5 of two bedrooms units, and 2 of three bedrooms units in the speci ied area.
A space for Contemplation
Clifton Plaza Studio work May. 2019 Indivisual Handmade work
Studio work October, 2018 Indivisual Handmade work
Renovation design was carried out at Clifton Plaza in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. Need to meet the needs of local people for stage performances and mobile bar in the plaza. This is an actual project, which was finally reported to the investor.
Design a device that allows people to rest in the empty grassy park of Miami University.
Gathering Place for a Crowd Artist's Apartment Studio work May, 2019 Indivisual Handmade work Designed their own studios and exhibition areas and their apartments for the two artists on a rectangular site in Downtone, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Studio work December, 2018 Indivisual Handmade work
Design an outdoor site for the entertainment of school students on the green venue in Miami University, so that people can hold some outdoor activities and stage performances on it. It also includes some rest areas, dining areas, and restrooms for students.
T h a n k Yo u
Ruiqi Bao baorq24@gmail.com