becky chen
d e s i g n p o r t f o l i o
graduate work: university of illinois
waterfront development chicago, il
graduate work: university of illinois
uiuc observatory urbana, il
graduate work: university of illinois
traveler’s inn nsw, australia
contents
personal + travels
sketches
professional work: olbn architectural service
hud lobby renovations washington, dc
professional work: olbn architectural service
hhh signage washington, dc
professional work: olbn architectural service
apartment 17D new york, new york
ns ai m ou nt ue bl the goal of this project was to design a traveler’s inn on a site chosen from the national register of historic places. the first phase of the project included lengthy research about the site. the site i chose was l ocated in the greater blue mountain region in new south wales, australia. the inn is situated on a plateau in the jamison valley. the site is located in very mild weather, with summers ranging from 59f - 77f and winters ranging from 37f - 54f. one of the goals of the project was to create an inn that is suitable for the site, and is respectful of the land it sits on.
blue mountain inn greater blue mountains, nsw, australia
university of illinois urbana-champaign | design studio fall 2012 | professor james warfield | duration: 16 weeks
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site plan
the plateau is covered in the eucalyptus tree, which can be found only in australia. one of the goals is for the travelers to be immersed and feel connected to the tree. the blue mountain inn allows travelers to experience the eucalyptus from all aspects of the design.
30�x30� physical site model
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pavilion plan
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pavilion section
the room iterations
the blue mountains is still inhabitated by aboriginals who have a deep connection with their land. it was important for my design to be non-intrusive and be respectful of nature. i wanted to respect the eucalyptus trees and create an experience where people can meander through the woods of eucalyptus trees. the second phase of the project was to create a site plan, as well as a site model. the program included 24 rooms and a lobby area. i decided to create 24 separate rooms to keep the rooms low and allow the clients, who will be hikers passing through the site, to take in nature and feel a sense of privacy. i wanted to create a simple space that is functional and merely used for living. since the clients will be hikers they will be more likely to want to spend more time outside where they can experience nature.
because of the mild temperatute, the room i designed can be very open with its use of glass or it can be very private, depending on the user’s wishes. i grouped the rooms into three room pods in order to create a space for the hikers to gather outside if they wish to. the outside patio includes an outdoor grill for them to use. a general store is attached to the lobby space for hikers to buy food. the top of the plateau remains untouched, with the 24 rooms cascading down on both sides of the plateau. the pods are all connection with a wooden pathway. the use of materials was very important, i decided to use wood because that is the local material. the wooden pathways and the rooms are all raised above the ground, and they sit on rocks found in the area. this way, the inn will sit lightly on the site and will not disturb the land.
neighborhood section
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30” x 30” physical neighborhood model
neighborhood plan
“this is the land of dreamings, a land of wide horizons and secret places. the first people, our ancestors, created this country in this culture that binds us to it.� - hetti perkins, daughter of an aboriginal
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check in lobby
pathway through the trees
outdoor gathering space
room interior
pavilion cluster from pathway
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observatory addition university of illinois campus
university of illinois urbana-champaign | design studio spring 2012 | professor paul kapp | duration: 16 weeks
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the site of the observatory additions is located on the the university of illinois in urbana-champaign campus. the site is the highest point on the campus, with a slope of 3 feet at the highest point. the observatory was built in 1896. the observatory was listed on the national register of historic places on november 6, 1986 and on december 20, 1989, the u.s. department of interior designated the observatory a national historic landmark. the original observatory was built on a one story t-plan, facing north, of buff-colored roman brick. the southwest corner of the building was added in 1956, of cream colored brick, to house additional classrooms and office space, and in 1966 an addition was added to the east wing. i decided to remove the 1956 and 1966 additions to restore it back to the original t-shape plan. i decided to use red brick to distinguish between the original natonal landmark building and my additions. i added an auditorium to the west and a wing of classrooms and offices to the east. the additions are separated by a glass gallery, that has a lowered ceiling, in order to act as a connector between old and new. a lot of emphasis was put on details of the building, such as interior finishes, building connections, and materials.
physical model
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south section
east section
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demolished
historical floor plan
KAPP proposed floor plan
west section
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exterior view
north elevation
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add
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lery
add
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exterior view
concept diagram
entrance gallery
auditorium
north section
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before
after
waterfront development chicago, illinois
master plan
university of illinois urbana-champaign | design studio fall 2011 | professor joy malnar | partner: david emmons
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view of bike path + groin
circulation + landscape
the site of the chicago waterfront development is located on the border of evanston, il and chicago, il. the site was covered with rubble rock, and no access to the beach for the residents. there was also a lack of a bike path, which was quite dangerous on such a large road such as lake shore drive. the goal was to activate the site with 98,000 sq ft of new beach with a bicycle path connecting roger’s park to evanstan. this would also include expansion of the beach, as well as new pedestrian pathways. new structures were introduced to bring in more activity onto the site. a new kayak and community center with a cafe was placed on the north side of the site and a public comfort station with lockers was placed on the south side for those who come to use beach. the main goal was to be courteous of the land, to integrate the circulation into the landscape.
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cafe interior view
kayak rental interior view
kayak center + cafe west section
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kayak center + cafe exterior view
kayak center + cafe south section
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site model
circulation model
site model
concept model
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beach
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green
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walk
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bike
view of bike path
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franklin point chicago, illinois
university of illinois urbana-champaign | design studio spring 2013 | professor paul armstrong
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VIew of Shopping Center
Physical Model
VIew of River Front
Site Plan
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Hotel 1,293,300 sqft
49 floors
Office 1,163,970 sqft Office 1,953,156 sqft Apartments 585 900 sqft Apartments 441,600 sqft
Aerial View of Franklin Point
View of Riverfront
Entrance to Franklin Point
franklin point is located in chicago, il. the program consisted of designing a fivemillion square ft mixed use complex that consisted of residential, hotel, office, and retail. my group decided to break down the program into four towers: two smaller residential, one office + hotel, and one office. the main focus of the complex is the retail center in the middle of the site, which is the destination point for many visitors. we incorporated a river front with retail and restaurants for visitors to enjoy, as well as multi-purpose sloped green roofs on the retail center for people to utilize. the shape and sizes of the towers were developed through a series of studies regarding light, wind, and views. the placement of the towers were determined upon by the axiis found throughout the site. overall, we believe that franklin point is a place where all types of people can come and enjoy. Physical Model
Typical Two-Bedroom Plan
Typical Three-Bedroom Plan
Typical One-Bedroom Plan Typical Lower Level Plan
Typical Upper Floor Plan
North Section
East Section
View of Shopping Center + Residential Tower
3rd floor backlit display images
corner graphics
as the intern architect, this was the first project where i the most responsibility. i worked closely with the intern construction manager to research and create signage for the hubert h. humphrey building in downtown washington, dc. being a government building, they were strict on which images were acceptable, therefore it required much research and multiple iterations. the processfor the signage included weekly iterations translated into presentations with the project manager. i also performed site visits to create mock ups of the graphics, with the assistance of the construction manager.
interior signage and graphics
hubert h. humphrey building 200 independence ave, washington dc olbn architectural services, inc. | proessional work | project manager john li 23
typical 24� corner guard signange
elevator lobby signage
full wall graphics
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marketing plan
kitchen elevations
as the NYC office liason, i worked closely with the principal in on the remodeling of apartments. per his notes, Ii created demolition and construction plans, as well as a marketing plan, for each apartment. i also created plumbing riserdiagrams and designed kitchen elevations that were appropriate for the apartments. additionally, i assisted in writing demo and construction notes that were necessary.
apartment 17d renovations new york, new york
olbn architectural services, inc. | professional work | principal: raymond hwang
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demolition plan
construction plan
plumbing riser diagrams
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demo plan
ground lobby floor plan
as a junior architect at olbn architectural service, i assisted my project manager with developing a new scheme for new lobby renovations. i began by conducting frequent site visits and created background existing condition drawings. i contributed ideas for a new scheme and attending meetings. i assisted on all renderings, building them in cad then using 3d max and photoshop to produce final images. i was given daily critiques by my project manager. powerpoint presentations were made for weekly meetings, some of which i attended. the renderings were recreated weekly with new changes per request of the client. additionally, construction documents using autocad were created for submissions. furthermore, i assisted with interior design decisions, i was also privileged to be able to assist in the choosing of the furniture, and interior finishes of the entire lobby renovation. as well as signage designs that i modeled using autocad and 3d max as well.
lobby renovations at
robert c. weaver building washington dc
olbn architectural services, inc. | professional work | project manager: john li
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proposed plan
lobby renderings
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sketches personal + travels 29
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