Calvin Sin - Urban Design and Architecture Portfolio 2021

Calvin Sin Architecture | Urban Design | Digital Media

2021

calvinssy@gmail.com

About

Calvin Sin

calvinsin.com

EXPERIENCE I’m an interdisciplinary designer born in Hong Kong, studied and worked in the field of Architecture in Los Angeles, London and Hong Kong. I am currently based in Los Angeles.

2018 jan2019 jul

Worked on both 18,000+ seats areanas for Madison Square Garden Spheres in London and Las Vegas. I lead a small team that focus on designing the user journey and VIP hospitality spaces for various user groups as well as the key GA areas such as the concourse.

Previously, I was a designer at Populous | Jump Studios in London and Atelier C+ in Hong Kong. Over the years, I have worked on projects across cities in Asia, Europe and the US. At Populous, I worked on both Madison Square Gardens Sphere proposals in London and Las Vegas, both are 18,000 + seats entertainment venues. My work at C+ includes various architecture and interior projects such as being part of design and contract administration team for a winery with private residence in China, retail fit-out for US luxury brand Chrome Hearts flagship stores in Beijing and Hong Kong. I have been a freelance computation designer for swiss architecture practice Gruner+Friends, where I worked on several urban proposals.

I hold a MSc Design of Cities at Southern California Institute of Architecture, SciArc, where I honed my knowledge in employing computational techniques and data in urban scale projects with The Now Institutes and Morphsis’s Thom Mayne and Eui-Sung Yi. I earned my M.Arch from the University of Westminster, London with with Lindsay Bremner and Roberto Bottazzi at DS18. My work explored the intersection of climate change, computational tools and design with my thesis “The Forgotten Marsh,” it was featured in the Monsoon [+Other] Air Symposium exhibition and publication.

My broad interest in design has led me to work on projects in different fields ranging from brand identity related projects such as NOWNESS China, ALOTT, as well as media-based projects such as OZ’s Polarbeat (a live VR concert for Icelands’s 2020 New Year Eve) and co-writer for award-wining short film, Vesak.

Designer Populous | Jump Studios,London,UK

MSG Sphere London | London, UK MSG Sphere LV | London, UK

2018 aug2019 aug

Borgo Miranda | Mount Bre, Switzerland CHAM | Cham, Switzerland Red Bull Arena | Munich, Germany

Studio Assistant - Undergraduate Uni. of Westminster, London, UK Worked along Design Studio tutor and first-year course coordinator, provide individual and group tutorials.

Prepare and run skill s workshops in software and physical model making for the first year students. Guest Critic for the undergraduates course.

2012 oct2015 jul

Architectural Assistant Atelier C+, Hong Kong, China I worked on projects in various scales and sectors such as residential, commercial and mixed-used developments across multiple cities in Asia such as Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Malaysia.

Yintai Winery + Residence| Penglai, China Chrome Hearts Flagship | Beijing, China

2011

+1 424 298 1156

EDUCATION 2019 2020

MSc Design of Cities SCI-Arc, Los Angeles, US Thom Mayne, Eui-Sung Yi

2015 2017

Master of Architecture University of Westminster, London, UK Lindsay Bremner, Roberto Bottazzi

2007 2011

BA (Hons) Architecture Univeristy of Brighton, Brighton, UK

Computation Designer - remote GRUNER&FRIENDS, Basel, CH I worked closely with the design team, my main focuses involves formulating computational solutions that analysis and generate design option based site parameters. Secondly, I advise on the working pipelines of developing scripts for the practice.

2016 sep2017 jun

calvinssy@gmail.com

Marketing Intern Nike, Hong Kong, China

SKILL Design Rhinoceros + Grasshopper / AutoCAD / Sketchup/ Revit Analysis + Mapping Grasshopper / ArcMap / Mapbox Visualization Ai, Ps, Id / Vray / Enscape / Substance Painter Other Unreal Engine / Unity / Realflow /

RECOGNITION Bremner.L, Bottazzi.R., (Eds) 2016, Architecture, Energy, Matter, of Westminster, p62-93

University

Bremner.L, Trower.G, (Eds) 2017, Monsoon [+other] Airs, University of Westminster, p87-95, 107 -2 data maps were selected for the Exhibition Geoarchitecture 2017, Brief 2: Site Mapping and Field Trip + Brief: Building in a Weather World, geoarchitecure, https://goo.gl/VqQd5y Monsoon Assemblages 2017, Chenai, Monsoon Assemblages http://www.monass.org/design-studio-18/designstudio-18-chennai/ Vesak, CO-Writer 2020, selected and premiered at the NOWNESS China New Talent Award

Overview

Professional Pratice and projects

A brief timeline of professional projects that I have worked on.

Condo Sales Office Sabah, Malaysia

Chow’s Residence 1 Hong Kong, CN

C+ Office Expansion

Hong Kong, CN

No.34 Sanlitun Beijing, CN

Red Bull Arena Munich,DE

Chow’s Residence 2 Hong Kong, CN

CHAM Cham,CH

Borgo Miranda Mount Bre,CH

Toluca Lake Los Angeles,US

Private Tea House Beijing, CN

2018 aug - 2019 aug Consultant - remote GRUNER&FRIENDS Basel,Switzerland

Yintai Winery + Residence

Penglai, CN

MSG Sphere London London, UK

Chrome Hearts Hong Kong, CN

Chrome Hearts Beijing, CN

Public Hotel Los Angeles,US

MSG Sphere LV Las Vegas, US

2016 sep - 2017 jun Studio Assistant Uni. of Westminster, London, UK

2007 - 2011

BA(hons)Architecture

Uni. of Brighton Brighton, UK 2007

2011

2008

2011 oct - 2015 jul Architectural Assistant Atelier C+, Hong Kong, China 2012

2013

2015 sep - 2017 jul

Master of Architecture University of Westminster London, UK 2014

2015

2016

2017

2018 jan - 2019 jul Designer Populous|Jump Studios, London, UK 2018

2019

2019 sep - 2020 sep MSc Design SCI-Arc LA, US 2020

of Cites

2021

professional work

MSG Sphere - London London, UK

2019-20 Populous | Jump Studios, London Status on-going, RIBA stage 2-4, Area Confidential Concept | Design Development | Design Package | Graphic Presentation | Construction Drawing | Project

Archdialy Dezeen

MSG Sphere London is a 18,000 seat venue for music and entertainment venue for Madison Square Garden Venture, the venue situated in Stratford near the Olympic Park.

The venue sets its vision to redefine of next-generation live entertainment that incorporates the latest visual and audio technology Through the most advanced cutting-edge technologies, MSG Sphere London will create a powerful immersive, multisensory environments that will transport audiences to the next generation of live entertainment. The design is largely driven by user-experiences and challenges the traditional live entertainment performance and experience.

My focus is specifically in the General Admission and VIP hospitality spaces and the atrium space of the venue.

MSG Sphere Las Vegas - Professional Render

professional work

MSG Sphere - Las Vegas Las Vegas, US

2019 Populous | Jump Studios, London Status Under Construction Area Confidential Design Development | Design Package | Graphic Presentation | Visualization

MSG Sphere official Archdialy Dezeen

MSG Sphere Las Vegas is a 20,000 seat venue for music and entertainment venue for Madison Square Garden Venture, the venue situated at The Venetian Las Vegas.

The venue currently under construction on site and expected to open by year 2022.

MSG Sphere Las Vegas - Professional Render

professional work

Borgo Miranda

Monte Bre, Lugano, Switzerland 2019 GRUNER & FRIENDS (remote) Status On-going Plot Area 1.4ha Built Area 9000m2 Analysis | Computation Design | Graphic Presentation |

Gruner & Friends website AE, aedartis Archisearch

Context GRUNER & FRIENDS designed a 5-star hotel resort at the Village of Monte Bre, overlooking to the south of Lago Maggiore.

The hotel consists of 17 suites and 53 apartments, two restaurants, bar, cafe, bakery, spa with both indoor and outdoor pools, conference rooms and kids club.

Role I was tasked to develop ways to optimize the views of the hotel suites and apartments, several rounds of testing were conducted in grasshopper to measure and analyse the total and individual performance.

View Analysis

SITE

STRATEGY Topography The colour gradient shows the varying slope in the topography, with red showing where the step areas at and green for the more gentle area.

Taller Building modules are strategically placed on steeper slopes to facilitate access, this reduces circulation space and minimize excavation.

Grouping Building units are grouped together into clusters. This design strategy allow us to minimize facade surface whilst maintaining the local typology.

Site Map Site Location- Monte Bre, Lugano, Switzerland

Subsequently this also reduces the complexity as well as the computational time for the view studies.

View Study Each individual house in the clusters is given the chance to shift within a set distance along X,Y direction and rotate to avoid overlapping views to achieve an overfall better view.

In order to push the number of iterations, the tests are done in a 2.5D environment, it takes on the height of the location of individual house, and test with 2D view cones.

Annual Solar Radiation Study

COMPUTATION DESIGN - VIEW STUDY

professional work

CHAM

Cham, Switzerland 2019 Status Client Program Built Area

GRUNER & FRIENDS (remote) On-going HIAG Immobilien Schweiz AG Mixed-use: residential, hotel, office , retail 60,000m2

Analysis | Computation Design | Graphic Presentation |

Gruner & Friends website

Context GRUNER&FRIENDS took part in an extensive urban study focusing on the potential of the site “Cham North”. The site occupies 26,231sqm and is characterized by a gentle slope towards the Lorze steam.

“Cham North” lies along the Knonauerstrasse, where the future Cham Hunberg bypass will begin. Thus, the area is directly related to the transit system and acts as a town gate in to Cham.

Role For this project, I assisted the design team to formulate scripts that generate and evaluate massing models based on different approaches, and optimizing desirable views while respecting the project specifics, such as site context, and views from neighbour buildings.

Perspective

SITE

STRATEGY

Mass Study 1 The projected started with 8 different approaches, and then we decided to go with 3. The challenge here is to find ways to script these approaches, record relevant data and identify ways to analysis them.

Some of the key information that the client interested in are the volume of the mass and view analysis.

COMPUTATION DESIGN - VIEW STUDY

Workflow From the get go, the Grunner&Friends knows that they want to explore the opportunities to take on a more algorithm approaches to the problem.

The conversation started from discussion on which task can leverage the computer, while maximized the design team. The diagram above maps out where computational works are involved.

Interface

Snake

Blocks

An interface was designed for the process as we decided to on-screen record the process for further study.

The interface shows the current solution on the right, some Key statistic of the current solution on the left Volume - indicates in green if it is within expected +/- 5%.

Courtyard

L-shape

Mass Study 2

possible. We used Octopus in grasshopper as part of the tool, Octopus is anEvolutionary Optimization. It allows the search for many goals at once, producing a range of optimized trade-off solutions between the extremes of each goal.

In the second round of massing study,we focused on developing 4 approaches- Snake, Blocks, Courtyard, L-shape.

The aim is to produce mass that meets a set Volume while optimize the view as much as

Pie Chart - shows the split of the visibility score of the units.

Plan view with the site boundary

professional work

Yintai Winery + Residence Penglai, China

2011-15 Status Area

Atelier C+, Hong Kong Completed in 2018 60700m2 / 653,400ft2

Design Development | Design Package | Graphic Presentation | Construction Drawing | Project Coordination

Atelier C+ official project page My first project with Atelier C+, the practice has been involved with this project since 2010 and expected to be completed by 2017 fall. Through this project, I was able to learn from different stages of an architecture project while working directly with clients and consultants from around of the world.

The building projects radically towards views of the valley in the north and Qiushan Reservoir to the east. The Main functional spaces are separated and clearly defined by the radical structural walls; the differentiation of systematic hierarchy between the different spaces are further enhanced by the height of the particular volume, creating distinction between public and private spaces.

Section

Entrance Facade

professional work

Chrome Hearts Beijing Flagship Beijing, China

2013 Client Status Area US Architect

Atelier C+, Hong Kong Chrome Hearts Built, 2013 210m2 / 2230ft2 M.W.Steele Group,SD,US

Design Development | Design Package | Graphic Presentation | Visualization

Atelier C+ official project page M.W. Steele Group official project page An American Luxury brand that specialized in high-end 925 Silver jewellery, leather and fashion products. This shop locations at the Beijing Yintai Center is the brand’s Flagship Store in China.

Isometric Diagram of the scheme

Typical Section - Structural Glazing Wall

Installation of Strutural Glazing Panel

professional work

Toluca Lake Los Angeles, US 2020 Client Status Area

The NOW Institute, LA Toluca Lake Community Tendering 4050ft2

The NOW Institute Director: Eui-Sung Yi

Project Manager Karen Lohrmann Communication Alonso Toledo Design Ian Dayagbil, Calvin Sin Designer | Design Development Site Analysis | Presentation Package A pragmatic, buildable and replicable urban garden prototype for vacant sites across Toluca Lake community in Los Angeles.

The Toluca Lake Garden prototype is a small scale design proposal for the Toluca Lake Community that turns unused land into urban farming units. The design uses an open design language that takes advantage of physical site conditions and seasonal solar conditions.

Annual Solar Study

Annual Solar Study

Aerial

Solar Study The form of the garden is sculpted based on seasonal day light, openings are placed to accommodate to security and accessibility around the site.

North Elevation

Cost and Material The selection of material and its cost are kept track for ensure the cost is within a modest budget.

Final Visuals

academic work

No Vacancy: Public Hotel Los Angeles, US

2020 SU SCI-Arc | The NOW Institute Status On-going Area Council District 4, Los Angeles Instructors Thom Mayne, Eui-Sung Yi Team Ian Dayagbil, Calvin Sin Design Development | Design Package | Graphic Presentation | Visualization

PublicHotel Official Site No Vacancy // Public Hotel investigates the potentials of vacant site. This project leverages the capabilities of combinatory scripting, parametric optimization, and geospatial analytics to use Council District 4 Site as a public network of supportive infrastructure.

This website is a repository of the various tools and theoretical positions that were taken in the production of this project.

It is our intention that our work can be used as the foundation for future research in leveraging the combination of GIS and parametric/procedural technologies to create proposals for difficult sites within modern cities.

Analysis

Council District 4, Los Angeles

THE ISSUES

THE OPPORTUNITIES AND 78-SITES CATALOGUE

Ideal “Fit” Graph for Parameters Key “Fit” Parameters Gradient of “Fit” 1 of 78 sites

Public Kitchens Promotes skill-building

Vacant Sites - Transitional Housing

Urban Garden Promote community stewardship

Vacant Sites - Vertical Farm

Pool Activate public space as value-added

Vacant Sites - Horizontal Farm

THE OPPORTUNITIES AND 78-SITES CATALOGUE

THE OPPORTUNITIES AND 78-SITES CATALOGUE

Our “form-agnostic” system defines architect as a combination of systems and components From one system we can generate proposals across scales, context and forms.

Vacant Site Matrix Determining use-combinations based on key parameters.

THese site are then fed into a generative system that translate their con-textural data (ie building height, proximity to parks) into architectural diagrams.

Combinatorial Modelling A workflow that incorporate ArcGIS and grasshopper is formulated that it allows users to analyse and use the data for a generative technique to create formagnostic models that quickly iterate and maintin key schematic metrics

Combinatory Schemes

academic work

No Vacancy: Public Hotel - Bellhop Art District, Los Angeles, US

2020 SCI-Arc Team Ian Dayagbil, Calvin Sin Status completed Area Art District Instructor Soomeen Hahm Guest Tutor & Consultant Damjan Jovanovic Assistant Tutor Laure Michelon Design Development | Unity + Mapbox SDK Presentation | Presentation package

Application Overview

Public Hotel Page Bellhop official video Bellhop taps into the various streams of data that make up our geospatial world.

Information such as land use type, land value, proximities and other metrics are brought together into one package that generates the Bellhop. Bellhops can be generated and bound to every known location. Creating a network of digital beings across our cities. These digital beings gather data through “normal” conversation and derive conclusions that can be used for refining generative design solutions.

Application Features Development with Unity and Mapbox SDK

Bellhop is a supplement application that developed for The Public Hotel Project during the summer semester at SCI Arc.

Concept Interface mock-up images

App Prototype Test

Still images extract from Final video

academic work

The Forgotten Marsh Chennai, India

2017 University of Westminster,London Instructors Lindsay Bremner, Roberto Bottazzi MArch II, Design Studio Design Studio | Design Package | Graphic Presentation | Visualization

Symposium Geoarchitecture For the last 15 years, Chennai has been undergoing drastic urban changes following the initiative of the Tamil Nadu government to develop a world-class IT industry especially along the old Mahabalpuram Road also known as the IT Corridor. The once thrived ery system (connected water bodies irrigation system) is being replaced by concrete-built metal cladded highrises.

Young people from other parts of India have flooded in to Chennai for opportunities thus increasing the demand on affordable housing. The Forgotten Marsh looks into this social issue with considerations of Chennai’s waterbodies topography, monsoonal wind character and propose and alternative urban housing prototypes that reconnect the locals to a lifestyle with the marsh. The investigation takes place at the Chalikundu Marsh in the IT corridor zone and 1KM to the east of Pallikaraniai Marsh.

Master Plan

Sectional Perspective

Site

Wind Velocity

0m/s 0

200

500

30+ m/s 1000 m

W Monsoon Simulation, frame 2578

0

Summer SW/ W monsoon simulation, Chennai

50

100

200

500 m

0

Winter NE monsoon simulation, Chennai

50

100

200

500 m

Design Process

1:1000 Physical Model of Site Plan

[0] site context [1] identify the “fittest” 35 paths from the west monsoon simulation: highest velocity, and consistently within the site [2] identify the “fittest” 8 paths from the north-east monsoon simulation: highest velocity, and consistently within the site [3] use the “fittest” 8 NE monsoon paths to form zones for public area [4] trimming [1] with [3]

[5] trimming [1] with site boundary and shallow part of marsh [6] offset from the remain fittest 35 paths and assign units [7] elevate and extrude, minimize the direct damage to the marsh as well as encourage air movement at the street level and mitigate the risk of flood [8] adjust the height of the blocks according to surrounding buildings, the resulted taller blocks in the centre and toward the IT corridor, and taper on the side and toward the Buckingham canal 1:50 Physical Model of individual Block

Testing for individual Units A series of test were conducted in the digital environment to investigate the form of the units. The premises has focused on “minimal changes maximum performance” the parameters were focused on the width/ length proportion, shifting, locations of windows for ventilation methods, arrangement of multiple units and round corner vs right corner.

The rotation in 3.06 didn’t generate much overall difference, but it has replaced more internal air particle than test 3.05, therefore it is a more balanced formation. Due to the course structure and available time, 3.06 has also selected for the project, as this simulation testing process can be endless. This series of simulation tests has drive the form of the unit and helped me to negotiate with my design studio and technical tutors as it is the result of a progressive process.

Section of a typ. unit

0m/s

7+ m/s

0m/s

Wind /Velocity

3+ m/s

0

2.5

5

10 m

Internal Air /Velocity

Test 3.06 , air movement simulation drawing

0m/s

7+ m/s Wind /Velocity

Plan drawing of a Typical Unit overlaying with air movement simulation

Test 3.06 of air movement simulation in Plan

3+ m/s 0

0m/s Internal Air /Velocity

2.5

5

10

20 m

Perspective

Perspective Drawing from North

Declaratory Drawing

academic work

Glenwood Glenwood, US

2020 Spring | SCI-Arc,The NOW institute Area Glenwood, Oregon, US Instructors Thom Mayne, Eui-Sung Yi Design of Cities Studio II The project rethinks both programmatic and formal context to organize and connect the proposed site to a larger neighbourhood.

This process takes the aspirations of a series of combinatory models with the pragmatic requirements of a stadium-centric urban development. With the proximity to the Willamette River, the project sought the opportunity to bring the water into development, it connects the stadium and housing side and takes the visitor to the with a well as some level of water-front sports.

The project was developed in parallel with parametric tools and techniques.

Perspectives

North West Aerial Perspective

Strategy The proposed scheme looks at the organization and use of surround nearby neighborhoods. It act as an extention of the residential housing to toward the south while provided public spaces.

The football stadium and ice hockey areana and practice facility are placed toward the west adjacent to the river The waterfront promenade and the river acted as the connective tissue for the overall scheme and its nearby neighborhood.

Strategy

Housing Long Section

Plan

Office and Retail

Public Space

Practice Rink

Stadium

Housing

Willamette River

Green Roof 450,000sf

Hotel 530,000sf

High Dense Housing 495,000sf

Office 580,000sf Pedestrian Circulation Restaurant + Retail 320,000sf Medium Density Housing 830,060sf

Connective Tissue 383,000sf

Hockey Arena + Practice Rink Stadium 306,000sf

Vehicular Circulation

Promenade Short Section

Ice Hockey Arena

Practice Rink

Franklin Blvd

B

A

Perspective A

Perspective B

academic work

Chamartin Expo Station Masterplan Madrid, Spain

2019 Fall | SCI-Arc, The NOW Institute Area Chamartin Station, Madrid, Spain Instructors Thom Mayne and Eui-Sung Yi Team Ian

Dayagbil, Larissa Eteson, Calvin Sin and Ziao Zhou Design of Cities Studio I A fusion of train station and exhibition hall as the new economic engine for the largest brownfield development in Madrid.

Chamartin has faced decades of proposals that have not come to fruition. Amidst these proposal was the global recession of 2008. Many of these proposals are centered around a generic mixed-used development.

This project instead proposes that Madrid takes advantage of the size and location of Chamartin to create the worlds largest Expo Hall. This expo-station hybrid would become a new economic engine for the city of Madrid.

This project leverages the rapid expansion of infrastructure across Spain pre-2008.

This proposal re-affirms the power of events to drive development and civic identity.

Our Research revealed that any strategy for Chamartin needed to reflect a broader economic strategy.

Madrid is the geometric and cultural heart of Spain. Chamartin is poised to become one of the most important train stations in Spain.

We proposed the world’s largest exhibition hall to be hosted on this site - creating the world’s first expo-station hybrid in a city with one of the densest transit networks in the world.

Preliminary Research on Madrid

Key Research Pages

Exploded Axonometric Diagram

SYSTEMS AND PLAN

Chamartin is as long as Central Park in New York. Thinking of the site as an interlocking system of neigbourhood with specific identities and function s is important to managing potential growth plans.

academic work

professional work

academic work

academic work

Alternate Universe

Berlin, Germany

London, UK

London, UK

Vesak

ALOTT

FAB FEST Pavilions 2017, VOLUTA

FAB FEST Pavilions 2016, Maldives

2020 | SCI-Arc Status Completed Awards NOWNESS Director: Ina Chen

2020 | ALOTT Status Confidential

2017 | University of Westminster Status Built

2016 | University of Westminster, DS 18 Status Built

Direction Ina Chen

Co-Writer | Voice over

Concept | Design Development | AR Implementation| 3D print preparation

Partner AKT II, Rhino McNeel Mentors Evangelia Magnisali, Marios Tsiliokos, Spyros Efthymious

Fabrication Team: Ben Pollock, Tom Wildbore, Calvin Sin

Ina Project Page NOWNESS Vesak, a fictional Buddhifuturist film inspired by factual Buddhism festivals, it drew cues from Animism, Nature and Quantified spirituality.

Ina Project Page ALOTT Creating a digital brand identity for a Berlin-based DJ, including Logos, Instagram filter, Physical Fabrication

The film leverages the power of real-time game engine to orchestrate the sequence of narrative, sound, and mythical symbols to depict a world that shifts between fiction and reality in Techno-Chan aesthetic

Vesak official release poster - Professional Illustrator

Team Calvin Sin, Laura Nica, Wojtek Karnowka, Zhini Poh, Constantia Avraamides, Josh Ricketts, Martin Vasilev, Dew Yates Coordination | Design Development Fabrication | Assemblage

Website Voluta is an interactive light installation, speculating on the way robotic choreography and interaction alters spatial perception, through a poetic approach on space navigation. The pavilion spirals around a 6 axis industrial robotic arm, which scans its surroundings and through sensors translates geometrical data into different light colour transmission.

Still images of AR testings

Voluta at the 2017 FABfest

Design Development | Fabrication | Coordination

Website A 6m long sectional representation of bathymetric data of the Maldives for the final year exhibition for this design studio, this provides a bird’s eye view opportunity for the visitors to view the 1996 islands of the Maldives archipelago.

The model tops off at 1.1m which represents the current average height above sea level.

I took up the responsibility of working out the fabricating process of the centre piece in the show with another student. It was then assembled with in 2 days with 6 of us.

Maldives at the 2016 FABfest