Portfolio of Selected Works 2020 - Calvin Tan

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2020 / PO RTFO LI O O F SELECTED WO RKS

Contents

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Peri-Pomona Studio Project

Fragments Studio Project

UBC CAL: Living Breakwaters Funded Research

Eviscerated Landscapes Studio Project

Fall 2017

Fall 2019

2018 - 2020

Winter 2018

B.Env.D University of Manitoba

M.L.A University of British Columbia

University of British Columbia

B.Env.D University of Manitoba

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30

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Vertices Studio Project

Waggle Studio Project

Remapping Vancouver Course Assignment

-Waste +Substrate Design Thesis

Winter 2017

Winter 2016

Fall 2018

2019 - 2020

B.Env.D University of Manitoba

B.Env.D University of Manitoba

M.L.A University of British Columbia

M.L.A University of British Columbia

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Peri-Pomona Studio Project Course / EVLU 4012 Studio 5 Possible Urbanisms: Tree Sanctuaries in the Perimetric Landscape Teaching Faculty / Dietmar Straub & Anna Thurmayr Team / Wesley Kwong, Matthew Peters, & Carl Valdez Duration / Fall 2017 Semester B.Env.D, University of Manitoba

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Nodes

Enclosure 2

Ground cover

Long lots

Orchard plots 5

Creek extension

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Circulation

Infrastructure

Orchard as a Tree Sanctuary Located between St. Norbert, Trappist Monastery, and the Brady Landfill, the immediate site is an opportunity to create a tree sanctuary that connects the existing and historical networks around it.

Historically, the site served as an institutional agricultural field for the Trappist Monks. The monastery was a source of knowledge and learning that served as the foundation of the town. Thus, the project intends to bring back the agricultural system that once existed on site but to connect it to the present networks.

Focusing on the Monastery and the Farmers Market the tree sanctuary intends to connect and expand the existing programs by serving as an orchard. The concept of an orchard is based on the idea of ‘pomology’; the educational system of cultivating fruit, thus, giving back nature to the rural-urban communities.

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7 6

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Perimeter Highway

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Main Orchard

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Distillery

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Maintenance facilities

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Testing Orchards

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Southwood Golf Course

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Trappist Monastery

Plans, programming and organization of space

Peri-Pomona 06

Fostering Cultural Activities The distillery is an important programmed site that contributes to the success and maintenance of the orchards. Programming on site allows for visitors to venture through the orchards and pick fruits. A central drinking garden, picnic area and distillery provide visitors with the ability to participate in the creation of beverages such as ciders and hard alcohols, the consumption of said beverages and general enjoyment of the space.

The St. Norbert Farmers’ Market is known as a source of pride for Manitoba residents and a community gather place for all. Thus, the tree sanctuary not only fosters new cultural activities, but also strengthens the existing activities around St. Norbert.

Bur oak forest Section, range of species within the tree sanctuary

Perpspective, experience of the aspen forest walkway

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Perpspective, experience along the main path

Aspen forest walkway

Gravel path

Fruit orchards

Perpspective, experience around the distillery site

Peri-Pomona 08

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Fragments Studio Project Course / LARC 505 Option Studio: Rooting Time in Place Teaching Faculty / Fionn Byrne Duration / Fall 2019 Semester M.L.A, University of British Columbia

Fragmenting the Land “Imposing a cadastral grid on the Lekwungen territory, Pemberton’s survey sliced the land into thousands of individual parcels, thereby introducing the notion of land as a commodity that can be bought or sold for the first time in this region. This corroborates geographers who have emphasized the role of the map, the survey,and the grid as technologies of colonial dispossession.”

- Michael Simpson, Decolonizing Urban Political Ecologies “First Nations’ travel from one to another now means crossing a ’legalized’ space ruled by an alien power. Fragmented and alienated from one another, moreover, these reserves are not only ’positionable’; they can be moved, removed, or adjusted at the stroke of a pen.”

- Ken Brealey, Mapping them ‘Out’ This is a design project that investigates the role of cartography in the fragmentation, displacement, and dispossession of indigenous land in Vancouver.

It seeks to uncover the making of lower mainland through the history of colonial dispossession, one that is often untold and masked. It recalls the specific time in history to create a counter-narrative that critique claims to land on unceded territory.

s ros s c no n a a me ne or ow om o ved, n r er d f mo oth te re an liena ved, o e t a mo on nd e m ed a an b o r t f en y c el av agm’; the r t s’ Fr le on er. ab ati pow ition ut’ N s t ‘O irs alien ’po m F e “ n nly h a o gt by not pin p Tsleil-W e a ar .”

M y, n e e l p ea Br Ustlawn en K Xwemelch'stn

Senak

Musque

Mapping/collage, tension and fragmentation of lower mainland

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d ule e r rves c a e ’ sp res a zed hese e of i l t a k leg er, tro a ’ reov the s g o t n si r, m d a e te oth djus ra

Katzie

“I m sli pos in c no ed th g a t c thi ion o e lan ada s r f l d i str the eg an nto al ma ion. d as th grid p, Th a c ous on the is o an t -M su corr mmo ds o he L ich rve ob d ek f ae y ,an ora ity th indiv wun lS im d t tes at idu gen he ge ca al te ps on gr ogr n b pa rri ,D id t e as aphe bourcels ory, ec olo tec rs gh , th Pe niz hn wh t o ere mb olo o r s by er ing gie hav old in ton Ur s o e e for trod ’s s ba f c mp th uc urv nP olo ha e f in ey oli nia size irs g th tic l d d t t tim e al isp he Sto:lo Ec os ro e in olo ses le gie sio of s n.”

Kwikwetlem

Waututh

kw

eam

Tsawwassen

Fragments 12

A Counter-Monument The Statue of George Vancouver is a monument that recalls the violent colonial history in the making of lower mainland. This studio asks for speculative ways that design could critique the existing monument without the direct removal of it. Thus, what is required is the design of a dialogic counter-monument that purposefully and explicitly critiques the existing monument. It is through the experience of interaction and behavior that the counter-monument will form positive social change.

As part of the studio, initial design narratives were explored through mappings and collages.

On site, the rigidity of colonial symbols (city hall, statue, and stairs) are juxtaposed with the boulder (land). The granite boulder once served as a point of unity and collection — symbolizing the pre-colonial land. The statue and the stairs cuts through the boulder fragmenting it and creating voids in-between.

There is no clear line of sight other than George Vancouver’s perspective — symbolizing the political and legal power that was used in the dispossession of indigenous land.

Mapping/collage, the establishment of the Vancouver City Hall and the Statue of George Vancouver

Fragments 14

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UBC CAL: Living Breakwaters Funded Research Project Lead / Kees Lokman Project Team / Kees Lokman & Tugce Conger Duration / 2018 - 2020 University of British Columbia

Online Interactive Tool Coastal erosion is a global issue and has been increasing dramatically with climate change. With climate change there will be a significant increase in sea level and severity of extreme storm events. Consequently, coastal infrastructures, buildings, and ecosystems will suffer significant loss and damage. Canada’s coastline is the largest coastline in the world measuring at 243,042 km and will require innovative adaptation strategies that will protect and enhance the coastline in its infrastructures and ecosystems. Thus, it is important to consider both hard and soft strategies, conventional and unconventional strategies to create new synergies that incorporates living systems, ecosystems, and spatial design while reducing risk.

Funded by National Resources Canada, this project engages a multidisciplinary team of academics to develop research in coastal adaptation strategies that incorporates the idea of rebuilding or designing with nature. As part of the research, one of the objectives of the project is to create an online interactive resource library that will provide visualizations of each adaption strategy, the implications and technical requirements for implementation, and an in-depth global and national precedent/case study research. The intent of the online platform is to provide stakeholders and the public the opportunity to visualize and support the planning and decision-making regarding coastal resilience.

Axonometrics, Animation stills selected from the adaptation strategies matrix

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UBC CAL: Living Breakwaters 18

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Eviscerated Landscapes Studio Project Course / EVLU 4014 Studio 6 Emergent Futures Teaching Faculty / Ryan Coates, Brenda Brown & Rob Zonneveld Duration / Winter 2018 Semester B.Env.D, University of Manitoba

Geologies of Extraction Quarries are one of the main types of resource development in Manitoba.

Although they are beneficial to the economic and infrastructural development of province, they also impact the surrounding environment. Consequently, the Mines and Minerals Act was introduced in 1992 to rehabilitate abandoned pits and quarries throughout the province.

Located around the Birds Hill Provincial Park is one of the largest sand and gravel quarries in Manitoba. Historically, the site was important in the settlement of the Red River and was a refuge for First Nations during floods. It was also a wildlife habitat for prairie species that are disappearing today. Over time, the site was excavated to provide material for the development of roads and railways. The process of extraction has negatively impacted the social, ecological and economic structure of the surrounding landscape.However, the quarries of Birds Hill reveal many potentials in its depletion, especially within the proximity of the provincial park. Not only are there potential for reclamation and remediation, but there are also innovative ways that landscape architects can advocate to build a more sustainable system for quarry extraction.

Section, the process of quarry extraction around Birds Hill

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Eviscerated Landscapes 22

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Vertices Studio Project Course / EVLU 3008 Studio 4 Networks and Infrastructures Teaching Faculty / Jean Trottier Duration / Winter 2017 Semester B.Env.D, University of Manitoba

Outdoor patio and canopy

Mounds

Mounds Sections, programming of the plaza

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Main path

Terrace

Path

Designing the Public Realm This assignment is the second part of the urban design studio project, which is to design a public realm in relation to the urban design scheme generated from the Winnipeg BRT alignment. The location of the site is on an urban block, corner to the intersection of Annabella and Higgins. It is also the site of the proposed station area with concentrated mixed-use programming. The concept of the project aims to connect the proposed station area to the river walk through a proposed corridor that strengthens the relationship between the station area and the Red River.

The concept can be divided into three main elements: the station, the intersection, and the river. The geometric form of the design is derived from connecting the amenities/nodes and access points. One of the main aspects of the design was to transform the site from a flat surface to a dynamic and multi-functional plaza.

Annabella St

Prairie garden

BRT Station Physical model, fabricated from analog tools, lasercutting and 3D printing

Vertices 26

Approaching the Station The poetic experience of the corridor is mainly about revealing and creating a sense of curiosity as one move through the space.

Through topographical changes, the design creates different enclosures throughout the plaza such as the patios, canopy areas and the main path where the mound and platform slopes towards. Although the width of the plaza is larger than the maximum for an intimate space, the division of different enclosures help divide the plaza into smaller and more intimate spaces. The vertex of the mound is 1m high with various slopes on the faces.

Functionally, the height of the mound was a design decision to create a sense of safety on the plaza where it does not interfere with vision of the pedestrians.

At the corner, the height of the maintained prairie grass garden is proportional to the height of the mounds allowing the garden to be revealed but not completely, thus creating a sense of curiosity.

Perspective, BRT station looking towards the riparian forest

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Perspective, main path leading up to the BRT station

Perspectives, experience under the canopy area with the enclosure of the mounds

Vertices 28

Waggle Studio Project Course / EVDS 2900 Design Studio 2 Teaching Faculty / Liz Wreford Team / Manar Khalil & Stephanie Plouffe Duration / Winter 2016 Semester B.Env.D, University of Manitoba

Experimenting with Material The intent of the project was to raise awareness to the products and materials that we could source with less harm and emissions to the environment.

However, as the project progressed, the process in which bees operate in our ecosystems and communicate with each other has inspired the design of the toy. Part of the project was focused on the material studies. Beeswax was tested and studied for its essence under different states. It is then used to form the components of the toy along with other materials.

Waggle comes with 100 molded wax honeycombs, 100 molded wax bees, and a single wooden tweezer. The rules to game are simple and challenging. There are no limits to how many players can play the game but there is only one tweezer.

A player starts by placing a honeycomb on the waggly base and using the tweezer the player picks up one of bees and places it into the honeycomb. If there are multiple players, then the process repeats as each player gets a turn on a rotational basis. The goal of the game is to stack as many honeycombs and bees as possible without knocking down the structure.

CAD drawings, assembly and layout of the toy

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Photographs, Game of Waggle in action

Waggle 32

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Remapping Vancouver Assignment Course / LARC 540 Site Analysis and Planning Teaching Faculty / David Zielnicki Team / Josh Leung Duration / Fall 2018 Semester M.L.A, University of British Columbia

Photograph, side view of the model showing the topographic representation of data

35

Representing Experience This assignment asks to speculate, through geospatial analysis, on new ways of defining existing & potential urban space tied to a detailed understanding of the landscape (taken from brief). The site of analysis is located within the perimeter of the McCleery Golf Course + Driving Range.

Experiential data from the site was collectively recorded and uploaded as a class. As a response, a data model was proposed to represent the subjective experience of the class. Layers such as feature points, visual corridors, and vegetation were manipulated through GIS to generate new data such as densities and intersections. The data is then altered into three-dimensional space through Grasshopper. Through digital and analog fabrication tools the model was assembled together. As a result, the model represents both the visible and invisible topographical qualities of the site.

Photograph, detailed view of the construction of the model and the layers of data

Remapping Vancouver 36

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-Waste +Substrate Design Thesis Course / LARC 595 & 598 Graduate Project Faculty Advisor / Fionn Byrne Duration / 2019 - 2020 M.L.A, University of British Columbia

Designing the Informal Waste Landscape This thesis explores the role of landscape architecture in spatializing the dematerialization and contamination of informal waste landscapes that have emerged in Accra due to global consumption. As a design response, it speculates how waste and excess can become a driver in creating an alternative future that fosters new social, ecological, and economic interactions while addressing the complexities and challenges that have arisen due to these landscapes.

Waste and excess give rise to new landscapes. To confront them, we can restructure our preconceptions and negative connotations of these wastelands and its associated actors that have been rendered invisible and excluded.

The proposed design critiques the binary of the contaminated landscape and remediated landscape and alternatively seeks to find a co-existence of the two by drawing out the potential reciprocity between them. As a result, a tension is created between the aesthetics of remediation and containment. There is both beauty and ugliness in the process of regeneration and decomposition.

Exploded axonometric, the proposed systems and actors of the project

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-Waste +Substrate 40

Axonometric, the operations of the lagoon’s remediation process

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Remediate The lagoon is deployed with topographic modules that are replicated across the site to purify the water and to control its movement in order to generate suitable habitat and substrate through sedimentation and controlled eutrophication. These modules are to be low-tech to allow for a diverse workforce to be employed in the project. Flamingos and zooplanktons occupy the lagoon feeding on the excess algae. Workers collect dredge and algae to be used for substrate.

Axonometric, the operations of the scrapyard’s containment process

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Containment The scrapyard moves away from the traditional method of capping. Instead, it is contained by a perimeter berm that defines the scrapyard as a landscape of risk and experimentation. Within the perimeter, workers separate, stockpile and convert waste material into substrate suitable for land building. Linear plantings of columnar trees become a natural windbreak and screen that allows for the deposition and filtration of odour and dust particles. Scavengers and decomposers remain present and vital in the overall function of the scrapyard.