CHRISTOPHER YEE Master of A r c h i tec tu r e
U n iv e rs it y of Was h in gt on
B S i n C i v i l E n g i n eer i n g
U n iv e rs it y of C al ifo rn ia I rv in e
PORTFOLIO
01 07 11 13
PUBLIC
YEAR 2
MADRONA LIBRARY
EDUCATION
YEAR 2
SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
HOSPITALITY
YEAR 3
NOMAD
HOUSING
MASTER THESIS
RE-UBRBANIZATION OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
SELECTED WORKS
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YEAR 3
LIGHTING DESIGN CERTIFICATE
BUILT PROJECT
YEAR 2
SUPERSHED
15
What is architecture to me? Architecture
is a language.
It is a way
to spatially express ideas, emotions, and cultures. It is the responsibility of the architect to elicit these qualities and create a sense of place that furthers the human spirit.
RE-URBANIZING DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES: DENSIFYING THE CITY’S CORE MASTER THESIS FALL 2013 selected by professors for exhibition to NAAB re-accreditation board
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01
MICRO HOUSING
Put it where it counts.
As
people start to move back from the
suburbs to urban city centers, downtowns are beginning to become more dense and more expensive to live in. This growing density requires a response by designers and cities
typical density distribution
to provide a livable and affordable housing option for a new generation of city dwellers.
Los Angeles is a city facing this change, as its downtown begins to transform from a once uninhabitable urban wasteland to a flourishing, lively city center.
greater los angeles
Sited above the existing 5th & Hill metro station within downtown Los Angeles, this project proposed micro housing, highly dense hsub300 square foot dwellings, as a mid-income housing solution for young professionals that responds to the needs of its residents, as well as the larger context of a revitalizing city.
densify the core
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3
PLAN: LIVING TO DEN
What
CONNECTION
CONNECT
is most interesting about micro
housing is what it does not provide.
This
highlights the importance of public and communal space as essential components of the design. C I R C U L AT I O N
Due to its proximity to Pershing Square
CIRCULATE
across the street, the design makes a grand gesture lifting at the corner, exposing the inner courtyard to passersby. Programmed as an event space with transit oriented, on-
MASS & LIGHT
the-go retail, the ground floor engenders
MASSING
activity and character on street level. E S
Above, the micro units are arranged along an efficient double loaded corridor, with
SECTION N W
communal lounge spaces spiralling up it’s corners. Each lounge, featuring a different piece of program, draws residents vertically
ARRANGE
C O M M U N A L S PA C E
fitness
and horizontally, encouraging a sense of community that spans the entire building.
game
den
living
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S TO RA G E BA R
MICRO-UNIT LAYOUT S P ECS
117 ft3 storage 11’-3” w x 1’-4” h x 3’-0” d horizontal loft
In
3’-0” w x 8’-0” h x 3’-0” d vertical closet
belongings is a critical function of how you dwell within the space. The inherent
17 ft x 17 ft 255 S F p re -fabr ic at ed
economy of micro housing requires the K IT C H E N
B A T HR OOM F u l l y a c c e si b l e b a t h ro o m w i t h st a nd u p sho we r
individual to give prominence to what is
120 f t 3 st or a ge
important and sacrifice what is not, leading
Ef f icien t kit ch en et t e w it h 2 st ove b ur n er, sin k, ref r idger a t or, a n d f old out t a b le
to a more modest and simple lifestyle.
M UR PHY B ED f old d o w n be d /c o u c h sy st e m wi t h st or age cabi n e t s
J U L IE T B A L C O N Y 9’ -0” w x 8’ -0” h slidin g gla ss door a n d la m in a t ed gla ss ga urd r a il
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a micro unit, how you store your
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7 Japan Studio
|
Year 3
| Spring 2013
N O M A D
re-embracing king street station
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This
studio
expedition,
began
with
analyzing
a
and
two
week
exploring
long transit
stations in Japan. At first, the flow of trains, taxis, and people seemed disorienting, but as we spent
Arrive. Rest. Go.
more time engrained in Japanese culture, we began to realize that there was a fluidity to the chaos.
Using our experience in Japan, we created a master plan that would connect the redeveloping waterfront to the struggling International District in Seattle. This new path and flow of activity would be drawn inland by creating a strong urban node, combining a transit station with a hotel and exhibition center, bringing new life to Seattle’s King Street Station and International district.
Our team devised a system of prefabricated structural frames that could change and adapt over time, recalling some of the same organic elements the metabolists used in their work. Using this as our language, each of our buildings pushed the idea of flexible architecture in our own respective programs. My task was to design the hotel. 8
TYPICAL PLAN
MASTER SECTION
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ROOM VARIANTS
capsule 4’ x 8’ x 4’ pod 8’ x 12’ x 12’ room 20’ x 24’ x 12’
combine
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CREASE + SEAM Tiresias School for the Blind
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|
Ye a r 2
| Winter 2011
how do you perceive space without sight? Architecture and the experience of space is predominantly visual. In this second year studio, we were asked to reinterpret how an individual perceives space without the aid of sight. In addition, the project was located on a small, but challenging triangular parcel along one of the neighborhood’s busiest streets. In our investigation, our studio ventured into Steven Holl’s Chapel of St. Ignatius using visually impairing goggles. We navigated the sacred space carefully, by attentively listening, smelling, and feeling our way through. I latched onto the texture of the thatched plaster walls and the smooth warmth of the wooden pews. My sense of touch heightened and I began sensing the space as a much more physical and tactile experience. As a result, the sense of touch guided my design. A tactile wall, that begins on the exterior of the building, wraps inside creating a haptic circulation path for the visually impaired.
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MADRONA LIBRARY Libraries For All
|
Ye a r O n e
|
Winter 2011
Seattle’s “Libraries for All” program was spurred by the belief that knowledge should be accessible to anyone and everyone. Enacted in 1998, Seattle launched the largest library initiative in the United States. In this first year studio, we were tasked to design a library that captured the spirit of this monumental effort. Sited at a geographical and societal divide between Madrona and Central districts, the library was given the opportunity to union these two disparate neighborhoods. The library’s main programatic elements grip one another, creating a public atrium where cultural exchange and the sharing of ideas can take place.
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PLAN & SECTION
The great equalizer...
read
public space public services library control stacks vertical circulation circulation path
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S U P E R S H E D Howard S. Wright Neighborhood Design/Build Studio
|
Ye a r 2
| Spring 2012
The Howard S. Wright Neighborhood Design/Build Studio is an award-winning studio offered by Professor Steve Badanes and the Department of
Architecture at the University of Washington. In its 24 year history, the studio has evolved as a venue for student exploration and development of architectural design and fabrication skills that ultimately serve to benefit not only the students, but also Seattle communities and urban nonprofit groups in need. The primary goal of the studio endeavors to shape designers that identify simple, elegant solutions to crafting space that is socially responsible and serves the client in unique ways, all while maintaining a focus on sustainable building methods and creative use of materials. The 2012 NDB Studio was comprised of seventeen graduate architecture, landscape architecture, construction management, real estate and undergraduate architecture students under the guidance of Professor Steve Badanes and Miller I Hull designer Jake Labarre. The 2012 NDB team was asked to design and build two tool sheds - a greenhouse, and a community space - that served the varied needs of the University of Washington Farm, Seattle Youth Garden Works and the Hardy Plant Society on a 0.8 acre farm space owned by the Center for Urban Horticulture.
This project received the 2012 AIA Northwest & Pacific Region Student Design Award.
SITE PLAN
11 wee ks 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
11 ,0 00 dollars 1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
17 s t ude nts CONCEPT
+ farm views
= sun shelter
SUPERSHED
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LAYOUT
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BUILT PROJECT
DETAILS
18
D E C. 2 1
19 L I G H T I N G In addition to completing my Master’s degree, I also received my Lighting
M A R. 2 1
Let there be light.
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STANDARD
SHALLOW
TALL
25’ x 10’
15’ x 17’
17’ x 10’ + 8’ x 10’
J U N. 2 1
M A R. 2 1
Shown here is a small sample of my daylighting analysis looking at the luminance of three different options along a southern exposure.
D E C. 2 1
During independent research, I investigated three different micro housing configurations and analyzed the options in terms of daylight quality. Having access to natural daylight within small quarters is essential for making the space feel more open. However, through this research, it was discovered that ample daylight was easily acheived and that uniformity of daylight within the space contributed more to the feeling of openess.
J U N. 2 1
Design Certificate. This certificate focuses on the integration and application of light in architecture. The program explored daylighting, electric lighting, and computational lighting analysis.
STANDARD
SHALLOW
TALL
EDUCATION Master of Architecture
University of Washington | 2010 - 2013
Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering University of California Irvine | 2003 - 2007
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design Green Associate | 2009 - present
EXPERIENCE MulvannyG2 Architecture
Architectural Intern | Bellevue, WA | 2011
URS
Structural Design Engineer | Irvine & Oakland, CA | 2007 - 2010
Washington Group International
Civil Engineering Intern | Irvine, CA | 2005 - 2007
TECHNICAL Adobe InDesign
AutoCAD
Revit
Adobe Illustrator
Ecotect
Rhinoceros
Adobe Photoshop
Microsoft Office
Sketchup
THANK YOU 20