Cherise Cho Architecture Portfolio 2015

CHERISE CHO SELECTED WORKS +(65) 90057254 chocherise@gmail.com

My interests in architecture lie in how architecture can be paried with interesting programmes and functions. I see architecture as a holistic design about how space and techtonics interact with its context, site, and programmes. In my work, I strive to promote greater appreciation of the surrounding context as I believe that it would result in interesting spaces and interactions. I strive for an understanding of all building functions and living processes so that I can create an architecture ecosystem where the users, functions, building, and site work in harmony.

The works presented in this document express my desire and attempts at creating this harmony. I am greatly influenced by the site of the project, and my designs aim to bring out what I find are its best qualities. These range from addressing the natural environment, the urban environment, and even the behaviours of people under different urban conditions. Ultimately, my architecture are my thought experiments of possibilities that could exist.

The projects in this document range from large cultural buildings to small installations, and range from architectural design work to digital fabrication, lighting, typology studies and even some short essays I’ve written on architectural doctrine.

Contact me at chocherise@gmail.com so we can keep in touch!

design

01

NOMADIC TOWER

typology

02

BARBICAN ESTATE

daylighting

03

COLOUR PAVILION

fabrication + code

04 05 06

HANGING ILLUSION

07 08 09

ON: THE ART NOVEAU MOVEMENT

short essays

LAMPSHADE MUD, BODY, SCRIPTS

ON: MODERN ARCHITECTURE ON: UTOPIAN ARCHITECTURE

EDUCATION MAY 2012 - AUG 2015

SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN BACHELOR OF SCIENCE MAJOR IN ARCHITECTURE AND SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

COMPETITION JAN 2012

HDB COOL DESIGNS FOR BETTER LIVING 3RD PLACE DESIGN FOR A LOCAL COOLING DEVICE

EXPOSURE JAN 2015 - MAY 2015

ARCHITECTURE STRUCTURES COURCE TEACHING ASSISTANT ASSISTED IN CLASS WORKSHOPS AND TUTORIALS

JUL 2014

ARCHITECTURE ASSOCIATION WORKSHOP: LYON MUD BODY AND SCRIPTS DESIGN FOR A 3D PRINTING DEVICE AND EARTHEN TENSILE STRUCTURE

JAN 2014 - FEB 2014

RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE, FLORENCE PARTICIPANT STUDIED ITALIAN RENAISSANCE BUILDINGS, ARTWORKS AND SCRIPTURES

SKILLS GRAPHICS PHOTOSHOP ILLUSTRATOR INDESIGN

HIGH INTERMEDIATE ADVANCE INTERMEDIATE

MODELLING RHINOCEROUS REVIT

ADVANCE HIGH INTERMEDIATE

DIGITAL ANALYTICS RHINO: GRASSOPPER KARAMBA KANGAROO DIVA

ADVANCE INTERMEDIATE HIGH INTERMEDIATE ADVANCE

REVIT: DYNAMO VASARI

INTERMEDIATE HIGH INTERMEDIATE

AUTOCAD: ECOTECT

INTERMEDIATE

FARICATION LASER CUTTING 3D PRINTING CNC

CONTACT CHO HUI HUI CHERISE 65 90057254 CHOCHERISE@GMAIL.COM

ADVANCE ADVANCE INTERMEDIATE

01 NOMADIC TOWER |

MIXED-USE HOUSING

Site: Undeveloped site, Punggol, Singapore Boundary: 8114m2 Aim: The project questioned current vertical constructions and wants to suggest new prototypologies for high-rise designs.

Concept Design: As the site is currently a forested area in Punggol, it eludes a sense of mystery and wonder. Architecture is used here as a tool to connect the built and natural environments. To encourage exploration, enthralling spaces were created by merging architectural techtonics with the unadulterated natural environment. Boundaries between private and shared spaces were blurred such that people would be encouraged to live almost like nomads within the development and can acquire the various spaces they would need to use and design their own living spaces.

A tower was created in the farthest corner of the site away from the roads, and most of the forest landscape would be kept. The theme of inducing exploration starts with entry to the site from the main roads. Several dirt roads start at various points along the periphery of the site and wind through the forest, often crossing paths before ending at the foot of the tower.

Much of the original vegetation in the area is kept to preserve the quality of the natural environment. This along with the close proximity of the site to the Johor Straits provide a lush tropical backgroun which add to the elusiveness of the site. In this context, the building was made to seem ephermeral, its form barely materializing against the dense secondary forest.

Punggol Timor Island

Punggol Waterway Seletar Link

Serangoon Island

Punggol Coast

Serangoon Island

The plan on every level starts with a square. A courtyard is created from a simple geometry to form a central void. The geometry is rotated every level to create overlapping spaces near the central core. Each floor is then divided into segments and each segment raised or depressed such that the height of every floor varies.

Tower

Core

Offsetting courtyard

Varying floor heights

Permeable facade

Underground entrance

Residential

Gym/ Communal facilities

Residential

Atrium + shops

The facade is a thin screen which semi-encloses spaces. Its high permeability creates the illusion of an epheremal materialization of the tower from afar. On each floor there are 3 units, and the varying heights create different landscapes within each unit. The central courtyard create neutral hierachy of spaces around it and this flexibility creates different spaces for residents to determine their use. There are 3 structural walls on each level which seperate the 3 units from one another. Within each unit the space is continuous across the various heights.

Facade

Floor types

Structure

02 BARBICAN ESTATE |

TYPOLOGY ANALYSIS

Site: London City, London, Britain Boundary: 160 000m2 Aim: To understand various housing typologies, the Lauderdale tower of the Barbican Estate was chosen as a study of high-rise buildings. A series of diagrams were created as tools for analysis and documentation. Special focus was given to the spatial configuration of the apartment types to determine its flexibility, hierachy, uses for open spaces, and circulation.

Conclusion: The Lauderdale building is one of three towers in the Barbican.

Since each level has 3 apartments, and each apartment 4 bedrooms, each floor of the tower is shared by an average of 12 people. This makes the Lauderdale tower being able to house around 500 people at full capacity, making it one of the densest residential buildings in central London for a long time.

TRAFFIC NETWORK The Barbican complex is located between two train stations (Barbican and Moorgate) and is surrounded by several bus stops.

Being on the edge of London City gives residetns acces to major financial and tourism destinations

MORPHOLOGY Train stations Bus stops Roads Highways

GREEN SPACES

SOCIAL NETWORK The Barbican complex houses a music school along with its many other facilities such as a theatre, gallery and shops. Residents also have access to nearby religious buildings (churches, temples, and synagogues), libraries and schools which are within walking distance.

While the Barbican estate is nearly the size of a neighbourhood, it is more spread out than compared to the surrounding buildings which are wider and occupy the whole block. The Barbican straddles the edge of London City, and the morphology of the city changes accordingly moving from North to South. To the South is London City where large office buildings, churches, and main train stations are located and organized extremely densely. To the North are smaller residential and commercial buildings which are organized more spatially and are less dense with more space between blocks.

Religious buildings Libraries Schools

Almost all the parks around the Barbican are on church grounds. This makes the Barbican one of the few developments in the area that has its own green and water features.

Parks Ponds

CONNECTIVITY AND DENSITY The Lauderdale Tower has a publicly accessible ground level which os open to public and has shops. A bridge on the second level connects the tower to an elevated public walkway that runs through the entire Barbican estate. The remaining 42 stories are purely residential, and are served by 3 lifts and a single stair core. The lifts open up to a common platform at each level which are shared by the 3 apartments on each level.

Corridor

L1 Plan (ground level)

Vertical Core

Gate(s)/entrance(s) Public Semi-public Circulation Semi-Private Circulation

L2 Plan (bridge)

L3 - L43 Plan (typical floor)

Corridor

Neutral

Simple Plan

Usable Space

Load-bearing

Daylit areas (5m indoors)

OCCUPANCIES AND ALLOCATION Apt. Entrance(s) Circulation Common Spaces Individual Spaces Outdoor Indoor

Each unit of the Lauderdale tower has 4 bedrooms arranged linearly along a corridor with the master bedroom at one end and the living room on the other end. The bedrooms open to a common balcony which is connected to the fire escape corridor The plan of the apartment seems to place emphasis on the two ends of the apartment where the largest rooms are, while the remaining space in between remain neutral and have equal dimensions. One can imagine these rooms to be flexible to accomodate various uses and adapt to changing lifestyles and habits. This is suitable since the generous proportions of the rooms allow space for growing families or multiple generations to live together.

03 COLOUR PAVILION |

DAYLIGHTING ANALYSIS

Site: Marina Bay Sands Boundary: 250m2 Aim: To design a single space that can accommodate a gathering space, a gallery, and a performance area. It should be sufficiently daylight during the day.

Group Project with: Amanda Yeo QY Design Concept: The pavilion is situated at MBS and is a continuous sheet that at times would fold on itself to create overlapping volumes. Colour was used as a way to attract the public and create interesting interiors when the volumes overlapped. Simulations were done to visualize the lighting in these spaces and a light model built to observe real time lighting conditions if the pavilion were to be built.

04 HANGING ILLUSION |

FABRICATION

Site: IDC Research Lab, SUTD Boundary: 16m2 Aim: To create a sculptural ceiling or partitioning structure that could be hung within the IDC lab. It should induce a new way of occupying space and control a gradient of transparency as one moves around the design.

Group Project with: Bianca Gill, Pamela Chua, Clover Chen, Melissa Ho, Clifford Kosiah Design Concept: The design was to emphasize the undulations of the IDC ceiling.

This hanging chandelier would be more transparent at the top and less so on the bottom, creating the effect of an object that is slowly materializing in space.

C# code in grasshopper was used to create the general shape of the geometry that would emphasize the low ceiling. Then taking the dimensions of the ceiling to create starting points (seen on the left as black dots), these were dropped to the net below creating a vertical blue line.

Each blue line represents a strip of clear plastic which would collectively form the hanging structure. The code then output these lines in rows arranged sequentially (right).

This is accompanied by another list of the lengths of each plastic strip. Each strip is given a code to match its length and location in the completed ensemble.

The code also took into account the dimensions of the plastic sheets. Pieces that were too long (>30cm) or too short (<2cm) were automatically removed and the order rearranged automatically.

The plastic strips were then fabricated and threaded on one end to connect it to a main support for the entire row.

White spray paint was applied lightly in layers, with the lower end of the plastic piece receiving more layers than at the top.

05 LAMPSHADE |

CODE + FABRICATION

Aim: To create a lampshade design by coding a weaving pattern in grasshopper using C# code. The output of the code should generate an organized list of instructions on the weaving pattern.

The lamp shade would then be physically manufactured using 2mm polyester string woven through the wooden lamp straucture.

Group Project with: Chou I Hsuan Design Concept: As our first foray into digital design, my team experimented around with many different patterns before settling on the design shown as a render on the next page. The aim of our group was to create an intricate woven pattern that could still accomodate space in the middle for the installation of a lightbulb. The following pages show the other designs we considered, which could not be manufactured since the highly dense patterns required more space along the rim for the string to be woven around. This was an exercise in prototyping and fabrication.

Physical model of final design

ALTERNATIVE DESIGNS

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Option 4

Final Design chosen

Option 5

06 MUD, BODY, SCRIPTS |

FABRICATION

Location: Lyon, France Details: AA Visiting School Workshop Aim: To explore construction methods that use earth.

Role description: Kangaroo was used to create the shapes of the hanging chain models we wanted. The geometry was then unfolded in 2D and cut in lycra. Layers of mud mixture was applied to create the structure. The final architecture was formed from overturning the dried models.

My experiments then moved to refining the mud mixture with the addtition of new materials into the composite.

Finally, I moved to the testing and final refinement of the mixture that could be used in a 3D printing machine for digital fabrication.

Stretching lycra over bamboo formwork

Securing the edge to define the boundary

Creating the hanging chain structures

Application of mud on the surface

Application of multiple layers after drying

Experiments with various hanging models

Overturning the dried structure to form arches

A series of arches joined at the edges

Other earthen tensile experiments #1

Other earthen tensile experiments #2

A model of the 3D printer arm

The mix of earth and clay, with cat-tails as a binder

07 SHORT ESSAYS | ON: THE ART NOVEAU MOVEMENT ABSTRACT: Analysis and Discussion 1. Colquhoun, Alan. ‘Art Nouveau: 1890-1910.’ In Modern Architecture 2. Architecture 15 of 23 Antoni Gaudi The Casa Mila [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek64mLpJtLE] 3. Architecture 06 of 23 The Vienna Savings Bank [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geAd-AQehaU]

After reviewing the manifestations of the Art Nouveau movement and the examples of the Casa Mila and the Vienna Savings Bank, the manifestations of the movement are as varied as the architects themselves as its interpretation was left to their discretion and expression. The Vienna Bank and the Casa Mila can be taken to epitomize the differences of the expressions of the philosophy, and some interesting and sometimes ironical conclusions can be drawn from their cross-examination with each other and the formal language and precepts expounded by Viollet-le-Duc. One of the precepts by Viollet-le-Duc was the adoption of an organic form inspired from nature, such as curved lines and floral motifs. The Casa Mila took this point to the extreme and even beyond. Its (in)famous façade of undulating stone and marble succeeded in its regard of engaging in an “organic” form and attempted to simulate movement and give the materials a degree of plasticity as though they were molded onto the iron skeleton like plaster or jelly.

However the definition of “organic” can be viewed in a different light, such as respecting the nature of the material itself. And as such, the irony of the Casa Mila lies in the material usage, as the most organic form of stones is not that of having movement nor a gentle/smooth appearance, and Gaudi’s use of stone to create the undulating façade is contrary to the its inherent properties and thus paradoxical to the ideal of an organic form. In this respect, the Vienna Savings Bank with its arcade of steel and glass was much more respectful of the properties of the material, such as the long span of iron framework and glass tiles on the floor of the arcade which let light filter to the underground administration. As such, their usage conveyed on the structure the raw unadulterated manifestation of the material and that can be said to be more “organic” and in accordance with nature.

In another example, one of the tenants of the Art Nouveau movement was that ornaments take on a metaphorical position, as in the example of spatial silence (the relation between areas with ornaments and areas without). In Casa Mila, this is expressed as the plastic form of the external and internal spaces, such as the undulating surfaces which repeat itself not only outside the building but on top of it in the attic and terrace as well. The courtyards which also act as light wells can be seen as the centre pieces of the form of the building, bringing light and air deep into the plan of the apartments, almost as if breathing life into the activities within them. In this case, the relation with the courtyards and the form of the building is one that simulates nature, an organism (building) requiring sustenance from the elements (light and air) to give life to its functions (as a habitable space). The Vienna Savings Bank takes a different approach to ornamentation. Since its function is as a civil building, any adornments on the structure had to reflect the civic nature of its purpose, and as such adopted a more austere and solemn approach. As mentioned in the videos, Wagner took to expose the relation of the building to the city and her people through the use of modern materials such as iron, concrete and glass. Forgoing the debate on the meaning behind the studs on the façade, his ornamentation took the form of colour and the deliberate exposure of its skeleton of iron beams and pillars. In the arcade, iron pillars straddle the limbo between ornament and structure, addressing both the need for support of the glass roof, as well as demarcation for the area of the central space and as a symbol of progress which greets visitors in the central banking area, perfectly suited for its context. In contrast, the surrounding walls of the arcade were concrete pillars painted white to decrease their presence from the black iron which stood at the centre of the space, and also as the centerpiece of the bank representing its ideals.

08 SHORT ESSAYS | ON: MODERN ARCHITECTURE ABSTRACT: Techtonics of Modernism 1. Loos, Adolf. ‘Ornament and Crime (1908).’

2. Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig. ‘Working theses (1923).’

3. Mies van der Rohe, Ludwig. ‘On form in architecture (1927).’

4. Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret. ‘Five points towards a new architecture (1926).’

5. Colquhoun, Alan. ‘Return to Order: Le Corbusier and Modern Architecture in France 1920-35.’

A common thread that characterises the modern movement, aptly captured by Colquhoun, is that modern architecture is classical in nature. It demands a harmony in all elements of structure and erection, and thus how it clearly contradicts the Art Nouveau movement before it. It sets clear boundaries in its purity of lines and forms which while would seem to give austerity to the structure, instead through the tectonics of materials and elements can produce varied outcomes. For example in Mies van de Rohe’s or Le Corbusier’s buildings, a play of materials can easily divide the interior and exterior spaces just as easily as it is to melt it together (contrasting the Dom-ino House to the Villa Savoye and the Barcelona Pavilion).

To give more detail, clarity of lines could be expressed as the volumes of the building through the exposure of the structure, like how Italian churches use pilasters on the facade to demarcate the various volumes of the aisles within the churches, or how inside the pillars and vaulted ceilings show clearly the divisible spaces of the plan (typical of a Brunelleschian design). In modern terms with the advancement of material and construction techniques, this can be seen in the (ir)regularity of volumes on the façade such as the MalletStevens’s villa and the expression of structure such as the chrome pillars of the Barcelona Pavilion. The classical harmony mentioned is mediation between many tensions such as function, space, circulation, environment and materiality. Each building has a different purpose and thus this harmony is different for every structure.

The essays by Le Corbusier, Mies van de Rohe, Adolf Loos and Alan Colquhoun all contain strong references to the impact of technology and science on the taste of the modern man, such that these essays cannot be understood prior to the development of such construction techniques. Any person born just a decade before any of these new methods were born would not have been able to comprehend the meaning of what has been written as he would not have the same experiences which the man born a decade later would have seeing the inventions of steel and structures around him and glimpsed at the beginning of a new era.

09 SHORT ESSAYS | ON: UTOPIAN ARCHITECTURE ABSTRACT: A discussion and understanding of utopian and visionary architecture.

In the 1960s, 6 architects came together and formed the avant garde group known as Archigram. For the short years that they worked together, their revolutionary plans envisioned how a city could embrace technology into its architecture to create novel ways of living that challenged the status quo of habitation. One of their more famous works, “Walking City” by Ron Herron challenged the fundamentals of construction and living possibilities and although seemingly superficial and whimsical, it contained some critique and critical thought of modern cities and modern architecture that till today are worth pursuing to access the tradition and definition of architecture.

The background of “Walking City” comes amidst the pessimism of post-war welfare state of Britain which produced architecture which was brutalist in style. Herron (and by extension Archigram) held to the traditional idea that constructs of architecture influence society’s cultural development and felt that architecture should be more optimistic and embrace the flourishing pop culture. This inclination comes amidst significant developments in science and technology beyond architecture such as the first working laser (1960), launch of the first human space flight into orbit (1961), and the first cassette tape (1962) that ushered in new hope in the recovery of the economy and shaped the perspectives of intellects in the possibilities of new technology that could help mankind instead of causing more destruction. As a result, the publication of ideas took the form of colourful collages that were inspired by the media and featured, among the concept itself, video monitors, fashion models and broadcasting towers as a showcase of how contemporary they were.

In 1964, Ron Herron published the idea of the “Walking City” which assumes a post-apocalyptic world with no borders and boundaries and humans have returned to a nomadic lifestyle. It was a futuristic city set upon the backs of intelligent mobile walking robots with legs that moved to wherever their resource or manufacturing abilities were needed. These robots could join together with other mobile units to form large metropolitan cities to should the need arise, and disintegrate back into their individual entities should their collective services no longer be required. The buildings carried on the back of these robots could also be mobile, depending on the motive of the owner. The main bodies of the robots would carry all sorts of facilities, as can be seen upon closer inspection of his drawings to have labels such as ‘services’, ‘entertainment’, ‘health’, ‘living’ and ‘government’. The retractable legs of the robots can be inserted into the ground to extract raw nutrients for their inhabitants, and can also connect to those of other robots for the exchange of goods or information giving these robots much versatility in its use. Even though extremely massive, Herron describes his machines as “friendly-looking” and details them with smooth rounded exteriors with the main bulky body balancing on thin stick-like legs with rounded ends giving them the impression of being powerful yet rather delicate. He further details his drawings by giving these robots all the abilities to fulfil the needs of providing a proper habitat such as having a retractable roof skin (presumably to let in sunlight) and helicopter pods for transferring people from one mobile robot to another.

Although the “Walking City” exist only as collages, much can be inferred not only from the use of graphics but also from various interviews of Herron’s comments on his work in Archigram and where his tendencies lie. Much can also be postulated from considering the meaning behind the post-apocalyptic world in which the concept is set in, and thus proving why this idea was so visionary.

“Walking City” challenged the fundamentals of what cities mean on various levels. On the surface, the vision was to address the issue of aggressively expanding cities by diminishing the boundaries that cities could inhabit by proposing that cities could inhabit any part of the earth’s surface through the use of these huge mobile robots. Through this, it envisioned an urban system that could stretch on indefinitely regardless of geography and could also inhabit the water. The gift of mobility to cities would allow them in theory to access resources unlimited and avoid natural disasters, prompting an era of peace and growth.

It overturned the idea of the city as static and a recipient/result of societal culture, but as an intelligent organism that had its own kind of programmed life. It would seek out climates that were habitable, search for resources underground, and facilitate exchange between one robot and another. In this way, society and the built environment were not taking the backseat in human development but actively contributing to it and shaping culture and society. In a poetic and slightly paradoxical sort of way, the robot-city, a programme (as human construct devoid of any actual sentience) would have its own “will”.

The “Walking City” also challenged the notion of the geographical limits of nations, suggesting perhaps the identity of cities are merely social and cultural constructs and that there are no actual physical difference between one and another. The vision of the “Walking City” dissolves all physical and political boundaries and thus there is little disruption to the flow of goods and services between one robot to another, suggesting that in a capitalist society having nations with demarcated boundaries is perhaps disruptive and counterproductive to the advancement of society.

Perhaps the most distinguishing vision of the “Walking City” is that it seems almost prophetic in recognizing the importance of mobility and information that defines the age today back in the 1960s and how it would affect architecture. The focus of the vision for “Walking City” was on mobility as a metaphor for urbanization, taken and then transformed from a car being a mere vehicle of transportation to the mobile robot unit which is the main living space. Architecture has become mobile, challenging the fundamentals of habitation as being static and unchanging to one which through the embracing of technology as a servant to people would help solve the ills of society such as resource scarcity, environmental pollution, natural disasters and sanitary habitat.

+(65) 90057254 chocherise@gmail.com