Architecture Portfolio Daniel Chen 2013-2014

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

DANIEL CHEN

2013

-

2014

D

DC ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

2013-2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS

DANIEL CHEN

LIBRARY

4-7

GYMNASIUM

8-11

WATCHTOWER

12-13

WILLIAM’S PROJECT

14-15

DanYuMing88@hotmail.com

808.747.9765

1224 Cromwell Hills Drive, Cromwell CT, 06416

LIBRARY The goal of this project was to design a community library in the Chinatown district of Boston. The challenge for this was creating meaningful space in a cramped row-house box. Due to the severe site constraints a whimsical approach was taken in order to initiate the concept logic. This was developed further to create dynamic spatial relationships and experiences inside the building.

1/32” = 1’-0” SOLIDS and VOIDS Programs were divided into one of two groups: solid and void. This led to the imagination of solids supporting voids, and voids supporting solids. The idea was developed in section with solids cantilevering off of vertical circulation and party walls. In plan solid programs are staggered in alignment to create the atmosphere of void over solid and solid over void. The public circulation and cuts in the floor plates allow for inter-level connections between spaces above and below.

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CANTILEVER The initial designs were conceptualized in section. It was intended for the interior to be very exposed so that individuals could see the cantilevering at work. However, with the restraints of the site, that level of exposure was not possible. The concept of overlapping solids and voids still informed the interior organization and exterior facades. But attention was directed in creating subtleties in the plan and section where users of the building would experience the relationships between solids and voids by occupying the space.

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Site Analyses

GYMNASIUM For this studio project we were given an irregular site for our program. The goal was to transform a former parking lot into a new fitness center that would be accessible for local residents and college students. Major programs that influenced the projects were the main, training, and diving pools due to their size and inflexible nature. The design concept was inspired by site analyses of the urban context then refined to serve the building programs.

In the urban context I observed different relationships between buildings and open space. The one highlighted shows how the building creates an edge to define different zones of open space. I use this technique in my project to organize my site.

I also noticed the relationship between regular and irregular buildings. For my project I translated this into “objects in context.� I use this idea to organize the programs in the fitness center according to their open or closed nature.

PLANNING

1/64” = 1’-0” Page 10

After analyzing the surrounding building typology I took the concept of “Objects in Context” to organize the programs within the building. The large pools acted as the main objects while other solid programs coalesced to create secondary objects.

Simultaneously I wanted the building to define the site. I established a line of separation to have open space address the sunken highway and Boylston St. Along that line I placed the objects to act as anchors.

The remaining open programs act as interstitial fluid that connect the solids. Where the objects are rectilinear and orthogonal the open programs are tacky and viscid; creating the context and circulation for the objects.

SECTIONING In the sections there was an emphasis in creating opportunities for spaces to relate to one another through degrees of transparency. These are catalyzed by the goey open programs that conform or interrupt the forms of the objects. This can be seen in the pools.

The diving pool has the greatest amount of transparency with people from the upper and lower levels looking into the space. The training pool has a medium level of transparency where only people from the second level can look in. The main pool has the lowest amount of transparency and is closed off from the rest of open programs.

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WATCHTOWER For this exercise students were given the opportunity to design a watchtower and showcase the expressive qualities of light wood framing. In my design I imagined the relationship of the watchtower to the sun and therefore was very selective in the transparency and opaqueness of the building in its cardinal sides. The westward entrance is deliberately flat in order to evoke a humble structure while the other sides cantilever with the second floor and roof in order amplify the tectonic potentials of light wood framing.

1/16” = 1’-0”

WILLIAM’S PROJECT During my summer internship my employer took me to a site where she was renovating a home for a couple. After completing the field measurements I was assigned the job to create as-built drawings to help with understanding the building’s layout. For a part of my work my boss requested that I research wood construction in order to make a more detailed wall section. This firm experience gave me a foundational understanding of structural connections, which has facilitated in an ease of learning other structural systems.

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