ELAINE M ZHANG PORTFOLIO + RESUME

ELAINE MARIE ZHANG

ELAINE MARIE ZHANG elainemzhang@gmail.com 405 255 8785

EDUCATION Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Class of 2018 Bachelor of Architecture, Minor in Communication GPA: 3.46

EXPERIENCE Intern, Method Design - New York, NY Student Researcher, Center for Architecture Science Ecology - New York, NY Intern, Muirfield Homes - Norman, OK Intern, Bigfoot Creative - Norman, OK Transcriber, “Twisted Siblings: Relationships Between Contemporary Painting and Digital Architecture” - Troy, NY Hostess, Kitchen No. 324 - Oklahoma City, OK Student Archivist and Graphic Designer, RPI SoA Publications - Troy, NY

June 2016 - Aug. 2016 Jan. 2016 - May 2016 July 2015 - Aug. 2015 July 2015 - Aug. 2015 Aug. 2014- Present June 2014 - Present Feb. 2014 - May 2016

LEADERSHIP & VOLUNTEERISM Course Assistant: Materials & Design, Construction Systems, RPI - Troy, NY Warm Up Volunteer, MoMA PS1 - New York, NY Co-Captain/Fundraising Coordinator, RPI CANstruction - Troy, NY Volunteer, Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity - Moore, OK Class Representative, Dean’s Student Advisory Council, RPI - Troy, NY Mentor, Women’s Mentoring Program & AIAS - Troy, NY

Aug. 2016 - Dec. 2016 June 2016 - Aug. 2016 June 2014 - Present Jan. 2014 - Present July 2015 - Present Jan. 2015 - Present

HONORS & ACHIEVEMENTS Installation for Chale Wote Street Arts Festival in James Town, Ghana (Design/Build) Installation for Advanced Energy Conference in New York, NY (Design/Build) “Lighting the Lighthouse”, Environmental & Ecological Systems Hall of Fame Dean’s List Leadership Award Scholarship ($30,000/year) President’s Volunteer Service Award, Bronze and Silver

SKILLS Digital: Revit, AutoCad, Rhinoceros, Vray, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, beginner Maya, Grasshopper Fabrication: handmodeling, lasercutting, woodworking machinery, 3D printing Other: painting, drawing, photography, fluent in Mandarin Chinese, intermediate Spanish

August 2016 April 2016 May 2015 Fall 2013-Fall 2016 August 2013-May 2018 August 2012, May 2013

NORTH END REHABILITATION RESEARCH CAMPUS studio “Integrated Design Development” critics: Erik Churchill + Bryan Kim fall 2016

TWISTING FILTRATION studio “Troy Housing Project” critic: Edwin Liu spring 2015

HALIFAX NATIONAL FORESTRY LABORATORY studio “Integrated Design Schematic” critic: Lonn Combs fall 2015

CHALE WOTE studio “Design Ecologies: Provocation, Performance, Integration” critics: Demetrios Comodromos + Joshua Draper spring 2016

PERFORATED COLLECTION Materials & Enclosures critic: Ajmal Aqtash spring 2015

THERAPEUTIC FLOWS Material Anatomies critic: Nancy Diniz spring 2016

TOP OF THE MORNING Introduction to Visual Communication critic: Paul Miyamoto fall 2015

PHOTOGRAPHY + ART

NORTH END REHABILITATION RESEARCH CAMPUS partner: Vivian Lin critics: Erik Churchill + Bryan Kim NERRC is a innovative rehabilitation and research center located in the North End of Boston, MA. Given its distinct location along the “Big Dig,� the building acts as a stitch between the historically separated North End and Financial District.

What happens when you create meaningful carves into a cube? NERCC is formally driven by a series of three volumetric cuts informed by contextual, environmental, and programmatic factors. The canyon cuts lead pedestrian traffic onto the site, the plaza & balcony cuts address the need for green and open air spaces, and the light cuts allow more daylight into the building.

How can spaces be carved meaningfully? What does it mean when private spaces and public spaces begin to overlap?

These three cuts produces three buildings within one. There is a tri-partite programmatic organization: private, meandering public, and prescribed public. Given the private nature of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and medical check-ups, naturally privacy needs to be respected, but how can there still be opportunity for the public to interact with the private?

These facade cuts provide opportunity for visual connections, the plaza, bridges, and connected 4th floor provide opportunities for physical connections.

(Tech Set Available Upon Request)

CONCEPT DIAGRAM

SITE

+EXTRUSION

-ACCESS CUT

-OPEN AIR CUT

-LIGHT CUT

CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

=MASSING

PROGRAM DIAGRAM

GALLERY

TREATMENT

WEST ELEVATION WEST ELEVATION

RECREATION

ACADEMIC

SOUTH ELEVATION SOUTH ELEVATION

CR

EA

TIO

N

ME NT

TREATMENT

RECREATION ACADEMIC

PRIVATE

PUBLIC

RE

COMMUNITY

T EA

TR

AC

AD

EM

IC

PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE ORGANIZATION

URBAN SITE PLAN

C

5' - 0"

CT Room

5' - 0"

J

UP

C

TECHNOLOGIST OFFICE

D

LIBRARY

TECHNOLOGIST OFFICE

MRI ROOM

D

RECEPTION

D

IMAGING SUITE 9' - 0"

L E LIBRARIAN OFFICE

PT RESEARCH 11' - 0"

B F

H

UP

H

UP

UP N

CHANGING ROOM

UP

G

LEVEL 1

6

7

8

H

UP 29' - 0"

2

LIFT GAIT

LEVEL 2

37' - 0"

PRES OFFICE

37' - 0"

C

J

UP RESEARCH HEAD

D

OPEN TO BELOW

29' - 0"

MEETING

ADMIN OFFICES 39' - 0" K

D

EXEC RESEARCHER OFFICE OFFICE OFFICE

D

MEETING

16' - 0" L

E

OT RESEARCH

AUDITORIUM 23' - 0"

F

H

UP

10/19/16

DATE:

1

N

STUDY ROOM 32' - 6"

I

SCALE:

EAST ELEVATION EAST ELEVATION

A

C 8

2

B 3

LEVEL 3

4

NORTH

KITCHEN

Level 3 Floor Plan

TRAINER'S OFFICE

A103

5

O

1/16" = 1'-0"

NORTH

Level 2 Floor Plan

7

36' - 0"

10/19/16

SCALE:

O

1/16" = 1'-0"

UP

CAFE

DATE:38' - 0"

OT TREATMENT

1

CAFE 38' - 0"

MEETING ROOM

NORTH

6

M

GALLERY 41' - 0"

G UP

I

MEETING ROOM

STUDY ROOM 21' - 0"

O

5

L

STUDY ROOM 38' - 0"

THERAPY TABLES

G

A102

K

D

N

EQUIPMENT STORAGE

4

J COMPUTER LAB

B

M

UP

CONFERENCE HALL

B 3

MARKETING OFFICE

N

Level 1 Floor Plan

A

C 5

F

UP

SCALE: PUBLIC GYM

THERAPY TABLE

THERAPY TABLE

B 4

M 8' - 0"

10/19/16

17' - 0" 1/16" = 1'-0"

THERAPY STAIR

PARALLEL BARS

UNIVERSAL GYM

MED. BALL RACK

BIKE

ARM BIKE

HOT TUB

3

E

MEETING ROOM

ARM BIKE

PUBLIC POOL

A

L

C

VP OFFICE

B

DATE: PT TREATMENT 13' - 0"

O

UP

2

PT OFFICES 25' - 0"

OT OFFICES 27' - 0"

I

TRAINER OFFICE

PT POOL

D

UP EQUIPMENT STORAGE

1

ACADEMIC LOBBY JANITOR'S CLOSET

LIBRARY BALCONY 10' - 0"

YOGA STUDIO

G

RECREATION LOBBY I JANITOR'S CLOSET

1

K

D

B

M

F

MEDICAL OFFICES 23' - 0"

Boston, MA

LIBRARIAN OFFICE

TREATMENT LOBBY STORAGE

14' - 0"

CONSULTATION

K

E

D

AUDITORIUM

CONSULTATION

MEDICAL SUITE -2' - 0"

C

J

UP

D

D

A

B

C

BALCONY 21' - 0"

21' - 0"

NERRC

A

A

B

C

North End Rehabilitation Research Campus

North End Rehabilitation Research Campus

CT Storage

-5' - 0"

NERRC

A

A

B

C

North End Rehabilitation Research Campus

NERRC

A

A

STUDIO ZHANG | LIN

Boston, MA

A B

STUDIO ZHANG | LIN

Boston, MA

STUDIO ZHANG | LIN

6

A

C 7

8

2

DINING

KITCHEN MANAGER PANTRY

B 3

LEVEL 4

4

5

A104 6

C 7

8

FACADE ASSEMBLY DIAGRAMS ACCESS CUT: ANGLED GLASS FIN SYSTEM

SECTION, THROUGH TREATMENT WING

EXTRUDED ALUMINUM CAP

SPLICE PLATE

GLASS FIN, 0.75” x 1’

3 1/4" X 25/32" WOOD STRIP FLOORING

3" COMPOSITE DECKING

W 12 X 16 BEAM

5/8" GYPSUM BOARD

ALUMINUM SHOE, EMBEDDED IN GROUND

LAMINATED GLASS, 0.25” + 0.25”

SECTION, THROUGH RECREATION WING

SILICONE SEALANT

SHEAR CONNECTORS

Gasket

3 1/4" X 25/32" WOOD STRIP FLOORING

3" COMPOSITE DECKING

W 12 X 16 BEAM

3' - 8"

W 16 X 26 BEAM

1 1/2" COLD ROLLED CHANNELS W 24 X84 GIRDER

5/8" GYPSUM BOARD

7/8" METAL FURRING CHANNELS @ 16" O.C.

Structural Sealant Extruded Aluminum Laminated Glass Panel Angled, Vertical Glass Fin

Custom Angled Steel Splice Plate Extruded Aluminum Cap

Weatherseal

Steel Plate

OPEN AIR CUT: GLASS FIN SYSTEM

LIGHT CUT: VOLUMETRIC MULLION SYSTEM 130 DEGREE MULLION 32 DEGREE MULLION

157 DEGREE MULLION

40 DEGREE MULLION OBTUSE

ACUTE

130 DEGREE CORNER

157 DEGREE CORNER

40 DEGREE CORNER

32 DEGREE CORNER

4TH FLOOR STRUCTURE

3' - 8"

G

LIGHT CUT - GLASS PANELS

LIGHT CUT - STRUCTURE

CORNER MULLION SYSTEM

SPIDER JOINT

LINEAR MULLION FRAME

GLASS FIN, 0.75” x 1’

SILICONE SEALANT

STRUCTURAL SILICONE

LAMINATED TRANSLUCENT GLASS

TOGGLE CLASP

GASKET

INSULATED GLASS PANEL, 1” x 8’ x 10.5’

EXTRUDED ALUMINUM FRAMING 3RD FLOOR STRUCTURE ALUMINUM SHOE, EMBEDDED IN GROUND

SECTION MODEL, 1/4” : 1’

TWISTING FILTRATION partner: Jenna Kulek critic: Edwin Liu In 2035, we predict that the world will not be drastically different, albeit for slightly higher levels of air pollution. Campus enrollment and population growth will be steady and the city of Troy will become even more vibrant, thus increasing the need for both RPI and Troy housing. Our housing solution strives to connect the city of Troy with the students of RPI, and vice versa through natural and collaborative interactions between the residents of Troy and students of RPI. We believe that a collaboration with the working people and innovators of Troy with the young, shapeable minds of the students at RPI could have a positive and economically beneficial effect on the city of Troy. We began by pinpointing locations on RPI’s campus and in downtown Troy that we felt were important, popular, or had high traffic.

These points, and the lines connecting them were used to develop the base shape of both the RPI and Troy buildings.

Once we had the base shapes, we stacked and rotated the form in thirds to achieve a twisted look. In order to maximize light and create irregular floor plan shapes, volumetric shapes were boolean differenced from the corners and core. Programmatically, the students at RPI and residents of Troy do not share housing under the same roof, but there are shared public spaces in both the RPI and Troy buildings. The RPI building features a two-story library and stores on the first 3 floors and the Troy building features stores, a coffee shop, a restaurant, and multi-purpose space on the 4th and 5th floors. In order to combat the higher levels of air pollution, both buildings have functional skins that filter outside air to the balcony spaces, thus creating the sensation of being outdoors while being indoors.

FORM GENERATION

SKIN GENERATION PASS 1

Vietnam War Memorial Uncle Sam Monument Fulton Street Art Gallery The Arts Center Troy Waterfront Farmer’s Market Soldiers and Sailors Monument

Troy Savings Bank Music Hall

ECAV Russell Sage Laboratory RPI Student Union DCC Folsom Library VCC Mueller Center Freshman Hill

PASS 2 1 DIVISION

2 DIVISIONS

3 DIVISIONS

TROY HOUSING, floor 1 4 DIVISIONS

DORM FLOOR PLAN

TROY HOUSING, floor 6 + RPI HOUSING, floor 1

RPI HOUSING, floor 6

APARTMENT FLOOR PLAN

SECTION MODEL, 1/4” : 1’

EAST section of the Troy Apartments

SOUTH section of the Troy Apartments

WEST section of the Troy Apartments

NORTH section of the Troy Apartments

KEY RPI STUDENT APARTMENTS RPI STUDENT DORMS LOBBY/PUBLIC SPACE TROY RESIDENT APARTMENTS MULTI-PURPOSE SPACE

LONGITUDINAL SECTION

Halifax national forestry laboratory critic: Lonn Combs The Halifax National Forestry Laboratory is a national research institute that focuses on the role that forests play currently and in the future.

The relationship between the corner condition of Citadel Hill, a historic and cultural relic of Halifax, and the edge condition of Spring Garden Road, a commercial and cultural district was a large driver in this proposal for this laboratory. The North West corner and the South East corner are entrance points to the site, with the North West corner drawing visitors from Citadel Hill and the South East corner drawing locals and visitors from Spring Garden Road. An urban landscape is created so people can interact with and meander through the site without being told what to do. The faceted and folded landscape plays with the contrast between below ground space and above ground space. People are able to approach and enter the building from street level, but also from the elevated landscape. While the site follows a more triangulated faceted logic, the building follows a more rectangular folded logic. In order to capitalize on the daylighting opportunities, a volume was subtracted from the South West face in order to allow light to penetrate the interior and skylights were added across the roof. The building also leans inwards on the South East and slightly outwards on the North East in order to capture more light and provide an interesting interior space, respectively. The South East and South West faces are glazed with a double curtain wall and the North East and North West faces are concrete panels.

CONCEPT - CUT & FOLDED

PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION STUDY MODELS

STUDY MODEL

SOUTHEAST FACE

NORTHEAST FACE

NORTHWEST FACE

SOUTHWEST FACE

SITE PLAN

PROGRAM DISTRIBUTION

+EL 9.200

+EL 9.450

+EL 9.200

+EL 9.450

+EL 9.200

+EL 9.450

+EL 9.200

+EL 9.450

+EL 16.333 +EL 10.333

+EL 0.000

-EL 4.000

+EL 18.575

+EL 0.000

+EL 18.575

LEVEL -1 scale 1:200

LEVEL -1

SOUTHWEST ELEVATION

+EL 0.000

+EL 18.575

MAIN LEVEL

+EL 0.000

+EL 18.575

LEVEL LEVEL 2 2 1:200 scalescale 1:200

MAIN MAINLEVEL LEVEL scale scale1:200 1:200

LEVEL 1

+EL 0.000

LEVEL 3 3 LEVEL scalescale 1:200 1:200

LEVEL 2

ON SITE, DURING THE FESTIVAL

CHALE WOTE collaborators: CASE critics: Demetrios Comodromos & Joshua Draper This design/build was the product of PhD research at CASE on the upcycling of agricultural by-products, conducted by Mae-Ling Lokko, and an invitation from Chale Wote - a street art festival in James Town, Ghana - to build a pavilion for the 2016 festival.

JAMES TOWN, GHANA

commercial product

EXPORTED COCONUT

2.50%

34%

26%

37%

UPCYCLED waste product SKIN

0.44% 0.06%

SKIN

HUSK

HUSK

SHELL

SHELL

MEAT

MEAT HUSK MEAT

HUSK MEAT

YOUNG COCONUT

ECONOMY OF COCONUT PRODUCTION

10’

PRODUCTION

JA

ME

PRODUCTION

3’

SF OR TS TR

PRODUCTION

EE

T

PURVEYING

PRODUCTION

3’

3’

SLEEPING

ight/h

eat

C

LE LA

N

D

RO AD

win d

PLAN + SECTION

h20

dayl

MATURE COCONUT

DESIGN 01_B MOD According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity at MIT, Ghana exports $0.3 billion dollars worth of coconut products annually - which includes fresh and dried coconut and coconut oil.

There is an economic opportunity available if Ghana were to utilize the entire coconut - including the brown fibrous material that is the coconut’s mesocarp, which is also commonly referred to as the husk or the coir, not just the meat and oil. There are other countries - mainly in Southeast Asia - that exported a total of $498 millions of dollars worth of coconut coir - raw, processed, and waste - in 2014. The mesocarp consists of really strong and porous fibers, which are good for oxygen supply. The coir also contains a high amount of lignin, which has anti-microbial properties and can act as a natural glue. Coir is already being used to make MDF, furniture, ropes, mats, as a source of fuel and charcoal, and as a growing medium - it retains water, grows plants faster, there is minimal maintenance, no pests, and is low cost. So, why not explore the upcycling of coconut coir into a viable building material? Once this concept seed has been planted - it can flourish anywhere - including countries that produce more coconut - and coconut waste - than Ghana.

JOINT DETAILS

FULL SCALE MOCK-UPS

1

“they say”: space between walls is not programmable

2

“we say”: expand the walls to get programmable interior wall space

3

push out the walls even further

4

make an entrance

5

add an interior partition wall

6

make an opening to enter programmable wall space + shift pre-existing walls

CONCEPT DIAGRAM

DESIGN 02_HYPERCAVITY partners: Sarah Reynolds & Cody Seipp Singular wall systems do not offer a profound user engagement - they create isolated spaces that causes users to neglect their surroundings.

A hybridized, delaminating wall system allows the user to engage in a rich co-existence with the wall, which enriches their aesthetic experience, amplifies their spatial perception, and provides a framework for improved thermal comfort and air quality.

FLOOR PLAN

0’

1’

3’

5’

ROOF PLAN

LONGITUDINAL SECTION

ROOF PLAN

BAMBOO UMBRELLA

BUILT_TACTILE ENGAGEMENT

studio-wide collaboration This was the final iteration, guided by manufacturing & production contstraints, weight restrictions for checked baggage, and buildability. In the end, the system that was utilized was a synthesis of the ideas that came into fruition from an entire semester & summer’s research & design work from the studio. The coconut panels have been further developed for durability, the joints realized as metal plates with holes for nuts & bolts, as well as folds that guided the form. The bamboo & recycled plastic umbrellas provide shade for vendors & festival-goers.

STEPPED PLANTER

UPCYCLED COCONUT HUSK PANEL

1/8" ACRYLIC GRILL

4” X 4” X 11" FOOTER

AXONOMETRIC

RESPONSES TO: FLUID PRESSURE

LIGHT

SOUND

MOTION

TEMPERATURE

LOAD

STRENGTH

CORNER MODEL, 3” : 1’, panel detail

CORNER MODEL, 3” : 1’, pipe detail

CORNER MODEL, 3” : 1’, front

CORNER MODEL, 3” : 1’, back CORNER MODEL, 3” : 1’, drainage pool detail

PERFORATED COLLECTION partners: Jenna Kulek & Vivian Lin critic: Ajmal Aqtash

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

  







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

EXPLODED AXON

The facade is a water collection system rooted in the idea of perforation and multifunctionality. The layered system includes jointed and clipped triangulated steel panels that meet at varying distances away from a glass curtain wall (to withstand loads and motion, minimize pressures from sound and air, as well as maximize water collection). The top panels have gradiented perforations, which allow water to flow into the space between the panels and the curtain wall. The water is collected in a draining pool that empties into a pipe that carries the water through a filter before it joins the rest of the building’s water supply. In addition to providing additional water for the building, the system also mitigates energy use by helping to regulate the temperature. The facade shades the curtain wall so heat is not readily gained, but still allows indirect light, which provides a pleasant living or working environment. The system also mitigates temperature inside of the building through evaporative cooling. The draining systems can be switched off, which would allow the draining pools to hold still water. The air flowing into the air space would then be cooled by the water, which would also help to cool the glass wall.

PROTOTYPE_01

PROTOTYPE_02A

PROTOTYPE_02B

PROTOTYPE_03

TOP VIEW

THERAPEUTIC FLOWS partner: Amaory Portorreal critic: Nancy Diniz Is it possible to use the natural muscular hierarchy as a guiding infrastructure for healing? Is it possible to treat muscle injuries hyper-locally; is it possible to be selective about the muscles targeted for treatment? Is it possible to treat the injury with one streamlined method without creating a mess? We believe so. This device follows a logic of muscular hierarchy, which guides the size of tubes. The tubes with the largest diameter are linked to the largest muscles, in order for them to receive the largest amount of therapy, and vice versa.

Each muscle receives the proper amount of therapy. Our device is not messy, like ointment, and won’t melt, like ice wrapped in a towel, but still provides cooling/icing and heating during the recovery process. cooling and heating for the muscles during their recovery after an injury.

SIDE VIEW

BACK VIEW

BUSINESS CARD, front BROCHURE, page 6

BROCHURE, page 1 ELAINE ZHANG Apprentice Baker zhange@totm.com Top of the Morning, LLC 258 Broadway, Suite 100 Troy, NY 12180-3238 T: 518 326 4201 F: 518 326 4222 W: topofthemorning.com

BUSINESS CARD, back BROCHURE, page 2

BROCHURE, page 3

BROCHURE, page 4

BROCHURE, page 5

Top of the Morning, LLC 258 Broadway, Suite 100 Troy, NY 12180-3238

ENVELOPE

TOP OF THE MORNING critic: Paul Miyamoto When designing the marketing campaigning for a hypthetical muffin top bakery, I wanted to convey freshness, vibrancy, color, variety, and cleanliness with a pathos headline/slogan. I was hoping to draw people in with the bright colors and variety of the various ingredients/fruits on the full page ad. With the text, I hoped to convey that our muffin tops are not only delicious, but they do good in our community as well. With the brochure, I wanted the customers to visualize our muffins, our cafe space, and learn a little bit about our mission. I wanted to leave them (on the back page) with yet another ploy to get them to come into the cafe and purchase a muffin. With the home page, I wanted to focus on the muffin top as a background for the splash page.

HOME PAGE

PHOTOGRAPHY

ART

graphite on paper

graphite on paper

oil on canvas

oil on canvas

oil on canvas