SELECTED WORKS
2017 Eveline Lam
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HELLO
My name is Eveline and this is a selection of my recent work. I am a recent graduate from the Masters program at the University of Waterloo. My approach to architecture is based on a fascination with materiality, not only with regards to its role in atmosphere and symbolism, but also in considering its physical presence. This includes all facets of material involvement, including origin, extraction/sourcing processes, and fabrication.
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Glass—Stone—Metal
Clay
Concrete
Spa at Dreki Comprehensive Studio
One Hand Occupies the Void Masters Thesis
Poetry Hall in Rome Competition
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Materials at Work
Wood
Ciguë Office
A Chair for Joan Miró Design-build
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GLASS—STONE—METAL
SPA AT DREKI Comprehensive Studio (Summer 2015)
In the remote areas of central Iceland, the terrain can seem alien and inhospitable. At Drekagil (meaning Dragon’s Gully), the mountain range Dyngjufjöll creates a dark and narrow canyon that hides a waterfall deep within its depths. This destination is accessible only by 4x4 vehicles, as the roads are rough and cross multiple rivers. It may seem, then, that a spa would be incredibly incongruous for such a bleak landscape. However, by considering the natural materials of the site and the social aspect of the hot springs idiosyncratic to the Icelandic culture, the spa can be designed as a beneficial addition to the area. The dominant materiality of glass, stone, and metal is based on the cultural and natural landscape of Iceland that combines traditional and contemporary resources in practical ways. The corrugated aluminum cladding not only references the iconic everyday architecture of Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik, but also reflects the existing cabins and information building at Drekagil. Its lightweight portability permits easy transportation to the site, and it can be made locally due to the prominent aluminum smelting industry in the country. Already present in the region is a large resource of black basalt rock, which is used in the scheme to construct an extended wall along one side of each building that serves as thermal mass. It is especially advantageous along the greenhouse since its passive heat retention generates a microclimate that encourages the yield of vegetables, similar to the stone fruit walls that were used in early urban farming. The basalt is also heated and extruded to make mineral fiber for the insulation of the other steel-fabricated walls. Glass is not a local product of Iceland, as it is imported from abroad and currently deemed too expensive to ship for recycling, but it is an important material for the construction of greenhouses (and villages such as Hveragerði) which rely on a combination of geothermal heating and sunlight for the production of plants.
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FIG. 01 Location of the site Drekagil within the context of Iceland’s land mass
FIG. 02 Site plan of the spa compound in context with the main road and mountains
Drekagil is immediately identifiable even on an aerial photograph of Iceland due to the nearby Aksja volcano in the DyngjufjĂśll mountain range. This area has been described as moon-like, with little vegetation disturbing the volcanic geology, and even served asone of the chosen locations for astronauts of the Apollo to run geology field training. The communal spirit of the spa compound is underscored by the courtyard layout. While the central geothermal pool serves as an obvious point of reference and social gathering, the elongated porch connecting the buildings allows the liminal spaces to also be used as places of congregation and reflection. Sheltered by the extended stone walls with openings oriented strategically towards points in the landscape, each of these outdoor areas allow for the contemplation of the surrounding environment.
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FIG. 03 Elevation of the curved glass greenhouse, floating above the rocky ground
FIG. 04 Elevation of the residence, showing the layering of metal, glass, and concrete on top of the black Icelandic soil
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Upon approach, the view is dominated by the stone wall of the residences and the sliver of greenhouse extending from the side of the main building. The entrance leads directly into this structure, where the dining, kitchen, and living areas are located next to the long greenhouse on the southern edge. Narrow windows in the dividing stone wall allow glimpses of the lush vegetation from these public spaces, while the other side leads towards the pool and rooms.
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FIG. 05 Detailed section showing the typical condition of the narrow window in a steelframed aluminum-clad wall
FIG. 06 Vignette of the curated view of the surroundings from the private room
FIG. 07 Vignette of the exterior space between the pool and stone wall framing the landscape
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CLAY
ONE HAND OCCUPIES THE VOID Masters Thesis (2015-2017)
The interconnected nature of void and matter and form is implied in architecture, but rarely explicitly expressed. Since the void is neither form nor material, it is difficult to define, but it occupies a critical role in urban development as the counterpart to the urban mass. The narrative of the modern city can be told through the presence of urban voids: the transposition of material and built form resulting in two typologies of the void, the found and the formal. The first exploration of the found void is dedicated to the analysis of the clay pit, the companion of bricks, which is often ignored as an unwanted by-product of the construction process. This deliberate exclusion from the urban narrative is reversed once it is rehabilitated as a formal void, which is valued as an element of urban development. The second exploration analyses the condition of the formal void, using the ceramic vessel to construct a domesticated spatial model of the monumental public space. The identity of the city is therefore analysed by making visible the imperceptible void through the documentation of traces and boundaries. The practice of throwing clay on a wheel depicts the reciprocity between matter, form, and void: clay is shaped into a hollow vessel through the interaction of the body. This process occupies the intersection between the theory of the void and the material of the clay medium and thereby offers a critical solution to the architectural paradox that engages the nature of the profession and the approach to space itself.
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FIG. 08 East End of Shudell Ave., 1927. City of Toronto Archives (s0372–ss0058–it1162)
FIG. 09 Redistribution of matter: (bottom) Clay displaced from the quarry pit to the surrounding brick neighbourhood (1884—1946)
FIG. 10 Redistribution of matter: (facing) Analogy of throwing clay compared against the Greenwood site, showing the redistribution of matter through simultaneous extraction and construction
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The found void is a by-product of the city’s development and is not planned; it can also be described as a procedural void whose physical impact is rarely, if ever, considered as a positive influence on the growth of the city. From the economic point of view, its temporary use produces resources that transform the urban fabric, but the found void itself requires reintegration into the city either through erasure or reversal to solid. The analysis of the former, now filled-in, 19th-century clay quarry in east Toronto serves as the first investigation of the urban void, where the industrial process of clay extraction acts as a force that influences the form of the quarry and also the surrounding neighbourhood.
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FIG. 11 State of abandonment: (bottom) Extraction site is abandoned after it has been exhausted of viable material (1947-1991)
FIG. 12 State of abandonment: (facing) Aerial analysis of the shrinking void as its boundaries are eroded by the process of rehabilitation, covered over by programs such as a TTC station and residential development
As the city was expanding at the turn of the 19th century, the area along Greenwood Avenue was the location of a substantial clay deposit and the presence of several brickworks had a significant impact on Toronto’s construction. This site of transformation exhibits three stages of the found void: the displacement of material from the void to its inverse, the city; the abandonment of the void and separation from the bounding urban structure; and finally the cover-up as the void is rehabilitated and removed from memory. The abandoned clay pit is documented through historic photographs and in section, depicting the boundary conditions segregating void from built neighbourhood. Finally, the most recent aerial and photographic images express the erasure of the void as it is covered with infill and productive program, and the section expresses the smoothed space of the “finished city.” For the found void, an interstitial and temporary spatial condition, its value and identity is measured in quantifiable matter by the city. There exists reciprocal physical and social forces that act upon both the material and the void.
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THE ISOLATED VOID 1947-1991
FOUND VOID GREENWOOD AVE.
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FIG. 13 Mapping the rehabilitation of material extraction sites in the greater Toronto area
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63 Extraction Sites Rehabilitated, recreation
Geological Composition Interglacial sand, gravel, and clay deposits
Recreation Residential Educational Commercial/Industrial Residential/Commercial Educational/Commercial Abandoned
Varved clay deposits Lake Iroquois sand and gravel bars Sand, gravel, clay deposited in Lake Iroquois Glacial Lake Iroquois shoreline
Industrial aggregate, not extraction Licensed
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FIG. 14 Pierre Patte, “Partie du Plan général de Paris,” Monumens érigés en France à la gloire de Louis XV, Paris 1765
FIG. 15 Void Set Thrown black stoneware clay vessels connected with lengths of copper tubes
In contrast to the found void, the formal void is an ideal space in the modern, developed city. It first appeared in the theories of urban planning that aimed to modernize traditional cities where the dense urban fabric did not fit with the modern concepts of circulation and containment. The void acted as a harbinger of modernity, reconstructing the form of the cityscape especially in areas that had an urban structure that was already established and densified. In Europe, where crowded and unorganized streets dominated the city centers, the urban void promised the reemergence of the connection between powerful architecture and their adjoining public spaces. This theory of the monumental void was also later exported to newer cities in North America, where the Beaux Art principles of hierarchy embodied by grand public spaces and axes subverted the typified grid street plan. The focus of this particular exploration, however, is firmly pointed towards the source of the formal void and its development in France as a theory of urban planning conceived during the Enlightenment.
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FIG. 16 (series) Void Set No. 1-3 documented as individual groups
FIG. 17 Projected extracted urban forms that would be “excavated” from within the boundaries of the public squares proposed in “Partie du Plan général de Paris,” based on research of 18th-century building fabric of Paris
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These ideal qualities are well represented in the 1765 map “Partie du plan générale de Paris” drawn by Pierre Patte, which projected an image of Paris modernized through void. The map shows geometric voids cut into the density of existing buildings to bring reprieve through the exposure of empty space. This plan depicts an archipelago of voids of public space opening up a city that had already been built-up and “solidified”: excavations in the new ground plane of the dense urban slab. These voids appeared as though hollowed out of the urban blocks, while simultaneously emphasized as individual objects that stood out, in bold outline, from the background of the city.
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CONCRETE
NATIONAL POETRY HALL IN ROME Competition, 3rd place winner (Summer 2016) In collaboration with Dave Holborn The Metamorphoses by the Roman poet, Ovid, tells a mythic account of transformation on bodies from the beginning of the world down to his own time. This project takes inspiration from the great poet, as well as a modern interpretation presented by Canadian poet Ted Hughes in his Tales from Ovid to inform the architectural narrative. Understanding earth as uniform matter, transformed in intensities to create the different elements: earth, water, air, and fire. The elements are largely present in the production of concrete, earth (aggregate) and water as the basic mixture, air to cure, and fire in the ash additives that alter the mixture’s properties. This project uses concrete as the sole material, a homogeneous mass, transformed through intensities in varying ways to inform the spatial and monumental aspects of the architecture, forming it’s own poetic epic which one experiences as they move through the project. As a reference to the deeply layered ancient Roman city, which now sits well below the current street level of Rome, this project occupies the earth, a subterranean chasm carved into the land to reveal the ancient chaos that formed the historic city. The surface of the ground is subtly tilted, forming the curved concrete façade and indented piazza leading to the main entrance. The circulation of the museum is a slow descent from intimate to monumental. A variety of spaces are offered throughout for the reciting of poetry, from small, impromptu gathering areas and culminates in the main hall, a monumental space for large productions of classic works.
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FIG. 18 Location of the museum at Piazza Galeno and its relation to the surrounding context of public transit and cultural centers
FIG. 19 Diagram depicting the descending path of circulation and layered materiality of the concrete on each level
FIG. 20 (triptych) Concrete spaces along the path of descending circulation provide spaces for contemplation and gathering, each defined by varying colours of aggregate
Located in Piazza Galeno, the National Poetry Hall of Rome is connected to a dense network of cultural centers along an established transportation network. The piazza itself services three tram lines, which make stops at destinations such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Colosseum, and the Circus Maximus. Therefore, despite the contemplative asepct of poetry and the subterranean nature of the museum itself, its presence on the street is significant for the architectural design. To this end, the existing trees are maintained on the site and the building curves around it, forming shelted areas for the solitary contemplation, small-scale poetry readings, and waiting areas for the trams and buses. There is a cafĂŠ on the western area that serves the community in the area with an entrance leading down into the main lobby of the museum. On the eastern side, a sloping courtyard is indented into the surface of the street, allowing for impromptu gatherings and a flexible stage for outdoor performances.
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FIG. 21 Entrance staircase into the museum from the street-level café
FIG. 22 (top) Ground floor/street level of the museum, strong connection to the surrounding neighbourhood and transportation system
FIG. 23 (bottom) Undergound floors of the poetry museum: entrances and intimate spaces for contemplation on the first floor, auditorium for performances on the lowest floor
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Concrete resembles a sentence. Like language, it relies on the agglomeration of disparate elements to generate a cohesive whole—the words and letters in this instance are the cast-offs, fly ash, and metakoalin from the mine of Alberta. Brought to Rome to be combined with cement, these materials are given a new life in the form of a monumental hall dedicated to the spoken and written word. The process of concrete construction also relies on a timeline that cannot be hurried, just as poetry requires patience on the part of the writer and listener. First, the ground is upturned and the void is laid bare for the infill of material. Then, layers are steadily poured and accumulated in depths of 400mm thickness with a cure time of 14 days between pours. In this ways, a gradation of colour becomes apparent as the building forms like a limestone cliff—the strata of time made permanent.
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MATERIAL AT WORK
CIGUË Office (Winter 2015)
The neighbourhood of Montreuil, which the atelier of Ciguë calls home, has historically been an industrial, working-class suburb of Paris. Even now, many of the surrounding businesses are involved in the production of steel, wood, and glass objects. Ciguë has its own workshop attached to the main studio that serves as the site for protoyping, model-building, and even the fabrication of final pieces for their projects. Now that their client base has expanded beyond the capabilities of their own team, Ciguë works closely with nearby artisans to execute projects at the highest quality possible. During my time at the atelier, my perception of materiality in architecture was greatly influenced by the studio’s own approach to materials and their role in the process of design. By considering the material of the project at the same point as the form, the atmosphere and character of the building is made tangible at an early stage. The limits of the material also aid to inform the decisions made during the design process, ensuring that the building is cohesive and responsive. I also began to be interested in the origin and source of various construction materials, which later came to play a large role in my thesis. I worked primarly on three projects during my time there, one of which was completed shortly after my departure. This was the flagship store of fashion designer Julien David in Jingumae, Japan (documented here) which called for a modular installation that could showcase a variety of clothing and objects. I was involved in the conceptual design, design development, material study, presentation preparation, and early prototyping. All images courtesy of © Ciguë.
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FIG. 24 View of the aluminum objects upon entering from the front door
FIG. 25 Concrete block shelves nestled into each aluminum tower, holding a variety of clothing and accessories
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FIG. 26 Exterior of the storefront, view into the working area with a cast-concrete replica of the worktable outside
FIG. 27 Workspace in the front corner of the store, custom aluminum chairs and the original weathered worktables
FIG. 28 Autoclaved aerated concrete block, cut into geometric form
FIG. 29 Corners of the aluminum towers, aligned to the tile floor grid
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WOOD
A CHAIR FOR JOAN MIRÓ Design-build In collaboration with Jennfier Yong The warmth, flexibility, and availability of wood has made it a common material for many architectural projects. By working with wood on the small scale of furniture, my own understanding of its physical properties and limitations were expanded. In the iconic drawings by Joan MirÓ, flat planes of colour are scattered across a solid undefined backdrop. The flat simple shapes of the legs, each with a unique cutout done by hand on the bandsaw, and the rectangular seat are reflections of these painted shapes. MirÓ also often draws thin black lines that meander across the negative space of the picture plane. The black leather loops connected to the structural dowels, while practical, also refer to these lines.
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FIG. 30 MirÓ chair disassembled into its constituent pieces for portability, ash wood
FIG. 31 Fully assembled MirÓ chair, wooden dowels with leather pulls connect the legs to the seat, while the back rest and posts are notched for a friction fit
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eveline.lam@gmail.com
EVELINE LAM
Phone
(226) 972-3835
Portfolio
issuu.com/eveline-lam
e duc ation Sept 2015 - June 2017 University of Waterloo
Sept 2010 - Aug 2015 University of Waterloo
Masters of Architecture Nominated for Ron Sims Purchase Prize (2017) ENG Senate Graduate Scholarship (2016) Graduate Entrance Scholarship (2015)
Bachelor of Architectural Studies, Honours with Distinction David Johnston International Experience Award (2017) President’s Scholarship (2010)
wor k exp er ie nce April–Aug 2016 University of Waterloo
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Jan–Apr 2015 Paris
Ciguë
Jan–Aug 2014 New York
Arquitectonica
+ +TA responsibilities for the ARCH 225 course included lecture review, grading of assignments and presentations, and precedent research for the introductory presentation to the class. + +Also provided office hours and individual assistance.
+ +Schematic design, design development, and preliminary constructions drawings for a number of international retail and concept stores. + +Primary projects included Julien David’s Jingumae storefront and an Aesop concept store. + +Developed designs independently and fabricated scale models and prototypes in the workshop for collaborative disucssion.
+ +Design development of a mid-rise condominium tower on the Toronto waterfront, producing drawings sets, concept diagrams, sun studies, and detail drawings in Revit. + +Created architectural renderings for commercial use and final presentations with clients.
Mikan Gumi + +Concept development and site analysis of small-scale residential and commercial projects. + +Construction of detailed physical models and 3D visualizations for design study and final presentations in Rhino and 3DS Max. + +Copy-editing project descriptions and text.
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Sept—Dec 2012 Hong Kong
davidclovers
Jan–Apr 2012 Paris
Kuma & Associates
+ +Preparation of construction documents, detail drawings, specification packages, schedules, and architectural renderings for a number of high-rise residential projects. + +Provided branding and graphic design for the new office space. + +Attended consultant meetings and contacted suppliers. + +Furniture concept design for restaurant project.
+ +Preliminary competition design and presentation drawings. + +Produced concept diagrams, way-finding design, architectural renderings, and physical models for study and presentation. + +Furniture sourcing and meetings with suppliers.
activities Sept 2015–Sept 2016 Coordinator
BRIDGE Centre for Architecture + Design
Sept 2015–Sept 2016 Team member
Waterloop
Winter 2016 Exhibition coordinator
Representing Ambience Tomorrow Exhibition
Summer 2016 Graphic designer
Bearing: Project Review 2016
+ +Event director coordinating programming for the term, organizing the calendar and logistical setup for events, workshops, and symposiums. + +Engaging with the school community and working on community outreach + +Acted as the financial coordinator during the summer term, completing grant and sponsorship applications, meeting with investors.
+ +Shell team member involved in the concept and fabrication of the half-scale competition pod, researching and contacting local fabricators regarding feasibility, coordinating with the leads of other teams to determine a final design for the competition in January. + +Promotional graphic design work on publications distributed to current sponsors and potential investors.
+ +Co-curator of an exhibition at BRIDGE showcasing past graduate thesis work titled “Representing Ambience Tomorrow: Speculations of Virtual Objects”. + +Curation and organization of submitted physical and digital work. + +Collaborative design and fabrication of a custom hanging gallery system to improve the layout of the exhibit. + +In coordination with the Drawing Ambience exhibition at Riverside Gallery and the annual Translations Symposium.
+ +Graphic design for the annual publication showcasing exemplary student work at the University of Waterloo, in conjunction with the 2016 exhibition.
c om p etitions August 2017 Winner
OAA MOVE//Installation Competition
Aug 2016 3rd Prize Winners
BeeBreeders Rome Concrete Poetry Hall Competition
May 2014 Finalist
Triumph Architectural Treehouse Competition
+ +Completed in partnership with Katherine Holbrook-Smith + +One of 20 installations awarded space in the OAA Headquarters for upcoming event
+ +Completed in partnership with Dave Holborn + +Recognition included the publication of the project’s images and interview on the competition site and ArchDaily, as well as a monetary prize
+ +Completed in partnership with Andrew Cole
s kills Digital Rhino, V-ray, Sketchup, AutoCAD, Revit, 3ds Max, Grasshopper Adobe Creative Suite (Ai, Ps, Id, Lr, Pr), Microsoft Office (W, P, X) Fabrication Ceramics (wheel, hand-building), wood-working, CNC router, laser-cutter, 3D printer Languages English (native), French (intermediate), Cantonese (intermediate), Mandarin (basic)
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