Shih-Lin Tseng Online Portfolio (compact vision)

SHIHLIN

TSENG

Selected Work 2018-2022

RIBA Part II Architectural Assistant

Mackintosh School of Architecture

To the Admissions Office,

My name is Shih-Lin Tseng. I write to you today as part of my application to join the Professional Practice in Architecture course and study at your esteemed university.

Having started my architectural journey eight years ago, I have been enriched by the boundless possibilities that architecture offers in shaping the world around us. It is an ever-evolving discipline that exists in co-dependency with the societies that inhabit it. Even as mankind develops architectural typologies situated by culture and function, architecture, in turn, affects on a fundamental level the human environmental perception and way of life. It is through this realisation that I understand the importance of higher levels of professional responsibility within the field of architecture, where ethical and thoughtful design choices hold the power to positively impact individuals, communities, and the environment.

Previously, I have completed Bachelor and Master degrees from the Mackintosh School of Architecture at the Glasgow School of Art, UK, along with one year of work experience as a Part 1 Architectural Assistant in Taiwan and one-anda-half-year work experience as a Part 2 Architectural Assistant. During this period, I have developed a keen interest in sustainable design, architectural phenomenology, along with the adaptive restoration and reuse of old buildings. I firmly believe that studying in London Met offers the opportunity to further develop my understanding of architecture, as well as a significant step forward in my career.

During my academic journey at Mackintosh, my experiences further solidified my determination to work in the UK, and I seized the opportunity to work in London earlier last year. Hence, embarking on the Part 3 course is a natural progression to enhance my professional competence as an architect in the UK and expand my expertise.

In practice, I have actively engaged in the field of architecture, recognising it as a bridge between creativity and reality. Design ideas and imagination are only the beginning; extensive communication and collaboration with consultants and clients are essential to enhance project quality and comply with building regulations. Through these experiences, I have gained invaluable insights into the fundamental role and responsibilities of an architect. Pursuing the Part 3 course is essential for me to develop the comprehensive understanding of the responsibilities and professional ability of an architect, and to sharpen my skills, setting the stage for a fulfilling career in the UK.

I firmly believe this course will be instrumental in guiding me to grasp the knowledge and experience necessary to transform innovative ideas into reality, while upholding ethical, economical, efficient, and legal principles, ultimately ensuring the safety and well-being of clients, building users, and society at large. The four main components and learning outcomes of this course have convinced me that upon its completion, I will be equipped to demonstrate my relevant experience and possess the awareness, knowledge, and capabilities expected of a professional ARB registered architect.

The London Met Part 3 course comes highly recommended by your alumni, particularly regarding its well-structured and comprehensive course modules. I believe the course is the perfect fit for my aspirations. Additionally, its availability of spring courses aligns perfectly with my work and life commitments, allowing me to fulfill the required 24 months of professional work record before the oral exam, as my Taiwanese work experience may not be applicable.

It is therefore my hope that, with an expanded professional understanding and perspective afforded by London Met, I will propel myself to new heights in the architectural field, equipped to address the demands of the industry in my future practice. I sincerely hope that the London Metropolitan University will consider my application and provide me with the support to become an ARB registered architect, bringing my vision of transformative architecture to reality.

With sincerest regards,

Shih-Lin Tseng

Porous(C)ity

Master research , 2021

Glasgow can be defined as a horizontal city morphologically. The urban layout of Glasgow has transformed throughout time from medieval to gridiron layout - with Merchant City, as a remnant of the nexus of old and new town. A prevailing field of solid and void, generates the present urban fabric in its rigid block arrangement; yet there is a conflict between openness and enclosure in Merchant City. Without a concerted effort to engage with these urban issues, the district will remain fragmented. The first stage towards urban planning is understanding the urban morphology found in such spaces.

The research intends to provide a consistent framework of rigid reference and data that may be utilised as a tool to approach new

urban designs based on the innate character of the city, as well as to construct a technique of processing visual anatomy in the city to reveal the complex history behind the contemporary form of Glasgow, the second city of the empire.

Although a single event may appear to be independent, everything is inextricably interconnected in terms of cause and effect, as well as our memories of prior experiences. The Glasgow occupants have had a long-standing emotional attachment to a particular section of the city, and one's image is immersed in memories and meanings.

As porous is the city, the human mind and body are correspondingly permeable.

Urban Planning

Left: Glasgow nolli map.

Lanescape

Fifth year design thesis, 2020 Square, Park & Market

The project establishes that how to revitalise the unused urban gap – lanes in the city, with small dimension approach changes sensations produced in the open and closed spaces, hence to reveal the complex memory of historical lanes in Glasgow.

In present time, the social connection between streets and lanes has become deteriorated and neglected. Vehicles prevail over the primary routes, the secondary routes operate at the back through the laneways and interstitial spaces, which makes it harder to have meaningful social interaction. Behind the thriving urban scene, there are neglected spaces trying to balance themselves against the larger existing fabric.

This thesis explores appropriate architectural interventions that stretch and connect

between blocks and lanes. Its aim is to create a comprehensive pedestrian network across Glasgow city centre, and to curate a journey from its medieval heart to its contemporary district centre. The design is grounded in three public configurations of different degrees of enclosures.

The in-block civic square

The in-block park

The in-block market hall

The public spaces give symbolic content and meaning by providing gathering places, paths, and zones of transition between public and private domains between the predominant blocks and building mass.

Left: path and lane labyrinth.

Propose a new network of walkable laneways.

Thrives on the neglected identities of the existence.

Resuscitate these spaces as positive public assets.

Interweave the fragments of the city.

Architecture Beyond Density

Within the high density urban fabric. The project is a congregation of three small architecture along the route, ‘Hidden Journey’.

Urban Strategy - Site Plan & Site Section with Proposal

The sequences of enclosures along the journey allow free and direct access set apart from main directional steam and hurly-burly of traffic. It’s a journey full of new discoveries and encounters.

1. The Interpenetration, View of the Plaza

2. The Enclave, View of the Park

In-block Market Hall Ground Floor Plan Market, the world’s oldest retail trading format, they also became vital centres of social and community life

3. The Market Hall, View of Princes Ct

View of the market interior

North Facing Cross Section

Market Hall Construction Components

Cross Flitch Structure Assembly Isometric / View of the roof

Reverse Pyramid Structure Module Isometric

9

1. Skylight, equipped with automated control system

2. Standing seam metal roof

3. OSB board

4. Cross-laminated softwood panel Battens

5. Laminated timber frame work, beams, hip rafters, and

common rafter

6. Laminated timber columns

7. Cross Flitch columns

8. Facade, hardwood cladding & Standing seam metal sheet

9. Concrete slab, portable water filter system in the basement

Glasgow Contemporary Art Museum

Forth year thesis, 2020 Urban Building

Despite its reputation as an industrial city, Glasgow's cultural renaissance began in the 1990s, and it was one of the first European Capitals of Culture. However, the scene of prosperity of Glasgow city centre was questionable in the last few years.

A new period has begun; proof of the downturn could be found in the form of vacant units in the district. Moreover, the number of retail closures was continuing rising. The fundamental impact was unquestionably the transformation in economic and social systems.

The project aimed to redefine the cultural

activities achievements of the area by introducing a new contemporary art museum within the existing urban fabric. The proposal included two major programmes, museum & artist-in-residence programme. The value of culture lays not only in a linear; it also consisted in the making culture, and in its ultimate cohesion and identity. Therefore, the art institution is thereby able to renew their energies and perspectives, while the production of new arts creates new cultural capital.“Design is a way to understand the world and how you can change it.”

Left: museum facade section in detail.

View of the Museum

Stair House

Urban Housing

The distinction between residential and labour space is becoming increasingly blurred in the age of globalisation. There are sections of the economy that are particularly concerned with immaterial value. The digital infrastructure of modern civilization has fundamentally transformed the idea of economic exchange and, as a result, the relationship of labour to capital and employment. Thus, there have been substantial changes in how household space is conceived.

According to Scottish demographics, cities are undergoing enormous transformations, and the number of one-person households has grown dramatically in Scotland. Individualised is a new market that is in high demand. The proposal does not seek to oppose this new phenomenon, but rather to adapt to it.

Domestic and labour activities are indistinguishable; nonetheless, there are several typologies of domesticity and labour living forms that exist in the urban city. Therefore, the proposal offers three types of single-living units: a. pure domesticity, b. co-working/co-living, and c. home-based worker. And the elements of stairs serve as a gesture of transition from labour to domesticity.

These attempts to address the modern circumstances of the fluctuation in the connection between domesticity and productivity are concerns for architectural speculation aimed at meeting contemporary societal needs.

Group project, 2019 Claire Chuen, Connar Doyle, Silvia García Sánchez & Vivien Neoh

Left: axonomatric drawings of housing block.

The stair serves as the primary architectural gesture. Spaces are being divided not just physically, but also psychologically, as the height changes.

Flat A Typology Plan Section Model

Concept Diagram

Flat A Typology Section

TransPlant - Retrofit

Adaptive reuse exsiting car park

Studio project, 2018

According to car industry predictions, the nature of car ownership will significantly change, and a large number of current car parks will be abandoned as a result of technological developments; lowering carbon emissions is an inevitable tendency. Furthermore, as the world's population continues to grow, cultivable land will become scarce, resulting in a worldwide food crisis.

The intention is to convert an abandoned parking lot into a food manufacturing and distribution facility. To address social demands, creative thinking and the creation of new architecture are essential, since they may

promote a more symbiotic relationship with the world.which can facilitate a way of living that is more symbiotic with the planet.

The concept was to transform the form of UK traditional allotment culture into "techallotment" which would subvert tradition. Vertical farming as opposed to horizontal farming.

Indoor vertical farming is becoming more popular. The new model would personalize to each individual's needs. "Always eat what you raise."

Intersection, 2020

Illustration Design

Personal work

Using Adobe Illustrator to create graphic design allows me to engage with digital creativity in a way that is distinct from the traditional architecture design approach. Developing my digital drawing skills has given me a great deal of freedom to experiment and explore themes

such as optical illusion and repeating patterns by merely constructing lines and geometrics. Digital illustration has helped me to playfully engage with the intricacy of architecture.

Vector, 2020 Circuit, 2021