F IONA LU ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO SPRING 2021
HOU SE O F ME MO RY A new, informal institution, that collects objects and their stories in a multi-cultural community as a way of finding common ground and building a shared history
M.ARCH THESIS PROJECT PROJECT LOCATION: Toronto, Ontario THESIS ADVISOR: Laura Miller This project is a proposal of a new typology of space in which functions as a crossover between a community centre, museum, and archive that serves the scale of a neighbourhood. This is a new “institution� that celebrates the people and history of the community.
The House of Memories is envisioned as a Third Place (Great Good Place, Ray Oldenberg) for the community - a communal living room of a sort where planned and spontaneous activities can be hosted. The objects which are collected in this space offers a sense of domestic familiarity. The collection features mundane everyday objects that are recognized by everyone to unique objects identifiable by only a few. These objects all tell stories of past owners and future handlers. Site Plan
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This project is a proposal of a new typology of space which functions as a crossover between a community centre, museum, and archive, that serves the scale of a neighbourhood. This is a new “institution” that celebrates the people and history of the community. A part of Toronto’s identity is its mosaic of diverse cultures. In a similar way the collection are pieces of the identity of city and the exhibition space an aggregation of these pieces. However, this collection cannot be restricted to one place like a typical museum of gallery. Typical exhibitions are confined to the walls of the institution and as a result their access is restricted and limited to those who know about the exhibition, can afford the entrance fare, etc. Since part of the goal of the collection is to share these stories the confined of museum walls will limit the sharing of these stories. Rather than have people seek out these stories the collection must actively reach out to communities.
Archive
Museum Community Centre
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This project first started with the collection of artifacts which tells the story of an immigrant’s journey and experience upon arriving at their new home country of Canada. It is a familiar passage for many and at the same time a different experience for each individual. Toronto is an aggregation of people from around world. The diverse cultures is what gives the city its rich texture, much like how terrazzo is the aggregate of colourful stones which creates its unique and characteristics patterns. The House of Memory collects and exhibits the artifacts that it collects but it is not a museum. Although the museum is a public institution it still restricts many people from entering: such as those who cannot afford a ticket, those who do not know about the exhibition, those who cannot travel to the museum and etc. The House of Memory explores ways to create a new type of exhibition that is truly available to the wider public.
The House of Memory collects everyday artifacts that may seem mundane but behind it tells a story. The objects may seem ordinary or foreign to those who do not understand cultural context behind it, but for those who recognize it seeing the artifact might bring upon a sense of nostalgia and remind them of days from another life. The artifacts are collected in the shelves of the building, which is also a part of the structure. The empty shelves fill up over time and the building gains opacity and definition. The space is defined by the collection of artifacts and within which activities can be hosted. These activities are a way for members of the community to create memories and share their cultural heritages. The building is a place for the collecting and sharing of memories.
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Artifacts
Activities
Chess games
Kimchi Making
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Structural details
The structure of the House of Memory is inspired by the Snead Standard Stacks that are present in many historical libraries such as the New York Public Library, Library of Congress and Widener Library. The patented design is constructed of cast iron which allows for thin yet strong members. The stacks are modular and can be stacked several stories high as a freestanding structure that can also become a part of the building structure. The shelves are also capable of supporting cantilevering walkways on each level of the shelves. Taking inspiration from the Snead Stacks the House of Memories is framed on two sides by a modular, stacked, cast-iron shelf. The shelves are free standing and act as columns that support beams that support the floor structure. Steel mesh walkways hang from on each level of the shelves much like the Snead Stacks. The mesh creates a sense of lightness and transparency between the levels. The mesh walkways are elevated slightly above the floors such that they create a perimeter seating around a pit. The exterior envelope of reeded glass hangs from the shelving system. The shelving becomes an integral part of the storytelling as well as the building system.
Snead Standard Stack 8
EXTRUDED METAL MESH WALKWAY
REEDED GLASS ENVELOPE
STRUCTURAL STACK SYSTEM ADJUSTABLE SHELVES STRUCTURAL CROSSBRACING
RAILING
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Basement Plan 10
Archive and Storage 11
Ground Floor Plan 12
Kimchi Making 13
Second Floor Plan 14
Mahjong Night 15
MA SS T I MBE R FAC T O RY A factory building which creates a cyclical relationship between landscape, community and production.
M.ARCH 3 OPTION STUDIO PROJECT PROJECT LOCATION: St. Thomas, Ontario COLLABORATORS: Miranda Fay, Jennifer Tran, Sidney Tsao In this studio project we worked with our client Element5, a CLT manufacturer, to design a new headquarter in the town of St. Thomas. Canada is one of the world’s largest exporters of raw timber, yet we still continue to import most of our mass timber construction materials. The increasing demand for mass timber construction in Toronto has created an opportunity for local mass timber production in Ontario.
Element5 has recently outgrown its current factory in Ripon, QC, and required a larger site in St. Thomas. We wanted to go beyond designing a factory building for Element5 and aimed to establish sustainable relationships between the architecture, community, and environment. After extensive research we developed a comprehensive factory building with an efficient production line, and is also capable of recycling the byproduct of mass timber production into energy generation and landscape remediation. Site Location
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Site Plan
The factory building provide the infrastructure necessary to turn the byproduct of CLT manufacturing (sawdust) burned in the onsite biomass generator to create steam. The factory is capable of producing 25 million tonnes of steam and 6,500 MWH per year, and is able to power the factory building, retirement home across the street, as well as 600 residential homes in the proximity. In addition to generating electricity and heat for the community we also wanted the factory to be more integrated with the community.
Typical factories are often isolated from the community which they exist in, but we wanted to give the community of St. Thomas the opportunity to observe the production of CLT up close. Given the large quantity of steam produced by the biomass generator we thought a therapeutic waters facility would be the best program to coexist with the factory. The juxtaposition between the industrial and recreational spaces created interesting relationships between the architectural spaces within as well.
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Site Aerial Cyclic Planting is the practice of planting different types of crops on the same plot of land throughout the year. The diversity of planting can allow the crops to replenish the soil naturally. The research and data collected on the different types of land management can be implemented at a larger scale. The crops can be harvested and any agricultural waste would then become biomass that can be burned to generate energy. The byproduct of burning biomass is biochar which has the property in phosphorus absorption. The decades of intense agriculture and fertilizer use has resulted in the cumulation of phosphorous runoff in the local water sources. Biochar can be used to absorb the phosphorus in the water and soil to remediation the surrounding landscape.
The landscaping of the project is a living laboratory designed for researching land management methods which can be applied to the nearby agricultural fields as well as forests for timber harvesting. The landscaping is divided into three areas for experimentation in agroforestry, strip planting, cyclic planting, and phytoremediation. Agroforestry is the practice of growing trees alongside agricultural crops. The benefits of this include increased biodiversity and the prevention of land erosion. Strip planting is the practice of planting along the natural contours of the land rather than terraforming a flat surface for agriculture. Strip planting uses the natural topography of the land to irrigate the crops, and allows the land to retain its natural topography to reduce soil erosion. It is located at the North of the site where it can make use of the natural existing topography.
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PHASE 2
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The main production line for Element5 is located on the ground floor. Adjacent to the production line is the biomass research and development lab. The lab opens directly into the landscape for ease of access to the living lab. At the intersection of production and research is the biomass generator. The generator is central in plan as it is the heart of the project.
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3 1 Loading 2 Kiln 3 CLT Processing 4 Steam Bending 5 Packaging and Shipping 6 Element5 Office 7 Biomass Generator 8 Research Development 9 Pool Mechanical 10 Change Room 11 Epsom Salt Pool 12 Steam Room 13 Cold Plunge Pool 14 Hot Plunge Pool 15 Mud-baths Rooms 16 Sauna 17 Research and Development 18 Exterior Pool 19 Staff Lounge 20 Roof Terrace 21 Biochar Green Roof Lab 0m
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Ground Floor Plan
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Second Floor Plan
Roof Plan 21
Cross section through the factory
On-site glulam assembly logistics
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Wall assembly
Window assembly
Roof assembly
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View of the outdoor pool
Rendering of factory floor. Therapeutic waters beyond
Model of the factory building 24
Rendering of sauna overlooking the kiln 25
U NI O N H U B P T .1 A unconventional and super-flexible commercial tower in the Downtown Core of Toronto for businesses of the information age
SEPT 2017 - SEPT 2018: Bjarke Ingels Group PROJECT LOCATION: Toronto, Canada Located next to Union Station in Toronto, Union Hub (UHUB) is a mixed use tower that is slated to become a part of Toronto’s iconic skyline. The site is extremely narrow in proportion, and adjacent to a data centre responsible for processing much of Toronto’s digital information. The tower wants distinguishes itself with an unconventional core which is located on
the exterior rather than in the interior. The elevators are lined up along the North facade to like a dynamic sculpture. The structure of the tower is also externalized and expressed on the facade as a diagrid. The decentralized cores allow for an unobstructed 30m x 100m floor plate. The large obstructed floor plates provide the tenant more options of interior spatial arrangement rather than the restrictive layout as dictated by a central core, thus can cater to any type of tenant.
Site Plan
All images and drawings are courtesy of BIG Architecture. I was a part of a larger team and contributed to creating and editing renderings, diagrams, and drawings or presentations. All images I contributed to will be indicated with (*), otherwise the images were created by the UHUB team.
Aerial render of Downtown Toronto with the proposed building in the foreground 26
Rendering showing the elevator core on the North Facade 27
Landscaping on Station Street
Skywalk connecting Union Station and UP Express*
Station Street retail with the lobby hovering above
Typical office Floor showing diagrid facade beyond
Aerial view from the North-West*
Aerial view from the North*
Diagrid on the South-West facade*
Physical Model showing the transparent elevator core
Close-up of the diagrid structure and elevators
NATAT O RI U M A community swimming pool that is molded into the landscape to create a undulating plaza for the new Golden Mile Development
M.ARCH 2 COMPREHENSIVE STUDIO PROJECT LOCATION: Golden Mile, Toronto COLLABORATOR: Jun Tan
space located in the centre of the new development with an extension North to the hydro-corridor.
The natatorium is a part of the redevelopment of the Golden Mile, a low density employment zone composed mainly of big-box stores and parking lots. The city of Toronto has created a masterplan to densify this neighbourhood by zoning high-rise residential and mixuse buildings. The site is a piece of green
The building is subtly integrated into the landscape to create a green urban plaza. The plaza is mostly paved on its South edge to address the urban conditions, but pods of green landscaping emerge as it connects the urban city to the expansive green space of the hydro-corridor. Site Plan
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Site Plan 37
Morphology of the Site
The Site
The Building
The building sits on the Northern portion of the site. Rather than a straight extrusion the building is depressed into the landscape such that the roof of the building becomes a part of the landscape surface. The same pushing and pulling motion is applied to the entire site to create a dynamic topography. Gentle slopes and valleys become pockets of spaces which different activities can procure. Green spaces are reintroduced to the site through softscape pods. The pods act as recreational fields as well as stormwater retention ponds. The proportion of landscaping to paved surfaces grows as the site approaches the North edge. The pods are populated with trees to create a sense of an urban forest. Finally a formal path connecting the urban streetscape to the hydrocorridor is defined. The path navigates the hills and valleys and meanders through the site.
The typical extrusion of the building is morphed by pressing down the two corners of the volume. This deflection creates a continuous path from the city streets to the hydrocorridor through the roof of the building. The building becomes a part of the landscape. The volume of the two pools anchors the two corners of the building into the ground. A portion of the roof is cut away to reveal the entrance into the building
HYDROCORRIDOR
EGLINTON LRT
Morphology of the Building 38
Rendering of main pool
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The natatorium is of mass timber construction, which is ideal for a pool program. The timber is resistant to moisture and provides a warm palette to the building. The following diagram sequences the construction and details of the roof and wall connection.
STEP 2: Blueskin Membrane, Insulation, Soffit, and Balustrade Structure
STEP 1: Building Structure
Rock Wool Insulation
Nail Laminated Deck Spanning Between Glulam Structure
Steel Handrail Wire Mesh Railing
Glulam Beam Wood Soffit Mechanically Fastened to Structure
Steel Connection
STEP 3: Roof Deck and Guar
Balustrade Structure
2x6� Wood Deck
Blueskin
Wood Fascia Glulam Beam
Glulam Column
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rd Rails
FINISHED ASSEMBLY
STEP 4: Curtain Wall and Exterior Sun Shades
Pedestals
Curtain Wall System
Exterior Sun Shades
Louvre Connection
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EXTERIOR 2X6 WOOD PLANK DECKING WOOD STRAPPING 1200 mm O.C DECKING PEDESTALS 600mm O.C 2X3” ROCK WOOL INSULATION 2X6 NAIL LAMINATE DECKING GLULAM BEAM 3000mm O.C INTERIOR
AIR SUPPLY DUCT
EXTERIOR EXTERIOR HORIZONTAL SHADING TRIPLE GLAZED CURTAIN WALL GLULAM COLUMN 3000mm O.C INTERIOR
TYP. WOOD DECK CONSTRUCTION ON TOP OF COMPACTED GRAVEL
TO SLOPED
CUSTOM GLULAM BEAM WITH LIGHT SHELF
DRAIN
EXTERIOR GRAVEL PLASTIC DRAINAGE BOARD 2X3” XPS INSULATION BLUESKIN MEMBRANE 300mm CONCRETE RETAINING WALL GLULAM COLUMN INTERIOR
EXTERIOR POURED CONCRETE DECK BLUESKIN MEMBRANE 2X3” XPS INSULATION COMPACTED GRAVEL INTERIOR
Foundation, wall, and roof detail at pool 42
Close-up of roof to wall construction detail 43
ST RO NGH O L D A project which channels the history of the site to create a warm refuge with good food and company
4B STUDIO FINAL PROJECT COMPLETED: Aug 2017 PROJECT LOCATION: Brough of Birsay, Scotland Historically the Brough of Birsay has been used as a refuge from dangers due to its unique geographical location. The Stronghold Lodge is a continuity of the history of the island as a fortress, however
rather than providing protection from enemy invasions the Stronghold is a refuge for explores seeking shelter. The Lighthouse’s piercing light guides weary travelers towards the island. The design of the Stronghold Lodge is centred around its role in providing hospitality, and emphasizing the experiences of eating and relaxing. Project Parti
Site Plan
Exterior Rendering 44
INTERIOR RENDERINGS
Canning and Smokehouse
Pantry Gallery
Dining Hall
Plunge Pool and Hot Tub
Rain Collecting Pond 45
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Building Plan 1. Greenhouse 2. Artist’s Studio 3. Smokehouse and Prep 4. Pantry Gallery 5. Water Filter and Storage 6. Storage 7. Waste Management 8. Kitchen 9. Dining Hall 10. Dry Vestibule 11. Lighthouse
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21.
Reception Office Artist Studio Laundry Room Rain Collection Pond Lodgings Sauna Change-rooms Sauna Plunge Pool Hot Tub
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Physical Model
North Section
South Section
The traveler follows the path up the winding ramp along the edge of the island. The lighthouse disappears from view, but the traveler can still see the pulsing light in the fog. Peaking over the edge of the island the terrain flattens to a green meadow dotted with grazing sheep. A stone wall peeks over the horizon as the traveler continues on the path towards the light of the lighthouse. As the traveler approaches the lighthouse, the heavy and weather wore wall emerges from the landscape. The wall grows bigger and bigger until it towers over the traveler who stands under its imposing presence realizes it is two overlapping planes that create the illusion of an impenetrable solid wall. Slipping between the two planes the traveler reaches safety from the howling winds and pelting rain. A warm meal of cured and smoked meats seasoned with fresh herbs grown from the greenhouse awaits the hungry and weary traveler.
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Building Construction Detail 49
T hank yo u!