Architectural portfolio (2006-10)

Herman Luk

Architectural Portfolio

Email: hktreasure@gmail.com Phone: (852) 65485281

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Content Design Studio Year 3 - Semester One (Supervisor: Kirchhoff, Ulrich)

Component Design: Experiment on Technology Year 3 - Semester Two (Supervisor: Fong, Carolin)

Tecto-scape Factory: Live-in factory in Dongguan Year 2 - Semester One (Supervisor: Karakiewiz, Justina)

Completing the music piece in Aberdeen Year 2 - Semester Two (Supervisor: Wang, Wei Jen)

Water Canal in Shekou

Year 1 - Semester Two (Supervisor: Tam, Billy/Leung, Carol L.Y.)

House Analysis: Schminke House Studio House in Shek O Other Coursework

Year 3 - Digital Media (Teacher: Lange, Christian J.)

Mobius Architecture

Year 3 - Urbanism (Teacher: Du, Juan)

Timeline of Garden City Movement (All school works shown here are individual works unless indicated)

Year-out Professional Experience Saadiyat Island Cultural District Canal Bridges & Public Realm in Abu Dhabi (RMJM)

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Component design - experiment on techonology The traditional design approach usually starts from the whole form to the small detail. However, in this exercise we reverse the whole design process, which is from small to big. In the beginning the driven point is the things we are interested and keen to have further design development. Later on we worked with the materials as well as the technology which form two extremes of architecture, leading the big challenge of this project.

Concept Hexagonal shape The idea was come from the hexagonal honeycomb shape, which is very strong in the direction perpendicular to the surface but non-structural at the other direction. So I want to preceive this weakness to strength and explore this flexibility and rigidity.

Sketches of initial concept

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Form development The form was developed to aggregate a 3-dimensional structure and with aesthetic means. The design process was started from line which extruded to a surface and further test of possible form to aggregate 3D form was developed in the next process. Asethetic development bring the fluidity form of the structure.

Developement of the form and structure

3-DIMENSIONING

AESTHETICAL DEVELOPMENT

DIFFERENT AGGREGATION

ARRANGEMENT IN DIFFERENT DIRECTION

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Study of Flexibility Materials or systems that performs flexibility was first studied and several design scheme was developed.

Performatic pontentials The modular system is aimed at providing a range of performatic capacities by studying the dimension of human figure.

Vertical configuration

Horizontal configuration

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Materialisation Cloth and wood composite The intention was to test the combination of a rigid material and a soft material. However this material composite was not used because it was too flexible and not structural to join them together.

Silicon gel Every wanted shape can be made by this kind of material. The hexagon shape can easily be made by making a mould and put the gel into it. But this material is also too soft and not rigid at all.

Cloth and wood composite

Kerfed plywood The manufactured plywood is used at this stage. When the plywood is kerfed, it is more easily to be bent. But with kerfs on the surface it is aesthetically undesirable.

Research on plywood With reference to the plywood chairs, laminated plywood could make any kind of form we like. Also, despite its rigidity when it is laminated with enough thickness, it has also some kind of flexibility. This material was chosen finally.

Production method of bent plywood The roll of veneer wood was bought and cut into the wanted shape. After the lamination by gluing, it was put on the wood former to make it curve. Finally, the edges was trimmed by cutting and sanding.

Silicon gel

Kerfed plywood

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Final Presentation In The final presentation several modules were built in 1:1 scale to present the possibility of aggregating different modules.

Section showing the potential of facade configuration in larger scale

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Extended task - enhancing the component facade design on environmental control After the completion of the design studio, the component design is further developed under the course that related to the technology of environment.

The facade design is driven by the form established in the design studio and further developed in a more technology-driven way.

Mechanism of double-layered modules It consists of two parallel identical components with four different layers vertically. The outer layer is semi-transparent or normal photovoltaic panels which can absorb solar energy to generate electricity.

The second and third layers are clear low-e glass which is normally closed. the innermost layer is a solid panel which can control the intensity of light entering into the building according to different seasons and weather.

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TECTO-SCAPE FACTORY live-in factory in Dongguan

The exploration of techonology and materials in the last term brings the knowledge we have learnt into designing factory in the urban reality of the Pearl River Delta . The design approach is driven from the component study of last term. The goal is to create a 21st century live-in factory at Dongguan that addresses the challenges posed by the conflicting interests of urban landscape and manufacturing facilities, and to continue and apply the “bottom up� approach to architectural design.

China is the world’s manufacturing hub. The proliferation of factories and the supporting infrastructure are the major driving forces of the extensive urbanization of the Pearl River Delta in the past twenty years. Apart from revenues and economic growth, these live-in factories have also brought along social, development and evnironmental issues that further shape the urban landscape of cities and towns in this part of the country. The collision of living and working on an urban scale shold bear the potential to become a catalyst for an urban identity.

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Location of the factory and its neighbouring context

Site analysis (group work) Site location The location of the factory is on the southern side which is the most desirable among other sides. Also, the factory is stragetically continues the green strip of the promenade and bring the green element into the factory.

In microscale The site is on both south and north sides surrounded by river, large fields for farming and some villages and factories on the site.

Photos showing the site context

Scope of site

Different layer in the site

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Overall

Manufacturing District

General Industrial District

Heavy Industrial District

Program

1999-present

2015 Industrial zoning development of Dongguan city centre and its neighbouring towns

In macroscale The zoning development in Dongguan within a decade is analysed to show the periphery condition between the city centre and the outer towns, which is a critical area for the exchange between industrial zone and commerical zone.

Different layer in the site

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Why bent plywood factory? Plywood manufacturing factory is proposed to be built in the site with the manufacturing process from importing wood veneer to producing prefabricated curved plywood modules. The module is designed to suit different performances by configurating the modules in variety of ways, such as chairs, tables, shelfs or canopies. Plywood can be recyled to produce another kind of wood panel. Also, prefabriabated modules create much less waste from construction comparing with on site construction. In this case, only the technique of screwing is required to install the facade. Also, it can be reinstalled in antoher site without destroying any prefabricated modules. They can be reused on the other sites.

Analysis of producation flow The product being producted in the factory is based on the product done in the first semster.

The production process of plywood manufacturing factory and the area relationship among the accommodations are studied.

Diagram showing the production process of plywood manufacturing factory

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Design strategy New mode of factory? The design was aimed at estalishing visual connections between the factory, visitors and live-in quaters instead of applying the old type of factories which seperate all kind of functions.

A landscape form of factory is designed to allow visitors visual connections and allow deeper air ventilation into the building.

Seperation of logistic and circulation Although the functions are integrated into one structural system, the circulation of dormitary and the logistic of production flow are totally seperated. Therefore, the fluidity of the circulation flow would not be interfered.

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Dormitary space

Modular performance Performance of modular system Potential of having varies performances and alternating form has been studied continuously throughout the semester. In the scale of building, variety of performance has been developed.

Canopy and elevated walkway

Modules variations

There are several major performances: Dormitary space - occupying the space in between the two stripes Roof - combining the strip horizontally Elevated walkway and invented structure Structural system After analysing the modular system, the structural system of the whole cluster has been designed.

In tranverse direction, two ends touch the ground. In longitudinal direction the structural is strengthed by bracing and column.

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Ground floor plan

Elevation

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Section

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Section

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Section

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Model

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Slice through contructed ground

Completing the music piece in aberdeen

Transforming different element along the Suzhou canal into music piece

Instead of in architectural scale, in this semester we looked at an urbanistic scale.

First assignment we had city analysis on Suzhou and Venice, both regarded as canal cities. In our design studio we use a more different approach on the analysis. I used music notes as an analysing tool investigate on the urbanistic situation in one of the cities.

After that, we moved back to Hong Kong, where is one of the most urbanized place in the world and chose Aberdeen as our site.

I have analysed the area and proposed a manifesto with the similar method.

Understanding City - Suzhou People would encounter a rhythmatic scene when travelling along the canal, which is similar to the music. In this project this visual rhythm is re-interpreted by the sense of hearing and a music piece is composed according to different catagories: height, width, depth of each hose and the water flow of the canal.

Final piece

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Mini-manifesto - Movement in Aberdeen After analysing the city Suzhou, we moved forward to Aberdeen, which is a old residential area in the southern part of Hong Kong Island, where was a fish village before. Because of the small scale of the city and the large population, the city centre is congested and the human movement and speed is confined and limited in the urban fabric. Therefore in the mini-manifesto I propsed to create a connection which provides human a variety movement and speed. Working model is made to show differnt possiblities of human movement which can be archieved in the city rather then the present one.

Promenade

Road

Study of the movement of people in Aberdeen Sound is recorded to show the separation of promenade and urban fabric and hence a conceptual diagram showing the movement has also been studied. It was concluded that the three different zones are totally seperated and without any harmony.

Urban fabric

Working models Collage of human movement in Aberdeen

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Landscape

Urban fabrics

Promenade

Present situation

Intervention - Completing the music piece in Aberdeen With reference to the previous study on Suzhou canal, I want to compose a “music piece” to complete the breaking part of Aberdeen and hence harmonize the whole area in Abdereen.

By analysing the present situation and possible extension of the pedestrian routes, an intervention is made to provide raised platform and pedestrian bridges. Also, the fragmented city slice is also completed by “music piece” which created a harmonic and rhythmatic form of the whole pedestrian routes.

Sketch on studying the possibility of connecting neighouring residential podium

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Possible extension of pesdestrian routes by the extension of raised platform to the podium and shopping centre

Diagram showing the possibility of the pedestrian platform intersecting with podium and shopping centre by curvy form of pedestrian routes

Sketch on studying of different materials on the pedestrian platform

In the final presentation of intervention different material on the pedestrian platform is suggested to represent different sound created when people walking through on it, creating a music piece as a metaphor.

Models

Renderings

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Water canal in Shekou The territorial relationship between Shekou and Hong Kong

Coastal line development of the sea world

After several phases of reclaimation, the sea water world and its surrounding areas have lost the contact with water. In this project, introducing the water canal system is the chosen method to bring the water back to the area. By using water canal system, a water transport system can also be introduced into the site, cooporating with other means of transportation.

Master plan design

Road and parking space

Water canal system is adopted and designed co-operate with the road system . A grid system was then introduced to regulate the infrastructure. The grid system was formed by overlaying two grid with one diagonal to the other.

Commerical and residential lots

The centre of the site is a small lake and recreational facitilies, surronded by building units outside the centre.

The site and the neighbouring context

Preliminary design

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Preliminary design

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Hotel unit design Diagonal grid system A diagonal grid system is introduced also in the hotel design in the later stage of development to make it coherent with the master plan design. Each diagoanl module accomodates a hotel unit.

Seating steps Visitors can enjoy the view towards the canal Dock A regressed dock is designed for the visitors who use water transport getting on and off

Preliminary design

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Second Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

Section AA’

Ground Floor Plan

Section BB’

Section CC’

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House Analysis: Schminke House

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Studio House in Shek O A timetable of activities done in the house and list of wishes according to the client.

Two rectanglar solid with one thinner rectanglar solid as a circulation inserting between is the later concept. The whole body shifted is to increase the length of the interfloor circulation and let the living room faces more eastward.

The bedroom has a slightly shift from southeast direction towards east, responing to the requirement of the client to receive light in the east direction in the morning.

Skyline responding to the bedroom on the lower floor is introduced to give the client see the sky in the daytime and at night.

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Models

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Concept

Mobius Architecture Design intention The mobius strip can create an interesting continuous floor to wall and wall to roof surface and blur the spaces between outdoor and indoor.

In this exercise, Maya software is practised and used for modelling mobius form of spaces. The simplest form of mobius is chosen finally to create a more uncontrolled spaces by means of briging polygons and subdivison conversion in Maya software.

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3d print model

Renderings

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Transformation of Garden City Movement A timeline of the development of garden city movement is produced to reflect the understanding of the topic learnt in the urbanism course.

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Year-out Professional Experience Saadiyat Island Cultural District Canal Bridges & Public Realm As part of the Saadiyat Cultural District project in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., this project focuses at the Cultural Canal and the pedestrian bridges along it. The Cultural Canal Public project aims to define a unique waterfront experience linking world class museums within the area, namely the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Lourve Abu Dhabi, the Performing Arts Centre as well as the Zayed National Museum.

Pedestrian bridges The main focus of this project are the 5 pedestrian bridges, which not only serves the practical function of connecting both sides of the canal, but also act as viewing platforms for tourists. Some of the bridges can also be seen as sculptural art pieces since they possess unique dynamic geometries.

Sketches - generating initial concept of the bridges

3D digital model of different bridge options

Main role: simple rendering for bridges, modeling the shape and the details of the bridges, doing CAD drawings for GA drawings and detail drawings.

Simple rendering by 3dsmax

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Maintainance building The maintainance building, which locates along the canal, serves for maintainance of canal boat.

Main role: simple rendering for facade options and interior views

Drawings in detail design stage

Simple Renderings

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