Yellow Stone Hot Springs | F22 1/60 | Digital | 2014
JEFFREY W KUO
ART + ARCH [ 1 . 30 . 17 ]
TABLE OF CONTENTS Education 2016 - 2016 Career Discovery Program Harvard Graduate School of Design (Landscape Architecture) 2015 - Present BA: Architectural Studies University of California, Los Angeles 2012 - 2017 BA: Studio Art University of California, Los Angeles (Concentration in Sculpture/Ceramics)
Experience & Affliliations 2014 - 2017 ASCE Seismic Design: Architect 2015 - Present AIAS: Member 2014 - 2015 BuildOn: Secretary & Historian 2013 - 2014 Bruin Life: Photographer
2008 - 2012 High School Graduate San Dieguito Academy
2015 Kilnin’ It UCLA Department of Art
2015 Currents: Fall UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design
Group Exhibitions 2015 Currents: Winter UCLA Department of Architecture and Urban Design
2016 Stuff It UCLA Department of Art + OTIS School of Design
ARCHITECTURE + LANDSCAPE
Skills Rhinoceros 3D Adobe Photoshop / Lightroom Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Adobe Premier Pro Maxwell Render Fabrication -Moulding (plaster, silicone, latex) -Welding (mig) -Carpentry (saws, jointing) -Ceramics Martial Arts -1st Dan Black Belt Tae Kwon Do -Novice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mauy Thai Learns software quickly Adaptable Methodical Critical Thinker Creative problem solver Sociable Open-minded
PORTMANTEAU: DORM AND THEATRE
KATY BARKAN | FALL 2016
PARTS FROM WHOLES: 1 + 1 = ?
KATY BARKAN | FALL 2016
PHENOMENA AND MAPPING: CHARLES RIVER
ZANETA HONG | SUMMER 2016
DARKROOM: TAPERS AND EXTRUSIONS
MOHAMED SHARIF | FALL 2015
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY: UNDERCUT CAFE
GEORGINA HULJICH + MIRA HENRY | SUMMER 2014
PARTS FROM A WHOLE: 1 + 1 = ?
KATY BARKAN | FALL 2016
ABOVE THE FINISHED FLOOR: VOIDS
GABRIEL FRIES BRIGGS | SPRING 2015
CRASHED CUBE: CORES + COLLONADES
ERIN BESLER | WINTER 2015
THE OFFICE FIT-OUT: STRUCTED SYSTEMS
ERIN BESLER | WINTER 2015
SYSTEMS + INTERVENTIONS
ZANETA HONG | SUMMER 2016
ART EXPLORING GALLERY TEMPORALITIES NO. 2
INSTALLATION | FALL 2014
ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 857: AB-857
SCULPTURE + PERFORMANCE | FALL 2016
SENSORY MEMORIES NO. 1
INTERACTIVE SCULPTURE | FALL 2016
GALLERY AS A VACUUM
INSTALLATION | FALL 2016
PORTMANTEAU : DORM + THEATRE Fall 2016 | UCLA Architecture and Urban Design Instructor: Katy Barkan
This brief presents the problem of incorporating a dorm into a theater. Students were asked to design a building which incorporated a (given) theater but also comply to the programmatic needs of the public and private spaces. The theater given, was awkwardly designed; it was a symmetrical trapezium-esque form that is undercut and stands at a 23’ high. Taking this troubled theater, I decided I wanted to camouflage its indecisiveness as a form through a two-grained grid system. The first and third floor are the same in form and units used; the second and fourth floor also the same, with the exception of a roof garden. In terms of programmatic needs, similar units or “blocks” were used in order to avoid overly micro-designing. In terms of circulation, three core central stair cases were fitted into the grid layout before the two different grains were designed. [ GROUND FLOOR]
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S1
[ MASTER GRID DIAGRAM ]
[ SECTION 2 ]
S2
All the forms and units used in both of the grains are derived from the given theater’s angles; these are depicted in the diagram on the top right with the original theater shown in a dark dashed line.
[ SECTION 1 ] 4
3/32” = 1’ - 0” 4-ply MB floor plates 2-ply MB forms
SURFACE + PHENOMENA : CHARLES RIVER Summer 2016 | Harvard GSD - Career Discovery Landscape Archecture Branch | Instructor: Zaneta Hong
The site given was the Charles River in Boston, MA. In terms of phenomena I was not particularly drawn to mapping pedestrian movement data on the sidewalks, nor was I drawn to the movement in the trees, but I was drawn to more specifically the oils on the water of the river. Although I did not know it at the time, the oils on the surface of the water were exceptionally hard to map. Being a pedestrian on the ground, only gave me a number of viewpoints in which I could document its movement. A few factors played roles in the movement of this residue, pedestrian movement on the river, geese, and of course the relatively strong winds that came through the channel. The bottom left two images on the next page are data I recorded on site of pathways from: boats, kayaks, canoes, and ferries. [Left Image] Hybrid-section depicting stacked water typologies at each cut. Distances relative to width of the river. [Right Image] All movement data projected over the river. 6
[ WATER TYPOLOGY STUDIES ]
[ KAYAK ( 1- 2 PERSONS) ]
[ ON-SITE DATA RECORDINGS OF VARIOUS MOVEMENT PATHS ]
[ WIND/OIL PHENOMENA ]
[ ROWBOAT ( 5+ PERSONS) ]
[ MOTORIZED BOATS]
[ CHARLES RIVER, CAMBRIDGE, MA ] 7
[ PERSPECTIVE SECTION ]
DARKROOM: TAPERS AND EXTRUSIONS Fall 2015 | UCLA Architecture and Urban Design ARCH 141 | Instructor: Mohamed Sharif
Inspired from the text “How to Lay Out a Croissant� by Enric Miralles, this project takes a spin on his instructions to take the drawing further. Sprouting from the geometries of a croissant, tapered walls come up from a 2D drawing to form a collision of spaces which encapsulate a central space. Through these extrusions, the problem of accessibility and circulation presents itself. Implemented in the center-most extrusion, the main vertical-wall enclosure, are a series of aperatures which not only allows light to penetrate the structure but also allows circulation to be more dynamic. This structure is curve-heavy and demands a balance in vertical elements. The windows act as a supplement to the vertical and horizontal nature of the navigatible pathway. The circulation incorporated into this project weaves through the windows and above and below the ground zero. [ PLAN CUT SECOND AND FIRST FLOORS ] 8
[ SECTION 1 ]
[VIGNETTE - STAIRCASE ]
[ SECTION 2 ]
[ VIGNETTE - LOWER FLOOR ]
[ SECTION 3 ]
[ VIGNETTE - COURTYARD ] 9
GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY: UNDERCUT CAFE Summer 2014 | UCLA AUD - Jumpstart Instructors: Mira Henry & Georgina Huljich
The site given to us was the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, more specifically a ledge with a 20’ drop into a canyon. We were then asked to design a bookstore and cafe duo. I was interested in pivoting structures where the corners of these “bars” would wiggle around but also keep the forms next to each other. In order to provide more circulation and leisure, I responded to this design in faceted cuts into the ground. These step like cuts ideally would provide entrance to the building, but also serve as spaces where people could enjoy their food from the cafe above.
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[ ELEVATION ]
[ AXONOMOMETRIC ]
[ SECTION 2 ]
[ SITE ] 11
PARTS FROM A WHOLE: 1 + 1 = ? Fall 2016 | UCLA Architecture and Urban Design In Collaboration with Eunice Lee Instructor: Katy Barkan This project aims to extract multiple logics from a singular whole. The object of choice was a plastic milk jug which was thoroughly analyzed and annotated in form. After analysis, the exercise is not to merely re-represent the object in its entirety, but hint at the underlying geometries of the form. The milk jug is somewhat asymmetrical, and is comprised of mainly two parts: patches and fillets. Patches are largely planar surfaces that take up most space on the jug; fillets are the latter, they attempt to bond the patches together and deal with the subtle complexities of the container.
[right image - final model] [bottom images - analytical model]
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[ UNROL LED SURFACES ]
[ ELEVATION ]
The next step in the brief was to perform a “cut” and produce a pair of objects. From our previous observations, the cut we decided to make was to separate the complex from the simple. From there, manipulations were then performed to the fillets of the different sides to accentuate their elasticity.
[ PATCH DIAGRAMS ] 13
REPRESENTATION + TRANSFORMATION: BRISTOL CATHEDRAL
[ CAGE EDITING ]
[ TWISTING ]
Summer 2014 | UCLA AUD - Jumpstart Instructors: Mira Henry & Georgina Huljich
This project studies the profiles and sectioning of vaults in the Bristol Cathedral which is located in the United Kingdoms. As one of my first architectural projects in my career, this study could be considered my first attempt at analyzing space and structure and translating data into a CAD model.
[ INITIAL VAULT MODEL ]
[ BOOLEAN ]
[ TRIM ]
After measurements were taken and diagrammed accordingly, transformations were applied to the form to create a more complex and progressive entity. Through diagrams, we were asked to illustrate our creative processes. 14
[ VAULT ONE - RECREATION TECHNIQUE ]
[ VAULT TWO ]
[ V2 - SECTIONS ]
[ V1 - SECTIONS ] 15
ABOVE THE FINISHED FLOOR: VOIDS Spring 2016 | UCLA Architecture and Urban Design ARCH 143 | Instructor: Gabriel Fries Briggs This project originated from forming a pile of rocks inside of a acrylic cube, documenting with plans and elevations. As an exercise to move into the realm of more complex NURB modeling, we used these forms as our base models. What intrigued me most about my formation of rocks, was the void spaces that it created. At no point were any of the rocks touching at more than 4 points due to their irregular shapes. I took this inspiration and created a wire frame that highlighted these points of interest.
[ ITERATION 1 ]
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[iteration 1 - left images ]
[iteration 2 - right image]
I transposed my orginal object into a lattice structure which in a sense was the friendliest representation to the idea of void space.
Part two of this exercise examined our original ideas in a different light. I sought to capture the idea of void spaces through banding and overlapping. 17
[iteration 3] Part three of this exercise required a system that would support our free standing panels, so I designed a framing system to enhance the sense of void space by placing extrusions on the edges of the openings. 18
CRASHED CUBE: CORES + COLLONADES Winter 2015 | UCLA Architecture and Urban Design ARCH 121 | Instructor: Erin Besler
This project sprouted from mainly two ideas, how to situate a cube in a ground, and how to enhance the space in and around it via manipulations to the cube. The form takes on a persona of a pyramid with a strong base and walls that taper to the sky. Using concave surfaces develops a more complex dimension to the interior and exterior space. The cores are not central, one must walk through the array of columns in the building. This “Typical Plan� celebrates the free plan as described by Corbusier and Koolhaas. To contrast against the claustrophobic, deflated feeling of convex walls, the interior is free from walls, at the cost of having a large column grid.
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THE OFFICE FIT-OUT: STRUCTURED SYSTEMS Winter 2015 | UCLA Architecture and Urban Design ARCH 121 | Instructor: Erin Besler
Our class was divided up to work on three buildings, each designed uniquely by separate individuals. This was a big excercise in communication and trust due to the nature and scale of the group project. Each building was assigned three groups, each group would be one of the following: structured open plan, unstructured open plan, and structured private plan. Two others and I were assigned to a structed open plan for “a group of start-up companies.” The start-up is a dynamic entity which can grow and migrate. To regulate and compensate these issues we created a system of working blocks to localize their areas, but also catalyze the opportunity for cross-startup interaction. block structure could be detrimental to the floor’s atmosphere as a whole, because even the smallest degree of separation between start ups could promote a competitive atmosphere between them. 20
The circulation imposed compensates for the lack of circulation around the perimeter. In contrast to the tenant blocks designed to be interactive within the start up, the blocks that are considered spill over blocks (storage and file/copy rooms) are designed to be interactive and shared among neighboring start ups. By forcing interactions between start ups outside of their conventional encounters in break rooms, we are attempting to reconcile the problem of competitiveness to give the floor a stronger sense of community. [top image - our group model] [bottom image - collective group model] [left image - circulation and start-up division diagram] 21
SYSTEMS + INTERVENTIONS Summer 2016 | Harvard GSD Career Discovery Landscape Architecture | Instructor: Zaneta Hong
This brief engages the idea of systems as a mode of analysis. Before designing an intervention, our group of 20 landscape students took two weeks to analyze the site of the South Bay in Boston. We looked at permeable and impermeable spaces, vegetation, transportation routes, topography, building heights, zoning and program, fence locations, privacy, etc. Once we mapped all these, we then produced synthesis maps that overlaid the data in order to see if there were any correlations.
[ INTERVENTION: SITE PLAN + AXONOMETRIC ] 22
[ SECTIONAL ANALYSIS OF DISSONANCES ]
The analysis showed a huge divide in program and accessibility where a railroad on elevated ground just rips through the city (depicted in section above). To combat this dissonance, the proposed intervention takes on the idea of covering the railroad and converting the space into a ecological haven for which animals and people can commute across. This solves the problems of programmatic segregation and ecological assimilation through a smoothing effect.
[ SITE PLAN: ANALYSIS ] 23
[ SECTIONS ]
[ SITE PLAN ] 24
“JAPANESE POWERLINES” FALL 2015 8” X 11” AQUATINT AND HARD-GROUND, STEEL PLATE ETCHING
ART
SCULPTURE + INSTALLTION
EXPLORING GALLERY TEMPORALITIES No. 2 PVC, sprinkler heads, 200’ hose, water Variable dimensions (Installation) Fall 2014
“Exploring Gallery Temporalities” sprouted from my questioning of the art department’s gallery space and the use of prohibited materials. One of these materials that art students are advised against is water — it damages the floor. In an art institution I believe that students should be pushed to use a plethora of different materials; if water is not on that list, I find it very hard to understand why not. Exploring ideas of absurdity in context, I installed a fully operational water system that could destroy the gallery. 26
ASSEMBLY BILL NO. 857: AB-857 Computer, active 3D Printer, 3D model of a rifle’s lower receiver 46” x 18” x 54” Fall 2016
This performance piece featured a live 3D printing of a “gun” during a gallery show. Until July 1st, 2018, it is perfectly legal to print a gun and not have it be registered. The “gun” being printed is the lower receiver part of an AR15 which is the main housing for all the mechanisms; if it were purchased, it would have to be registered. All other parts of a gun can be bought second hand without registration. This was printed on campus at UCLA, with prior permission from the commanding officer. 27
SENSORY MEMORY No. 1 Sheetrock, wood, negative ion generator, switch, 9V battery 17” x 30” x 4” Fall 2016
In a series exploring memories as sensory experiences, this piece pokes fun at my childhood experience of putting a paperclip into a 110AC outlet. By using static electricity, individuals are allowed to touch the paperclip without getting harmed-- instead they receive a jolt of static shock. 28
VACUUM SWITCH Conduit piping, milled PVC placard, switch, steel housing 4” x 2.5” x 10” Fall 2016
There is this common conception that a traditional art gallery is a “vacuum;” it operates with no context. I have taken this idea that the gallery as a ‘vacuum’ quite literally. What if a space that operates with no context takes on the scientific approach? Vacuum is defined as “a space entirely devoid of matter.” The piece seeks to humor its audience and remind them that they are in a context free zone, even though this piece feeds off its specific context, blending into the gallery’s style. 29