Joanne Chen | '15 M.Arch I Application Portfolio

joanne chen MASTER OF architecture APPLICATION portfolio

EMAil jcc386@cornell.edu EDuCATiOn Cornell University

Contents

*all works are produced by Joanne Chen unless otherwise noted

01-02

People & Place in Symbiosis

Peace Corps Commemorative Work

03-06

META + ROOM 1014

Restaurant & hotel room

07-10

Brooding Barge

Workplace & music venue

11-12

Kaleidoscope

Treehouse on a bridge

13-16

Crucible

Art gallery & cafe

17-18

Omni Stool

Furniture design

19-22

Silence Within the Rage

Place of observation/contemplation

23-26

House on a Hill

Private residence

PEOPlE & PlACE in SYMBiOSiS

12 FT

Peace Corps Commemorative Work Washington D.C.

SOCIAL SPACE

4 FT

<4 FT

12 FT

PERSONAL INTIMATE SOCIAL SPACE SPACE SPACE

National design competition Academic work, partner: Ivory Wang Spring 2015

concept diaGraMs tree canopy personal proximities (based on research of Edward T. hall)

site plan wheelchair accessible ramp rainwater channel general circulation

Reflecting the relationship between Peace Corps volunteers and their host countries, the commemorative work creates a soft landscape for visitors to learn, contemplate, and share a dialogue with others within a series of nodes centered around existing trees. Building on the symbiosis found in Peace Corps service, the design respects and cares for the site, providing the trees ample space to grow, a buffer from surrounding traffic, and irrigation with rainwater channels and tree box filters. Based on the research of Edward T. Hall on interpersonal proximities, we created tiers with varied widths to encourage different levels of interactions with social (12ft), personal (4ft), and intimate space (less than 4ft).

In contrast to the formal public spaces created by monumental landmarks of Washington D.C., the commemorative work creates social spaces with cork, a sustainable and renewable material harvested from cork oak trees, to provide a resilient and soft surface to walk and sit on. Selected quotes from Peace Corps volunteers, staff, and affiliated individuals are etched on the risers of the tiers, creating an intimate moment and a shared dialogue between the viewers and the Peace Corps members.

1

rainwater channels

A slight surface tilt directs rainwater into the drainage, which channels the water to the tree box filters to nourish the trees and facilitate water runoff.

Water collected in the grooves forms a temporary stream that flows along the outer rings of the tiers.

section and details

material

high density cork veneer provide a durable and sustainable surface that can be easily replaced every 9 years, corresponding to the harvest cycle of cork oak trees.

New quotes will be etched on with each replacement.

tree box filters

Naturally irrigate trees and filter sediment and pollutants out of stormwater runoff.

*produced by Ivory Wang

2

META+ROOM 1014 Restaurant and hotel renovation Hong Kong

Academic work, partner: Obie Chan Spring 2014

Easily neglected but always present in Hong Kong, bamboo scaffolds reveal the process of tearing down or building up. It represents a stage of transition that neither lets go of the old nor embraces the new; a reflection of the daily struggle in the history and culture of Hong Kong.

Foreign capsules penetrate the facade of Hotel Icon. From the brutal impact, their shells crumble and create new spatial elements that fuse with those already existing in the restaurant, forming various dining spaces and the bar of the restaurant, META. Like living cells, these capsules cling onto the building facade. As they wear out, they can be slid out on tracks and replaced using cranes mounted on the roof of the building. In the hospitality industry, renovations are required every 5 to 10 years. This solution would minimize disruption to the restaurant operation and reduce waste by replacing only the worn out elements.

concept images

Streets and building facades of Hong Kong

1

2

sketch models

1. To simulate the impact of a brutal puncture through a scaffold, a spaghetti mockup was violently punched through. The process was videotaped to study the effect of crumbling and ripping through.

2. Studies of how the scaffolds would support the capsules

3

restaurant plan and section *produced by Obie Chan

process presentation board

4

axonometric & exploded capsules

Steel scaffolds support the protruding capsules, which can be slid in and out on steel tracks. Two of the capsules serve as private dining areas for large parties and one serves as the bar. *produced by Obie Chan

5

room 1014 Applying the same concept of infiltration to the hotel guest room 1024, a capsule is thrust through the window facade and split by the existing column to create a new spatial experience. The daily routines of bathing and dressing are emphasized because for our target customers--business professionals, these are essential processes of the beginning and end of their everyday life.

room plan and section 1

2

1. Exterior view of steel scaffold and track 2. Sketch model study of how capsule sits in the room 3. Half of the split capsule serves as the bathing area 4. The other half includes a closet and dressing table

3

4

6

BROODinG BARGE Workplace & music venue Kowloon, Hong Kong

Academic work, partner: Mindy Ha Spring 2014

With rectilinearity vs. curvilineariity as a metaphor for society vs. music, my design illustrates the struggle of the client, Hidden Agenda, to protect the city’s artistic culture and freedom from the government and capitalist society. The retractable cover wraps around, a gesture of hovering, invading, softening, and brooding over, breaking through society’s rigidity and conservatism.

Hidden Agenda is an independent live music venue highly influential in East Kowloon, Hong Kong. Currently renting a space in a vacant industrial building, it is at the brink of losing its home to the government’s city revitalization plan. A future workspace on a barge parked in the Kwun Tong Ferry Pier would provide Hidden Agenda a space free of rising property costs and strict government regulations, while maintaining its position in the artistic hub of East Kowloon.

sketch models

Sketch model development to study how the lattice wraps around the boxes and how it opens and closes to create semi-exterior and interior spaces.

7

freehand sketch Barcode-like floor to ceiling windows reinforce the capitalism in traditional work culture.

final model

Model scale: 1:100

8

lounge stage

performance area/ artists’ studio lounge seating

bar

second deck plan

0

performance area/studio

5

10

20m

gallery

kitchen

kitchen group workspace

group workspace individual workspace

reception & shop

first deck plan

first deck plan

lobby & static workspace

dynamic workspace

1

2

1

restroom

3 3

sUBdeck plan

studio 3

studio 2

4

2

music recording and practice rooms 9

individual workspace

1. sound lock 2. control/mastering room 3. isolation booth 4. recording room

2

lounge

studio 1 4

production stations

4

3

sketch of individual workspace

The workspace on the bottom deck consists of small and large “cages”. When the space is untouched, the cages fall into the grid of the floor plan. These cages are hung from the ceiling with elastic steel cables at various heights. Nearby cages can be pulled together and hooked up to create larger platforms as users desire. Essentially, the users break the grid as they interact with the space.

The major interior feature was inspired by children’s pin point needle toy. On the bottom deck, the dropped needles create a dramatic wave-like ceiling. These needles rise onto the second deck to form lounge seating that sinks to body weight as people sit and move around. Once people began to interact with this lounge seating, the gridded needles begin to rise and sink, creating curvilinear waves on the ceiling of the first deck.

10

KAlEiDOSCOPE Treehouse River Thames, London Triumph Mention Award 2015

ArchTriumph international competition Academic work, partners: Joelle Jahn, Laura Camejo Spring 2015

sketch model

Structure study

section

Responding to the surrounding foliage and weather patterns, the treehouse produces a kaleidoscopic effect that creates an evolving set of reflections.

Light is refracted and reflected on the faceted panes, capturing unexpected frames of the surrounding landscape. As if one were walking through a kaleidoscope, the viewer moves through the treehouse step by step experiencing new, distorted perspectives.

Each pod highlights a specific sense, resulting in an experience that connects viewers to nature by engaging all six senses. At night, the treehouse glows from within, illuminating the trees in a dazzling array of light and reflections visible from afar.

The Architectural Treehouse Design competition called for a contemporary treehouse pod to be located on the proposed Garden Bridge across River Thames in London that responds to low-cost, low maintenance and sustainable architectural design solutions.

*produced by Joelle Jahn

plan

*produced by Joelle Jahn

Material ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene) panes with optical coatings of various transparencies and translucencies Mirrored panes with metallic coatings for various reflectancies

Glass floor

Translucent concrete

Stainless steel structural frame and base

front eleVation

11

side eleVation

the sound room

listen to the rustling leaves and pouring rain as a fresh, earthy scent wafts through the air

the loft

feel the breeze as it sweeps over the River Thames

*produced by Laura Camejo

*produced by Laura Camejo

the lounge

Behold the movement of light and shadows beneath the tree canopy and observe the motions on the bridge below

12

CRuCiBlE Art gallery & cafe Syracuse, New York

Adaptive reuse Academic work, individual Fall 2014

Storage

Staff lounge

custodian’s closet

Back of house

restrooms

Apartment entrance

espresso bar

Bike storage

C

Storage Reception

Exhibition space

Conference room

restrooms

B

floor plan

0

Wabi sabi describes a Japanese philosophy that finds beauty in the natural processes of aging, blemishing, and withering. It appreciates the raw and unrefined and celebrates the unadorned elegance.

Wabi sabi is translated into the 100-year-old Wilson Building and the specific context of Syracuse, New York by remembering the city’s rich industrial past through mechanical and machined references and maintaining the integrity of the original building.

Through adaptive reuse, the community may share in the rich history and culture of the place.

NAME

manufacturer

fixture name

luminaire type

pendant 1

foscarni

aplomb

ledd halogen ha

60

exit sign

pendant 2

niche modern

stamen

tubular incand.

75

emergency light

wattage

smoke detector

track lighting

erco

pascan

led

48

recessed downlight

erco

skim

led

18/28

sprinkler

wall sconce

plumen

plumen 002

incandescent

6

ceiling height

strip fluorescent

erco

650433 000

t16

28

truss

reflected ceilinG plan 13

10

legend symbol

Gallery entrance

Gallery

Cafe seating Office

A

Cafe entrance

Cafe

20

40FT

coffee & art

cafe An open dialogue between artists and the community.

ELEVATiON A Espresso bar with sliding shelves mounted on tracks in the wall.

14

eleVation B the gallery

A respite from urban distractions providing a moment of reflection and inspiration. Balancing the industrial past of the city of Syracuse with the inherent elegance of the Beaux arts Wilson building, the space celebrates both the power and the beauty of the machine.

pulley door

The materiality of iron, steel and cable wire references the original cast iron columns and passenger elevator, saluting to the iron and steel manufacture of the city’s booming industrial past.

eleVation c 15

section a

detail B 16

OMni STOOl Furniture design

Independent study Spring 2014

The Omni Stool uses traditional wood joinery to sustain strong joints without using glue. This DIY chair can be easily assembled and disassembled for efficient packaging, transportation and storage. For optimal balance of mechanical support and aesthetic, the design consists of two pairs of identical parts: the larger pair interlocks with angled slots while the smaller pair latches on with splines. A wax finish protects the stool from the outdoor weather while retaining the natural grain of the wood.

The design is inspired by Japanese wood craftsmanship as well as the elegance and simplicity of Sori Yanagi’s Butterfly Chair. It achieves a medium between high-end modern furniture and lower-end IKEA DIY products.

12.5”

design process

Design development in elevation to study the angle and arch radius that best support load. The dimensions and proportions were continuously refined in consideration of ergonomics, mechanical support and aesthethics.

3/8” 3/8” 16”

16 1/2” 17 3/8”

sketch model

Paper, chipboard, and 3d printed prototypes

17

material

Ash, birch, or oak plywood, finished with wax

18

SilEnCE WiTHin THE RAGE Place of observation/contemplation Ithaca, New York

The project began by studying an antique push drill through drawing to understand the inner construction and mechanical operation. The drawings were then transformed into a spatial construction. Reflecting the repetitive movement of the positive drill moving into and out of the handle cavity, I created a series of nested and overlapping spaces. The architecture would sit at the bottom of the gorge and provide places of contemplation and observation. It also functions as a bridge for people to cross the gorge.

As water rushes downstream, it circulates into and out of the building through slits that occur where the cavities intersect. Moving against the water current, people circulate upstream as they cross the river.

Academic work, individual Summer 2014

concept diagram

Water (blue) circulating in the y-direction intersected by people (red) circulating in the x-direction

documentation drawing

preliminary sketches 19

performative drawing

Drawing details are translated into architectural elements, such as steps.

sketch model development

The architecture sits at the bottome of a gorge, angled upwards towards the cliff.

20

final model

Within the walls, the visitors behold still water collected at the bottom of the cavity as they hear the waters raging beyond.

21

hand drawn section cut through first cavity

hand drawn section and site plan 22

house on a hill Private residence Kawanishi, Japan

Professional work, individual Summer 2015

23

study model

Design development in 1:100 scale.

Further development in 1:50 scale.

Situated on a hillside, the house is accessible only by a road to the North.

The South side overlooks downtown Kawanishi. The architecture is specific to the site’s topography and climate. Large window openings on the Southeast side provide excellent views and daylight. Strategically placed windows on the North side provide cross ventilation while maintaining privacy for the occupants. The orientation of the house on the site allows pedestrians on the road a glimpse of the view beyond the house.

To extend the relationship of the architecture to the tiered site, the house is essentially a continuous ramp reaching three stories above ground and one below. The sloped site provided an additional level below pedestrian level without exceeding the 9-meter building height restriction. The ramp holds several living functions such as a circulation, lounging and reading space, and wraps around a garden. While circulating via the ramps, the occupants experience changing perspectives between the cityscape below and the natural landscape within.

24

GUEST ROOM

LAUNDRY ROOF GARDEN CHILD’S ROOM

+3000mm

UP

UP

+4000mm

MASTER BEDROOM

BATHROOM +5000mm

DOWN

UP

+6000mm

STUDY

leVel 2

leVel 3 B

DINING

GRANDMA’S BEDROOM

UP -1000mm

DOWN

0mm

LIVING

A GARDEN

UP

KITCHEN

+1000mm

0mm

UP

ENTRANCE

BATHROOM

0

sUB GroUnd leVel The kitchen and dining area placed on the sub ground level take advantage of the excellent view and privacy while maintaining visual proximity to the living area. The house provides 4 rooms for a middle-aged couple, a grandmother, a child, and a guest. A large living area would accommodate occasional parties.

A bathing area on the roof level gives the feeling of bathing outdoors while providing complete privacy with the orientation.

25

GroUnd leVel

75

150

300mm

0

75

150

300mm

section a

section B

26