Portfolio
Undergraduate D. Arch Applicant
Jeffrey Wang
Table of Contents
Portfolio // School of Architecture
Personal Statement
Portfolio // School of Architecture
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Hand Drawing - Midterm
Arch 132 // Janine Clifford // Spring 2011 // 2 Weeks
Two-Dimensional Abstraction
Arch 132 // Janine Clifford // Spring 2011 // 2 Weeks
Clone - Section and Space
Arch 101 // Christopher Palagi // Fall 2010 // 1 Month
Natural & Artificial - Natural
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
Natural & Artificial - Artificial
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
Natural To Artificial - Process
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 1 Month
Hand Drawing
Arch 132 // Janine Clifford // Spring 2011 // 1 Semester
Planar & Volumetric
Arch 132 // Janine Clifford // Spring 2011 // 2 Weeks
Clone - As Site
Arch 101 // Christopher Palagi // Fall 2010 // 2 Weeks
Natural & Artificial - Natural
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
Natural & Artificial - Artificial
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
Natural To Artificial - Final
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
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01 03 05 07 09 11 13 Jeffrey Wang
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Table of Contents
Portfolio // School of Architecture
14 16 18 20 22 24
Natural To Artificial - Final
Natural To Artificial - Final
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
Thomas Square - Revitalization
Thomas Square - Revitalization
Manga - 2050 Waikiki Scenario
Manga - 2050 Waikiki Scenario
Arch 341 // Joyce Noe // Fall 2013 // 1 Month
Arch 342 // Mireille Turin // Spring 2014 // 1 Week
Building Design Development
Arch 342 // Mireille Turin // Spring 2014 // 1 Week
Writing/Research
Arch 272 // Kazi Ashraf // Fall 2012 // 1 Month
Writing/Research
Arch 272 // Kazi Ashraf // Fall 2012 // 1 Month
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Arch 341 // Joyce Noe // Fall 2013 // 1 Month
Arch 342 // Mireille Turin // Spring 2014 // 1 Week
Urban Experience
Arch 342 // Mireille Turin // Spring 2014 // 1 Week
Writing/Research
Arch 272 // Kazi Ashraf // Fall 2012 // 1 Month
Writing/Research
Arch 272 // Kazi Ashraf // Fall 2012 // 1 Month
15 17 19 21 23 25
Personal Statement
Portfolio // School of Architecture
01
The Italian architect, Paolo Soleri, once said, “If an architect’s ego is very small, he is done for it; if it is vast then he might make some very important contributions.” When first entering architecture, I had no idea what to expect. I had not taken any previous archiectural courses nor had any architectural experience. It was like the old saying, “sending a blind man to war”. However, personally, none of that mattered. The only matter was that I had enough confidence to face any challenge ahead of me. Moreover, my ego understood that I had the ability to overcome any obstacle. Some may mistake this for arrogance, however, it was Frank Lloyd Wright who once said, “Early in life I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose the former and have seen no reason to change.” Therefore, agreeing with Wright, I also see no reason to change. My earlier predictions proved to be true, as I have only progressed, since entering the architecture program. With the mentality of honest arrogance, I will continue to progress and one day make some very important contributions.
Jeffrey Wang
02
Hand Drawing - Midterm
Arch 132 // Janine Clifford // Spring 2011 // 2 Weeks
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Hand Drawing
Arch 132 // Janine Clifford // Spring 2011 // 1 Semester
03
A compilation of hand drawings from Arch132 are displayed. Before architecture school, I had very limited knowledge of drawing. I established an ability to draw after Janine Clifford organized an intense drawing schedule because she knew only practice makes perfect. It was only until then that I began to understand the fundamentals of drawings and its significance within design communication. The type of drawing that challenged me the most was perspective drawing, which is the reason most of the drawings displayed are perspective. I spent the most time practicing perspective drawings because I could not seem to grasp a sense of proportion. When I finally found out there was a formula known as the one-point and two-point perspective techniques, my perspective drawings significantly increased. Despite the new techniques, one is always advised to listen to what a wise man once said, “practice makes perfect�.
Jeffrey Wang
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Two-Dimensional Abstraction
Arch 132 // Janine Clifford // Spring 2011 // 2 Weeks
The objective of this assignment was to develop an interesting two-dimensional abstract floor plan by taking key elements of sketched buildings and tracing over them to form layers. Each time the trace paper is placed on top, the student must, again, narrow down the key elements. This process is repeated until the student is satisfied with the composition of their two-dimensional abstraction. University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Planar & Volumetric
Arch 132 // Janine Clifford // Spring 2011 // 2 Weeks
05
Once the two-dimensional composition was established, the next stage was to transform the abstraction into two three-dimensional objects, where one was planar and the other was volumetric. Students were given the freedom of choice of form, as long as from top view, it matches the abstracted floor plan. The purpose of the project was to stimulate students’ critical thinking in geometry and spatial relationships. I, then realized that planar surfaces create positive space within a volume, while volumetric objects create positive space between two volumes. Jeffrey Wang
06
Clone - Section and Space
Arch 101 // Christopher Palagi // Fall 2010 // 1 Month + 1 Week
The first major project we recieved was the Clone project, which we were given a month to do. The objective of the project was to understand how sections form a whole. I achieved this by building each limb seperately and piecing them together as a whole in the end. Each limb was built unique to its purpose. For example the left thigh was built with more structure because it was the main support that stabilized the rest of the clone to maintain that position. Once the clone was finished, it lead on to other projects that incorporated the use of the original clone. The second Clone project is displayed in the three images above. We were given a week to create curves on our clone that followed the natural curves of our cloned body. The challenge was that only zip ties were allowed for connections, meaning no glue. Ultimately, the goal was to create a beautiful form that flowed, while simultaneously creating interesting positive spaces.
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Clone - As Site
Arch 101 // Christopher Palagi // Fall 2010 // 2 Weeks
07
The next Clone project that followed up was using a portion of the clone as a site, disregarding orientation of that piece. Within that site, we were required use the knowledge gained from the previous project to, again, create a beautiful flowing form that generates interesting positive spaces. However, this time using planes and volumes. The process of the project is presented in the row of images above. During the process, I began experimenting with different elements of volume and space. Learning from the original clone project, I chose to build my structure in sections, where each section is unique. Working in sections has allowed me to create a form that was originally unimaginable. Moreover, to achieve extraordinary results, one must experiment and refine through the process. Not only did the process allow me to create such a form, but also it helped me develop a better eye for spatial composition, while improving my craftsmanship in model-making. The Clone As Site project taught me the significance of achieving complexity and depth through combining volumetric and planar elements. Jeffrey Wang
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Natural & Artificial - Natural
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
The objective of this assignment was to examine the natural curves that occur in nature and create an artificial intervention that flows with those natural curves. In the beginning, I examined the natural curves of a rock and followed it with wire, which was visually pleasing. However, in order for me to have advanced in the project, I required more architectural spaces. During the second attempt, I experimented with creating architectural spaces, while managing to flow with nature. Although, the architectural spaces were formed, it was too rigid and did not flow as well as the first. Through this step of the process, I learned the significance of details within forms and that each piece of nature is unique in its design. I also learned that the scale of the details in the intervention must match the scale of the details of that piece of nature. The lesson to be learned is that architecture must be proportionate in scale to the site.
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Natural & Artificial - Natural
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
09
The objective of this assignment was also to examine the natural curves that occur in nature and create an artificial intervention that flows with those curves. Students were given the choice of refining their previous project, or restarting. My decision was to start from scratch. Through the previous project, I improved my skills in being able to identify significant curves in pieces of nature. Combining the flow of the first rock experiment, along with the architectural spaces of the second experiment, I was able to derive a beautiful piece of art. Through the previous step of the process, I learned that in order to match the detail and complexity of nature, I must be patient and control the detail of my intervention. I decided to use thin strips of balsa to form a structure, then customized each strip for the curtain walls. The handling of these thin strips improved my craftsmanship. Although it was much more work than using a single cut out plane, the detail of the individual strips provided a scale that was visually pleasing.
Jeffrey Wang
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Natural & Artificial - Artificial
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
The final step of the process for Natural & Artificial was to use the form derived from our most well developed natural piece. I decided to use the wood piece, since the artificial flowed better with the natural curves and provided volumes of space. I pictured the wood piece as a mountain range for the site and my intervention as a private getaway connecting from one grove of the mountain to the next. The final model for Natural & Artificial helped me develop several skills. Considering this was my first plexiglass model, I had to develop sectioning and contouring skills in Rhino3D and figure out how to use the laser cutter. Once learning how to use the laser cutter, it altered my mindset on 3D design. While 3D designing, I now build computerized models in formats and layers that make it easier to derive cut sheets, sections, floor plans, etc. Moreover, improving my ability to think ahead during the design process. Another skill i developed was working with meshes on Rhino3D. In order to create the topography, I used an image of a moutain range that I saw fit my criteria and eyed out the mesh using control points. Thus, improving my skill to shape three-dimensional objects from two-dimensional images using depth perception. University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Natural & Artificial - Artificial
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
11
Not only were students required to build a model of their final design, they also had to graphically present it. My final design was a private getaway that hung from one grove of the moutain range to the next. The only source of transportation was a helicopter, thus, the circular helipad between the two living sectors. Another interesting feature is displayed in the first rendering. Within the living room, there is a blast-proof glass floor that allows one to visualize the beautiful view below. The third rendering displays the natural mountain range as part of the interior, displaying that I learned the beauty of intertwining the natural with the artificial. Through this graphic presentaiton, I developed the skills of creating realistic renderings, along with sections and floor plans.
Jeffrey Wang
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Natural To Artificial - Process
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 1 Month
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Natural To Artificial - Final
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
13
During the project Natural To Artificial, students were required to find a piece of nature and draw inspiration for the concept of the design. The most significant factor of this project was the process that transforms from natural into artificial. My concept developed from a rock that appears to be floating. The concept lead on to a space underneath a heavy top, which eventtually lead to my final design for a house designed for a car enthusiast. Hence, the parking garage is visible throughout the living room. Through this assignment, I learned that nature has been perfected through millions of years of evolution. Therefore, we must draw inspiration from its beautiful and complex forms. I also learned that the process is essential. The experimentation allows the design to accerlerate in depth and detail. Before this project, I would attempt to design a final project right after the conceptual. However, these results were at times described as rudimentary. Process provides multipule refinements that take the project to unimaginable depths . Everything perfect takes time. Jeffrey Wang
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Natural To Artificial - Final
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Natural To Artificial - Final
Arch 201 // Louis Longhi // Spring 2013 // 2 Weeks
15
After building the model for our final design, students were required to graphically communicate the design. My design is a luxury home designed for a car enthusiast. The high ceilings and large spaces in the living room make one feel like it is a home for a god, while the all-around glass provides a magnificent panoramic view. However, the garage is the highlight of the house. It is a 5-car garage with a glass roof, making it visible throughout the entire living room. I approached the graphic presentation by mainly using renderings to display a calm sunset feeling. In this project I was experimenting with the three-dimensional fly-through tool Illumion. Although the fly-through overloaded my computer, I managed to gather some incredible renderings and add another very useful weapon to my architectural arsenal.
Jeffrey Wang
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Thomas Square - Revitalization Arch 341 // Joyce Noe // Fall 2013 // 1 Month
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Thomas Square - Revitalization
Arch 341 // Joyce Noe // Fall 2013 // 1 Month
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Thomas Square was once a prestigious park, but now it seems to mainly serve as a homeless shelter. The city planned to revitalize Thomas Square to revive its once prestigious reputation. Moreover, students were required to participate in conceptualizing a new design that will be inviting and allow pedestrians to feel more comfortable within the park. My design embraces and expands on the original symmetrical design. During my site visit, heat and the lack of seating seemed to be the main issues. Therefore, I incorporated two water features, which will partially absorb heat, while providing seating. I also added a circle of lofted grass patches that contain trees to add more shaded seating. The pathways were paved and defined in order to lead people into the park and give them a sense of direction. Additional seating were added in the corners of the park to lure pedestrians onto the pathway. To conclude, my concept succeeded in making Thomas Square more inviting and comfortable for people. Jeffrey Wang
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Manga - 2050 Waikiki Scenario Arch 342 // Mireille Turin // Spring 2014 // 1 Week
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Manga - 2050 Waikiki Scenario
Arch 342 // Mireille Turin // Spring 2014 // 1 Week
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During the construction design process of our building, students were required to create a comic book that represents a possible scenario in 2050. Through this project, I have developed and improved a few skills. Firstly, this assignment improved my story-telling abilities, which is useful when selling a design to a client. Secondly, through research, I developed new photoshop skills that allow me to give a cartoon-feel to real life pictures. These are important tools that I can use for future presentations and renders. Lastly, I improved my compositional skills. A good eye for composition will benefits future designs, whether presentation boards, or architectural design. Jeffrey Wang
20
Building Design Development
Arch 342 // Mireille Turin // Spring 2014 // 1 Week
Students were required to design a building no less than 5 stories high, and no less than 50,000 square feet in total area. The work for this assignment should be guided by the articulated 2050 scenario, taking sea level rise, increased density, and other social, economic, technological, and environmental factors into consideration. These objectives were met by creating a lobby that becomes an aquarium as the sea level rises. The building extends past the Waikiki height limit in response to the increased density. Economically speaking, the customization of a hexagonal glass panel would be costly, however, the repetition allows for mass production, which lowers costs. As for technology, each hexagonal panel is sprayed with a thin layer of Solar Window, which is a newly patented product that transforms windows into transparent solar panels. Lastly, the parking elevator on the side allows for more parking within less land area compared to conventional parking structures.
University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Urban Experience
Arch 342 // Mireille Turin // Spring 2014 // 1 Week
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Students were required to refine the Building Design Development project, and still be guided by the articulated 2050 scenario. However, linkages between urban contexts should apply. These objectives were met by creating a lobby that becomes an aquarium as the sea level rises. The building extends past the Waikiki height limit in response to the increased density. Economically speaking, the mass proudction of the hexagonal units lowers costs. As for technology, each window panel is sprayed with a thin layer of Solar Window, which is a newly patented product that transforms windows into transparent solar panels. In 2050, the rise of sea level has forced society to be more innovative with transportation, such as flying cars. The building’s urban context is the ocean, however, it is a short flying distance to Waikiki. In case of emergency, the building is self-sustainable by producing energy with the Solar Windows, along with hydroponic farms located in each unit.
Jeffrey Wang
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Writing/Research
Arch 272 // Kazi Ashraf // Fall 2012 // 1 Month
Although Johnson decided to become an architect, he was still a curator and critic for the most part, up to this point in his life. This influenced his designs because he had such exceptional knowledge of other architects’ styles, that it moderately restricted himself of creating his own. John M. Jacobus, Jr. states in his biographical book Philip Johnson, “Clearly, Johnson is not primarily a pioneer or explorer. He is, instead, an architect whose work mirrors, clarifies, and expands accomplishments of the recent, still relevant past” (Jacobus 16). The first architect that comes to mind is Mies van der Rohe, whom hung Johnson’s mirror throughout most of Johnson’s career. Without Mies van der Rohe, the Philip Johnson the world knows today would not exist. Mies was the director of Bauhaus School of Design in 1930, and later Director of Architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. It was due to this that German architecture was introduced to the United States. He taught his students to build in the order of wood, stone and brick, before concrete and steel because he believed that an architect could not design without the proper knowledge of their materials. His method of teaching symbolizes the ample knowledge he retains of architecture and its materials. This along with experimentation with steel frames and glass plates in his early life were the origins of his structural pieces of art. Philip Johnson was the most successful of Mies’s disciples. Not only did Johnson adopt Mies’s usage of material, but also adopted Mies’s motto ‘less is more’. Mies van der Rohe put all his efforts into finding the balance between minimal structure and open space. Jacobus states: “Mies’s pure forms resulted from a long, determined struggle to achieve simplicity and precision. Johnson’s come about from a calculated decision to adopt Mie’s already existent manner, and to use it for somewhat different purposes. Thus, with Mies, the external skin of a building shares an equal importance with the spaces that it encloses. Johnson, on the other hand, has frequently upset this balance, so that the spaces, their scale and their interrelationships, assume priority over the neutral surfaces that enclose and define them” (Jacobus 17). The Farnsworth House (Figure 4) in Plano, Illinois is a perfect representation of a design created by an architect with this mentality. The Farnsworth House inspired one of the most influential houses of modern architecture, the Glass House (Figure 3) by Philip Johnson. It was built originally on a five-acre piece of land—now 40 acres—located in New Canaan, Connecticut in 1949 (Figure 2). This enormous property served University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Writing/Research
Arch 272 // Kazi Ashraf // Fall 2012 // 1 Month
23
as Johnson’s home and architectural playground. Over his remaining years, this would be the place he experimented with new materials, methods and ideas. The property was chosen for its aesthetically brilliant setting which reflected among the walls of the Glass House, making the house equally brilliant, both visually and mentally. The other motivation for moving to this area was because his teacher Marcel Breuer resided there. The book Philip Johnson, The Constancy of Change quotes Johnson’s justification of the glass walls in the television program “The architect (Philip Johnson and Louis Kahn)”: “He says the Glass House works very well for the simple reason that the wallpaper is so handsome. It is perhaps a very expensive wallpaper but you have wallpaper that changes every five minutes throughout the day and surrounds you with the beautiful nature that sometimes—not this year—Connecticut gives us. The glass provides enclosure, containment rather than openness” (Petit 71). The dynamic wallpapered house sent the future generations of architects in a different direction. The Glass House was a masterpiece of the use of glass and its effects of reflection and transparency. It also mastered the use of minimal structure, proportion and geometry. Thus, advocating the Miesian motto ‘less is more’. According to the motto, Johnson’s Glass House is ‘less’ than the Farnsworth House, making it ‘more’. Although the houses seem almost identical, there are a few slight differences. The first most noticeable difference is the color. Mies chooses a white theme, which offers contrast to the setting, making the house ‘pop out’ more. The second difference is that Farnsworth House is elevated five feet three inches above the ground to avoid the flooding that occurs, also giving the house a floating illusion. On the other hand, the Glass House is planted to the ground, providing a more suitable camouflage to the beautiful setting. Thirdly, the Farnsworth House’s steel beams that structurally elevates the house are more boldly placed on the outside, giving it a feeling of being an exterior to the exterior. Johnson’s Glass House has the beams more elegantly placed between the floor and roof planes. Finally, Mies includes interior walls in his design, where Johnson only allows the cylindrical chimney/bathroom to reach from ground to ceiling. Overall, the Farnsworth House conveys a sense of austerity, while the Glass House conveys a sense of romance due to its magnificent walk-through-the-park setting. These two houses are metaphorically the black and white, yin and yang of modern architecture. Jeffrey Wang
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Writing/Research
Arch 272 // Kazi Ashraf // Fall 2012 // 1 Month
The designs of Mies and Johnson, once again, collide a decade later. The Glass House was one of Johnson’s first Miesian designs and the Proctor Institute (Figure 5) of 1960 in Utica, New York, would be one of his last. The Miesian building Cullinan Wing, Museum of Fine Arts (Figure 6) in Houston, Texas has a visually similar exterior with contrasting colors and material. This museum was completed in the year 1959, one year before its sibling the Proctor Institute. These two houses provide a clash between opaque and transparent. Jacobus’s comparison states: “Comparison of the Proctor institute building with Mies’s contemporary Cullinan Wing of the Houston Museum of Fine arts, 1958-1959, illustrates other notable differences between the two architects. This is true despite a superficial rapport in the simplified, austere detailing of both structures and despite the fact that both structures are achieved with the use of large exterior girders. The entry to Johnson’s gallery is through a low, confining portal that effectively separates interior from exterior, whereas Mies’s entry is through a glazed wall that occupies the full height of the three central bays in this gently curved façade. In Mies’s design there is a reciprocal continuation of interior to exterior and, conversely, of exterior to interior space, in contrast to the separateness which is so inescapable in the Proctor Institute” (Jacobus 37). Despite all the differences, this further proves the immense impact that Mies van der Rohe had on Johnson long lasting architectural career. When Yin collaborated with Yang in 1958, the Seagram Building (Figure 7) located in Manhattan, New York was built. Mies’s original design expressed the structural elements of the building for the public to visualize the aesthetic formed by its materials and complexity in thought. However, the building codes of the United States state that all structural steel require a flame-retardant material coating, usually concrete. This challenge was overcome when Johnson suggested bronze toned I-beams. The patron told the two architects that this project was absent of a budget. Thus, allowing them to invest in 1,500 tons of bronze for the structural base, making it the most expensive skyscraper to date. The exterior walls were just glass plates that hung from the 38 stories bronze structure. To make the interior equally impressive and visually pleasing, more bronze was used, along with other luxurious materials such as marble. The Seagram Building was an advocate for functionalist aesthetic and influenced all subsequent skyscrapers in America with its ‘International Style’. The ‘International Style’ was architecture in the modern era. Although the style was already existent during the 1920’s, it did not have a name University of Hawaii at Manoa - School of Architecture
Writing/Research
Arch 272 // Kazi Ashraf // Fall 2012 // 1 Month
25
until 1932, when Philip Johnson and Henry Russel Hitchcock held the exhibition The International Style: Architecture Since 1922 in the Museum of Modern Art (Figure 8), located in New York. Coinciding with the ‘International Style’ exhibition, was the first published release of the book The International Style. In this book Johnson and Hitchcock explain: “The idea of style as the frame of potential growth, rather than as a fixed and crushing mould, has developed with the recognition of underlying principles such as archaeologists discern in the great styles of the past. The principles are few and broad. They are not mere formulas of proportion such as distinguish the Doric from the Ionic order; they are fundamental, like the organic verticality of the Gothic or the rhythmical symmetry of the Baroque. There is, first, a new conception of architecture as volume rather than as mass. Secondly, regularity rather than axial symmetry serves as the chief means of ordering design. These two principles, with a third proscribing arbitrary applied decoration, mark the productions of the international style. This new style is not international in the sense that the production of one country is just like that of another. Nor is it so rigid that the work of various leaders is not clearly distinguishable. The international style has become evident and definable only gradually as different innovators throughout the world have successfully carried out parallel experiments” (Hitchcock 36). Johnson, as a critic, was influenced by his own criticisms. After examining and fully understanding works of the leaders of the architectural profession, he summarized and printed all that knowledge for the future generations to grasp onto, without having to endure a decade of criticism. This book and the Glass House were his two major influences that perpetually altered present and futuristic architectural designs. In order to fully comprehend the eclectic ‘International Style’, one must be briefed in its various origins. The main styles that form its root are Purism from France, Futurism from Italy, Constructivism from Russia, De Stijl from Holland and Bauhaus from Germany. Firstly, Purism was an artistic movement led by Amedee Ozenfant and Edouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier, from 1918 to 1925. This was a Cubist movement, which meant single viewpoint perspectives were abandoned, along with the adoption of simple geometric shapes, interlocking planes and collages. The second origin is Futurism from France. This was not only an artistic movement, but also a social movement. Futurism is quite self-explanatory as the movement is associated with concepts of the future, including technology, youth, speed and industrial innovations. Jeffrey Wang