Kejia Eric Zhang Portfolio

UNFOLDING THE GLOBE

Kejia Zhang Master of Architecture Portfolio 2013-2017

Unfolding the Globe In “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth,” Buckminster Fuller stated that all human are astronauts who are running the Spaceship Earth. There, he revealed the wholeness of the world that we are living in.

Contrary, Fuller’s Dymaxion map succeeded in unfolding the globe without any distortion in size. There, he revealed the equity of each individual location on Earth.

Through the polar exploration, Buckminster Fuller showed us “all for one, one for all” in the relation between regional and global. And Fuller himself has proven that they don't necessarily contradic with each other. Actually, it is the intereaction between regional and global that creates the fascination of the world and in the world of architecture.

This portfolio tries to present Kejia Zhang's exploration as an astronaut in the Spaceship Earth, and his endeavor to help improving the world through design as he goes unfolding the globe.

ARCHITECTURE

ARTS

ASIA 1. Bamboo Canopy for the People Valencia, Philippines P.01 7. Forbidden City Now Beijing, China P.71

EUROPE 8. Venetian Portrait Venice, Italy P.73 2. Nørrebro Market & Canopy Copenhagen, Denmark P.13

AMERICA 9. Wyn Chapel and Winery Maryland, USA P.75 3. Maritime Future Pavilion Seattle, USA P.25 4. Integrated Visual Arts Center Seattle, USA P.35 5. Housing & Bookstore Ceballos Mexico City, Mexico P.47

10. Tubo de Gas / Gas Pipe Mexico City, Mexico P.83

N/A 6. Miniature Architecture: X Table P.57

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE THESIS 11. Salvaged Witness, KeyArena Meets Nowness (under development) P.93

01

1. Bamboo Canopy for the People Bamboo, perhaps the cheapest and the strongest building material that might also be the lowest carbon footprint than anything you can find in the earth. Especially in the Philippines, bamboo is the most utilized material that can be made into anything from basket to building.

This is a story of 10 adventurers who went down to the Philippines to seek for the perfect marriage of bamboo and contemporary method of architecture design for the community. Blood, sweat and tears.

View of canopy

Team project responsibility: Design team leader, Detail design and document Instructors: Elizabeth Golden Ray Villanueva Site: Valencia / Dumaguete, The Philippines Year: UW in the Philippines Foundation University, Summer, 2015 Award: ACSA Design-Build Award, 2016-2017

Brief: Perhaps market is the best place to use bamboo as building material. Here in the Philippines, people take their bamboo basket whenever they go to market. The metaphor here is the flipped baskets as the canopy, and fruits come out of it become the venders.

The project is currently under construction, and is estimated to complete by the end of 2015.

Concept:

Concept model

Tectonic model

Elevation: Total of 5 bays

Bay 1 construction

A

C

B

E

D LARENNA ST.

3.65

6.37

6.88

F

PHASE 1

6.78

6.98

6.67

CD: Ground floor 3.59

EXISTING PLANTER

DETAIL ON P7

2.06

EXISTING TREE VIF*

1.43

1.33

EXISTING PLATFORMS

0.90

1

VIF

1.5

1.5

VIF

eq

1.5

eq

eq

1.5

eq

eq

1.5

eq

NEW PAVEMENT SLOPE TO DRAIN NEW SITTING STEPS

EXISTING SINK

NEW WALKING STEPS LINE OF ROOF ABOVE

± 5.74 VIF*

± 5.93

±7.73

± 6.98

EXISTING GATE

± 6.55

CENTER LINE OF COLUMN TYPICAL

A

B

C

D

E

VALENCIA MARKET STRUCTU

F

CD: Roof

UNIVERSITY O WASHINGTON FOUNDATION UNIVERISITY

Date:

2015.0

Drawing Title:

Scale:

The completion of first bay

The completion of first bay

13

2. Nørrebro Market & Canopy The word "live" means alive, and real-time. In Copenhagen, one of the most livable city, we are worrying about how people enjoy their life at any moment, real-time, regardless of season and time.

Summer, is so pleasant here, but winter, is very uncomfortable. Most people choose to stay indoor, because few outdoor space are designed for use in the wintertime. Therefore, by creating a more livable winter space, in a way, is changing people's life and making city experience more lively.

Kejia Zhang

Vacinity plan: Roof scape of new and old

Individual project Instructors: Dan Stubbergaard / COBE Peter Cohan Site: Nørrebro, Copenhagen Year: UW in Denmark, Spring, 2015

Brief: People in Copenhagen, or all over the world love outdoor public space. But here at Nørrebro, the winter space is not well designed to accomodate use in the cold season.

This studio starts by noticing the fact that summer is good with one big space, but in winter, people need more intimate, smaller spaces and programs that are better organized and controlled.

Also at Nørrebro station, the three sites are interrupted by railbridge and arterial street. Only by connecting them visually and programatically can the space be well utilized.

Regional Map: Nørrebro Station

Concept:

SUMMER One big space

WINTER Many small spaces

The strategy is to create subdivided spaces using a continuous canopy, which runs and wraps through the site.

Enclosed space to be a market and a community gallery. Open space to be simply a canopy that provides wayfinding, making both indoor and outdoor activities easily accessible. Users can easily navigate themselves from outdoor cold activity to indoor warm space.

E DG RA

ILB

RI

AL RI

Annual shadow study suggests where is

AR TE

An annual shadow study suggests suitable locations for open public space.

A connection between spaces breaks the physical boundaries.

Connections between spaces break

M RA PR OG

US E SP

EC

IA

L

L RA NE GE

SP

EC

IA

L

PR OG

RA

M

View in the market

A single ribbon ties spaces together and holds the street edge.

Single line ties spaces together and

The ribbon ties into existing buildings, giving them new faรงades.

The line becomes a canopy, clicking into

Clicking of canopy with existing buildings

View under canopy

Model photo

Natural garden

Farmers market

Integrated seating and planting

Fountain and special pavement

Christmas market

Skate rink

10am

12pm

Daylight penetration study of market space at Equinox: Using outdoor deployable blinds to make sure there is no direct beam sunlight hitting the market counters.

2pm

4pm

Equinox: Noon

Summer solstice: Noon

Daylight luminance study of market space at Equinox and Summer solstice: Using retractable roof shades and outdoor deployable blinds to keep the space in targeted luminance range.

25

3. Maritime Future Pavilion If human have a chance to regret, we should regret the way we treated the sea. We took from him as many as possible, then we started poluting it. However things were not like this at the beginning. We feared it, love it, admired it, we call him Poseidon. In return, he provided us with great story and glory with his generousity. But, greed as we are, we turned the ocean into mine, into battle field, into political leverage. We are getting blinded about the real beauty of it.

It is now time to regret, to tell young generation sad mistakes we made, to warn them not to repeat, to teach them the colorfulness of sea that they should enjoy, and to guide them towards a brighter future with the sea.

Vacinity plan: Colorful sea

Individual project Instructors: Elizabeth Golden Ken Tadashi Oshima Site: Pier 48, Seattle Year: UW Spring, 2014 Exhibit: Seattle Architecture Foundation Model Exhibit, 2015

Brief: Sitting at the edge of Puget Sound, Seattle enjoys the rich history of maritime and its great future, there is no better place to hold the Maritime Future Pavilion than here.

The site: Pier48, the south most commercial pier at Elliot Bay, is minutes away from Downtown, Pioneer Square and Stadiums. According to James Corner's Seattle Waterfront plan, it acts as Festival Pier.

This project will accommodate Maritime Future Pavilion and new theatre for SIFF -- Seattle International Film Festval.

Arch as view frame: Arch is a View Frame, from the ancient Roman arch, to bridge, and to St. Louis.

It naturally becomes a view frame and encourages people to see beyond.

Color is the view: The color of the sea is ever changing palette. Depending of time, season, weather and so on, the view is such a dynamic experience.

Problem Analysis: Lack of local connection; Poisonous pilings

?

Museum

Locate programs: Museum, Outdoor exhibit space, Theatre

Plaza

Theatr e

Metamorphosed by local force: Salmon Highway; Stadium Vista

Realm establishment: Peripheral wraping wall creates room and circulation

Visual Re-connection: Archs open to view of colorful sea and city

Friendly Structure: Threatre and museum room hung under trusses, passing load into arch wall. No piling needed.

Model photo

①

②

③

⑤ ④

① ② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑦

⑥

⑦

Ground floor plan Section A-A'

⑥ ⑦

Café / Shop Stage / Theatre Assembly Hall Passage Sculpture Court Main Gallery Galleries

Model photo

View of passage

View of gallery space

Model photo

35

4. Integrated Visual Arts Center Nave space, is the ultimate space for the ideas to communicate, just like Michelangelo's Athen School depicted. Creating a new nave space within an existing building posed a great challenge.

It merges the institutional scale with adjacent residential scale to enhance the characteristics of the community, while making a strong presence to the neighborhood as a light house of art and community engagement. At the same time, this project responds to the climate by optimizing the daylight, passive system, geothermal heating and cooling system and so on to meet the 2030 challenge to be sustainable.

It strives to be the art center as well as the embodiment of the art of eco.

Athen School

PUGET SOUND

Collaborative project with Xiaoxi Jiao Instructors: David Strauss Site: Seattle University, Seattle Year: UW Fall, 2015 Awards: ASCA COTE Top 10 Student AIA NW&P Student Merit

DOWNTOWN SEATTLE

SEATTLE UNIVERSITY

Brief: Seattle University is expanding its School of Integrated Visual Arts with a plan to adaptive reuse a currently vacant laundry building. The exisitng building was originally designed in 1916 as a bakery, expanded in 1930, and became laundry facility in 1968.

Setting this project aside from many other adapative reuse projects, this existing building is not specifically re c o g n i z e d a s l a n d m a r k n o r t a rg et of h i s to r i c preservation. Instead, this project considers the exisitng building as an embodied energy and its presence in the community rather than its architectural significance.

RESIDENTIAL

SITE LOCATED AT THE BOUNDARY

INSTITUTION SCALE

RESIDENTIAL SCALE

HYBRID SCALE

View of faรงade

Photo from 1950s

1. REMOVAL Remove volumes from existing building to create central Nave space, side Air space, and back Sculpture garden.

2. SUPPORT Introducing steel frame to reinforce existing concrete floor and steel truss. Also becomes framing for new addition.

3. ADDITION New volumes for studios are added to the steel framing.

Red, the color of Seattle U, is used as its new identity.

View of studio space

INFILL THE TRUSS OPTIMIZE AS STUDIO SPACE One of the biggest character of the existing building is the roof truss that spans 125 feet.

10’ But, the structure is too light to support any new load. Instead of reinforcing the members, the strategy of shortening its span is taken.

125’

original span: new supporting columns new span: spatial order:

too low for use 47’ west wing

31’ nave

47’ east wing

too tall for neighborhood

right scale: hybrid scale

ENVELOPE WALL SECTION DETAIL The envelope wall has added insulation to the outside of existing concrete wall. It is then finished to exactly same appearance of its past.

transluscent skylight 20% skylight to ceiling ratio

10,640sf of PV panels: 175,600kWh/year insulated roof (R-10) on top of reclaimed wood decking from the existing building new composite floor with radiant heating on top of reclaimed wood decking from the existing building

automated operable vent to allow natural ventilation

chilled sails on the ceiling for cooling in summer high performance envelop (R-25) using existing uninsulated concrete wall

high performance triple pane glass window (R-4.5)

SUMMER PASSIVE DIAGRAM

WINTER PASSIVE DIAGRAM

WIND ANALYSIS & SUMMER VENTILATION STRATEGY The building needs to be cooled down in the summer time. And passive ventilation is the most efficient way.

The building works well with the summer prevailing wind direction of Seattle.

bioswale 60,000gallon cistern

BUILDING MATERIAL & HIERARCHY

10,640sf of PV panels

redbox: perforated metal and triple pane glass

exisiting wood joist and reclaimed wood roof deck exisiting light steel truss new floor using reclaimed wood deck new steel frame rainforcing existing structure

existing floor and column

existing concrete wall & wood frame wall

EMBODIED CARBON EXISTING

WOOD 33t

reclaimed

100%

NEW: IVAC

WOOD 33t

recycle rate

100%

RECYCLE

WOOD 33t

CONCRETE 120t

OTHER 68t

221t

70%

CONCRETE 84t 80%

CONCRETE 111t

CONCRETE 55t

STEEL 120t

OTHER 63t

355t

100%

STEEL 120t

264t

REDBOX PERFORATED SCREEN STRATEGY Triangle is a dominant figure in the existing structure. The truss, the window decoration, the roof of the tower. The redbox will celebrate the icon, also provide effective solar shading for the studios inside. The perforation is set to 35% transmittance.

35% transmittance

LIGHTING SIMULATION & ENERGY USE STUDIO SPACE WORKPLANE • Daylighting:

100% over 300lux, 0% over 2000lux mean illuminance: 473lux • Electrical lighting:

100% over 300lux, 0% over 2000lux mean illuminance: 375lux

• Energy use:

Maximum: 0.51kW/sq ft

BASELINE 2,744 MBTU IVAC

531 MBTU

80.7% SAVING

3F

PROGRAM LAYOUT STRATEGY The programs of this IVAC building are classrooms, art & graphic studios, a film & photography studio, seminar rooms, theatre, gallery and a maker space. Depending on their need for light, air and quietness, the layout are strategically planned.

BRIGHT 3F W

3F E

SEMINAR GRAPHIC STUDIO

ART STUDIO

2F W

GALLERY

2F

CLASSROOM

CLASSROOM

MAKER SPACE

OFFICE FILM & PHOTO STUDIO

1F W

GALLERY LIVELY

1F

2F E

1F E

DARK

QUIET

View of sculpture court

Model photo

47

5. Housing & Bookstore Ceballos "The acid smell of diesel and gasoline fumes is behind us. An odor enters our nostrils, sweet at first, then earthy, finally rotten." -- Roberto Vallarino If chaos can be the rule, people in Mexico City would be water, slows down but never stops. Here, everything is constantly moving at anytime given time. One thing never change, is its chaos.

Street view

Vacinity plan

Individual project Instructors: Robert Hutchison Cory mattheis Site: San Miguel Chapultepec, Mexico City DF Year: UW in Mexico, Winter, 2014

Brief: In this studio, 15 students coordinated to re-design the ceballos street in Mexico City, where has the feeling of being abandoned due to its location that is right at the division point of rich and poor. At the meantime, the population of Mexico City is growing rapidly, needing denser housing within the city boundary, especially where the site is.

In this project, the goal is to achieve a very rooted program to the site that is used by both rich and poor, which is a bookstore.

Housing will be a mix of single family, multifamily and rental apartments all at one site.

Matrix of parti models

THREE TYPOLOGIES OF MEXICAN ARCHITECTURE

WALL Space enclosed by inside corners created from turning walls.

COURTYARD Spaces exist within a volumn of built structure. Usually private space.

PATIO S p a ce a ro u n d a vo l u m n .

Similar to balcony and terrace. Adaptes to climate.

Concept: The concept of this project comes from ancient architecture of the Maya's.

In the modern time, with more consciousness about public use and space, the first floor is dedicated to public use. Private part then becomes the extrusion from where the courtyard was.

It has the benefit from both the Courtyard scheme and the Patio scheme.

Private

Semi-Public Public

Program volumn

Private space above Public space below

Section perspective

Window detail

Typical stacking stair on one side

Efficient indoor stair

Spiral stair with view to all sides

Inviting stair experience

View from patio

57

6. X Table The practice and education of architecture in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest region have been the pioneer in the exploration of material and structure.

This exploration, regardless of the scale of project, pursues an authentic translation from materials’ unique properties to evocative architectural designs.

The X Table considers itself as a miniature architecture that uses materials in an evocative way both architecturally and structurally. It does not only work as a coffee table, but also resolves structural issues and evokes architectural challenges.

Study models

Collaborative project with Xiaoxi Jiao Instructors: Kimo Griggs Year: UW Winter, 2015 Exhibit: Seattle Architecture Foundation Model Exhibit, 2016

Brief: At the beginning of the design process, two questions emerged: 1.

Why tabletop is always thick and heavy? Because the thickness of the material is the depth of its structure. But can we make it thin and light?

2.

Why the tabletop is always attached to the legs? Because the legs support the tabletop. But can we make the tabletop floats above instead of touching the legs?

Inspired by Buckminster Fuller’s tensegrity structure, and understanding the nature of glass that is strong in compression but weak in tension, the design uses a tension truss system that incorporates glass tabletop as truss top-cord member, which makes the glass only take compression. In this way, the glass tabletop can be as thin as only 1/4”. Using thin metal wire as bottom-cord tension member to reduce the structure weight, making the tabletop seemingly “Floating.”

Process scketches

Prototype 1

Prototype 2

Prototype 3

Wood parts

x9

x4

x4

x8

x4 x4

x4

Stainless parts

x9

x4 x4 x2

Copper parts

x8 x2 x2

x4

x4

x1

Assembly diagram

X table in exhibit

71

7. Forbidden City Now

Beijing, where its authenticity is becoming vague by the roar of development so loud and sudden, any resistance seems powerless. The only intact Forbidden City, sarcastically, through the lens of nowness, seems like a left-behind.

73

8. Venetian Portrait

Admit it or not, they are handsome. Scent of the sea mixed with the flavor of deep italian roast espresso best describes them.

Men ride on wave, men ride in the heaven.

75

9. MEM | Wyn Chapel and Winery Model building for Robert Hutchison Architecture Photo courtesy of RHA ‘MEM’ MEM(ento): Something to make one remember MEM(oir): A record of a thing to remember MEM(orandum): A reminder MEM(orable): Worth remembering MEM(orabilia): Things worth remembering MEM(ory): The ability to recall

Model photo

Model photo

Model photo

Diagram model

Diagram model on pedastal

Model photo

Model photo

Model photo

Model photo

83

10. Tubo de Gas / Gas Pipe Exterior gas pipes are a ubiquitous infrastructure found throughout Mexico City. The method in which a gas pipe attaches itself to the building reveals the fact that this infrastructure came later as an add-on to the existing buildings. The result is that no gas pipe is alike; each gas pipe installation is site-specific, determined by the host/ parasite relationship of building and gas pipe. Through this series of wire sculptures, the gas pipe is liberated from its building host, revealing each individual pipe's special unique and special sculptural quality.

Model photo

Individual project Instructors: Robert Hutchison Cory mattheis Year: UW in Mexico, Winter, 2014 Exhibit: Seattle Art Festival

Brief: Consequence is no coincidence. The way things appear is a definite result of cause and reason. In this case, every trim and brick of a building is the generator of the unique form of gas pipe. And the number of meters attached to it, is the consequence of the corresponding number of households that inhabit in the building. To look and record the detail is a trace leading you to know the city.

Photos of all 11 wire sculptures

Gas pipe

Wire sculpture

Table made of gas pipe

93

Salvaged Witness, KeyArena meets Nowness MArch thesis under development...

KeyArena is a historical witness and underused masterpiece. It’s humble form, stunning structure and center for civic activity need to be salvaged. This unconventional preservation project is an homage to diverse layers of time. Existing and new-inserted conditions confront and interact with each other, offering an ensemble and coexistence of fragments that will not congeal into a single image, or allow any part to dominate the others.

New, old, horizontal, vertical, wide, narrow, light, dark, over, under, open, enclosed...All these contrasts establish the range of oppositions that define the new dimension of salvaged KeyArena, which transforms the witness to the heart of local nowness.

Model Photo

Cake Diagram

The old cake is plain and closed off to people around it

The old cake is c yum

The gaps become the entrance to the building, welcomes people’s exploration

cut in half to reveal the mmy heart

The new transparent jello cake is added, but intentionally leaving gaps

The gaps become the exits from Link station for people to explore the surrounding

Model Photos

Model Photos