KRISTINA CHO ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN PORTFOLIO
PROJECTS Professional Work Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects Architectural Internship
GBBN Architects Architectural Internship
GBBN Architects [ China ] Architectural Internship
Student Work Narrative Landscape - Detroit Riverfront Competition Detroit Studio
Norwood Community Center for the Arts and Art Therapy Urban Studio
Fort Ancient Visitors Center Site Studio
Independent Work Collecting Marks Event + Installation
Public Confesstional Installation
EatChoFood! Cooking
A Visual Culture Photography
PROFESSIONAL WORK
TOD WILLIAMS BILLIE TSIEN ARCHITECTS The majority of my time while working for Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects was dedicated to helping develop a competition entry for the Kimball Art Center Transformation Project. Five architecture firms were invited to design the new Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah (home of the Sundance Film Festival). The Kimball’s goals were to increase community outreach, enhance the quality and scale of their exhibitions, and inspire patrons. Competitors were also asked to preserve/restore the current historic structure that is now home to the Kimball. Another architect and I worked on the competition entry. I led the construction of the model and actively participated in every design meeting with the principals of the firm. I also worked on the design teams for the Banyan Park Complex in Mumbai, India, and the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, PA. I constructed models, researched, and sat in on client meetings. I worked on other various projects in the office, depending on which ones were in need of assistance.
MAIN ENTRANCE AND VIEW OF PROJECTION SCREEN
ROOF TERRACE AT NIGHT
OCCUANCY CONFIGURATION DIAGRAMS
EDUCATION LEVEL FLOOR PLAN
SITE MODE L
BUILDING SECTION
GBBN ARCHITECTS Was given a lot of responsibility and freedom during this internship, seeing that this was my longest and final co-op experience in my undergraduate career. I worked mainly with the healthcare department. I also worked on a redesign proposal for Cincinnati City Hall. Another architect and I worked on a proposal to transform the currently unused atrium space into a sheltered banquet and event space. I had a vital role through out the entire design process, from the initial sketches to the final presentation package. The healthcare team was the largest and busiest department in the office. The projects were very fast paced. I worked closely with the architects for the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, developing construction drawings, meeting with clients, coordinating with engineers, and developing proposals.
NIGHT RENDERING OF CITY HALL ATRIUM - BANQUET
DAY RENDERING OF CITY HALL ATRIUM - CONFERENCE
C I N C I N N AT I C H I LDREN’S HOSPITAL cbdi clinic presentation renderings
GBBN ARCHITECTS [CHINA] Took this opportunity to work aboard as a chance to fully embrace and immerse myself into the culture and pace of Beijing. Working with diverse architects from all around the word: China, Europe, Singapore, as well as fellow Americans opened up my perspective and approach to architecture. Given that I would only be in China for a few months, I had to adjust to the work culture and architectural practices of another country quite quickly. I was given the independence to develop a beginning design concept for a performing arts center in Xinjiang, China. I was also given the responsibility to work with another architect on developing the drawings and working out details for a sales pavilion in Xiamen, China. This experience of living and working in China has further encouraged my love for architecture and travel. It has changed the way I approach work and design. I am more willing to explore and experiment with my design choices. Working in a foreign office was an incredibly rewarding experience, it encouraged me to learn more, see more, and meet more diverse people.
EXTERIOR OF SALES PAVILION
CAD DRAWINGS OF SALES PAVILION
AERIAL VIEW OF XIAMEN COMPLEX
PEDESTRIAN VIEW
PROGRAM DIAGRAM
THEATER + RECEPTION BACK OF HOUSE + REHEARSAL SPACE DINING + ENTERTAINMENT OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE SPACE
AERIAL VIEW OF CONCERT HALL AND OUTDOOR THEATER
K A N A S L AKE PERFORMING A RTS CENTER 2 week initial design concept
MAIN ENTRANCE APPROACH
STUDENT WORK
N A R R AT I V E L A N D S C A P E S detroit riverfront competition OBJECTIVE : Transform Hart Plaza [currently unutilized] into a vibrant public space that connects the city of Detroit to the riverfront and its residents. The site has lost its prominence as the city’s town square, so regaining its status and appeal through physical, visual, and emotional connections is vital. CONCEPT : Narrative landscapes provide the people of Detroit with a field of sensory experiences. A space that evokes a feeling of serenity, found in the discovery of lights, smells, sounds, and textures of the urban forest
FOREST CLEARING
SHALLOW REFLECTION CANALS
ORGANIZ E D G R I D O F L I G H T S A N D T R E E S
SITE PLAN: LAYERS OF NATURAL ELEMENTS IN A SYSTEM THAT CREATES UNEXPECTED MOMENTS OF REST AND REFLECTION
GRID OF DIVERSE TREES
EXPOSED IRRIGATION
FIELD OF ILLUMINATION
FRAGMENTED PLATFORMS
STREET VIEW OF THE PLAZA
EXTENSION DECK OVERLOOKING RIVER
sapling
adolescent
mature
ENVIRONMENT GRADUALLY CHANGES OVER TIME The trees provide a natural calendar giving the plaza constantly changing qualities of colors and scents. With the seasonal variety of sunshine, clouds, rain and snow the park takes on multiple personalities each unique in their own way
SERIES OF SENSORIAL EXPERIENCES THROUGH THE SITE EXPERIENCE THE GENTLY CHANGING TOPOGRAPHY WANDER INTO A CANOPY OF TREES
FEEL THE TEXTURE
RELAX AMONG THE CALM OF THE WATER
WITNESS THE ILLUMINATION ACCESS THE SKY
REST AND REFLECT
ENGAGE WITH THE RIVER
N A R R AT I V E L A N D S C A P E S DESIGN PROCESS
NORWOOD CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND ART THERAPY urban site studio OBJECTIVE : Analyze what Norwood, Ohio needs in their community, and incor porate those needs into a community center for the arts and art therapy. T he community center must eng age the sur rounding context and encourage people to g ather and actively particip ate in the public spaces of the center. CONCEPT : T he experience of entering and eng aging with this community center is parallel to a healing and ref lective experience. Ever y path within the center is handicap accessible in order to insure that all patrons have an equal and soothing experience. T here are multiple opportunities for visitor s with sensitive iss ues to comfortably eng age with the community, as well as find private spaces for contemplation.
EXTERIOR LIT FACADE AT NIGHT
DECONSTRUCTED PROGRAM DIAGRAM
SITE PLAN
ROOFTOP T E R R A C E
SECOND LEVEL ATRIUM
THERAPY CE N T E R R E C E P T I O N S PA C E
INTERIOR VIEWS
MAIN L E V E L
LOWER LEVEL
FLOOR PLANS
OUTDOOR THEATER SEATING - HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE
STREET ELEVATION + CORRESPONDING SECTION
SOUTH ELEVATION + CORRESPONDING SECTION
FORT ANCIENT VISITOR CENTER site studio OBJECTIVE : Study the site conditions of Fort Ancient Historical Park, an archaeologic al site consisting of ceremonial mounds built by the Hopewell Indians. Without disturbing the landscape, design a visitor center consisting of a museum, per manent lodging, and research facilities. T he main priority is to g racefully embed the center into the landscape without dramatically impos ing on it. CONCEPT : T he visitor center’s rhythm of solid and void mimic the natural rhythm of the Native American ceremonial burial mounds. Openings within the building relate to openings within the mounds and the landscape. Built paths within the building are derived from existing travel patter ns on the site.
MAIN ENTRANCE
WATERCOLOR CONCEPTUAL PAINTING OF INTERIOR/EXTERIOR SPACES
EXTERIOR RIBBON
TRANSPARENT INTERIOR
MIMIC RHYTHM OF THE MOUNDS
ATRIUM LOOKING OUT INTO THE MOUNDS
SITE CIRCULATION STUDY MODEL
MAIN LEVEL PLAN
RIBBON CONCEPT MODELS
SECTION
INDEPENDENT WORK
COLLECTING MARKS dinner event + installation A collaboration between myself and two fellow classmates to create and curate a dinning experience focused on the conce pt of “collecting marks�. T he tables and cha ir s were designed and built for the sole pur pose of eating. T he table is constructed from s crap pallet lumber and consists of three sections. When connected a center metal g rill is placed on the tabletop. T he dinning experience entailed 3 cour ses, all deconstructed and displayed on the table. T he ing redients decorated the surface and changed according to each cour se. Diner s were encouraged to create their own meals using the ing redients provided. T hey were also encouraged to share ing redients, make a mess, make mistakes, and make marks. As the meal prog ressed more and more marks were added to the table. Whenever wine was spill or a vegetable was chopped up, a mark was made. T he big gest mark ended up being the most unexpected mark. T he g rill, which was placed on the tabletop, eventually bur ned through the table and onto the g ravel f loor. T he entire experience was foreign, unexpected, and incredibly rewarding.
TA B L E + I N GREDIENT SETTING
PUBLIC CONFESSIONAL social experiment + installation Challen ge and explore the idea of privacy in the public realm. What is considered public space and what is private space and how can I challenge that boundar y? I picked a ver y private typolog y of space, a confessional, and then I placed it in a public environment. For this experiment I constructed a ver sion of a confessional and placed it on the g rand stair of DAAP. As students, faculty and visitor s passed through the g rand stair and a few of them entered the confessional and confessed into a recorder, this recording would later be broadcasted anonymously on loud speaker s, adding an extra layer of exposure. T he confessional is constructed of 2x2’s and burlap screens. T he space within the confessional still feels private, the screens block out enough of the space that one feels protected. Yet, it is still visu ally connected because for ms of people and the space around are still visible. T here is both a physical and sensorial shroud bordering the line between public and private. T he confessions were moving and I believe the audience of these confessions were proud and sur prised my the amount of honestly and courage held in them.
CONFESSIONS “Sometimes I lie because I think it makes for a better story.” “Midnight conversation are great. I have so many things to say and on my mind, so when I find someone who listens at this hour I value it.” “I have never had a best friend.” “I think I have finally come to ter ms with the fact that I cause my own suffering. There is so much inter nal strife that my problems are really no one’s fault other than my own. But the situation is getting better, I think... slowly.”
E AT C H O F O O D experience After architecture, food comes to a close second in my heart. Working in the kitchen comes natural to me and it is also a creative outlet. I love creating and experimenting with recipes and planning how my food is going to look on the plate. Food is also a way for me to eng age with and experience a culture. When I travel there are few things that I won’t tr y. What I find most enjoyable about food and cooking is how social of an activity it is and how cooking is something g reat you can do for another per son. I’ve always created art for people and that same mentality applies to my cooking. Cooking entails my g reates t pleasures in life: design, people, and exploring. It is a huge part of who I am and plays a vital part in the way I approach design. T he senses, color s, and textures of food ins pire me.
A VISUAL CULTURE experience A visual culture is the relationship between people and their environment and how that environment is perceived. Photog raphy plays a vital role in how I perceive my env ironment. It allows me to visually document my explorations and capture the moments that spark my creativity. My photog raphy tends to focus on emphasizing color and texture. I perceive our environment as being full of opportunities to explore and experience. T his is one of the reasons why I love architecture: wandering, explorin g, and experiencing is all part of our education.
THANK YOU!