Landscape Architecture Portfolio

2011 - 2016

POR TFO L I O

Design by Le Cheng Wei

Introduction Due to rapid urban development, combining disparate buildings in small spaces becomes an arduous issue. I believe regional identity to be the best teacher when wondering how to lay various elements out in urban spaces. Different places contain different resources, histories, and cultures. We should weave locations into cohesive wholes by connecting their multiple elements together.

In my portfolio’s first work, Design Thesis, I used urban acupuncture to solve complicated problems. Urban acupuncture was instrumental to increasing that early settlement’s living quality. I prepared for my design with in-depth research and first-hand information, evaluating which spaces should be regenerated and reinvented. Throughout the project, I tried to recommend reforming current elements over destroying them and starting over from scratch. In this project, I merged numerous ecological spaces into the early settlement to both instruct nearby elementary students in the lessons of nature as well as to improve day-today life for commuters and residents.

My second featured work focuses on the methods that I used to shape a flat plaza with an important historical structure. Humanity is built on history. In this renewal project, the government decided to dismantle an elevated expressway above a historical gateway.

I used subtle high and low drops, various paving elements, and shaded space to produce different spatial properties which enhance the plaza. After my design, the depressed space and tree corridors become rest spaces drawing people from the nearby Taipei Train Station, as well as providing commuters with a more positive space in which to appreciate surrounding industries.

The third project explores the relationship between the urban river and its surroundings. Because the Lao-Jie River’s water quality has improved, I decided to make it a riverside interactive space. A metro station will be built there soon, so I built a semi-open mall as an intermediary point guiding people from the metro on to more activities further away. Historical value should be considered an important element in design. Because the majority of early community activities were hosted by the local temple’s facilitator, I decided to renovate the local temple and drama stand to rekindle the relationships between local communities. The design plan for this project serves not only to attract tourists, but also to bind local relationships.

The last section of my portfolio was made as a personal project: I wanted to create items inspired by my friends’ needs. First, I made not only a poster but an interactive piece of marketing to inspire interest in my friends’ music. The second poster is for a survival game named ESCAPE. I used this opportunity to practice graphic design while trying to convey atmosphere. The last design is for my pets: two mixed-breed dogs. The device will hopefully help them both thrive in Taiwan’s notoriously variable climate.

My design mantra is that our environments should be holistic. History, natural elements, and human necessities should enhance one another instead of just competing for space. I am firmly convinced that using subtle techniques to knit these various elements together is the right way forward for modern cities.

LE CHENG WEI letitiawei43@gmail.com +1 (626) 328-9360

Education 2011 - 2016 Chung Yuan Christian U niversity ( CYCU ) Bechelor of Landscape Architecture Experience 16/2016 Exhibition designer for the 9th Landscape Architecture Student Graduate Exhibition 07/2014 University of Manchester Work Shop 08/2014 University of Clemont-Ferrand-Vetagro Sup Work Shop 07/2013 Assistant In Humanistic Education Foundation -Nesting Camp

Contents

Activating Settlements 2016 Thesis Design

Concert Poster Design 2015

Taipei Northern Gateway Redevelopment Project 2015 Historical Site Lesson Learned

Gaming Poster Design 2018

An Urban River Restoration 2015 River Bank Lesson Learned

Doghouse Design 2017

Activating Settlements - Regenerating green spaces in early settlements

- Let's use Nangang Taifeit New Village as an example - Purpose -

- Issues Humanistic Public Space Exploring and Remodeling the suitability of Humanistic Public Spaces

Street View and Cultural Landscape Viewing and Organizing the Urban Cultural Landscape and Street View of Dongxin and Dongming Village

The Foundation of Green Spaces

Based on rapid urban development, early settlements became a thorn in the government’s side. I am firmly convinced that this area contains immense historical value and cultural significance. We should use Urban Acupuncture to regenerate early settlements instead of conducting harsh Urban Renewal.

Rearranging the Spatial Creation of Rear-alley

Assessing, Strengthening, and Intergrating Current Artificial Green Foundations

The Scale of School, Communities and Streets Persevering and us ing the Ecological Street and School's Green Spaces

- Strategies -

- Population Structure Reform the Public Parks Planning more suitable configuration

Establish Street Views and Spaces

more than 65 years old 0-4 years old

Connect Urban Green Dots

Kids

Building Green Corridor and Providing Appropriate Spaces

Designing Humanistic Living Spaces

total 1529

total 1779 Elders

40-64 years old

15-39 years old

total 3187

Break the Imagry of Traditional Markets Building Green Corridors and Providing Appropriate Spaces

Solve the Person-Car Conflicts

Move out

Move in Move out (citizen) Move in (citizen)

Exclusive pavement design

Create Rear-Alley Spaces

Friendly Commuting Environment Building Safe and Relaxing Commuting Paths

- Urban Issues -

-Traditional MarketVulnerable to person-car conflict as there is no difference between pedestrian and traffic lanes

Active Neighborhood Spaces

Create Local Gathering Points and Sense of Belonging

Improve Living Qualityies and the Sense of Belonging

-Rear-AlleyNarrow distance and dim light make people feel scared

-Commuting pathAmbiguous and confusing borders between sidewalks and streets increase danger

-Community Spaces- Parking spaces abused, and pedestrian space not valued

total 3235 Adulthood

- The Remaining Numbers of Parking Space/ per 1000 people enough

not enough

- Width of Roads -

- Building Height -

- Parking Spot Private Public Parking Lot

1-3 levels 4-6 levels 7-9 levels more than 10 more than 20

weekday

strong

- Humanistic Distribution Studio School Automobile Industry Business Hostel Gas station

weak

holiday

- Green Resource -

- Red & Yellow Line -

- Sidewalk Comfort Level Comfortable Uncomfortable Drawn Sidewalk No Sidewalk

- The Relationship Between Campus & Community -

- The Evolution Of Intersection -

- Street Blocks - - Roads Analysis -

- Green Spot -

Original Green Spot

New Green Spot

- Pedestrian Line -

- Traffic Line -

- Planting -

- Spatial Definition -

public

intermediary

- Activities -

community plaza farm semi-open playground

green corridor market

- Visual Focus -

car pause spot parents transfer plaza

- Planting Design Green Corridor

Market

Parents Transfer Plaza

Semi-open Playground

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Winter

Rain season high

Green Corridor mid

Semi-open Playground

low

Parents Transfer Plaza

Market

Comunity Plaza

- Section AA' -

Pedestrian Space

Ecological Greenhouse

Pedestrian Space

- Section CC' -

Pedestrian Pause Space Spot

Quiet Area of Traffic

Plaza

- Section BB' -

Pedestrian Space

Pause Spot

Transfer Plaza

Farm

Donxin 5M Pedestrian 4M Elementary Pedestrian Quiet Space School Area Space of Traffic

3M Green Alley

Pedestrian 5M Dongming Space Quiet Park Area of Traffic

- Section DD' -

Plant Pit

spring

summer

autumn

winter

Taipei North Gateway Redevelopment Project

Present the gate’s historical value

- Raises awareness of historical landmarks

- Develops friendly and comfortable sidewalks

Improve surrounding business Enhance the square's comfort Integrate former business activities

- Concept Active surrounding Historical building

multi-culture center

- Section -

- System Analysis region plan

moving line

planting

paving

Purifying Air Plants

1

2

3

4

5

6

Lessons Learned An Urban River Restoration - In Lao-Jie River, Taoyuan, Taiwan

- Status Analysisgreen

rest

pedestrian business

conflicts between car & pedestrian roads' use intensity

- DiagramsIssue

Bridge Design Community Space

cannot close the river

cement

conflicts

business depression

Leisure Space

Business Space

River Bank Trail

Bicycle Lane

river bank plaza buskers accessible riverfront

business

tourists

community route

Accessible Reiverfront Space River Bank Plaza

Buskers

Driver Vision

Conflicts Zone

After Designed

Partition Map

Node

Planting

- Plan -

- Slow Traffic Street Design -

Pedestrian

Paving

- Sectional Views-

- Section AA' -

- Section BB' -

- Section CC' -

- Slow Traffic Street Sectional View -

- Section DD' -

- Structure Figure -

- Before Designed -

- After Designed -

Designed Bridge Model Details

- After Designed -

Party Sense Poster Desigh

- Background Information This is an underground band. A few years ago, they finished their military duty. In 2015 they decided to restart their rock journey.

They fund themselves by teaching music.

The majority of their fans are their students and friends.

In this case, for one concert (below) I designed two posters. The first was for normal advertisement, the second was for a drawing competition. The prizes would be towels (above), calendars, or tickets.

Gaming Poster

An Air crash, an unknown island...

The only thing you have is your broken aircraft.

You have to survive, explore, and escape from this mysterious island

- Background Information This poster was designed for a survival game named ESCAPE, made by a group of computer science students.

Dog House Design - Front View -

- Top View -

- Background Information After moving into an apartment with a broad terrace, my family needed a place to house our dogs.

Because of Taiwan's humid and windy weather, this dog house includes a shelter and a veranda. The veranda and the shelter are made of glass for easy cleaning.

- Perspective -

- Perspective -

- Plan -