Lewis Chong - Virginia Tech Interior Design Portfolio 2023

LEWIS CHONG

INTERIOR DESIGN PORTFOLIO VIRGINIA TECH 2022-2023

HELLO!

I am Lewis Chong, a third-year student at Virginia Tech. I am pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design, with a minor in Industrial Design. I am focused on intimate scale design solutions and accessibility, as I believe that good design should be accessible to all, no matter the situation. In my free time, I create artwork of environments and stories. I am interested in how nature plays a role in our well-being as humans. Through art, I explore its beauty.

540-398-1205

lchong015@vt.edu

linkedin.com/in/lewis-chong

REBEKAH “LEWIS” CHONG

INTERIOR DESIGN STUDENT PROFILE EDUCATION

2020 - 2024

Bachelor of Science

Virginia Tech

CIDA accredited | GPA 3.56

Major in Interior Design

Minor in Industrial Design

Human-based designer who focuses on efficient, highly designed projects and solutions through the process of converting concepts into visual designs. Passionate about finding innovative solutions that defy the capabilities of what design can do for people and communities. High level of understanding in utilizing material selection, concepting, and collaboration for deeper personal experiences and accessibility.

EXPERTISE

Professional Skills

Revit SketchUp

Photoshop InDesign Enscape

Technical Drawing

HONORS + AWARDS

2022

EXPERIENCE

2019 - Present

MERCHANDISE DESIGNER

• Directly collaborated with 10+ artists to developed various merchandise for online business

• Created artwork for clothing, prints, stickers, and charms

• Contacted and researched manufacturers for quality production

• Promoted products online and designed promotional art

2017 - Present

FREELANCE ILLUSTRATOR

• Communicated directly with clients to develop their vision into illustrations using sketching, Photoshop, and SketchUp

• Drafted and modified concepts for approval from the client

• Negotiated pricing depending on specifications

• Created 50+ personal artworks and sold 20+ prints

• Advertised commissions to potential clients

2017 - 2022

ZINE COLLABORATOR

2020 - 2021

INTEC Studio Project Award Dean’s List

3 Semesters

2020

1st in NAHB Construction Management Competition

2017 - 2022

SAME Blue Ridge Post Scholarship

• Participated in 5 online and printed published zine projects with teams of over 30 artists and writers

• Completed all artwork within strict deadlines for organization and publication

• Designed print formatting using InDesign to create pages

• Boosted sales through promotion on social media accounts

2020 - 2021

ENGLISH TUTOR

• Tutored two children weekly, between ages 5 and 8

• Coordinated activites, entertainment, and interactive assignments during class and after lesson sessions

ARTIST’S ATELIER

SPRING 2022 | INDIVIDUAL PROJECT LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

An artist atelier designed for an independent older woman who currently resides in Sylmar, Los Angeles near her son and his family who often visit. She is still getting accustomed to life in the dry and hot environment, yet finds joy in the mountains that surround her as they remind her of her hometown in Japan.

The client specialized in the traditional arts and tebori tattooing since her youth and dedicated her life into keeping these art forms and their traditions alive.

She wanted to eventually turn her studio and gallery into a place to teach future tattoo apprentices and traditional artists. She also wanted her studio to reflect the centuries of history and traditions behind her work, while also welcoming the modern age.

LIVING ROOM / KITCHEN-DINING

CONCEPT

The atelier focused on design concepts inspired by traditional Japanese designs, along with the mountain ranges and rivers that have influenced Ai Goda and her work for much of her life.

Proportions were inspired by the tatami mat 2:1 ratio for balance, while the 3:4 ratio is for the movement of lines gathering into a mass.

Transitions from one place to another are through windows, pathways, and partition walls. The slope of the roof was inspired by the slope of a mountain that created a transition from the public open spaces to the intimate living areas.

An engawa styled path intersects the public and private areas of the atelier to separate living and work related quarters.

FLOOR PLAN

AXONOMETRIC

Geometric shapes and linear details play a key part in unifying the spaces within the atelier. Interior wood beams and their proportions were directly inspired by Japanese interior wood beams.

Tinted windows and shades were used to control the amount of natural lighting needed for viewing works in the gallery and tattooing, while keeping cooling system energy costs low.

The studio space is easy to maneuver in, sanitizable, and large enough to comfortably tattoo a client.

CARREFOUR

FALL 2022 | TEAM COMPETITION CALAIS, FRANCE

When migrants are to leave their home country due to economic, financial, social, and unsafe situations, they face a long journey of uncertainty and danger that isolates them from much of the world. Migration can challenge the mental and physical well-being of refugees with them often finding themselves stuck in camps or even in homelessness for long periods of time when trying to reach their destination.

The IDEC Student Design Competition 2022 focused on any chosen scenario relating to the journey of refugees and creating a temporary sheltered environment that would allow them to feel safe and psychologically sound. With the considerations of site circumstances and necessity based decisions, the space had to be under 50 square meters. Other notable inclusions were belongings of the refugees, found objects/materials available in the location, and research topics relevant to the narrative created.

Kukës, Albania

Eagle’s Nest, Germany Pristina, Kosovo

There are hundreds of migrants on a journey to the United Kingdom for better opportunities in work, medical benefits, education, and overall security. Many people are emigrating from Albania which is struggling with government and police corruption, economic instability, a large-scale black-market economy, an increase in human and drug trafficking gangs, and high rates of domestic violence.

To reach the UK, they travel by bus through the Balkans, pass through “Eagle’s Nest”, a mountain path near the Morina border crossing, and reach the coast of France in Calais. They must complete the dangerous journey across the English channel through small boats that are often led by traffickers and smugglers. If they manage to make it across the English Channel onto UK soil at the White Cliffs of Dover, it is a matter of whether they will be given asylum or not.

Despite attempts to cross the channel, many migrants fail to make it to Dover or have their asylum requests rejected by British authorities. They are often forced to live in limbo in self-made camps with little to no resources. The location of the site for this project was chosen to be near the headquarters of L’Auberge Des Migrants, a social work NGO based in Calais, with the intention of utilizing their resources and support for the nearby refugees.

Our narrative was based on six men who were either rejected once crossing the channel or have yet to successfully make the journey. Men’s asylum applications are rejected at higher rates than women and children, leading to a few of them being separated from their families or waiting to reunite with them. Each individual seeks refuge in the UK for work, family, safety, education, or medical reasons.

Calais, France

White Cliffs of Dover, England

London, England

CONCEPT

CONCEPT

A migrants’ journey out of their home country can be full of uncertainty and isolation, as they are away from the ones they love most. Therefore, the goal of this design was to create a space that felt welcoming and comfortable, where the inhabitants could experience privacy and companionship.

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This shelter was to be easily built from the ground upfrom the DIY furniture that is based on modular and accessible materials, to the reused wood of the structure. Thresholds and curtains allowed for privacy for individual pods. To keep costs low, second-hand furniture from local shops and reused materials were utilized. Wooden euro pallets created self-build modular furniture that resembled the furnishings that the refugees were culturally accustomed to.

WOODEN PALLET SEATING

CAPSULE BED UNITS

TEAM MEMBERS: Xinyuan Liu: modeling, axonometric / Kendra Hinkle: site diagram, narrative Hyejean Yun: diagrams, rendering, timeline graphic / Lewis Chong: timeline graphic, rendering, furniture + room designs/diagrams [All members involved with research, material choices, and space planning]

LIVING ROOM / BEDROOMS

JOY HUB

SPRING 2022 | INDIVIDUAL PROJECT RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

JOY HUB is a soup kitchen and community center that is playful and comforting to anyone who enters its doors.

Located on Creighton Road in the East End of Richmond, Virginia, JOY HUB’s design was inspired by the term “Diverse Fluidity” as a way to capture Richmond’s unique mixture of cultures, contrasting vintage industrial city with the contemporary boldness of the local arts, and its connection with the outdoors.

The dynamic curvilinear and straight lines, differing materials, and bold against pastel color palette reflect this repetition of contrast that still creates a cohesive and harmonic space.

CONCEPT

Organically shaped zones are encouraged as areas of socialization. Private zones are represented by the extending linear zones, in the angles of a triangle.

The red and blue diagram on the right follows this organizational pattern on the mezzanine floor, while the yellow and blue diagram on the left represents the organization of these zones on the main floor. Each floor is meant to transition smoothly from public to private areas.

SECTIONS

FURNITURE /MATERIALS

Bright colors were used to bring in the creativity and culture of Richmond’s murals into the space.

Wooden parametric ceiling panels were used for acoustical purposes. Custom built furniture serves as both seating for computer access, general seating, and bookshelves. Faux Steel I beams that are made from wood created by Volterra Architectural Products were used as a sustainable alternative to steel I beams. This was also used to create more of an industrial look to the interior.

Mural artwork by Aniekan Udofia and Rafael Lopez

PAINTINGS + SKETCHES

2021-2023 | ZINE + PERSONAL

My personal artwork, life study sketches, and published zine work. Programs and supplies used are Photoshop, Clip Studio Paint, pencil, and ink pen.

In my free time, I enjoy drawing environments, storytelling illustrations, and merchandise.