LEXIE YISHA LI Portfolio 2018
LEXIE YISHA LI
MArch, University of Pennsylvania lexieli007@gmail.com
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
6/2017 - 8/2017
12/2013 - 10/2014
06/2012 - 11/2013
EDUCATION
CEMEX Research Group AG Biel, Switzerland Research & Development in Material Design Intern, working with innovative cement products to design and construct fabric-formed structures Sun Hung Kai Financial Hong Kong SAR SHK Private Signature Account Department Sales & personal assistant for Senior Vice President of Sales Financial Partners Limited Hong Kong SAR Operations & Administration Department Junior administrative and sales assistant for a wealth management firm
06/2015 - 05/2018
Master of Architecture University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
08/2008 - 06/2012
Bachelor of Business Administration (Hons.) Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR Finance Concentration - First Class
08/2010 - 06/2011
CONTENTS 1 Hollumn
Rock Climbing Center in Canal Park, New York
2 Dewy
Combating Drought through Fabric-Formed Concrete
3 Thirsty
Augmented Water Agents in Seoul, South Korea
4 Masonry Thin Vaults & Cantilevers Fabrication Workshops
5 Subverted
Exchange Program Baylor University, Waco, TX
Urban Housing in Francisville, Philadelphia
SKILLS
Technical Rhino Maya V-Ray
ABOUT ME
6 Printmaking
Language Mandarin (Native); English (Excellent); Cantonese (Good);
• • •
Relief and Screen Printing Illustrator InDesign Photoshop
Grasshopper Revit AutoCAD
Physical Modeling Laser Cutting
Seeking a challenging entry-level designer position where I can further my design abilities as I pursue my career and license as an architect; Self-motivated, curious, wide design interest, and a fast learner; Amateur potter
7 Ceramics
Exploration Of Form and Function
Hollumn Rock Climbing Center in Canal Park, New York Spring 2017 Studio 602 Group Project Critic: Kutan Ayata Partner: John Hilla
Entrance
With this project we negotiate the boundary between nature and culture. Instead of recreating ‘nature’ in the city or referring to the absolute man-made against ‘nature’, we aim to create authentic ‘objects of nature‘ to cultivate unique qualities for outdoor recreational activities.
Transverse Section
We utilize a single building element, a column, and explore how this element can change in scale and compose habitable spaces by morphing into other building elements such as walls and ceilings.
Elevation
Longitudinal Section
Vertical Climbing In A Column
These habitable columns create merged spaces above and below an intermediate forest of outdoor climbing and bouldering, with figural sections marking a specific edge condition.
Top Floor: Indoor bouldering Outdoor bouldering
Ground Floor: Entrances Equipment rental Locker rooms Gym Classroom Cafe Mechanical room
Outdoor Climbing
The surface treatment takes inspiration from nature and aims to provide climbability with levels of difficulties. These patterns are common in nature, but by distorting their scale become strange to one’s perception.
Hold 1
Model _ Bottom & Exterior Pattern Texture Study
Hold 2
Model _ Whole
Model _ Top Detail
Section Model
Dewy Combating Drought through Fabric-Formed Concrete Summer 2017 Internship CEMEX RGA Switzerland Partners: Zak Al-Haffar, Kaj Marshall
Arrangement Iteration (Provisional)
Prototype 1
Prototype 2
Prototype 3 _ First Full Scale Model
Prototype 4 _ Slab
Final Prototype Assembly
With this project we explore the formal and functional potential of fabric-formed concrete. In light of the chronic drought in California, the purpose of the project is to mediate the situation by collecting rain, atmospheric, and run-off water through the use of pervious concrete, and using the collected water to recharge over-exploited aquifers. The project also provides a
cool, shaded resting place that encourages interaction between visitors. With its modular design, the project can be configured to accommodate different site conditions with varying sizes and shapes. The unique anthropomorphic forms of the elements are designed with considerations of the construction method, material limitations, and functional requirements.
Full Scale Prototype Construction
Canopy (Back) _ Fiber reinforced fast curing concrete
Seat (Butt) _ Fiber reinforced concrete
Final Prototype Assembly
Initial experiments were conducted to test the elasticity of fabrics, and to gain additional knowledge of each type of concrete, including its texture, curing time, and workability after pouring. Full scale elements were then built with fabric forms fastened to wood frames, and assembled together
Tentacles _ Pervious concrete with three different sizes of aggregates
after curing. This whole process has been a truly rewarding experience in terms of design, construction, and collaboration. The finished prototype is now a part of the showroom at CEMEX Switzerland.
Thirsty Augmented Water Agents in Seoul, South Korea Fall 2017 Studio 701 Group Project Critic: Simon Kim Partner: Kyuhun Kim
World Building
In this project we create architectural characters that are sensate and augmented. Here the character Water Agent is motivated by its innate thirst. These characters collect and store water through unique mechanisms that in turn result in the creation of other-than-human environments in which they
grow, evolve, and converge. These agents are essentially rolled up urban wetlands that expand or contract in response to their water supply. Different aspects of their behavioral potentials are examined through various design mediums presented here. World of Water Agents
Hair (plant fiber)
Hydrogel Metal Pipe (support & transport water)
Membrane
Waste Water Processing Unit Membrane Hydrogel
Skin
Water Collection Device Water Collection Device
Hydrogel Hair (plant fiber) Hydrogel Water Agent Section
Agents in a family interact and share resources in ways much like in the rhizome model. Different families thrive in different conditions, whether human-made or not, and share conjoined areas where they evolve into hybrid forms among families. The
agents cycle through various states of existence in both macro and micro scale, i.e. different components go through life stages independently from the whole, be it floating, drinking, aging, or gathering.
Seoul Head
Water Pavilions
Sitting In The River
Water Processing Units
Plaza
Head
A New World
Masonry Thin Vaults & Cantilevers Fabrication Workshops Full 2017 Masonry Tectonics Course Group Project Critic: Franca Trubiano
Formworks
Finished Vault (Back)
Formworks
Finished Rotation Cantilever (Overall)
Step 1: Arches
Finished Vaults (Side)
In this project we explored the formal and building potential of vaults and tiles with a design generated through digital parametric tools. We built three vaults from three types of a total of six arches. The vaults overlap slightly at their edges, creating a layering effect. The building process started with the
Step 2: Filling Up Between Arches
construction of the arches, then the space between the arches was closed save an intentionally designed opening in the middle of the first vault. Complexity of design was complimented by precision of execution when the right parameters were utilized to generate effective construction guidelines.
Step 1: Laying Bricks & Reinforcement Rods
Finished Rotation Cantilever (Zoomed In)
In this project each team is responsible for the fabrication of one end of a cantilever table. The one I worked on as shown in images above is called the Rotation Table, and is designed to test the tensile strength of pivoted reinforced masonry cantilever. The reinforcing systems including metal fiber
Step 2: Pouring Grout & Adding Metal Ties
reinforced grout, fiber glass resin rods, and metal ties were designed to accommodate the change in surface curvature and provide stronger resistance to tensile forces in both micro (fiber in grout) and macro (rods) scales. The project successfully held in place after CMU supports were removed.
Subverted Urban Housing in Francisville, Philadelphia Fall 2016 Studio 601 Individual Project Critic: Brian Phillips
Section 1
Roof Top 102’ Roof Top (L) 81’
Platform 34’
Night View
As a result of communities’ negative impression of subculture being destructive and insolent, subculture is consistently fighting to maintain its place in the city. In addition, subculture today faces threats coming from within. The temptation to be popularized and commodified is slowly taking the ‘sub’ away from subculture.
Subverted creates a mutual supportive system where the linear street-to-household arrangement is bent up in the middle, allowing a gradient between mainstream and subculture to take place. Pure subculture spaces are located below grade and pure mainstream spaces are raised up, allowing a mixed area to situate at street level.
Residential units for young entrepreneurs, students, etc.
Mixed area for Airbnb, skateboarders, home office, etc.
Basement -20’
Subculture area for bands, rehearsal studios, etc.
Section 2
Original Units
Re-attach
New Units
The aggregation started with simple forms. Pairs composed of a main space and a supportive space will re-attach with other pairs, forming new units. By arranging the units in plan, a circuit-like fabric is created. The fabric is then bent up to form vertical towers, and different programs such as bathroom and
Initial Aggregation
Add Glazing
Fabric
Bend
Programs
living room are assigned to each tower. This helps to define the boundaries of each apartment and provide parameters for further alterations of the overall form. From initial aggregation, the complex is edited with consideration of edge conditions, traffic, and programs.
Edge Condition
Program (height)
Plaza
Blimp View
19th St. _6/f Plan
Ground Plan
Cameron St. _3/f Plan
Living Pod Platform Interior Interior to basement Site Plan
Printmaking Relief and Screen Printing Fall 2017 Fine Art Studio Individual Projects Critic: Lindsay Buchman
“Melting Creation”_ Experimental Time Flow Screen Printing & Paint Ice Cube
“War”_ Fact/ Fiction: A Time Form CMYK Screen Printing
“Chaos”_ Color Interaction: Text/ Image Screen Printing
“____ Is Good All The Time”_ Notes to Omission Linoleum Cut
Ceramics Exploration Of Form and Function Selected Works from 2015 - 2016 UCAL Individual Projects
THANK YOU
Vase, 2016
LEXIE YISHA LI lexieli007@gmail.com (267) 530 8552 2930 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA, USA 19104