E ffi c i e n t S p a c e P l a n n i n g This project is a school project emphasizing on space planning and applying the knowledge of building codes. The objective is to design an executive briefing center. I chose the speaker company “Bose”. Bose is a very hightech company, and I wanted to show the feeling of “high-tech” to the clients. Since Bose is a speaker company. I wanted to show the client and their customers something that would relate to speakers. I chose the construction of the subwoofer to layout the floor plan. Like the subwoofer, the floor plan has small compartments that would have specific functions, in order to make the sound, or make the space cohesive.
BOSE
executive briefing center Ming Cheng, San Jose State University lobby
materials cafeteria
touch-down stations
Legend 1. Large conference room 2. Medium conference room 3. Medium small conference room
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4. Reception
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5. Business center 6. Food court 7. Work stations
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8. Small conference rooms 9. Small reception 10. ADA restrooms
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Concept The main attraction of the floor plan consists of a long corridor down the center called “column hall� (combination of #4 and #5). It is a place to display the latest products for Bose. It also has access to most of the rooms within the floor plan: cafeteria, conference rooms, work stations, small offices, and business center (touch down stations). There are two reception areas, so that the employees are separated from guests, and guests would not accidentally enter the work area. The touch-down stations are shaped like Bose speakers so they would help strengthen the company image of the executive briefing center.
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Lobby looking toward reception desk
Reception desk and “column hall”
Large conference room
1. private cafe
3. touch down station and auditorium
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2. cafeteria
small lobby
LOFT - work + live Ming Cheng, San Jose State University
master bedroom
The project is a school project emphasizing on space planning, and the knowledge of building codes. The building is an existing two story building that was suppose to be a warehouse before. The client wanted the loft to be both functional as an office, and also able to live in it for everyday life. The location of the loft is in Dayton, Ohio.
living room
work desk
tea room table
concept circulation
kitchen
conference room
zen garden
reception
material library
The concept of this loft is “Zen”. Zen gives out an impression of peaceful and calm, serene. In order to combine two functions together in the space, there’s a Zen garden in the middle of the loft. This is to serve as a relaxation place during a hard working day. In the middle of the Zen garden, there’s a tea room, which serves as a break room for the office. Since there are two floors for the loft. I designed it so that the first floor is going to be work/guest area, and the second floor is for private use. Since Zen is calm and peaceful, I felt that horizontal lines would best accomplish the concept. Therefore, most of the furnitures are horizontal rather than vertical.
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2. Conference room
3. Human resources
4. Guest waiting area
5. Work area
6. Zen garden
7. Restrooms
8. Guest living room
9. Kitchen
10. Guest bedroom and closet
floorplan
lobby model
HANSEN MEDICAL DGA Architects, Randall Dowler, Cesar Ho, Rachel Santos, Ming Cheng
pathway
Hansen Medical is a company that designs and manufactures medical robotics for accurate positioning and control of catheter-based technologies. The company manufactures the Sensei Robotic Catheter System, which enables clinicians to place mapping catheters in hard-to-reach anatomical locations within the heart during complex cardiac procedures. Hansen Medical is part laboratory, part office. The labs include animal labs, vivarium, clean rooms, demonstration area, and medical examination rooms. The offices include training rooms, conference rooms, principle offices and open offices (cubicles). DGA Architect was hired to design a space that is both complex and resourceful at the same time. I had the chance to work on the project along with my project manager Cesar Ho and lab designer Rachel Santos.
small lobby
lab model
WING+CURVE Receiving
Project Data:
Windows
Windows
Entrance
Total Square footage:
53,247 SQ.FT.
Manufacturing Area: Assembly Area: Lab Area: Offices: Conference/Break Area: Public/Demonstration: Circulation: Total Cores:
8,394 SQ.FT. 6,566 SQ.FT. 6,986 SQ.FT. 13,968 SQ.FT. 3,068 SQ.FT. 1,311 SQ.FT. 10,649 SQ.FT. 2,305 SQ.FT.
Exit Design Objectives
Shipping
1. Create solutions that meets Hansen’s operational needs.
Windows Windows
2. Explore design options in-line with Hansen’s corporate image and values. 3. Arrive at a solution that guides spatial organization and material use.
Exit
The dots represent the main path of travel for the building. The shape of the path is derived from the concept of a catheter’s tip, which can be bent in order to go into the hard to reach places. The windows on the sides of the building open up the space and let lights get into the building, making the labs and offices in the middle of the building brighter. The building is in an L shape, therefore it was separated into two parts, or two “wings”. The shipping and receiving areas are toward the back for easy access of large equipments.
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block plan
Sensei Robotic Catheter
Artisan eXtend control catheter
We based our concept on the image of Hansen Medical. Since Hansen Medical manufactures the Sensei Robotic Catheter System, which is a system that has accurate precision, we based our idea on being “free” - because of the accuracy, doctors can do what they want with the machine and not be afraid to explore new posibilities. For flexibility, we came up with 3 options that caters towards the idea of “freedom”, “open-ness”, and “modern”. We felt “freedom” is an idea that all animals with wings would feel. Therefore, the image of “Wing” is very important. We also have to consider the desired occupancy with the space, and how our design would impact that. The 3 options on the next page that we came up with are from conservative (block scheme), to minimal (wing scheme), to modern (curve scheme). We settled on the curve scheme since it provided the most advantages, while maintaining a modern look.
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Wing Scheme:
Curve Scheme:
Block Scheme:
create strong company image with the wing incorporate grand lobby and demonstration space provide direct links to other customer services
create strong company image with the curve incorporate dynamic designs and configurations
define company image through finishes, not as much through spatial layout use practical hallways and corridors as links maximize space efficiency with rectilinear forms
reinforce emphasize on the axis of the building reference “light-ness� and sky in use of colors and design features
use soft, warm design intergrate collection site areas include more fluid open office cube layout
create neighborhoods through use of graphics and colors enhance personal spaces with amenities and accessories
Left Wing
Right Wing
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The design:
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Manufacture Area
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Animal Labs
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Break Rooms
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Board Room
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Open Offices
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Open Offices
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Assembly Area
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Server Room
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Shipping & Receiving
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Restrooms
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Demonstration Labs
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Training Rooms
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Lobby
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Cafetaria
The curve scheme floor plan was the final decision for the design, since it is modern and yet resourceful in terms of space planning. The curved corridor emphasized the scheme, while giving easy access to all the facilities in the building. On the left wing is the main clean room and open offices. On the right wing there are several smaller labs like animal labs, demonstration room...etc. Most of the executive facilities are also located on the right wing, such as a large conference/board room, training room, server room...etc. All the labs are toward the back of the building for easy access to the loading dock, shipping and receiving area, while the open offices are toward the front, giving the employees easy access to their workstations.
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clean room
assembly area
offices
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open office
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conference room
clean room
shipping/ receiving
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reception
lobby
demonstration area
catheter lab
clean room aisle
building front view with entry pavilion for handicapped
building entrance view
LOCKHEED MARTIN BUILDING 214
Lockheed Martin Building 214 is a conceptual research and development building that was to be located in Palo Alto, CA. It is a collaboration between Lockheed Martin Space Systems and our firm, DGA. The building is about 82,000 sq.ft, and our firm was hired to design the building from ground up and also the site parking structure around it. Our firm will also collaborate with civil engineers, landscape architects, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers to produce a complete package. The project is on hold now due to budget cut by Lockheed Martin, but I decided to show it because it has a nice concept.
DGA Architects, Randall Dowler, Cesar Ho, Karen Lin, Miki Mori, Alfred Jiao, Ming Cheng
Site and Buidling Data: Overall site area: Adjacent parking site: Total:
The concept of the building is to: 987,478 sq.ft 146,000 sq.ft 1,133,478 sq.ft
Proposed Building: Ground floor: Second floor: Total:
41,172 sq.ft. 40,349 sq.ft. 81,521 sq.ft.
1. Create a simple, understated structure that is consistent with Lockheed Martin’s core value and customer base. 2. Organize and express the distinct functions of the building, i.e. offices, labs, and support, through different forms and materials. 3. Integrate elements such as solar panels and roof screens to shild mechanical equipment into the overall design. 4. Add an entry pavilion at the main parking level to connect basic requirements of the handicap parking, etc, to the new building and at the same time, link the main parking level with other buildings on the campus
SITE Area of Work S e r v i c e Ya r d
The new building - to be named B214 - will be situated in essentially the same location as the existing building B201 - which will be demolished. The building is situated along Hanover Street, Palo Alto, near the intersection of Hillview Avenue. The new building will replace out-dated facilities that have been in use for over 40 years. The building is to accommodate typical office functions and a wide range of research activities that must be adaptable to changing requirements over time. One of the design goals for the new project is to minimize the alteration of existing site conditions. The west facade of the building will be along Hanover, with the “front” of the building overlooking the main parking lot below. The “back” of the building will be off an existing service drive, while the east facade will face a common courtyard across from the existing B202 that will remain. To the extent possible, existing service yards and site utilities will remain unchanged.
Parking Lot
Exterior The bulk of the building will be comprised of a combination of clear and blue glass with in-fills of white and gray metal panels. In the front of the building that houses primarily office functions, there will be glazing. In the middle of the building where modular lab spaces will be situated, the fenestration will include more metal panels but will have plenty of windows to maximize daylights into the lab spaces. The back of the building will retain the same vocabulary but will incorporate more metal louvers and smaller windows where mechanical and electrical equipment will be placed. Basic construction is envisioned as a steel framed structure with a combination of moment and braced frames to resist lateral forces.
Interior
For the interior, we created 4 block diagram to lay out the interior space. With option one, the labs would be able to take advantage of the windows on the north and south side, but there are not enough space for the offices, and the cubicles would have to be enclosed in the middle. Option two separated office and cubicles to the east and west side, fully taking advantage of the windows. However, there are not enough lab spaces. Option three would have a lot of labs on the east and west side, but the offices are too far on the two sides, which would effect the collaboration and communication between the employees. The fourth option is what we chose, which gives sufficient space for the labs, and have the offices on the side so they could take full advantage for the windows on the east and west side. Also the communication and collaboration distance between the employees are not too far either.
CONCEPT
Legend Chem Physics
Materials Processing
Energetics
Test Labs
Material Analysis
Future
The floor plan, following the block diagram, has the offices laid out at the east and west side of the building, taking advantage of the windows. The labs and clean room are in the middle, which connects and interacts with all the facilities around them. This would maximize the amount of sunlight coming through the building, and make the space a more efficient place to work.
Synthesis
FIRST FLOOR
Legend Material Analysis High Temp. Materials Test Labs
The second floor is pretty much the same concept as the first floor. The lab spaces in the middle are bigger, and also there’s a future development area for future construction. The roof top has solar panels which would generate a percentage of the total electricity usage, cutting the cost down.
Future
SECOND FLOOR
North
East Elevation
West Elevation
West
Building 214
East
North Elevation
South
South Elevation
E L E VAT I O N
Exterior View
side beam unistrut crane track
roll up door
hanger model
elevation
LOCKHEED MARTIN HANGER
DGA Architects, Randall Dowler, Cesar Ho, Karen Lin, Ming Cheng
Starry Night
Our company, DGA, designed a gallery space for Lockheed Martin Space Systems by using one of their hanger. The concept that we came up with was something similar to the famous Vincent van Gogh painting, the starry night. The solution that we came up with was to use LED lights to light the ceiling up. LED would more decorative and also more energy efficient. The LEDs will be hang from the ceiling to simulate the star lights. We are also going to have black draperies hanging from the ceiling as well to darken the gallery space in order for the lights to be brighter. This was a conceptual project as it is still in the approval process. I worked on the project with architect Karen Lin, and my project manager Cesar Ho. The ceiling of the hanger is at about 30’ high, and it has an existing crane track that is used to transport products before. There are 2 beams on the side of the hanger, and there’s a roll-up door, which is the entrance of the hanger. The support for the lights are going to be constructed out of unistrut. Gallery panels are going to be hanging under the unistrut, and there are also going to be small downlights hanging from the unistrut, as shown in the elevation above. There is going to be a conference room in one of the corner of the hanger to host meetings. Lockheed Martin Space Systems is a weapons manufacturer and also a Space (astronomical) equipment manufacturer. Because of that, the setting of the gallery has to look very high-tech and modern. We will use black drapes on the ceiling to simulate the effect of the outer space. The LED lights, as mentioned before, will simulate the effect of stars. The unistrut will also weave in a complex pattern and bring sophistication to the space.
Conceptual rendering Since this is an on-going project, the rendering has not been finalized. However, the starry concept is begin to show. The unistrut on top of the ceiling weave a complex pattern, and they are all going to be covered by black drapes. The crane track running down the middle is existing in the hanger. It would be the only element visible on the ceiling, aside from the lights, when everything is completed.
LED lights
proposed conference room
Te c h n o l o g y + H u m a n H a r m o n y
interaction space
building side view
rooftop garden
This is a project for the Hsin Tsu Science Park in Taiwan. It is a project from my work, and we cooperated with an architectural firm, EDS, from Taiwan. EDS did the exterior and we, DGA, did the interior lab planning. Hsin Tsu Science Park has been the bio-technology base for Taiwan for many years already. This new building will have the most modern equipment and technology for developing the bio-tech industry into the next level. The building consists of three main components: the Research and Development department, the Incubator department, and the interaction space in between. This was actually a bid/competition, and DGA and EDS came in second. The designers who worked on this project with me were architect Karen Lin, Sue Lefreve.
front view
back view
Hsin Tsu Science Park, Taiwan DGA Architects, Karen Lin, Ming Cheng
Project Objective The bio-tech center project has two main objective: 1. interior functionality 2. exterior harmony with the enviroment around it The outcome from these objective will have to be: 1. develop a functional interior that emphasize ergonomics and humanity 2. re-define the new spatial theory for R&D labs, base on nature and environmental conscious-ness
lobby interaction space 1
lobby interaction space 2
lobby interaction space 3
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The site plan was already developed before the project. There are a lot of space usable for landscaping, which was one of the design goal for this project - blend into nature. There is a roof top garden that serves as a relaxation area for the employees
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Exterior Concept The exterior concept for the project was to have the building incorporate harmoniously with nature and the surrounding environment. Unlike Taipei, Hsin Tsu is still very in-tune with nature and have a lot less pollution than Taipei. Therefore, the building would have to blend in with the surrounding, and not disturb the scenery of the park itself.
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1. box
At first the design was a box-shaped building, as seen in the first diagram. in order to not disturb the existing scenery, the building was pulled back toward southwest.
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front courtyard incubator interaction R&D
back courtyard
Then we decided to cut a slit in the box, in order to have future high speed train system and other transportation to pass by easily, since this area will be a center for bio-technology, a lot will be going on. This slit would also bring the connection between the two ends of the building much easier. In order for maximum sunlight to shine through, we rotated the upper part of the building toward north so that the morning sun can shine on it easily. Due to this change, the interaction space in the middle also opens up, which was the final basic shape for the building.
Interior Concept The interior concept of the R&D labs was about ergonomics. We studied about the best distance for a human to “connect” with one another, which is about 9.2 meter (30’). The farthest distance that a person is willing to walk to another is about 22.9 meter (75’). Therefore, we decided that all the lab modules in a typical laboratory floor would either be placed every 9 meter vertically, as shown in “Type A”, or 22 meter horizontally, as shown in “Type B”. We also considered about the amount of people in one “neighborhood” would have to be about 30-40 people, and from variety of difference sources so it would promote trans-departmental actions between one another (for example, administrative personnel interacting with support personnel, or lab interacting with support,...etc). We put the office section and lab section on both ends in Type A because we want to fully utilize the sunlight that would shine through the windows. The final result was that we went with Type A, since it utilizes the space the most by having a short walking distance in between the neighborhood modules and also looks the most organized (as compared to Type B, which has offices on 2 sides and labs on 2 sides). The interior concept for the incubator building was pretty much the same. However, since the space is smaller, we put offices around the square building, and put the lab in the middle as the center piece of the interior.
Typical Floorplan
Incubator Building
Interaction Space Roof-top Garden
R & D L a b s a n d O ffi c e s
The building consists of 6 floors, with the first floor having the auditorium, large conference rooms, executive offices, and cafeteria. Floor 2 through 4 would have the incubator building attached to it, while floor 5 and 6 will just be the R&D laboratory building. On top of the interaction space in the middle, there’s a garden which serves as a break area and also a vista point for the employees. The layout of the lab spaces followed the concept of “Type A” - lab, support, and office. Since this was just a schematic design, each floor had the same layout (with the exception of the first floor). The central core area in the R&D building has the stairs and the elevators to get up and down the building.
Sections As shown in sections, each floor have its own function and purpose. On top of the roof are exhaust stacks for the clean rooms and the incubator labs.
R&D Building Section
Incubator Building Section
Interaction Space
O ffi c e Support Lab
Incubator Lab
The interaction space in the middle of the building is designed with the mindset that human interaction and connection are the priorities. It needs to be both stylish and functional at the same time. The round reception desk in the middle will serve as a center piece, and it can be accessed from all direction of the interaction space. The round hole above serve as a stylish way to create some natural lighting through the hole and into the area nicely. This is the central point and the connection to the two buildings. Therefore everything needs to be within walking and accessible distance.
Overall Building Cross Section
Front Entrance
aerial View looking south
Ariel view looking south-east