Portfolio_Aoran_Chen by Aoran Chen

PORTFOLIO OF AORAN CHEN Selected Works 2016 ~ 2021

AORAN CHEN ac5rb@virginia.edu, (+1)434-466-8861 Master of Architecture 2021, University of Virginia

AORAN CHEN

e: ac5rb@virginia.edu m:434-466-8861 | ac5rb8.wixsite.com/aoranchen Add: 853 W Main ST, APT 503,Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA

Education Sep, 2019-May, 2021 University of Virginia Master of Architecture, GPA: 3.86/4.0 Sep, 2014-Jun,2019 Fuzhou University Bachelor of Architecture Jul, 2016-Aug, 2016 Columbia University American Language Summer Program

Charlottesville, VA, USA Fuzhou, CHINA New York, NY, USA

Professional Experience SHoP Architects New York, NY, USA Architectural Extern Responsible for creating optimized Rhino model and twinmotion renderings for Milan Embassy Compound Project Sep, 2018-Dec, 2018 Fujian Mindi Architecture Design Institute Fuzhou, CHINA Architectural Intern Responsible for residential unit type design, construction drawings and model making

Jan, 2021

Academic Experience Aug, 2020-May, 2021 Student Instructor Assistant, UVA School of Architecture Teaching Assistant for Introduction to Structural Design in Fall 2020 and Structural Design for Dynamic Loads in Spring 2021. Responsibilities included overseeing lab sessions, providing aid to students regarding course material, and grading homework assignments. Apr.2017-Aug.2017 Finalist, GUYU Cup-National College Students Sustainable Building Design Competition Bamboo Yard Individual Project Apr.2018-Aug.2018 2018 16th Asian Design Award The Protection and Renewal of Zhu Zifang Historic District Group Project Conceptual design, modeling and drawing Sep.2017-Oct.2017 International Summer School "Structural Morphology" Taranto Footbridge Group Project Conceptual design and drawing

Honors & Awards Sep, 2019-May, 2021 UVA Annual Merit Scholarship, UVA School of Architecture May, 2019 Scholarship for Study Aborad, FZU School of Architecture Jun, 2016 Scholarship for Academic Progress, FZU School of Architecture Oct, 2015& Apr, 2015 Social Work Excellence Awards, FZU School of Architecture Nov, 2015 Second Prize, Fujian Provincial Final of 2015 "FLTRP Cup" English Public Speaking Contest Oct, 2016&Oct, 2015 Second Prize & Special Prize, Fuzhou University English Speaking Contest May, 2014-Apr, 2014 Outstanding Student Leader of Longyan City, Department of Education of Longyan City

Language, Software & Website

Language: English (Proficient), Chinese (Native) Software: Rhino, Sketch Up, Revit, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, AutoCAD, Vray, Enscape, Microsoft Office, Sefaira, Premiere, Grasshopper, ArcGIS Pro, Karamba Website: https://ac5rb8.wixsite.com/aoranchen

CONTENTS 01 Urban Hills

04-13

02 Bamboo Yard

14-21

03 Fiction LA

22-29

04 Rammed Earth Creation

30-39

05 Hybridized Towers

40-43

06 Sacred & Warm

44-47

07 The Green Roof

48-51

08 Historic Renovation

52-53

08 Gradation: From Human to Nature

51-57

09 Other Works

58-59

Towards a Non-Hierarchical Architecture Rural Parlor Design in Longyan, China Cinematheque at Hollywood Boulevard Public School in the 21st Century in NYC Rural Resorts Design in Longyan, China The Chapel + Senior accommodation Renovation in Sanming, China

Campus Badminton Court Design in Fuzhou, China The Protection and Renewal of Zhu Zifang Historic District in Fuzhou, China The Parliament of Things

ArcGIS Pro mapping Practice Ancient Architecture Surveying and Mapping Photography

Urban "Hills" Towards a Non-Hierarchical Architecture

Advanced Research Studio ALAR 8010, University of Virginia, 2020 Fall Individual Work Instructor: Robin Dripps Location: Philadelphia, PA

SITE ANALYSIS

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART

BARNES FOUNDATION

THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE

PHILADELPHIA CITY HALL

SCHEME GENERATION

Respond to the hill of Philadelphia Museum of Art and the axis through the site. Hills-like foundation serving as exhibit areas, library and other gathering spaces, blurring different levels

Placing a solid volume above the "hills" serving as the different programs of the institution

Pull out different volumes to generate void and spaces in-between as gathering spaces, blurring the boundary of inside and outside

Create connections throughout different spaces and territories of the project

PROGRAM ANALYSIS

classrooms and studios

theater apartments

outdoor exhibit residential hall school library

exhibit hall

commercial health care center

community center

VISIONS OF THE INSTITUTION

Different space being hang up separately but with different connection to keep continuity

Spatially overlaid to generate in-between spaces to connect/ define different territories

Using "hills" to blur the boundary of different levels, and moving people around

SECT

TION

PLAN 1

PLAN 2 Plan 1 shows the internal and exterior relationship between apartments, theater and classrooms. Inside the apartment, four boxes sharing a courtyard, through the roof of the rehearsal room, theater and school are connected. Plan 2 shows the internal and exterior relationship between different hills like spaces. The giant stair ramp connects and attract people from the park and the ramp connect from it to the exhibit area. Three platform to the north provides abundant space for outdoor activities

SCHOOL PATIO RENDERING

EXHIBIT AREA RENDERING Upper rendering shows the space outside the school tower, students are enjoying the shared playground which is within the hanging boxes. The rendering to the bottom shows the exhibit space for students to present their work. The exhibit space is also open to the public.

SECTION PERSPECTIVE This rendering shows different levels of connection happening, not only the vertical inner connection between inner, outer exhibition space and theater, and between school classrooms and library, but also the connection between the different patio of the project to the nearby urban context.

ENTRANCE PERSPECTIVE

PERSPECTIVE DRAWING

Bamboo Yard

The Countryside Parlor Design in Longyan, China

2017 Guyu Cup National Sustainable Architecture Design Contest, Finalist Duration: 05/13/2017-07/12/2017 Individual Work Tutor: Yuxin Cui Location: Longyan, Fujian, China

DESIGN DESCRIPTION The site is located in Peixie village, Fujian, China. The village is famous for its abundant bamboo resources and a set of factories which are related to the bamboo producing. However, the local master plan does not take the advantage of these resources, the factories are just simply placed individually on the site. The design focus on the relationship between the tourism and local bamboo industry. It is the best way to make use of the two parts to establish a multi-function rural parlor which will develop the local tourism, as well as the whole economy.

MASTER PLAN SITE ANALYSIS resources

problems

local residential factories area

bamboo resources

factories lack of contact with the environment

factory form lacks of organization

view appreciating

family vacation

functions

manufacturing

exhibition

original factory

exhibition room

space feature

Viewing platform

space combination

SHAPE GENERATION ANALYSIS

courtyard

Take the bamboo manufacturing industry as an exhibit, place it in the factory, and set up visitors' circulation to visit

FACTORY SETTING ANALYSIS

original factories

adding exhibition areas

connecting two parts

VOLUME GENERATION ANALYSIS

3 7 7

9 7 7

4 6

13 6

4 14 7

1. Lake 2. Stage 3. Exhibition Room I 4. Storage Area 5. Office 6. Manager's office 7. Factory Exhibition Room

8. Plywood Production Production Line 9. Bamboo Chopsticks Production Line 10.Bamboo Mat Production Line 11. Exhibition Room II 12. Courtyard 13. Multi-functional Hall 13. Toilet GROUND FLOOR PLAN

10m

15m

20m

original steel frame structure

second floor tourist corridor tourists' streamline second floor tourist floor

bamboo production equipment

workers' streamline

factory original enclosure

factory original ground floor

EXPLOSION DIAGRAM OF THE RENOVATION OF THE FACTORIES

The new exhibition spaces were connected with the original bamboo production factories by the newly designed terraces and corridors. Together with the platform where visitors are able to witness the raw bamboo, all the resources on the site are combined with each other efficiently. It will not only reactivate the original factories but also attract tourists

2-2 SECTION

SOUTH ELEVATION

SECTION PERSPECTIVE OF EXHIBITION ROOM

FACTORY PERSPECTIVE

ENTRANCE PERSPECTIVE

Fiction LA THE AMERICAN CINEMATHEQUE@ HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD Core Studio ARCH 7020, University of Virginia Duration: 08/27/2019-12/18/2019 Individual Work Instructor: Luis Pancorbo Location: Los Angeles, CA

SITE ANALYSIS CONCEPT DIAGRAM

Located in Hollywood, Los Angeles, the site itself has a huge quantity of population while lacking open spaces at the meanwhile. Take this as my starting point, the site can be design as the central point of loop of the only 3 parks nearby. In terms of the building itself, two systems could be mixed together to make the program works.

OUTDOOR THEATER two syste ms spirally going up

EARLY MODEL

Core

Theater Experimental Theater

Theater Archive Library Funds Outdoor reading Space Library Research Office Publishing Office Outdoor space Exhibition and Store

STRUCTURE & PROGRAM ANALYSIS FIFTH FLOOR PLAN

EIGHTH FLOOR PLAN

CONSTRUCTION DETAIL

Facade

Column

Truss

Concrete Core

Concrete Wall

Precast Bubbled Slab

STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

SECTION

WATER PROOF DRAIN PROTECTION INSULATION SLOPE

DOUBLE 10MM GLASS

L-SHAPE GLASS HOLDER RADIANT HEATING LAYER PRECASTED BUBBLED SLAB

3 DOUBLE 10MM GLASS METAL NET FACADE RADIANT HEATING LAYER PREFRAME JOINT PRECASTED BUBBLED SLAB I-BEAM

4 3

TRUSS

RADIANT HEATING LAYER

PRECASTED BUBBLED SLAB

4 5

I-BEAM

5 DOUBLE 10MM GLASS

RADIANT HEATING LAYER PRECASTED SLAB

BASE ISOLATOR

FACADE DETAIL

CONSTRUCTION DETAIL

ENTRANCE PERSPECTIVE

ROOF PERSPECTIVE

LIBRARY PERSPECTIVE

Rammed Earth Creation The Countryside Resorts Design in Longyan, China Studio Project Duration: 03/01/2018-05/01/2018 Team Work Collaborator: Ziping Ye Tutor: Wei Yan Location: Longyan, Fujian, China Contribution: site research, conceptual design, modeling and

HOTEL

drawing All the drawings without special notification in this portfolio are produced individually by Aoran Chen

VILLA

MANSION

DESIGN DESCRIPTION The resorts design is located in Dongxiao Village, Longyan City, Fujian Province, adjacent to Dongxiao Forest Park, with a total area of 27 hectares. The environment is quiet and surrounded by mountains. The design contains three major parts: hotel,mansion and villa. In order to not only attract tourists but also respect the local culture, we extracted the architectural elements from the local regional architecture including the sloping roofs, rammed earth walls, hanging cantilevers and courtyards, hoping the roles of these traditional architectural elements in the daily lives of local people could be felt and recognized.

urban visitors streamline

original rammed earth house on the site

the variable height on the site LOCATION ANALYSIS

SITE ANALYSIS

MARCO ANALYSIS

forest

Broadleaf forest farmland bamboo forest

roadway sidewalk waterfront trail

agricultural area

reservoir

resorts commercial

reservoir terraced field bamboo scenery analysis

vegetation analysis 3%-10% 10%-25% 25%-50% >50%

Slope angle analysis

road analysis

SE S SW W N

Slope aspect analysis

function analysis landscape axis landscape node

scenery system analysis

main planning axis secondary planning axis center

master plan analysis

PROGRAM GENERATION

Local heritage architecture in different forms are studied and the unique sloping roof, courtyard and pile dwelling of the heritage architecture generate different architectural prototypes. By combining and aggregating these prototypes, the transformation on the architectural forms offers new spatial qualities both interior and exterior.

Finally create the spatial forms of the three main buildings in this project which are the hotel, mansion and villa.

HOTEL GENERATION

place the original rammed earth house in the center

insert guest rooms and yards

Adaptive contour to organize the guests rooms

Refine the courtyard and increase the viewing range of the room

Landscape corridor Guest room dining area

Tandem field bamboo forest and rammed earth house

Landscape penetration

Reduce volume and increase traffic space

lobby and cafe Meeting area

HOTEL

MEETING AREA ENTRANCE PERSPECTIVE

Third Floor Plan

7 5 6 16

14 15

14 8

11 20

10 18

1. Guest Room Platform I 2. Guest Room Corridor 3. Guest Room Platform II 4. Guest Room 5. Kitchen 6. Storage Room 7. Locker Room 8. Luggage Room & Staff Lounge

9. Elevator Hall 18. Hotel Entrance 10. Lobby 11. Cafe 12. Bar 13. Restaurant 14. Toilet 15. Meeting Room 16. Office 17. Multi-function Room

13 12

N 5m 10m 15m 20m

GROUND & SECOND FLOOR PLAN

1-1 SOUTH SECTION

MANSION

1-1 Section [Group Work]

1. Entrance 2. Storage Room 3. Shower and Toilet 4. master bedroom 5. Shower 6. Second Bedroom 7. Corridor 8. Second Bedroom 9. Living Bedroom 10. Outdoor Platform 11. Bathtub

12. Master Bedroom 13. Toilet 11. Swimming Pool 12. Dining Room 13. Kitchen 14. Storage Room 15. Nanny's Room 16. Laundry Room's. 17. Shower and Toilet 18. Equipment 19. Elevator Hall

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

The mansion has a relatively big volume. According to the architectural form, the elements of the hanging foot was used to adapt to the variable height difference of the site. At the same time, we used the elements of the sloping roof and the rammed earth wall to design this rustic building. The mansion has a variable interior with clear division of public and private partitions.

VILLA

1-1 Section [Group Work]

1. Entrance 2. Living Room and Dining Room 3. Kitchen 4. master bedroom 5. Shower and Toilet 6. Storage Room 7. Swimming Pool 8. Corridor

9. Second Bedroom 10. Master Bedroom 11. Bathtub 12. Master Bedroom 13. Toilet 14.Bar Counter 15.Outdoor Platform

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

The villa is relatively small in scale. According to the architectural form, the elements of the hanging foot was used to adapt to the variable height difference of the site. At the same time, we used the elements of the sloping roof and the rammed earth wall to design this rustic building. The villa has a variable interior with clear division of public and private partitions.

Hybridized Towers PublicSURplus@NYC.edu Public School in the 21st Century in NYC Core Studio ARCH 7010, University of Virginia Duration: 08/27/2019-12/18/2019 Group Work Collaborator: Qingqing Zhou Instructor: Matthew Jull Location: Manhattan, New york, NY Contribution: site research, conceptual design, Physical model and drawing

The topic of our project is calling back to the urban fabric and improving the public experience of the open space. In terms of the site, besides the observation that it locates at the boundary of two neighbors - the fabric of these two areas are creating two different spatial experience- and fences in there make the open space unavailable for people, we take density into our consideration and make it as our starting point. Also, the rezoning codes is calling for a higher utilization of the space within a limited land. We draw our conclusion to decide our strategy towards the site is to maximize the density while at the same time increase the experience of space quality.

MASTER PLAN

MASSING GENERATION

SITE STRATEGIES

INTEGRATE THE PUBLIC SPACES ON THE SITE AXON

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

PUBLIC SPACE FLOOR PLAN

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN

The main concept of our design is to create another system of public spaces together with its own circulation and insert it in-between the towers with different programs like residential, office, community center and school, in order to make it hybridized.

Restaurant Multi-function Room Viewing Platform Gym

Shared auditorium Library Exhibition

Entertainment Space Riding & Skate park

SOUTH ELEVATION

Playing Field

Residential Office

Beam Column Grid Core

School

Regular Circulation

Structural System

Program Diagram

EAST ELEVATION

SECTION PERSPECTIVE

Sacred & Warm The Chapel + Senior accommodation Renovation in Sanming, China 2019 Graduate Design, Fuzhou University Duration: 03/05/2019-05/25/2019 Individual Work Tutor: Weiguo Zhu Location: Sanming, Fujian, China The design is located on Xishan Mountain in Meilie District, Sanming City, Fujian Province, which is adjacent to Longyuan Mountain Scenic Area. The exsiting building on the site is currently the Xishan Chapel. The main functions of the chapel are worship and old-age care together with some logistic services. This project is the renovation of the chapel and the senior accommondation based on their current use. This design hybridize the chapel with the nursing home, and organically connects the church function with the nursing home building by making the full use of the rich mountain and terraces.

MASTER PLAN

3F PLAN

1F PLAN

ENTRANCE PERSPECTIVE

2F PLAN

roof shading system roof garden

dormitory terrace

dropped ceiling

terrace

curtain wall believer staff

kitchen the aged

CIRCULATION

concrete wall

open floor

classroom

cafeteria

elevator core

PHYSICAL MODEL

Chapel worship Perspective - blinds closed

Chapel Daily used Perspective - blinds opened MULTI-FUNCTION CURTAIN WALL RENDERING

When worshipers worship, the shutters set up on the curtain wall are closed to block the east and west lighting. Only the south facade cross window is used as the light source to ensure the sanctity of the environment. When the believers perform daily activities such as singing, they open the shutters for east and west daylighting, making the space spacious and bright, satisfying the daily use of singing, social and other uses of the believers to provide sufficient natural light.

Historical Renovation

The Protection and Renewal of Zhu Zifang Historic District in Fuzhou, China Studio Project Duration: 05/03/2018-07/03/2018 Team Work Collaborator: Ziping Ye Tutor: Wei Yan Site: Fuzhou, Fujian, China Contribution: site research, conceptual design, modeling and drawing All the drawings in this portfolio are produced individually by Aoran Chen

pingshan mountain

subway west lake

site yushan mountain

wushan mountain

good

urban roads URBAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

URBAN LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE

bad

BUILDING QUALITY ANALYSIS HISTORIC RELICS RESIDENTIAL PUBLIC

PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION

VEHICLE CIRCULATION

PROGRAM

school

commercial

historic relics

historic residential area

residential area

bus station

city garden

hospital

public traffic sphere

tourism activity sphere

hospital sphere

urban residential area

SITE ANALYSIS

PROBLEMS

STRATEGY

VISION

original narrow street space on the site

expand & extend

three dimensional expansion of space on the site

blankness space on the site

add new open space

Activate the venue with a points

connect

Interpenetrates with the city and complement each other

lack of contact with the city

functional disorder of space

integrate

Ag glomeration the scale to maximize benefits

Minimize the interference functional interference

infrastructure defect

separate the streamline

mend and reconstruct the poor quality buildings

Full functioning historic district

SUNKEN PLAZA ON XUEYUAN STREET PERSPECTIVE

JINTAI STREET PERSPECTIVE

The Green Roof

The Campus Badminton Court Design in Fuzhou, China Studio Project Duration: 03/01/2016-05/12/2016 Individual Work Tutor: Yuxin Cui Location: Fuzhou, Fujian, China PHYSICAL MODEL

16 14

16 16 16 17 11

1. Entrance 2. Sunken Plaza 3. Badminton court 4. Athlete lounge 5. Office 6. Timer Room 7. Broadcasting Room 8. Lighting Control Room 9. Equipment Room

RENDERINGS

10. Dispensary 11. Toilet 12. Exercise court 13. Track 14. Gymnasium 15. Reference Room 16. Specialty Store 17. Mobile Auditorium 18. Test Chamber 19. VIP Reception

N 5m 10m 15m 20m

GROUND FLOOR PLAN (COMPETITION USE)

The site is located in a garden inside the campus of Fuzhou University which is surrounded by the lawn. Therefore, an arched truss structure is used to not only react to and integrate with the surroundings but also attract local and campus population with its fascinating shape. In order to maximize the integration with the site, I extended the site to the downwards, with sunken courts as the main venue together with an exercise court, the design could meet the local demand of exercising and getting together with friend in campus.

DESIGN DESCRIPTION The site is located in a garden inside the campus of Fuzhou University w h i c h i s s u r ro u n d e d b y l a w n . Therefore, an arched truss structure is used which can not only react and integrate with the surroundings but also attract local and campus population with its fascinating shape.

planting roof

In order to maximize the integration with the site, I extended the site to the downwards, with sunken courts as the main venue together with an exercise court, the design could meet the local demand of exercising and getting together with friend in campus. planting roof

tubular truss structure

I-steel grid

jogging track

badminton court

training court

EXPLOSION DIAGRAM OF THE BADMINTON COURT The campus badminton court consists of two stories, entering from the ground floor entrance there is a track for jogging connected with the mobile auditorium which can be hide into the equipment room when needed to meet the demand of badminton training. The main entrance for audience and athletes is on the -1 floor.

Gradation: From Human to Nature The Parliament of Things

Advanced Research Studio ALAR 8020, University of Virginia 2021 Spring Individual Work Instructor: Shiqiao Li Location: Washington D.C. This design is an attempt to create a soft bridge between human lives and animal lives, also to emphasize the existence of nature. Starting the design with an installation made of concrete, plaster, and plants that visualize and emphasize the relationship between humans and nature, also to understand the tectonic, spatial, and material transition, the project includes several towers that serve as different assemblies for humans and nature, as well as the hall of equality and re-orientation area where people can take the advantage of it. The scattering towers are connected by different squares which are for people to gather, the scattering is also a gesture to challenge the human center of the site.

INSTALLATION

The idea of this installation is to discuss a gradation from human to nature, and the status in-between this two pole. So the main body of the project would be a concrete column as a man craft product, with the smooth and regular surface at the bottom, the material gradually takes over and speaks for themselves with a agenda on the top as it erodes and breaks itself down and giving way to others.

Scattered pieces (Nature)

Whole piece (Human) On-site Non-human Species

Scheme drawing- Stretch the Spectrum

Operation

1st Floor Plan

Equality Hall 1st Floor Plan

Re-orientation area 1st Floor Plan

PLANS

BUILDING DESIGN CATALOG

TOWER FOR NON-HUMAN

SECTION 1-1

PLAZA RENDERING

GENERAL DEBATE CHAMBER RENDERING Scattered towers let along the in-between spaces like squares for people to gather and appreciate the nature. Also the general debate chamber take the advantage of the glass material to have better indoor lighting. In terms of the outdoor non-human tower which is made of concrete with voids which could provide shelter for both birds and fish. For towers on the ground, concrete and glass are utilized to create a light and ample atmosphere for visitors, politicians, scientists, and animals to work and live here.

Ancient Architecture Surveying and Mapping Team work with Xiaoyu Chen, Chaojin Ruan , Insturctor: Yongchun Zhu June, 2017, Fuzhou, China

Photography Individual Work, 2016~2020

September, 2016, Huangshan,China

February, 2020, Los Angeles, CA

August, 2016, Hangzhou,China

Grasshopper spatial practice Individual Work, Instructor: Lucia Phinney 2020 Fall, Charlottesville, VA

Waffle and random trees practice

ELK & wasp operations

WeaverBird mesh operations

ArcGIS Pro Mapping Practice Individual Work, 2020 Fall

Detroit topographic & hydrological network

Detroit Population Density

Washington D.C. Square

PORTFOLIO OF AORAN CHEN M.ARCH 2021 UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE E-MAIL: ac5rb@virginia.edu https://ac5rb8.wixsite.com/aoranchen