Content: 1 Cultural Annex at Hermann Park 2 Houston Ship Channel Maritime Museum 3 (KBR Site Planning) Double Experience 4 Social Circle (Group Project with Yutian He, June Deng, Younha Kim)
Other Projects:
5 Hidden Figure (Residential House)
6 Sphere Office (Group Project with Zhenqin Dong)
7 The Shelter ( Group Project with Joe Tian, Zhenqin Dong)
i c a o
r cl e
C l i
Ningxin Cheng, June Deng, Yutian He, Andrew Huie, Younha Kim Proposed Site: Empty lot between Brochstein, Rice Memorial Center and Herring Hall Budget: $5000
S
SOCIAL CIRCLE
SOCIAL CIRCLE Rice University Mini Charrette 2nd Prize Group member: Ningxin Cheng, June Deng, Yutian He, Younha Kim, Andrew Huie Design Duration: 72 Hours Budget: $5000
In or
Out
SOCIAL CIRCLE
Mitigation through control of shutter opening speeds – the slower the speed the more spacious and open it will be:
Reciprocal relationship (giving and taking simultaneously)
vs.
Non-committal relationship (either give or take)
Singular (Specific)
vs.
Multiple (Generic)
Low Cellular Usage (Enclosed Space)
vs.
High Cellular Usage (Open Space)
Our one-directional online interactions are simultaneously cloaked in anonymity and mercilessly exposed. Through imitating characteristics of online interaction in physical space, we intend to raise awareness of the difference between digital and physical social space, and then break down the barrier we build when we are indulging in the digital realm by creating a spectacle to attract people move their eyes from their phones. 14 sets of buttons control the translucent panels. Pressing the buttons represents the initiation of an active act of giving, but the panels will remain closed until people on the other side press the corresponding button, showing the willingness to take. When panels open, people will experience the surprise; result in a social interaction with the person on the other side. Everyone is a participant. When no button is pressed, all the panels will simultaneously rotate once every 5 minutes. The more cell phone usage surrounding the installation, the slower the panels would rotate, the more transparent it becomes, attracting people through the sound, and encouraging people to interact with people nearby.
SOCIAL CIRCLE
Floor Plan
Panel Structure
The motor is located on the bottom to allow the panels to twist the entire structure.
Translucent plexi-glass panels
Floor buttons
Outer platform
Translucent plexi-glass panel
Inner platform
U-channel receiver
Embedded motor for each panel
Entrance (Facing Brochstein Pavilion) 0
4’
Technical Diagrams Circuit Diagram
These graphics depict the actions & specific moments of the installation.
MECHANICAL COMPONENTS Microcontroller Motor Antenna Wire Button
50 15 35 130 350
CONSTRUCTION Platform Guide Rails Frosted Plexi 0.5’X8’ U-Channel Receiver Attachment Rods Socket for Rods GRAND TOTAL
500 300 700 350 140 140 2710
Fully closed As part of the sequence when no buttons are pressed
Fully opened: As part of the sequence when no buttons are pressed
Partially opened: When two people step on complementary buttons
CULTURAL ANNEX at HERMANN PARK
CULTURAL ANNEX Fall 2012 | Instructor: Andrea Manning | Grade: A Total Area: 14,000 sqft (1,300m2) Location: Houston, TX, US
CULTURAL ANNEX at HERMANN PARK
Architecture isn’t a boundary that separates space. It defines a place where activities happen.
CULTURAL ANNEX at HERMANN PARK
Going into the building?
Going outside the building and back to park!
- Isn’t this the new cultural building? Let’s go inside! - Cool! ... ... - Wow! Are we still in Hermann Park? - Let’s go sit on the grass!
Closed space?
Exterior space behind the wall!
The building blurs the boundary of interior and exterior space. It gives false clues of going inside building, but eventually surprise you with outdoor space behind the wall. The fun experience makes the building an extension of Hermann Park and provides public space for activities. circulation circulation
EXPERIENCE Ningxin Cheng | Arch 201 November 28 2012
uncovered exteriorexterior uncovered
CULTURAL ANNEX at HERMANN PARK
Museums
scale
EL
EV
L
M
S
AT
ION
B
B’ A B
A’
EL
EV
AT
ION
A
park
bus
museum
metro
theatre
automobile
retail
walking
public circulation employees’ circulation site museum district hermann park rice university
SITE MAP scale: 1/64”
CULTURAL ANNEX at HERMANN PARK
twist
SUN
wrap space
light
access twist
Sitting between the main city street and Herman Park, the building is a threshold between the busy museum district and the relaxing park. Those who come with business would go directly into their meeting but come out to the park; visitors from the park will take time to experience the amazing space before going into the cultural annex and FORM GENERATION Ningxin Cheng | Arch 201 more museums afterwards. November 28 2012
merge with lanscape
CITY
360
view
STREET
CITY
SUNSHINE
PARK
TREES
360
view
STREET
SUNSHINE PARK
TREES
An empty ground is not an active space. But an enclosed space blocks out every beautiful element on this site. Why not open up the space, let the park penetrate in, but still define a public open space ready for people to stop and enjoy?
CULTURAL ANNEX at HERMANN PARK
CULTURAL ANNEX at HERMANN PARK
LEVEL 2 -12’- 00” MEZZANINE +2’- 00”
1
GROUND LEVEL 0’- 00” 2
3
BELOW GROUND -12’- 00”
SECTION A-A’ 0
16’
LEVEL 2 -12’- 00” 2
MEZZANINE +2’- 00”
1
GROUND LEVEL 0’- 00” 2
4
BELOW GROUND -12’- 00”
1 2 3 4
lobby/reception multi-purpose room tolet (women) loading dock
SECTION B-B’ 0
16’
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MARITIME MUSEUM
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL
MARITIME MUSEUM
Spring 2012 | Instructor: Gordon Wittenberg | Grade: A Total Area: 53,340 sqft (4,955 m2) Location: Houston, TX, US
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MARITIME MUSEUM
How different is the building from a scenic train? The destination keeps attracting, but the scenery on the way is no less satisfying than the destination.
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MARITIME MUSEUM
parking
boat tour
A building is a storyteller. It gives you a hint of the treasure, and then meticulously unveil only a small part of it. You go through all the other things to get a peek of a fragment of it before the treasure eventually reveals itself. The curiosity pushes you going further and keeps your excitement throughout the journey. Visual connection stimulate visitors to explore, but provides a false clue of accessibility, On the whole site, the boat tour attracts visitors before they even parked their cars, but the path leads them to go through the exhibition in the building first. Within the museum, Visitors constantly get a glance of the best exhibition from different angles. Eager to get to the most exciting part, the visitors are led to go through the smaller exhibitions which helps build up the background knowledge of the best exhibition before getting to the best part.
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MARITIME MUSEUM
A
d. follow the ramp, get to the small exhibition
c. curious about the main exhibition, walk along the ramp 7
e. go through small exhibition; see the main exhibition again, eager to get there
b. watch the changing exhibition; attracted by the main exhibition B
a. enter; see the changing exhibition
3
A
g. finally get to the main exhibition
14
B
f. follow the ramp to the main exhibition
PLAN - LEVEL3 0
16
A
A
C
C
8
6
13 13 11
10
2 10
B
9
B
5
4 A
A
1
12 B
C
B
C
PLAN - LEVEL2 0 16
0
PLAN - LEVEL1 16
1 Entry and Information 2 Changing Exhibition 3 Small Exhibition 4 Large Exhibition 5 Gift Shop 6 Food Exhibition 7 Theater 8 Cafe 9 Model shop 10 Classrooms 11 Mechanical 12 Storage 13 Restrooms 14 Offices
1 Entry and Information 2 Changing Exhibition 3 Small Exhibition 4 Large Exhibition 5 Gift Shop 6 Food Exhibition 7 Theater 8 Cafe 9 Model shop 10 Classrooms 11 Mechanical 12 Storage 13 Restrooms 14 Offices
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MARITIME MUSEUM
0
0
16
16
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MARITIME MUSEUM
playground
view covered exterior
The maritime museum is situated by the Houston Ship Channel. Cargos and other ships still pass by frequently. The area is filled with all kinds of industrial supplies and oil tanks on one side. However, on the other side, the site has the beautiful ship channel, perfect for an enjoyable boat tour.
HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL MARITIME MUSEUM
FACADE AS VIEW FILTER In order for the visitors to feel the maritime environment, and block the irrelevant industrial view, the facade module is extruded at an angle so that the view visitors get is focused to the vast ship channel. The transparency of the facade changes according to the thickness of the module.
basic module
repeated module
depth controlling view
changing depth controlling transparency
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
DOUBLE EXPERIENCE Fall 2013 | Instructor: Sam Stewart-Halevy | Grade: A Total Area: 163 acres (660,000 m2) Location: Houston, TX, US
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
The word city is too broad to generate a specific image. For some people, city means overcrowded streets with endless stores on both sides. Cars are crawling less than one foot from pedestrians who are walking faster than jogging. People complain they have no escape from the shared space. For some others, city means endless driving on freeways no matter where to go. Parking lots substitute pedestrians. Going out means getting into the car + freeway + and getting out of the car. The earth complains about gas consumption.
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
What about the two conditions coexisting? What about surprising people with a completely different world without anticipation?
How to create two independent environment in one space? How to make people almost next to each other feel they are in different atmosphere?
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
CINEMA relaxing bizzar SUPERMARKET WETLAND THEATERS PHARMACY empty MUSEUMS quiet crowd OFFICE family CAFE dangerous hang out APARTMENT DEPARTMENT jogging RESTAURANT STORE PARK HOUSES concert SCHOOL plaza GALLERY GARDEN biking STADIUM GARAGE highway SKYSCRAPER
CITY
ambiguous inside-outside relationship
SUBURB
program
People in either the shaded or the unshaded space would have the impression that they are occupying the whole area, and actually they can get anywhere without crossing the boundary, especially when the program on the boundary is shared by both. People in either space would regard themselves as being in the center, and others as on the edge, thus treating them as irrelevant, and stay in their own atmosphere. The same effect can also be achieved in orthogonal organization.
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
XL THE
CITY
residential
The site is on the edge of all different things, but belongs to nothing. Or, one can say it belongs to anything, depending on where you come, where to go. the Fifth Ward
industrial residential downtown
residential
Drivinging from downtown Houston, you can stay in the urban enviroment without noticing the existence of the other world. Coming from the residential area, you can keep staying in your own tranquil atmosphere, away from the city.
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE shared open space communication &interaction
straight edge
vs. isolated space, privacy
green space
2 bedroom house
residential
3 bedroom house
cultural office & retail
crenulated edge
strong city atmosphere
extended city atmosphere lead prople to a different environment
green space
2 bedroom house
residential
3 bedroom house
cultural office & retail
small retail helps building up the community
The vibrant, fast-paced city is defined by straight edge, while the detached, tranquil residential world is defined by crenulated edge. Office workers know the site well and they get to anywhere through urban setting. Residents go jogging everywhere around the site through the “suburban” community. Visitors? They don’t know the trick so the journey through the site is full of surprise! One second they are in the city. Next second they are in suburb! green space
2 bedroom house
residential
3 bedroom house
cultural office & retail
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
L
THE
AREA
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
City is about objects while the residential world is about space. In the city, one notices the buildings. Exterior space is all left-over. However, isolated from the city, buildings become the lines that articulate the void as object. The straight urban edge pushes people to the other side. From there, the left-over void gradually becomes the subject. Exterior becomes interior. People open a door to go outside at the most private space, only to find they are back to the most public interior.
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
RETAIL
M
THE
COMMUNITY
office tower
retail / office
roof garden RETAIL
75’*75’ small retail
apartments 50’*50’ single family house 35’*35’ single family house
single family houses
75’*75’ small retail
50’*50’ single family house 35’*35’ single family house
unexpected experience unexpected experience
retail/office garage sloped ground surface
GREEN SPACE
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
Instead of wrapping the space like a box, the space is defined by a continuous surface which is crenulated and accomplishes a seamless transition from exterior to interior.
KBR SITE PLANNING - DOUBLE EXPERIENCE
S
THE
UNIT
HIDDEN FIGURE
text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text
HIDDEN FIGURE HOUSE
NINGXIN CHENG
N
SITE PLAN
ROOF
SECOND FLOOR
AXONOMETRIC DRAWING
N
GROUND FLOOR