HIEN MINH VUONG PORTFOLIO
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT FALL
2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
STUDIO WORK LIGHT SPACE HABITS CAFE BODEGA
1 7 13 19
DRAWINGS PENCIL CHARCOAL COLOR
27 30 31
LIGHT NEW YORK-PARIS PROGRAM. FALL
2009
investigation: the operation of light on the highline park in chelsea, new york city
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documentation: the perceptions of light and darkness are interdependent. the effect of each is inversely enhanced by the other. the visitor’s experience of light on the highline is traced through multiple city blocks, going from ample natural light coming from the hudson river to dimness caused by the bulky warehouses of chelsea’s old quarter. the perceived intensity of natural light is greatest when it slips through between tall buildings whereas the perceived darkness is intensified when surrounded by natural light. using styrene, rubber, and metal, the models seek to capture such operations of light and darkness, as perceived by the highline’s visitors
HIEN MINH VUONG
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site photos
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STUDIO WORK
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LIGHT
PORTFOLIO
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MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT
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drawing: a close examination of the interaction between light sources and the perception of light throughout different parts of the highine
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picture: situationist map. the light sources (which are fixed and thus represented by rigid styrene) shape the visitor’s perception of light on the highline (which varies and thus is represented by the flexible rubber sheet)
HIEN MINH VUONG
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STUDIO WORK
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LIGHT
correspondence between light and darkness. the interdependence relationship is similar to that of a bar code: white space is defined by black space and vice-versa
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PORTFOLIO
light conditions on and under the highline. metal wires allow for marking separated surface conditions and motion types created by light/darkness without the impenetrable physical barriers
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MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT
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FALL
2010
SPACE NEW YORK-PARIS PROGRAM. FALL
2009
investigation: the dior dress, with its many layers, represents excessiveness while looking clean-cut and simple. the bodega is an example of extreme economy in the use of space, allowing only for vertical expansion (super-narrow aisles between super-tall shelves). is the amount of fabric used in the dress necessary? is the use of space in the bodega the most efficient? this raises the question if less space always means more efficiency
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the bodega’s compactness serves to expose its customers to the largest quantity of products allowed by the given footage. yet, the aisle’s narrowness also compromises the facility of nevigating and thus decreases the appeal of products in location that is infrequently visited. the actual level of efficiency in the use of space in a bodega is therefore not consistently achieved
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documentation: an oxford shirt requires the least amount of fabrics for a versatile program: it can be dressed down or dressed up. the condensation of the fabrics results in a compact space with lost efficiency. though covering a head, the new object is less of a hat but a device that restricts sightline of the wearer
HIEN MINH VUONG
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STUDIO WORK
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SPACE
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transformation from efficiency to excessiveness
MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT
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PORTFOLIO
HIEN MINH VUONG
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STUDIO WORK
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actual bodega plan
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SPACE
bodega plan based on visit frequency larger space means more visits
bodega plan based on customer speed wider space allows for higher speed
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bodega plan based on the direction of customer flow limited sightline caused by tall shelves results in a highly controlled and directional movement
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PORTFOLIO
HABITS NEW YORK-PARIS PROGRAM. FALL
2009
investigation: daily activities in the room of georges perec, based on information extracted from his essay, species of spaces
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documentation: the fear for bed monsters, mentioned as one of the reasons for the author’s attachment to his beloved bed, is assumed to be a function of direct sunlight and darkness (caused by the room corners’ sharpness). the fear factor is then quantified as the time spent sleeping which also depends on the interaction between sunlight and the bed position. the project explores ways in which the fear can be manipulated based on those variables: minimized, maximized, or eliminated
HIEN MINH VUONG
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STUDIO WORK
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HABITS
SLEEPING HOURS = f(FEAR FOR BED MONSTERS) = f(DIRECT SUNLIGHT, DARK CORNERS)
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PORTFOLIO
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MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT
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FALL
2010
eliminate the fear
minimize the fear
maximize the fear
direct sunlight
dark corners
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original
HIEN MINH VUONG
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STUDIO WORK
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HABITS
original: 8 hours of sleep
maximized fear: 12 hours of sleep
eliminated fear: 0 hour of sleep
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minimized fear: 7 hours of sleep
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occupant’s sleeping hours and direct sunlight operation. diagram
CAFE BODEGA NEW YORK-PARIS PROGRAM. FALL
2009
investigation: the chelsea tunnel’s lower part of the highline seems detached from the highline as it is the route rarely taken by the visitors. one cannot see the chelsea public art from that level and the dimness of the place only encourages for a quicker walk to the open space at the end of the tunnel. the intention of the project is therefore to capture the “experience of the highline,” condense it, and bring it to this excluded part. the lower part of the chelsea is effectively turned into a mini intensified highline
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documentation: the most pronounced characteristic of the highline is its seamless flow. there are four major types of motion identified: the direct point a-b move, the move-with-the-flow, the directionless wanderer’s walk, and the stop-and-stand. the bodega, with its inherent controlled movement characteristic is designed to capture the first two types of motion. the cafe is a place for the wanderers and the standers. a ramp and a cutout in the cafe’s floor are included to allow for interaction, though not mixing, between users of the two spaces
HIEN MINH VUONG
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STUDIO WORK
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CAFE BODEGA
SITE ANALYSIS
site flow tracing
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MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT
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FLOOR PLANS
bodega plan
cafe plan
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PORTFOLIO
HIEN MINH VUONG
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STUDIO WORK
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CAFE BODEGA
SECTIONS
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PORTFOLIO
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MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT
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FALL
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PERSPECTIVE AND AXONOMETRIC
bodega perspective
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bodega and cafe axonometric
HIEN MINH VUONG
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STUDIO WORK
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CAFE BODEGA
OPERATION ANALYSIS
customer’s motion in the bodega. diagrammatic model
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the pins mark physical/visual barriers that change the direction of customers’ movements through the bodega. thicker and heavier wire is the equivalent of a straight and direct from-point-a-to-point-b circulation. the thinner wires mean more flexibility in the motion trajectory but still retain a certain direction
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MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT
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FALL
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the use of mesh for directionless movement is based on the material’s matrix of metal threads in which to separate one thread from another is difficult. the bunch of smaller wires is a representation of the pedestrian flow through the tunnel: everyone is walking straight towards the open space at the end of the tunnel with the potential of straying into the directionless environment of the cafe
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customer’s motion in the cafe. diagrammatic model
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DRAWINGS
pencil on construction paper. 12”x18”. fall 2003
HIEN MINH VUONG
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DRAWINGS
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PENCIL
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pencil on construction paper. 12”x18”. fall 2003
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MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE APPLICANT
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FALL
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PORTFOLIO
magazine print and pencil on construction paper. 12”x18”. fall 2003
HIEN MINH VUONG
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DRAWINGS
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CHARCOAL
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charcoal on construction paper. 24”x36”. spring 2009
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PORTFOLIO
charcoal on construction paper. 24”x36”. spring 2009
HIEN MINH VUONG
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DRAWINGS
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COLOR
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pastel on construction paper. 24”x36”. summer 2008
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PORTFOLIO
watercolor on construction paper. 24”x36”. spring 2004