ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO GRADUATE APPLICATION SERENA CHING 2016
I believe that good design is informed by a series of concerns, constraints, and goals. In Architecture, this becomes a framework that is introduced by the character, people, and circumstances of the place that fuels creative inspirations for buildings that would contribute to and receive from their surrounding communities.
CONTENTS
SELECTED PROJECTS MERIT SCHOOL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS ADAPTIVE REUSE: BUBNY ART FACTORY ELGIN URBAN FARM AND MARKETPLACE YWCA PAVILION PROJECT ELEVATE ADDITION TO A MASTERPIECE CUBE CONCEPT TYLER CREEK SHELTER BATH CONTINUITA STILL LIFE DRAWINGS ARCHITECTURAL REPRESENTATIONS
MERIT SCHOOL OF THE PERFORMING ARTS ADDITION EXPOSED RHYTHMS
Merit as it exists now is composed of unbalanced rhythms between members of the community and the music school. The issue lies within the fact that the overwhelming vibrations between two different programs are confined in an opaque envelope and that the students, faculty, and community members are not getting the exposure and acknowledgment they deserve from the immediate context. By breaking the box and exposing the fluctuation between different programs the new addition aims to elevate the process of music making and celebrate the result of the varied rhythms within the space.
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GROUND FLOOR
BETWEEN OLD AND NEW The new building cuts through the center of the existing Merit, bringing more light into the space and serving as a connection between the new Performance Hall to the converted Multi-Purpose Hall that breaks through the east facade. STRUCTURE
SLAB
SKIN
PROGRAM A. CONCERT HALL B. MULTI-PURPOSE HALL C. CAFE D. OFFICES E. CLASSROOMS/PRACTICE ROOMS F. GREEN ROOM G. STORAGE H. DRESSING ROOMS I. MECHANICAL ROOM E
SECOND FLOOR
SOUTH ELEVATION
SECTION
RAY TRACING DIAGRAMS
THE CONCERT HALL The multi-faceted geometry of a vineyard hall allows for interesting circulation and access that responds and draws in people from the various programs within the building. Inside the hall, audience members surround the performers and the design of the walls allow for early lateral reflections within the space.
GROUND FLOOR
CHORUS
BALCONY
SECTION
CONVENTIONAL ROOF
SECTION ROOF RESPONDING TO ACOUSTICAL QUALITIES
THE MULTI-PURPOSE HALL The new multi-purpose hall breaks through the old facade and will replace the existing community room. In order to accomodate for various community and music school programs, a lift system will raise and lower each of the four floor panels from the basement for a private rehearsal, to ground level for receptions and community waiting areas, as well as up to three feet above the ground for an intimate recital.
REHEARSAL
COMMUNITY
RECITAL
WALL SECTION
BUBNY ART FACTORY BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES [Prague, Czech Republic]
The art factory aims at blurring the boundaries between how artists live [private], work [semi-private], exhibit their work [semi-public], and reach out to the community. The artist lofts are spread out throughout the whole space, allowing for circulation and mixing between them and visitors. The old building and its existing structure is clad with a porous corten steel that wraps and reveals parts of the old building, reflecting the ever-changing internal programs and allowing the vibrancy of the artists to filter out to the public and vice-versa.
Bubny Brownfields Prague 7
Bubny Brownfields Redevelopment master plan
This industrial building sentenced to be demolished was once a train depot. The adaptive reuse project is part of a brownfield redevelopment master plan, in that a new vibrant program is injected into the building to revitalize this forgotten zone in Prague 7. The art factory fronts a boulevard that is being incorporated into the new master plan.
ARTIST WORKSHOP/ STUDIO
ARTIST LOFTS
MATERIAL DROP-OFF ENTRANCE
CAFE
PUBLIC CIRCULATION
CROSS-SECTION
MATERIAL DROP-OFF METAL AND WOOD SHOPS
The open ground floor plan allows for freedom for artists to arrange their workspace and exhibition space as they wish. The visitor is allowed to roam freely through the space.
The courtyard at the south end allows for bigger art installations and the cafe attracts passersby to the Art Factory.
URBAN FARM AND MARKETPLACE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DYNAMIC MALLEABILITY In response to the fact that unhealthy eating stems from deep-rooted habits, it is vital to engage with kids and youths at their most malleable stage. Their dynamic energy and teachable spirit will spread into the lives of their families and the community as a whole.
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Children's Program Greenhouses Goats Barn Program Hoop houses Food Lab Market Hall Open Kitchen Kid's Dining Hall Adult Dining Cooking Classroom Office Mechanical
GROUND FLOOR
THIRD FLOOR
Malleability [adj.] 1. Capable of being shaped, bent, or drawn out [without breaking] 2. Being able to adjust to changing circumstances
SECTION 2
SECTION 1
MARKET HALL GREENHOUSE
BARN PROGRAMS
EDIBLE GARDENS
CLASSROOMS
KIDS PROGRAM IN THE MIDST OF THE MARKET AND FARM PROGRAMS
MALLEABILITY OF GREEN PROGRAM
DEFINING A PLAZA
FARMING KINDERGARTEN, VIETNAM
EDIBLE GARDEN NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, SINGAPORE
CAFE
ASHEVILLE DESIGN-BUILD STUDIO: YWCA STAIR COVERING AND PAVILION
This 10-week long project for the YWCA of Asheville consists of masterplanning to improve vehicular and pedestrian circulation on the campus as well as designing a covering over the existing stairway and a pavilion for an outdoor classroom for the children in the after school program. During the design process, the major challenge was to connect the rectangular roof design towards the sidewalk as well as to the trapezoidal pavilion structure. We were all involved in the site analysis and schematic design as well as construction of the project itself. I was more involved in the analog sketches, model-making process, as well as the steel design and fabrication of the bench for the pavilion.
Early sketches of the stair covering and pavilion.
Resolving the intersection between the stair covering and pavilion structures was a major challenge.
Cantilevered stepped roof design with timber sandwich columns embedded into concrete footings in the sloped hill on the west side of the stairs.
MIRIAM GEE [INSTRUCTOR] THAT’S ME!
Pavilion and outdoor classroom
LUKE PERRY [INSTRUCTOR] The intersection between the stair covering and the pavilion
PROJECT ELEVATE
WORLD VISION SHELTER COMPETITION Working in teams of 10 students, the task was to design an affordable, durable, lightweight, easily-assembled, and semi-permanent shelter for a syrian refugee camp. Our team focused on bringing back dignity and senst of security to these refugees by providing roof terrace that responds to the vernacular middle-eastern houses while allowing the users to get away from the congestion of overpopulated refugee camps. The hexagonal shape introduces a fresh and dynamic configuration of courtyards an connecting spaces for the community.
ADDITION TO A MASTERPIECE FARNSWORTH HOUSE
The task was to design a separate space within the limits of the Farnsworth House by Mies Van Der Rohe that would serve as a weekend home for a married couple. The program called for a studio space, a public gallery, a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchenette, and living room within 1000-1500 square feet. The Aim is to establish a Dialogue Between Farnsworth and the new addition through a direct relationship between the cores of the buildings, as well as public and private spaces within the new addition.
PUBLIC ART GALLERY
PRIVATE DWELLING
SEMI-PRIVATE STUDIO
CIRCULATION
VIEWS
SECTIONS
CUBE CONCEPT
SHEAR + DISPLACEMENT MICHAEL PAROTTI+SERENA CHING
This abstract project revolves around the idea of two cubes colliding into each other, resulting in the concepts of shear and displacement. In addition to creating a cohesive whole, the intent was to explore the architectural concepts of space and structure, playing on the varying levels of human scale.
AXON
TYLER CREEK SHELTER CONVERSING WITH NATURE
This temporary shelter is situated in a forest preserve that is within 5 minutes walk from the Judson campus. The idea was to engage in individual with his surroundings through ephemeral bamboo and fabric materials, clear line of sight down the steep slope, as well as a living wall that weaves in and out of the space.
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Avon Road
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Stanley Road
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A. Existing Church B. Theater C. Boys and Girls School D. Guildhall E. Hotel F. Market
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BATH CONTINUITA URBAN REVITALIZATION
This urban design project takes replaces a zone in bath where large floor plate buildings and parking lots have diminished the vitality and neighborliness of that area. By reintroducing Kingston Square as well as civic, residential, and secular programs, this proposal, based on the Georgian plan of Bath, aims at reinstating neighborliness and safety through balanced activity on the streets and public square.
Kingston Square
Theatre Royal Grand Front in Beauford Square from The Georgian Buildings of Bath by Walter Ison
The Blue Coat School (demolished in 1860) from The Georgian Buildings of Bath by Walter Ison
STILL-LIFE DRAWINGS GRAPHITE|CHARCOAL
NEUE KIRCHE BERLIN
ARCHITECTURAL REPRESENTATION
INK|GRAPHITE|WATERCOLOR DIGITAL TOOLS|PHOTOGRAPHY
ST. VITUS PRAGUE
KREUZKIRCHE BERLIN
LA ALHAMBRA VIEWS GRANADA
CONSTRUCTION TECTONICS STUDY
PRODUCED BY ANfilm AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT Float Glass with silk printed
Aluminum Die Casting Open Acess Floor
Tempered Glass Fins Metal point support glazing hardware
Hanging Rod
Ribbed Steel Plates Colored Steel Plate
Tempered Glass with Shatterproof Film
Hanging Rod Sprayed Rock Wool
SECTION
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
Vinyl TIles
CED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
SENDAI MEDIATHEQUE
PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT
LODECKA APARTMENTS PRAGUE
ARTGEN PRAGUE
SERENA CHING B.A. IN ARCHITECTURE
SERENA.CHING1@GMAIL.COM 224-209-3600
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND 2012-2016 JUDSON UNIVERSITY, Illinois BACHELOR OF ARTS 2015 ARCHITECTURE INSTITUTE OF PRAGUE, Czech Republic STUDY ABROAD SEMESTER 2010-2012 WAKE FOREST-ROLESVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, North Carolina 2006-2010 MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL, China 2001-2006 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, Malaysia
ARCHITECTURE-RELATED EXPERIENCE LISKY VILLAGE COMMUNITY DESIGN 2015 Lisky, Czech Republic Client: Mayor of Lisky Design Charette for a Village Square YWCA-Asheville Design Build Studio 2014 Asheville, NC Non-Profit Organization Community-based design DESIGN+CONSTRUCTa pavilion in 10 weeks Association of Christians in Architecture (ACA) Annie Sopper School conceptual design (2014) Moyobamba, Peru
HONORS JUDSON UNIVERSITY Tau Sigma Delta Honors Society Secretary (2014-2016) AIAS (2014-2016) Dean’s List (2012-2016) Honors Program (2012-2016) Judson Student Organization Diversity Activities Coordinator (2013-2014) International Activities Coordinator (2015-2016)
LANGUAGES ENGLISH native MANDARIN intermediate BAHASA MELAYU intermediate FRENCH beginner JAPANESE beginner
SKILLS Revit AutoCAD Adobe Creative Suite SketchUp Rhino Sketching Physical Models Microsoft Office
*references available upon request