Architecture Portfolio Mid-Year 2024 by Stefenie Lai

STEFENIE LAI

ARCHITECTURAL PORTFOLIO / 2024

ASSEMBLAGE the end at the beginning of the water

EXTERNAL VIEW

Situated adjacent to Gadigal Green, the project bears a profound responsibility to bridge the connection between the Aboriginal students it houses and their ancestral land. The design seeks to honor and celebrate this context, creating a living environment that ties the descendants of the Gadigal people to the sacred ground of their heritage.

A Huge House

Aboriginal College: 300 Student Housing

This project aims to foster a strong sense of community and connection to country for the 300 Aboriginal student residents of the new Aboriginal College. The design takes inspiration from the vertical axis established between the site and the adjoining Gadigal Green - an open green space of deep cultural significance as a gathering place for the local Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.

The proposal choreographs student life to radiate outwards from this anchoring corner, drawing residents back to engage with country and celebrate their shared traditions and community. Considering the significant sun exposure across the site, a stepped, terraced massing emerged as an appropriate solution to create a multitude of open-air shared spaces and shaded interior zones.

rooms from the interior terraces and common areas.

Within, the architecture redefines the concept of the corridor as simply a circulation space. Instead, a gradated private-public hierarchy blends student rooms with communal living areas in a seamless continuum. Intimate alcoves radiate from vibrant social hubs, with layers of transitional spaces filtering activity levels down to quiet nooks for independent study.

SECTION I

The building form steps up vertically in sculptural terraces, a solid, monolithic presence carved away to reveal communal areas at each level. This massing contrasts with the expansive horizontality of the adjoining green space, forming a ceremonial counterpoint that highlights the significance of the corner. The facade treatment reinforces this sense of carved compactness with a repetitive, perforated corrugated screening. Ventelles integrated into this exterior skin allow students autonomy to open up or close off their private

This nuanced spatial sequence fosters diverse settings to accommodate both vibrant student life and focused scholarship, all grounded in connections to country. The graduated zones allow variable levels of privacy, socialization, and quiet study adapted to the changing needs of Aboriginal students over the cycle of the academic year.

Throughout, the architecture facilitates engagement with Indigenous culture, storytelling, and traditions. Spaces are designed expressly to enable ceremonies, customs, and practices connecting students to their history and heritage. The building works in concert with the landscaped terraces and adjoining Gadigal Green to provide settings for coming together as a community in connection with the surrounding country.

TYPICAL PLAN I

FAÇADE AXONOMETRIC

SECTION II

The typical from communal to private domains. The concept of en delineate the division of space usage. A common room situated between two clusters provides opportunities for yarning and social interaction, fostering a sense of community. The extrusion of spaces creates outdoor communal areas, further enhancing the connection between residents and their environment. The bridge connecting the two wings of the building is shaped to project the land contour on which the building sits, reinforcing the importance of Land within the built footprint. This concept materiality choices.

The building’s section reveals how the central staircase serves as a vertical spine, weaving the oors together seamlessly. This strategic design element promotes a strong sense of connectivity and community throughout the entire building. As residents traverse the staircase, they encounter various communal spaces and shared amenities on each level, fostering opportunities for social interaction and chance encounters. The openness of the stairwell allows for visual connections between oors, creating a sense of unity and belonging among residents. By integrating the central staircase as a key feature, the design encourages the ow of movement and interaction, making it easy for residents to navigate and engage with the building’s communal areas, ultimately strengthening the sense of community within the Aboriginal student housing project.

1. Pintle hinge with linear actuator

2. Hendrick aluminium. perforated corrugated panel 20mm with 3mm dia. x 5mm staggered - 40% open area

3. Custom aluminium pro le/extrusion

4. Nylon hinges/eye-end sets, bolted on 310x310 UC

5. Aluminium bahama shutter tilt arms with nylon eye-end caps

6. 310x310 UC, powder coated

7. Exposed precast concrete

8. Metal sill ashing

9. Weather seal (exterior sealant and backing rod)

10. Plywood/OSB sheathing, joints taped/sealed

11. 100x50 galvinised C purlins

12. Interior gypsum board

FAÇADE DETAIL

UNIT PLAN

1/50

The project adopts a gradated public-to-private hierarchy as occupants move from the central core to their individual cluster units. Tailored to First Nations cultural traditions, a custom kitchen/dining bench bridges two rooms, emphasizing the domestic signi cance of cooking and communal meals. Flexible open spaces allow for personalized furnishing arrangements. Strategically located within the core, an open laundry area maximizes opportunities for casual engagement between residents of adjacent clusters. By incorporating this everyday ritual as a central feature, the design recognizes the crucial role of informal daily interactions in fostering a strong sense of community and belonging among residents.

CONSIDERATIONS OF COUNTRY

The project’s design approach prioritizes the well-being of both the occupants and the land itself. Through thoughtful spatial planning, material selection, and symbolic gestures, the building establishes a deep connection to Country and celebrates indigenous cultural practices. The use of certi ed First Nations suppliers’ materials, such as the artwork-imprinted plywood panels, directly integrates indigenous creativity and storytelling into the architecture. The projection of contours onto the oor plate serves as a powerful reminder of the land’s history and signi cance.

This project aims to redevelop Woolwich Dock, celebrating the intersection of two vital waterways and the intertwining of differences. The site is where the Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers converge, and the Wallumedegal People, the area’s traditional owners, refer to it as Moocooboola, which translates to “the meeting of the rivers.” The proposal derives inspiration from the site’s rich narrative and geographical importance, integrating various performance programmes to establish a vibrant architectural encounter that commemorates the convergence of rivers and the intersection of individuals, history, and art. This chapter shall provide an introduction to the site and its expansion upon the thematic concept of Moocooboola.

The rivers of Sydney Harbour exemplify a rich tapestry of history and lore, with each river serving as a vessel for distinct values and embodying a cultural background worthy of admiration. The Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers are notable waterways that hold significance for the Wallumedegal People, as their confluence marks a significant location. The concept of a “harbour” in this

Assemblage (Sydney Drama House)

the end at the beginning of the water

particular context represents the convergence of diverse elements, serving as a space where various cultures unite to commemorate the richness of diversity and its impacts. The primary strategy adopted in addressing the requirements of the “Sydney Harbour Drama House” is centred around the concept of celebrating variety and fostering a sense of community via the creation of a poetic and substantial architectural manifestation.The reconstruction proposal is well-suited for the site due to its rich historical story and geographical importance. The project seeks to commemorate the convergence of two crucial waterways and the harmonious coexistence of diverse elements. The proposal derives inspiration from the site’s abundant narrative and distinctive geographical location, integrating a variety of performance programmes to provide a vibrant architectural encounter that commemorates the convergence of rivers and the intersection of individuals, history, and art.

The Woolwich Dock, situated on the shores of Sydney Harbour just across from Cockatoo Island, is an area rich in maritime heritage. The harbor’s underwater topography exhibits an average depth of 13 metres, characterised by the presence of deep channels and shallow regions ranging from 3 to 5 metres in depth. The location of the site at the confluence of Parramatta and Lane Cove Rivers holds considerable importance for the Wallumedegal People, the Traditional Owners, who commonly identify the region as Moocooboola. The reconstruction proposal is well-suited for the site due to its rich historical story and geographical importance. The project seeks to commemorate the convergence of two crucial waterways and the harmonious coexistence of diverse elements. The proposal derives inspiration from the site’s abundant narrative and distinctive geographical location, integrating a variety of performance programmes to provide a vibrant architectural encounter that commemorates the convergence of rivers and the intersection of individuals, history, and art.

The project represents a cohesive integration of two distinct performance contexts, primarily an outdoor theatre and a concert hall, which have been established

based on their ability to accommodate sizable crowds and their differing approaches to accessibility and utilisation. The open-air theatre is strategically situated on the surface of the water, with certain sections elegantly submerged. This project undertakes a comprehensive investigation of the concept of water and its manifestation as an architectural encounter. The open-air theatre functions as an introductory element, captivating guests through the concepts of fluidity, buoyancy, and perpetual transformation. The platform provided by the unexpected fluctuations of the tides offers local artists a distinctive opportunity to integrate the water element into their open-air performances. Through the act of immersing its physical structure in water, the architectural entity forms a mutually beneficial association between itself and the aquatic environment, so enabling the manifestation of the nation’s cultural legacy inside the given location. The smooth and uninterrupted flow of the story serves to amplify the significance of the confluence of the rivers, so emphasising the importance of this natural occurrence.

Watery Mud

Washpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Watery Mud was developed out of a series of design charrettes that examined at how lines, patterns, and figures in a picture could be used to make designs. The programme was a 10,000 square foot childcare facility for women and children, opted to locate in Dhaka, Bangladesh—a city that is increasingly hosting climate refugees.

This project examined the potential of mud and bamboo construction, the interaction between a building and the earth, and the varying levels of the water table. The concept was that mud, a substance that decomposes naturally and hence necessitates ongoing maintenance, could be a tool for collectivity and participatory design.

Many climate refugees from South Bangladesh have settled in Washpur (most of whom are women and children). The chosen location engages the shoreline and is surrounded by ad hoc and unofficial settlements. The facility would serve as a venue for educating women and kids so they can create a sustainable future.

Section: 2020

Section: 2030

Section: 2040

392 Crown Street, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

A sketch in Lawrence Halprin’s notepad served as the basis for this endeavour. He characterised the road as a notion... as a sensory experience in his sketch. The site, which is located at 392 Crown Street, is on a boundary that separates Yale from communities that are primarily low-income, African-American, and Latinx. Conceptually, the design is influenced by the choreographic ideals of Anna Halprin, a dancer who used movement, art, and direct experiences with nature to rehabilitate patients who were near the end of their lives. The goal of the way is to integrate into one’s daily activities so that bodies can come back, roam, and wander anytime they like.