YAO YAO | PORTFOLIO RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN MASTER OF DESIGN | INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
CONTENTS
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STORE OF FOLK TOYS Retail design of a traditional Chinese folk toy store
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EXPLORATION OF SMALL SPACE Three series of small space which could solve social problems
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LINK OF SPACE The spatial requirements of different groups of people
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NARRATIVE MUSEUM An exhibition design, ‘A House for a Collector of Ideas‘
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TATTOO REMOVAL HOTEL A boutique hotel design including both a tattoo studio and guest rooms
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CHESS ROOM Castling as a spatial strategy, the chess room shared daytime by children and nighttime by adults
STORE OF FOLK TOYS RETAIL DESIGN OF A CHINESE TRADITIONAL FOLK TOYS STORE Site: Beijing, China Year: Fall 2011 I wandered across Beijing, in search of a cloth tiger for a foreign friend. However, my search wasn’t successful, as there are few such stores that focus on traditional Chinese toys. The toys remind me of many memories from childhood, simple but fun. They bear the traits of Chinese traditions and folk customs. Besides the joy we get from them, we can also learn from playing. I didn’t expect that there were so few shops that still exist in real life. Meanwhile, there are so many Chinese children obsessed with online video games or western toys, knowing little about their own culture. This made me think. Why couldn’t I reshape and revive this art that is going to vanish? Why don’t we start such a store that sells traditional toys? I hope that my design draws more attention to the folk arts of my homeland. And I hope that the casual culture from Shanxi and Shaanxi will allow customers to slow down, and enjoy shopping in a relaxed way.
Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Questionnaire
Visitors’ Flow Rate of South Luogu Alley
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| Store of Folk Toys
Senior
Morning Noon Night
Children Adult Foreigner Teenager Local
Flow Rate of South Luogu Alley ( People / Hour )
Knowledge of Traditional Folk Toy.
Rich
Little
Poor
Have you ever seen the folk toy stores?
Frequently
Seldom
Never
View of interior style of folk toy stores.
Entirely Traditional
Combination with Modern Elements
Contemporary
Favorite type of Traditional folk toys.
Soft Toys
Sound Toys
Sports Toys
Educational Toys 7
Design Process | Sketches Research & discover concept
Inspiration
Architecture
Entrance
First floor
Second floor 8
| Store of Folk Toys
Find elements
Design
Develop
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10
| Store of Folk Toys
Bars
South Luogu Alley
South Luogu Alley No.15 Courtyard
Boutique
Quadrangle Courtyard
Location The store locates in South Luogu Alley, which is a traditional neighborhood for civilian residence that still keeps its age-old tradition of ‘the li and fang community system’ which dates back to the Yuan Dynasty. Now it has become one of Beijing’s most unique ancient streets of cultural exchange between China and the west.
The Form of Architecture Based on my research on the culture, customs, and the folk dwellings of northern Shaanxi, I found that the cloth tiger is the best representative of the traditional toys in northern China. Therefore, I infused this cultural symbol in my design to make them a whole. Also, the design echoes well to its peripheral architectures. 11
The First Floor It is a commercial space. The new facade integrates with the existing wall of the traditional courtyard, that gives the old wall a new life. The ground is decorated with the image of the tail of the cloth tiger, which extends to the second floor.
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| Store of Folk Toys
The Second Floor It is a space of interactive experience. With the image of the cloth tiger tail still appearing, the space focuses specifically on the integration of user-experience, interaction, and commercial ambiance.
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NARRATIVE MUSEUM A HOUSE FOR A COLLECTOR OF IDEAS Site: Providence, RI, USA Year: Spring 2013 Similar to other museums in the United States, the RISD Museum receives a large amount of donations from different collectors. However only 3% of the works are on display, the rest are kept in the storage. The central idea of this project is to give flexibility to the museum’s curators allowing them to rotate elements of its permanent collection in new ways. This will provide opportunities to show items that might otherwise remain in storage, and will allow for new perceptions of the chosen pieces and their associated narratives.
Chase Center Main Entrance
Benefit Street Entrance
Site The site locates at the west side of the RISD Museum, between the boiler house and the existing museum walls. There is a large space that we will appropriate for our hypothetical proposition. No plans exist for it, so we are required to design an extension to the museum that provides the new accommodation. My strategy is to open several entrances within the museum, in which they connect two existing levels of the museum. 16
| Narrative Museum
Waterman Street
Narrative In this project, we are asked to create a special exhibition for RISD Museum based on Italo Calvino’s ‘Six Memos for the Next Millennium’. The memos were intended to be the subjects of a series of lectures to be delivered at Harvard University in 1985, but were never delivered, due to the untimely death of the author. They are: 1. Lightness; 2. Quickness; 3. Exactitude; 4. Visibility; 5. Multiplicity; A sixth, Consistency, was in the course of preparation at the time of Calvino’s death, but never finished.
Visibility
Exactitude
Multiplicity | Quickness
Lightness 17
Visible Storage A fresh way to reveal object which used to be hidden in storage
S
E
K Concept As the museum of an art school, the RISD Museum is a valuable teaching tool used by many of the school’s departments. Thus, bringing more objects becomes the main goal of my design. My solution, Visible Storage, creates a space that provides a flexible environment for curators to rotate exhibitions and show items which might be in storage. At the same time, visible storage grants visitors strong impressions, a new perspective by allowing them to experience work in a new way. 18
| Narrative Museum
Flexibility Using movable elements to provide multi-functional space 1.Movable Shelf 2.Sliding Door 3.Invisible Table
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First Floor Plan of the Exhibition
3 1
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| Narrative Museum
Notch Gallery Multiplicity | Quickness Push Visitors to move forward and become extremely impressed by the giant shelves that are full of objects.
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By cutting a big opening on the existing wall, the exhibition space becomes more flexible by sliding the movable door. The working theory of the movable shelves comes from ‘dumb waiter‘.
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| Narrative Museum
A
A 1/64”=1’0”
Section A-A
B
B
1/64”=1’0”
Section B-B 23
Visible Storage Gallery Lightness | Exactitude | Visibility Visible storage provide a chance for more objects to be displayed, in another way, students could learn objects by different categories and various point of view.
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| Narrative Museum
Painting Wall Putting all the painting by the theme instead of painters or Art style, which brings a extremely comparison and contrast. 1.Female 2.Male 3.Landscape 4.Plant
C
C
1/32”=1’0”
Section C-C 25
Second Floor | Bridge The added bridge is inspired by the bridge on the archaeology site from Kolumba Art Museum in Germany, which in a similar way that visitors could get closer to the objects and gain a different perspective of the exhibition.
Second Floor Plan of the Exhibition
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| Narrative Museum
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EXPLORATION OF SMALL SPACE FOUR SERIES OF SMALL SPACE WHICH COULD SOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMS Site: Beijing / Xiaan / Suzhou, China Year: 2011-2012 The “egg-shell hut” in Beijing represents a new form of dwelling for the Ant Race (a group of young people who cannot afford apartments). It was reported that the “egg-shell” was removed by property management company. In Beijing, the average monthly salary for college graduates is RMB 2549 (about 500 dollars). With this salary, it would take them 212 years to afford an apartment of 80 square meters (860 square feet) in Beijing. In contemporary China, the population continues to grow. Urbanization is evident, with an influx of outsiders to mega cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. The gap between the rich and the poor keeps on widening. All these social changes make it an inevitable trend that small spaces are going to become common place. Architects from around the world already started exploring possibilities in small space. For example, in Japan, Capsule apartments have been built for sale. Small space architecture is not only a necessary solution to the shortage of housing, but also an environmentally-friendly key to sustainable development.
Exploration of Small Space in different themes: 1.Form transformation and small community organization 2.Small entertainment space geared towards child development and learning 3.The integration with Chinese folk customs 4.Small space and public space
Background and Research
Population (Billion) 10
10 7
1
1.7
1.3 1990
2000
2011
Year 2025
2100 China World Forecasted by UNFPA
Urbanization (population in city)
1970
37%
World
2000
47%
19%
China
70 ~105 ㎡
50% < 70 ㎡
World
105 ~150㎡
China ≥150 ㎡
2030
60%
World
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| Exploration of Small Space
70%
Purchase ratio of affordable houses in China China
(calculated by housing area)
Survey about people’s attitude towards small space Gender
Resident mode
Roommate
Feeling
Background of interviewee
Female
Domitory Cooperative apartment
Male
1
5~6
(People)
Live with family
Willing to live in small space or not
View about ‘ant tribe’ phenomenon
Have a strong will to live in such a creative house.
Normal, it’s a process of the students who want to stay in large cities.
Most selected
Accept, for the temporary need
View about small space
Unacceptable, it’s too crowded
Would rather ask money from parents than live in such a small apartment.
Most selected
Don’t care Dislike, it may distroy the harmony of unban area.
Improve the living standard of graduate students and workers
Most selected
Enrich the forms of architecture and landscape environment. Most selected Solve the deficiency of housing.
Arouse the public attention of helping the social vulnerable group
Form
Wathet blue, palegreen
Bad
Novelty，like it
Save a large amount of time commuting to office. Save a lot of money, so that I could definetly improve living standard. Most selected
Most selected
Normal
View about ‘egg-shell’
Significance for the whole society
White, ecru
small space
Satisfied
Unsatisfied
Advantages for individuals
Colour
of the
>6
Most selected
When the house has been simplified to a bed, our life mode could be more free and relax Have a private space for my own.
Demands
2~4
Function
Egg-shaped, rounded
Movable
Quadrate, like a container
Queen-size bed have a scuttle and good illumination
Cylindrical
Black
Stripped Most selected Irregular
Yellow, orange
Underground
Better ventilation Fireproofing and anti-seismic
Location
Organizing mode
Psychological need
Near to office
Side by side, share bathroom and kitchen
Small but open
Pink, purple
Seaside
Most selected
Desert Most selected Park
Most selected
Most selected
Different layers, diverse
Seperated, but could get together when have holidays Most selected
Succinct color matching
Independent, away from other people
Basic need Most selected
Could soak up the sun
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Sketches | Design Processes Research & form study
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| Exploration of Small Space
Theme 1 | Form & organization
Theme 2 | Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entertainment space
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Theme 3 | Chinese folk custom
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| Exploration of Small Space
Theme 4 | Small space with public area
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| Exploration of Small Space
Theme 1 | Form transformation and organization The demands for different sizes could be achieved by pushing and pulling, stretching, and folding, etc. Taking the fast and stressful lifestyle into consideration, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found that everyone desires emotional communication with each other. Survey questionnaires provide solid evidence that the dwellers want interactions with their family and friends. When it is a holiday, they may have a reunion together from their own dwellings. Basically, this approach looks at the relationship between individuality and community.
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Climbing Space
Water Maze
Theme 2 | Small space geared towards child development and learning In China, the one-child policy leads to the fact that a group of family members take care of a child. Being influenced by the Chinese traditional education belief of expecting the greatness from the children (in Chinese â&#x20AC;&#x153;wang zi cheng longâ&#x20AC;?, hoping the children would become as great as a dragon), the elders and parents usually spoil their children with excessive love and care, making many children lack the spirit of independence. In this experimental small space, the first priority is to let children play and make friends in a free and independent way. The space is safe for children to stay away from unexpected harms. The design is an array of five cubes. This approach seeks to solve the problems children may face in their growths, such as inefficiency of independent thinking, lack of confidence and courage, inability of socialization with fellow children, lack of the sense of security, and the fear of the dark.
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| Exploration of Small Space
Space for Hide and Seek
Black Space / Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be afraid of dark room
Cooperative Space
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Theme 3 | Integration With Chinese folk custom During a trip to the Wutai Mountain, I noticed that there were many tree twigs inserted in the cracks of mountains and cliffs. Later I learned that it was a religious tradition in China. This ritual means to stop the mountain rocks from falling off, a folk custom for blessings and disease curing. As long as the twigs are held firmly in the rock, peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wishes can come true. I build two spaces of simplicity and serenity, in hope that they may help to relieve people from their stress and offer sentimental solace. 40
| Exploration of Small Space
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| Exploration of Small Space
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| Exploration of Small Space
Theme 4 | Small spaces and public spaces After a trip to the “river towns” in southern China, I noticed that the wharf in front of each house is an indispensable area for activities of women and children, with women doing their laundry and children playing or listening to stories told by grown-ups near the area. However, many stairs are too narrow, which makes it inconvenient for women’s chatting, and a potential risk for children when they play on it. Therefore, my design offers a solution to these problems. The design extends the platform of the pier and offers a shelter above it, so that women can enjoy their laundry work. Moreover, this design supplies the primary function a wharf can offer, berthing boats. 45
TATTOO REMOVAL HOTEL A BOUTIQUE HOTEL DESIGN INCLUDING BOTH TATTOO STUDIO AND GUEST ROOMS Site: Boston, MA, USA Year: Fall 2013 This Tattoo Removal Hotel is a place where people get rid of their unwanted tattoos. In reality, tattoo removal is extremely painful and needs several visits. It is also very expensive. My main concept uses vibrant colors, a cantilevered tattoo studio and roof garden, which was designed to reduce the feeling of â&#x20AC;&#x153;pain and sorrowâ&#x20AC;?. I revised the abandoned warehouse by exploring architectural language like space, structure and lighting. The building appears like it is floating by removing the bottom part of the ground level, which also represents remove customers from the noisy outside world. As the tattoo studio extrudes from the building, customers will achieve better view of seashore and get tattoo removed in a quiet and private space.
Research
11%
Rate of tattoo removal Cost of laser tattoo removal
5%
Tattoo Regrets Cover up
Laser Tattoo Removal Remove
50%
50%
Women VS Men 100,000 Tattoos removed annually
TOP REASONS FOR REMOVAL #1 Name of someone from previous relationship #2 Economy/Job Market #3 Doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t represent them anymore #4 Military restrictions on tattoos
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| Tattoo Removal Hotel
Standard way to remove tattoo
Time Requirements Treatment: 15-45 minutes Healing period: 7-8 weeks
Cost of Removal: ( Baseball sized tattoo ) 7-10 visits/4-6 weeks apart ( $150/visit) ($1050-$1500)
Site
Elkins Street
The building is five bay by two bay building and four stories with a basement.
K Street
E 1st Street
The host building is one of the abandoned industrial warehouse which locates at 22 Elkins Street, Boston.
Summer Street
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STUDY 1 | Disappear Mirrored Facade
Inspiration Mirrored Tree House
STUDY 2 | Remove Floating Building
Inspiration Caixa Forum Art Gallery
STUDY 3 | Renew Pull & Push
Inspiration Jenga Game
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| Tattoo Removal Hotel
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| Tattoo Removal Hotel
Lobby | Orange By cutting an opening (one bay by two bay) on the second floor, it provides a bright and welcoming lobby which highlighted by orange color. Also, the open space connects to both the restaurant in basement and the second floor guest rooms. 53
Reception Desk | Orange The reception desk keeps the same element with the building massing. By pulling and pushing the cube, it gives the desk various function but within the similar language.
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| Tattoo Removal Hotel
Office
Lobby
First Floor Plan
1/32”=1’0”
Tattoo Artist Studio
Tattoo Removal Studio
Guest Rooms
Lobby Laundry & Service
Section
Restaurant
1/32”=1’0”
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Restaurant | Yellow As the bottom part of the facade and columns are removed, the yellow columns and beams are added to support the buildings. By cutting the large opening on the first floor, the lighting of the restaurant become even better which brings a very joyful eating experience.
Restaurant
Laundry & Service
Basement Floor Plan
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| Tattoo Removal Hotel
1/32”=1’0”
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Guest Rooms
Guest Rooms
Second Floor Plan
Guest Room | Blue
Circulation Space 58
| Tattoo Removal Hotel
1/32”=1’0”
Third Floor Plan
1/32”=1’0”
Tattoo Removal Studio Artist Studio
Tattoo Removal Studio | Red Waiting & Consultant
Fourth Floor Plan
The cantilevered tattoo studio is designed to be the most joyful space with the best view. Inside the double-height space, there is a staircase that could direct the guest to the roof garden.
1/32”=1’0”
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LINK OF SPACE THE SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS OF DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE Year: 2011 Each of us has a different definition of and demand from their home. The home of a single person could be cozy and casual. Perhaps the boysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes are a little messy, while girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes are much tidier, and decorated to reflect their individual preferences. When the space is shared by a couple, the two individuals still need their own independent spaces but also fusion areas. The real family life includes all kinds of trivial matters, especially when it comes to child rearing. Every day, we are faced with a series of problems in need of solutions and consideration. My approach specifically focused on the links between the spatial demand and social status in a home. Through different forms of the model, the design shows the possible impacts on individuals due to their demand for space. 61
Model Concept Extracts from the Interview Interview number: 60 people Content: inquire about their feelings and needs for living space in different life stage.
The needs for space Ignores the space, meeting the basic needs is all right. Feeling · Casual, loose, irregular · Tame, tedious · Unrest, unstable
The change for space needs compared with the single · Space extension and division · The area for common communication · The private area for independent work Feeling change · Need separate space · Contradiction and fusion
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| Link of Space
The needs for space Have no use for bigger space, sufficient space is enough Feeling · Privacy and sense of security · Simplicity and tidiness, warmness · Little sentiment of life · They afraid of loneliness and need friends.
New space needs · Extend more space · Use public space frequently, the · transfer of family core Feeling change · Restrict to more consideration · Colorful life, multifarious chores
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| Link of Space
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| Link of Space
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| Link of Space
Experiment This experiment is a further extension of the theme. I projected the pictures of my previous models in a real room , and the projected images fell upon real items in the room. The experiment integrates the model generated from mind with the realistic space. Using the changes of the interior shapes, light and shadows , this approach was able to create unexpected effects for expressing the inter-linked spaces. Experiments: 1. Combination with furnitures 2. Combination with other cubes 3. Combination with textile 4. Project the photo onto interior wall
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CHESS ROOM CASTLING AS A SPATIAL STRATEGY | A CHESS ROOM SHARED BY BOTH KIDS AND ADULTS Site: Providence, RI, USA Year: Fall 2012 Chess is a game that is played by both the young and the old. The main difference between young and old is that kids may have a lot more time to play. Most of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s top chess players started to play chess when they were very young. So, in this chess room, kids will occupy the space during daytime when they are not in school. And after adults get off work, they could use this space instead. My main focus of this project is how could this space serve the very different groups of people. Looking to the game of chess, there is a move called castling. Castling is the only time in chess when two pieces can swap at the same time. By applying this idea to a movable partition which has two different sides, that could switch the program by moving from one side of the space to another. Also, the huge partition self contains tables and staircases, so the space could easily switch functions from daytime for children to nighttime for adults.
Program | Concept Children
Adults
12
9
Chess playing area
3
CafĂŠ Utility
6
Occupied time
Program
Children will come and play chess during daytime when there is no class, and adults could come for both daytime and nighttime after work.
1. Chess club & chess class 2. Digital chess playing area & Chess tournaments space 3. CafĂŠ & utility
Castling
Movable partition
Castling is a special move in chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time.
By using a huge piece of movable partition which contains the staircase and shelves, the same space could serve two very different groups of people.
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| Chess Club
Site analysis The chess room locates at downtown Providence, close to Johnson Wales campus. It occupies the first floor and basement of the residential building. The site is surrounded by three universities and a kindergarten, which provides a stable customers like students and professors from university and also children from nursery school.
University of Rhode Island Downtown Financial District
Kindergarten
RISD Johnson Wales University Children Adults Professors
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Movement 1 | Plan Every level has the movable partitions in order to achieve different functions in this small space.
First floor | Partition with staircase Movable Partition at the entrance could control the different path between children and adults
First floor | Small partition Small partition allows the private and quiet space if there will be a chess class.
Basement | Public with private Digital playing area. The movable partitions contain digital screens. They could also be moved to one side and create a bigger space for tournaments. 74
| Chess Club
75
Movable Partition | Staircase
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| Chess Club
Movement 2 | Furniture The huge piece of movable partition self contains desks for adults players. During nighttime, the space can be simply changed by moving partition to another side, and pull out desks. The tables for children will become the chairs for adults, which is made from heat sensitive material
Children | Day
Adults | Night
A-A Section 3/32â&#x20AC;? = 1/0â&#x20AC;?
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Movement 3 | Facade During daytime, the movable board stays on top, so the small chess pieces opening will be exposed. Light will come through the perforated holes and creates attractive lighting effect. Nighttime, the board will move to the bottom, which becomes a common space for adults players
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| Chess Club
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SUPPLEMENT 1
LINCOLN CENTER THEATER STRUCTURE, ENERGY AND SYSTEMS STUDY Site: New York, USA Year: Spring 2013 Team work This is a team project directed by Peter Yeadon in the Energy and Systems class in RISD. We analyzed both the old building structures and building systems of the new added theater. My group is in charge of the Mechanical System. My responsibility is the four RTU (roof top units) and the ducts connect with them. From reading building documents to modeling all the specific details, I gained deep knowledge about how the system serves the fresh air, provides cooling or heating when it is needed and also the relationships between the size of ducts and noise generated from exhausting. In addition, it is a valuable experience that working with a big team and coordinating all our files and combining them together. 80
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SUPPLEMENT 2
GIRAFFE SHOE CABINET FURNITURE AND LIGHTING DESIGN Year: Fall 2008 Team work Entrance seating chair which is inspired by giraffes. Each part of the “giraffe” serves different functions. The bottom part is able to store shoes and the “head” of giraffe is the lighting handmade with metal mesh. So the lighting could come out through small openings. 82
SUPPLEMENT 3
CAMPUS RENOVATION BUILDING FACADE DEVELOPMENT AND MODEL DEMONSTRATION Site: Beijing, China Year: Fall 2009 Team work This is a team project directed by Zheng Li as a campus renovation project of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m in charge of the main building which is the tallest in my campus. After a month of design process, we came out a 1:200 whole site model showing our ideas. We started from site analysis and document information gatherings. Then, my main focus is using the diagonal painted shapes to break the rigid feeling of the tall building, also, the color combination represents fashion elements as well.
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SUPPLEMENT 4
PHOTOGRAPHY BLACK AND WHITE FILM TAKEN IN LE CORBUSIERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BUILDING Site: Paris, France Year: Spring 2013 This series of photos were taken in the building designed by one of my favorite architects--Le Corbusier. I used my own view to interpret his modernism and minimalism by shooting the elegant lights and shadows, and also the small details from the unexpected movements.
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YAO YAO Interior Architecture Rhode Island School of Design http://www.yoyoyao.com Š 2014 Yao Yao All rights reserved
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