At the beginning of the design, I studied how to rationally configure household units within the curved exterior wall. First, I found the optimal core inside the curve, and divided the curve outward with a fixed unit of 180 cm as the tangent line, and divided it into suites, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom types by area screening. Finally, modular space sizes such as living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom were placed in each unit.
Building Height Rate
Created a Grasshopper plug-in used to follow the building height ratio regulations of Taipei City, which can be adjusted by the Height Ratio, setback sides, and road width.
MRT Entrance (B1)
Urban Hub (1F)
Check-in Lobby (26F)
In addition to being a semioutdoor space, the terrace design also effectively blocks solar radiation.
Terraces
Concept
Spring (First semester of the third year)
This design centers around a new urban axis encircling the historic Shilin district, reconstructing the urban structure, the old paper factory, and the surrounding areas. The axis connects Shilin's public transportation, cultural heritage, natural resources, community neighborhoods, and campuses, creating a vibrant public corridor.
Along this curved corridor, a continuous series of new commercial spaces is introduced to revitalize the surrounding neighborhoods . In order to support the future industrial development of Shilin and its surroundings, the design extends the old paper machine factory buildings by adding new volumes to incorporate conference and exhibition functions. This approach not only transforms the old factory buildings into a public plaza but also fosters a dialogue between the past and the future. The conference center is elevated above the ground level, offering citizens and visitors fresh perspectives on the historic Shilin district.
Grand Hotel Taipei
Shilin Residence Park
Taipei Science Museum
Historic Shilin Neighborhood
Taipei Performing Arts Center
Integrating the historic building with various exhibition functions while connecting it to the community to create a green and welcoming neighborhood public space
Extending the old factory with a newly inserted curved volume, creating a vibrant urban open space that gathers and disperses people while establishing a duality between the old and the new.
Big Roof: Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future Convention Hall: Moving the City Forward Hotel & Housing: Subtly Defining Space and Presence
Crystalline Intersections
A Gymnasium of Interwoven Perspectives
Gymnasium
2023 Spring (Second semester of the first year)
Hsinchu, Taiwan
Instructor
Chen-Huan Ho
Collaboration
Indivisual Work
A gymnasium is not merely a space for activities and competitions but also a place where people showcase their talents and are observed. As such, the court space is just as important as the auditorium . This proposal reimagines the gymnasium by incorporating the characteristics of crystallization—independence and interspersion—to reduce its traditional formality. While the court remains the focal point of the gymnasium, greater emphasis is placed on providing multiple viewing perspectives for the audience , creating a unique and unconventional viewing experience. Furthermore, the interspersed massing allows the gymnasium to seamlessly integrate with its surroundings
Triclinic Crystal System
The Triclinic Crystal System is the most asymmetrical among all crystal systems, lacking any mirror symmetry relationships. This characteristic makes it highly variable. When stimulated by external environmental factors, multiple crystal units begin to grow from a single point but in different directions and at varying speeds, resulting in the units embedding within one another. Once the crystal fully forms, the relationship between each unit and the central point becomes clearly defined.
grasshopper Form Finding
Vineyard-style Seating
The interior space takes inspiration from the crystalline structure's inherent growth pattern , which extends outward without a defined direction. This concept is used to create a "vineyard-style" seating arrangement, rarely seen in traditional gymnasiums. Like a theater, the seating encircles the court, allowing spectators to view the game from multiple directions . This design not only enhances the audience's engagement with the game but also elevates the court's significance within the stadium. It redefines the relationship between players on the court and the spectators, fostering a more immersive and interconnected experience.
Let's Take the Long View!
Dormitory of Hsinchu Science Park
The site was originally a cozy courtyard residential complex designed for engineers 40 years ago. However, it has now become one of the oldest buildings among the surrounding dormitories. This redesign focuses on maximizing the lake view by introducing two towers on the site. By incorporating a mix of public and private terrace spaces, the project creates a variety of social spaces, offering engineers more opportunities for interaction and relaxation.
The ground floor includes various public amenities and commercial spaces. A sauna facing the lake offers engineers a place to unwind after work, while a café and convenience store near the road provide essential services.
The design uses a 3.5-meter modular unit, arranged based on room size. Common areas like the living and dining rooms are maximized and oriented toward the lake to capture natural light and views.
To foster more opportunities for interaction, the ground level features a sunken plaza that serves as a hub for activities. Additionally, a direct pathway to Serenity Lake is incorporated at the ground level, improving accessibility to the lake for nearby dormitory residents.
New Access to The Lakeshore
Sharing The Lake View
Sense and Sensibility
Ling-Li Tseng Indivisual Work
Hsinchu, Taiwan
2023 Fall (First semester of the second year)
Rationality embodies precision, decisiveness, and order, while sensibility reflects uncertainty, ambiguity, and disorder. The twin house design, inspired by Ang Lee's film "Sense and Sensibility", captures these opposing qualities through stark contrasts in its form and spatial composition , reflecting the polarized lifestyle imaginations of two sisters with distinctly different personalities while reflecting their inseparable familial bond. Concept
Longitudinal Section
It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do. Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility
ready-made-space
Reading House
Collaboration
Indivisual work
2022 Fall (First semester of the first year) Tien-Ling
Funnel Flipturn
Program: Served/Servant Proportion
Sunroof: Admitting sunlight
Additive/Subtractive
Massing: Horizontal & Vertical
Density & Flowing of Space Circular Flow of Vision
Promenade along the Slope
A Gentle Convergence of Nature, Architecture, and Knowledge
Chun-Chieh Fang
Hsinchu, Taiwan
Collaborated with Shi-Han Huang
2023 Spring (Second semester of the second year)
Concept
The library rests quietly on the ground, surrounded by serene sea views, seamlessly blending the seaside with its interior through gentle slopes. The minimalist façade design fosters a natural flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. The experience of wandering extends seamlessly from the exterior to the interior, featuring expansive open areas and intersecting gentle ramps that encourage free movement throughout the library. Alongside the ramps, glass-enclosed exhibition rooms and discussion spaces are suspended, merging pathways of exploration with exhibition areas to create a dynamic environment for multidimensional activities and interactions.
How Can The Plants Move?
WobbleDroid draws inspiration from the ingenious mechanisms of seed dispersal in plants, particularly the self-propelling movement of wild oat seeds. Seeds represent a pivotal evolutionary advancement in the plant kingdom, with their protective coatings and internal embryos enabling plants to adapt and thrive in diverse environments.
Seed dispersal typically involves three stages: separation from the parent plant through mechanisms like gravity or self-ejection, transportation via wind, water, or animals, and, in certain species, self-embedding and autonomous movement. Wild oats exemplify this last stage, utilizing hygroscopic movements where differences in water absorption within their tissues generate bending and rotation— to propel themselves and improve survival odds.
WobbleDroid reimagines this natural mechanism in an artificial, inorganic creation, transforming the dynamics of seed motion into a controllable yet inherently random locomotion system. Early prototypes explored the effects of curvature and phase differences in flexible, awn-like structures, culminating in a design that adopts a characteristic "wobbling" motion to emulate the twisting, adaptive movement found in nature.
Design Research
Evolution of the creature
The final iteration of WobbleDroid features an N20 micro motor as its core actuator and dual light sensors on either side. These sensors allow the device to interact dynamically with its environment, echoing the seed’s sensitivity to external conditions. The movement logic is adaptive and intuitive: when both sensors detect high light intensity, the device enters "fast mode," dispersing rapidly as if in optimal conditions. When the sensors detect a difference in light intensity, the device shifts to "turning mode," navigating toward darker areas in search of shelter.
To Pursue Efficiency? Or to Enjoy The Serendipity?
This fusion of natural principles with mechanical systems challenges conventional notions of motion as linear and efficiency-driven. Instead, WobbleDroid embraces randomness and flexibility, fostering a dynamic interplay with its surroundings. The project not only serves as an exploration of bio-inspired robotics but also critiques the efficiency-centric paradigms that have prevailed since the Industrial Revolution.
Ultimately, WobbleDroid reminds us that movement need not be defined by speed or precision. By embodying adaptation, creativity, and coexistence with its environment, it offers a compelling vision for alternative approaches to mobility and design, where nature and technology converge to celebrate
