“Architecture may then be understood as a discipline that over the centuries has seemed capable of offering humanity, through widely different incarnations and modes of production, far more than superfluous pleasure or a technical solution to pragmatic necessities. Architecture is manifest in those rare places that speak back to us and resonate with our dreams, it incites us to real meditation, to personal thought and imagination, opening up the “space of desire” that allows us to be “at home” while remaining always “incomplete” and open to our personal death, unveiling a glimpse of the sense of existence and revealing our limits.”
- ALBERTO PEREZ-GOMEZ, BUILT UPON LOVE: ARCHITECTURAL LONGING AFTER ETHICS AND AESTHETICS
PORTFOLIO CONTENT
P. 14 - 19
P. 20- 21
GUARDIANS OF THE OASIS
ARCHITECTURE OPTION STUDIO
TOMMY YANG
2022 SPRING
DETAILING ATELIER BOW-WOW
ARCHITECTURE DETAILING GERARD DAMIANI
2024 SPRING
STEAM CENTER OF LEARNING
PRAXIS III STUDIO: SYSTEM INTEGRATION
ERICA COCHRAN, GERARD DAMIANI, NINA BAIRD 2023 FALL
BOSTON UPHAM’S CORNER PUBLIC LIBRARY
PRAXIS II STUDIO: MASS TIMBER
GERARD DAMIANI, JEREMY FICCA
2023 SPRING
NOMAS PAVILION
CARNEGIE MELLON SPRING CARNIVAL
VICKY ACHNANI
2023 SPRING
FACADE DESIGN FABRICATION
JEREMY FICCA
2023 SPRING & FALL P. 22-23
GUARDIANS OF THE OASIS
A GUIDEBOOK TO ECOLOGICAL WORLDMAKING IN NORTH SQUIRREL HILL COMMUNITY
ALEXANDRA MEILAN WANG SPRING 2022, STUDIO FACULTY: TOMMY YANG
“Fairy tales do not give the child his first idea of bogey. What fairy tales give the child is his first clear idea of the possible defeat of bogey. The baby has known the dragon intimately ever since he had an imagination. What the fairy tale provides for him is a St. George to kill the dragon.” ---- GK Chesterton
Starting from the folk story of Coraline, a newspaper vending machine, and the site at Squirrel Hill North, the analysis of these entities brought forth the themes of dynamic worlds, intervention, connections, and the significance of daily rituals. An analysis of the site provided provocation on the lack of green infrastructure on Forbes and Murray Avenue.
The intervention of vegetation and ideas of change begins around the intersection of Pillips and Murray Avenue. Through the process of hacking into the existing building, a plantshop with a greenhouse, and a small printing factory construct the base of intervention to bring changes to the current ecological condition of Squirrel Hill North with the input of people’s daily rituals.
Further contemplation would bring the structure along the main roads, connecting the residential and commercial areas, creating an ecological shift from Squirrel Hill to an oasis of green infrastructure.
Daily Rituals of the family: Every day, in the residential area on the side of Murray Avenue, cat Charlie enjoys his peaceful time watching Grandpa Jones taking care of his garden. Cat Charlie loves to wander around the neighborhood, with Grandpa Jones and his granddaughter Coraline, they visit the “Sanctity of Plants” - a plant shop and a little printing factory for his garden. Granddaughter Coraline has made friends with two college students working at Sanctity of Plants , one in the plant shop and the other in the printing factory at the back.
What happens if we rethink the growth of the current intervention? Community participation and the growth of structure also allow settlements of smaller greenhouse growth points along the neighborhood.
The new ecological dynamic created by these structures and vegetation shifts the micro-climate of Squirrel Hill North, forming a continuous oasis and dynamic environments throughout the community
ARCHITECTURAL DETAILING
DETAILING ATELIER BOW-WOW: NY GUGGENHEIM LAB & CA MOUNTAIN HOUSE
INDIVIDUAL WORK: ALEXANDRA MEILAN WANG
SPRING 2024, FACULTY: GERARD DAMIAN
NEW YORK GUGGENHEIM LAB
MOUNTAIN HOUSE
STEAM CENTER OF LEARNING
K-5 SCHOOL BRIDGING HISTORICAL COMMUNITY IDENTITY, SUSTAINABLE SYSTEM INTEGRATION
WORK DISTRIBUTION:
GROUP PROJECT: ALE XANDRA MEILAN WANG, ANDREA WAN, KEANU DONG, ERIC FENG FALL 2023, STUDIO FACULTY: ERICA COCHRAN, GERARD DAMIANI
The Homewood STEAM Center of Learning is a K-5 school located in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh, PA. The 98,497 sq ft. building services 450 pupils and is part of a community development plan that bridges the Westinghouse High School and Young Women’s Christian Association, which offers afterschool care programs for children in primary schools. The scheme is designed as an intermediary between surrounding educational facilities and the residential neighborhood, and seeks to revitalize the area by offering opportunities for community engagement. Plots surrounding the school feature a public playground, a greenhouse, and a community garden.
In addition to private classroom spaces, the building also showcases a cafeteria on its north end that is designed for an indoor market, which addresses food insecurity in the area. The gymnasium serves as a public gathering space. The subterranean level serves as an adequate storm shelter, and additional programs such as the nurse’s office, genderneutral bathrooms, and mother’s room all provide support for community engagement activities and to enhance officiant well being.
SITE
DIAGRAM BY ALEXANDRA WANG
CONCEPT INTEGRATION
The site is situated in what was once a fair-sized lake fed by Negley Run Creek. Surrounded by wooded land, it was an iconic hangout spot from the 1890s to the 1940s. Our concept hearkens back to this memory of place and seeks to establish a new culture of water for the community. By combining our theme of water with the vehicle of imaginationthinking about different times, places, and ways of being - we are able to integrate the STEAM philosophy of outside-the-box thinking and interface between technological and phenomenological realities, thereby harnessing the power of childhood and imagination as catalysts for creating new cultural and environmental practices which promote healthier and more socially engaged lifestyles. However, the pollution in Negley Run Creek eventually led to the lake being filled.
The project thus hope to reference the history of water use, rethinking school as a space of education in culture and sustainability.
SITE WATER HISTORY DIAGRAM BY ALEXANDRA WANG
ENCLOSURE & ENVELOPE DETAILS
Our project employs many innovative strategies to integrate sustainability with the idea of the building as a teaching tool. Not only did we start with a review of zoning and code regulations but we also conducted a review of LEED and WELL best practices and strategies to maximize human health, productivity and well-being. The school has occupancy classification E, and is a type 2A steel-framed building with four 13-ft high stories above grade. The building has a cast-in-place concrete retaining walls in the basement. The other floors have steel framing, with castin-place concrete slabs on corrugated steel decking. In order to reduce construction costs, girders are run in the shorter direction of the rectangular bay, allowing lighter beams to span the longer distance. Two MEP cores serve as shear walls, further strengthening the structure of the building. The regular grid of 10 ft by 25 ft is made from a system of primary, secondary, and tertiary steel beams and girders. There are two means of egress on each level; the area of refuge accommodates at least one wheelchair space for every 200 occupants.
The enclosure is optimized so as to reduce infiltration and glare, thereby reducing heating, cooling, lighting, and other equipment loads in the building. To achieve a neutralized envelope, the typical exterior wall condition, such as classroom spaces, has 12-inch rigid insulation attached on the outside of the structure and finished with wood exterior cladding, giving an overall R-value of around 52.
In detail, the insulation is continuous, reducing thermal bridging. The Lower Level foundation maintains continuous insulation, with the site-cast concrete more than 48 inches. Another important part of the enclosure is the curtain wall, which appears on both the cafeteria/ market space and the front vestibule space. The curtain wall creates transparency and connections with the surrounding neighborhood with the public program.
MEP SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
& MODEL SIMULATIONS
The building adopts a geothermal system for heating and cooling. There is a primary heat exchanger in the basement which interfaces with the drilled wells. This is connected to a water loop which runs throughout the building, and connects to the distributed heat pumps in each zone. Vents are placed so as not to interfere with other systems, and also allows for even distribution of air.
The ventilation system is ducted separately and serviced by Renewaire ERV units. Finally, an array of 160 PV panels, which altogether reduces 9.32% of the total energy use. The energy produced operates the pumps for the stormwater recycling system.
SIMULATIONS BY ANDREA WAN AND ALEXANDRA WANG
MEP DESIGN BY ANDREA WAN AND ALEXANDRA WANG; MEP DRAWINGS BY KEANU DONG
RENDERS BY KEANU DONG, ANDREA WAN, ALEXANDRA WANG
PHYSICAL MODELS BY ALEXANDRA WANG, KEANU DONG
BOSTON UPHAM’S CORNER LIBRARY
EXPLORING TIMBER CONSTRUCTION, LIGHTING, & ACCESSIBILITY TO NATURE IN PUBLIC SPACE
INDIVIDUAL WORK: ALEXANDRA MEILAN WANG SPRING 2023, STUDIO FACULTY: GERARD DAMIANI, JEREMY FICCA
SPATIAL EXPERIENCE & LIGHTING CONDITIONS
The project intends to create a library as a public space for Upham’s Corner community. Making the library a point of activation, generating spaces in dialogue with the community, residential, and historic cemetery.
For the community of Upham’s Corner, the role of the library activates the site, the streets, and the cemetery by creating both visual and spatial relations with its transparency and generation of public spaces.
By transforming the site into an open and welcoming space for the community, the library can provide a sense of connectivity to the neighborhood, surrounding environment, and urban conditions.
The library explores material, lighting and space through mass timber, integrating natural light and open spaces to create a connected experience between visitors and nature, as well as integrating systems with programs throughout the design.
Continue from the entrance and lobby, the collection bookshelves guide the visitor toward the access to the reading garden.
Support and service programs among the path become objects in space, continuing the pattern of circulation established by the shelves.
The garden and street landscape follow the east west direction, using vegetation to create separation between the garden and cemetery, allowing the garden of the library to also become an object of the cemetery.
BUILDING PLAN & CONTEXT
The form takes the spatial relation from urban objects and access contexts of the surroundings, continuous form and transparency extend the street edge to the view of the cemetery.
The form allows the circulation to extend the neighborhood sidewalk to pass under the building; the interior lobby opens up as a double height space.
VERTICAL LOUVERS AND LIGHTING
The glazing provided opportunities to explore different vertical louvers and blinds for the facade. The design explored several iterations of louver design and interior layout for different spatial programs.
The result indicates shading for east and west facade is essential to create suitable spaces for interiors, especially reading and studying locations. Less shading and more views may apply for circulation and public gathering spaces.
SHORT SECTION THROUGH LOBBY
STRUCTURE & FACADE
The structure is informed by the two axes, using both mass timber and steel structures. For the main library space, glulam with CLT roof is the primary structure of the areas, creating a series of nooks following the geometry. A twisting facade system is developed with inspiration taken from the context of the cemetery’s gate and fence.
The exterior attached fins allows people to walk between the fins and glazing. Across Columbia Road to the cemetery, using steel columns and truss structure to maintain the transparency from the street side to the cemetery view, emphasizing the exterior public space as part of the entrance.
CLT paneled roof spanning across the load-bearing walls, allowing some non-load-bearing walls to become operable, generating flexible spaces for staff works and storage.
The library’s raised floor and suspended ceiling systems facilitate the seamless integration of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) components, allowing for efficient routing of HVAC, electrical wiring, and plumbing lines, while also providing flexibility for future adjustments. This approach enhances energy efficiency, accessibility, and ease of maintenance throughout the building.
ENTRY CONCEPT 1/16 SCALE
PROGRAM CONCEPT 1/32 SCALE
MASSING 1/32 SCALE READING SPACE DETAIL CHUNK 3/8 SCALE
INDIVIDUAL
CMU CARNIVAL NOMAS ENTRYWAY PAVILION
TEAM PROJECT: DESIGN FOR DISASSEMBLY BAMBOO PAVILION MATERIAL AESTHETICS & SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION
WORK DISTRIBUTION :
DESIGN TEAM: ROVINA GEORGE, ALEXANDRA WANG, VANSHIKA BHAIYA, STEPHANIE CHOI, SHAIL SHETH, EMILIO BUSTAMANTE PAEZ FABRICATION & MANAGEMENT: AKANSHA TAYAL, ADITI, PAUL LI, KAIWAI SUN, CMU NOMAS MEMBERS, SOA STUDENTS AND MORE SPRING 2023, FACULTY: VICKY ACHNANI, FACILITY FACULTY: JOHN HOLMES
TEAM PHOTO AFTER COMPLETION
PLAN OF PAVILION LOCATION BY DESIGN TEAM
CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS; PHOTO TAKEN BY ALEXANDRA
The two semester School of Architecture student run project by NOMAS aims to create a pavilion from scratch as the entryway of the 2023 Carnegie Mellon University spring carnival. I am one of six design team memeber working with our guiding professor Vicky Achnani. I had the pleasure to see the project through design phase to construction and disassembly.
Taking advantage of our professor’s past experience in working with Bamboo, and fitting the theme of Design for Deconstruction and Reuse, we started by spliting the design memebers into two teams to explore different concepts in fall semester, and joined teams in spring.
After reaching the decision to merge the two previous design concepts: the progression form create by Team2 and structure & connections by Team1, the design team is joined by the documentation and construction teams ranging from 1st years to master students.
Through this experience, the act of creation becomes an opportunity to learn for all of us, the manipulation of materials by hand guides the form. This process of making and pursuit for sustainable reuse is a hands-on learning and real-life exploration of architecture.
CONCEPT
DESIGN TEAM1: SHAIL SHETH, ALEXANDRA WANG, VANSHIKA BHAIYA, AND MORE
SKETCHES BY PROFESSOR ACHNANI SKETCHES BY PROFESSOR ACHNANI
DRAWING BY DESIGN TEAM2: ROVINA GEORGE, EMILIO BUSTAMANTE PAEZ, STEPHANIE CHOI, AND MORE
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS BY XUZE SHAO
CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS BY XUZE SHAO
DISASSEMBLED FOR STUDIO REUSE
ALL THAT IS LEFT AFTER DISASSEMBLY
06.
INDUSTRIAL SUBLIME
GROUP PROJECT: ALEXANDRA MEILAN WANG, JACKY JIA, ANDREW YOON 2023 FALL, FACULTIES: JEREMY FICCA
FACADE DESIGN FABRICATING CUSTOMIZATION:
Referencing industrial elements of metal production, we used spark imagery as the inspiration for the perforation pattern. The aim is to use the images as a reference to create perforations, bringing sunlight into the space.
The position of the openings is based on a human’s eye level in various positions. On the western facade, where the stairs are located, the people would be moving. As a result, the openings are shaped so that they offer an optimal view of the outside for people who are standing.
PERFORATION WITH GRASSHOPPER
WORK DISTRIBUTION:
Grasshopper script: Alexandra Wang
Digital modeling: Alexandra Wang, Jacky Jia
Simulation and renders: Andrew Yoon
Physical Models: Alexandra Wang, Andrew Yoon, Jacky Jia
