Architectural Portfolio 2021 Sample

Alison Huo 2021

Table of Contents

The Understory M Arch. II - Winter 2021 3

Living Landscape M Arch. I - Winter 2020 17

Market Place M Arch. I - Fall 2019 31

Experience of Self Fairy Tale Competition 2019 39

The Making of A Book Boxer Architects Inc. 49

Location: East Harlam, NY Team: Pearl Cao & Alison Huo We believe that as the new centre for activism, it should be inclusive, accessible, and able to facilitate conversations about social and environmental issues. At the same time, it is also a platform for the residence of East Harlem to raise their voice.

When looking at where impaction, physical protest usually happen, it is generally in civic public spaces, with large open ground, such as plaza, street or open parks.

The initial concept of the design, it needs to be first and foremost a public space that can gather visible forms of collective action. Therefore, we are proposing an urban park that is highly accessible 24/7, un-programmed, and welcomes any forms of activism.

In order to adept both architecture and landscape within the site, we decided the landscape would be an intensive green roof that would anchor at one corner of the street. Not only will the lifted park have a social function, but it will also have the

The Understory

technical functions to help achieve net-zero goals.

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Slice

Peel

Puncture

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Roof Plan

Lower Floor

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Ground Floor

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8 9 10 11

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GREEN ROOF 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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SOIL FILTER FABRIC / MOISTURE-RETENTION GREEN ROOF LAYER / AERATION LAYER 100mm (4”) THERMALCORK INSULATION ROOT BARRIER /1MEMBRANE PROTECTION / SOIL 2 FILTER FABRIC / MOISTURE-RETENTION 2-PLY LEAK DETECTED WATERPROOF MEMBRANE / LAYER / AERATION LAYER 12.7mm (1/2”) PLYWOOD SHEATHING 3 100mm (4”) THERMALCORK INSULATION VAPOUR BARRIER 4 ROOT BARRIER / MEMBRANE PROTECTION / 2-PLY LEAK MEMBRANE / 300x1000mm DOUGLAS FIR DETECTED GLULAMWATERPROOF STRUCTURE 12.7mm (1/2”) PLYWOOD SHEATHING CONCEALED BEAM HANGER 5 VAPOUR BARRIER 6 7

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14 15 16 17 13 14 15 16

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2 3 4 5 6

300x1000mm DOUGLAS FIR GLULAM STRUCTURE CONCEALED BEAM HANGER

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PARAPET TO SOFFIT PARAPET TO SOFFIT

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COPPER METAL 8FLASHING COPPER METAL FLASHING 19mm (3/4”) QUART SWAN DOUGLAS FIR 9 19mm (3/4”) QUART SWAN DOUGLAS FIR 10 VAPOUR MEMBRANE VAPOUR MEMBRANE 11 12.7mm (1/2”) PLYWOOD SHEATHING 12.7mm (1/2”) PLYWOOD SHEATHING 12 300X500mm DOUGLAS FIR GLULAM BEAM 300X500mm DOUGLAS FIR GLULAM BEAM EXTERIOR WALL

EXTERIOR WALL

13 40mm HOLLOW STAINLESS STEEL ROD INFILLED W/ RIDGE INSULATION 14 150x VARIES mm DOUGLAS FIR

38x140mm STEEL (2X6) WOOD STAINLESS RODLUMBER O.C. 13 40mm HOLLOW15 W/ HEMPCRETE INSULATION INFILLED W/ RIDGE INSULATION 16 COPPER METAL FLASHING FIR 14 150x VARIES mm17DOUGLAS PAINTED ALUMINIUM STRUCTURAL MULLION ATTACHED W/ WOOD COLUMN LUMBER O.C. 15 38x140mm (2X6) WOOD W/ HEMPCRETE INSULATION FLASHING 16 COPPER METAL AT GRADE 17 PAINTED ALUMINIUM STRUCTURAL MULLION ATTACHED W/ WOOD 18 WT COLUMN 180X55 19 ALUMINIUM DRAINAGE GRILLE

AT GRADE

FOUNDATION WALL 17

20 12.7mm (1/2” ) GYPSUM BOARD

18 WT 180X55 21 38X184 (2X6) WOOD STUD @ 400mm O.C. 22 VAPOUR BARRIER GRILLE 19 ALUMINIUM DRAINAGE FOUNDATION 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

23 24 25 WALL 26 27 28 29

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VENTILATION PIPES 50.8mm (2“) RIGID INSULATION 300mm (12”) CONCRETE FOUNDATION WALL 100mm (4”) RIDGE INSULATION VAPOUR MEMBRANE 2-PLY BITUMINOUS DAMPROOFING SOIL

12.7mm (1/2” ) GYPSUM BOARD 38X184 (2X6) WOOD STUD @ 400mm O.C. FOUNDATION SLAB VAPOUR BARRIER VENTILATION PIPES 30 75mm CONCRETE TOPPING W/ 50.8mm (2“) RIGID INSULATION IN-FLOOR HEATING 300mm (12”) CONCRETE WALL 31 100mmFOUNDATION (4”) CONCRETE SLAB 32 INSULATION 50.8mm (2”) THERMALCORK INSULATION 100mm (4”) RIDGE 33 180mm (6”) MIN. GRAVEL VAPOUR MEMBRANE 2-PLY BITUMINOUS DAMPROOFING SOIL 1:20 WALL SECTION DETAILS @ STRUCTURAL MULLION

FOUNDATION SLAB

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30 75mm CONCRETE TOPPING W/ IN-FLOOR HEATING 31 100mm (4”) CONCRETE SLAB 32 50.8mm (2”) THERMALCORK INSULATION 33 180mm (6”) MIN. GRAVEL

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1:20 WALL SECTION DETAILS @ STRUCTURAL MULLION

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Location: Toronto, Ontario The concept of housing proposal is to challenge the notion of what is a unit, what are the private programs in the unit and what are the public portion in the sharing space.

Through the concept of an open floor plate as a sense of public and outdoor living room, the design of the housing intents to maximize and utilize the public space to create congregation and interaction between neighbours and increase the flexibility and usage of storages area. At the same time, preserves the private space to the

Living Landscape

residences themselves.

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Public Program

am

m

Fitness Space

Public Programs

Food Preparation Space

Fitness Space

Fitness Space

Food Preparation Space

Fitness

Kitchen

Study Space

Food Preparation Space

Study Space

Food Preparation Space

Private Program

Study Space

Leisure Space

Private Program

Library

Study Space

Living Room

Leisure Space

Private Programs

Toilet

Toilet

Leisure Space

Leisure Space

Toilet

Shower

Shower

Washroom

Shower

Shower Storage

Storage

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Storage

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2F

3F

4F

Rf

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The project was an experiment of interactions and performances between geometries in threedimensional space. With the site located in Mimico, Ontario, where it is situated between condos and town houses. It serves as a market place provides indoor amenities for the locals

Market Place

and visitors from the adjacent neightbourhoods.

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The Logic of geometry in plan view

The Logic of geometry interaction in isometric view

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Exploded isometric view of Market Place

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Long section through mezzanine

East Elevation

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Chapter I - The Unknown Self Time is the thief, I have known this for a long time.

I have always thought that my physical body is rotting and decaying. My own spirit carries the memory and travels through time in the universe.

Perhaps the time that I am experiencing right now is what it has been encapsulated from the past, it is simply replayed again and again in different scenes and locations.

Who am I? A question in which I have no answer for, yet a question that repeats. My curiosity longs for the answer, and can no longer live in the midst of all this without knowing anything about oneself. on a journey to find out the nature of who I am.

Experience of Self

After a prolonged contemplation, I decided to go

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Chapter II - Let’s Unify Everything I walked through woods and crossed rivers. I arrived in a town.

After a much-needed sleep, I opened my eyes. A white lumpy ceiling engulfed the entire periphery of my vision. The noise from the streets pulled me towards the window. There was an air balloon crossing the sky, and something seems to be falling down from it. I decided to walk out. Flyers are dancing all over the sky. I grabbed on that fell in front of me. An ordinary building was highlighted on the flying, it immediately caught my eye. A new building project is commencing and they are looking for workers. For some reason that I cannot explain, I decided to join the workforce.

I arrived at the construction site the next morning. I noticed that all the finished structures are identical.

They are all rectangular in shape with a flat roof.

The ground floors are public spaces and the private units are on top. Everything is the same with no exception. Nothing is special, yet the atmosphere is cold and rigid. It feels like me, a common person. I walk into the office and ask for a job. After an interview, they decide to let me start working right away, and also, I have a new name called K123710. I start working at the site days and nights.

We follow the same schedule every day. Works start at the early morning, finishing in the afternoon, watching TV at the night time at home, and get up again at the same time next morning. Everything is common, nothing can get me excited, not even the completion of the construction.

I started questioning whether is this who I am?

Is this who I am looking for? Following what has been told by others without hesitation or a second thought. I feel like I am becoming one of those buildings that with a feeling of death and silence, so I decided to leave this place for good.

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Chapter III - Walking on The Edge of Periphery I am back on my journey.

After passing through a few small villages, a series of circular arches middle of the woods drew me towards them. As I am approaching the arches, a voice echoed in the air, “welcome traveler, you are about to enter the dream world. We welcome you to be a dreamer of dreams, a realm in which our subconscious emerges into forms. Be warned, do not lose yourself in the imaginaries.” I would like to dream. After an explanation with the staff in the dream world, they lead me to a room that has a helmet and bed. “Please come over, put on the helmet and lay down here, then you can start dreaming” I put on the helmet and lay down.

Just right after making myself comfortable, I hear “Three, two ...”

I felt my body being pulled down, and I was suddenly in free fall. I noticed that I am surrounded by cloud-like space. It feels so innocent and so pure. It should be decorated. My emotions and thoughts are leaking out of my body. They solidified into tangible pathways and steps. As more and more of my subconscious thinking came out of my mind, strange and massive structures are created. They look so sculptural but it also feels light as a feather. I wonder do they actually carry any weights of thoughts. Probably it should be tremendous and monumental. I keep diving into my dream for a million miles deep. My body gets stronger along with this realization. I never feel so energetic, I can see things with perfect vision, my muscles are built up strongly. Everything is powering up. I feel invincible, and this is incredible.

“Warning, warning. Power overflows. Warning, warning. Initiating emergency shutdown.” Unfortunately, I became so addicted to my own dream that I completely ignore the warning. The dream starts collapsing, and the darkness is rapidly corroding the space.

It was out of control. The last scene I could remember was I fell down from the higher up.

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Chapter IV - Wandering in The Abyss I awoke on a pathway, more accurately a pathway that consists of lines. I sat up slowly and observed this space. It is beyond what I have known from the normal world. Pathways are extended along the wall and floor; the staircase leads you up to the ceiling. Does this space actually make sense? I guess the gravity does not apply in this dimension because I am upside down right now.

I keep exploring between those transitional spaces, it has been a decade already. I wonder, does an object only have one single purpose? Is a wall just a partition? Is a ceiling just a rooftop for shelter? Are floors only for stepping on? I guess in this dimension, there isn’t a distinct definition, everything is ambiguous. I start to reflect, then what is the purpose of this journey, and what am I actually looking for? A name, a title or a right choice. What am I expecting for the answer? I am worthless, this journey is meaningless or I am always living in the uncertainty of time. Those questions keep amplifying in my mind.

Just another typical day, I was exploring these endless transitions one by one. While I was checking the No. 212, I was gravitated and swollen by the entry.

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Chapter V - Back to The Origin I am floating. There are fragments of memories and time are surrounded me. I see a light source in the distant. Everything started from there. Like the primordial sound of the universe, the singular point sparked with the all-encompassing potential of totality. The form is ambiguous, and its implication is uncertain. It attracts me to reach forward.

I think I know who I am now. I am nothing. And for being nothing, I am everything.

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Book for Boxer Architects Featuring McLean Residence

Book size: 7.5” x 9.5” Cover: 300gsm white/antique finish 100% cotton paper Text: 175gsm off white uncoated paper & mylar sheet The Making of A Book

Font: Kilm Type Foundry Tiempos Complete

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Printed on mid-February, 2018. Toronto, ON

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