Avory Lai | Waterloo Architecture Portfolio | Fall 2024
avory lai
design portfolio fall 2024
Hello,
I’m Avory!
I am currently a third year architecture student at the University of Waterloo looking for an eight month co-op position. My passion lies in the intersection between psychology and architecture, how the created atmosphere affects an individual’s feeling and experience, and how those atmospheres are achieved through materiality, lighting and spatial composition.
This portfolio displays a selection of my academic and personal works. Thank you in advance for your time.
Avory Lai
Work Experience
Architectural Intern | plusClover
HONG KONG | MAY 2024 - AUG 2024
• Performed site visits and engaged with clients to gather site measurements and create design packages.
• Conducted research studies and generated renders and diagrams to illustrate design concepts.
• Produced detailed CAD drawings based on client modifications.
Architectural Assistant | Parkin
VANCOUVER | SEP 2023 - DEC 2023
• Participated in weekly trade meetings and gave status reports on outstanding RFIs and SDs.
• Coordinated with the Construction Adminstration teams across all trades for a large scale hospital project in Vancouver.
Architectural Intern | Larkin Architect Limited
TORONTO| JAN 2023 - APR 2023
• Developed schematic drawings using Revit according to the Ministry of Education guidelines for childcare centres.
• Selected interior finishes for a church and created a physical material board; coordinated with sales representatives to source high quality materials.
• Prepared visualizations for client presentation packages and boards using the Adobe suite.
• Created orthographic drawings and layout for a zoning report, and graphic design for a heritage church report
Teacher’s Assistant | GCS Daycare
NORTH YORK | JUL 2022 - AUG
• Assisted the E.C.E. in providing individual program plans for children with special needs.
• Guided children through developmentally appropriate activities and conversations to stimulate their development, sense of curiosity and growth.
Pre-Admissions Receptionist | St. Michael’s Hospital
TORONTO | SEP 2019 - JAN 2020
• Greeted patients and caregivers in a friendly, attentive manner at the reception desk and directed them to their destination.
• Triaged medical documents and assisted nurses delivering patient care as needed.
Candidate for Honours Bachelor of Architectural Studies (Co-op).
Skills
Digital Revit Rhino 7 AutoCAD Sketchup Enscape Adobe Illustrator Photoshop Indesign Lightroom Premiere After Effects
Distinctions
Analogue Physical Modelling Hand Drafting Laser Cutting Wood Working
UWSA Project DisplayDesign at Riverside
1A Studio Final selected for 2022 Project Reviews exhibition and online archive of works.
McPhie Family Architecture Scholarship
Awarded to one outstanding student entering first year.
University of Waterloo President’s Scholarship
Admissions average above 90%.
May 20, 2023
To whom it may concern,
Re: Letter of Reference for Avory Lai as an Internship Candidate
It gives me great pleasure to provide this letter in support of Avory Lai’s application for an internship position with your organization. Avory spent 16 weeks with Larkin Architect Limited between January – May 2023 and her work exceeded our expectations in every way.
During her time with us, Avory was trained in the use of Revit for presentation and working drawings. Avory assisted with the preparation of a working drawing package for a childcare renovation and was exposed to the regulatory requirements and their architectural resolution These skills were used to develop a schematic design package for an interior renovation for a worship community. She assisted with the graphic design and layout of a heritage report using adobe InDesign software. Avory also played a critical role in assembling finishes, renders, and material sample boards for an addition to a place of worship. As a small office Avory was able to take part in office training sessions, product learning sessions, and was exposed to all aspects of a small practice.
Through these experiences Avory demonstrated a strong commitment to learning new skills and software. She demonstrated remarkable capacity for someone of her experience with adobe creative suite skills, space-planning, material research, communications, Revit modelling, and simple working drawing tasks. I would characterize Avory as diligent, hardworking and a quick learner.
Avory was a delightful addition to our office culture. While quiet, she was amiable, pleasant and a valued addition to our team. We would be pleased to welcome her back at any time. I support Avory’s desire to seek out new opportunities in the future and know she will be quick to learn new skills and make meaningful contributions to the profession. I offer you my unequivocal recommendation. Avory will be an asset to any firm.
If you wish to discuss this recommendation further, please feel free to contact me directly.
Larkin Architect Limited
Per:
Michael Nicholas-Schmidt, OAA, MRAIC Principal
January 12, 2024
Letter of Reference for Avory Lai as an Internship Candidate:
To Whom It May Concern,
I am pleased to provide a letter of reference to recommend Avory Lai. She worked with me at Parkin Architects as an architectural assistant and reported to me as her supervisor.
During her 4-month time with us, our colleagues find her as a great addition to my team. She is organized, eager to learn, understood our team dynamic quickly, and showed strong time management skills and teamwork. On meetings, we could see her progress on developing confidence to speak up, show her ideas, and progressively developing her communication skills. She asked questions as much as possible to understand the tasks and expectations. Usually, getting experience on the Contract and Construction Administration phase and be passionate about it is not typically for everyone. But Avory did great on adapting and absorbing the process to get the job done.
Should you have any further questions, please feel free to reach me.
Sincerely,
Tysa Thomson
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
ARCHITECT AIBC, PMP, CM-LEAN, EDAC, LEED AP
O: 604 283 8054 EXT 631 D: 604 925 5491
a beautiful, simple life
capturing the beauty of individuals’ routines
What is so interesting about this beautiful, simple life?
Individuals that develop routines in ubiquitous spaces can help to shape public spaces into important places of comfort and sentiment. This image of an elderly woman selling flowers demonstrates how an everyday space can be transformed into a memorable spot. Her little store is nestled on a wide pedestrian walkway between a rusty wall and a gnarled tree. She utilizes the natural space to carve out a showcase of bright flower arrangements where a passerby least expects.
People have a natural tendency to observe how individuals act in these ordinary spaces. For me, these spaces on spontaneous routes offer glimpses of poeple’s simple lives. Architecture and design becomes more intriguing when observing how individuals appropriate the space or physical product. Without these individuals, the atmosphere and intention so carefully crafted would fall flat.
By engaging in familiar routines, individuals infuse these spaces, buildings, and objects with life.
individuals reading the newspaper on a public walkway, common pastime between unknown strangers
individuals situated in an open area, contrasting blocks of buildings in the background
contrasting the individuals walking through a path, carrying an umbrella to avoid the strong sun even under the shading trees
individuals sitting together under the gazebo, the nearby building and tree canopy further sheltering the individuals
common grounds
co-operative housing community
Date: April 2024
Location: Waterloo, Ontario
Collaborators:
Areeba Saleem
Ling Long Yang
Course:
3A Design Studio
Skills:
Rhino, PS, AI, Laser Cutting, Physical Modelling
Globally, there has been rise in tent encampments planned by homeless people, who cannot access shelters or refuse to subject themrselves to physical, psychological dangers and lack of communities withing them. By using underutlizied land to build intentional communities on a multitude of scales, residents can receive services, share community responsibility, and regain agency to govern the space and the lives. Common Grounds creates intentional communities by using urban farming as a means of organization since it allows for food security, the practicing of governance, and an emphasis on labour and how it contributes to socialization. The site, situated on the edge of Waterloo, already lends itself to very agriculturally based solution and thus urban farming is incorporated in the site’s planning strategy as well as into the typologies, allowing for productive greenery to be deeply embedded in the resident’s lives. Productive green spaces on the site include vegetation that requires more maintenance such as gardens, flower beds, or vegetable gardens, but also low energy activities such as iste ocmposting, bioretention gardens, and permaculture planting, ensuring future food security and a healthy and active lifestyle. Furthermore, growing food, selling the excess to in the farmers market, and giving extra to neighbours creates a cyclical cycle of giving within the site and beyond. The site’s adjacency to RIM Park, a renowned sports complex, makes the active lifestyle an even more reality for the residents. Not only that, but the neighbouring power plant, and the ydro corridor that the site is situated on allows for the use of district energy.
Thus, an important part of the project apart from food security, has become learning through the social aspect of cultivating, the practicing of goverance, and the power that is collectively formed through labour, all which is done through urban farming on the site, resulting in a healthy lifestyle connecting back to RIM Park, but most importantly forming intentional communities.
MODULAR MIDRISE
CLUSTER
transitional housing unit plans
townhouse showing centre core with flexible partition walls
corridor building unit plans
fixed core with moveable partition walls between units
single
cluster housing with legacy hub
vertical garden social hallway view
appropriated transitional housing unit
central
cluster housing, upcycled brick panels
vertical garden, polycarbonate panels and wire mesh
modular midrise, fibre cement and brick
GREYWATER SYSTEM simple system collects and filters greywater from bathroom sink/shower and laundy and distributes it to outdoor garden
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM uses the earth’s temperature as an energy stable
site section and passive systems
site elevation with plant root study
RAIN GARDEN shrubs and grasses shredded hardwood mulch small granite boulders (edge of rain garden) compost amended soil
The focus of Local Rock was to explore the existing granite that the lodge is built on. Through this project I was able to research the landscape and construct a social lodge, incorporting the surrounding natural forms and textures.
The building itself is partially embedded in the granite site, creating an opportunity for a set of interior stairs and a recessed shelf for the bar. The main floor has the heavier materials, transitioning the outdoor rock formations to a similar rough texture indoor. This is where meals are served and where there can be larger indoor gatherings. The second floor was designed to be a quieter more intimate space with wood finishes and a warm fireplace. The research lab is also located on the second floor, with the south side under the double-head space, looking out to the forest, and the north side looking out to the French River.
natural rock form
cut / tiles
polished / tiles
cut / slabs carved / recessed shelf
cut / blocks
polished
wood to rock connection cohesive throughout every elevation
intial sketches, building facade design
exterior view
model photo, north
model photo, south
second floor plan
ground floor plan
initial sketches, living room and upper atrium
initial sketches, ground floor communal space
ground floor and second floor fireplace design
ground floor, social bar & stairs to the upper floor
second floor, quiet communal space with a cozy fireplace
granite metal plaster
materiality study
With the main focus being the use of alterantive forms of rock, additional materials were used to create textural differences and separate atmospheres between the floors.
wood stone
greenwave home
student residence & collaborative study space
Selected for UWSA Projects Review 2022.
Date: December 2021
Location: Cambridge, Ontario
Course: 1A Design Studio
Skills: Rhino, PS, AI
Greenwave Home is a mixed-use building combining a community study space as well as housing for two student residents.
The basic form of the building resembling the organic movement in nature, focuses on the well-being of the visitors and residents. Several carefully chosen plants symbolizing and encouraging a healthy, focused study space were placed throughout the building. As well, the wavy exterior shading facades visually connect with the inner structure that doubles as a bookshelf.
flora directory, related to healthy study habits
ground floor plan
1. Chlorophytym Comosum
Prosperity & Happiness
2. Lavandula
Devotion & Calmness
3. Monstera Deliciosa
Respect & Honour
second floor plan
4. Gladiolus
Moral Integrity
5. Dracaena Trifcasciata
Persistance & Happiness
6. Scabiosa Japonica Strength & Enthuasiasm
diagram
upper balcony, studying with a friend
additional work
a collection of past drawings
case study diagram, New York City subway line may 2023
section perspective, supportive housing
case study diagram, New York City subway line may 2023
rubble island inaccessible by humans, now occupied by birds.
oysters are filter feeders and provide habitat for other aquatic life.
traditional caskets releasing methane, biodegradable caskets return to earth.
geese in manmade lake polluted by eutrophic bacteria.
