Portfolio (Thesis link in description)

Benjamin Kim

B . F. A . I n t e r i o r D e s i g n - Pr a t t I n s t i t u t e

S e l e c t e d p ro j e c t s 2 018 - 2 021

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Contents

01 MAXIMALISM Residential

02 TAURUS II Exhibition

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03 VOID EXPANSION Wall Detail

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04 NEO-BEDOUIN SHELTER Defensive Ecology

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05 ENGAGE-ACTION Library

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06 UN "OFFICE FOR ALL" Commercial

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07 SKIN VS. STRUCTURE Case Study

02 TAURUS II - Exhibition Design

MAXIMALISM: Physical model of main staircase

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01 MAXIMALISM - Residential

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MAXIMALISM Residential

December 2019

This project was a townhouse renovation in Brooklyn. One of the client's family members was claustrophobic - this became the driver for the design of the project. Creating an 'expansive space' became the key focus, which was achieved by decluttering and rigorous alignment. The expansiveness and character of a seemingly minimalist space was heightened by creating implicit dimensions of space through light and shadow, hence the title of this project: "Maximalism" a term coined by Flavin Judd.

01 MAXIMALISM - Residential

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01 MAXIMALISM - Residential

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Name: Ai xin jue Luo Age: 60 yrs

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Experience with fasion and textiles in Paris/China Helps daughter in law (Aijun) run homemade clothing business

Name: Yi Jiangnan Age: 33 yrs

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Childhood in China, abroad to New York at 13 Works in the United Nations, full-time

Name: Yang Aijun Age: 32 yrs

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Ex-student of Ai xin jue Luo Operating a fashion label producing hand-made garments (anti fast fashion) Online store using social media presence

Name: Yi yang qian xi

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Diagnosed with claustrophobia - gets panic attacks frequently in compact or crowded places.

Age: 5 yrs

Adjacencies based on client occupying hours & program requirements .

Claustrophobia Research Notation.

Possible qualitative solutions based on research: • Indoor/Outdoor living • Continuous/Fluid Multi - level space Process

• • •

Expansive optical illusions Seamless storage/cabinetry Light, naked furniture

De-cluttering/ Expansive Space

01 MAXIMALISM - Residential

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Library House Architect: Shinichi Ogawa Location: Tochigi, Tokyo

Case study: Japanese minimalism.

Concept model: Mirror railing extends space

Untitled

Artist: Donald Judd Completed: 1989

Concept model for a platform: Mirrored interior finish expands the vertical surface infinitely.

01 MAXIMALISM - Residential

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Cove light bouncing onto adjacent walls. Faucet recessed under cabinetry.

Second Floorplan

Drawings

Third Floorplan

Sliding bathroom doors into interior walls.

01 MAXIMALISM - Residential

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Cantilevering staircase looks floating & seeps in natural light from slot window

Longitudinal Section A

Short Section B

Hollow oak platform with mirrored interiors circulate into 'floating' photography studio.

Atrium/terrace poetically connects the house to the outside, while maintaining privacy - a perfect retreat from work.

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Custom kitchen cabinetry: Seamless, aligned, decluttered. Mirror kitchen partition & polished concrete expands vertical & horizontal datums.

Double-Height living room with 'floating' photography studio.

Perspectives

Interior window peering 'outside' into atrium from grandmoth

01 MAXIMALISM - Residential

her's room.

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Muted materials: a 'canvas for light'.

Hints of ash & oak for warmth.

Sleek, 'naked' furniture selection that stay true to form & material.

FF&E

02 TAURUS II - Exhibition Design

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TAURUS II Exhibition Design

May 2019

Taurus II is a concept space vessel/station. The design was driven by an assemblage of iterations of a torus. Its spatial capacities were explored in order to make an immersive installation that commemorates the achievements of the astronauts. It was important for it to be similar to its original scale so that viewers could be inspired just like the astronauts were.

The biggest challenge was to fit the installation in a complex multi-height space that is the design building of Pratt Institute.

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02 TAURUS II - Exhibition Design

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35'-8 1/4" 6'-0 1/4"

5'-11"

2 A-000 17'-8 7/8"

42'-8 3/8"

48'-6 3/8"

3 A-000

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

4 A-000

7'-4 5/8"

UP

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

7'-2 1/8" 10'-8 1/8"

35'-8 1/4" 6'-0 1/4"

5'-11"

2 A-000 17'-8 7/8"

42'-8 3/8"

UP

7'-4 5/8"

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

48'-6 3/8"

3 A-000

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

4 A-000

7'-2 1/8"

1 A-000

1 A-000

10'-8 1/8"

Plan View

Cut Floorplan

Drawings PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

02 TAURUS II - Exhibition Design

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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Unnatural proportions encourage interaction

24'-11 1/2" 8'-9 1/2" 2'-11 1/4" 9'-9"

3'-1 1/4"

7 1/4"

9'-9" 5'-11 7/8"

3'-6" 25'-0 3/8"

1'-6 1/2"

19'-5"

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

2'-6 7/8"

3'-0 1/2"

3'-2"

1'-0"

6'-5"

34'-4"

12'-4 1/8"

16'-7 3/4"

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

2'-3"

4'-0"

9'-5 3/4"

Section 04

7'-5" 45'-2"

Section 02

Scale takes advantage of double-height site.

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PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

Site: Pratt Institute School of Design Building Address: 200 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11205

33'-5 1/2" 17'-5 3/8"

7'-4 3/4"

9'-8"

6'-11 3/8"

7'-8"

5'-2 1/8"

14'-10 7/8"

6'-0"

Section 01

Collages

Tailored tightly to human body for a stimulating & immersive experience.

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK STUDENT VERSION

38'-3 1/4" 1'-0"

02 TAURUS II - Exhibition Design

The forms circulate through thoroughly enough around the lobby space and the staircase.

The material choice of steel was inspired by works of Richard Serra. This particular installation immerses the viewer by forcing participation - making them duck, crouch, and take limited paths of circulation. It is an active aid for vividly imagining the adventures the astronauts had partaken.

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02 TAURUS II - Exhibition Design

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3D Printed Physical Models Process

02 TAURUS II - Exhibition Design

Top to bottom: Form iterations of a torus Assemblage of manipulated forms Spatial capacity exploded axonometric

Scale relationship to the human body

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03 VOID EXPANSION - Wall Detail

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VOID EXPANSION Wall Detail

December 2019

“Void Expansion� is a decorative wall panel for a boutique residential space. It has modernist traits in its modularity and neutral or more precisely, its colorless nature.

Doing so highlights the light qualities, creating spatial depth and illusion, adding another dimension from what was a static wall. Thus, the wall becomes something dynamic, creating a dramatic moment/atmosphere.

03 VOID EXPANSION - Wall Detail

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03 - Wall System 03 VOID VOIDEXPANSION EXPANSION - Wall Detail

Plan

Front Elevation

Isometric 3D Views

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Methods

03 - Wall System 03 VOID VOIDEXPANSION EXPANSION - Wall Detail

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1. A singular module was modeled in Rhino 6 following a set of rigorous rules and symmetry on a 3D grid. They were modeled in 1:1 scale so the final outcome could be a life size mockup.

2. Three distinct modules, (two corner conditions) were 3D printed.

3. A silicone mold was created for each module. The challenge was to successfully make a two part mold that took into account for the undercuts due to the complex geometry.

4. The molds were used to create multiple plaster casted modules.

5. The modules were drilled in the back so they could be fixed onto a wooden panel with numerous dowels cantilevering out of it.

Photographs

04 NEO-BEDOUIN SHELTER - Defensive Ecology

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NEO-BEDOUIN SHELTER Defensive Ecology

December 2020

This project address both immediate and long-term questions relating to the survival and sustainability of the human species, while recognizing the importance of and utilizing the unique benefits of coexisting lifeforms to achieve those purposes. This will be accomplished through the creation of a defensive ecology; defined as a human-driven intervention intended for anthropic inhabitation or use, as existing within the greater context of radically-altered Anthropocene global and local ecosystems. This shelter was designed in the Omanese desert to preserve their dwindling bedouin identity, both in a cultural and ecological sense.

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04 NEO-BEDOUIN SHELTER - Defensive Ecology

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Site: Wahiba Sands Desert, Oman Based on research, a species other than the locals of Wahiba sands was to be considered, as well as crises or problems in both a literal (climate) and non-literal (loss of bedouin culture) sense. The relationships of these various components were illustrated in a ecosystemic drawing to draw up an initial solution.

Species: Camels, Cacti (Prickly Pear) Crises: Cyclones, loss of bedouin culture/practices.

Community: Bedouins (nomads of the middle east), Neo-Bedouins (younger generation bedouins who spend more of their time in modern civilization).

The ecosystemic drawing on the right illustrates a 'beacon' and 'tent' system. The beacon is a self sustaining structure that protects the local species, including any bedouins against harsh climatic conditions - it includes a water collection & storage system, halal camel meat processing, aerodynamic considerations, and temporary shelters for all species.

The drawing also addresses sustainable, local sourcing of materials such as sandstone and camel hide.

Sandstone's rigidity is comparable to that of cement and brick, making it a suitable material for structure. Camel hide is weaved for layering traditional bedouin tents because it expands upon rainfall, and contracts when it's dry for ventilation.

Process drawing: Both species can be used as food, but camels are also used for transporation and camel hide.

Process

Process drawing: The site analyzed in section, topography, and other climatic data.

04 NEO-BEDOUIN SHELTER - Defensive Ecology

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Final Ecosystemic Drawing: Abstract diagram of initial strategy based on the ecological relationships (elaborated in detail on previous page) of Wahiba Sands, Oman.

04 NEO-BEDOUIN SHELTER - Defensive Ecology

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The gateway is a bridge that invites neo-bedouins who are submitting themselves to modern globalization into the desert. The entry way faces the implicit border between Wahiba sands and 'modern civilization'.

1. Gateway 2. Ablution 3. Prayer Room 4. Collective Dining Third Floorplan Drawings

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Third Floor: View upon entry from gateway. The ablution area on the right and collective dining area on the left.

Second Floor: Bedouin culture gallery/library

Ground Floor: Camel shelter & Central staircase Perspectives

04 NEO-BEDOUIN SHELTER - Defensive Ecology

The beacons are fixed structures whereas the tents are freestanding elements. Operationally, there are a community of beacons situated along the implicit 'border' between the desert and 'modern' Oman to provide several acess points.

Operative Axon

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04 NEO-BEDOUIN SHELTER - Defensive Ecology

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2

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1. Aerodynamic facade 2. Camel hide membrane 3. Internal sandstone structure

05 ENGAGE-ACTION - Library

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ENGAGE-ACTION Library October 2019

This project was a Brooklyn Public Library renovation. The client (BPL)'s concern was that emerging technologies refrains several demographics (mostly younger generation) to interact with the library. The library was re-envisioned to encourage a stimulating/engaging learning experience. All conventional furniture was replaced with custom modules that can be aggregated to create temporary and flexible spaces. It requires the user to plan what they want to learn and how they want to learn it, allowing them to become an active participant in the learning process.

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05 ENGAGE-ACTION - Library

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05 ENGAGE-ACTION - Library

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Retail Commercial Education Vegetation Summer sun Winter sun Heavy Traffic Medium Traffic Light Traffic

Site: Brooklyn Public Library - Pacific Branch Address: 25 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Brooklyn Atlantic Avenue Site

Library was quite vacant despite urban diversity, including schools.

Divide

Brooklyn Public Library

05 ENGAGE-ACTION - Library

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Technology commodifies information - one absorbs whatever google spits out onto your screen.

This proposal will force users to actively/physically participate in their learning process. Thus, learning in the library becomes engaging, stimulating, and a little playful.

Storage

Seating

Desk

A module can be arranged into three programs. The user combines the modules, to create a tentative work environment, actively thinking about their learning objectives.

Permutations: Ways to fold a cube

Process modules Modules

13”

3 ¼”

13”

05 ENGAGE-ACTION - Library

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6”

1” 4”

5”

4”

Addition: shelves rotate using user's limbs so book spines become easier to read.

12”

80”

12”

¾”

12” 80” 2”

Another moment of physical engagement with the library.

13”

3 ¼”

13”

6”

Scale: 1” = 1’

1 B-000

1. Librarian's Desk 2. Multimedia 3. Workshop Area 4. Resources 5. Librarian's Office 6. Open work space UP

6 2

1 A-000

1

4 3 5

Proposal

05 ENGAGE-ACTION - Library

Mezzanine: Seating + Desk = Personal work-station.

Modules inside framework that extend from existing bookstacks

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06 OFFICE FOR ALL - Commercial

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OFFICE FOR ALL Office

April 2020

This is a office design for the Division for Inclusive Social Development (DISD), which is affiliated with the United Nations. The site given was at 500 Park Avenue, and required programs were ‘work’, ‘rest’, and ‘educate’.

Based on their values, an “office that integrates itself with the community through transparent accessibility of resources and inclusivity that negates hierarchy” was designed.

06 OFFICE FOR ALL - Commercial

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06 OFFICE FOR ALL - Commercial

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Faucet

Fridge

Pantry modules with resting nooks of various privacies

Inter-agency coordination Stakeholder engagement, partnerships, communication and outreach Knowledge management Capacity Development

An office that integrates itself with the community through transparent accessibility of resources and inclusivity that negates hierarchy.

Policy Analysis

Formal meeting spaces Proposal

Lecture room for visitors. Work environment open to public.

06 OFFICE FOR ALL - Commercial

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Open Work Space Modules Employees slide back into private nook to take a phone call.

Wall rotates into a table to open up private nooks into a meeting space of four. Casual team meetings are encouraged Custom shelves: Open library for everyone (including visitors) facing circulation, and private storage facing desks.

07 SKIN VS. STRUCTURE - Case Study

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SKIN VS. STRUCTURE Case Study

December 2019

The collage aims to communicate skin vs. structure. In this space, a curvy structure of manchurian ash veneer shells the auditorium. It carves out spaces for the spectator seating, giving the feeling of a wooden mass that is partially eroded away by nature. However, this monolithic perception cannot be realized without structure that supports such bold geometries. The drawing highlights the interaction of the two contrasting concepts: skin and structure, by translating it to curvilinear and linear components of the space.

07 SKIN VS. STRUCTURE - Case Study

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07 SKIN VS. STRUCTURE - Case Study

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Opera House Site: Harbin, China Architect: MAD Architects

The intention of the space is to create a by integrating people, art, and city identity into a single location. MAD architects , which led to a proposal that brings in the exterior landscape by mirroring the that heighten this larger gesture. In order to uphold these bold components, behind the scenes.

Image source: MAD Architects Process

07 SKIN VS. STRUCTURE - Case Study

Process collage

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w w w. b e n k i m d e s i g n . c o m bkim26@pratt.edu 4 0 4 . 433. 535 8 B ro o kl y n , N e w Yo r k