Ziqing/ Elodia Wei-Portfolio for MArch Architecture Application-Bartlett School of Architecture UCL

Portfolio

for

UCL MA r c h A r c h i t e c t u r a l D e s i g n A pp l i ca t i o n

ZIQING/ ELODIA WEI I think architecture and urbanism is an agent for social change. It incorporates research, practice and making work that explores the diversity of human occupation in numerous environments, extending from the room to the city. It has become my desire to create spaces that stimulate people’s curiosity and desire for exploration and bring their lifestyle into harmony with nature.

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ziqingwei125@163.com +86(189)6188-5986 Apt.104 Unit 28, YunHeHuaYuan, Wuxi, JiangSu Province, China, 21400

Architectural designers, in my opinion, should possess extensive knowledge and capabilities. Majoring in Interior Design at Pratt Institute, I have thrown myself into activities as many as possible so as to hone my abilities in practices.

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ENDLESS COMMUNE

LOST IN PARADISE

E D U C AT I O N

Architecture Design Exploring the

Imaginative Architecture Design

Concept of Xeno-family in an

Reflecting Social Problem of

Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Alternate Present

Binge-watching

Fall 2021

Summer 2021

(August 27th, 2018 –June 1st, 2022)

Major: Interior Design Minor: Sustainability Bachelor of Fine Arts Cumulative GPA: 3.98 / 4.00

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REVOLVING CONSTELLATION

WANDERING IN THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY

LABORATORY WORKPLACE

CHARETTE: HEALING TABLE

OTHER WORKS

MOB (Memoirs of Blacks) Ballet

Interior Design of a Performance

Post-COVID Workplace Design for

Multifunctional Table Design Aiming to

Transformative Curtain

Library Renovation of the Arlington

Space at Pratt Institute of Art and

UNDISD (The United Nations Division for

Bring Healing Power Under Covid-19

CNC Milling Tile

Branch of Brooklyn Public Library

Design

Inclusive Social Development)

Fall 2020

Spring 2020

Spring 2021

Biophilia Wall System Fall 2020

Spring 2021

endless

commune

Architecture Design Exploring the Concept of Xeno-family in an Alternate Present

Architecture Design Academic Studio Individual Work Instructor: Virginia Black Time: Fall 2021

This discursive project engages the relationship between family, technology, and reproduction. In a alternate reality, the family structure shifts: adults take collective responsibility for children, rather than only caring for the ones with whom they share DNA. By extrapolating the concept of Xeno-family, it radically transforms notions of kinship and the spaces that support it.

Exogenesis is a significant site of development and inquiry within this alternate reality: people provide eggs and sperms for a special agency, which then mix up different genes and generate babies in artificial wombs. This reproductive technology is used to help abolish the oppressive systems of sex and gender that structure people’s lives. The babies will then be taken by different people to form families. In this case, the family relationship is no longer bounded by blood, but by love established by habit, affection, dependence, and companionship. In this project, reproduction seeps into everyday lived experience in a megastructure consisting of a series of linked transformable structures run by an autonomous system. These linked families could share the use of living spaces as well as the growth of their children, which forms a larger community.

It therefore transforms people’s thinking about the family, advocating for a greater range of practices to make families and communities beyond genetic links.

Taking a reproductive justice approach to kinship practices, this project is informed

by Sophie Lewis’ position against the family, as articulated in Full Surrogacy Now. This emergent strand of technofeminism addresses longstanding feminist concerns over the sexed division of biological and social reproductive labour by arguing for a greater diversity of family and community structures that do not prioritize blood relations as their organizing principle. The project also echoes the author of “A cyborg Manifesto”, Donna Haraway’s call to “make kin, not babies.”

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XENO-FAMILY RESEARCH

Body scale

Building scale

Global scale 03

MAPPING INSTITUTIONS

NUCLEAR FAMILY & XENO-FAMILY COMPARISON

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PROGRAM & BEHAVIOR DIAGRAM

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ENDLESS COMMUNE

CHILD GENERATION & EXCHANGE

ARTIFICIAL WOMB

CHILD EXCHANGE

MOBILE UNIT

TELESURGERY

EGG & SPERM COLLECTION

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COMMUNE

PLAN DRAWING & INTERIOR VIEWS

VIDEO LINK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utX5ihifgdw

10. Civic center/ Canteen

3. Factory

4. Plant & animal tissue culturing

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5. General medical care

COMMUNE

EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC VIEW

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LOST

I N PA R A D I S E

An Imaginative Architecture Design Reflecting Social Problem of Binge-watching

Architecture Design Academic Studio Individual Work Time: Summer 2021

In the post-digital world, whether the message is valuable no longer matters. People are attracted by all kinds of sensory stimulations. The prediction of Brave New World has come true: No one would read any more; People become increasingly passive and selfish in the sea of information, finally lose freedom and the things we love. A remarkable phenomenon among the youth today is Binge-watching.

In this project, I create a new pixelated world under the printed-circuit board. It is composed by two parts: the metamorphic paradise and the digital hell. In the metamorphic paradise, people are addicted to watching digital devices, which leads to both physical and mental problems: eyestrain, spine disorders, loss of deliberation, depression, tense interpersonal relationship, and even juvenile delinquency. The six problems are visualized as belvedere restaurant, recovery bridge, forest park, home, entertainment center, and cinema, which show different types of alienation.

As youth born in this media-saturated age, we strive for comforts brought by binge-watching, but fail to find true satisfaction, because the pleasures we seek leave us individualized and isolated, deprived of meaningful connections with others.

Therefore, what do we gain from the entertainment we love? Will this momentary amusement destroy us? When the joy is gone, how can we face our life reasonably?

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EYE STRAIN

BELVEDERE RESTAURANT

COLLAGE

RENDERING

SPINE DISORDERS COLLAGE

RECOVERY BRIDGE RENDERING

If staring at the screen for a long time, the number of times people blink will be significantly reduced, which will easily lead to dry eyes, eye fatigue, myopia and other eye diseases. The social phenomenon of eye strain is dissimilated into a Belvedere made by screws and gears.

The spine is very important to the human body. Once the deformation appears, it will cause many symptoms, such as headache, neck pain and so on. If these symptoms cannot be effectively treated, patients will also have dizziness, palpitation, and even paralysis. The spine is a bridge that connects the body.

SECTION

SECTION

The Belvedere serves an ironic purpose, as it is used for long distance viewing, which is in sharp contrast to watching closely at the screens. With the popularity of electronic devices, many teenagers have developed the habit of watching screens while eating, which can seriously affect their health over time. Therefore, the Belvedere also serves as a Restaurant and warns people to stop binge-watching.

When teenagers hang their heads to play mobile phones, the cervical spine bears a heavy weight; the shoulders are tight; and the burden on the lumbar spine will also increase. Under such circumstances, the stiff spine is alienated into nails and wrenches, therefore being unable to move flexibly. The Recovery Bridge not only plays a connecting role, but also plays a role in healing people’s spinal injuries.

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LOSS OF DELIBERATION COLLAGE

FOREST PARK

RENDERING

DEPRESSION

HOME

COLLAGE

RENDERING

When youth’s attention is attracted by entertainment, their most precious time, energy, thinking power is eroded. In this temporary happiness, youth will lose their willpower and begin to become unable to think.

When the masses are collectively unconscious, once instigated by others, people will fall into a deep panic.

With the development of technology, the virtual world has become the spiritual home of contemporary teenagers. They become more and more lonely and depressed. They tend to be huddled in their own space and unwilling to go out. The Homes are in the shape of inverted pyramids, symbolizing the mental and physical instability of the depressed teenagers.

SECTION

SECTION

In this metamorphic Forest Park, the trees are alienated into spears, which thrust at the metamorphic brains in the air. Endless staircases intertwine the spear trees like thorns, while people walking on them unclear about where to go. This is just like being lost in entertainment, therefore losing the ability to make rational judgments about their society.

All the Homes are hanging on the same track like wind chimes. The wind chime symbolizes the most simple and essential thing in human nature, which has been buried deep in the heart of each person. Unfortunately, most people are constantly looking for sensory stimulations in the outside world, therefore failing to find the most precious thing within them.

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TENSE RELATIONSHIP COLLAGE

ENTERTAINMENT CENTER

RENDERING

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY COLLAGE

CINEMA

RENDERING

Due to teenagers’ increasing use of the network to communicate, virtual communication has not only expanded the scope of interpersonal communication, but also easily make teenagers ignore the real interpersonal relationship. Therefore, more and more teenagers show the psychological phenomenon of escapism.

Nowadays many teenagers are addicted to online games and films. The floating seats in the Cinema symbolize people’s fake identities in the virtual world, which makes teenagers more introverted. The Cinema is shaped like an inverted cone, with a monitoring console in the middle.

SECTION

SECTION

Once the teenagers are blocked in the real communication, they will turn to the virtual world to seek comfort and satisfaction from all kinds of entertainment, indifferent to face the real interpersonal environment. This will make them be more addicted to the virtual world, resulting in tense interpersonal relationships. Overall, the Entertainment Center is a symbol of this vicious circle.

This structure references the ancient panoramic prison, which shows that teenagers are unknowingly being manipulated by the designers behind the films and games. Because online games and films usually contain violence and the physical and psychological development of teenagers are not mature, teenagers are easy to blindly follow what they see, apply some scenes in the films to reality, and even go on the road of crime.

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LOST IN PARADISE

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AXON & RENDERING

EYE STRAIN

SPINE DISORDERS

LOSS OF DELIBERATION

DEPRESSION

TENSE RELATIONSHIP

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY

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R E V O LV I N G C O N S T E L L AT I O N MOB (Memoirs of Blacks) Ballet Library Renovation of the Arlington Branch of Brooklyn Public Library

Interior Renovation Academic Studio Individual Work Instructor: Robert Nassar Time: Fall 2020

In this library project, I especially focus on creating community space for the MOBBallet (MOBB) Organization. Launched in 2015, MoBBallet (MoBB) preserves, presents, and promotes the contributions and stories of Black artists in the field of Ballet, illustrating that they are an integral part of dance history at large. Their mission is to illuminate the lesser-known history and legacies of international professional Black ballet artists that have been muted, or oftentimes eradicated from the larger canon of dance history.

I design the space as revolving solar orbit since to MOBB, balck ballet is like the sun while balck lives are like surrounding orbit. Also, the 3D constellation connect the spaces together as famous black ballet dancers in history are like shining stars on the night star. Also, I turn the MOBB website into a 21st-century new type of library by visualizing their historical Roll Call into reality. Moreover, the Ballet library invokes the sentiment of a museum by curating black ballet artifacts, written works and archival data.

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WA N D E R I N G I N T H E SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY Interior Design of a Performance Space at Pratt Institute of Art and Design

Interior Design Academic Studio Individual Work Instructor: William Watson Time: Spring 2020

William Shakespeare, an English playwright, poet, and actor, is widely regarded as the world’s greatest dramatist. However, for too long the study of Shakespeare’s works as literature and the experience of them in performance have been artificially separated. My goal is to dispense with that limiting division in both dynamic, engaging artistic events and educational programs that combine the study of Shakespeare’s works with live performances from the plays.

Through designing a performance space in the courtyard of the studio building in an art and design school (Pratt Institute) in New York City, America, it aims to restore and build community by connecting people through theater and classrooms.

It invites community members to take classes, attend performances and join in the creation of ambitious works of participatory performance space, which helps blur the line between artists and community members. The mission—artistic, literary, and educational—is to increase the enjoyment, understanding, and appreciation of William Shakespeare’s works through performance and educational activities.

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SITE ANALYSIS

PRATT INSTITUTE STUDIO BUILDING

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Through the new lens of interpreting William Shakespeare’s work, educational activities and performances will be organized every week, which requires dance classroom, studio, theater spaces. Also, sInce the humanist goal is to bring to everyone the joy and transformative power of the works of Shakespeare, cafe and community space are needed for people to communicate.

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IDEAL PERFORMANCE SPACE COMMUNITY GARDEN

COLLAGE, CONCEPT MODELS, SECTION DRAWINGS

DANCE GARDEN

CONCEPT MODELS

THEATRE

ROOFTOP CAFE

SECTION DRAWINGS

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Section model 01-east/west

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Section model 02-north/south

From the quote, “All the world’s a stage; and all the men and men and women to actors. He is saying that we and women merely players” by Shakespeare written in play many parts as we move through the stages of life.

As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII, he compares life to plays, Therefore, stage areas are inserted in each program.

Section 01-east/west 1. Rooftop cafe 2. Waiting space 3. Studio garden 4. Theatre

5. Dance garden 6. Stairs 7. Community garden 8. Bathroom 9. Hallway

Section 02-north/south 1. Rooftop cafe 2. Rooftop garden 3. Studio garden 4. Theatre

5. Waiting space 6. Dance garden 7. Community garden 8. Hallway 9. Studio 28

PROGRAM LAYOUT

EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC & MATERIAL BOARD 1. Terrazzo floor 2. Light oak floor 3. Concrete wall 4. Rock chair 5. Green velvet chair upholstery 6. Walnut table & cases 7. Original brick wall In terms of material choices, different shades of green terrazzo floor is used to give people the feeling of taking a walk on grassland.

Vertical plant walls are included to remove the heaviness of the walls.

Original brick walls are kept, and with delicately carved furniture combined, they aims to convey a retro feeling of Elizabethan era.

Rooftop cafe

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2 Rooftop garden Rooftop cafe

Waiting space Glass partition

Studio garden Waiting space

Theatre Waiting space

Staircase

Theatre (seating area) Theatre (stage) Dance garden

Staircase (connecting 1st & 2nd floor)

Platform

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Elevator (connecting 1st &3rd &4th floor)

Box office

Box office

Community garden (stage) Community garden (movable seating)

Bathroom

WANDERING

CIRCULATION & RENDERING

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1st Floor 1. Community garden 2. Box office 3. Stairs 4. Hallway 5. New elevator 6. New bathroom 7. Lobby 8. Elevator 9. Bathroom 10. Classroom 11. Stairs 12. Entrance 13. Snack shop 14. Woodshop A

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3rd Floor 1.Waiting space 2. Theatre 3. New elevator 4. Hallway 5. Classroom 6. Elevator 7. Bathroom 8. Stairs 9. Gallery 10. Snack shop

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8 Because The Shakespeare Society serves all types of people and focuses on building a community of Shakespeare-lovers, so besides the main theatre, a stage is inserted in each space to give people a feeling of connection when wandering. It creates performance space that is not only for people, but by and of people as well. It is also intended to bring the feeling during Shakespeare’s time when art and life are merging.

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4th Floor 1. Waiting space 2. Studio garden 3. Rooftop garden 4. New elevator 5. Hallway 6. Classroom 7. Lecture hall 8. Elevator 9. Bathroom 10. Studio 11. Rooftop 12. Stairs 13. Snack shop 14. Gallery 15. Office

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L A B O R AT O R Y WORKPLACE Post-COVID Workplace Design for UNDISD (The United Nations Division for Inclusive Social Development)

Interior Design Academic Studio Individual Work Instructor: Calvert Wright Time: Spring 2021

In this project, a new type of post-COVID workplace is proposed for Division for Inclusive Social Development of UNDISA. This new workplace is re-framed as a "laboratory", because in the future, assigned workspace will no longer be needed, which means that individuals come to work for specific purpose. People will change their workspace to suit their individual needs. Therefore, the new workplace includes a series of adaptable modules that give individuals ability to create/build their own

workspace. This encourages exploration, innovation and addresses anticipated resistance to change. Public spaces are also transformative to allow the space to be multifunctional. In addition, post-COVID workplace requires amplification of the ethos of the company. In this project, UNDISD’s mission is realized in the meandering exhibition/ education path, which defines primary circulation paths within the workplace.

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SITE ANALYSIS

PROGRAM DIAGRAM

MEANDERING EXHIBITION PATH

FLEXIBLE & TRANSFORMATIVE SHARED WORKPLACE

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WORKSTATION ASSEMBLY

EXPLODED AXON

CONCEPT MODEL

WORKSTATIONS

TRANSFORM PROCESS: FRONT & TOP VIEW Computers are hung on the ceiling to allow the workstations to transform flexibly. Each workstation is divided into three parts for individual occupance, and each piece can be assembled.

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AXONOMETRIC VIEW

RENDERING

SANITIZER

1. Elevators 2. Lockers 3. Sanitizers 4. Exhibition path 5. Amenity 6. Reception 7. Open classroom 8. Gender neutral toilet 9. Nest (overnight- sleeping) 10. Transformative workspace

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11. Cafe 12. Library 13. Private workspace 14. Standing workspace 15. Conference 16. Transformative workspace 17. Central exhibition 18. Auditorium 19. Training workshop 20. Mechanical room 21. Fire stair

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MULTIFUNCTIONAL OPEN CLASSROOM

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21 When the curtain is closed, the space can be used as a conference space or a classroom as it gives people more privacy.

Gender neutral toilet

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Lockers

When the curtain is open, the space can be used as an open space for people to meet and chat casually.

Open classroom

Amenity

Exhibition path

Nest

Laboratory workspace

Mechanical

Auditorium

Central exhibition

Cafe

Private workspace

THREE WAYS TO BUILD THE WORKSTATION

AUDITORIUM TRANSFORMATION

TRANSFORMATIVE WORKSPACE Individual presentation

Group performance

Large conference room

ROTATION TABLE FOR SMALL GROUP MEETING

CURTAIN & MEDIUM CONFERENCE ROOM

SMALL GROUP CONFERENCE

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1. Copper 2. Alluminum 3. Blue leather 4. Blue fabric upholstary 5. Carpet 6. Concrete floor & ceiling 7. Corian countertop 8. Translucent plastic 9. Glass partitions 10. Oak flooring 11. Beige wood wall panel 12. Carbonized babll floor & celing 36

NEST (OVERNIGHT - SLEEPING)

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CHARETTE: H E A L I N G TA B L E

Multifunctional Table Design Aiming to Bring Healing Power Under COVID-19 Furniture Design Academic Studio Individual Work Instructor: Robert Nassar Time: Fall 2020

The COVID-19 has changed our life, including the function of a dining table. It has experienced significant changes and has become a place for meeting, studying and so on. To me, I always practice yoga at home using tables as props. In this case, I decide to design a table which could

combine studying and doing yoga together. I want to find a balance between tension and relaxation in my life during the pandemic and wish my design could bring people the healing power.

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TRANSFORMATIVE CURTAIN 01

PROCESS

Video Link: https://youtu.be/JqV0zAxafmU

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IDEA SKETCHES

MODELS

ADVANTAGES

Acoustic, Thermal, Customer control

Acoustic, Air flow, Shadow

Acoustic, Thermal, Customer control, Shadow

Acoustic, Thermal, Customer control, Pattern, Modular

Acoustic, Thermal, Customer control, Transformable

Acoustic, Thermal, Easy to open and close

Customer control, Interactive, Transformable

DISADVANTAGES

Air flow, Heavy, Block views

Thermal, Too transparent, Customer control

Heavy, Too rectangular

Sunlight control, Too much effort to change modules

Sunlight control, Specific view, Similar on both sides

View and sunlight control, Shadow

Acoustic, Thermal

SOLUTIONS

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Use zippers to make the edges stronger; Add another layer of fabric to make it a pocket

Use lockstitch to make the edges stronger; Add another layer of fabric to make it a pocket

Open and close to adjust sunlight and view Light and shadow will change following the air flow

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CONCEPT

FULL SCALE CURTAIN

DIAGRAM

LARGE MODULE

THREE PROPOSALS SMALL MODULE

SMALL MODULE WITH MOOD BOXES

CLOSED

In this project, I propose a solution for the window condition at the North and East window wall of the 10th floor at the 500 Park Avenue for the US Office of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

My concept is to create a transformative and reconfigurable curtain that allows people to control the sunlight and view.

The curtain is dynamic as it slightly transforms when wind circulates in space. Also, c ons ider ing t he i n f l u e n c e of COVID-19, the curtain is designed to add more intimacy and encourage interaction between people in the office.

MOOD BOX (MAILBOX)

OPEN

People in the office can choose the words or patterns that best express their mood and feelings, and insert the card into the bottom of the mailbox. The small LED light above will cast shadow onto the curtain surface.

It offers a way for people to exchange their mood and ideas in a safe distance. The cards of hollowed words or shapes can also be made by individuals.

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CNC MILLING TILE

CEILING TILE FOR AQUARIUM

3" 216

In this project, I designed a modular ceiling tile that can be produced

by CNC milling. The design concept is about coral and ocean, and the tiles are designed to be installed in an aquarium.

5" 1'-416

15 8"

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27 8"

2"

3" 4 5" 116 N

1" 2'-78

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CORAL SKETCHES

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IO

CT

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3" 1116

9" 1116

1'-10"

BIOPLASTIC MODEL

CNC MILLING MODEL

11" 1116

1 4"

3" 18

11" 616

SECTION A

5" 1016

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7" 116

7" 28

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1'-10"

1 4" TOP VIEW

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Tile size: 22’’ x 22’’ x 3’’

3" 316

Material: Bioplastic

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MATERIAL&PATTERN TEST PROCESS

Polycarbonate Optically transparent High toughness Can be colored

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Corian Allow light to shine through Translucent

RENDERING

Aluminum Natural protection against corrosion Most economical Light-weight

Blue polycarbonate Filters light Translucent Cast interesting shadow Give an ocean feeling

ELEVATION

7 16"

1 4"

3"

7" 18

BIOPHILIA WALL SYSTEM

MATERIAL ASSEMBLY

This wall system is in a middle school and the main concept is about biophilia. The modular frames show organic cell patterns. The whole system consists of several sandwiched layers, including bookshelves, biophilia frames, translucent plexiglass, and LED stripes. The bookshelves are attached to the frames with Dado connection, while other parts are connected by nails and steel brackets. Also, the bookshelves in the corners have round edges, so that it is safe for people when walking around. The main goal of this wall system is to make this area more dynamic and promote interaction between students, teachers, and visitors coming to the middle school.

ASSEMBLY PROCESS

Nail Bolt Steel Steel bracket 50x & nut connec- 2x 4x tor 4x

LED stripe 19x

Frame 1x

Shelf 11x Final decision Distance between LED stripes: 3 cm Distance between plexiglass and wall: 2.5 cm Thickness of plexiglass: 4 mm

RENDERING

1. Shelf and frame: Dado connection

4. Frame and wall: Steel bracket connection

2. Frame and translucent plexiglass: Nail connection

3. LED stripe and wall: Nail connection 46

Rooftop Public Areas

School District Housing

Rails on the Road

High-End Restaurants

Welfare Policies

2 Figure 2:

Figure 3-1,2,3:

Size: 752 x 1072 mm Medium: Pencil on paper Time: Spring 2019

Size: 210 x 297 mm Medium: Color fiber pen, red & green light Time: Spring 2019

Struggle

Life & Death

Nail Houses Figure 1:

Weapons of Exclusion Size: 272 x 420 mm Medium: Digital & Watercolor Time: Fall 2020

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3-1

3-2

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Figure 5-1,2:

Figure 6-1,2:

Figure 7:

Size: 350 x 350 x 700 mm Medium: Wood Time: Spring 2019

Size: 280 x 240 x 40 mm Medium: Color print on glossy paper, cardboard Time: Spring 2019

Size: 600 x 215 x 280 mm Medium: Color print on paper, acrylic plate, fluorescent paint Time: Spring 2019

Size: 2000 x 960 mm Medium: Black & white charcoal on brown paper Time: Spring 2019

Gesture Character Stool Music Visualization--Artist Book

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Cities and Nature in the Age of Urbanization Submerge

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