Emily Ta | 2019-2021 Portfolio by Emily Ta

EMILY TA selected works | 2019 - 2021

Contents 01. Not a Sunflower Farm ....................................................................................................... 04 Los Angeles River Master Plan

02. Los Feliz Housing ................................................................................................................ 16 Mixed-Use Housing on Hollywood Boulevard

03. The Scientist Retreat .......................................................................................................... 26 Research station at Vetter Mountain

04. The Green Lantern ............................................................................................................. 34 Sustainable School of Architecture

05. Dash Museum of Contemporary Art .......................................................................... 44 Downtown Los Angeles Museum

06. Woodland Pedestrain Bridge .......................................................................................... 50 Structural connection exploration

Not A Sunflower Farm LOS ANGELES RIVER MASTER PLAN

xtending 51-mile in length, the history of the LA River focuses on two central narratives: the devastating floods of the 1930s and the rapid development in the first half of the 20th century that led the US Army Corps of Engineers and the LA County Flood Control District to channelize and line LA’s main inland waterway. Out of the 450 Parcels, 98 were selected and combined into potential projects sites. And of the 98 project sites selected, more than 70% are recognized as utility right-of-way corridors. As a way to reimagine the river as a connector of culture, water, and green open space, this project aspires to implement a Utility Park Promenade in Central Plain: Parcel #13 to incorporate a natural, recreational park and equitable educational community center. The Utility Park Promenade recognizes the field of transmission line easements as a cadence for space-making and corridor connectivity. In turn, the familiarity of the utility easements throughout the region replaces the river as the project. The utility infrastructure sustains growth, but it is woefully underutilized. Located between the intersection of the I-710 Freeway and Garfield Ave, Not a SunFlower Farm focuses on remediating and rehabilitating, and reclaiming what was abandoned along the Utility Park Promenade through the tension of soil repair versus agriculture. While this project is cropped in its true cardinal direction, this site is rotated by the 8th degree to sit perpendicularly with the LA River and Long beach freeway. This lacing of directionality offers potential for two types of growing: one externally in the ground for remediation and the other internally in the greenhouse through permaculture farming and a closed hydroponic system for edible plants. “The fascination with the dramatic, either in the program (murder, sexuality, violence) or in the mode of representation (strongly outlined images, distorted angles of vision - as if seen from a diving airforce bomber), is there to force a response. Architecture ceases to be a backdrop for actions, becoming the action itself.” - Bernard Tschumi | Spaces and Events Fall 2021

Master Site Plan While the LA River historically resulted in division, segregation, and fragmentation, the Utility Park Promenade seeks to connect adjacent communities along its banks. Adjacent to the neighborhoods of Bell Gardens, Downey, Lynwood, Cudahy, and South Gate, the designated site lies perpendicularly between the Los Angeles River and Rio Hondo River, crossing the former as it extends to the east and meeting the bank of the latter to the west; this piece of the urban fabric is further layered by the intersecting Interstate 710 and Firestone Boulevard (Route 42), providing the main point of access to the site. Not too far downstream from the site, the SELA Cultural Center is located at the confluence where the two rivers meet. This, together with Hollydale Regional Park, forms a cultural and recreational complex which the project upstream wishes to react to and be a part of this influential sphere of activities, pivoting on the organizational and symbolic locus of the confluence. With the confluence of two rivers as the focal point, this project aims to remediate and rehabilitate what was abandoned, while reclaiming the opportunities to transform this site into a meeting ground of community life, urban access, waterway, and natural systems.

GROUND PLAN 0’ 8

8’

16’

32’

64’

6 2

KEY 1. SUNFLOWER FIELD REMEDIATION VISITOR CENTER 2. COMPOSTING WORKSHOP & MAKERS’ SPACE 3. SPROUTS WORKSHOP 4. FARMERS’ MARKET 5. EDIBLE GARDEN 6. OUTDOOR CAFE 7. DEMONSTRATION SPACE 8. VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT 9. GREENHOUSE CLOSED HYDROPONIC SYSTEMS 10. WATER FEATURE 11. RESTROOM 12. STORAGE

REMEDIATION: an agricultural space for phytoremediation and nitrogen-fixing plants that simultaneously heal and nurture the environment

EDUCATION & PRESERVATION: foster a continued community engagement in the practice of harvesting knowledge through education of ecology & composting/ sprouts workshops relational to the edible & medicinal plants used to treat the site

5 8

UNDERGROUND PLAN 0’

8’

16’

32’

B 64’

CONSERVATION & REHABILITATION: re-introducing native flora & fauna in water & land acknowledgment to the Indigenous Peoples (Fernandeño Tataviam, Gabrieleño Tongva, and Ventureño Chumash) that have stewarded this land for 1000s of years

GROWING: community becomes interconnected with the conservation of biodiversity in ecosystems at a larger context of the river; people are given knowledgeable access to the river corridor by merging science, art, and community involvement in research

ROOF PLAN 0’

8’

16’

B 32’

64’

9 3

SECTION A 0’

8’

16’

32’

64’

SECTION B 0’

8’

16’

32’

64’

SECTION C 0’

8’

16’

32’

64’

EARTHWORK + FRAMEWORK

“What does it mean when we live someplace where the economic value of two urban blocks of healthy organic soil is zero?” - Lauren Bon | Metabolic Studios Land within the LA River watershed has historically been occupied by industrial and commercial businesses that have introduced contaminants into the soil and groundwater beneath the property. This strip of land sits on top of a highly industrialized wasteland limited by industrial and residential development, transmission easements, and access disconnection. As a result, before anything can be done with the land, toxicity from the soil must be removed first.

Not a Sunflower Farm along the Utility Park Promenade is a long-term proposal that doesn’t have to just end at this corridor but seeks potential to extend along the whole utility grid of the LA River, channelizing a multifaceted opportunity to make the tangible and equitable growth of the dispersed community become a woven reality; it seeks greater potential in becoming the confluence center for collaborative trade knowledge networks in communicating issues of sustainable development across the discipline. Not a SunFlower Farm instills movement and directionally throughout the site engaging visitors through pockets of spaces and events. Inevitably, this synergetic relation enhances opportunities to celebrate local arts and culture in an inclusive environment open to a festival of agriculture, farmers markets, cafes, restaurants, hand-crafts, etc.

Los Feliz Housing MIXED-USE HOUSING ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD

ocated at a dense and bustling intersection of Vermont Ave and Hollywood Blvd, this housing project aims to find tranquility within the lively city, in response to the existing pedestrian community. By having a light building footprint and ample outdoor spaces (with the residential space floating above the commercial), the site becomes an urban center that caters to the busy flow and lives of surrounding young professionals. The overall massing hugs the corner street, leaving open gestures that lead pedestrians through the commercial spaces to discover a quiet koi pond that drowns out the humming of the city. As a result, the circulation becomes interconnected from the retail level to the miniature park across the street, and back up to the pond again. Yellow columns are planted throughout the project, in a grid, that functions as a poetic installation and shading device that anchors the programs to the site. Overseeing the iconic view of Los Angeles, Los Feliz Housing continues the existing datum and color palette of neighboring buildings, while also incorporating operable metal panels to add to the resident’s level of personalization. Because of this flexibility, it creates a fluid motion of the building’s identity in that it is always changing with the city. Contrastingly, the railings of each balcony remain stagnant and grounded to the elevation of the project. In the interior, each individual unit reveals its own identity in the change of ceiling heights and shapes in space. The compact units spatially unfold into larger rooms. By manipulating gable and shed ceiling characteristics, it gently guides the residents towards the outdoors, reemphasizing the holistic ideas of creating a flexible indoor and outdoor relationship through moments of compression and decompression. Light and playful in nature, this project focuses on creating flow and finding peace in a busy urban landscape.

Spring 2021

ISOMETRIC VIEW

WEST ELEVATION

EAST SECTION

CORNER VIEW OF FLOATING RESIDENTIAL SPACE ADJACENT TO THE PARK

NORTH ELEVATION

SOUTH SECTION

ESCAPING THE URBAN LIFE TO DISCOVER A QUIET SPACE

The Scientist Retreat RESEARCH STATION AT VETTER MOUNTAIN

ocated on top of Mount Vetter overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains within the Los Angles National Forest, the scientist’s retreat will be used mostly by astronomers and also serve as an education center open to the general public, visitors, and weekenders interested in astronomy. Upon arrival, the facility renders a mass of intersecting geometric volumes that encapsulate a semi-enclosed and enclosed space. Mimicking the topography, a path embraces the natural environment in a fluid language with rest stops and seating areas directed at scenic views. From Vetter Mountain visitors can look west across Upper Big Tujunga Canyon toward Strawberry Peak, north across the Alder Creek drainage toward Mount Pacifico and Mount Hillyer, or northeast toward Mount Waterman and Twin Peaks. Beyond those peaks, directly east, is the iconic form of Mount Baldy. Capturing the natural environment, the steady path is meant to frame the panoramic views. The circulation continues from the path and floats up into a ramp, highlighting the outdoor meeting space and guiding visitors up to a bridge with programmed spaces. The long, curvilinear path emerges from the ground and continuously extends, lifting the public towards the sky. Multiple viewing tubes interrupt the floors and frame the ceiling above as visitors move through the spaces. Alternating between moments of exposure through skylights, glass flooring, and perforated metal screens, this project aims to create a constant movement of the eye. With astronomy as the center of interest, it is only appropriate to focus the retreat’s attention to gaze up at the sky through the field of sculptural viewing tubes. Each astronomer is given their own privacy for quiet thoughts and study as well as shared office space for collaboration. Although the bridge allows for semi-public access to glimpse at the scientists’ research, only the astronomers living there have full privacy and access to the roof garden in which they will spend most of their nights conducting studies. The overall scientist retreat design concept focuses on the exploration of light and spatial movement. Fall 2020

ARRIVING AT THE OUTDOOR MEETING SPACE

C STUD C PURLIN

W18 x 50 I BEAM CONCRETE REINFORCEMENT MESH LOW CARBON SHEAR STUD CORRUGATED METAL DECK CORNER BRACE BATT INSULATION W8 x 64 I BEAM PLASTER BOARD

ASSEMBLY SECTION DETAIL 0’

0.5’

1’

2’

PROGRAM & CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

PROGRAM AND CIRCULATION DIAGRAM

PRIVATE PRIVATE SEMI-PUBLIC SEMI-PUBLIC PUBLIC PUBLIC SERVICE

STARGAZING ON THE ROOF GARDEN

ASSEMBLY SECTION DETAIL

The Green Lantern SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

iven a more agricultural site context at Cal Poly Pomona, the School of Architecture stands alone as a beacon of light that lures and welcomes the public. The tower is a simple rectangular extrusion, which through a series of cuts and folds of different types and scales were used to achieve an overall expression and posture with sequences of semi-outdoor spaces in section. Folds along the grain of the facade were used to deliberately allow light to enter and emphasize different programmatic spaces throughout the day. When night falls, the tower is brightly lit with interior lighting that has been generated during the day. In other words, light from the tower is being absorbed during the day, while at night it turns into a lantern that illuminates the campus. The posture of the tower is heavily influenced by the circulator path of the sun as a mechanism to passively control heat gain. Relatively, the tower facade is made from a finely curated grid with its variable density and moments of overlap to filter light throughout space. As a sustainability and passive feature, the grid is layered accordingly to have horizontal overhangs on the south facade and vertical fins on the east and west facade; this is to protect the tower from the temperate climate. The grid also offers potential as a structural element and a visual aesthetic, breaking down the dramatic scale of the tower and helping organize the programmatic spaces. Furthermore, the grid dubs as a railing system on each floor that contains a semi-exterior balcony space that was an intentional result of the interstitial spaces created from the openings of the folds. In contrast to the tower, the plinth is tectonic in nature. It is orientated to connect the campus and tower with a direct path that runs straight through to facilitate public circulation. Similarly, this circulation is mimicked in the upper levels of the towers; semi-exterior staircases run right against the facade and are enclosed between the tower’s double skin layer for people to experience the uncrowded scenaries of the campus. Spring 2020

ND PLINTH PLAN

6’

48’

GROUND PLINTH PLAN 0’ 2’ 4’

8’

16’

1. ENTRANCE 2. LOBBY 3. EVENT SPACE 4. MAIN SPACE 5. THESIS PIT 6. AUDITORIUM 7. CONSTRUCTION TECH 8. WORKSHOP 9. STRUCTURES LAB 10. GALLERY 11. COURTYARD 12. BOOKSTORE 13. CAFE 14. CARPE DIEM 15. MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM 16. OFFICE 17. STORAGE 18. LOUNGE

48’

1. ENTRANCE 2. LOBBY 3. EVENT SPACE 4. MAIN SPACE 5. THESIS PIT 6. AUDITORIUM 7. CONSTRUCTION TECH 8. WORKSHOP 9. STRUCTURES LAB

1. EN 2. LO 3. E 4. M 5. TH 6. A 7. C 8. W 9. S 10. G 11. C 12. B 13. C 14. C 15. M 16. O 17. S 18. L

1. EN 2. LO 3. EV 4. M 5. TH 6. A 7. CO

BRIDGE OF PLINTH THROUGH TOWER

SOUTH ELEVATION

TRANSITIONAL CLASS PERIOD

1. EVENT SPACE 2. LOBBY 3. GALLERY 4. AUDITORIUM 5. CONSTRUCTION TECH 6. STRUCTURES LAB 7. MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM 8. MEETING ROOMS 9. LIBRARY 10. LOUNGE 11. FAB LAB 12. PRINT SHOP 13. STUDIO 14. SEMINAR 15. CLASSROOMS 16. REVIEW SPACE 17. OFFICE 18. CAFE

SECTION A

23 41

LIBRARY SPACE IN THE EVENING

MODEL RENDER

Dash Museum of Contemporary Art DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES MUSEUM

he museum sits on the corner slope of Fourth and Olive Street with neighboring highrise buildings textured with concrete bricks. Unlike the surrounding structures, the museum has a more complex facade made up of folds, carves, and natural apertures to for light to peak through the gallery spaces. The mixed-media of solids and voids create a checkered-like pattern that offers a glimpse of the interior spaces, sparking public interest to come check out the museum. Light is entered at all levels of the museum in various angles that best illuminates the spaces inside. A vertical tube interrupts the museum floors to not only serve as a skylight but as a structural element as well. The facade carves into the interior space as an illusion of a tunnel that opens up to a large central space as visitors travel further inside to the museum to create a breath of relief. Another entrance exists on the side of the museum that mimics the slope of the actual site. The gradual elevation creates a smooth transition from the exterior to interior space. This forces viewers to take time to explore every single program that the museum has to offer. The vertical circulation of the museum alternates between direct and indirect pathways. For example, the transition from the ground floor to the first floor can be found immediately in a grand staircase that can be seen at the entrance. However, the upper levels pose a more explorative option. As visitors travel into the museum, visitors are introduced to multiple corridors that lead them up or down, or even back around to the same space. This free-flow circulation allows for guests to get lost with the art installation and explore every single program that the museum has to offer.

Fall 2019

EXPLORING THE MUSEUM

IMMERSE IN THE GALLERY SCULPTURES

4TH STREET

GROUND LEVEL AT E.L. 5’- 0”

C UP DN

OLIVE STREET OLIVE STREET

B 1

C 4TH STREET

FLOOR PLAN AT E.L.AT 40’-0” GROUND LEVEL E.L. 0’ 1’ 2’

4’

8’

-7’- 0”

4TH STREET

16’

GROUND LEVEL AT E.L. 5’- 0”

UP UP

A DN

OLIVE STREET

KEY

C 4TH STREET

GROUND AT E.L. 5’-0” -7’GROUNDLEVEL LEVEL AT E.L. 0’ 1’ 2’

4’

8’

0”

1. PREPARATION ROOM 2. MECHANICAL ROOM 3. ART STORAGE 4. LOBBY 5. GALLERY 6. AUDITORIUM 7. SCULPTURE GARDEN 8. CAFE 9. OFFICE 10. BOOKSTORE

16’

NORTHEAST CORNER EXTERIOR VIEW

KEY

SECTION A

1. PREPARATION ROOM 2. MECHANICAL ROOM 3. ART STORAGE 4. LOBBY 5. GALLERY 6. AUDITORIUM 7. SCULPTURE GARDEN 8. CAFE 9. OFFICE 10. BOOKSTORE

Woodland Pedestrian Bridge STRUCTURAL CONNECTION EXPLORATION

he main concept of the Woodland Pedestrian Bridge consists of an exterior cage with floating circulations on the inside. This research explores the construction of lattice steel bracing as a structural and aesthetic component. The bridge is straightforward with accessible ramps that travel up the slope; it is split by a central staircase that floats up onto the upper level to access a viewing point. The stair is supported by stringers and cables that form a screen for division. Beneath the stairs is a void to allow pedestrians to look down. Also, there is a platform that pivots out to create a look-out view. In contrast to the white color aesthetic, the bridge is made out of metal steel framing, concrete, wood decking, and metal mesh panels to frame views.

Fall 2020

DIFFERENT VIEWING PLATFORMS

FLOOR PLAN AT E.L. 25’-0”

SECTION

EMILY TA EDUCATION CAL POLY POMONA Bach elor of A rch i t ec t ure M i nor in R e g e ne ra t i ve St udi es A u g 2018 - May 20 2 3 GP A: 3. 91

SKILLS COMP UT ER-A I D E D DE SI GN Rhin o 7 , Au to C A D, V - r a y , En s c a pe A D O B E C R E A T I V E S UI T E

Illustrato r, Pho tos h o p, In De s i g n

LANGUAGES ENGLISH CHINESE VIETNAMESE

tae32@ymail. com (714) 59 4- 8251

EXPERIENCE KELLOGG & HUNTLEY ART GALLERY

Sept 2020 - Present

Architecture/Woodshop Specialist • De s i g n A D A a c c e s s ib l e v ir t u a l e x h ib it ion s u s in g 3 D m od e l in g s o f t w a r e t o r e p l ic a t e a r t w or k s in g a l l e r y e x h ib it ion s t o s h ow c a s e • A s s i s t in b u il d - ou t s , l a y ou t s , l ig h t in g , a n d d e s ig n in g of s p ac e s f o r i n s t a l l a t ion a n d d e - in s t a l l a t ion of a r t w or k ; or g a n iz e a r t c ol le c t i o n i n v e n t or y , c a t a l og in g , a r t s h ip m e n t s / d e l iv e r ie s , a r c h iv in g / p h o t o d o c um e n t in g ov e r 1 5 a r t w or k c ol l e c t ion s s in c e t h e 1 8 9 0 s • In c r e a s e a u d ie n c e e n g a g e m e n t of a r t w or k s , n e w s , a n d e v e n t s b y 10% t h r ou g h s oc ia l m e d ia a n d w e b s it e p r om ot ion a n d m a n a g e m e n t

CATHERINE GARRISON ARCHITECT, INC.

Summer 2021

Architecture Intern • A s s i s t e d in d e s ig n d e v e l op m e n t a n d p r e p a r a t ion of d e s ig n s , s k e t c h e s , d i a g r a m s , q u a n t it y c a l c u l a t ion s , c on s t r u c t ion c on t r a c t d oc um e n t s , an d fi n a l w or k in g d r a w in g s for 7 p r oj e c t s • En g a g e d in c on s t r u c t ion m e e t in g s d u r in g in - p e r s on s it e v is i t s t o r e s i d e n t ia l h om e s a n d d oc u m e n t e d a d d it ion a n d r e m od e l in g pr o p os a l s w or t h ov e r $ 5 , 0 0 0 in P r oj e c t R e c or d • P a r t ic ip a t e d in w e e k l y t e a m m e e t in g s a n d c on t r ib u t e d t o id e a g e n e r a t ion for p r oj e c t s

TOLO ARCHITECTURE

Aug 2018

Architecture Intern P a r t ic ip a t e d in t e a m s for m od e l m a k in g a n d m a t e r ia l t r a n s p o r t a t i o n o f o v e r 1 5 , 0 0 0 c ol or e d p a p e r t u b e s t o b u il d R e d C a r p e t in C a r t i n s t a l l a t ion for U n iv e r s it y of C a l ifor n ia , R iv e r s id e

ACADEMICS CPP TEACHER’S ASSISTANT

Fall 2021

A s sis t e d a n d m e n t or e d s e c on d - y e a r u n d e r g r a d u a t e a r c h it e c t ur e s t u d e n t s t o fu r t h e r d e v e l op c om p u t e r - a id e d d e s ig n a n d A d o b e s k i lls t h r ou g h w e e k l y - s c h e d u l e d e n g a g e m e n t s & w or k s h op d e m o n s t r a t i o n s

TSD MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

2021-2022

Jo i n t h e T a u S ig m a D e l t a s t a r t - u p a s s oc ia t ion t o fa c il it a t e b e t t e r s o c ia l a n d a c a d e m ic e x p e r ie n c e for w e l c om in g u n d e r g r a d ua t e ar c h it e c t u r e s t u d e n t s on a n in d iv id u a l b a s is

CPP ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

2019-2021

A y e a r l y a w a r d g iv e n t o s t u d e n t s t h a t e x c e l in ov e r a l l d e s ig n s

CPP INTERIM SHOWCASE

Spring & Fall 2018-2021

Be st s e l e c t e d w or k s fr om s t u d e n t s d on e in s t u d ios for e a c h s e m e s t e r

CMACN ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP

2020

C o n c r e t e M a s on r y A s s oc ia t ion of C a l ifor m a & N e v a d a

DEAN & PRESIDENT’S HONOR LIST

2018-2021

THANK YOU