Dexter Gao '20 MArch Columbia GSAPP

CONTACT E-mail: dextergao14@gmail.com Address: 42-12 28th St. NYC NY 11101 US

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Portfolio of Wentao "Dexter" Gao M.Arch candidate @Columbia GSAPP Selected Works 2017-2020

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CONTENTS

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The Generator of City Love UIA Architectural Competition - "Concept and Notation"

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Spatial Metaphor for Urban Issue Solving Urban Design - An Artists' Community as Countryside Hollowing Solution

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BIM - Landscaping Stage: the Greenpoint Theater A BIM Empowered Project for Integrated Building System

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Stacks in Stairs Library Design - Columbia GSAPP CORE II

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Deconstructive Discovery in Weaving Material Spatial Discovery - A Conceptual Public Structure for Cathedral

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Simulation for Renovation Architectural Parametric Research - Renovational Proposal via Swarm Flocking Algorithm

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See GSAPP Thesis Movie at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_TGKw5JRck *Please Make sure to watch before scrolling down

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Resiliency & Multifunctionality: How Does A Daycare Transfer As An Infectious Clinic When A Pandemic Hits Columbia GSAPP M.Arch ADV VI Studio Site: Fulton Mall Brooklyn,New York

Design: Individal Work Instructor: Jing Liu Except for being attachments of urban consumerism and gentrification, contemporary street spaces should consider more about providing resilience for public good when unexpected public emergencies happen, especially when the pandemic is actually hitting.

Architecture has been taking its role in terms of temporary healthcare facilities in a variety of forms, However, architecturally speaking, being temporary means many existing architecture(hotel, stadium, cathedral, parks, etc.) could be deployed as hospitals. Can we be more ambitious that healthcare functionalities are designed on purpose before emergencies as a contingency. While the original appropriate function being respected and well designed as well because public architecture as a property is very precious and not being made for emergency response only.

So the thesis comes to Resiliency & multi-functionality. The chosen programs are day care and infectious clinic both with certain capacity of service. The reason to choose daycare as the normal program is because Fulton mall has a pretty divided demographic present because of the gentrification. People with different racial, age and income properties are living together and there are a lot of kids coming from those different families as well. So the space aims to provide a caring & educational architecture for the community to make sure children are a considered part of the neighborhood. Children here are welcomed to learn, play and make friends with each other. On the other hand, emergency healthcare facilities can guarantee everyone who needs urgent help to have access to those resources down on the street. Not to mention such facilities increase senses in terms of safety, diversity and sanitary in the long term.

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Concept Diagram - Pre-designed Infectious Clinic

Concept Diagram - 4 Daycare Units & 1 Infectious Clinic

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Axon - 4 Daycare Units - Lower Level

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Axon - 4 Daycare Units - Mid Level

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Axon - 4 Daycare Units - Upper Level

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Section - Deployed as An Infectious Clinic

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CAMOUFLAGE ARCHITECTURE: A Truck Stop in Dessert of TRIC Reno Columbia GSAPP M.Arch ADV V Studio Site: TRIC Reno NV

Design: Individal Work Instructor: Michael Bell

The project aims to create a large scale modern truck stop merging with incredible natural landscape in terms of dessert here in TRIC Reno, Nevada.

Camouf lage architecture is the concept that I utilized for opportunities to achieve the concept. Specifically the building played with existing topographic conditions of the site to maintain 90 parking spaces that coordinating with grade level while crafting hostel stay and job training centers for truckers for possible job transitions in the coming autonomous driving era.

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Camouflage is a phenomenon or a tool mainly used to conceal the object or the figure. The tool could be either a pattern paintings or using the shape of the stimulus to hide it between its surroundings. The both tools leads to disguise the object on the observers eye. Accordingly, camouflage could be interpreted according to the occurrence of the following facts.

Camouflage tricks the eye through a condition more commonly known as mimicry; a concept whose lineage goes all the way back to Aristotle, for whom mimesis describes the pleasurable role of imitation in the creative process. Mimicry plays an important role in helping us gain a deeper theoretical understanding of camouflage, and the possible implications for architecture.

Such large-scale urban camouflage sounds like a wild idea now, knowing that no attack ever came, but the idea was adopted in plenty of other towns—for example, Burbank was temporarily concealed by a thin layer of cheesecloth in 1942. Soon, Moholy-Nagy's school had become a “certified school for camouflage personnel,” and was attracting attention from all over the country. In 1943, he curated a popular exhibition on his findings. Yet his contributions to the US military are rarely mentioned—maybe because of the more important role he played in the art and architecture world.

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Vision Diagram - CamoufLaging Truck Gas Station in Near Future

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Photograph - CamoufLaging Infrastructure

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Component Diagram - Building Rationale Implementing Camouf lage Architecture

Physical Model Photograph - CamoufLaging Infrastructure

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Ground Level Plan - Truck Level

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Ground Level Plan - First Level

Cross Section - the Concept Play with Existing Topography

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Long Section

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Interior View - Trucker Learning Center for Coming Job Transitions

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Interior View - Long-span Structure System and Internal Circulation

Physical Model Photograph 27

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Exterior Perspective View

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Columbia GSAPP CORE I - UP 2 Week Design Challenge

Designing a dronelike object that could stay on aif no less than 5s for 60' tall.

Concept Drawings 30

UP

Model Photographs 31

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An Art Academy for Rehearsals Columbia GSAPP M.Arch ADV IV Studio Site: Newburgh Waterfront Area, Hudson Valley NY

Design: Individal Work Instructor: Amina Blacksher

The studio examined the potential for art to function as a catalyst for change.

Specifically, the studio examined the role of the institution, the Academy, as a host for harnessing talent, social vitality, civic engagement, and enduring economic prosperity. Organizational structures of select precedent academies were studied to understand the physical and non-physical architecture that facilitates and allows the institution to affect change on a scale greater than the building. The final work expands the capacity of the Newburgh Performing Arts Academy and proposes a new institutional (infra)structure, physical and organizational, to contribute to a vibrant Newburgh.

Besides, the design of triple height entrance with the auditorium attached is a way to acquire sloping open spaces & incredible river views to be part of the project for a welcome gesture of urban context, especially for shows in the auditorium that open to public.

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Site Axonometric View

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Upper Level Plan

Broadway Level Plan

Ferry Level Plan

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Program Diagram Specifically, the project aims to build a platform in Newburgh waterfront area for local kids & teenagers to get equal or even advanced opportunities of art educations.

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Barriers - Rehearsal Prototypes The space was focusing on activities of “rehearsal” to build spatial typologies for different rehearsal uses in terms of different arts based on different restrictions on using those rehearsal spaces. Three kinds of “barriers”(visual, acoustic & walking ) are developed for fine arts, music and dramas.

Longitudinal Section The space which contains abundant rehearsal units for performing arts is seeking for creating a n active waterfront.

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Rendering / Library Rooftop

Rendering / Rehearsal Lounge

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Cross Section

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Model Photograph / Sloping Area(Rehearsal Space Contributes to Facade)

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Model Photograph / Main Entrance(from Broadway)

Model Photograph / Elevation

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Columbia GSAPP CORE I - ABOVE 2 Week Design Challenge

Designing a street corner as an interesting public space in an existing block in Union Sq.

Design / Concept Drawings

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ABOVE

Model Photograph

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Unique Units & Flexible Flows Columbia GSAPP M.Arch CORE III Studio Site: Bronx, New York NY

Design: Dexter Gao, Christine Shi Instructor: Ilias Papageougiou

My partner and I believe that Housing and architecture are ultimately choices rather than previleges. The objective of this project is to create a unique, safe and progressive residential experiece and view which could be, more importantly, conctructed in relatively lower cost. Thus the space conceptually plays with curvilinear slab systems which provide with opportunities for exploring possibilities of uniqle units arrangement based on abundant iterations. Cores and atriums that serve as supplimental natural light amplifier are imported at each intersection of curve to form the basic prototype of a residential space.

Meanwhile, openings in this systems are playing even important role in this case as they can be developed perfectly as entrances(ground level) or public spaces(upper levels). Openings are carefully defined by removing generic units distinctively in each level and resulted as double height or triple height space.

They are public spaces for communications and views, ideally they could also be some co-working space for promising garage project & companies.

It is obvious that relevant curvilinear structure & facade system are applied here to establish a completed building system.

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Meanwhile, openings in this systems are playing even important role in this case as they can be developed perfectly as entrances(ground level) or public spaces(upper levels). Openings are carefully defined by removing generic units distinctively in each level and resulted as double height or triple height space. They are public spaces for communications and views, ideally they could also be some co-working space for promising garage project & companies.

It is obvious that relevant curvilinear structure & facade system are applied here to establish a completed building system.

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Conceptual Massing Model

Typical Floor Plan

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Section Perspective

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Physical Model Photograph

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Model Photograph - Courtyard

Model Photograph - Openings

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Columbia GSAPP CORE I - IN 2 Week Design Challenge

Designing a Lost & Found Space Attaching with a Subway Station IN 14th St. New York

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Section

IN

Axonometric Drawing

Model Photograph

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The Double Library: Iconic Human Experience & Stacks Columbia University GSAPP Core II Studio

Site: Dumbo Brooklyn, New York

Design: Individual Work Instructor: Emmett Zeifman

This project aims to reintepret the relationship between human and book of hard copies in as information industry has been dominating and reshaping built environment for decades.

Bringing people back to urban library was defined as the design objective and the main strategy is to create an iconic landscape for reading, inspiring people to re-evaluate the value of reading hard-copy books in a library. Staircases are chosen to be the rudimental architectural typologies for redesign as both circulations and stacks. Also, to establish a monument in the urban context to convey that New York is a city which always respect learning and sharing in every manner.

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Element & Construction Diagram

Concept Models

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The library is kissing an existing building on the site and the entrance is located on the southeast side of the building plan, along with a small exterior garden and a curvilinear public auditorium. After entering the library, The experience of climbing stacks via an unified mega-form consists of staircases starts from the ground level.

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Physical Model / 1/8''=1'

Physical Model / Detail Photographs

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Rendering / Stacks & Reading Space

Rendering / Public Auditorium

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Exterior View

Columbia GSAPP CORE I - ON 3 Week Design Challenge

Designing a Pier as an waterfront interface in East River, New York

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Site Plan

ON

Study Model

Section Perspective 65

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Landscaping Stage: the Greenpoint Theater A BIM EMPOWERED PROJECT Columbia University GSAPP AT IV - BUILDING INTEGRATED SYSTEMS BIM PROJECT Instructor: Prof. Sahrra Khan Site: Green Point, Brooklyn New York City, the United States Dexter Gao Luna Yue Zuo Chuyang Zhou

The GreenPoint Theater locates on the Block 2590, Brooklyn with approx. 24,000 sf, surrounded by precious riverside spaces and a park. Therefore this theater project aims to accquire those incredible landscape as part of the background of high level performance by creating a clear facade system with large cantilever. As a result, a floating urban deck has been risen to become a positive urban participant to exhibit artistic events and being exhibited as a modest landmark in Greenpoint neighborhood.

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Architecture System - Floating Deck for Acquiring Incredible Landscape

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Canvas of View

Extruding Deck

Circulating Deck

Rationalizing Spaces

Site Plan

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Floor Plan - Ground Level

Floor Plan - Level 2 70

Floor Plan - Level 3

Floor Plan - Level 4 71

Facade System - 2 Interfaces

Interface 1: Unitized curtain wall system provides great sense of clearness and simplicity for the f loating urban deck which is the magnifesto of greenpoint theater.

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Facade System - 2 Interfaces

Interface 2: Concrete wall covered by aluminium meshes with certain patterns to create a elaborated view as an alternnative method to stay away from expensive stone finish to combine brutality and transparency.

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Detail System - Complexity for Simplicity 76

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Structure Plan Series

Structure System Truss Free Spaces in Crazy Cantilevers 78

Overall Structure Axon

Hiden columns at the entrance of the theater support the CW which hit the ground.

Bracing steel Cores contribute to provide additional support for f loating urban deck.

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Interior View - Multifunctional Auditorium

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Columbia GSAPP Featured Tech Elective - Super Talls Instructor: Nicole M. Dosso(One WTC, SOM) Life Safety Distribution The Whole Super Tall Proto-Building Analysis in a Single Infographic Drawing.

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Columbia GSAPP Tech Elective

Advanced Curtain Wall Critic: Daniel Vos

Gerald Haincht Fuji(1999)

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Visualizing the Everest: A Data Visualization of the History Qomolangma Expeditions

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APPENDIX TECHNICAL / SUSTAINABILITY DRAWINGS & URBAN INTEGRATION & DESIGN GSAPP ARCH TECH V VISUAL STUDIES - DATA VIZ 87