Jessica Huang architecture portfolio
JESSICA HUANG |
1997.11.04
Takasaki City, Japan
Nationality: South African & Taiwanese
EDUCATION
2021
University of Cape Town
Master of Architecture (prof.)
2020
University of Cape Town
Bachelor of Architecture Hons.
Distinctions in Adv. History & Theory
Landscape Architecture II
2016 - 2018
University of Cape Town
Bachelor of Architecture
Dean’s Merit list 2016
Distinction in Environment and Services
SKILLS
Software
AutoCAD
SketchUp
Revit
Adobe CC Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator
Enscape for Sketchup
V-Ray for Sketchup
Lumion for Revit
Languages
English (Native)
Mandarin Chinese (Fluent speaking)
Afrikaans (Limited working proficiency)
Taiwanese Hokkien (Colloquial)
Japanese (Beginner)
WORK
2023.07 - Current
Takasaki University of Commerce High School, Japan
English Assistant Language Teacher
2023.01 - 2023.07
IDEARE, South Africa
Architectural Assistant
2023.01 - 2023.07
Officine Gullo, South Africa
Sales designer and showroom manager
2022.06 - 2023.07
Joe Schutzer-Weissmann, South Africa
Architectural Assistant
2022.03 - 2022.07
Townsend and Associates Architects, South Africa
Architectural assistant
2022.02 - 2022.03
CAD4all, South Africa
Junior Lecturer
2021.03 - 2023.07
W.H.Y Project
Architectural mentor
2021.04 - 2024.05
Lacuna Interior Design Studio, South Africa
Interior design assistant
2019.01 - 2019.12
Thomas Leach Architects, South Africa
Architectural Intern
Children and the city: architecture for play and care
2021 Masters design dissertation
Regrowth housing and market
2018 Bachelor of Architecture final project
Jungle nurse
2018 Bachelor of Architecture midyear project
17. 18 Apostle Road
18. Lacuna Interior Design Studio
16. Thomas Leach Architects
Children and the city: architecture for play and care
2021, Master of Architecture design dissertation Supervisor: Prof. Alta Steenkamp
The city is predominantly an adult domain, filled with complexities and potential hazards, leaving children’s activities confined to schools, parks, and home until they reach adulthood.
The dissertation looks at the position of children in the city of Cape Town by examining the way they inhabit, navigate and play. Through investigating the concept of affordances, the paper explores how different spaces give children opportunities for place-making: actions that enable expression of identity.
The design proposes a ‘mini city’ for children which offers a space for their expression, play and learning while connecting them both spatially and socially within the city.
Site:
Hope Street Park, Tuin Plein St
Cape Town City Centre
Cape Town
South Africa
33°55’47.2”S 18°25’08.0”E
The proposal aims to build a versatile center for children’s activities such as exhibitions, learning, and play. It offers a semi-public space for kids from diverse backgrounds to mingle and for teens to safely learn skills beyond the classroom. This center complements schools and homes, fostering spatial integration of children within Cape Town City.
Elements of Play
The design incorporates playful architectural elements, such as a skylight inspired by the form of a termite mound.
Wavy Walls, Hugs and Pockets
The site is hugged by undulating, curved walls, ensuring safety while also forming micro pocket parks along the street, contributing to the public space.
Treehouse Aftercare Center for the youngest
Mini City + Hall gasket space for all children
Sunken Plaza for all Workshop Tower for teenagers
3RD FLOOR PLAN
From Ground to Sky
To retain the park , green spaces are dispersed inside and between buildings on the ground floor. On upper levels, the park returns as a rooftop landscape, merging with the sky, creating a new natural landscape.
2ND FLOOR PLAN
Imagining a Children-Built City Children create their own spaces through the spatial arrangement of their toys in the living room, the patterns they draw in the sand, or the forts they build in the forest. These instinctive actions are fundamental ways children carve out their own places.
MULTIPURPOSE HALL
It’s a space celebrating childhood in all its facets, with the ceiling sloping towards Table Mountain, symbolizing the child’s limitless potential.
MINI CITY ROOFSCAPE
Alleyways and sloping lawns provide areas for students to linger, meet, and interact, fostering spontaneous moments around every corner.
Regrowth market + housing
2018, Bachelor of Architecture, final project
The aim of this project is to promote the integration of the increasing elderly population and facilitate interaction among diverse age and racial groups within the Wynberg community.
This is achieved through the creation of a communal vegetable garden and a semi-open market space. The building is designed with two distinct sections: one for public use and the other private, separated by a communal courtyard. This layout encourages movement throughout the site and connects it to existing transit hubs nearby.
The exterior of the building is adorned with climbing plants, symbolizing a symbiotic relationship with nature and the community. This gesture embodies the hope of shared growth and prosperity among its users.
Site:
Cnr Castletown Rd and Brampton Rd
Wynberg
Cape Town
South Africa
34°00’54.1”S 18°28’16.8”E
SECTION SHOWING PUBLIC
APARTMENT UNIT TYPES AND PLANS
Upper:
Lower: Studio Apartment
Two bedroom apartment
Left: 1F with living space
Right: 2F mezzanine space
One bedroom apartment
1:200 Scale model
Balsa wood
Jungle Nursery
2018, Bachelor of Architecture, mid-year project
Nestled on the slopes of Devil’s Peak mountain, Jungle Nursery School welcomes children aged 2 to 5 into its engaging environment.
Shielded from the elements by its a horseshoe-shaped form the building integrates into the landscape, offering protection from the fierce winter winds of the northwest and the dry summer winds of the southeast.
The undulating garden roofscape adds an extra dimension to the school’s landscape, serving not only as a playful haven for children to explore but also as an educational tool, introducing them to the diverse flora and fauna indigenous to Cape Town.
Site:
UCT Middle Campus
Rondebosch
Cape Town
South Africa
33°57’31.8”S 18°27’50.6”E
Learning to Play
The classrooms are interspersed with ‘intermediate’ courtyards, encouraging social interaction among different age groups and breaking down social barriers. Service areas, such as toilets with external washbasins, double as playful social hubs.
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
STREET ELEVATION
COURTYARD ELEVATION
SECTION THROUGH MAIN HALL
SECTION THROUGH ENTRY AND STREET LEVEL
1:200 Scale model
Triplex, balsa wood, cardboard
Thomas Leach Architects 2019, Internship
My responsibilities included drafting technical construction drawings and details, creating and assisting with client presentations, 3D modeling and visualization, and managing office administration tasks.
Skills:
design, construction detailing, council documentation, presentation, 3D modeling, V-Ray rendering
18 Apostle Road
2022-2023, Architectural assistant to Joe Schutzer-Weissmann
Working as co-design lead, I assisted with a major redesign and renovation project from start to finish. My roles included site surveying, producing design documentation, preparing council submission drawings, procuring materials and contractors and liaising directly with contractors and the client. This role further refined my presentation, liaison, and project management skills.
Skills: design, project management, construction detailing, council documentation, presentation, 3D modeling, V-Ray rendering
Lacuna Spaces Interior Studio
2021 - 2024, Junior interior designer (contractor)
My primary role involved creating illustrations and visualizations, assembling client presentations, and arranging furniture and decorations for handover.
Skills:
Interior design, illustration, presentation, 3D modeling, V-Ray rendering
Thank you for your consideration