As The Reconstruction of Dangerous and Old Buildings Bill has passed in Taiwan. The Ambassador Hotel became the first five star hotel to benefit from the incentive. While carrying a long standing fame, a newly imporved high-end design has been revealed.
Taipei, Taiwan
2020-2022
Professional Work
73,506m2
Songshan National Airport
SITE: 4,805 m2
ZONING: Commercial Type 3
SUBSURFACE EXCAVATION: 82.5%
FLOOR RATIO AREA: 560% (post incentive)
Built in 964, The Ambassador Hotel was the first privately owned Five-Star hotel in Taiwan. After 60 years of hosting national and international learders and influential figures, an opputunity for change has presented itself appears.
As The Reconstruction of Dangerous and Old Buildings Bill has passed, The Ambassador Hotel kick start their reconstruction plan in 2020. This is also the first five star hotel in Taiwan to benefit from the bill.
The Ambassador Hotel is located in Zongshan District, an area packed with international restaurants, designer shops, and hotels etc. Standing 4 stories tall, the hotel houses 425 rooms, a swimming pool, a few restaurants, a bakery, and a well-known Steak House which consistently holds a one-star Michelin record.
Metro Station
Metro System
Main Streets Airport
The original height restriction was a : 2 ratio from across the road. But after benefitting from the bill, the heigt restriction was reliefed to : 5 ratio from the center of the main road. Original :2) After (:5)
Alley2,Ln.65(6m) Ln.65(7.27m)
Building Height Limit (38.75m)
Building Height Limit (60m)
Ln. 65, Zhongshan N. Rd (7.27m)
Alley 2, Ln. 65, Zhongshan N. Rd (6m)
Building Height Restriction Passage of Aircraft (95.49m)
Building Height Limit (35m)
Building Height Limit (60m)
Building Height Limit (20m) one way one way
Zhongshan N. Rd. (40m)
TYPE:
High-Rise building, Multi-purpose with mainly Hotel & Residential
LEVLES: 23 Stories, 6 levels Underground
CONSTRUCTION: Steel Structure (Podium & Hotel side)
Flat Slab (Underground Parking)
Diaphragm Wall Construction (Partial existing diaphragm wall)
CONSTRUCTION METHOD: Top-Down Construction
(680m2)
RF (6m)
(4.16m)
(3.6m)
6F
(3.6m)
(3.6m)
(3.6m)
(3.6m)
(3.6m)
(3.6m)
1F=GL+400 (6.32m)
1F=GL+400 (6.32m)
(3.0m)
5
8500 8500 8500 9350 10450 11100 10400 地界線
21F
12F
11F
10F
6F (3.6m) 7F (3.6m) 8F (3.6m) 9F (3.6m)
5F (3.6m)
4F (4.5m) X2 X4 X6 X7 X9 X10 X3
3F (4.13m)
1F=GL+400 (6.32m)
1F=GL+400 (6.32m)
B1F (3.8m)
B2F (3.4m)
B3F (3.3m)
B4F (3.3m)
B5F (3.3m)
B6F (3.5m)
3F (4.13m) 4F (4.5m) 5F (3.6m) X2 X4 X6 X7 X9 X10 X3 6F (3.6m) 7F (3.6m) 8F (3.6m) 9F (3.6m) 10F (3.6m) 11F (3.6m) 12F (3.6m) 13F (3.6m) 14F (3.6m) 15F (3.6m) 16F (3.6m) 17F (3.6m) 18F (3.6m) 19F (3.6m) 20F (3.6m) 21F (3.6m) 22F (3.6m) 23F (3.6m) RFL (5m) B1F (3.8m) B2F (3.4m) B3F (3.3m) B4F (3.3m) B5F (3.3m) B6F (3.5m) 筏基 (3.0m) 8500 8500 8500 9350 10450 11100 10400 Mechanical Penthouse Raft Foundation (3m) FULL SECTION Residential Communal Spaces Parking/Mech Room Underground Parking Communal Space Lounge Lobby High End Residential Secondary Lobby (95.49m) 地界線 1F=GL+400 (6.32m) 2F (4.13m) 3F (4.13m) 4F (4.5m) 5F (3.6m) X4 X6 X7 X9 X10 X3 6F (3.6m) 7F (3.6m) 8F (3.6m) 9F (3.6m) 10F (3.6m) 11F (3.6m) 12F (3.6m) 13F (3.6m) 14F (3.6m) 15F (3.6m) 16F (3.6m) 17F (3.6m) 18F (3.6m) 19F (3.6m) 20F (3.6m)
The high end residential apartment contains 68 units in total. 4 units per floor from the 5th to the 2st floor; the 22nd and 23rd floors are joined units, making it 2 units per floor.
service elevator and 2 elevators will be running through each tower (6 elevators in total). In addition, elevator will be serving guests through the podium.
Considering the height and weight of the building, we paired Concrete Encased Steel (CES) columns and beams with Reinforced Concrete (RC) as the main structure. Moreover, 4 Viscous Wall Dampers (VWD) are installed on the typical floors to release the powerful impacts from wind load and seismic activities.
Every appartment owner's parking spot will be accompanied with a charging port for electric cars (7kW/car). Additionally, 6 guest's parking spots will serve as fastcharging (50kW/car). These fast-charging ports will be supported by the generator during power outage.
Building Height Restriction Passage of Aircraft (95.49m)
(3.6m) 19F (3.6m) 20F (3.6m) 21F (3.6m) 22F (3.6m) 23F (3.6m) RFL (5m)
Zhong'an Park (6m)
(3.6m) 16F (3.6m) 17F (3.6m)
(5m)
23F (3.6m)
22F (3.6m)
21F (3.6m)
20F (3.6m)
19F (3.6m)
18F (3.6m)
LEVLES: 23 Stories, 6 levels Underground
CONSTRUCTION: Reinforced Concrete (Podium & Residential side) Flat Slab (Underground Parking)
Diaphragm Wall Construction (Partial existing diaphragm wall)
CONSTRUCTION METHOD: Top-Down Construction
TYPICAL LEVEL HEIGHT: 3.6m (top of slab to bottom of slab)
5F (3.6m) 6F (3.6m) 7F (3.6m) 8F (3.6m) 9F (3.6m) 10F (3.6m) 11F (3.6m) 12F (3.6m) 13F (3.6m) 14F (3.6m)
4F (4.5m)
4F (4.5m)
3F (4.13m)
3F (4.13m)
2F (4.13m)
2F (4.13m)
1F=GL+400 (6.32m)
1F=GL+400 (6.32m)
B1F (3.8m)
B2F (3.4m)
B3F (3.3m)
8F (3.6m) 9F (3.6m) 10F (3.6m) 11F (3.6m) 12F (3.6m) 13F (3.6m) 14F (3.6m) 15F (3.6m) 16F (3.6m) 17F (3.6m)
7F (3.6m)
5F (3.6m) 6F (3.6m)
4F (4.5m)
3F (4.13m)
2F (4.13m)
1F=GL+400 (6.32m)
B4F (3.3m)
B4F (3.3m)
B5F (3.3m)
B5F (3.3m)
B6F (3.5m)
B6F (3.5m)
筏基 (3.0m)
筏基 (3.0m)
筏基 (3.0m)
Raft Foundation
Upon arrival, hotel guests and residents can be dropped off seperately at each main entrance and go through the Lobby. Due to rainy climate and heavy traffic at the end of an banquet event, the Secondary Lobby (basement level 2) is proposed. This practical option for reliefing on-site traffic is a thoughtful design that uplifts the quality of the project.
Knowing our target audience for the appartments and the long car ramp that reachs straight down to Basement Level 2, I paid close attention to the slope ration design and transition slpes. After researching top brand super cars and referencing other car ramp designs on high-end properties, I am confident that my car ramp design will not scratch the bottom of a car. 3.8m(:22) to 2.5m(:2) to 35m(:6) to 3m (:2)
Basement Level houses many of the mechanical rooms, such as Electric Generator Room, Telecommunications room, Substation Room, etc. Therefore, creating good ventilation is critical. After coordinating with the HVAC engineer and researching for high-grade storm louver, I placed the exhaust carefully by the car ramp and on the back wall of the building to avoid crossing paths with pedestrian traffic. Additionally, supply air are being distributed from the sides of the building to prevent short-cycling.
ALL DAY BREAKFAST
LOBBYThe Podium houses the most visited hotel amenities, such as Banquet Hall, SPA, indoor pool, gym, Central Garden, and other restaurants and private booths. We strive to create highly functional spaces with extreme comfort to elevate the visitors' experiences.
The 4th floor serves as the main entertainment for hotel guests and residents. Residents have access to the indoor pool, gym and the hotel's garden or even dine at the hotel's Lounge.
Underneath the Central Garen, the 3rd floor hosts guests in restaurants and private booths. It also houses a key Mechanical Room that keeps the building alive. A Control Room is embeded withinthe mechanical room to overlook the events in the Banquet Hall through the floor opening. This grand Banquet Hall (2F) sits over 550 guests while having a 5.2 meters finished ceiling height.
Throughout coordinating with the engineers, I have to come up with creative solutions to fit in all the equipments and maintain a resanable circulation for future maintenance. While balancing pipe routes to keep the interior spaces uninterrupted, I often coordinate with the exterior facade designers to find appropriate openings for air supply and exhaust.
Residential Garden
Residential Space
Residential Elevator Service Elevator
Interior Design: GA Group
Facade & Lanscape Design: Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei
Creating high ceilings in the Elevator Hall and throughout the corridors was the main design challenge. My teammate, me and the engineers proposed multiple solutions to match the clients' goals.
We came up with a creative solution for this issue. After designing a more efficient structural plan, we created openings to allow bigger pipes to pass through the beams. So the pipes will not pressure the ceiling height. By arranging the Electrical Room and the Equipment Room to work together vertically, instead of being on the same floor (See diagram below). Cable Trays and Trunkings are limited to both ends of the corridor, leaving the Elevator Hall uninterrupted. The hotel rooms occupy 2 storeys. So, there will be 6 pairings.
2 Four-Pipe Fan Coil Units will be hanging in each void (F &8F). The Air Supply runs through pipe spaces using the similar vertical concept as the Electrical System. Only the cold water supply/return and the hot water supply/return will run along the corridor. This helped solve the issue of creating high ceiling and finding spaces for mechanical rooms. Moreover, this design reliefed the square meterage to match the floor area ratio and allowed more spaces for hotel amenities.
Elevator Hall
Equipment Room (Trunkings)
Electrical Room (Cable Trays)
The high-end residential towers contain 68 units. With attentive design and high-level conversations, we aspire to simplify the construction phase and reduce uncessary errors in the future by working on the design development phase thoroughly.
Each Unit contains living room, dining room, 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, half-bathroom, kitchen, maid's room, dry balcony, and balcony. Each wet area and balcony are designed with Depressed Slab system(Light Orange Hatch) to ensure client's high level privacy for leakage repair or future renovations.
While each residential unit has 2 Outdoor Units and 7 Indoor Units to moderate the indoor temperature. 4 Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERV) are installed to manage the sudden temperature change during heat exchange. This not only improves the indoor comfortness but also serves as a sustainable design solution.
HVAC System
HVAC Exhaust
Electrical System
Plumbing System Ceiling Depressed Slab
While Chicago’s constant rent growth evovled into a housing crisis, residents were forced to make difficult choices. The shortage of affordable housing in the city has been a problem for years. By utilizing modular design, my team in Skender Construction is putting our design skills and construction experiences to test.
Chicago, USA
2019-2020
Professional Work
3,219sqf
Each Module consists 4 Units. The efficient constrcution process in our manufacturing factory helps speed up the build, reduce construction waste, and improve consistency. We ran comparative testings throughout multiple units, joint units, and modules to ensure consistency and accuracy in construction.
COPING / WlNDOW SILL
STONE
american stone co.
EXTERIOR WALL
GEORGIAN bricWk-it
The goal was to create contemporary and inviting spaces while keeping it at a low-cost. Moreover, height sensitive installations, such as counter tops, grab bars, slidebars, etc., are designed to be adjustable upon request to meet handicapped user's needs.
Throughout the design development phase, I produced drawings for construction permit submission, rederings for manufacturing team and our clients, and picked out materials for both exterior facades and interior finishes.
Weekly visits with manufacuring team to enforce quality control.
KITCHEN ELEVATION SOUTH
BATHROOM
BATHROOM
3-1/2" GLASS FIBER BATT INSULATION ON HEXAGONAL WIRE NETTING
3-1/2" GLASS FIBER BATT INSULATION ON HEXAGONAL WIRE NETTING
5/8" TYPE X GYPSUM BOARD ON 1/2" RESILIENT CHANNELS @ 16" O.C.
5/8" TYPE X GYPSUM BOARD ON 1/2" RESILIENT CHANNELS @ 16" O.C.
2-HR RATED
As module fabrication elvolves and the technicality solidifies, we worked with local housing associations to resolve the affordable housing shortage problem. 150 Racine locates in Pilsen, an area where Mexican culture and artists flourish. While the community is delightful, some social issues have surfaced and conversations became complicated.
Chicago, USA
2019-2020
Professional Work
43,560 sqf
SITE:
ZONING:
EFFECIENCY:
HEIGHT: SETBACKS:
AREA:
5,625 sqf Neighborhood Mixed-Use District
Maximum, 4 Units
Maximum, 65 ft
Rear yard 30 ft, dwelling units level 43,560 ft2(Gross Enclosed)
The project was entering design development pase. I produced renderings and picked out exterior materials. Meanwhile, I helped design the floor plans and participated in community meetings to promote the project and incoorporate the neighborhood's conerns and comments.
Across history, momets of change were marked by abandonment of individuals or ideologies. The Museo-Crypt of the Abandoned Hero aims to address these moments in society. The project features a permanent collection of artifacts and social programming to continue the discussion of social justice.
Chicago, USA 2018
4th Year Design Studio
20,000 sqf
The shell was designated for 2 main functions, office and museum. The Permanent Gallery artifacts inspired a "circle of life" like circulation. I aimed to create an experience starting with midly contrast to conflicts and hardship, then sudden realization, and circles back to mildly contrast By playing with translucency and contrast, the end somehow has a different look as one's visit comes back to the starting point.
. Circulation in the museum meant to be repetitive and slightly demanding. While going through the positives and negatives alternatively, visitors walk through the space as if a daily personal decision making experience.
2. Breaking down the long middle wall, circulation becomes more guided. But the spaces are rigid and the flexibility is low.
3. Instead of having solid walls, Lantern Paper builds a wavering relationship between visitors' conscience and the abandoned hero's endeavour. The materiality also adds a soft touch to a space that contains such heavy topics.
The deisgn highligts both heroism and atrocity to reflect the imperfection of human nature and to foster a conversation about the future influences these historical moments stir up.
LOBBY VIEW
The Permanent Gallery is divided by transluscent lantern papers, fire-treated, to honor the achievement and criticize the viciousness
Visitors will move in a zigzag pattern among the artifacts as if they are traveling throught the grey area and visiting the conflicted minds of these abandonned heros.
At the end of the space, visitors have to decide inbetween 2 doors to go through. A forest of lantern paper puts them in dispair, but the remote white light encourages them to reach forward with hope. Soon, the Meditation Space with minimal furniture reveals itself, while people who chose the other door also appear from the lantern forest. As visitors sit, reflect, and look back at the forest they have overcame and all the conflicts they had experienced beyond the walls; the shapeless visit is just as surreal as a walking flesh. A beginning leads to a process full of decisions and actions with consequences and hardship acoompanied. One might feel distressed and turmoiled, but know that one just have to press on towards the dimmed light.
As the visitors leave the meditation space, the corridor leads them to either the exit or back to the lobby. The corridor carries the design language of pass-through feature with perforated brick wall that connects the visitors to the exterior sound, smell, light, and temperature.
While the st floor mainly serves as a communal space, the similar laguage was carried on through the big cut out on the second floor. Staff work in a collaborative way with frequent support from each other. The visibility connections through the open floor plan help create a tight-knit team which produces efficient work and maintain a healthy work environment. The easy accesss to the museum space simplifies maintenance and supervision.
THE LINE, is a sustainbable edition to the museum in assistance to keep the financial aspect alive. It's a modern restaurant, sits 24 customers, with an outdoor rooftop bar, which can be acessed outside of the museum's opening hours. The deck also serves as a communal space for the employees' lunch break, meetting space, or team building events.
As the visitors circle back to the lobby, the space revelas it's secondary meaning.
What's done in the dark will always come to light...
The full cirle experience reaches back to the starting point with a seemingly different view. The ever changing natural light and clouds make the lobby a constant changing space by brightness, sun path, temperature, etc. It showcases how although one has gone through a seemingly identical path, the results could differ.
Barcelona is a buzzing city that attracts millions of tourists annually. However, there is a conflicting interest between business ventures and local’s quality of life. Students are assigned to each neighborhood with a goal to identify a nonfunctioning public space and bring a change to the community.
Barcelona, Spain
2017
Study Abroad Studio (3rd Year)
925m2
El Gotico is one of the oldest quarters in Bercelona. It is packed with Gothic architecture, city parks, and artistic surprises at every corner. It is busy, vibrant, and packed with tourists. While the locals benefit from the tourists economically, they wish to preserve some local culture and quietness for themselves at times.
Upon strolling by the famous Mercat de Santa Caterina, I discovered an elongated public space framed by tall trees and outdoor seatings on both sides. People love their time outside during the summer. They are smoking, drinking beer, and exchanging stories. People are relaxed. A small stage was located at the center and a guitar duo performs as their fingers danced between the cords passionately.
Further down, a small gated playground where kids are playing with a slide and running around carelessly. Parents watched and cherished this moment of innocence. The whole space was filled with laughter and warmth. I took some notes and cross the street to discover more.
At the market, I had a conversation with a craftswoman. I found out her love for the city and her conflicting emotions towards the tourists. Nonetheless, she was kind and sincere.
As I walked towards the boy dominant playground with kids chasing each other and playing football, I noticed a quiet nook on my left. The space was unorganized and seemingly abandonded. There were no businesses around and no benches were planned. Occasionally, some residents entered or left the surrounding appartments. I believe the traquility and low exposure have great potential for the locals to enjoy their outdoors leisure time seperately from the buzzing tourists.
The goal is to recreate an outdoor living rooom experience with more quiet activities. Here, families can enjoy each others' company, but meanwhile enjoying their alone time. First, I directed the main traffic which cyclists usually speed through without paying much attention. Meanwhile, the window frames on the wall help blends into the surrounding architecture to lower exposure from the main street. Then, an amphitheatre is placed at the furtherst point from the appartments where it has a higher noise level.
At the center of all visuals, including from the surrounding appartments, a kids playground is surrounded by benches for parents. Extending from the playground, the adjacent corner is dedicated to the elders to enjoy their peace but in a close proximity with the youth to keep the atmosphere uplifting. Next to the elders corner, a community garden helps build community bonds and promotes health and wellness. Extending the community conversation, a reading nook is installed with a book exchange stand.
SITE PHOTO (TAKEN IN SUMMER,208)
Lavendar
Olive Tree
Judas Tree
London Plane
Hypercium Box Wood
Viburnum Coconut Tree (Existing)
Burmuda Grass
. Community Garden
2. Elder's Corner
3. Coffee Truck / Bike Rack
4. Reading Nook
5. Kid's Playground
To create a sustainable space, I picked out greeneries that suit the local climate, improve neighborhood well being and enhance natural heritage. Referencing the "Barcelona Green Infrastructure and Biodiversity Plan", the selected plants can be found meeting the qualities mentioned prior. On top of providing an outdoor living room for the locals, the space advocates sustainability, biodiversity, and human connections.
"Anyone is welcome to visit Barcelona... But I just want a place to spend my quiet afternoon sometimes...''
B) SEATING VIEW
A) COMMUNITY GARDEN & ELDERS NOOK
C) AMPHITHEATRE VIEW