CONTENT
University work
2023
Leyte Seed Exchange Centre
2020 Spike Island Zen Dojo pg 4 pg 12
Professional work
2021
2023
2024
ShapeUs Studio, Vietnam
Martha Read Architects, UK
A.C.T Studio, Ireland
pg 18
pg 20
pg 22
Site: Tacloban City, Philippines
Year: 2022-2023
University of Dundee
Leyte Seed Exchange Centre
5th year
The site of the project is in northern Tacloban City, located in Leyte region of the Philippines, which is a natural disaster prone country.
Through our research, we discovered that agriculture is one of the first sectors to fall after a disaster, and it is declining at a concerning rate in the Philippines.
However, several projects over the world have proven that tackling agriculture in the context of a disaster prone city, leads to opportunities that could positively impact communities in the long run.
Hence, in a group of four, we established the “Organic Strip Strategy”* (based on the cluster farm approach) which is comprised of four components: water, education, storage and market. The strip’ goal is to improve Tacloban’s resilience against natural disasters through agriculture.
My thesis focuses on the storage aspect. I researchd about a facility for rice seed storage, production, research and exchange, in order to sustain Tacloban’s rice resources. This is because after typhoon Haiyan hitting the Philippines in 2012, rice farmlands needed to be regrown.
Yet, there was a seed shortage for this purpose, which could have left millions of Filipinos without rice the following year. Hence, for a natural disaster prone city like Tacloban, providing and preserving good quality seeds for longterm rice production and regrowing farmlands post-disaster are crucial.
The building is located on the hillside within the strip, where I want to take advantage of the topography for rice terraces. They provide not only rice resources, but also protection against soil erosion for the site. The structure’s main materials are coco lumber and dried bamboo leaves, as these are the local resources and availible onsite.
Within the building, there are two seed preservation zones: daily seed hubs and research/relief seed storage. Daily seed hubs are located along the rice terraces and their seeds are used for rice growing throughout the year. Seeds for research and aid purpose are stored in the hillside because they need extra protection from external factors.
Section through structure
In the seed production system, scientists and farmers need to collaborate to produce and exchange seeds efficiently Yet, that is not the case in the Philippines. To tackle this issue in the design, there is no formal walls between areas to increase passive social interaction. This strategy also improves natural ventilation across the building, which is needed to minimise humidity and heat to protect the seeds.
Site: Spike Island, Bristol
Year:2019-2020
Cardiff University
Zen Dojo
3rd year
The site is situated in a vibrant tourist area due to its rich industrial past. For this module, we were required to propose a Zen meditation dojo here. Connecting this brief with the site was the main challenge.
In the end, I proposed a community centre where people congregate for multiple activities, which includes discovering the site’s history and Zen Buddism meditation. This is because in Zen Buddism, interacting with the local is an important aspect. Hence, the inclusion of Zen meditation in Spike Island’s community centre alligns with the religion’s belief and helps local people and visitors connecting with each other through tranquilty.
In the 1800s, Avon River was excavated and railways were built for shipping purposes.
On a site visit, I noticed people were only visiting the Floating Harbour side, where there was a museum pathway. Despite having an interesting history, the Avon River side is ignored.
To connect the community centre’s site, which is located on the forgotten Avon River side, to the rest of Spike Island, within the community centre, I created a path to let people visualise the connection between Avon River and Floating Harbour.
On the site there was an existing abandoned brick building which I wanted to utilise because it reflected the area’s industrial past. Brick was then further incorporated into the design, along side with steel supporting structures, for the same reason.
Site: Ho Chi Minh City
Type: Office Interior Task: Concept to detail design
Year:2021
ShapeUs Studio
Faslink Office
The client was a fabric company, who requested an interior design of their office space. They wanted to express the themes of high-tech and sustainability. Additionally, they required the office to be flexible and promoting social engagement.
After visiting the office site, the team agreed to divide the space into a gradual rise in level of private/public, with the window area being the most public.
In order to express the themes, the materials would mainly be white coated steel, with the existing walls being white-painted. Some interior items utilised recycled-plastic panels to further emphasise the sustainability aspect.
Site: London
Type: House renovation
Tasks: Technical design Year: 2023
Martha Read Architects
Lloyd Baker Street House Renovation
The client requested a new extension to the house and renovation of its current conditions to fit the client’s daily usage.
I joined the project from stage 3 to stage 4, wokring on plans, sections and detailed drawings for the tenderring process and construction. Additionally, I also visited the site to observe the construction process and communicate with the constructers about any problems.
Site: Cherry Orchard, Dublin
Type: Masterplan
Tasks: 3D models & renders Year: 2025
A.C.T Studio
Cherry Orchard Strategy
Professional work
The Cherry Orchard community wanted a re-conceptualisation of their area. The town would be having four new housing developments, but the local communities felt the developments didn’t meet their expectations of community building, especially the town centre.
The team proposed replacing one development with other facilities in the town centre to improve living quality, local economy, community resilience and social engagement.
Cherry Orchard’s centre could be turned into an urban farm where people could interact, and the products could be used to benefit the local. Other new community facilities such as sport centre and playgrounds would be provided throughout the area.
Site: Stonefield
Type: House renovation
Tasks: garden design, 3D models
Year: 2024
A.C.T Studio
Stonefield
Holiday Home
Professional work
This was a renovation project for an existing house. The client wanted to use the house as a holiday home, and I was assigned to design the surrounding garden.
The design strategy was to return the grassland garden back to its original state, which is bogland. This helped to improve local biodiversity and create beautiful scenery for visitors.
First, bog species would be planted in the garden. Then, rain gardens were placed throughout the landscape, collecting rainwater which wouldl overflood and activate the bog species to grow further. Eventually, the whole garden would be covered by bog species, returning to its original bogland state.
Concept design axonometric view
Minh Tran
Site: Ballina
Type: House renovation
Tasks: garden design, 3D models & renders Year: 2024
A.C.T Studio
Woodland Home
Professional work
In this house renovation project in Dublin, I designed the front and back garden.
I wanted the front and back garden to contrast with each other. The front would be a “neat” and formal garden while the back is a wildflower garden, which would help to improve local biodiversity.
There would also be rain gardens for rainwater collection in both the front and back gardens. Additionally, other aspects such as fire pit and patio would be built to create a diverse garden experience.
