MING FU ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO MING.FU@LIVE.CA
CV WORK +VOLUNTEER : Architectural Designer
BLVD International Inc (China) August 2013 – Present (1 year 4 months) participate in various stages in the design process
CONTACT: MING YANG FU MING.FU@LIVE.CA 011 86 157 1196 8765 (CHINA)
SKILLS:
lead the design the Guggenheim Helsinki competition proposal participated as the co-designer of a 60,000sqm 5-star resort in Shaoguan near the Danxia Mountains participated in the design of the Beijing Vanke Hotel and Spa competition (received the highest score with the judges) participated in designing the hotel and apartment development for the Baoneng Luofu Mountain Resort Village project
3D modelling softwares (Sketchup, Revit, Rhino)
designed the facade of the Naxi hotel, retail, and apartment development in Sichuan
graphics design softwares (Photoshop and InDesign)
participated the late schematic phase of Luxian Sculpture Museum project
visuallization softwares (Vray for Sketchup, Podium)
constructed digital models for various projects
AutoCAD (ArchiCAD, T-Arch pluggin)
drafted plans and sections for projects (AutoCAD with T-Arch plug-in)
handsketching and physical model building great observational skills quick free hand sketching
rendered final images for architectural visualizations (Vray and Photoshop) prepared client meeting presentation (AutoCAD, Photoshop, InDesign)
high demand of quality in craftsmanship and presentation
Freelance Designer
May 2008 – Present (Part-time) participated in various projects and design competitions including: Suburban Oasis; backyard pool, deck, and landscaping design (1st place) complete renovation and interior decor proposal for an apartment unit (1st place) family room redesign (2nd place) North Carolina Lake House (Honorable Mention) African Cottage (Honorable Mention) Stouffville Estate landscape design (Commissioned)
Assistant Art Instructor
EDUCATION:
instructed students of various age (6-20+) in the studio
Carleton University
Diana’s Art Studio (Toronto, Canada) June 2007 – September 2013 (Part-time 6 years 4 months)
designed promotional pamphlets
Azreili School of Architecture (Ottawa, Canada) September 2009 – June 2013 (3 years 10 months)
provided portfolio preparation guidance to applicants of design schools
1st prize winner of the 2013 Teron Scholarship (project: the Dugout; Art Institute for the Discriminated)
Assistant Manager
winner of the 2013 Steel Structures Education Foundation (SSEF) scholarship (project: the Dugout; Art Institute for the Discriminated)
Royal Auto Beauty Corp (Markham, Canada) June 2006 – July 2013 (Part-time 7 years 2 months) acted as a part time manager for a business that specializes in the cleaning of automobiles, watercraft, and small aircraft proposed and organized promotional packages to improve business distributed tasks optimally for employees to achieve speed, efficiency, and quality of work established and maintained ongoing business relationships with automobile dealerships, local government, and the local police station
Co-Founder
Markham Arts Youth Council (Markham, Canada) April – June 2009
graduated as Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) Design with Distinction Carleton University entrance scholarship Director’s Study Abroad (DSA) program: Havana, Cuba participated in the rigorous studio based design curriculum that focused on various aspects of the design field, including: conceptual design phenominalogical relationships - the relationship between human sensory properties and the designed space building technologies such as methods of construction, usage of appropriate materials, architectural details, and knowledge of structures
co-established the Markham Arts Youth Council
understanding of zoning by-laws and its affects on design from a developer’s perspective
organized meetings with various high-schools across York Region to promote and recruit for the council
general knowledge of the building process from design to completion
the council’s responsibilities include: organize and prepare for gallery showings, staged performances, and contests create opportunities to promote young artists of various disciplines
President
Markville Secondary School Art Club (Markham, Canada) September 2008 – June 2009 (10 months) lead a team of students volunteers to complete various arts, craft, and design tasks around the school including: designed and painted murals for various departments in the school refinished large dated murals organized after school art and craft programs
Markville Secondary School
September 2005 – June 2009 (3 years 10 months) Grade 12 Visual Art Award (highest grade in class) Grade 12 Tech Studies Award (highest grade in class) Honours Award (average grade of A or above) President of Markville Art Club
THE DUGOUT
ART INSTITUTE FOR THE DISCRIMINATED
THE VESSEL
GUGGENHEIM HELSINKI COMPETITION PROPOSAL
A COURTEOUS ADDITION THE CANADIAN EMBASSY IN HAVANA
3D CONSTRUCT
LASER CUTTING EXPERIMENTATION
RESONANT CURRENTS
CEILING INSTALLATION FOR THE HUB-OTTAWA
AFRICAN COTTAGE
RURAL COTTAGE RETREAT IN AFRICA
GEM OF THE FIELD
LONGPING HIGH-TECH HEADQUARTER DESIGN
THE BELVEDERE
5-STAR DANXIA MOUNTAINS HOTEL AND RESORT
FANGSHAN HOTEL
5-STAR HOTEL IN BEIJING FANGSHAN DISTRICT
THE DUGOUT ART INSTITUTE FOR THE DISCRIMINATED TERON SCHOLAR 1st PRIZE STEEL STRUCTURE EDUCATION FOUNDATION AWARD ROLE IN PROJECT: DESIGNER NATURE OF PROJECT: UNIVERSITY STUDIO PROJECT FUNCTION: MUSEUM AND GALLERY LOCATION: OTTAWA, CANADA STATUS: CONCEPT
The Dugout is an institute for the arts dedicated to those who are being discriminated in society; this includes victims of racism and sexual discrimination. The institution houses classroom, studios, and lecture spaces that aim to recreate the suppressive feeling of people that were forced to hide and escape. The location of the site is on the corner of Cartier Street and Cooper Street beside the Saint Theresa Roman Catholic Church. The concept of the building design is sparked by the discriminatory nature of organized religion. The mass of the building is mostly underground to give the impression of digging and tunnelling away from the malignant entity and emerges with a sense of freedom. The “Dig” is the major celebrated space and also the first underground space that one experiences is the large circular exhibition space with large spiralling ramps. These ramps are wide and slow to serve as the main circulation downward as well as an exhibition hall. At the bottom is a multipurpose area reserved for gathering, performances, lectures and installation art display. To the side closest to the church, a black wrought iron sculpture is made to mimic the profile of the church’s transept facade and it follows the “Dig” all the way down to the bottom of the multipurpose area. Its design to look broken and unfinished to reflect the ill-fate and damnation that organized religion puts upon those who they feel are against “God’s” will. The “Tunnel,” connected directly to the dig, is where the classroom and studios are located. This area is held up by large steel scaffolding with multiple levels used for various activities for the students and teachers. The only bit of natural light penetrates through light wells that open to the ground surface. The “Emerge” is the sculpture garden/exhibition at the other end of the “Tunnel.” This space is meant to display sculptural works from students and artists. It is all about the feeling of resurfacing and release into the light of day after the period of darkness, a light at the end of the tunnel. At this point, a secondary exit circulation can be used by visitors to return to the entrance of the building without reusing the same circulation that brought them down inside the institute.
The use of steel was a reactionary choice after the tunnelling concept was conceived. The steel scaffolding that is present on and around unfinished structures and tunnels gives an ephemeral but strong support for the construction that is taking place. In this case, a massive operation by which tunnelling and escaping elsewhere is taking place. The idea of having to dig and escape is not meant to be a permanent mindset but rather a immediate method for avoiding discrimination, this is why a temporary rather than permanent structure is appropriate. Most of the workings of the structure is left exposed and unfinished to enhance the feeling of something that was built before and during an emergency escape.
THE VESSEL GUGGENHEIM HELSINKI DESIGN COMPETITION PROPOSAL DESIGN FIRM: BLVD INTERNATIONAL INC. ROLE IN PROJECT: LEAD DESIGNER TASKS: SKETCHING, CAD, MODELLING, RENDERING, POST EDITING SUPERVISOR: YUN DU (PARTNER) NATURE OF PROJECT: INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION CLIENT: GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION AND THE CITY OF HELSINKI FUNCTION: MUSEUM AND GALLERY LOCATION: HELSINKI, FINLAND STATUS: CONCEPT
The proposal of the Guggenheim Museum was imagined based on the historical port of Helsinki’s urban location and the site’s proximity to many other significant architecture and cultural hot spots. The rich past of Helsinki left many monumental architectural works that is not only vital to the city to preserve but showcased. The new Guggenheim Museum, being a new addition to the city, should cloak itself in the same sensitivity that formed Helsinki’s urban and cultural fabric despite the fact that the museum will house some of the world’s most exaggerated manifestations in the form of art. Helsinki being a major port city, has played a role in the distribution and transferring of goods and knowledge along with artwork across the globe. The Helsinki Guggenheim Museum is a platform to showcase art around the world and also a platform to display local art to the world. In a way, the museum could be acting as a “vessel” to circulate art and knowledge. Taking the above two guiding aspects, the proposed museum takes a simplified and abstract form an ancient trading ship docked beside the icy shore of Finland. This design is both a metaphor and an homage to the vessels that play a vital role in the transportation and delivery of culture and art that influenced the shaping of our global society today.
The museum has two parts: the wood clad volume (the Vessel) serves as the main museum exhibition, and the public square along with the roof top sculpture garden (the Shore) The Vessel, wrapped in aged and stained laminated timber, act as a new icon for the South Harbour shoreline. The bold yet tamed form mimics the essence of an ancient Scandinavian trading ship that sits adamantly near the water. Unlike the way “icons� are traditionally understood, the image that this design is creating is more of a stately yet quiet presence rather than an egotistical flare of swooping geometry. The elongated dark wooden massing attempts to add an intrigue, along the neatly oriented modernist architecture that forms the marine facade. The other part of the Guggenheim Museum site, the plaza and the sculpture garden, offers to increase and improve the livelihood of the urban scene in Helsinki. The large sloping roof of the podium is the focal point of the public space, for It is the place of gathering and abundant seasonal activities as well as a way of accessing the sculpture garden on the roof the podium directly from outside. The slope features terraced seating for events. They can be propped up to form a smooth toboggan slope during winter. The sunken area can be filled with water to be transformed into a skating rink.
The slender massing of the building, on par with Helsinki urban fabric, is oriented parallel to the adjacent street. The building is kept low at 20 metres so it does not stand out in size. The museum massing has two major parts, the main exhibition volume and a lower podium of auxiliary functions
The North end of the building is tilted to face the city scape of old Helsinki with both the Helsinki. Louvred curtain wall on the West side of the building allows views on the park. This establishes a visual connection to the urban culture and the nature of Helsinki.
A large ramp gives direct exterior access to the sculpture garden on top of the podium. It also smoothens the harsh boundary between the public square and the podium. At the South end, the podium is connected to Olympia Port via an elevated corridor.
The ramp is terraced for spacious seating for viewing performances and can also be propped up to make a smooth toboggan slope during winter. The curved and sunken area is fitted with fountains for water fun in the summer and transformed into a skating rink in winter.
The museum is designed with the notion of quick on-site assembling of its building component. This both minimizes construction time, cost and reduces the permanent impact of the site. Many of the museum’s parts are repeated, which allows them to be prefabricated in great numbers. The most notable and probably the most substantial part of the museum that can be mass produced are the steel structure. The behemoth Y-shaped hollow steel columns along with the skewed steel I-beams (skewed to accommodate the slant of the columns) are to be cut, drilled and numbered in the factory, then bolted onto the site-cast reinforced concrete footings. The beams can be installed immediately after. Unlike a concrete dominant structure, the method of using prefabricated steel structure does not require the wasteful usage of custom moulds to achieve uncommon forms. Such a method will also eliminate the curing time required by concrete construction. Having repeated elements benefits the process of transportation as well. A greater number of members can be shipped per truck compared to custom and unique members where often one flatbed truck can only transport one or two at a time.
The museum interior is a modern and minimalist take on neoclassical architecture. The strict 10 x 10 grid bestows a sense of logic and order in the space. The exposed steel in both the vertical and horizontal support of the building reveal structural truth in the design. The ground floor of the museum contains all of the auxiliary functions of the museum such as the grand lobby, administrative offices, retail, restaurant, collection management and operations management. The performance hall, due to its complex programmatic needs and potential spike in visitor traffic, is also placed on the ground floor. Floors 2 to 4 are purely the exhibition spaces and the multipurpose atrium. Each of the exhibition floors are designed to be one continuous space. Lightweight divisions panels and folding walls mounted on tracks are ready to be reorganized or removed based on the changing programmatic needs of the museum. Completely opened, perforated or enclosed galleries are all possible and created with ease due to this flexible setup. A visitor take on a journey throughout the museum filled with intriguing surprises, such as the unexpected view into the performance hall from the second level of the exhibition building, the transformable enclave mezzanine gallery, and the spacious atrium that is tucked in the northern end of the museum.
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
LEVEL 2
LEVEL 3
LEVEL 4
A COURTEOUS ADDITION CANADIAN EMBASSY IN HAVANA ROLE IN PROJECT: DESIGNER NATURE OF PROJECT: UNIVERSITY STUDIO PROJECT FUNCTION: OFFICE AND MUSEUM LOCATION: HAVANA, CUBA STATUS: CONCEPT
The design for the new Canadian Embassy in Havana, Cuba, attempts to establish a dynamic urban hub that showcases Canadian culture to the Cuban public yet still provides a secure environment for the embassy’s essential functions. The project aspires to create an image of welcome and openness. For symbolic and climatic reasons, the project reworks the traditional courtyard form. The courtyard is a gathering form that asserts the street while creating a protected space of collectivity. This form is appropriate for a building that is called represent Canada abroad. The site for the embassy is located at the intersection of Calle 23 and Calle L, in one of the most lively areas in the historic garden city district of El Vedado, in central Havana. Other popular landmarks in the vicinity of the site are the Yara Theatre, the famous ice cream park Coppelia Park, and the Habana Libre Hotel (a former Hilton hotel in the prerevolutionary days). The district of El Vedado has a highly regulated urban fabric of detached urban villas, creating a “solid-void-solid” street pattern. Any new building designs must abide to the codes of the local context, including leaving at least 33% open space and respecting a 9 meters setback from the street (5m from the sidewalk for soft scape and a 4m “porch” setback). New Cuban architecture is required that interior space that exceed 8 meters in width would have to introduce an open-air space, such as a courtyard, for air flow and light. The new Canadian Embassy design goes beyond minimum zoning requirements by increasing the open space area by incorporating a large front plaza in addition to its inner courtyard. It also has museum of Canadian culture as an element that reaches to the sidewalks to give the embassy a strong street presence. The Facade of the main chancery building is glazed in operable translucent windows that can protect embassy staff from the strong tropic sun and can be tilted open for ventilation. The building’s inner facades (facing the central courtyard) are very open to nature.
The major masses of the embassy are shaped following the local zoning traditions with an enlarged front public plaza.
The courtyard voids are created for natural ventilation and brings in plenty of light into a large chancery and museum. The museum and the large chancery courtyard are open to the public.
Pathways are made through parts of the building to create perforation into the large building that otherwise would be a hulking obstacle to pedestrian traffic.
The facade of the main chancery is tilted towards the epicentre of urban activities in El Vedado. The facade is composed of a translucent glass that would reflect and blend the chancery into the sky making it invisible.
Opaque and transparent materials are used to create visual contrast to differentiate public and private spaces of the embassy.
GROUND FLOOR
OFFICE FLOOR
DIGITAL CONSTRUCT PART I: LASER CUTTING EXPERIMENTATION PART II: CONCEPTUAL APPLICATION: RECLAIMING PUBLIC SPACE THROUGH MASS PATTERNING ROLE IN PROJECT: DESIGNER NATURE OF PROJECT: UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT FUNCTION: SCULPTURE/ROLLING PRINT STAMP STATUS: COMPLETE
This project is a precursor and a warm-up to a conceptual project that will be explained in Part II. This brief experimentation aims to test the limits of certain materials undergoing the laser cutting procedure and how such a tool can not only increase productivity of crafts but also to broaden the possibilities that students can achieve in the studio and workshop environment. A 3D model has to be built in Rhino first. The plug-in Grasshopper helps to set up complex patterns with algorithms which makes manipulating the look of the pattern easily. Once the digital model is complete, it must be made ready for it to be cut in the laser cutting machine. First, the digital model has to be flattened or “unfolded� and organized into a number of sheets. Imagine plotting lines on a flat sheet of paper and folding it at those lines to ultimately make an origami art, this follows the same concept. Once the sheets have been digitally organized in Rhino, the data is then transferred into Illustrator to be assigned line colors. The line colors are responsible for differentiating cut depth in the laser machine and for this simple first experiment two colors were used; blue was to engrave and red was cut through. The power of the laser must be adjusted to the thickness of the material used otherwise an engrave input might cut through a thin material. The material in use is a 3mm thick multilayered card stock. Because the paperlike material is susceptible to burn marks under the hot laser, the machine must be programmed to move quickly and have just enough power to cut through the board. Too slow or too much power would burn, and so would repeated engrave cuts. The final product was the result of many trials. Even the digital model had to be adjusted numerous times to have more diluted patterns to avoid over scorching the material when the laser etches within a small area for too long.
DIGITAL CONSTRUCT PART I: LASER CUTTING EXPERIMENTATION PART II: CONCEPTUAL APPLICATION: RECLAIMING PUBLIC SPACE THROUGH MASS PATTERNING ROLE IN PROJECT: DESIGNER COLLABORATORS: JEAN-FRANCOIS JACQUES AND MELODY HUANG NATURE OF PROJECT: UNIVERSITY EXPERIMENTAL PROJECT FUNCTION: SCULPTURE/ROLLING PRINT STAMP STATUS: COMPLETE
If, as stated by Immanuel Kant’s view on phenomenology, the image of form is all we have to go on, then it could be stated that the transformed image constitutes a different reality. In Jean Beaudrillard’s introduction to Simulacra and Simulation, summarizes this understanding in a parallel way by layering the dialectic of representation and reality upon the dialectic of surface and form. In regards to Kant’s phenomenology the pattern of form is all that we might ever need, while according to Beaudrillard, layered patterns are altogether just as real, if not more authentic in certain conditions, than the reality itself. With this in mind, it could be argued that the understanding of pattern or ornament as superficial itself represents a superficial understanding of its true meaning and use. That being said, not all patterns have the same intents and not all patterns are as successful in carrying out these intents. Some patterns aim to deceive, while others aim to ornament. Some patterns aim to reclaim while some stave off reclamation. Patterns even play a role in the governing of actions, one can think of the mere painting of stripes on asphalt that manifests traffic laws visually. It is even possible to propose that some patterns are false, while others true. A world of patterns, and dynamic signification, doesn’t preclude value judgment. That the pattern is real, in any sense of the word, doesn’t necessarily mean its content is irrelevant. The indexicality of architectural form often exemplifies irrelevant patterning. The current digital Baroque, often has the disadvantage of predicating its existence upon data that is not relevant to the final effect of its patterns and mappings, while nonetheless attempting to pass of such parameters as somehow interesting as a map, but become indexical as space. Complex parametric patterns have a hard time moving beyond the map. They focus upon the relationship of the pattern to its data, while also trying to create an interesting and legible image. (A delicate balancing act, often made altogether impossible through the specious or ‘forced’ relevance of the initial data on the final effect of the map.) Moreover, the desire to move beyond said map, into architecture, is often done in reactionary fashion: by building architecture. The thinness of the map’s natural state is thereby inflated in an attempt to hide the fact that it was representation - which is strange, if unnecessary considering the importance and the ‘reality’ of the map in the first place.
The ornamentation that defined Baroque and Rococo architecture holds inestimable advantages in contrast to such systems illustration. By being a pattern for patterns’ sake, it is its effect, not its underlying, yet ultimately unrecognizable data that matters. Decoration for decorations’ sake, opens up the possibilities of the pattern. The latter doesn’t need to emphatically declare itself a map nor anything more than a skin in order to affect space. At the same time though, these patterns, much as post-critical architecture, exist out of context. That is to say, they were, and continue to be in their own palaces, their own universes without taking any reflective position. The roller attempts to find a propitious space somewhere on this not-quite-spectrum and sidesteps the traps of false datascaping and post-critical patterning. Simple though it may be, it reverses the intents of most architectural datascape objects. Though it is spatial, its purpose is in regards to surface; though it is volumetric by being a pattern machine it states that it is not the map, the initial data abstraction that matters, but the effect of the new pattern on the actual landscape that takes precedence. Furthermore, unlike, Rococo or post-critical ornamentation, this roller aims not only to ornament its own space, but to reclaim space. The repetitive application of irregular pressure provides the means to pattern grass, snow, sand and asphalt at an urban scale. The result is ephemeral and palimpsestual, not timeless nor its own private fiction. It is not post-critical, but social and political. As Joe Ringenberg points out in Architecture at the Edge of Everything, “camouflage is not cosmetic, it’s transubstantiation. Camouflage has the power to quite literally deform the object.”1 In other words, a splotchy tent is not just a printed fabric; it is, under the right circumstances, a small patch of forest. Concurrently to pattern the road, if any ground, is the most effective and legal way to deform its reality.
1. Ringenberg, Joe. “The Activated Space: Eight Pattern Studies.” Esther Choi, Marrika Trotte. Architecture at the Edge of Everything. Cambridge: MIT Press, 2010. 122-128
RESONANT CURRENT CEILING INSTALLATION FOR THE HUB-OTTAWA ROLE IN PROJECT: ASSISTANT DESIGNER NATURE OF PROJECT: PROFESSOR-LEAD PROJECT SUPERVISOR: PROF. MANUEL BAEZ CLIENT: THE HUB-OTTAWA FUNCTION: ARTISTIC INSTALLATION LOCATION: OTTAWA, CANADA STATUS: COMPLETE
The HUB Ottawa is one of a number of HUB locations in major capital cities around the world. It is a place for young entrepreneurs who can use it as a professional work space, place for meeting clients and connect to other like-minded individuals. The HUB hosts guest speakers from various industries and professions to share ideas and raises awareness for local and/or global issues. It is a place where people and ideas interconnect and develop. “Resonant Currents” is an expression of connection. It is a representation of the links that exist between the cultures of Canada and the world. This installation explores the parallels between disciplines - between architecture, art, the humanities and science. It is an expression of the local and global connections that happen daily in HUBs around the world. Created with woven bands of birch plywood with wiremess highlights, “Resonant Currents’ was inspired by intricate ethnic calligraphy, rich woven patterns and other cultural motifs.
AFRICAN COTTAGE RURAL COTTAGE RETREAT IN AFRICA ROLE IN PROJECT: LEAD DESIGNER COLLABORATOR: NILAKSHI ROY NATURE OF PROJECT: DESIGN COMPETITION CLIENT: (CONFIDENTIAL) FUNCTION: RESIDENCE LOCATION: AFRICA (SPECIFIC LOCATION CONFIDENTIAL) STATUS: CONCEPT (HONORABLE MENTION)
The client hosted a small international competition for designers to pitch design concepts for his rural African retreat. This proposal, which received honorable mention, focuses on environmental consciousness, self sustained living and blurring the boundaries between nature and interior. The house is equipped with louvred panels on the top and bottom portion of window openings which allow passive cooling by convection currents. The roof is angled to slow down the water flow during rain so that it can be collected by the funnelling system mounted on the edge of the eaves, which also reach out considerably to provide shading from the harsh sun. The plan of the house can be split into two major areas; the private quarters and the more open public space. The latter of which consists of a large integrated open plan where all of the family’s public activities can be carried out. The large floor to ceiling windows facing the North-West (the backyard) can be folded away completely if weather permits to allow unhindered view to the gently swooping natural landscape.
GEM OF THE FIELD LONGPING HIGH-TECH HEADQUARTER DESIGN DESIGN FIRM: BLVD INTERNATIONAL INC. ROLE IN PROJECT: LEAD CONCEPT AND SCHEMATIC DESIGNER TASKS: SKETCHING, CAD, MODELLING, RENDERING, POST EDITING COLLABORATOR: JOSSELIN JUNG SUPERVISOR: YUN DU (PARTNER) CLIENT: LONGPING HIGH-TECH FUNCTION: OFFICE LOCATION: CHANGSHA, SICHUAN PROVINCE. CHINA STATUS: PRE-CONSTRUCTION
The design of the new Longping High Tech Headquarter It is reflecting the innovating and leading approach of agricultural technology company. It is composed of two elongated building that cradles a courtyard in the middle. The buildings would stand as a landmark that can be easily recognized among the surrounding buildings. The vast area of the floor to ceiling glazing and the unique design of a secondary skin system gives a clean, efficient and welcoming image to the company, it is an eye catching and poetic look that responds to the high tech spirit of Longping High Tech. In China, people have a tendency of avoiding what they call the “western bask’ which occurs during late afternoon when the sunlight becomes a blinding yellowish orange and is at a low angle as it sets in the South-West, this is both intrusive and unpleasant. This presents a dilemma because the main presence of the building is felt from the South-West where there is a major street intersection and using an opaque facade with small openings would give a look that is defensive and unwelcoming. Therefore a secondary skin would be needed to strategically shade the inhabitants from the harsh late afternoon sun yet still gives a open look to the building. The landscape is an attempt to reflect the company’s history in the innovation of rice crop. Terraced relationship between the ground level and the podium recreates the look and feel of rice terraces that are used to farm rice in the mountains.
THE BELVEDERE 5-STAR DANXIA MOUNTAINS HOTEL AND RESORT DESIGN FIRM: BLVD INTERNATIONAL INC. ROLE IN PROJECT: LEAD CONCEPT AND SCHEMATIC DESIGNER TASKS: SKETCHING, CAD, MODELLING, RENDERING, POST EDITING COLLABORATOR: JOSSELIN JUNG SUPERVISOR: LILI LIU (ASSOCIATE PARTNER) CLIENT: BAONENG GROUP (DEVELOPER) FUNCTION: 5-STAR HOTEL AND RESORT LOCATION: SHAOGUAN, GUANGDONG PROVINCE. CHINA STATUS: PRE-CONSTRUCTION
The design for the Danxia Mountains hotel is a harmonious merge of landscape specificities and modern high standards of hotel luxury. The architecture appears as a metaphor of the contrast between the solidity and perforation. Solidity is represented in the main body of the hotel with facade design that is mainly inspired by the stone veins seen on ancient rocks carved by millennia of wind and water. The hotel’s strong horizontal form is a homage to the breath taking rock formations of the Danxia Mountains. The perforations are marked by the hotel’s grand entrance, the rooftop volume and the courtyards inside the hotel. The design of the hotel attempts to marry a traditional Chinese architectural style with a clean but rich modern design. The hotel built at such a prominent location must be iconic, yet still fits within local cultural context. Therefore a careful selection for materials and architectural vernacular was taken to achieve such a result. The hotel has three main unique experiences for its guests; the podium levels, the guest room levels, and the rooftop restaurant/bar area which also serves as an observation deck. The two levels above ground makes up the podium of the hotel, it serves as the initial experience for guests. With the concept of perforation, the lobby is designed with a double-height space and is opened from the front to the back, eliminating the boundary between interior and exterior. At the guest room levels’ hallways, a courtyard is that is open to the top and allows the entrance of natural light and air. The curves in opening on each floor are different and creates a undulating effect when viewed in the hallways. The rooftop restaurant and bar is the “crown” of the hotel experience. It is located at the peak of the hotel and there is no place more suitable for a unique dining experience. It is oriented towards the iconic boulder peaks and offers a panoramic view of the amazing rock formations. Bold in its design, it serves as an iconic landmark to the entrance of the vacation village. However, unlike many landmark buildings, it does not intend to be egotistical about its presence. Its gentle sweeping form gestures towards the real attraction of the area with manner and courteousness.
The rooftop volume provides a special vantage point for viewing the mountain sceneries, and also provides a isolated area for food and entertainment.
The dining area is enclosed mostly in glass for unobstructed views. Open-air and enclosed spaces are available for entertaining and sight seeing
Below the dining floor, an outdoor bar and activity level
GROUND FLOOR
TYPICAL FLOOR
BELVEDERE BAR
FANGSHAN HOTEL 5-STAR HOTEL IN BEIJING FANGSHAN DISTRICT DESIGN FIRM: BLVD INTERNATIONAL INC. ROLE IN PROJECT: ASSISTANT DESIGNER TASKS: CAD, MODELLING TEAM MEMBERS: JOSSELIN JUNG, FENG WEI SUPERVISOR: QUENTIN FRANCOIS (SENOIR ARCHITECT) CLIENT: VANKE GROUP FUNCTION: 5-STAR HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER LOCATION: FANGSHAN DISTRICT, BEIJING. CHINA STATUS: CONCEPT (WINNING PROPOSAL)
Guided by a commitment of modern expression, sustainability, connectivity and interdependence, the new proposed Vanke hotel integrates the programs as 4-5 star hotel and Spa standards. The building’s form, orientation, and skin respond to the program demand and the site. In place of an autonomous complex, this hybrid building will engage and contribute to the life of the surrounding area. The formal articulation of each of the program areas - hotel, restaurants, recreation area, spa - break down the massing of the tower and allow for an elegant profile link to the main Spa podium via a thin and linear guest room wing. The dynamism of the volume expose the internal space to a grand skylight which procure a generous amount of natural light for those common spaces underneath. This sinuous ribbons also create an open space where we allocated the central lobby for the hotel and the spa. On the ground level the business centre , ballroom, restaurant and leisure area are organized around the grand lobby patio and the lounge area. The internal patios capped with a faceted glass skylight allow nature to be a part of the internal spaces. On the upper level of the podium, gym and swimming pool space will take place and be linked to an outside terrace. Horizontal and vertical space transition offer a visual scenery between programs and circulation. This composition will allow the visitors and employees to discover light and events as they are moving through the building. In order to get as much natural light as possible, the highest building was put on the north side of the site. Then, gradually connecting the tower to the south part by plugging programs and volumes modelling interior spaces and exterior environment in combination to create privacy for the hotel resident and public plaza and access for the visitor.
The main entrance of the site is on the south. Then two different entrances will procure two separate way for the public to access, a first access to the main hotel lobby and a second access to the main spa lobby. On the first floor, an inner connection between the hotel and Spa is possible by following the corridor beside the principal restaurant. From the Spa lobby, clients will directly be connected to the basement level where main functions are situated. The spa is divided in two areas: the male, on the B1 and the female on the B2. A direct access to the Spa from the guest room is possible via an independent vertical connection. On the third floor is consider as the recreation floor where the gym and swimming pool are. In order to provide natural light, a part of the swimming pool roof will be in glass and an outside terrace is planned on the top of the podium to provide more terrace entertainment area. The rest of the upper levels contained guest rooms for the hotel and spa. A VIP entrance located on the North West side of the building will be connected directly to the business centre, meeting facilities and the main core to access the hotel apartments. A service road provides staff and logistic truck to access directly at the loading area located on the North East part. The loading area is directly connected to the back of house and kitchens on the first floor and basement. The staff is also able to access from this side of the building, go directly to the changing area and be independently linked with the service elevator to the different part of the hotel , spa, restaurant and leisure area.
TO BE CONTINUED