NoraYao_Architecture_2026

ARCHITECTURE DESIGN

PORTFOLIO SELECTED WORKS | 2022-2026 NORA YAO Prgram: MArch UW Contact: norayao1230@gmail.com Personal Website: norayaoarch.com

CONTENT

1 2 3 4

Seattle Business Card Renovate Parking Garage in Downtown Seattle Individual Work | 2026 Winter pg 01-14

Wedded Auditorium Renovate Cooper Mine Building in Ireland Individual Work | 2022 Autumn pg 15-24

Nexus of New Community, Experimental Field Community Design Based on Experimental Field Development Group Work | 2022 Summer pg 25-36

OOval Water Lab Sustainable Laboratory for Community Individual Work | 2025 Winter pg 37-46

5 6 7 8

Healing with Principles of Movie Therapy Ground Level Installation + Underground Skatepark Individual Work | 2022 Winter pg 47-50

Earth as Memory Earthen Multi-family Housing in CID Individual Work | 2025 Autumn pg 51-52

Other Works Architectural Works Individual & Group Work | 2022-2026 pg 53-54

Other Works Art Individual | 2022-2026 pg 55-56

01

Downtown Seattle, 2026

SEATTLE BUSINESS CARD Individual Work | 2026 Winter Instructor: Loren Supp, Eric Heironimus Classification: Adaptive Reuse Location: Seattle, WA, US

The Bon Marché Parking Garage is reimagined as a prototype for a post-p urban infrastructure, integrating production, distribution, and public ex living, productive landscape where the city can be grown, touched, smelled

01 -

Downtown Seattle, 2036

parking urban future, transforming obsolete car infrastructure into a productive civic layer. Located near Pike Place Market, the project turns food into a new xperience through a continuous architectural system. Rather than simply adapting the existing garage, the proposal creates a “business card” for Seattle—a d, and tasted.

- 02

Mobility and Urban Activity Map

All Day

Light Rail

Afternoon Peak Hours

Link Station

Morning Peak Hours

Link Station Underground

Bus Stops

03 -

Famous Food Spots Map

Bus Stop for Coming

1-19 Levels Office Building

1-9 Levels Hotel

20-39 Levels Office Building

10-19 Levels Hotel

> 40 Levels Office Building

> 20 Levels Hotel

- 04

Famous Food Spots

Program Main Components

RESTAURANT & GROCERY RETAIL 2nd and 3rd level offer restaurants with bars that allow people to come here to spend more time while enjoying food.

MARKET Ground level as market with Seattle local products to attract more customer flow and active the street.

Section

05 -

URBAN FARMING 5th level and roof grow strawberry, lettuce and cherry tomatoes with natural lights and LED lights.

FOOD PROCESS 4th level has strawberry jam and salad workshops that process food products with ingredients harvested in this building.

- 06

Explode Diagram

ROOF FARM

Walkable Glass Roof Natural Light Field

FOOD PROCESS

FARM

Natural Light Field LED Light Field Vertical Farming Shop

Strawberry Jam Workshop Salad Workshop Vertical Farming Education Spiral Bakery Shop Fruit Tree Terrace

MARKET

RESTAURANT & GROCERY RETAIL

Enclosed Dinning Area Desert Bar Teppanyaki Bar Bar Walkway with Seats and Plants

Local Retail Products Local Craftsman Artwork Spiral Restaurant Cafe Dinning Corridor

07 -

- 08

Physical Conceptual Model 3D Printing, Acrylic Sheet, Foam Board, Cardboard

Market: Ground Level

Pine St

S

#1

3rd Ave

09 -

①

ard S

Stew Perspective from Pine St & 3rd Ave

t ②

#2 1. Local Retail Products 2. Storage 3. Restroom 4. MEP 5. Local Craftsman Artwork 6. Kitchen for Spiral Restaurant 7. Spiral Restaurant 8. Cafe 9. Check-out 10. Local Retail Products 11. Inquiry Counter 12. Dinning Corridor

- 10

Perspective from Steward St & 3rd Ave

Enclosed Dining with Ceilin

11 -

ng Plants

- 12

Restaurant & Grocery Retail: 2nd & 3rd Levels

1. Enclosed Dinning Area 2. Storage 3. Ice Cream Bar 4. Juice Bar 5. Kitchen for Spiral Restaurant 6. Spiral Restaurant 7. Teppanyaki Bar 8. Bar 9. Staff Amenity 10. MEP 11. Walkway with Seats and Plants

Food Process: 4th Level

1. Strawberry Jam Workshop 2. Vertical Farming Exhibition 3. Vertical Farming Shop 4. Kitchen for Bakery 5. Spiral Bakery Shop 6. Vertical Farming Education Spot 7. Salad Workshop 8. Fruit Tree Terrace 9. Staff Amenity 10. MEP 11. Mech

Urban Farming: 5th Level

1. Strawberry Field with Natural Light 2. Lettuce Field with LED 3. Tomato Field with LED Light 4. Tomato Field with Natural Light 5. Staff Amenity 6. MEP 7. Mech

Urban Farming: Roof

1. Walkable Painted Glass Roof 2. Strawberry Field with Natural Light 3. Tomato Field with Natural Light 4. Staff Amenity 5. MEP 6. Mech

13 -

- 14

Gutter Hydroponic System Strawberry Field

Ramp to Roof

02

WEDDED AUDITORIUM Individual Work | 2022 Autumn Instructor: Wenwen Liu Classification: Adaptive Reuse Location: Mediation Mine, Allihies, Ireland

This renovation of an old copper mine building in Ireland transforms th its early recognition of same-sex marriage, the project questions what m union. Architecture becomes a space to hold both perspectives, celebrat understanding, and the human right to seek a fulfilling and authentic unio

15 -

he site into a wedding hall where religious and secular ceremonies can coexist. Inspired by Ireland’s evolving marriage laws, from the legalization of divorce to marriage means beyond tradition and doctrine. For individuals, marriage can be a universal recognition of love; for the church, it represents an ideal and sacred ting love while creating moments for reflection. Ultimately, the project explores marriage not as an irreversible ideal, but as a relationship shaped by choice, reon.

- 16

Marriage Development in Ireland

History of Allihies

Case Study No.1

Case Study No. 2

Saint Patrick`s Cathedral, Dublin

St. Michael's Church, Allihies

Small Chapel

Main Hall

Entrance

Bell Tower

Willow Window + Colourful Glass

Side Door

17 -

- 18

Site Map

Coppermine Villa

Site Area

St. Michael's Church

Meditation Mine Zone

Downtown Zone

Allihies Copper Mine Museum

Residential Area

Commercial Area

Meditation Mine Zone

St. Michael's Church

Built in 1862, it is Ireland’s only surviving man engine house and one of the few remaining in the world.

North Atlantic Ocean

Plan 2nd Level

1st Level

Ground Level

A: Side Hall

B: Bridal Dressing Room C: Main Ceremony Hall

D: Prayer Room E: Garden

Section A: Cut through Ceremony Hall

19 -

- 20

Form Generation

Often called the Greek cross, it has four equal arms, mainly seen in Byzantium.

Latin cross, it consists of two long and short beams, and their intersection symbolizes the unity of heaven and earth.

Out of the understanding of beauty, people made this cross with the golden ratio on the basis of the Latin cross.

Garden

S

Main Cerem

21 -

Side Hall

mony Hall

- 22

Section B: Cut through Garden and Entrance

Physical Model & Environment Analysis 3D printing, Acrylic sheet, Basswood

23 -

- 24

Cross Reflection at Side Hall

Entrance at Main Hall

03

NEXUS OF NEW COMMUNITY, EXPE Group Work | 2022 Summer Instructor: Shaoping Zhang Classification: Productive Landscape Urbanism Location: Malianwa, Beijing, China

The project transforms China’s agricultural experimental groun infrastructure connects fields, laboratories, and communities, dis learning, the project fosters local self-sufficiency, food resilience

My Contribution: Concept Development — 40%, Diagramming — 8

25 -

ERIMENTAL FIELD

nds into a productive urban–rural landscape, integrating urban farming, agricultural research, food production, and public space. A network of productive ssolving traditional boundaries between research, production, and everyday life. By creating spaces for knowledge exchange, community interaction, and ecological e, and ecological resilience as a new model for sustainable urban futures.

80%, 3D Modeling — 50%, Rendering — 40%

- 26

Existing Agricultural Scientific Research Experimental Base in China Map of Experimental Fields' Number in Each Province of China

Cities of Examples

Site Location & Context Building This is an Experimental Field in rural urban area in Beijing, China

Tecent Technology Building

The Institute of Medicinal Botany

Hualian Supermarket

No. 12 Middle School

Subway Station

Flower Market

Apartment

27 -

- 28

Examples of Food Products

Mar

29 -

rket

- 30

Program Logic Visualization

Plan & Vignettes General Plan

View 3

View

View 5 Building

New Building

Field

Park

Greenland

31 -

View 1

View 4

w2

- 32

Convenience Store

Windbreak

Bridge

Water-treatment Plant

Reservoir

View 1

View 2

Bridge

Bridge

Factory

Research Center

Field Pool

33 -

- 34

View 3

View 4

View 5

Bridge

Bridge

Bridge

Field

Pool & Reservoir

Field

Research Center

Research Center

General View

Crop Field

Factory

35 -

- 36

School

04

OOVAL WATER LAB Individual Work | 2026 Winter Instructor: Loren Supp, Eric Heironimus Classification: Adaptive Reuse Location: Seattle, WA, US

OOval Waterlab explores sustainable design through a site-responsive an and seasonal conditions, optimizing daylight, solar control, and thermal p water, and landscape.

37 -

nd parametric approach, integrating architecture with the wetland ecosystem. A Grasshopper-driven parametric shading system responds to solar exposure performance. Combined with green roofs and rainwater harvesting, these strategies create an adaptive environmental system that connects architecture,

- 38

Site Map with Context

S

S Henderson St

Seward Park Ave S

Lake Washington

39 -

Section Perspective

- 40

Ground Level Plan

#1

#2

Wetland 1. GIS Lab 2. Lobby 3. Reserved Meeting Room 4. Sample Collection Co-working Space 5. Restroom 6. Mechanical Room 7. Kitchen with Dinning Area 8. Neighbourfood Meeting Room

41 -

①

- 42

Outside view from wetland

2nd Floor Model Exhibition Room ②

Ground Floor Lobby

43 -

Explode Structure Diagram

Roof 3rd Floorplate

Roof Beams Grid 3rd Floor Beams Grid

3rd & 2nd Floor Columns Grid

2nd Floorplate

m

y

- 44

2nd Beams Grid

Ground Columns Grid

Mo

Sustainable Shading Devices Design Solar Radiation (kWh/m²)

Fin Depth (ft)

High: 1200

Medium: 850

Solar Radiation (kWh/m²)

1.8

Fin Rotation (degree)

Facade Orientation

South

30°

1.6

Northeast

20°

1.4

Southeast

10°

North

0°

High: 1200

1.2

Low: 500

Mo Ver

W

Low: 500

1.0

Northwest

-10°

0.8

Southwest

-20°

South

-30°

0.5

High: 1200

Befo

Design Process Solar Radiation Analysis

Parametric Workflow

Un Normalize (0.0 - 1.0)

Apply to Depth & Angle

Orientaiton Apply to Angle

Addition

Final Fin Depth & Angle

So

No

45 -

onthly Solar Exposure Comparison

Partial Radiation Map

onthly solar exposure at a representative facade sensor. rtical fins primarily reduce summer solar gains while maintaining comparable winter solar access.

Before Applying Shading Devices

After Applying Shading Devices With Shading Devices Without Shading Devices

500 kWh/m²

1200

Whole Building Radiation Map

ore Applying Shading Devices

nfoled Ground Level Elevation

outh Elevation

orth Elevation

- 46

Before Applying Shading Devices

05

HEALING WITH PRINCIPLES OF M Individual Work | 2024 Winter Instructor: Chengcheng Liu Classification: Installation Architecture Location: Nanlishi Park, Beijing, China Full Project: https://www.norayaoarch.com/movie-therapy

This project explores trauma-informed architecture thro installation space with an underground skate park. Desig uses material, light, rhythm, and spatial sequence to sh channels energy and expression, while the installation environment that interrupts cycles of harm and supports a

47 -

MOVIE THERAPY

Material & Light Exploration Tube:

90°

45°

0°

ough a dual-layered sanctuary that combines an introspective gned around healing, movement, and resilience, the project hape different modes of emotional recovery. The skate space space encourages reflection and introspection, creating an awareness, resilience, and transformation.

- 48

Strip:

Prism:

Square

Circle

Triangle

Ways of Domestic Violence

Underground Skat

Three Phase of Psychic Trauma Post-traumatic Hypervigilance

Post-traumatic Memory Disturbance

Post-traumatic Flinch

49 -

tepark Formation

- 50

Underground Skatepark

06

EARTH AS MEMORY: MIXED-USE EARTHEN RESIDENCE Individual Work | 2025 Autumn Instructor: Elizabeth M. Golden Classification: Mixed-use Residential Location: Seattle, WA, US Full Project: https://www.norayaoarch.com/earth

This project explores earth as a primary building materia Abundant, low-carbon, and historically rooted, earth offers th a warming climate. It reconsiders future construction through a how can a building return to the ground it stands on?

51 -

E

Construction Type - Light Earth Wall

The interior wall uses wood stud as structure and fill in with earth bricks, it maximizes the acoustic characteristics between units, thermal mass of earth as an architectural material, and also provide a natural moisture compare to normal dry wall.

al for multi-family housing. hermal performance suited to a simple yet radical question:

- 52

The exterior walls' technique is known as "cob," which involves filling the spaces between the internal wooden studs with a mixture of earth and straw. It offers excellent thermal mass and natural moisture regulation; most importantly, this type of wall structure does not require a vapor barrier.

07 Other Works | Architectural Bise Station Adaptive Reuse, Yunnan, China | Individual

General View

Train Station History

NOMA Student Competition 2025 | Group Work

ROOFTOP FARM | 8:30 AM

GROCERY STORE | 4:00 PM

DAYCARE | 4:30 PM

LANDING | 8:3O PM

ROOFTOP CIRCULATION

TYP. VERTICAL CIRCULATION CARROTS BROCCOLI

PARSLEY

GROCERY

LETTUCE SPINACH STRAWBERRIES

ROOFTOP FARM

LANDING

OUTDOOR DINING

DAYCARE PLAYGROUND

ROSEMARY

COMMISSARY KITCHEN CILANTRO

CENTRAL NODE

WORKFORCE HUB

BASIL OKRA

RESIDENTIAL GARDEN

CIVIC PLAZA

AREA: 535 SF COUNT: 12 UNITS

AREA: 708 SF COUNT: 12 UNITS

SMALL CLUSTER

COMMUNITY

C.A.D. - Circulation & Access Diagram

AREA: 1,348 SF COUNT: 19 UNITS

LARGE CLUSTER SAS CITY M KAN IS

URI SO

ROOTS OF Nourish The Village

AREA: 1,083 SF COUNT: 19 UNITS

*Node (n.) the part of a root from which one or more stems emerge, often forming a slight swelling or knob.

53 -

KGY Station Adaptive Reuse, Olympia, WA | Individual 1st Floor Plan

2nd Floor Plan

1st Floor Perspective

2nd Floor Perspective

Tectonic Physical Model Exploration | Group Work Plaster, plywood, Basswood

Exterior

- 54

Hallway

Top View

08 Other Works | Art Watercolour, Seattle, 2025

Gouache Painting, Beijing, 2022

55 -

- 56

Sketch, Beijing, 2022

Gouache Painting, Daqing, 2021