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udrey Wati Oo
Audrey Wati Oo PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Spring, Fall 2019 | Architecture Intern at Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, WATG Irvine
- Assisted in the Design Development phase of multiple hospitality projects in California & Guam, drawing test fit plans, modeling in Revit and Rhino
Chicago
- Produced design iterations for the Schematic Design phase of an international residential and office towers project in the urban design office of the firm.
New York
- Worked on the Construction Development phase of a Historic building renovation and expansion project, modeling and creating construction documents in Revit
2017 - present | Architectural designer at True Design & Construction email phone
: watioopt@mail.uc.edu : +1(312)-843-8985
Designing single family residences in Myanmar ranging from one to three storeys in collaboration with a structural engineer team. 3 projects completed and 1 currently under construction.
Summer 2020 | Burnet Woods Playscapes - Camping & Education Foundation Working with landscape architects and urban planners to design sustainable playscapes and recreational amenities following the Living Building challenge for the revitalization of Burnet Woods in Cincinnati, Ohio.
EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in Architecture Magna Cum Laude, 2021 University of Cincinnati
Summer 2018 | Intern at AUIS Architects Myanmar - Presentation and drafting Preparing design presentation files, translating documents, making architecture conceptual drawings and physical models.
College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP)
OTHER EXPERIENCES HONORS & AWARDS Summer 2020 | Yuzhang Rural Design Build Project 2017 - 21 | Dean’s List 2017 - 21 | University of Cincinnati Global Scholarship 2019 - 20 | DAAP School of Architecture Scholarship 2018 - 21 | National Society of Collegiate Scholar
Joint collaborative project between Beijing Jiaotong University and University of Cincinnati to design and build public benefit ecological restrooms for a rural village in Jiangxi Province of China.
2018 - 2021 | DAAP Ambassador Representing DAAP, giving tours and attending college information events as a panelist to help prospective students by answering questions and giving advice.
SKILLS
FABRICATION Summer 2016 | Foreign exchange : Burma Youth Leadership Program
Rhino
Casting
Revit
Woodwork
AutoCAD
Laser cutting
Lumion
3D Printing
Sketchup Grasshopper Unreal Engine Massmotion Adobe Suite Bilingual
Selected as a high school student to travel to the US for a month to actively participate in the leadership program that is sponsored by the US Department of State & hosted by Indiana University.
COMMUNITY SERVICE 2019 - 2020 | Cincinnati Music Hall & Memorial Hall Fundraiser events Spring 2018 | NCBDS conference ( DAAP gallery installation assistant ) 2015 - 2017 | Head Teacher for Myanmar National League for Democracy’s School 2015 - 2017 | IT & English teacher at Mary Chapman School for the Deaf
Contents Arts & Science center Sauna Rowhouse for a Nyctophiliac OTR Multi- family housing Rural Design Build Hengqin Towers Houses in Yangon
Cincinnati Arts & Science Center Spring 2021 | Capstone Studio - Prof. Andrew Tetrault The existence of the seven hills is an urban legend that has lived through the history of Cincinnati. On the banks of the Ohio river, the hillside slopes behold notable flora and fauna, being densely vegetated and serving as a natural habitat for the flourishing urban wildlife. This studio seeks to explore ways to mediate a solution to the delicate geography of the hillside and introduce human intervention by connecting neighborhoods bringing people to and across the site. Partner : Shane Chung
“..... THESE HILLS, with their popular resorts and places of amusement, constitute the chief attraction of the city, and are almost world-renowned in their fame. They are one of the most beautiful natural amphitheaters on the continent, from whose hilltops may be seen the splendid panorama of the cities below and the winding Ohio. No other large city of the United States affords such a variety of position and beauty.....The names of the principal eminences, from East to West of the city, are Mount Lookout, the Walnut Hills, Mount Adams, Mount Auburn, Clifton Heights, Fairmount, Mount Harrison, Mount Hope, Price Hill, and Mount Echo.” - James R. Chamberlain American Historian
Arts & Science Art is about exploring the intangible and creativity whereas science is about analyzing the tangible and finding solutions. Due to these differences, there is a disconnect between the two realms and there is an opportunity to allow mutualism through architecture. The program vision is to promote collaboration between scientists of the research center who study urban wildlife and artists who relay the data and deliver messages to the public audience through their expressive art.
In the models, ice and flowers are an amalgamation. Ice represents the building (architecture) while the latter represents nature. The characteristics of the former portrays an intriguing ephemerality that appears when there is a harmonious balance of retreating and enveloping between the two elements. Melting is a random unpredictable process, one never the same but the result is quite so. This play of building and nature gives rise to an architectural host for the co-existence of arts and science.
The architecture serves as pins, nailing down and sewing the unstable site geology together strategically.
Transparency & Ephemerality Each program has a unique transparency that corresponds to the user experience and the extent of privacy. The amalgamation of an array of transparencies gives rise to an ephemeral atmosphere that comprises of overlapping translucencies and light material qualities such as glass, fabric and mesh. Bird proof glass is installed to prevent the collision of urban wildlife into the transparent interventions.
The density of the columns (pins) respond to the nature and needs of the program they occupy and that dispersed columns of multiple variations are studied to create circulation flow and moments of negotiation with nature.
Visitor center
Auditorium
Exhibition Hall & Labs
Administration & Studios
The building as a container of nature. Curated landscapes, overlapping of textures and transparencies and the fragmented architecture blur the boundary between the built environment and nature, while the programs proposed on site work hand in hand with one another, sharing facilities, amenties and spaces to convene and promote the artist-scientist relationship. Exhibits and events held indoors and outdoors, including at the follies allow for an experience of immersion into nature as visitors navigate their way through different activity encounters that are taking place.
With the public attraction Eden Park anchored on the top of the hill that the building sits on, another goal of this project is to move people downhill to the Ohio riverside crossing a highway and a street in the endeavour. A non intrusive mode of transportation - the cable car was selected to connect the two destinations quite literally with a thin line. In this way, the people of the surrounding neighborhoods are able to utilize the building not only as a place to visit but also as a means of travelling down the hill. The architecture is to serve all purposes.
Sauna Summer 2019 | Sophomore Studio A compact sauna with a complete set of plunge pool and showers was to be designed for a maximum occupancy of 2 people. Site location was imagined to be in a national park with close proximity to a lake. Landscaping and circulation opportunities were observed while organizing the spaces.
Diagrammatic Sauna Study
The Material
The organization of spaces required and the sequence of travel between theses spaces are studied through collage+sketch drawings on the relative site location. The main focus was to find the ideal view opportunity and comfortability of the users.
Wood is the commonly used material for Saunas, given its properties being a non-conductor of heat and able to withstand the humidity and moisture of the sauna’s interior environment. This gives flexibility in wood joinery design to articulate detailing and patterning on the walls/floors/ceilings and seatings.
ENTRY
SHOWERS
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SAUNA
PLUNGE POOL
The Experience Camouflaged into the landscape is the Sauna complex that is designed to be built into a short cliff that faces the lake. This provides the Sauna with privacy and directs the view towards the lake when the users inside sit on the seatings responding to specific level apertures. The movement through the complex is a loop, turning at each wall to reveal the next space, connected by the wood patterning language. The intention is to make it a journey through the complex not just a visit.
Rowhouse for a Nyctophiliac Spring 2020 | Junior Studio The urban neighborhood of OTR in Cincinnati comprises of rowhouses where the vintage fabric of architecture meets new developments sprouting among the residences with intriguing stories. The project is to design a new rowhouse in an existing small and narrow plot of land negotiating with the neighboring building.
Nyctophiliac (noun) A person with a disorder in which he/she finds relaxation and comfort in the darkness. The rowhouse is designed to cater to the owner’s needs with the idea of refuge from sunlight and yet allow specific moments of light penetration into the building to support the growth of living things and guest visits in public areas.
a. entrance b. garage c. courtyard main stairs d. door to basement e. kitchen f. tv & lounge g. living & guest room h. library & office i. restroom & bath j. master bedroom k. balcony l. hallway m. study nook n. guest bedroom
Illuminating Gardens The “Nyctophiliac” owner of the house may choose to enjoy darkness and light alternatively but also the presence of other living things. The growth and maintainence of trees and plants at some places are compromised by the lack of direct sunlight and in this case, calls for the usage of coloured lighting across the color spectrum relative to each garden for the well beings of both the plants and nyctophillac owner with anomalous health as it is known to provide benefits corresponding to different colors of light.
Certain exceptional apertures and natural lighting techniques are implemented for the guests and visitors who do not have special needs, to feel at ease in this seemingly dysfunctional interiors of the house. Regarding the spatial quality of the house, certain parts of the house hold more brightness than the others, differentiating the priority of the owner’s preferences depending on the usage of each individual room. Instances such as this are in the courtyards of the house in which the skylights above channel a downpour of ample sunlight into the house at multiple levels, promoting plant growth and reaches as far as the ground level. Conversely, semi-public/shared areas such as the living room or office/ library benefit from the indirect glow of light flowing down and bouncing off the walls extending from the same skylights. Other Indirect lighting methods - hollow gaps in the exterior walls from the roof on the top floor also supply private rooms but at a much weaker extent simply enough to light the room for visibility to get around.
Multi-family Housing Spring 2020 | Junior Studio How can a multi-unit / multi-family / multi-dwelling building(s) create a form of community with, and within, the evolving urban context? How can the issues of social engagement, ecological health, sustainability, inclusivity and cultural production inform an urban housing architectural proposal? This housing proposal produces a new connection point or gateway between two edges of downtown Cincinnati Over the Rhine and the Westside.
Site Negotiation The site parcel sits on the junction of the expansive booming cityscape with its iconic high-rise structures from downtown, the historical landmark Cincinnati Music Hall and the valuable residential neighborhood at its front entrance. In order to negotiate the site’s gateway position, the surrounding main streets that stem from the key anchors are taken into consideration and the act of diverting pedestrians through the site was the focus of revitalizing the unused area and its sidewalks despite its optimal location. The concept of the building begins at its massing which prioritizes the public plaza at ground level with retail and attractions for the visitors to stop and shop or to simply pass through, lifting up the housing component and its facilities higher up to recieve views of the important
1 bedroom units
2 bedroom unit
Ground floor plan
Change the dream and you change the city. - The Buell Hypothesis
The city of Cincinnati is one that is growing within the limitations of its valley condition. Densely developed and the hub of finance is what we call the OTR - Over-the-Rhine that occupies the riverside with its towering buildings overlooking the Ohio River. Of those many, a few percentage are residential with many people choosing to live in the horizontal communities that comprise of homes that hold antique integrity and are a hundred years old on averge. Like any developing city, Cincinnati is vulnerable to gun crimes. The decision of living away from the dense crowd has become a favorable option
as newly built mid-rise apartment homes/complexes begin to join the urban sprawl. Living away but having a visual connection to the core of the city has its benefits that come with it, mainly being comfortable and safe. In the proposed vertical community housing, 120+ homes are provided with the inclusion of high end amenities from rooftop pool and fitness center, the capacity to incorporate the Cincinnati radio station at the mid-level massing and indoor/outdoor shopping mall at the pedestrian level. A true experience of community living comes to life and the idea of acheiving togetherness but privately.
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Typical floor axon
Rural Design Build Summer 2020 | University collaboration project Joint project between University of Cincinnati and Beijing Jiaotong University’s architecture schools to design and build public benefit ecological restrooms for a rural village in the mountainous Jiangxi Province of China. This is one from a series of preceding design build structures in the area and for 2020, with the impact of Covid, the teams met virtually to discuss designs and construction. Partner : An Le
Scaffolding
Volume
Nesting
bamboo grid as a tectonic element for the light and airy atmospheric qualities, divider for privacy and circulation guide, also as a structural component for roofing
individual concrete/brick toilet stalls with perforation for passive ventilation and serve as foundational support for the scaffolding
The integration of the solid volumes into the porous scaffolding balances the composition, deriving inspiration from the nearby bamboo forests that provides materials for building
Bamboo forest in the distant backdrop of the site where the material can be derived for construction.
Two potential site locations for the restrooms at two opposite edges of the village. The proposal showcased is for Site A of the village.
Rethinking the traditional toilet When one thinks of a traditional toilet in a rural public setting, the notion of enclosed darkness and heaviness is what comes to mind. But when given a peaceful and picturesque view of nature, why trade it with a solid structure with thick opaque walls and a roof? Simply put, as long as the individual stalls of the restroom are kept private, the requirement of a toilet is fulfilled and a better experience of using a restroom in nature can be attainable. This design build proposal focuses on making such structure with the use of scaffolding as opposed to a walled-off structure to designate the restroom while brick/concrete blocks of individual stalls are dispersed strategically in the system. The blocks each have punctures on its walls at the standing level, all covered with metal mesh for tropical insect prevention however, solid where it needs to be at the sitting level and allowing for passive ventilation and maximum openess yet ensure the privacy of the user.
relationship between the solid and void showing the gradient in density of the scaffolding
Hengqin Towers Fall 2019 | Professional work - Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo Schematic Designs for five residential towers in Hengqin, China were proposed for an international client and among the multiple design iterations, this portfolio showcases my work and design contribution to the iterations for the firm’s project. The site is located in Hengqin - an island district in the South China Sea. The designs of five towers all with views towards the sea and Macau are proposed with attention to the advantages of the location.
Facade Pattern Study At the Zhujiang River Estuary, winding tributaries flow around the islands and merge into the sea. To respond to this ultimate site location, above is a study of the patterns from how rivers take their course. The final facade for the towers is designed to reflect a simply elegant and organic motion of the flowing rivers across the elevation of the five towers allowing a series of visual motion.
round corners for smooth air flow
shift volumes for escape floors as per law
slanted top cut to reveal roof top garden
balconies on sides not facing water as per regulations
glazing skin with mullions as a shell for facade design
differentiate glazing on remaining areas to maximize view
Houses in Yangon 2017 - present | Professional work - True Design & Co. The architecture scene of today in Myanmar has come far from the remnants of the colonial period and the typical classical homes cloned all over the city of Yangon. The attention has shifted towards the international style with homeowners broadening their perspectives to accept new styles of single family housing. Negotiating the conventional beliefs and preferences of the Burmese clients and introducing new modern, fusion styles and exploring creative solutions for better living. Architecture design : Audrey Wati Oo Structure : MMHK Consultancy Co.,Ltd Construction : True Design & Construction Co.,Ltd
House 377 In the neighborhoods of the North Dagon township, real estate is a leading sector attracting buyers from all over Myanmar especially in the city of Yangon. Families are leaning towards suburban living nowadays due to the increased air and noise pollution that inhibits comfortable living. Designed for the general customer looking to live in a peaceful and well-being focused area away from the bustling city, this 2-storey house features a central courtyard with balconies overlooking the courtyard and out to the streets from two bedrooms and views into the garden from the two ground-level bedrooms. Ample parking space for two cars and a gated entry is a minimum requirement for the typical modern family getaway home in Yangon. Privacy and security are deeply valued attributes in the city’s real estate and the house provides a clear sense of such by bringing the landscape into the house to minimize people from outside looking into areas including living, dining and praying spaces.
House 901 Completed construction in Oct 2020, this house is the third of a series of single family houses I have designed for True Design & Construction Co.,Ltd. As the thinking behind the design goes, modern homes in Myanmar have begun to adopt Western contemporary styles and have yet to consider the suitability of the location’s climate and background. To bridge the gap, this house is designed by integrating the minimalistic and impactful Western style with the intricate and comfortable local tropical style to acheive the best of both worlds. True to the fusion concept of Scandinvian and tropical styles, the thoughtful mix of natural wood, rock and stone patterns with complimentary color paints aim to enhance the character and vibrance of the facades. Dark grey aluminum is applied to window mullions and frames as well as decorative screening serving as additional layer of privacy and fencing to add definition to the 3 dimensionality of the house without compromising views.
No matter how tall mountains are, they will be under feet. No matter how big waves are, they will be under boats. No matter how hard, there is nothing you cannot do.
Thank You. email : watioopt@mail.uc.edu phone : +1(312)-843-8985 LinkedIn : Audrey Wati Oo