Issuu

P ORTFOLIO

RACHEL LOW | RMIT UNIVERSITY | 2017-2025 SELECTED WORKS

RACHEL LOW

Passionate about architectural design, I strive to utilize my skills and embrace technologies to create thoughtful and functional design solutions. My interests range from intricate details to tackling spatial challenges, to exploring possibilities in urban planning. As a self-motivated designer, I am always seeking opportunities to learn, grow, and expand my skillset.

+61 422 368 339 rachel.jh_low@hotmail.com

https://rl-architecture.webnode.page/ https://issuu.com/rachellowjh/docs/portfolio_rachel_lowjh

EDUCATION

BACHELOR & MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

RMIT UNIVERSITY

2017 - 2023

GPA 3.9/4.0

ARCHITECTURE TRAVELLING STUDIO

UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG & UNSTUDIO

JUL - AUG 2019

AWARDS

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE AWARDS FOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE 2022

SOFTWARES & SKILLS

RHINO REVIT

AUTOCAD

VRAY RENDER

OCTANE RENDER ENSCAPE

PREMIERE PRO AFTER EFFECTS

ILLUSTRATOR

PHOTOSHOP INDESIGN

MODEL-MAKING SKETCHING GRASSHOPPER

REFERENCES

DR BEN MILBOURNE

HEAD OF MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

RMIT UNIVERSITY

ben.milbourne@rmit.edu.au

+61 418 396 521

NICK DOUKAS

BUILDING MANAGER

FOCUSED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

+61 419 326 251

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

ARCHITECTURAL TECHNICIAN

FOCUSED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

JUN 2023 - PRESENT

• Building Defects Audit & Rectification Documentation Contractors Liaison & Building Works Coordination

• Building Compliance & Operations Management

CONCIERGE

FOCUSED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

FEB 2022 - JUN 2023

ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT

FRASERS BUILDING SERVICES

JUN 2021 - FEB 2022

• Town Planning Documentation via Revit ResCode Matrix Assessments

ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANT

SUPERSCALE DESIGN STUDIO

DEC 2019 - FEB 2020

• Digital modeling Hands-on timber construction

BARTENDER & FOOD SERVICE

CHEF LAGENDA RESTAURANT

NOV 2017 - APRIL 2023

STORE CASHIER

FOODWORKS SUPERMARKET

NOV 2021 - APRIL 2022

PIANO & ART TEACHER

VIVACE MUSIC CENTRE, MALAYSIA

GRACE MUSIC CENTRE, MALAYSIA

2016

LANGUAGES

ENGLISH MANDARIN BAHASA

MULTISCALE LEARNING VILLAGE

URBAN HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS, ARDEN MACAULAY WORK PORTFOLIO

EXTREMELY SMALL BUT VERY LOUD

RMIT DESIGN DISTRICT, BRUNSWICK

K OWLOON CITY 2.O: TESTING IN PROGRESS... COMPOSITE HIGH RISE, HONG KONG

RURBAN ACUPUNTURE

LOGISTIC INFRASTRUCTURE, YOGYAKARTA

RE-INDUSTRIALISATION: BIGNESS & NETWORK

URBAN MANUFACTURING PRECINCT, FISHERMANS BEND

REORIENT THE MISPLACED

REVIVING MINES, SHANDONG

ROAMING

SUPERTIG HT LIVING, NORTH MELBOURNE

PAINTERLY FORM

PARAMETRIC DESIGN, RMIT STOREY HALL

ASIAN URBANISM

MAPPING HONG KONG

FAKE AUTHENTICITY

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MELBOURNE GPO

ALGORIST HABITAT

PARAMETRIC DESIGN / MODEL MAKING

BUILDING 001

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION

GARDEN HOUSE

INTERIOR DESIGN

204 WESTALL ROAD

TP DOCUMENTATION

HANDS ON TIMBER CO-WORKING, CABIN CASTING, CHAIR FABRICATION

PAINTINGS

https://rl-architecture.webnode.page/

MULTISCALE LEARNING VILLAGE

RMIT URBAN HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS, ARDEN MACAULAY

AWARDED ARM ARCHITECTURE PRIZE

SHORLISTED KIRRILL KOSLOFF DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARD

This project envisions a transformative learning village centered on studentcentric pedagogy, capable of evolving in response to student and community needs.

The village comprises independent clusters for different year levels, each featuring a tailored programmatic scheme achieved through a “micro-tomacro” approach. An in-depth study of programmatic qualities at each level facilitates the design process, which involved experimenting with “fracturing spatial conditions,” resulting in a taxonomy of multiscale learning spaces seamlessly integrated within a macro composition.

The “micro-to-macro” approach adds significant civic value, with flexible, multipurpose spaces supporting communal extracurricular programs and fostering strong connections between the school and the community.

Celebrating diversity, the village’s multiscale spaces break down traditional barriers, accommodating various learning styles and fostering inclusivity.

By embracing individual differences, the project aims to create equal opportunities for all students, ultimately contributing to a more equitable society through innovative education.

EXTREMELY SMALL BUT VERY LOUD

RMIT BRUNSWICK DESIGN DISTRICT

AWARDED MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE

AWARDS FOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE 2022

The project aims to redeem Melbourne’s middling recent history of design, at the scale of precinct, through turning the orthodox order of cities planning - from large infrastructure, density, zoning, program to use - upside down.

Inspired by RMIT’s campus, which evolved from a single building into a thriving urban hub, the project adopts micro-interventions – a series of tactical annexations and incremental additions –to conquer and transform large territory within Brunswick into a vibrant design district.

KOWLOON CITY 2.O TESTING IN PROGRESS...

HIGH DENSITY COMPOSITE HIGH RISE

PARTICIPATION THE ARCHITECTURE DRAWING PRIZE 2021

Hong Kong, an extreme complexity where people adapt, negotiate and coexist. The challenging living conditions have made the city a global testing ground.

“If it works here, it works anywhere else.”

Super tight homes, double-deckers — tightness serves as both a limitation and an opportunity.

Situated on the former airport in Kai Tak, the project envisions a testing ground, an idea incubator where anyone can design, manufacture and test creations - from handicrafts, fashion, interiors to architectural prototypes. Interventions gradually take over the space, mirroring the organic process of place-finding in cities, growing from 0% to 100%, and beyond to 120%.

Sculpted by constant movements, the city transforms into a living archive of Hong Kong culture. As new interventions overlay memories of Kowloon City, it becomes a maze of time and space, where vibrant chaos unfolds wall-to-wall.

RURBAN ACUPUNTURE

LOGISTIC INFRASTRUCTURE, YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA

This project explores Desakota Urbanism in Yogyakarta where urban and agricultural land uses interweave. It proposes a new architectural language for large-scale infrastructure that catalyze rural industrialization while delivering social benefits to local communities.

The design integrates logistic facilities, manufacturing focused on rice production and food processing, packaging for local and international distribution, cultural villages, and social programs to stimulate economic development while preserving local culture.

RE-INDUSTRIALISATION: BIGNESS & NETWORK

URBAN MANUFACTURING PRECINCT, FISHERMANS BEND

The project aims to reintroduce industrialization by inventing a new typology for urban modern manufacturing precincts. This is achieved by combining the “Bigness” and “Network” effect, observed in the historical evolution of manufacturing.

The project employs a bottom-up approach based on behavioral systems and draws inspiration from Jane Jacob’s concept of “Generators of Diversity” to stimulate the “Bigness” and “Network” effects.

This approach encourages the emergence of innovative solutions across diverse architectural typologies, by focusing on cultivating new possibilities of architectural conditions, through fostering typological variation and diversity. It facilitates the creation of a future-oriented urban environment that dynamically adapt to change.

The project envisions a vibrant industrial ecosystem that functions as an industry incubator. Here, large-scale industries provide support to a network of smaller, diverse industries. This network, in turn, contributes to the long-term sustainability of the overall “Bigness” and “Network” dynamic.

REORIENT THE MISPLACED

REVIVING MINES, SHANDONG

FINALIST OF NON-ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION

PUBLISHED IN 2021 ‘ONE RENDERING CHALLENGE’ GALLERY

I, the witness of history, Laid calmly between the land.

Nourishing thousands of homes, I was cherished by the Zibo families.

Soon, mining breaks the calmness…

Once a nurturer of the land is now forgotten by my sons.”

With a body dusted with coal and soil, What is my role and destiny?”

Sedimentation. Filtration. Concretion.

Shifting of matter, the misplaced is retrieved.

Floating soil surrounded by the sculpted land, Remembered by sons and embraced by newcomers.

I’m revived.

I’m water, the witness of all.”

ROAMING

SUPERTIGHT LIVING, NORTH MELBOURNE

Rising housing prices and shifting demographics have led to increased interest in co-living arrangements. However, privacy concerns have long been associated with co-living, revolving around “Watching, Being-watched, and Oversharing.”

This project aims to enhance the co-living experience for diverse users, from students to large families, through a privacy-focused design strategy. By integrating a taxonomy of living settings, residents roam within this “city within a building,” selecting the spatial solutions that best suit their individual needs.

PAINTERLY FORM

PARAMETRIC DESIGN, RMIT STOREY HALL

This project explores the evocative potential of form in 3D printed architecture. Inspired by the emotive power of art, it envisions a future where architecture goes beyond serving a function, to become catalysts for dialogue and experience.

Utilizing a novel design process that integrates self-organizing algorithms, 3D printing logics, and painterly techniques, this project delves into the creation of intricate forms that push the boundaries of architectural expression.

ASIAN URBANISM

MAPPING HONG KONG

Hong Kong's unique urban fabric is a product of the complex interplay between top-down factors, where international forces or government agencies insert large scale artefacts, and bottom-up factors driven by residents adapting to these interventions in their daily lives.

This project investigates this tension through the case study of Wedding Card Street's transformation into Lee Tung Avenue. This project employs a multi-scalar approach, shifting from L - the typology and density of surrounding buildings to M - the streetscape then zooming in on S - elements that form the street experience including shopfronts, illegal additions, public open spaces, and greenery. And eventually delve into XS - the user groups, activities, and movement patterns along the connective tissue.

FAKE AUTHENTICITY

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MELBOURNE GPO

The discipline of architecture is defined by ideas that are passed on, copied, and transformed to create an accepted history of cultural production. This project explores how AI will impact the future of the architectural world. The project aims to identify the breaking point that challenges the stability of the architectural foundation, questioning what alternate architectural facts would resemble in a profession that openly embraces and builds upon a visual culture of copying.

ALGORIST HABITAT

This project explores how generative rule-sets and protocols can serve as compositional diagrammatic devices to organize individual design components, leading to the emergence of complex and intricate architectural forms, and examines how the inherent architectural qualities of these forms can generate enigmatic and performative spatial qualities.

RMIT STOREY HALL

RMIT B-001

EDUCATIONAL MID-RISE DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION

RMIT Building 001 reimagines architecture student life at RMIT, drawing inspiration from experiences at Building 100.

The facade reflects the site’s history through its shape and color palette, while introducing a modern geometric twist. Precast panels seamlessly wrap around the building and transition into human-scale elements at the civic voids, creating welcoming entry points that enhance the connection to the public realm.

GARDEN HOUSE

ROYAL MCDONALD HOUSE INTERIOR DESIGN

Garden House fosters a multi-sensorial living experience that embraces biophilic elements. Sunlight filters through organically shaped furniture, while nature-inspired materials blur the lines between the interior and its surroundings. The seamless connection extends to diverse social settings that mediate between private and public realms, fostering a sense of community while ensuring privacy. The holistic approach establishes Garden House as a haven for urban escapism – a healing space where people can connect with nature and family, finding solace together.

WORK PORTFOLIO

DEFECT AUDIT & RECTIFICATION, COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT

As an architectural technician, I conduct building defect audits and develop rectification strategies for issues such as facade fractures and mechanism failures. I perform site inspections, drawing analysis, and collaboration with contractors for material procurement and coordination of building works, i.e., glass replacement and window rectification. I also manage building compliance across multiple sites by reviewing renovation proposals, revising evacuation maps, and assessing amenities, such as proposing compliance solutions for the pool area in Aurora Melbourne Central.

Extract from Facade Investigation Report

Extract from Renovation Proposal Compliance

12 SOUTHDOWNE CLOSE

TP DOCUMENTATION

The design of the two double-storey dwellings prioritizes a cohesive streetscape with materials reflecting the existing neighborhood character. Responding to the site’s features, the layout maximizes natural light and provides each unit with a north-facing private open space connected to key living areas. Both dwellings offer a single garage, lounge, internal courtyard, kitchen, laundry, and four bedrooms with ensuites on the upper floor.

204 WESTALL ROAD

TP DOCUMENTATION

Respectful of the existing streetscape, the design of two double-storey dwellings incorporates the neighborhood’s building scale, pitched roof style, and a material blend of brick and render. Facade details, window proportions, and articulation further harmonize with the surrounding architecture, fostering a cohesive aesthetic. Each dwelling prioritizes functionality with a single garage, open living area, kitchen, pantry, powder room, master suite with ensuite, and two additional bedrooms.