Ryan Wong Architecture Portfolio 2024

RYAN WONG Selected Works 2021-2023

Table of Contents 01 Homesick A Student Residence............................................ 01-08 02 Terrace House A Mountain-side Guest House...............................09-12 03 Spiral A Study Space.......................................................13-18 04 Wellington Rotary Beach Gatehouse A Gatehouse......................................................... 19-24 05 Courtyard House A Home................................................................. 25-32 06 Growing up Chinese Canadian 33-40 An Exploration of Ethnic Identity..............................

07 The Well 41-46 A Mixed-Use Development.....................................

1. Site Context

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2. Podium

3. Overhang Creates Courtyards

A Student Residence Winter: 2022 Type: Academic Instructor: Lukas Pauer

Homesick Ontario Association of Architects’ Scholarship Nominee Peter W. and Linda D. Hamilton Award in Social Housing Nominee Featured in the Doors Open Toronto Exhibition and Daniel’s End of Year Show

The number of international students at the University of Toronto is slowly growing. As such, international students often face many challenges trying to fit in. Homesick is a student residence designed to make international students feel at home.

As international students need a temporary place to live in Toronto, the modular design allows for flexibility and change. Through the integration of modular units, the building connects with Trinity College which brings the two student residences together helping students make new friends.

As a mass timber project, the building is made from cross-laminated timber making it sturdy, environmentally friendly, and flexible. With much open space, the building becomes a multi-cultural space where people can gather and enjoy special events.

As a result, my project aims to address challenges that international students face such as language barriers, academic challenges, social/cultural differences, discrimination, psychological difficulties, and financial difficulties through a modular design that connects with Trinity College.

4. Optimal Sun Exposure

5. Circulation

6. Plug-In Modules into CLT Frame

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Precedent Study:

The produced drawings were derived from my own room as a precedent study. The room as an architectural unit embodies one’s lifestyle and their own unique lived experiences. Every room has different furniture, objects and living arrangements which all tell their own story. This exercise helps understand unit design and how we interact with everyday objects.

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Physical Barriers: 1

Intangible Barriers: 2

John Graham Library

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Philosopher’s Walk

Front Entrance

Legacy Students

Residence Fees

Courtyard Fence

GPA & Program

Exclusive Events

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Site Analysis:

The site is located next to the existing student residence called Trinity College. Trinity College is considered to be an exclusive student residence that is meant to be used only by its own cohort. This can be seen through both its physical borders as well as its intangible ones.

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Four Bedroom Unit

Double Bedroom Unit

Single Bedroom Unit

CLT Frame Common Rafter Purlin Principal Rafter Rib Hammer Post Hammer Beam Brace Wall Post Corbel

The CLT frame is connected to the existing hammerbeam truss system of Trinity College.

Modularity: Modules can be trans-

ported and assembled on site to be plugged into the CLT frame using a crane. Due to the short period of stay by international students (often 1-4 years), modularity allows for flexibility and interchangeability of units.

Site Plan: Units are overhung on top of the student residence adjacent to Homesick called Trinity College. Two courtyards are created from this overhang encouraging student interaction.

Section Perspective: The courtyards

can be appropriated to celebrate special events bringing the students of both Homesick and Trinity College together.

Section: The CLT frame is connected

to the existing hammerbeam truss system of Trinity College.

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Floors 7-19 • • •

48 Double Units 24 Family Units 36 Study Rooms

Floors 5-6 Floors 3-4 • • •

• • •

42 Single Units 4 Double Units 2 Family Unitrs

44 Single Units 14 Double Units 2 Family Units

Floor 2 • • • •

Floor 1 • • • • •

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Cafeteria Concierge Courtyard Laundry Room Mail Room

Art Room Clinic Commons Area English Help Centre

An interior view of the hallway

Physical Site Model 1:500 08

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A Mountain-side Guest House Summer: 2022 Type: Competition Partner: Kelvin Hoang Role: Design, Modelling, Drawing, and Rendering

Terrace House Located in the Blue and John Crow Mountains of South Jamaica, the Terrace House is a cabin that allows the user to separate themselves through a continuous space while maintaining separate functions. Thresholds within the small building are defined using levels and steps, as denoted by the change in elevation.

Such thresholds are used as a means of delineating, programming, like sleeping areas, dining areas, and living areas.

Furthermore, by steeping down into the landscape, the building establishes itself subtly and blends within the context. Being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the house uses a landscaped rooftop which carries the same grass to help the building blend in and emerge from the mountain.

In terms of self-sustainability, the building retrieves rainwater for reuse through a drainage system in the butterfly roof, which leads into a cistern underneath the floor. These elements work in tandem to provide the inhabitants with a tranquil and spiritual experience in the otherwise rugged and extreme habitat.

All renderings/drawings from this project shown in this portfolio were either collaborated on or completely made by me.

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Bedroom

Bedroom

Bathroom

Kitchen

Open Space

Deck

extensive green roof 2x8” wood joist

Plan: The house separates the private areas

through physical walls, however, the communal spaces as well as the observatory deck is separated through a change in elevation. This promotes a continuous movement through the house creating transparency.

mass timber beams

insulated spandrel panel double-glazed panel

concrete path

Interior: The walls are minimally glazed to reinsulated light wood frame

mass timber column

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duce active energy consumption, and the sliding glazed panels allow for healthy daylighting, ventilation, and extension of the interior space.

Through the steps and viewport, a tranquil and spiritual space is created.

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A Study Space Winter: 2021 Type: Academic Instructor: Andrew MacMillian

Spiral Located behind the University of Toronto’s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport is the Spiral. The Spiral pushes the boundaries of the architectural typology of the spiral staircase to create an immersive experience evoking a maze-like experience of movement.

The basic spiral staircase is used to capture the user inside a labyrinth-like space where function follows form.

The student study space is made up of dual spiral staircases created from two different angles that rotate one step to the next. One staircase is created through a rotation angle of 12 degrees while the other is built through a rotation angle of 9 degrees. As a result, two forms of circulation are generated: a slow ascending staircase and a fast ascending one.

Flow of movement is established when staircases overlap by forming platforms which allow people to swap from one staircase to the other. The rooms have their roofs created from these spiral stairs while a larger roof is seen on top to prevent overheating caused by the sun. Lastly, the staircases connect to each other to create one continuous staircase covered by a mobius strip.

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1:50 Physical Iterative Modelling: Iterative modelling plays an important role in the design process through experimentation. The model on the top encapsulates the essence of Spiral through the horizontal plane while the model on the bottom does so through the vertical plane.

12°

9°

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1:10 Physical Model 17

The different thresholds and steps create an immersive spiral experience.

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A Gatehouse Summer: 2022 Type: Academic Instructor: Zachary Mollica Role: Design, Construction, Drawing, and Photography

Wellington Rotary Beach Gatehouse Sponsored by both the Prince Edward County municipality and the Wellington Rotary Club, a gatehouse was built near the waters of the Wellington Rotary Beach. The gatehouse provides shelter for the employees who work near the gate and is built upon a deck which allows for it to be transported during the colder seasons.

The design is inspired by the local architecture of Wellington and the yellow color is derived from the Wellington Rotary Club’s logo.

The building uses a refurbished door found in Wellington which promote sustainability and adds some character from the town.

The gatehouse features a canopy which can be extended to provide shade for the staff especially during hot summer days.

In this design-build project, a group of 11 students are tasked with designing a gatehouse used during the summer season. My role consisted of both conceptual designs, purchasing materials, and physically constructing the gatehouse by hand. I learned problem solving in a real world setting by learning how to adapt to construction and structural issues.

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Corrugated Metal Roof

Roof Battens Rafters Beams Columns

Corrugated Metal Walls

Door 2x4 Stud Walls Canopy

Reclaimed Door

Cladding

2x4 Flooring Base

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Left: An exploded axonometric drawing showing the different parts of the gatehouse.

Top Right: The gatehouse was built over a sixday process.

Bottom Right: As the gatehouse was spon-

sored by the Wellington Rotary Beach club, they requested for us to create a new wooden sign for them.

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Transportability:

With transportability in mind, the gatehouse was built off-site and transported 19km across Prince Edward County to Wellington Rotary Beach. Transportability allows the gatehouse to be stored during the colder climates.

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A Home Fall: 2021 Type: Academic Instructor: Shane WIlliamson

Courtyard House Located on 168 Augusta Ave nearby Toronto’s Kensington Market and Chinatown is the Courtyard House. With Kensington having a predominantly Chinese population (47.5%). the house is designed for a Chinese couple and their child utilizing Chinese design principles.

However, the overall form and function is heavily inspired by elements and concepts from Freddy Mamani’s Cholet/Salon, a precedent previously studied in this studio. All in all, the design takes unique elements from Mamani’s Bolivian house while focusing on core Chinese principles such as family and Feng Shui.

Utilising the Siheyuan, otherwise known as the traditional Chinese courtyard house, the house emphasizes an importance on quality family time. In Chinese culture, parents have difficulty vocally expressing their love but often express it through acts of service. In Asian culture, rather than saying ‘I love you,’ parents will often cut fruit for their children. By surrounding the courtyard with the kitchen, dining room and living room, the courtyard becomes a central space for families to bond and convey their affection towards their children.

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Precedent Study: The Cholet/Salon also known as the Bolivian House by Freddy Mamani is the prec-

edent studied in this course through drawing and a 1:10 model. The Bolivian house is unique in that the symmetry of the facade in the vertical plane is transposed onto the usage of the different floors in the horizontal plane. The lower floors of the building are public spaces such as salons, shops, and a party hall while the upper floors are private spaces such as apartments and a house. As you rise, this transition from public to private is both transposed onto the symmetry of the vertical plane (the facade) as well as the horizontal plane (the different floors).

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600m

500m

400m

300m

200m

3rd Floor 100m

2nd Floor Site Plans

1st Floor

Basement 28

Derry Age: 19 Ethnicity: Korean Derry is an international student at the University of Toronto who lives in Kensington. He enjoys living on top of Chungchun Rice Dog as he can easily goes down and grab a quick snack which reminds him of moments that he spent with his family back in Asia.

Francesco Age: 42 Ethnicity: Italian Francesco lives in a Victorian house on 5 Wales Avenue neighboring 168 Augusta Avenue. He likes the close adjacency of Chinatown and often visits the bakeries for classic Hong Kong-style baked goods.

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Grace Age: 21 Ethnicity: Chinese Grace is a student at the University of Waterloo who visits Kensington market. One building which stands out to her is Fu-Kien Society of Canada with its Chinese architectural vernacular design. She believes although this may have been designed for the white middle class, it represents the essence of “Chinatowns.”

Herman Age: 66 Ethnicity: Chinese Since 1984, contractor Herman runs a Chinese family-owned independent business called CAAM United Hardware. On top, he lives with his family where his daughter is a theatre prop builder and painter who helps with running the art side of the business.

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Site: The house is located near Chinatown and Kensington. The house follows the common program of Kensington’s mixed-use houses while the house caters to the predominant Chinese population.

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Connection: The house promotes coincidental encounter and interaction through open space. The

facade allows for sunlight to enter the house where interaction is encouraged.

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An Exploration of Ethnic Identity Fall 2022 - Winter 2023 Type: Academic Instructor: Laura Miller

Growing Up Chinese Canadian The freedom of appropriation is needed to create a generous space as Jean Phillipe Vassal says: “generosity is not just ‘more space,’ it is also accepting what people are going to do with the architecture; you have to accept appropriation.” Generosity in our built environment is created when spaces are appropriable by the community surrounding them. To create both a generous and appropriable space, one must design the urban surface to be equipped with different affordances. However, appropriation can also be created through ‘tools of conviviality’ which allow spaces to adapt to the culture of its surrounding community. As such, generosity in our built environment is created when both the surface and the architecture of a space gives a community the power to enrich their own environment with the fruits of their own vision.

This thesis will explore the spatial and architectural components that enhance and situate ethnic identity. The intention is to create an appropriable space which is equipped with affordances and tools of conviviality to let the community of Markham enrich the space through their own culture. At the same time, restorative nostalgia is used as a driver to evoke a feeling of belongingness through architecture, history, and program. More specifically, I will focus my thesis on Markham where many immigrants from Hong Kong have settled.

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Historical Timeline 1840s

1960s

1983

1990-2018

2019-Present

Second Opium War

British Colonial Rule

Cullen Country Barns

Market Village

Empty Land

Britain launched the Opium

In 1967, there were anti-govern-

Cullen Country Barns was

Market Village opened in 1990 and

The proposed Remington Centre

War against China causing the Qing government to sign

ments protesting the British Colonial government inspired by

a farm-themed complex which occupied the site

expanded in 1995. It was an ethnic mall for the community of Markham

has still not been built and where Market Village was is now a vacant

the Treaty of Nanking permanently ceding the Hong

the protests in Macau against the Portuguese governement.

before Pacific Mall and Market Village. It was de-

having 170-family run businesses. It officially closed March 1, 2018.45

lot of land.

Kong Island to Britain. Hong Kong immigrants moved to

Many people would immigrate to Canada because of the British

molished in 1994 to make way for Pacific Mall.44

Canada due Hong Kong becoming a British Crown Col-

colonial rule.41

ony.39

1940s

1960s-1990s

War

Handover to China

During World War II, many people from Hong Kong left. On December, 8, 1941, Japan invaded Hong Kong and captured it after 18 days of resistance. Japan would occupy the land for 44 months until the surrender in World War II.40

With the impending handover of Hong Kong to mainland China in 1997, many people chose to immigrate to Canada from Hong Kong.42

1980s-2000

2005-2019

Pacific Mall and Market Village

Remington Centre

Due to the influx of Hong Kong immigrants coming to Markham, two ethnic malls were proposed.

There was controversy surrounding the mall causing difficuty for it to be built. Then deputy-mayor Carole Bell tried to stop the development as she did not like the change happening shown in her

Village announced a luxury hotel, condominium mall which would replace Market Village. By 2019, Market Village was completely demolished to make way for the new Remington Centre.46

On June 15, 2005, Pacific Mall and Market

statement of “everything’s going Chinese.”43 38

Growing up Chinese Canadian: An Exploration of Ethnic Identity in Market Village

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Historical Timeline: The historic timeline showcases the history of the site Market Village, which is lo-

cated in Markham, Ontario. The original Market Village was a Chinese-themed mall that was frequented by the Hong Kong Canadian population of Markham. In 2019, Market Village was demolished, and with it, a part of Markham’s unique ethnic identity was lost. Therefore, this thesis addresses the question: ‘How can we bring back the nostalgic memories associated with Market Village and create a space that can enhance and preserve the unique ethnic identity of Markham’s people?’

Demographic: With a predominant Chi-

nese population in Markham, the new proposal on Market Village must be something that can accomodate this spirit of the Chinese Canadian population of Markham.

Interviews: Through a series of inter-

views, people were asked on their feelings and thoughts about Market Village.

As a result three main themes became prevalent: food, gathering, and performance.

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Carving: By carving the site, the nearby

neighbourhood can be connected to the isolated lot of Market Village and Pacific Mall while maintaining the road and not creating more traffic.

Tools of Conviviality: Equipping the sur-

face with services and furnishing that can be appropriated and modified by the public enables a diverse and flexible range of uses. The site is equipped with poles for food stalls and volleyball courts for Asian theme night markets or 9-man volleyball.

Impermenance: Program and function

are the most changeable aspects of a city. By designing with impermanence in mind, the thesis will be able to absorb any future demands. Through a farmer’s market and banquet hall, semi-permenant historically significant program is added.

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A Mixed-Use Development Summer: 2023 Type: Professional Firm: Hariri Pontarini Architects Role: Design Concept and Drawing

The Well The Well—as in “living, working, and playing well”—aims to shape a synergistic space where residents, workers, and neighbours enrich the urban experience for one another. Bordered by Spadina Avenue, Front, Draper, and Wellington Streets, the project injects a dynamic mix of uses into a key city-centre site.

The truly mixed-use development, composed of equal parts commercial and residential space, is the missing piece that will complete the larger neighbourhood. Close to half a million square feet of retail and over a million square feet of commercial office space will be added to this underserviced area, bringing much needed retail amenity to the neighbourhood. More than a million and a half square feet of residential units will also be added, including both rental and market condominiums.

The completed site will have a total of seven buildings and will preserve the character of the neighbourhood including the historic cottages of Draper Street. A new 36-storey office building at the intersection of Front and Spadina, also designed by HPA, will mark the gateway into the new neighbourhood. During this summer, I was given complete creative freedom to create diagrams and drawings to represent different parts of The Well to show aspects of life through representation.

Photograph on the left was taken by an outside source.

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Section Perspective: The section perspective

drawing is used to showcase The Well within the context of its neighborhood. Through section perspective, the construction details can be seen while also adding aspects of life to the drawing. Through representation, we can see how The Well becomes a gathering place that reflects the nature of the city and connects the surrounding neighborhood in a seamless, dynamic extension of this urban hub.

Exploded Iso: The exploded isometric draw-

ing showcases the different elements of The Well’s façade. Different elements can be seen such as the X-frame of the façade as well as the terracotta façade which integrates a subtle live-work-play approach into the context.

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Elevational

Oblique:

The elevational oblique highlights the different elements of The Well which will be shown in section perspectives throughout the rest of this project. By using the elevational oblique as a representational tool, we can see both the façade in elevation with the context of the building,

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Contact ryanwong0119@gmail.com linkedin.com/in/ryan-w-wong