SWANG_PORTFOLIO_ARCH 2022

Flat 5

525 Cambridge Heath Road

London E2 9BU

starrwang@gmail.com

07935 853738

Sept 2018 - Dec 2019

Sept 2011 - Aug 2016

EDUCATION

McGill University, Master of Architecture (M. Arch, Prof.)

Montreal, Canada

Honours with Distinction, DSR (Design Studio-Directed Research) Stream

University of Waterloo: School of Architecture, Bachelor of Architectural Studies (B.AS, Honours)

Cambridge, Canada

Honours with Distinction, Co-operative Program

EXPERIENCE

Mar 2020 - Dec 2021

Alain Carle Architecte, Intern Architect (Part 2 Arch. Assistant)

Montreal, Canada

Managed client meetings while developing interior design concept for a 10 000 sf single-family residence

Collaborated with general contractor and subtrades to produce construction drawings needed on-site

Delivered drawings for luxury restaurant interiors from conception to construction phase in Las Vegas

Feb 2018 - Sept 2018

superkül, Architectural Designer (Part 1 Arch. Assistant)

Toronto, Canada

Prepared schematic and design development drawings for a heritage institutional project in Toronto

Issued construction administration drawings under the supervision of a project architect

Designed new graphic standards including office presentation templates

Oct 2016 - Feb 2018

Studio JCI, Architectural Designer (Part 1 Arch. Assistant)

Toronto, Canada

Produced and successfully submitted permit and tender drawings for interior fit-out

Conceptualized and executed site plan application drawings for a mid-rise development

Engaged with consultants to review and coordinate feedback into fully-integrated construction drawing sets

Jan - Apr 2016

Berman Guedes Stretton Architects, Part 1 Arch. Assistant

London, UK

Secured a new project bid by creating compelling schematic design proposal for an instutional centre

Generated design options and presentation material for Canterbury Cathedral’s new welcome centre

Apr - Aug 2015

Indigo Architecture & Interiors, Student Intern

Seattle, USA

Managed drawings and construction administration for office renovation

Reinvented schematic graphic rendering style for process ideas during client meetings

Maintained office website and created up-to-date content for pages

Apr - Aug 2014

4 month

Leroy Street Studio, Student Intern

New York City, USA

Designed and detailed exterior railing for Charlie Bird’s outdoor patio in SoHo

Produced window and door details for a designbuild project

Prepared evocative renderings and constructed a large scale physical model for client meeting

Sept - Dec 2013

4 month

NIO Architecten, Student Intern

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Reprogrammed the interiors of a renovation project according to the clients requirements

Developed experimental 3D forms for a set of exterior stairs

AWARDS & EXHIBITIONS

Student Medal, The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada

Awarded to student who has achieved highest level of academic excellence and shows promise of being an architect of distinction after graduation

2019

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Canada Graduate Scholarships

Awarded to high calibre scholars for research potential and academic excellence, distributed by Canada’s tri-council (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC)

2018

Bernard Jodoin Scholarship, The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada

Awarded to student with excellent academic standing and financial need

Norbert Schoenauer Fellowship, McGill University

Awarded to student recommended by the School of Architecture admissions team

“Superposition” at Riverside Gallery, University of Waterloo: School of Architecture

Annual exhibition featuring top student work from previous year (2016)

Published in conjunction with annual projects review publication

“Bearing” at Riverside Gallery, University of Waterloo: School of Architecture

Annual exhibition featuring top student work from previous year (2015)

Published in conjunction with annual projects review publication

Rome Exhibition at BRIDGE, University of Waterloo: School of Architecture Exhibition featuring top work from semester abroad in Rome

Outstanding Design Award, University of Waterloo: School of Architecture

Awarded to student with highest grade in design studio

TEACHING

2021

2020

2019

2019

The Creative School at Ryerson University, IRN 501: Interior Design Studio V Guest Critic

Graduate School of Techno Design at Kookmin University, Global Lecture Series Home x Pandemic Guest Lecturer

McGill University School of Architecture, Arch 405: Design and Construction Guest Critic

McGill University School of Architecture, Arch 221: Architectural Drawing Digital Representation Lecturer

SKILLS

Digital Analog

Languages

Rhino, Revit, AutoCAD, V-Ray, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite: PS, ID, AI, Vectorworks, ArchiCAD, Thea, Podium, Microsoft Office, Final Cut Pro, Lightroom, Aperture

hand drafting, laser cutting, CNC milling, 3D printing, wood-working, physical modelling, sketching, illustrating, painting

Chinese Mandarin: bilingual proficiency (limited writing and reading)

French: professional proficiency (limited oral)

With nearly six years of total professional experience in Canada, the US and the UK, my diverse skillset is built on a global understanding of construction and materiality coupled with a strongly refined design aesthetic.

From managing complete construction drawing sets to independently liasing and coordinating with clients and consultants to develop compelling design narratives, I have worked on numerous projects types at various scales and phases giving me a comprehensive understanding of the scope of architectural delivery. My adaptability, positivity and hardworking nature has always allowed me to confidently engage with any task and project at hand.

While I enjoy and have expertise crafting bespoke details, I am equally invested in gaining more project and client management experience and collaborating with construction disciplines to expand my existing body of built architectural knowledge.

SONO Residence

single-family residential design development / 2600 sf / 2021 Wentworth-Nord, Quebec

Alain Carle Architecte is an award-winning architecture office located in Montreal, Canada and is recognized for its distinctive residences and evocative commercial interiors.

SONO residence is located in a rural area known to be popular cottage country, just a short drive away from Montreal. The design of the single-family dwelling took into consideration the clients’ tight budget while also using unconventional building materials such as rammed earth. Central to the concept was the presence of strong mineral materials as the site itself was so inherently remote and natural. We are also working with a local wood artisan, who sources, cuts and processes the lumber himself.

+ Conceptualized overall building design in collaboration with PM

+ Prepared drawing set for cost estimation to general contractor

Residence SMLA is the largest and most high-end single family dwelling that Alain Carle Archicte has ever conceived. Located in the ski town of Mont-Tremblant, this two-storey cedar cladded building was already under construction when I joined. Under the general supervision of the project architect, I was entirely responsible for managing and meeting with the clients to develop their interior design needs. As the project needed to be completed within a tight schedule, I was working towards weekly deadlines during an eight month period. I was also liasing with the general contractor and millworker to produce drawings that were needed while engaging in regular site visits.

+ Collaborated with clients during weekly meetings to develop bespoke interior design concept

+ Coordinated with consultant teams to produce deliverables within the fast-paced eight month deadline

+ Produced detailed 1:20 interior elevations for millworkers

site photo: window detail site photo: lake elevation

SMLA Residence

8 2 3 1

interior precedents from schematic presentation screenshots of proposed interiors

4 floor plan, issued for construction

1

site photo: kitchen backsplash site photo: guest room threshold millwork

3 site photo: childrens’ playroom millwork

master bedroom (under construction): bathroom plan and custom bedframe details clubroom (under construction): bar elevation and plans

milos vegas

interior fit-out, hospitality completed (2020) / 10 000 sf

Las Vegas, USA

Estiatorio Milos is a high-end chain of Greek restaurants known for its fresh seafood and celebrity clientele. With its original location in Montreal, Milos has now expanded to multiple American cities, including in Las Vegas, at The Venetian. While I worked under the direction of a project architect, I was wholly responsible for issuing and producing integrated architectural drawing sets, from schematic design to construction drawings. I was also an active member of during coordination meetings with the local architectural team and liased with the consultant team.

+ Prepared schematic to detailed construction drawings, along with client presentations

+ Developed FFE spec with project architect

+ Coordinated with consultant teams to produce deliverables within the fast-paced eight month deadline

Cladding for bar, FOH kitchen, columns, restrooms

3 interior render: fish tower

midtown office

interior fit-out, workplace completed / 4200 sf / 2017 Toronto, Canada

Studio JCI is a growing architectural office located in Toronto, whose experience lies predominantly in mixed-use and residential architecture. During my time there, I was given full responsibility of a 4200 sf interior fit-out project.

Inspired by the Canadian landscape, the luxury office suite combines the utility of a modern office and the comforts of home. Under the guidance of a project manager, I prepared all drawing set submittals and proposed the millwork design and material finishes. While working on the permit drawings, I worked extensively with the Ontario Building Code, addressing barrier-free design, fire resistance ratings, door schedules and travel distances.

+ Prepared initial permit submission and subsequent revisions

+ Proposed material finishes and interior design concept

+ Created client presentation packages

Year

Degrees

My seven-year architectural education included countless relocations, a number of co-operative work terms, and a couple of years working in my hometown of Toronto.

Most recently, I completed my M.Arch in 2019 at McGill University, which consisted of a small community of distinguished international professors and practicing architects. While I was there, I pursued a year-long self-directed thesis, which was awarded multiple awards including the SSHRC research grant. I completed my undergraduate architecture degree at the University of Waterloo where I had the opportunity to build a strong foundation of architecture knowledge. The following selected projects are the ones of which I am most proud of, produced during my most formative years.

2018 - 2020, 2011 - 2016

M.Arch, Honours with Distinction DSR (Design Studio-Directed Research) Stream

B. AS, Honours with Distinction, Co-operative Program

plan-perimeter

a specifically generic building generic location, montreal fall 2019, m.arch studio

This project was driven by a set number of parameters: namely, a 300m continuous perimeter wall, a rigidly dimensional square stair and evenly spaced 2x1m openings, which could be shifted vertically on axis but not horizontally. By wrapping, looping and intersecting the wall, a series of nested spaces were created. Each space becomes defined by the wall and its subsequent textures, composition, and materiality which vary between room to room. From the exterior, it appears mundane: window openings are perfectly aligned, pulled up from the ground plane, with the exception of any doors. The looping length creates diversity and porosity on the interior: programs are organized in a Perenisian, matrix-like manner. Spaces function without corridors, bleeding into one another and the standard openings act as both aperture and throughway. The stair, tucked in a discrete corner, intentionally disappears into the fabric of the wall.

THE RULES

1. THE ENVELOPE CAN PASS THROUGH ITSELF.

WINDOWS CAN BE SHIFTED VERTICALLY, NOT HORIZONTALLY.

CAN COME TO GRADE TO BECOME A DOOR.

2 3 Winery, Perraudin Architects Railway Sleeper House, Shin Takasuga

4 5 Curtains Yellow House, Valerio Olgiati

6 Substrate Factory Ayase, Aki Hamada Architects

2.

3. A WINDOW

4. FACADE SURFACE WILL ALWAYS BE PLUMB.

5. FLOOR TO FLOOR HEIGHTS

FLOORS wood decking 2x10 wood joists, 600mm o.c. 12x20 douglas fir wood beams, 2000mm o.c.

WALL C

St. Marc limestone, solid masonry 500mm W x 800mm H x 500mm D (ext: honed, int: split face)

WALL B aerated concrete masonry unit 800mm W x 200mm H x 500mm D (ext: stucco, int: exposed smooth face)

WALL A

aerated concrete masonry unit 800mm W x 200mm H x 500mm D (ext: stucco, int: exposed rough face)

san

traveller’s lodge

Patagonia, Argentina

spring 2016, comprehensive design studio

The idea of transition and movement is embodied in the traveler; he is caught between the familiar and the strange. A singular element cradled in the sublime, only existing in relationship to its surroundings. This project accentuates the journey, caught between an impermanent landscape of shifting planes and solid stone masses. A collection of elements are nestled within a homogenous skin. Each space is defined by the existence of the others around it. Within its outer coat, there exists a more neutral space, unencumbered by the beauty of its external surroundings. There is a contradiction of conditions existing under the same roof - being inside and outside, being permanent and temporal, being soft and hard in its edges.

through the screen down the hall 6 spa change room

section dd: through gear room and exterior hallway

This unfolded floor plan of the 1 person lodge looks closely at materiality and the relationship between the outer and inner elevations.

Wood and stone: materials that stem from the land are recognized as the two main building materials.

The interior of the lodges are minimally furnished but functional. Custom metal shelves attached to the wall act as a desk, rack and bed frame.

Operable wooden louvres are attached to the exterior face of lazing for privacy and to shield from the sun.

1 unfolded elevation of the 2-person guest room

ROOF

gravel overlay

water-air barrier wraps up parapet under flashing

150mm rigid insulation, sloped to scuppers (min 2%)

18mm exterior grade plywood

vapour retarder

162mm structural cross-laminated timber, exposed

charred vertical cedar siding with 6mm gap

horizontal furring strips

vertical wood strapping @ 400mm o.c.

water-air-vapour barrier

19mm exterior grade plywood

100mm rigid insulation

128mm structural cross-laminated timber, exposed

1 see roof composition below.

2 see wall composition below.

3 see floor composition below.

4 stainless steel parapet cap flashing

5 built-up 38x140mm dimension lumber blocking

6 19mm exterior grade plywood

7 T-metal bracket w/anchor bolts and self-tapping screws

8 metal support behind

9 L-frame supporting metal panel

10 Corten metal pre-fab eggcrate panel, installed on site

11 steel beam behind

12 metal stone shelf, align with metal screen

13 zinc drip edge

14 built-up wood blocking to nail in window frame

15 chamfered mitre corner at stone

16 CLT pre-fab notch

17 triple glazed argon filled glazing with low-e coating

18 wall beyound

19 custom stone bracket

20 89x184mm wood beams

21 140x140mm timber post

22 holdown per plan with anchor bolts

23 steel plate

24 concrete footing

25 backfill gravel

26 filter fabric

27 100mm perforated drain pipe, sloped to drywell

28 slope top of footing with mortar

29 integral drainage board and 100mm rigid insulation

30 pinned dowels extend into solid bedrock

31 metal stone bracket holds stone in place

18mm cedar flooring, tongue in groove

two layers of 19mm plywood nailed/stapled together

200mm concrete slab with radiant tubing

water-air-vapour barrier

100mm rigid insulation under slab

200mm gravel or crushed stone

dirt infill above bedrock

the ground

mixed-use open program

Rome, Italy

fall 2015, design studio

The site that housed our intervention was at Porta Asinaria, a disused and discarded gateway of the ancient city walls. 5 meters below street level, construction crews dig deep chasms in the earth, carving new tunnels for Rome’s metro line C. These two conditions and their interaction form the basis of the project. What is beneath the ancient ground you walk on? This is an investigatory experience of what is and was here, all derived from layers of pre-existing history on the site. The mill is now a trickling fountain, falling from a place unseen, the ruins are preserved in a concrete box which is the foundation, the building itself is a museum, as is the site.

1 toolkit of parts, from top to bottom: stairs, ramp, wall, volume, beacon, stall

aerial perspective of ground plane

Festival

The piazza in front of San Giovanni is host to many events year-round. With the upcoming jubilee, we hope those events can spill over to the other side of the wall. We’ve created two new entry points, and the temporary markets will give way to larger public events.

Aurelian Wall/Porta Asinaria

First, the wall acts as an outpost. Second, as a threshold. And finally, as a place of leisure. We hope to restore those aspects by bringing back the overlook, and the Via Della Mura which ran the whole length of the wall in the area, which today could connect all the outdoor activities in the area.

Ruins

During the dig for metro line C, ruins were inevitably unearthed. 13 meters below the surface, right outside Porta Asinaria and running along the wall towards via Sannio, remains of buildings that predate the wall can be found. This is the foundation of our site.

Market

The Via Sannio Market is frequented by many locals during the hours of 9am-2pm. In the afternoons and evenings, it looks like an abondoned shanty town. We hope to update the market with new temporary stalls, which will allow a wider variety of programing on the site.

River

Below runs an old river, now encased in concrete, but once a prominent feature outside the porta. It is represented in almost every historical map we found, and hope to reveal some of the river with our intervention.

Trains

Metro line C is currently being tunnel out through the surface of our site. The proposed line runs almost 30 meters bellow the surface. We intend to make that relationship very clear.

Mill

An old mill seems to turn up in drawing starting from the 15th century and onwards. Given the proximity of the rive to the gate at this point along the wall, it seems like a logical place for one, though we were unable to find any information pertaining to its use.

summary of research documents, used as references to better understand the site’s history

bath complex level museum and gallery level

plumes

open program location unknown fall 2014, option studio

Inspired by Gaston Bachelard’s psycho-analytical works on the elements, this studio approaches design in an unconventional format, drawing upon physical modelling, film, art and pure emotion as inspiration. Inspired by installations, architecture and films, these precedents evoke similar qualities of water, but in varying forms and media. The light, mood, and textures gently hint at a realm that may not exist in reality but would be possible in the foreseeable future. With little parameters, a program is determined by these curated works and the physical experimentation done within the studio.

Using a natural occuring phenonmenon as the basis of the project, the process inspires discovery and invention whilst focusing on light, shadow and form. Given the bounding conditions of a dense urban site, this space is dedicated for those who pass by. It is directional with a main axis but also open to the surrounding perimeter. There is a dynamic motion inherent to its form and the programs bleed and overlap into one other.

programmatic plans

2 3 Stalker (1979) , Andrei Tarkovsky Hands , Steiglitz

4 5 Arango House , John Lautner Bagsvaerd Church , Jorn Utzon

6 7 The Tree of Life (2011) , Terrence Malick Crematorium , Axel Schultes

Travelling into the seedy underbelly of the beast, the surface bubbles and puckers from violent forces. The calm and tranquil mirror is now a gradient of variable densities; light falls into the depths, caressing its cool interior walls. Always in flux, falling, and dissolving in visibility. The liquid fluidity of water rushes past, gushing forward, like a continuous birth.

Water reveals, reflects, and resonates. Within the depths of the seedy underbelly, there is a tranquillity unseen and untouched from the outside world. There is a gentle sense of comfort and intimacy; the light falls into the crevices and folds, caressing its smooth interior walls and tracing the shallow valleys of its natural form. Purer than reality, the coolness draws in, bubbling up as if there were an inner force energizing the surfaces. Rolling in, drifting through and dissolving into a deep unconscious.

linklater

a chair for...Richard Linklater fall 2014

in collaboration with m. chimienti

For our chair, we wanted to focus on the evocative storytelling that is so recognizable in director Richard Linklater’s nonformulaic film narratives. The minimal cross-section and folded planes represent the ease of conversation, an aspect he values most in his fictional characters. Conceptually, it would seat two people, situated in a natural setting such as a park or alongside a canal - perfect for an impromptu meeting with an ex-lover, a sick grandparent or a distant friend. This is a bench that will see time as it passes: in memories and in its lingering sense of nostalgia...

“It’s kinda like D.H. Lawrence had this idea of two people meeting on a road, and instead of just passing and glancing away, they decide to accept what he calls the confrontation between their souls. It’s like freeing the brave, reckless gods within us all.”

- Richard Linklater

toolkit of parts, from top to bottom: stairs, ramp, wall, volume, beacon, stall

underground connection to metro line C museum entrance

6 aerial perspective of ground plane

becoming

Design Studio Research stream

2019

Advisor: Prof. David Covo

Awarded SSHRC Research Grant

This research is the intersection of anthropology, cultural studies, personal history, all investigated within the realm of architecture. My thesis seeks to understand how the transition of house to home, is tied to oscillating moments of defamiliarization and familiarization using the lens of my auto-ethnographic history. Over the last year, I have visited past and present homes, interviewed family members, and written extensively in a field journal. As bell hooks puts it so eloquently :

“We are born and have our being in a place of memory. We chart our lives by everything we remember from the mundane moment to the majestic. We know ourselves through the art and act of remembering. Memories offer us a world where there is no death, where we are sustained by rituals of regard and recollection.”

toolkit of parts, from top to bottom: stairs, ramp, wall, volume, beacon, stall

IN TIMES OF STAGNANCY, HOW CAN WE DISORIENT OURSELVES SO OUR ENVIRONMENTS PROVIDE A NEW PERSPECTIVE?

Similarly, in moments of defamiliarity, how do we rebuild feelings of home and belonging?

HOW DOES ONE CREATE AND VISUALLY REPRESENT AN ENVIRONMENT OF FAMILIARITY, COMFORT AND EASE (THAT HOME-SWEET-HOME FEELING)?

How do the material and immaterial contents held in our domestic environments contribute to hominess?

WHEN DOES HOUSE BECOME HOME?

the questions 41

HOW CAN ARCHITECTS INSPIRE LOVE FOR ONE’S OWN HOME?

A Pó [Grandma], 阿婆, WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT BEING HOME?

你最想家是什么？

“Home? Why would I think about that house?”

“Do you consider the house on the campus as home?”

“No, you mean that small place? What I like about that place? I’m thinking...I think about you the most, probably. I just think about things like did you bring your clothes, how are you going to the airport.”

“You don’t think about us? Like maybe you want to see us more?”

“No, I don’t want you to come see me. It takes too much effort, it’s too much of a hassle. It takes up your time, your money. And you come and then what?”

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT FROM HOME THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO BRING HERE? WHY?

你有什么想从家带来吗？为什么？

“No, there’s nothing. There’s nothing in that house, it’s all pretty useless.”

“So if there’s a fire one day, you wouldn’t miss it?”

“No, I consider it the government’s property...I don’t even know what we’re going to do with it.”

“Does this place feel like home?”

“No, it doesn’t, not like home. It’s kind of just a room. I keep thinking that it’s better if I die soon. There’s nothing here really, there’s nothing, what’s the point? I look downstairs and everyone’s so old. You know, I’m 93 years old. If it’s the two of us, even if he pushes us, no one trusts us.”

“Did you think that ten years ago, you would become like this?”

“No no, I remember even that I went looking at seniors housing with my uncle. This is such a waste of time, for your uncles. There’s no reason for it.”

“So do you think this place is better or home?”

“There are advantages and disadvtanges...I want to be at home, I think. I can eat slowly at home, they always rush me because they’re on a schedule. They have to come in at 5:30 to work, they’re all so busy!”

DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE NOW? IF SO, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO FEEL COMFORTABLE?

如果习惯了, 你需要多少时间才习惯？

“No it’s not really comfortable. Like I said, I feel rushed with eating. We just rely on the television.”

“So where do you think is better?”

“None of the places. But at home, Nancy even puts toothpaste on my toothbrush. I do more here. Nancy used to do everything, like when we used to eat, she would give us the wet paper towel and she would even wipe my hand.”

“So what do you like more? Do you like doing your own thing or do you like having someone take care of you?”

that he says to me.”

“I get tired when I have to do everything else myself.”

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE HOME? IS IT IN THE FURNITURE? THE THINGS? PEOPLE?

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT LIVING HERE [THE NURSING HOME]? WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT LIVING BACK HOME?

你觉得家是什么? 家具? 东西? 家人?

你在这儿住最喜欢什么? 你在家住最喜欢什么?

“Duck? What? What about home?”

“Home, I’m talking about home.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LIVING WITH YOUR YOUNGER BROTHER?

“Oh, it’s about the people.”

你跟你弟弟住怎么样? 习惯了吗?

“But what if you don’t have good relationships with your family members?”

“He never talks to me! Only if you talk to him does he talk to you. There’s only a couple words

“That’s fine, it’s okay. Sometimes its about family property, or the treatment towards others. There’s a lot of reasons.”

WHAT KINDS OF THINGS DID YOU BRING HERE WITH YOU?

你从家班到这时候你带了什么东西？ 你为什么带了哪些东西?

“Just some sleep clothes. A lot of the stuff we bought it from here. Like the sheets.”

“Do you want anything from home?”

“Medication, I have medication at home. There’s nothing at home though. The only thing I can give you is the watch on my wrist. But people don’t wear watches anymore.”

[proceeds to talk about watches]

HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT MOVING HERE WHEN JIU JIU AND MA FIRST TOLD YOU? HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT IT NOW?

19 06 21

当舅舅和妈妈告诉你需要搬你的感觉是怎么样? 你现在觉得怎么样?

DID YOU FEEL LIKE BEIJING WAS HOME MORE THAN TORONTO? WHY?

你感觉北京跟像你的家还是多伦多? 中国还是加拿大? 为什么？

Words are not coming today.

家，or “Jiā”, in Chinese, looks like a little hat, represented as a ‘roof’ that encloses a mess of entangled complex lines sitting beneath it (strangely enough, this mess of lines is “Pig” in Chinese). The term, family, in Chinese is “Jiā Ting” [家庭] , or “Jiā Ren” [家人], which can be literally translated into Home People. More commonly, “Jiā” can be used to denote home and family interchangeably, dependent on the context, often meaning “the place where our family is”.*

“Jiā” can also be used to speak about an identity, (such as farmer, 农家), or a collective with a specialized area of knowledge, generally of the creative field, such as “Hua Jiā” [画家] as in Painter(s), or “Wen Xua Jiā” [文学家] as in Writer, or “Yi Shu Jiā” [艺术家] for Artist. Even furniture in Chinese, “Jiā Ju” [家具], is determined by home. Perhaps more importantly, the word “country” and “everyone” are 大家 and 国家, respectively.

I asked these questions over two visits, on June 20 and June 25. My grandmother was much better at answering the first set of questions although in both sessions she was very distracted. I was also reluctant to continue asking further because having my Grandma talk about the concept of “home” seemed difficult - either because she was unable to grasp this notion, and/or partially, because she didn’t want to talk or think about home when home was no longer attainable.

This is why, my grandmother had difficulty understanding why I am writing about Jiā. Because Jiā is not simply about “home”, but rather Jiā, is more closely related with family. If this is the case, is there a Chinese term that accurately describes the Western notion of home?

interview excerpts with my grandmother field journal excerpt, dissecting the chinese word for “home”

I asked these questions over two visits, on June 20 and June 25. My grandmother was much better at answering the first set although in both sessions, she was very distracted. I was reluctant to continue because having her talk about the concept of “home” seemed difficult, either because she was unable to grasp this notion, and/or partially, because she didn’t want to talkor think about home when home was no longer attainable.

Portraits of the first house in Canada

Plan, first house

Dreaming of Starr

The family, asleep

Mom, asleep

Sadness

Wakes up!

The family portrait

Elevation, convenience store

Plan, convenience store

Interior elevation, cash

Street elevation, 520 Midland Ave

Plan, living room

Plan, dining room

Plan, Mom & Dad’s bedroom

Dinnertime seating arrangement

Family portrait

Playing with my sister

Backyard bbqs

Practicing piano

Section, 520 Midland Ave

Suspicious JIAO JIAO! [Starr]

Plan, garage sale

Plan, mowing the lawn

Plan, shoveling snow

Plan and elevation, Dodge Caravan 1998

Winter

Chinese New Year

, 83 National

, 83

Courtyard,

Bedroom, Beijing home

Elevation, Beijing home

Plan, Bedroom

Dreaming of Mom

Sleeping in bed

Wakes up!

Warmth of a hug

Daycare

Biking

Mcdonalds

The zoo

Section, hide and seek

Plan, birthday

Plan, eating

Plan, washing up

Cherry blossoms

Street elevation, 520 Midland Ave

Interior elevation, Skye & my bedroom

Kitchen tile pattern

Carpet texture

Cold walls

Panelled wood

Green curtain

Ceiling pattern

Chair forts

Playing in the snow

Hiding on chairs in dining room

My best friend Miyuki’s street

Groovy girls

Plan, Groovy girl play area

Under the Christmas treet

Opening presents ritual

Elevation, Beijing home

Plan, my bedroom

Wake up!

Go to sleep!

A Po, disappointed

Plan, “Brunch”

Zoo

Summer Palace

Plan, Edmonton

Plan, Rotterdam

Plan, Brooklyn

Plan, Seattle

Plan, London

Plan, Toronto

Plan, Montreal Street elevation, new house

Plan, 2nd floor, bedroom & studio

Elevation detail

Sectional perspective

Plan detail, reading nook

Plan, 2nd floor

My stuff

Studio

Bathroom

Making coffee

Courtyard, exercise time

Sick

Plan, bringing A Po to doctor

Section, bringing A Po to doctor

Plan, groceries

Plan, cooking together

Plan, eating together

Me & my cat

Hosting dinner party

Christmas

A Po’s footsoak

Living room, Beijing home

Plan, A Po & A Dia’s bedroom

A Po, sleeping

Screaming

Warmth of hug

Bedtime stories

Section, hide and seek

Plan, cooking

Plan, watching tv

Plan, laundry

Memories

Street elevation, 520 Midland Ave

Interior elevation, A Po & A Dia’s bedroom

Plan, Nightly footsoak

Pouring hot water

Bringing it up the stairs

Cup of hot water on dress

Walk to school

JIAO JIAO! [Starr]

Section, behind the couch

JIAO JIAO! [Starr]

Section, in the closet

JIAO JIAO! [Starr]

Section, in the backyard

Spring, apricots

Summer, rhubarb

A Po’s rhubarb stew

Interior elevation, dining room at Christmas

Plan, Christmas dinner and kitchen

Living room, Beijing home

Grocery shopping

Cooking

Taking the bus

Reading

Meeting with friends

Doing exercises

Brunch spread

19th birthday

2nd birthday

Portrait at Summer Palace

A Dia’s cremation niche

Plan, nursing home

Street elevation, new house

Plan, 1st floor, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen

Elevation detail

Sectional perspective

Plan, 1st floor

Plan detail, A Dia’s altar

A Po’s stuff

View out from bedroom

Dining room

Daily footsoak

Courtyard, dinnertime

A Dia’s altar

Plan, A Dia’s altar

Section, A Dia’s altar

Teatime through the seasons

Uncle’s family comes to visit

Uncle and cousin eating bagels

A Po’s 94th birthday Courtyard

#58, Studio #60, A Po’s bedroom

#41, A Dia’s cremation niche #1, Living room of Beijing house 5

#6, Bedtime stories #44, Sectional perspective

#19, Family portrait #51, Street elevation of new house

#11-13, Convenience store #32-34, 83 National street

11 #50, View out from bedroom