portfolio by Sara Su

TIAN QING SARA SU Pratt Institute | B.arch Concentration In Morphology 2025 University of Pennsylvannia | MSD-RAS 2026 tsux3@pratt.edu | su7@upenn.edu | tianqing.sara.su@gmail.com

CONTENTS Arbor Garden

PPVC Residential Building

Musico-Living Building

Live/Work Co-houisng

Architectural Design

TOP’S Memorial Center

African American Gun Violence Memorial

Parallel Bathhouse

One-way Roof System Bathhouse

Cryoreef Settlement: And Then There Were None…

Coral Genetic Research Center

Warped Surfaces

Robotic Hot Wire Foam Cutting

Digital Fabrication

Rosette

Robotic Hydro-Moulding

Lilac Dragon Robotic Clay 3D-Printing

ARBOR GARDEN

Project Type: Residential Reconstruction Location: 234 Sand Street, Brooklyn, NY Collaborators: Aladin Lalicic, Derek Duran Professor: Ajmal Aqtash Arbor Garden proposes a Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) solution for redeveloping 234 Sand Street, replacing the NYCHA Farragut Houses. Utilizing the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) approach, the project integrates a dedicated module assembly factory and Omniverse simulations to streamline workflows, offering a rapid, sustainable, and scalable response to NYC’s housing crisis. The project incorporated detailed simulations of both manufacturing workflows and on-site assembly sequences that informed the overall design, streamlining processes from singular timber strip preparation to full module fit-out. Arbor Garden presents a forward-thinking approach to urban housing by combining sustainable materials, advanced technologies, and innovative construction methods to create a scalable solution for the challenges facing NYC’s residential landscape.

Public Programs: Lobby, Cafe & Kitchen, Theatre, Gym, Study Rooms, Lounge & Exterior Terrace, etc..

Core

Unit Modules

CLT Production Concept Diagram

Factory Map

Assembly Production

Factory Renderings

1. Movable Funriture

2. Folding Table

3. Wooden Closet

1 BED 1. Movable Funriture

1. Movable Funriture

2. Wooden Funiture

2. Folding Closet

3. Wooden Closet

2 BED

MUSICO-LIVING BUILDING

Project Type: Social Housing Location: 541 Macy Avenue, Brooklyn, NY Collaborators: Christina Hu Professor: Ronald Didonno

The Musico-Living Building is a co-living and working residential space designed to support low-income musicians in pursuing their artistic dreams. It provides affordable housing alongside shared amenities like rehearsal rooms and recording studios, fostering creativity and collaboration among residents. Central to the building is the Music Tower, a performance venue with a separate entrance that welcomes the community for weekly events, creating a bridge between musicians and the neighborhood. This dual-purpose design ensures privacy for residents while encouraging cultural exchange and community engagement. The building offers an inclusive and inspiring environment that enriching the local community through the power of music.

Grasshopper Honey Bee Solar Study

1.Residential Storage 2.Elevator Room 3.Commercial Storage 4.Incoming Electric Power Room 5. Lobby Heat Pump 6. Domestic Hot Water Heater and circulation pump room 7. Incoming Water System 8. Fire Pump Room 9. Underground Parking Lot

1 3 2 3

1.Music Tower Lobby 2.Music Tower Fire stair 3.Music Tower Entrance 4.Residential Entrance 5. Lobby 6. Commercial Retail 7. Bicycle Storage 8. Mail Room 9. Vehicle Entrance 10.Outdoor Courtyard 11. Residential Fire Staircase 12. Open Staircase

7 8 8 4

9 6

11 6

1 3

1st Floor Plan

Cellar Plan

1.Music Tower Fire stair 2.Residential Fire Stair 3.Theatre

Classroom

Open Reh

ersal Stud

Practice Roo

acoustic

module

1.Elevator Room 2.Greenroof 3.Paver 4.PV Collector

Typical Floor Plan #1

Typical Floor Plan #2

Vertical Circulation: Residential Staircases

Music Tower Structure

Vertical Staircase as Column Structure on the Fourth Edge

Trusses for the Auditorium and Flying Tower

Slab

Columns Structure on Three of the Four Edges

Facade & Balcony Section

TOP’S MEMORIAL CENTER

Project Type: Social African American Gun Violence Memorial Location: 1275 Jefferson Avenue, Buffalo, NY Individual Work Professor: Scott Ruff

The Gun Violence Memorial Center honors the victims of the 2022 Buffalo shooting with ten rooftop memorials and three stones at the entrance, offering a space for remembrance and reflection across from Tops Friendly Market. Its design adapts to Buffalo’s seasons, with flooding in spring and summer symbolizing impermanence and freezing in winter representing resilience, while water features highlight healing and renewal in African American culture. The structure’s form merges natural contours with the Christian cross, unintentionally resembling a gun as a reminder of the tragedy’s cause. Through its symbolism, the memorial fosters unity and hope in the face of violence and division.

Analog Model

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Encarved Transportation Map on Bottom Layer

Flooding Zone Layer

Site Model

Morphological Concept

Subtracting Contouring Voids

Christian Cross

Contour of the Christian Cross

Contour of the Site

Overall Morphology

a. interpretative center b. Church: christian funeral/memorial service c. catacombs d. public restroom e. food bank f. auditorium g. accesible rooftop h. memorial platforms

1st Floor & Underground

Front View

Second Floor

Rooftop Floor

Longitudinal Section

Short Section

Site Model

PARALLEL BATHHOUSE Project Type: Social Bathhouse Location: Astoria Park, Brooklyn, NY Individual Work Professor: Maria Vrdoljak

Parallel Bathhouse is a modern reinterpretation of Roman bathing culture, situated in Astoria Park, Brooklyn. Inspired by the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, Spain by Rafael Moneo, the design features parallel vaulted spaces, rhythmic use of arches and the layering of roof systems, evoking Roman construction techniques while serving modern programmatic needs. Roof systems were carefully studied to optimize natural light and ventilation, incorporating elements like clerestory windows and skylights to create an open and inviting atmosphere. The bathhouse blends seamlessly into the park’s natural landscape, serving as both a community hub and a tranquil retreat, it reimagines ancient gathering spaces in a contemporary urban context. Deconstruction & Layering of One-Way Roof System

Site: Astoria Park, Brooklyn, NY 19 19th St, Astoria, NY 11105, US Astoria Park, located in Brooklyn, is a well-connected urban park with easy access via public transportation, including nearby subway stations and bus routes. The park features pedestrian pathways that lead visitors seamlessly to the Parallel Bathhouse site, allowing for smooth circulation from surrounding areas. The park’s natural landscape blends with designed circulation routes, offering both tranquil retreat areas and open spaces for community interaction.

Visitors experience a gradual transition from the open park environment to more intimate spaces, guided by clear pathways and the surrounding architecture. The layout emphasizes accessibility, intuitive flow, and integration with the natural surroundings, creating an inclusive space for all.

A/ Tubs +Small Pools

F/ Semi-Outdoor Space

B/ Closed Private Wall Based Chnaging Rooms / Lockers C/ Closed Bathing Rooms / Showers

D/ Closed Sauna Rooms

National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, Spain; One-way Roof System Analysis

One-way Roof System Modular Program Development

Intersection of Two One-Way Roof Systems

Layering of Roof Hireachy Study

CRYOREEF SETTLEMENT: AND THEN THERE WERE NONE… Project Type: Research Center Location: Røst Reef, Norway (67°30’00.0”N, 12°00’00.0”E) Individual Work Professor: Eva Perez de Vega, Gonzalo Carbajo, Carrie Eastman

The CryoReef Settlement offers a new approach to marine conservation at the endangered Røst Reef, home to the deep-water coral Lophelia pertusa. Rather than focusing on static preservation, the project embraces impermanence, acknowledging that full ecological restoration is no longer achievable. The settlement features adaptive, ephemeral structures that dissolve over time, allowing for temporary yet meaningful intervention. Robotic systems stabilize Lophelia pertusa populations, integrating with natural processes of decay and regeneration. Rejecting traditional architecture’s imposition on nature, CryoReef proposes a flexible, responsive design that adapts to the evolving environment. By confronting ecological collapse with humility, the project channels environmental guilt into action, offering a new model of conservation that prioritizes coexistence and adaptability over control, reflecting a deeper understanding of ecological justice.

oocyte

2-cell Speices: Lophelia Pertusa

1 st cleavage: First cleavage is equal and holoblastic, followed by radial cleavage

4-cell

47 1’

Lophelia Pertusa Cell Fertilization Process

1’ oocyte

1 st cleavage: First cleavage is equal and holoblastic, followed by radial cleavage

2-cell

4-cell

oocyte

1 st cleavage: First cleavage is equal and holoblastic, followed by radial cleavage

2-cell

4-cell

8-cell

16-cell morula

32-cell morula

64-cell blastula

8-cell

16-cell morula

32-cell morula

64-cell blastula

2’

Calice: the concave inner part of the corallite that houses the fleshy polyp Theca: the outer wall of the corallite Septum: skeletal plates that radiate into the calyx from the wall Costa: where septa radiate through the wall Fascicular columella: the way the septa meet in the middle Palus: an inner plate that is interior to a septum Pedicel: the stalk

Section

Vitruvian Diagram

RAD (Rotary Actuated Dodecahedron)

Final Pinup Presentation

Robotic 3D-Printing with PLA Pellets Extrusion

WARPED SURFACES

Project Type: Robotic Hot Wire Foam Cutting Principal Investigator: Haresh Lalvani Research Intern: Ahan Patil UG Research Assistants: Sara Su, Teressa Freeman Robotics Lab: Greg Sheward

The Warped Surface Morphology Fabrication project investigates the creation of self-supporting architectural geometries derived from cubic forms, combining robotic cutting and 3D printing techniques. Using Rhino and Grasshopper, model surface profiles are modeled and translated into precise G-code for fabricating modules from white bead EPS foam stock. The research tests the structural feasibility of these warped surfaces by integrating a 3D-printed tension frame that eliminates the need for adhesives. This project advances the understanding of scalable and modular surface systems applications in architectural design.

Identical Module Flipped Every Other Piece

Cubic Derivation

Hex Saddle

3D-Printed Prototypes

1x1

2x2

2 x 2 Division: 3D-Printed Frame + Robot Cut Modules

1 - Top Surface Cuts The cutting process begins with modeling selected ruled surface profiles in Rhino and Grasshopper, which are then translated into G-code for precise execution by the robot’s cutting software. The cutting sequence is carefully organized to shape the top surface first, followed by the four side surfaces, and finally the bottom surface, releasing the module from the foam stock. White bead EPS foam stock is secured on a custom jig optimized for prototyping, which streamlines the workflow through three steps: lifting the foam stock, adding a 3-inch plate, and extracting the cut module. This method enables the efficient extraction of multiple shells from each module. Each 2-inch tall foam block produces 2–3 modules, depending on their scale and orientation. Six modules are assembled to create one full hex saddle, serving as a key structural and morphological unit. These hex saddles can also undergo fractal divisions into patterns such as 1x1, 2x2, and beyond, offering versatile and scalable design possibilities.

ARCH 801

Sara SU//Zoe WALL Tom WYBURN Rosette Sara Su, Zoe Wall, Tom Wyburn

° 22

Rosette Hydromorphs

° 22

22°

Ø183 Ø183 Ø121 Ø121

Ø61

.0 10 22°

Ø125

.0 10

Ø48

60° 60°

Ø61 Ø48

Ø125

Ø210 Ø210 ° 22

Module

° 22

60 .600° .0

22°

This project investigates robotic rotomolding as a fabrication method for producing complex, thin-shell geometries using water-based bio-materials. By replacing conventional thermoplastics with hide glue, a collagen-based biopolymer, the work explores the constraints and opportunities of dehydration-driven curing, including ventilation, shrinkage, drying time, and viscosity control. A programmable robotic arm enables multi-axis motion beyond traditional fixed-axis rotomolding, allowing precise control over material distribution, variable wall thickness, and asymmetric forms. Through iterative material testing, geometric refinement, and robotic motion programming, the project develops a modular, hexagonally derived geometry that aggregates seamlessly while maintaining structural fidelity, demonstrating the potential of bio-based robotic fabrication for adaptive and sustainable architectural systems.

22°

Project Type: Robotic Biomaterial Rotomoulding Collaborators: Zoe Wall, Tom Wyburn Professor: Laia Mogas Soldevila

Aggregation Logic

Final Aggregation

The aggregation logic follows a cubic organizational framework designed to emulate the continuity of minimal surfaces—geometries that can be conceptually associated with the six faces of a cube. When this cubic logic is reprojected into a hexagonal system, each face of the geometry transitions into a doubly-curved surface, enabling precise edge-to-edge continuity across modules. The hexagonal topology supports multidirectional expansion while still operating within a cubic aggregation logic. When the base geometry is assembled through this cubic–hexagonal system, the result is a continuous and seamlessly connected final aggregation.

HydroMorphs 2025

ARCH 8011

MSD-RAS University of Pennsylvania 205

205

Renderings of Final Assembly Annotated TIA UNIT(s) Design & Rendered Front View of PROLIFERATION

1. MATERIAL LOAD

Mold is moved to an accessible upright position for material application.

2. ROTOMOLDING

Stepper motor engages, and the mold moves oscillates between two planes to achieve even material coating.

3. EVALUATE

Robotic arm moves the mold to a neutral horizontal position to allow for monitoring of temperature and apllication.

Annotated Drawings of ROTOMOLDING Sequence & Robotic KINEMATICS

4. PURGE

If necessary, excess material is purged by spinning the mold in a downward angle.

Photo of Final Assembly MATERIAL Effects Closeup Photography on Units

Matthew Wong, Tom Wyburn, Sara Su, Yue Zhuo

Lilac Dragon

Matthew Wong, Tom Wyburn, Sara Su, Yue Zhuo

University of Pennsylvania

ARCH - 8010

University of Pennsylvania

ARCH - 8010

Project Type: Robotic Clay 3D-Printing Collaborators: Matthew Wong, Yue Zhuo, Tom Wyburn Professor: Andrew Saunders

This project explores robotic clay 3D printing as a full ceramic workflow—from material deposition and drying to firing—through the analysis and reinterpretation of space-filling geometries from the Robinson–Fredenthal Collection at the Weitzman School of Design archives. Drawing from historical studies of tessellation, modularity, and continuous form, the robotic arm precisely deposits clay along programmed toolpaths that emphasize lateral growth rather than vertical stacking. This sideways assembly strategy challenges the conventions of additive manufacturing, enabling extended spans, interlocking joints, and continuous surface logic across modules. By coupling archival geometric analysis with robotic fabrication, the project demonstrates how historic space-filling systems can be translated into contemporary ceramic assemblies that balance structural performance, material behavior, and geometric continuity.

Robinson Fredenthal Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Three Geometrical Bricks

Uni

ARCH - 8010

Wyburn, Sara Su, Yue Zhuo

REFERENCE

ROTATION

CLAY PRINT

PROTOTYPE

GLAZING

ROTATION

CLAY PRINT

PROTOTYPE

denthal Pennsylvania

Matthew Wong, Tom Wyburn, Sara Su, Yue Zhuo

ARCH - 8010

University of Pennsylvania

ARCH - 8010

Matthew Wong, Tom Wyburn, Sara Su, Yue Zhuo

REFERENCE

RESULT

MICRO-RELIEF

GLAZING

MICRO-RELIEF

RESULT

FONTANA DEL QUATTRO FIUMI, PIAZZA NAVONA, ROME, ITALY Project Type: Charcoal Free-Hand Sketch Professor: Richard Piccolo