Driven by a desire to explore the intersection of design, technology, and human experience, I am an aspiring architect with a diverse skillset and a dedication to creating meaningful spaces. This portfolio highlights my experiences across architectural design, research, and technical application, reflecting my commitment to continuous growth and innovation within the field.
Table of Contents
Residential Sheltering
Co-Housing: Travel Nurse House
Hostel in Downtown Syraucse
Social Identity
Tectonic Weaves around Void Encapsulation
Jamesville, Syracuse Bathhouse Experimental
Residential Sheltering: Mid-Density Co-Housing
Travel Nurse House
Site: Pakring Lot Near Upstate Medical Center
60 Presidential Plaza, Syracuse, NY 13202, US
I intend to build an intimate human scale housing in a large urban context in downtown Syracuse. People are interconnected and dependent in the community. They not only live in a tight intimate house within a community complex(as you can see in this diagram, I arranged all building in the site map from large to small, from large institutional government building to small housing: people still live in human-scale house within a large urban context), and also live in flexible boundary and irregular spatial geometries.
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The housing is served for short-term travel nurses and full-time student who have a great demand of flexible short-term rent lease, also, compact space but large communal spaces, like social living space, coffee shops, gym, et cetera.
Open Space: The open space in the mid density housing is hold up to at least 30 percent. So it holds a great
role in help people connecting each other. The small village idea brings live to the ground floor of the building. They are mainly retail stores for people’s daily life, and grab-and-go workday routine. The village also provides people a community within their living space.
There are four different unit types including 2 bedroom and studio.
For this housing project, I focused on SRO housing for short term stay people. In this way, I allocated the unit by maximizing the units in 8 stories building, and keeping the essential life quality at the same time.
In the Typical plan and this diagram, as you can see, I developed a series of geometry to demonstrate the idea of adjancency on the openings of facade. This geometries give possibilities for different adjacency to each other which create great social experiences for people. As you can see in the view drawing, they simulate how people look different whe. They at different location. Each room is an unique perspective, a
In the plan model, you can see how I want to achieve this corner connection creating special, shared spaces in between unit groups. The shared kitchen holds connection role. And this is my facade model.
"Enclosed City" - Youth Hostel in Syracuse
Site: Pakring Lot near 1350 Port of New Orleans Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130
The youth hostel addresses both the permanent community in which it exists as well as the transient individuals and groups of individuals who pass through and rely on spaces like youth hostels to offer more than just a place to stay overnight. In many ways, it acts as a social condenser, while simultaneously offering a place of solitude for those who seek it.
The design of the project focuses on spatial unit– an architectural envelope for human inhabitation, to serve as the basis of this vocabulary. By defining the shape grammar, tectonic, and scale of this unit, we can begin to arrange, scale, and modify multiples of them to tell a spatial narrative–ultimately
designing a full spatial narrative in the form of a building. The 2D pattern concept is that the small boxes stack together creating big box.
This hostel design is a paradigm of modern architectural innovation, offering a nuanced blend of private and communal spaces to cater to the diverse needs of travelers, students, and social individuals from across the
Social Identity: Tectonic
Weaves around Void Encapsulation
Site: Pakring Lot near Mardi Gras World
1350 Port of New Orleans Pl, New Orleans, LA 70130
The project is taking place in New Orleans alongside the port of Mississippi River which is a great place celebrating the vernacular year-round event Mardi Gras Festival. The school is not isolated in the corner of the huge site, but it embraces the whole site with still many empty public spaces in the center walkway and around the building which creates a lot of opportunities for students here to learn about local life
and clothes style from seeing people going through the site. My project is about using a tectonic strategy to create a void and solid relationship as I developed a skin-structure-columns theory from both precedents of the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado and Sendai Mediatheque in Japan.
globe.
The spatial arrangement is meticulously planned, where the larger units and middle-sized units are interspersed with programmed social areas, fostering community interaction. The middle units serve as shared spaces, embodying the spirit of communal living, while the smaller units offer private, introspective retreats.
building. The side facing the river is not covered for the view.
The columns and beams hold up the whole cement inside spaces and outside areas which shelter people and also a chance to interact with the environment. The Skins wrapped around the structure give an envelope and also a sense of Porosity to the
The top floor is more private than below where the studio and archive room are located. Museum and work space locate at first and second floor. People could come to the shore and Mardi Gras World passing through the walkway of the building, where there is also a center courtyard of the four
The geometry of the solid part comes from four different scaled rectangles aligned with the shoreline. The parts that extend out of the structure grid would be outdoor spaces. They have overlapped areas that give a double height space and also circulation core all the way through four floors. The second floor shears a little bit, so this creates more playful geometry in the section. The column and beam weaving through the solid building to create void part for outsideexperiences.
Views on the Museum
floors and the ceremonial stairs are around the courtyard, so that people could interact with more people and even study the customs during the festival. When people going inside the building, they have big balcony areas along this side of the building which allow them to view at the river.
In this project, I aim to highlight a key concept: the enigmatic nature of the solid part of the building juxtaposes with the surrounding blurry void spaces. The indistinct voids blur the lines between the tangible and the intangible. The exterior skins, made from porous aluminum plates, serve to create a sense of seclusion, veiling the true essence of the building from
immediate view. This design choice adds a layer of mystery, inviting curiosity and exploration.
The exposed structure of the building further enhances this concept by allowing the building system more flexibility to extend the active zone without fully occupying the entire site. This approach not only maximizes the functional space within the building but also preserves the surrounding
environment, maintaining a balance between the constructed and the natural. By not fully occupying the site, the building remains connected to its context, allowing the void spaces to interact dynamically with the solid parts, creating a harmonious and thoughtprovoking architectural experience.
The skeletal framework of the building prov ides a sense of transparency and openness, allowing the structure to coexist harmoniously with its surroundings. The strategic use of voids within the grid-like structure maximizes the dynamic interaction between light and shadow. The modularity and layering of spaces reveal an intentional balance between functionality and aesthetic expression.By avoiding complete occupation of the site, the design preserves the surrounding environment, allowing the voids to breathe and dynamically engage with the solid components.This approach challenges conventional notions of architectural dominance, instead embracing fluidity and permeability as central design principles.
Jamesville, Syracuse
Bathhouse
Site: Jamesville Beach Park
3992 Apulia Road, Jamesville, NY 13078
Bathing culture has long been a part of Syracuse. In the late 19th and early 20th century multiple bathhouses –also known as bathing resorts – existed within the city. During an era when many homes lacked indoor plumbing, bathhouses provided the necessary infrastructure for cleansing in warm water or taking a cool plunge on a hot summer day. An article in the Syracuse
Daily Journal from 1862 declared that the bathhouses were “without a doubt, the greatest luxury Syracuse now possesses.” Since opening to the public in 1949, Jamesville Beach Park has been a popular swimming destination for locals in the hot summer months. In recent years, however, the beach has sometimes been closed due to harmful algal blooms which have negative health effects for people and
animals alike. replacing the existing onsite structure with a larger bathhouse that supports year-round bathing and promotes water filtration through passive strategies would be a theme to this project.
“the unsettled site – conceived as the building and site in a set of interacting processes – means that even the most amorphous or degraded setting […] can
yield meaningful content for design.”
Carol Burns, High-Performance Sites
By engaging with existing processes, patterns, and flows, novel generative and resilient design opportunities emerge to operate with and within these dynamic landscape systems. The project Introduces glacier as a system in order to understand its physical attributions, as well as the processes that shape them. The carving operation is derived from glacier. The intersecting operation is derived from the architectural precedent – the House in Monsaraz.
A natural filtration pool system is a harmonious blend of technology and ecology that provides a sustainable alternative to traditional chlorine-based swimming pools. This innovative system harnesses the natural cleaning abilities of plants and microorganisms to purify water, eliminating the need for harsh chemicals.
Jamesville Beach Park, nestled in the verdant outskirts of Jamesville,
New York, offers a vivid tapestry of natural beauty and recreational activity that has evolved significantly over the years. The park, renowned for its scenic lakefront, has a history marked by the challenges and changes brought by the environment and human development. In its earlier days, the park’s centerpiece, the lake, experienced flooding that reshaped the landscape, compelling adaptations
in the management and use of the surrounding land. As the nearby urban areas expanded, the influx of residents turned the once tranquil retreat into a bustling hub of activity, with the construction of an expressway that made the park more accessible, yet also altered its serene character.
The design of the bathhouse is a harmonious integration with its surrounding landscape, achieved through a thoughtful process of carving into the terrain. This approach does not merely place the structure upon the site; it actively engages with the topography, creating a seamless blend between the built environment and the natural setting. The varying scales of these carvings introduce a hierarchy of
spaces, establishing an architectural language that speaks both to function and form. This concept is further emphasized by the interplay between the excavations and the emergent structures. Each cut in the ground finds its architectural counterpart in the form of a structure that rises above, creating a compelling dialogue between the architecture and the terrain. The result is a symbiotic relationship where each
incision and corresponding elevation enhances the overall experience of the space, blending the boundaries between the built and the natural.
Experimental:
Rolex Learning Center
Analysis - Sequential pavillion
The architectural essence of the Rolex Learning Center is profoundly influenced by the concept of rhythm, which manifests in two distinct yet harmonious forms. Firstly, the rhythm of the vertical structures, a fundamental
design element, imparts a unique cadence to the building. These vertical elements not only contribute to the structural integrity but also lend a rhythmic aesthetic that punctuates the space, creating a visually engaging and dynamic environment. Secondly, the project masterfully alternates between natural elements and built forms, establishing a rhythm that blurs the boundaries between the
outdoors and the indoor spaces. This interplay is not merely a juxtaposition but a sophisticated dance of elements, where the natural landscape and the architectural form echo each other. The fluid transition between these two realms enhances the spatial experience, offering users a sensory journey through varied ambiances.
This duality of rhythms — the vertical structures and the nature-building alternation — is central to the design philosophy of the Rolex Learning Center. It is an architectural expression that seeks to not only create spaces but also to evoke emotions and experiences, making the Center a paradigm of design that resonates with both its users and the environment.
This rhythm is characterized by a seamless interweaving of natural and built environments, where each perspective view within the building is defined by three distinct yet interconnected layers. The first layer centers on the interior architecture — the immediate built environment that envelopes the observer, offering an intimate and detailed appreciation of the internal design elements.
Progressing outward, the second layer focuses on the building’s exterior, presenting a broader architectural context and the building's interaction with its immediate surroundings. This layer serves as a crucial transitional space, linking the interior experience with the external environment. The final layer extends this visual journey to the landscape beyond, framing the building within the wider context of its natural
surroundings. This layer not only offers a panoramic view but also highlights the symbiotic relationship between the building and its environment. The rhythmic alternation between the interior and exterior, coupled with the encompassing embrace of the landscape, creates a dynamic and fluid spatial experience.
Essaouira Gym House Building System Project
Our goal to design a gym in Essaouira is to encourage its residents a way to exercise and take in the most of its local climate, promoting better health. A milder temperature means the users would not be in uncomfortable temperature before or after a workout, leading to a more efficient workout schedule. For example, being too hot or too cold on the way to gym would leave to more body energy usage, making the gym session less efficient. However, mild and comfortable temperatures would be the perfect environment for gym goers to be in before they start their sessions.
The diagram illustrates four key passive strategies that contribute to the thermal performance of the gym building project. Stack ventilation and night ventilation form a cohesive cycle, operating as a whole system to naturally regulate indoor temperatures. During the day, stack ventilation expels warm air, while cooler air enters, enhancing comfort. At night, night ventilation helps flush out accumulated
heat, ensuring a refreshed environment by morning.
Visualizing and map envelopes and trajectories of motion that are typically invisible, making explicit patterns and information embedded in designed objects that we may not see or consider. Line weights to convey hierarchy and focus. Descriptively dissect this object through a set of measured orthographic projection drawings (plan, section, and elevation). Using the projection, imagine and
represent your inanimate object as an animate one. This trajectory allows us to understand the spatial envelope of the object—in other words, how it exists in its context as it is being used.
The Animate Inanimate
That if love must to reinvented through surrealism. This isn’t to say we should be obsessed with our dreams, but I think that it’s important that we turn our attention to our desires and want, to our aesthetic and intellectual experiences into beauty.
“I was only trying, I said to him, to
Xobtain (to procure for myself?) states of mind like those which certain odd poetic movements had aroused in me.”
- Andre Breton
Official Address for portfolio: https://issuu.com/weinixiong
