Winter 2022 | OCAD University | Environmental Design Thesis
Instructor: Eric Nay, Kourosh Mahvash
Individual Work
To reflect on the sufferings humans have imposed and to wake our ecological consciousness, I propose a monument on the site of Marineland that reveals the abhorrent history associated with this land.
Marineland is a Canadian themed zoo and amusement park. It was founded in 1961 and has been in operation for sixty years. The park started out with two sea lions in a steel container, but when the population showed a great interest in seeing the marine animals, the park expanded quickly and became a tourist destination.
Beginning in 2010, the public gradually began to learn about its mistreatment of animals, which shortly after became a focal point in environmental justice and animal cruelty movements. Since then, no new facility has been built, and its popularity was in constant decline. Today, several mass burials in the park amass the bodies of more than one thousand both marine and land animals.
To dignify the lost lives, these burial sites need to be protected and presented in a way that embodies our regret: a monument that will constrain humanity’s reach and allow the land to be reclaimed by nature. The site will be left on its own to rewind through time.
The monument is a two-kilometer-long footpath that resembles two straight, deep cuts across the land, which would be a constant reminder of the pain we inflict on the land we live on. At the same time, it is also a physical constraint that distances humans away from the sacred land and limits our intervention.
One of the cuts span from the entrance of Marineland to the center point of the burial sites. The other cut overlooks the dried canal, running parallel to the winter solstice and tangent to the burial sites, leading to the exit. Their narrow form minimizes human interference with the ecosystem and closely mirrors the ups and downs of the landscape. Together, they unearth a horrid past and exhibit a state of total abandonment.
The complete abandonment of this site is the consequence of our wrong doings: we need to cut all our ties with the land to be certain that we will seek nothing in return. Otherwise, we risk associating the health of the land with gains on a human metric - a lack of respect for the sensibilities of the site.
Over the course of decades, the monument will gradually mend our tie with the natural world and restore biological diversity, relying only on natural ecological succession. Forests will naturally self-seed and take over the land within a period of around 250 to 500 years, forming a native and resilient ecosystem in the process.
250 years
The silver maple is a fast growing deciduous tree native to the region. Their root systems can expand rapidly over the course of 10 years, and form networks that put building foundations under constant stress.
Many species of ants, such as the sugar ant, will facilitate the movement of plant seeds while feeding on them. The ant nest debris accumulate, enriching the soil profile over time.
Dandelions are highly resilient flowers that can extend their roots and rip apart asphalt during growth. Their seeds develop apomictically and don’t require pollinators.
Each year, canada goose returns near the ponds to reproduce. Their diet includes vegetation and grains. Their eggs may be stolen by coyotes and raccoons, while adults are only vulnerable to coyotes.
The reclaimed structures of the park provide perfect shelter for brown bats. They deposit manure inside buildings, which forms the basis of the organic matter that eventually turns into dirt. They feed on a diverse array of insects and fall prey to owls and raccoons.
Grey squirrels feed on tree bark, flowers, and many types of seeds and nuts. Their predators include raccoons, foxes and owls.
500 years
Marmots primarily eat wild grasses such as dandelion and coltsfoot. They produce fat in preparation for hibernation, which provides essential nutrients for coyotes, foxes, and badgers during winter. They also dig out vast burrows that undermine foundations, accelerating their decay.
Coyote is among the first animal species to return and is the most significant prey species. Their highly versatile diet include deer, hares, rodents, birds, snakes, fish, and insects. They form small packs, and take shelter in abandoned marmot or skunk burrows.
Large grasshopper communities are present near grasslands and areas of thick vegetation, they provide abundant food for birds. As the ecosystem regains its balance, its carrying capacity will reduce dramatically.
Black walnut is a pioneer species similar to the silver maple, and occupy the forest edges. Their nuts are food for many rodents, and make up to 10% of the diet of foxes and squirrels.
The Sunflower family, such as daisies and asters, can form large colonies that provide food for pollinators and birds.
Mallards have already established a sizable community in the park. They eat seeds and plant matter, as well as gastropods, insects, and worms. Their meat is favoured by owls, snakes, and raccoons.
Spring 2023 | id8 downsview | Windrose Design Competition
Mentor: Jane Farrow, Mia Hunt, Future Simple Studio
Assistant: Zishuo Li
Winner - Installed at Downsview Park May, 2023
https://www.id8downsview.ca/windrose3
Wind, a blessing of nature, is the elemental force that pollenizes and seeds; Red, a colour of fire, is the symbol of passion and love. Language, a system unique to humans, is the keystone for cultural development. This installation incorporates the three to bring visitors a multi-sensory experience. The bright red and vivid movements can be noticed from a distance and activates the site. Immersed in the sound of air brushing against the fabric, visitors are invited to read wishes collected from the community, written in everyone’s own languages. It’s a celebration of our multicultural community and a blessing to all beings around us.
The Downsview Wind Rose is a radial network of 16 square arches arranged in a compass-like formation on the highest mound in Downsview Park. It is named after a time-honoured tool invented by meteorologists that maps the direction and speed of the wind in a specific location.
Summer 2021 | Van Ziffle Architects | Field Placement
Instructor: Bruce Hind, Eric Van Ziffle
Collaborator: Bhavindu Adhihetty, Sara Marini
I worked as a student intern at Van Ziffle Architects to gain experience in a professional environment. We were assigned to collaborate on residential projects, each at varying stages of development ranging from preliminary conceptual work to drafting and rendering. We also assisted with studio tasks such as taking comprehensive site measurements and finalizing project descriptions.
Residential new construction
772 Chestnut is a revolutionary custom home located in Innisfil, close to lake Simcoe. The project aims to create a contemporary look in an otherwise dated neighbourhood, bringing a breath of fresh air to the town. A contemporary exterior utilizing brick and stone, along with a spacious interior layout, provides a foundation for new contemporary homes in the area. I was responsible for file conversion, material swatches, and post-processing.
Residential addition
The addition at 70 Regal Road is an innovative take on contemporary additions juxtaposed with a more traditional existing home. The wood-panelled addition is seamlessly integrated with the existing home, to create an updated, timeless façade that both updates it as well as allows it to blend in with the existing neighbourhood. The inclusion of a green roof combined with a rooftop patio opens up the experience of the natural environment in an otherwise dense urban center. I was responsible for file conversion, digital models, UV mapping and texturing, and post -processing.
Residential addition
The renovation at 197 Hallam is an ambitious undertaking to transform a historic Toronto duplex into multi-unit residential rentals. Situated in a dense downtown neighbourhood, this high-quality project hopes to kick start a trend of contemporary rentals within close proximity to the downtown core. With separate entrances to the basement units, spacious individual units with private balconies, along with a central communal staircase that casts brilliant natural lighting from a skylight above, this project inspires a new contemporary way to think about Toronto home rentals and renovations. I was responsible for file conversion, digital models, UV mapping and texturing, and post-processing.
Sketchfab Upload: Laser-cut Egg Holder https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/laser-cut-eggholder-bike-elsha-117eb93c4f464fb28bfb9d3e8e88 84ab
Banff Centre Artist Residency Proposal: Tea Ceremony, in collaboration with Zishuo Li
Ocean Soundscape, in collaboration with Zishuo Li https://youtu.be/dBtcicJF7rA
2020-2023
This is a small selection of CAD prototypes and renders made for individual and collaborative projects.
Render Test: Frog Character https://youtube.com/shorts/ yclnz9ej0jw?feature=share
Render Test: Geometry Node Parametric
Modeling https://youtu.be/BRvNSxKc_kg
Render Test: Cartoon Shader Ocean https://youtu.be/NqLRvYVFx60
Winter 2022 | OCAD University | Interior Design: Office
Instructor: Anna Stranks
Collaborators: Rachel Morris, Eduardo Torres
This fashion studio, named after the ever-growing pile of textile waste, is the manifestation of our belief: Through creativity, we have the power to eliminate waste. With a clear focus on its impact on human experience, we created a responsive working environment that looks to the past for a solution to our present issue.
Motivated by their firm belief in sustainability, circular economy, material reuse and waste reduction, the lead designer Kelly Henderson of fashion studio The House of Mannon set out to retrofit the existing 115 McCaul St building and reimagine a responsive working environment to foster creativity.
The central piece of this studio is an inverted representation of The Pile, signifying our determination to eliminate the ever-growing pile of textile waste. Its gigantic form demands attention from visitors and works alike, and is functionally a space for meditation and also a donation chute for the collection of textile waste.
My responsibilities within the team were concept development, concept drawings, programming, floor and ceiling plans, digital renderings, and presentation.
The skylight positioned in the middle of the pile act as a light well, delivering natural light to both levels below.
As more fabric waste is collected, less light is able to pass through to lower levels, visualizing the pressing matter and encouraging visitors to actively participate in eliminating fabric waste.
After sundown, the pile transforms into a light fixture, such that it is effective at conveying the same message both day and night.
Instructor: Darryl Biedron, Eric Van Ziffle
Individual Work
In an exploration of human-centered design, students were each assigned a project that helped develop social and ethical sensibilities. My project was a two-storey urban housing that focuses on the separation of the private lives between the patient and the live-in caregiver without compromising safety, whilst facilitating the use of mobility devices as well as dealing with the issues of privacy and poor lighting conditions in a busy neighbourhood.
37 Bulwer Street is a renovation project to accommodate clients with physical difficulties. The client is healthy apart from a spinal cord injury, which requires the use of a wheelchair. His caregiver had lived with him for more than ten years and they share a close relationship. For the most time they live together, hence the renovation should also promote privacy and independence. In an effort to promote sustainable development, the renovation should retain at least 50% original construction material.
Located south of Bulwer Street, the site is surrounded by densely populated residential buildings, resulting in a lack of privacy and poor lighting conditions. Hence, the project began life with a series of sun studies of the existing building.
The north side of the building has an angular dynamic that connects the two adjacent buildings. The windows never face the street directly, and instead frame views that are further away at an angle.
The house will make use of an envelope that enclose both floors into a single volume. This allows verbal communication between the clients and at the same time create a large wall surface on the east side, making it a great thermal mass for storing solar energies, as well as functioning as a lighting device that grants the lower floor access to natural sun light.
The practicality of these design choices were tested and refined in the next term, where the pragmatic construction nature of my conceptual design were examined and working drawings were produced.
Winter 2021 | OCAD University | Interior Design Residential
Instructor: Kaija Vogel
Individual Work
Students were tasked with developing a client profile and designing a residence specifically for these inhabitants. Observation and analysis serves as tools to build a design story and a problem statement in response to the users’ requirements. The outcome is an imaginative interpretation and expression to our conceptual ideas.
• The existing building is a spacious house suitable for a large family.
The previous owner put the building up for sale, which is later bought by the client.
This is a remote renovation project for a singlefamily studio-gallery dwelling located within Presqu’ile Provincial Park, focusing mainly on interior planning and detail design with minimal structural changes. Sequence of events and spaces aims to facilitate the need to work from home, while also promoting a daily routine that captures the progression of life in isolation. The qualities of transition are also looked at closely from the perspective of the user. The spatial organization, transitions, and physical properties are regularly revisited through the exploration of mock-up models during all stages of the project, and different lighting techniques for the studio-gallery workspace were tested using ray-tracing engine.
Fall 2020 | OCAD University | Introduction to Lighting
Instructor: Ellen Godson, Deborah Savage
Collaborator: Rand Aswad, Dalia Helmy, Tania Kadri, Neela Madhu
To explore the possibilities within a retail space, our team set out to create lighting that complements and reflects the emotive, spiritual and experiential qualities of an existing form. This stand-alone retail store prides itself on keeping up with the trends, and features a lighting design sharp and adaptive, catering to the up-and-coming.
This lighting design project takes place in a hypothetical stand-alone clothing and jewellery store part of a larger plaza.
The end goal is a sharp and contemporary design catering to the up-and-coming. The design should highlight the clothing and jewellery to draw customers toward different parts of the store.
Besides the focus on lighting design, the project has many other sub-components, including front sign design, display table design, market and product research, and budgeting. My responsibilities within the team were lighting design, digital modelling, floor and ceiling plans, digital renderings, and presentation.
