portfolio 2018 by Zhikai Chen

Work Sample

M.Arch.II, SCI-Arc Zhikai Chen Summer 2018

Zhikai Chen

EDUCATION Southern California Institute of Architecture Master Degree of Architecture

State University of New York a t Buffalo

laurachenx@hotmail.com 100 S SANTA FE AVE, LOS ANGELES, CA 90013 https://www.linkedin.com/ in/zhikai-chen-06a803aa/

PROFILE M.Arch II architecture student from SCI-Arc. I have been study architecture for six years, and intern in architecture offices over the summer time. I accumulated my design skills through my work and study. Looking to work in the creative and multi culture firms. I am good at working in firm, communicating with cunstomers and teams.

2011-2016

Bachelor Degree of Architecture Minor in Environmental Design

WORK EXPERIENCE

CONTACT 1 213 271 5917

2016-2018

fr-ee Fe r n a n d o Ro m e r o

June 2017-August 2017

+1 212-242-3104 15 W 27th St, 11 floor New York, NY 10001 Internship/ Involved with design process of facade. Testing of facade color, structure and mullion details. Materials selection of interior exterior. Commercial facade rendering. Skylobby design.

Tan A r c h i t e c t P. C.

June 2016-August 2016

+1 718-224-1130 194-02 Northern Blvd, Suite # 205 Auburndale, NY 11358 Internship/ Construction and technical drawings. Design on house and townhouse in local NYC. 3D models and rendererings of hotels and apartments. Facade design of mixed used apartment.

INDICATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS Dean’s List Dean’s List Highest GPA Prize the Second Place of Studio Competition Chairman’s Scholarship for UB Graduate SCI-Arc Spring Show 2017 SCI-Arc NAAB Exhibition SCI-Arc Spring Show 2018

Fall 2011 Spring 2012 Spring 2013 Fall 2015 March 2016 May 2017 March 2018 May 2018

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS Auto CAD Rhino SketchUp Maya Revit Cinema 4D

Keyshot Grasshopper Unity AR/VR Vray Processing

Photoshop Illustrator Indesign After Effects Premiere Zbrush

Work Sample

Zhikai Chen Southern California Institute of Architecture M.Arch II 100 S SANTA FE AVE LOS ANGELES, CA 90013 1 + 213-271-5917 laurachenx@hotmail.com

CONTENT

School Work 3GAX STUDIO

3GAX DD

2GBX STUDIO

UNDERGRAD

2GAX STUDIO

3GBX STUDIO

2GAX AS

2GAX VS

Internship Fr-ee

Tan Architect

The Merchant of Venice Design Studio Fall 2017 3GBX Instructor: Eric Owen Moss Partner: Volver Zhang

The project is to design a housing apartment for homeless people on the beach of Santa Monica next to Canal of Venice. The canal is of long history and with the dream of creating the Venice in Los Angeles. The project start with the study of the typology of mountains and islands. By merging the geometry, cutting the edge, or digging out the volumes, designers were trying to mutate the typology and its site. On the top of the mountain, we put the diamond stone which is the residentials. It starts with the idea of mountain from the water. The pond will be the headwater connecting to the Canal. The geometry of mountain shape grows organically with small islands, bays and mainlands. The commercial area is programmed inside the mountain, while there is an diamond on the top for standard housing units. The project discusses the issue between the two elements as the way to merge them. Special windows are designed to merge the boundaries of the shapes.

Design Development Applied Studies Fall 2017 3GBX Instructor: Herwig Baumgrtner,Brian Zamora Partner: Feng Wang, Bingyi Li, Ruoya Li

The Sphere of Knowledge Design Studio Fall 2017 2GBX Instructor: Elena Marferdini

Etienne-Louis Boullee used the sphere as a symbol of enlightenment ideas in his Cenotaph for Sir Isaac Newton. In his view, the sphree was the geometry which represents innovation and perfection of new knowledge. In this project is not only about planning a new school but also envisioning the future learning environment. Especially for architecture education, there has been continuous development of new computational tools for 3d modeling and advancing design approach. So adopting new technologies became inevitable. SCI-Arc has established on concrete pedagogy which is architecture can our future world. The school has been boldly engaged in new technology. Future students of SCI-Arc will be learning outside, armed with different devieces, listening to a teacher from different specialities. Present SCI-Arc is ready for near future but enventually, the shcool will need more flexible learning spaces in long term. While speculating new learning spaces, we are focusing on Virtual Reality devices. In our senario, make new SCI-Arc as a perfect environment for using VR as their future designing tool. The main goal of the project enables every student can use VR devices actively and share those exciting moments with their classmates and public.

CONCEPT Devices for future architects

Architects will use VR to actually see and experience their design space, and discuss with partners or

Computer will be the main high technology that architects will work on.

3D Printer or robots hands will be used more for models making, instead of hand making.

Activities and spaces for future school

On the day of presentation, audiences would be required to wear VR to see and experience the space. Space needs to be bigger but again flexible. It can be any empty space.

When architects work alone, they will only need a computer, VR and 3D maker. Space will be flexible, only if there is space for playing VR. Less requirements for the space.

The concept is to create a big VR auditorium for any scale of model to display, while a few amount of small VR experience room surround it.

STUDIOS CLASSROOMS CRIT ADMIN. PUBLIC/SOCIAL SHOP/CAFE LIBRARY AUDITORIUM GALLERY HOUSING RENTABLE GREEN CONSTRAINTS PARCELS

Building B 110,000 sqf Fire lane Constraints - 28’

Building A 40,000 sqf

S,S + S Constraints 23’

Traction AVE

Merric

k ST

Art/Architecture Experience Plaza

Production Area

Viaduct Constraints 12’

E 4th ST

Fe AV E

Urban Housing Undergrade Design Studio Fall 2015, Buffalo New York Second Prize Studio Competition Professor: Erkin Ozay Partner: Josh Erni

The project is to create working housing for artists. The site is on downtown buffalo, on the corner of Delaware ave and Chippewa st. It is a busy business center where locates all kinds office and retails. Various kind of people walking down the street. While, one block away, the Franklin road is quite quiet and isolated area. Our urban strategy is to create green path which lead people from Delaware ave to the Franklin road. The green path extends all way down to Pearl street. A courtyard is created as thestarting point of the green path. The public program is the art gallery, where artists in housing can exhibit or sell their art work. The first volume is uplifted 16ft off ground, and set back from the sidewalk. Thus, the courtyard is easily seen and accessible. The uplifted void space also offer the opportunity for light artists to exhibit their light sculpture. The housing program is designed for artists, which means that diffuse daylight would be preferred for studio. The housing volume is rotated into the direction of true north. Also, panels are designed for ligtht control.There two types of units; the flat and the duplex. The flat is fully accessible. The studio is on the north side of unit, while, the living space is on the south side. Both offer panoramic views. The direction of the housing is also facing the Allen Town, where gathers lots of studio and artists. The structure for public program is steel truss cantilever from core. Concrete taper is uesed for housing. Double glazing facade is designed on the south side. Thus, cross ventilation is feasible in the winter, when blocking out strong wind from southwest. Panels have various colors on the facade. Light pink, yellow, orange and red is used to light up the street.

Architecture Office Undergrade Design Studio Fall 2014, Buffalo New York Professor: Kenneth MacKay Indivisual Work

The design is to devide office into two main programs. One is general working space, the other one is isolated office. The working space is the space requires more diffuse daylight, communicative space arrangement, and broad view . However, for individual office space, it requires quiet environment, isolated and less interaction with others. The finalized design composites of three concrete columns , which is also programmed with office, and a long cantilever of the general working space . The Columns have been pulled down to ground to support the building instead of hanging as Scheme Three. The cantilever has been uplifted 20 ft, to provide studio with more diffuse daylight and a better view over the streets. The building has been designed dedicated for diffuse light. There are extra void space created between office column and the general space. The south facing facade is covered by opaque glass to minimize the direct sunlight, or concrete walls have been erected for passive solar design. In the summer time, the light would hit the concrete wall, and reflect some into the working space. Building has big glazing facing north, where the diffuse daylight would be welcomed into the building. Since Columns are 15 ft taller than the working space, shadow would be created to prevent the direct sunlight .

The Continous Element Design Studio Fall 2017 2GAX Instructor: Casey Rhem Partner: Yujue Wang

The study of the project is focused on the continuity of the inside and outside, in the term of geometry, faรงade and organization. Starting from the thonet chair, we figure out that thonet curve pipe is the boundary of the volumn, and also by sticking through the pillow, it introduces the exterior into the inside. Thus, for our building, we follow the concept of continuity between the inside and outside. From the point of geometry, pipes and volumes shape each other. pipe constrain the volume, some pipes flow into the center of the volume, defining the void space of the tube and atrium. The atrium and tube continuously introduce the exterior space to the inside of the volume. The atrium and the tube intersect each other to emphasis the idea of the continuity. As for the organization, the atrium is the vertical void space created for interior public circulation, (section) and the tube connecting the view to the downtown LA, while itself is programed as the outdoor green space, which is visually connected with the offices. It reflect the concept of the continuity from the points of the programs and vision. Our program is fabrication/ sterotype. The public circulation connecting the different programs. In the term of the faรงade, we study the relationship between the texture and the geometry, which also stress the continuity of the inside and outside. By disturbing the texture, we created the new language between the color and shadow. Some Surfaces are divided based on the disturbing pixels, and being extruded into different depth both inside and outside. Overall , we design the 3 dimensional facades which create rich scale of both interior and facades. The experience from the further distance is connected with the one of inside.

Bichos in Beijing Design Studio Fall 2017 2GAX Instructor: Hernan Diaz Alonso + Rachel McCall Indivisual work

The studio is proposing to re-examine the possibilities of form generation as an entity trough the understanding of literal manipulation of stuff. As well to focus in the idea of the “literal” as a production mechanism for form making. With the objective to produce a euphoric and effervescent act of architecture through technology a mutant nature. We will explore two extremely strong juxtaposition of matter, technology and living particles/ matter. The trajectory of abstraction, in many ways, has been the dominant force of form production in our discipline. The studio is aiming to explore the methods used in pragmatic models of arrangement as a literal and artificial construction of nature. Matter simulation and organization are the other ingredients of this studio. Pollution, nature, discards have the capacity to be very literal, again, about their intention and also visceral in their affects. The aim is to make the combination of the potential formal arrangements and the formalized self-organization as the perfect intersection of agents of contamination. The clues are in the currency of ideas, ideas that come from the cohesion of borrowing techniques from the technological domain and literally extracting the exuberant physicality of things. The “Formal” project, more often than not comes short in the generation of exaltation and euphoria, and even if corny, happiness, it tends to focus in a solemn intellectual critical reading, the aim of the studio is to challenge these conception and push the “formal” toward immersive “affective understating”. The goal is to produce a different bread of artifacts, ones that combine, architecture, technologies, public art, nature and landscape, artifact that have the capacity to emerge as a new lawyer in the complexity of the metropolis. Fashion. Art. Architecture. The studio will aim to develop entirely new kinds of products and technologies/architecture/art that move seamlessly between our bodies, our buildings, and our cities.

Advanced Materials and Tectonics Visual Studies Fall 2016 2GAX Instructor: Maxxi Spina Partners: Minah Kim, Shaolun Chien, Rachel Chen

The class paired areas of investigation and speculation are Tectonics-predominantly building envelpesand Performance-largely consisting of technical, technological, cultural and environmental dimensions. Working in groups throughout the entire semester, students analyze and document a Precedent in order to formulate a series of hypothese in an attempt to construct a number of interrelated tectonic conjectures. In scrutinizing building assemblies, the class will attempt to position construction analysis so as to produce both technical knowledge and critical awareness of embedded cultural habits. The class will thus seek out an alternative understanding of the Tectonic-one that not only mirrors the realm of construction-materials, methods, sequences, tolerances, etc.-but also embraces architectural processes of expression, encompassing issues of geometry and technique; posture and character; etc. Methodologically, the class frames its object of study through the possibilities of a sectional approach. The primary mode of design and representation is the cutaway axonometric drawing- and the seectional model, its analogue material incarnation. These modes of dissectible analytical representation will tend to produce a sesctional object of compelling spatial simultaneity, of which its purpose and merits lies in concurrently presenting the interior and exterior of the building alongside the poche that separates them. Then seminar culminates with each group reformulating their initial tectonic conjectures so as to adapt to a slightly altered design scenario. In re-informing the origins of the work, the class intends to search for a novel set of formal, geometrical and technological associations so as to yield a new tectnoic coherence.

Visual Studies Visual Studies Fall 2017 2GAX Instructor: Casey Rhem Partner: Ruoya Li

The course will cover issues of contemporary representation and the development of splines in relation to complex digital form and physical and visual space. Visualization today encompasses the development, exploration and communication of information and ideas in multiple medium. The course will engage recent techniques related to splines, gesture interfaces and virtual reality. The course will develop critical visual literacy and review methods for generating and evaluating lines, surfaces and volume. We will review modes of drawing and modeling in three dimensional space, including the importance of precision and abstraction. Exercise and associated tutorials provide opportunities to discover novel concepts through transformation and tactical work flows. Finally the course will foster the development of architectural character. You will be expected to develop expertise and execute your intentions with clarity. The gestural line will explore the potential and differences of the stroke, the gesture and the line. In architecture and visualization these artifacts can be associated with rhythmic repetition, erratic character, structural integrity, whimsical moments and elegant form. Through the use of building and rebuilding lines the project will address issues of line, surface and volume. The first project will require the generation and design of lines through gestural animation. You will create a series of lines in space and then redesign their relationships and qualities.

Performa Tower Fr-ee Fernando Romero Summer 2017 Internship Supervisors: Sergio Rebelo, Unai Artetxe, Fernando Torres, Daniela Gallo FR-EE New York City +1 212-242-3104 15 W 27th St, 11 floor New York, NY 10001

FR-EEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proposal for a 60-story office tower located on Paseo de la Reforma, the most significant axis of Mexico City, advances a focused real estate strategy to provide Class-A workspace to top local and foreign companies. The site is roughly 1.5 acres and located near the roundabout of ColĂłn, a key point along the avenue. Reforma Tower 2 provides maximum plan flexibility and features two strategically placed vertical circulation cores. The project also incorporates sustainable design elements and technologies to create a performancedriven environment, adding value to the overall value and attractiveness of the tower to future tenants.

673 56th ST NY Tan Architect Summer 2016 Internship Supercisors: Architect Tan, Winnie Sui Thian Mok 19402 Northern Blvd #205, Flushing, NY 11358 (718) 224-1130

Tan Architect P.C. is a firm by liscensed architect Mr. Tan, which focuses on the local residential and commercial housing projects. The projects includes single/ multiple families housing, hotels, apartments, retails and so on. During the period working there, I experienced the whole process of designing, from concept design to construction design, negotiate with clients and government.