jesse nguyen design portfolio
DESCRIPTION
ÂTRANSCRIPT
TITL
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JESSE NGUYENDESIGN PORTFOLIO
The contents of this book is a collection of work that spans various spectrums of design, from the visual arts to design/build to architecture. The basis of the creative endeavours pre-sented in this document are the product of my post-secondary education and related experi-ences. I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in 2008, with a major in Visual Arts and a minor in Urban Geography. I went on to graduate from the Illinois Institute of Technology with a Master of Architecture Degree in 2013.
TITL
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CONTENTSVISUAL ARTS
White CubeSolutions to fi x our city
ConcreteGiant Bench #1,2
Public ChairPublic Bench
DESIGN/BUILDOne Plywood Chair
Case Study: Murturm Observation TowerSpiral TowerMedia StandUlmer Stool
ARCHITECTURECase Study: Delta Shelter
Material Study: Visual StudyColumbia College Chicago Dance School
Bronzeville Community KitchenLine in the Land
PolydwellingsRoscoe Village
Grand-Bois Boarding School
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JESSE NGUYENDESIGN PORTFOLIO
VISUAL ARTS
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VISU
AL A
RTS
WHITE CUBEPaint / 18”x18”x3”
What is a painting? What is a sculpture? Is the piece above a painting based on its material or is it a sculpture because of its physical di-mensions? This is an question of perspective. This piece was my attempt at making a solid cube of paint. Although it did not turn out as planned, it still serves as an adequate meta-phor for a white cube because the questions that I posed at the beginning are still valid.
SOLUTIONS TO FIX OUR CITY: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMPUGOVERNMENTMixed Media / 9’x6’x2’
This was one of 9 (sarcastic) solutions I pro-posed to improve the city. I expanded on one of my ideas and constructed an intelligent computer capable of replacing human sub-jectivity and making fair, sensible decisions in place of a corrupt government, complete with flashing lights and sound effects.
CONCRETEPaint, Wood / 4’X8’
In an increasingly global world, urban envi-ronments seem to be moving towards ho-mogenization. The gray monochrome stands in for the lack of visual stimuli in the highly developed and generic city.
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VISUAL ARTS
The projects presented on these two pages focus on personal interests that were cultivated during my undergraduate degree. My minor in Urban Geogra-phy has heightened my sensitivity to how the built environment plays a role in the construction of a space, particularly the social relationships between the inhabitants of that space. There is a strong focus on the notions of public space. Public space in its literal definition is meant to be free and open but in reality, public space is very much contested. I see no better example of this than with public benches.
GIANT BENCH #1 AND #2Digital / 18"x24"
The following two images are interpretations of my public bench idea. If the problem is that there is not enough room for everyone, shouldn't it be obvious that the answer is to make more room? Hence, my giant bench.
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VISU
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PUBLIC CHAIRMixed Media / 4'x4'x3'
Public space is often truly free but actually contested space. The built environment is thoroughly designed and thought out. I at-tempted to expose anti-homeless architec-ture by creating something so extreme that it would shock the viewer and make them ask the question: Why is this here and why is it like this? Hence, my public chair that you must pay to sit in.
PUBLIC BENCHMixed Media / 60”x25”x13”
As noted in the Public Chair, many new benches are designed so that homeless people cannot sleep on them. My solution to this was to make the public bench public. In another sarcastic piece meant to shock the viewer through public intervention, I designed a multi-purpose bench. It serves as a seat and a bed for someone to lie down underneath.
DESIGN/BUILD
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ON
E PL
YWO
OD
CHAI
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I was tasked with designing and construct-ing a chair with the following limitations: to use only one sheet of 8'x2'3/4" plywood and to use no mechanical fasteners. There were two additional self-imposed rules: 1. the chair would be stackable as part of a larger set; and 2. as little material was wasted as possible.
The One Plywood Chair was cut on a CNC router and help together with biscuit joints. The voids cut out of the sides became the seat.
1/4" = 1' SCALE MODEL
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CASE STUDY: M
URTU
RM O
BSERVATION
TOW
ER
1/8" = 1' DYNAMIC MODELFROM BELOW
PHOTO OF ACTUAL TOWER
1/8" = 1' DYNAMIC MODEL
The purpose of this project was to graphically explain and illustrate the forces acting on this tower. I built a dynamic model of the Murturm Tower with members that were able to bend, torque, and deflect depending on how I pushed or twisted it to simulate wind and gravity loads. The Rhino model on the right illustrates how the tower can be distorted depending on which force is acting on it. Since the primary members of this tower are oriented in spiral form, it inherently has torsion in it. The tendency to twist on itself is resisted by having two spi-rals oriented in opposite directions. The green members show the tower twisting, There are vertical ruts that triangulate the voids in the tower. They are diagramed as red (compression) and blue (tension), depending on the direction that the tower is bending. The tension cables help stiffen the tower but their main purpose is to hold the stairs in place by having each node pulled in three different directions.
This case study was done as preparation for the Spiral Tower, a project presented on pages 9-12.
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CASE
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OBS
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TIO
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Bending:Tension and Compression
Twisting:Torsion
Force LoadTracing
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SPIRAL TOW
ER
This 40-foot spiral tower is the one of the biggest accomplishments during my time at IIT. It is constructed primarily of 3.5-feet cardboard shipping tubes and ramboard. Two weeks of conceptual and structural studies were followed by another two weeks of mock-ups that slowly moved up in scale. Another week was spent on the construction and erection of the actual tower. The diagonal strips were used to alleviate the downward direction of gravitational forces. Having hori-zontal strips on the inside and outside of the spiral acted in compression and tension to keep the spiral in a curve. Four sets of trian-gulated guy wires are placed 30-foot high on the tower to prevent twisting.
It was important to keep the connections and details of this structure simple to create an image of lightness and not take away from the spiral form. This directive was most suc-cessful in the foundation detail - two indepen-dent pin joints set in 2-foot concrete piers.
CARDBOARD TUBES
SPIRAL CONSTRUCTION/FORM WORK
TUBE CONNECTION DETAILFOUNDATIONINSTALLATION
SPIRAL TOWER FROM BELOW
FOUNDATION PIERS
FOUNDATION PIN JOINTS
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MEDIA STAN
D
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ULM
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TOO
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ARCHITECTURE
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CASE
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ELTA
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1/32" = 1' SCALED SITE MODEL
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CASE STUDY: DELTA SH
ELTER
1/8 = 1' SCALED COMPONENT MODEL
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CASE
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CASE
STU
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ELTA
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The
purp
ose
of th
is p
roje
ct w
as to
exp
lore
the
com
pone
nts
of th
e ho
me
in re
latio
n to
the
orga
niza
tion
and
cons
truct
ion
of it
s el
e-m
ents
. Exp
osed
I-be
ams
give
hin
ts to
war
ds th
e ho
rizon
tal a
nd v
ertic
al o
rgan
izat
ion
of th
is h
ome.
The
pla
nar w
alls
and
win
dow
el
emen
ts p
rovi
de e
nclo
sure
and
defi
ne
the
leve
l of a
cces
s in
to th
is p
lace
of r
efug
e.
The
mod
els
show
the
rela
tions
hip
of th
e ho
me
to th
e si
te. T
he c
ompo
nent
mod
el a
nd A
utoC
AD d
raw
ing
allo
wed
me
to b
uild
a
hier
arch
y of
the
build
ing
elem
ents
.
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MAT
ERIA
L ST
UDY
: VIS
UAL
TRAI
NIN
G
FOLDING DETAIL
STUDY MODELSTUDY MODEL
The purpose of this exercise was to explore the material properties of corrugated plastic, manipulate it, and use it in an innovative way.
This project was completed with the attitude that the results of the exploration would be able to be applied in other work. In order for the product to be able to grow, expand, and be replicated, it had to first be broken down into a single unit. To the left are images of a 4'x8' sheet of corrugated plastic that had a pattern of 3” triangles routed out on the back side and folded to create a dynamic contour field.
STUDY MODEL
STUDY MODEL
STUDY MODEL
Columbia College Chicago has historically rented or bought, and then retrofi tted existing buildings. This has led to a transient existence in the city. Columbia College has recognized this issue and one way that they are trying to remedy this is by tearing down the existing Getz Theater and building a new dance center. One thing that is stressed by Columbia College's Master Plan is that they want to create a cul-ture of interaction and transparency, in order to foster a stronger re-lationship with the community. Columbia College also asked for a building that can help build a distinct sense of place. It is important to give Columbia College a solid design that can say, "Columbia is here and this is our community."
The following pages outline my proposal for the new dance facility and how I arrived at the fi nal design.
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At the beginning of the project, dance defi ned as bodily movement, was used as a metaphor to kickstart the design process. There was also an attempt to defi ne what a dance school is. My initial response was to lean towards what Columbia wanted - a building that promotes dance and a building that forms a space for interaction between groups of people.
Essential users of the space were identifi ed and an investigation through role-playing helped determine whose needs the building would be catered to. Discoveries of who used the building the most led to an understanding of which program elements were most important based on shared program spaces.
Model 1. Conceptual quantifi cation of public and private spacesModel 2. Illustrates that different program elements (represented as different colours) stretch across the whole buildingModel 3. An initial representation of cuts into the building envelope that reveal interior spaces
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Model 1. Colour as a metaphor for mixed program; Idea of vertical openings continued from model 3 on previous pageModel 2. Further exploration of the building being cut openModel 3. Vertical extrusions as a method to control visibility into the buildingModel 4. Studies on how orientation and dimension of vertical 'fins' can affect visibility across a boundary
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1. 1/16" = 1' Scale Model
2. 1/16" = 1' Scale Model
3. 1/8" = 1' Scale Model
After discussions, the refined structural model lost its connection to the original conceptual model. Spans became too tight and the grid too rigid. The exploded structural drawing is a representation of a system more indicative of the north-south orientation originally proposed in the conceptual structural model.
Model 1. Conceptual structural model, taking cues from vertical fins in previous modelsModel 2. Translation of conceptual structural model to a post and beam structureModel 3. Refinement of post and beam structure
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11 2
The vertical extrusions are dynamic in the sense that they alter the ability to see into the building depending on the orientation of the pe-destrian to the building. Another level of complexity is added to the facade by changing the profiles of each of the extrusions, which cre-ate shadow lines and visual activity.
The digital drawing shows how the wall would be installed. The cur-tain wall has mullion caps on interior and exterior faces.
Model 1. Detail section model identifying the fundamental compo-nents of the facadeModel 2. Exploration into the components of a curtain wall.
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Colour has the ability to create atmosphere. Coloured vertical extru-sions with a reflective quality will transfer colour when light bounces into or out of the space, which will create a pleasant ambiance.
Model 1 & 2. Wall section exploring the effect of colour on a space. If there is a reveal in the partition wall, with the appropriate lighting con-ditions a colourful glow might create a pleasing atmosphere.
1 2
Two steps have been taken up to this point to make the building form dynamic: the vertical extrusions, and the changing of their profiles. One more change was made. The west half of the facade was elevated to change the amount of visibility into the building. It further delineates zones of public and private.
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1/8" = 1' SCALE MODEL11TH ST ELEVATION
1/8" = 1' SCALE MODELSCHOOL ENTRANCE
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1/8" = 1' SCALE MODELTHEATRE ENTRY
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LOBBY/CAFE/LOUNGETHEATREDANCE STUDIOS
2
G50ft
100ft
Extensive studies on the overall building form were followed by a transition to the actual spac-es inside the building. These plans join the building structure to the organization of program spaces by identifying the largest areas that need to be column-free spaces.
The west side of the building is generally student oriented. This half of the building is 4-stories tall. The public cafe/lounge, theatre scene shop, and green room is on the ground level. The second, third, and fourth levels contains dance studios, classrooms, student lounges, and a library.
The east side of the building is part public and part administrative. The ground and second level are lobby spaces for the theatre. The second level has a portion that is open to below to create a more open and communal space. The third level has offi ces for teaching staff and theatre administration.
The building section illustrates who uses a space. The corresponding circulation dia-gram further points out how people move around the building and the zones that are shared by multiple groups of people. Cir-culation paths were organized so that they pass through important shared spaces, in the hopes of created an environment that is more conducive to interaction.
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1/16" = 1' SECTION MODEL
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1/8" = 1' WALL STUDY MODELS
In addition to looking at the spaces, there was also an attempt to define the interior boundaries as well. Questions such as "What is a wall?" were asked. So continuing the discussion on the relationship between inside and outside, the same ideas were applied to this study. Different methods were proposed on how to build a wall while allowing con-trolled amount of vis-ibility between two spaces.
Initial ideas were to have a fully exposed dance studio to in-crease exposure to the public but af-ter speaking with a dancer, that changed. He explained that when rehearsing, he and his fellow danc-ers wear very little clothing. Therefore, it can make them feel uncomfortable when others watch them practice. So, consid-erations were made to make the dance studio private but stil provide fenestration and natural lighting.
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1/8" = 1' MODELWITHOUT FACADE
1/8" = 1' MODELWITHOUT FACADE
LOBBY ATRIUM
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The main goal of this project for Columbia College is to create a stronger presence in the Chicago fabric. I considered three scales at which to confront this task. The largest scale is the city. From Columbia's Master Plan, they want to create a "distinct sense of place". I assume this means they want an iconic building that can announce Columbia's arrival but it is very important that the building does not alienate itself from the neighbourhood. In order for the building to fit into the community seamlessly. I considered another scale that was brought to my atten-tion from another line in the Master Plan - to create a transparent and interactive culture. The public and private boundary on any given site is usually at the level so I distorted the boundary visually by controlling what the pedestrian could see inside, and reciprocally, what the building inhabitant could see outside. Manipulating this edge condition created a new level of transparency. My solution to create a more interactive environment was to consider the relationship between the people who actually inhabit the building. I identified spaces in the program that were conducive to interaction between different groups of people and placed a strong consideration of how I organized that space, relative to the rest of the program. I created main circulation paths through the lobby and cafe/lounge area because these are the most public zones within the building. By blurring the private and public boundaries, both visually and spatially, I hope to create a setting that can encourage relationships between the building and its environment, and more importantly, between the inhabitants within the building.
THEATER
TITLE
37 1/32" = 1' SITE MODEL
43RD STREET
CALUM
ET AVENU
E
43RD GREEN
LINE
PRAIRIE AVENU
E
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BRO
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UN
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KITC
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Historic Bronzeville conjures up many adjectives: vibrant, passionate, and lively but the strongest term that can be used to describe what Bronzeville used to be is community. However, over the last number of decades, this community has experienced a severe rupture in its livelihood in the form of hid levels of displacement. A look at the land-scape will show how sparse the community is. A direct corollary of the lack of development in Bronzeville is the shortage of community amenities - from community centers to desirable food options. I have taken this opportunity to recreate what Bronzeville use to be for many people - a home. I have used a principle of the "home" as a driver for my project. The goal here is to create a second home for the resi-dents of Bronzeville to live and grow together.
Sketches and models were used to explore how a home might manifest in this project. What is a home and how literal should this metaphor be? Is it about the privacy of a fam-ily or an extensionof the lives inside the home? Opposite to that, what if this project is about escaping the reali-ties of present day Bronzeville? Should this be a vacation home or a treehouse?
Mic
higa
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Cot
tage
gr
Dan
Rya
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Dan
Rya
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Washington Park
U.S. Cellular
MetcalfePark
Washington Park
U.S. Cellular
iit
35th - bronzeville - iit
Indiana
43rd
47th
51st
SchoolsParksCommunity Amenities
N
35th - bronzeville - iit35th - bronzeville - iit35th - bronzeville - iit35th - bronzeville - iit35th - bronzeville - iit
Schools
Parks
Community Amenities
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1/16" = 1' scaled conceptual models exploring numerous ideas such as form, visibility, circulation, etc.
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SOUTH ELEVATION
There were three factors that weighed heavily into deciding the building proportions:
1. In addition to the traffi c on 43rd street, the placement of the courtyard was placed based on the position of the sun during the busiest time of the day - early evening
2. The western mass was lowered and the eastern portion raised to allow more light into the courtyard and the eastern side of the building.
3. The noise and vibration from the CTA stop will be dampened by the larger eastern mass.
1. First reaction to use whole site to get a large builing perim-eter.2. If I wanted to add an open space, it would decrease building perimeter.3. Solution: to add space to interior to increase building pe-rimeter.
GETTING MAXIMUM STREET PRESENCE
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YOUTH CENTER900 SQFT
DAY CARE900 SQFT
COMMUNITY DINING AREA1,800 SQFT
RESTAURANT KITCHEN1,600 SQFT
DEMOKITCHEN
1,600 SQFT
GROWINGSPACE
2,000 SQFT
CLASS ROOMS900 SQFT
OFFICES900 SQFT
EVENT/GALLERY SPACE2,250 SQFT
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BUSIESTTIME OFTHE DAY
12AM
12AM
12PM
6AM
3AM
3PM
6PM
9PM
9AM
COMMUNITY COOKING CLASSDINING
ADMINISTRATIONFOR RENT OFFICES
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMDAY CARESTUDENTS
PERMANENT CHEFSRENTABLE KITCHEN
LOADING
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communityspace
mixed-
occupancy
specialevent space
vertical circulationPrairie Ave
43rd St
CIRCULATION DIAGRAM
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VIEW FROM SOUTH WEST
Windows on a home or photos on a living room wall allow a passage into the lives of the people that live in the home. It is up to the inhabitant of the house to choose what to display. I took this attitude when designing the building's envelope. There are some parts of the program that I wanted to put on full dis-play - the restaurant, youth center, and grow-ing space. However, there are different parts of the home that are not fully public. This led to selective screening - from trees, window shades, or the trellis wood screen wrapping the building - depending on what part of the program it corresponded to.
VIEW FROM UNDERTRAIN PLATFORM
GROUND
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In addition to the ability to see into the home, the model of the home was used to organize the spaces inside the building and circulation through those spaces. The ground level is the most public, and as the program moves up, the spaces become more specialized and in-timate.
SECOND LEVEL
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VIEW OF GARDENFROM CLASSROOM
VIEW FROM INSIDE GREENHOUSE
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EAST-WEST SECTION
NORTH-SOUTH SECTION
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VIEW FROM ATRIUMTOWARDS GREENHOUSE
VIEW OF RESTAURANTFROM ENTRANCE
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1/8" = 1' SCALE MODELVIEW FROM SOUTHWEST
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1/8" = 1' SCALE MODELVIEW FROM TRAIN PLATFORM
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1/8" = 1' SCALE MODELPLAN VIEW
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1/8" = 1' SCALE MODELGREENHOUSE
This
dra
win
g ex
plai
ns th
e bu
ildin
g en
velo
pe. T
he w
ood
trellis
ext
ends
ove
r the
win
-do
ws
to c
reat
e a
scre
en. T
hey
are
desi
gned
like
ope
rabl
e, v
ertic
al ja
lous
ie w
indo
ws.
De
pend
ing
on w
hat i
s oc
curr
ing
insi
de th
e ro
om, t
he u
ser
has
the
optio
n to
ope
n or
clo
se th
e bl
inds
. In
addi
tion
to th
e fa
mily
gro
win
g up
insi
de th
e ho
me,
the
actu
al
hom
e ag
es to
o: th
e ex
pose
d co
ncre
te s
how
s th
e st
ruct
ure
of th
e bu
ildin
g; th
e gr
owth
of
the
vine
s on
the
exte
rior w
all c
hang
e se
ason
ally
; and
the
woo
d w
ill w
eath
er o
ver
the
year
s as
it is
exp
osed
to th
e cl
imat
e.
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FACADE MOCK-UPS
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This project is de-signed to be a second home for the com-munity of Bronzeville. It is a place where the residents can come, interact, learn, and grow together.
EDUCATION COMMUNITY HOME
VIEW FROM GARDEN TO CLASSROOM VIEW FROM TEACHING KITCHEN
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EAST ELEVATION
AVG RAINFALLPER YEAR = 39.1IN
WATER TANK =1,400 CU-FT
RAIN CATCHMENT AREA =8,100 SQ-FT
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- Rain screen that has three main objectives:
1. To protect building exterior from weather
2. To provide solar shading where needed (in combination with operable louvres and screens)
3. Reuse wood and timber that would be thrown out - Poured-in-place concrete structure ensures that building will have long permanent life - Rain water harvesting for irrigation of on-site greenhouse - Operable windows to facilitate natural ventilation - Greenhouses placed on south side of site to maximize solar gain
Roof Surface Area = 8,100 sqftAvg Rainfall/year = 39.1inAvg Rainfall/month = 3.3inMost rainfall in a month = 4.13in (May)Growing Area = 1,400 sqft
Average growing requires 1in ofrain per week. Therefore on ayearly basis, the growing on thissite will require 1,400 cu-ft ofwater per month.
1/32" = 1' SCALE CONTOUR MODEL
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LIN
E IN
TH
E LA
ND
1/8" = 1' SCALE CONTOUR PLASTER MODEL
1/8" = 1' SCALE CONTOUR PLASTER MODEL 1/32" = 1' SCALE CONTOUR MODEL
This was an exercise where a piece of snippet of text was shared out of context. Without knowing where it came from, the text's transla-tion into a landscape project was open-ended. The models presented here depict a rain collection system sited in Cook County Park in Il-linois.
THESIS MASTERPROJECT
1/128" = 1' SITE MODEL
POLY
DWEL
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GS
This is a proposal for three mixed-income, mixed-use residential complexes in Vancouver, Canada. Vancouver’s current urban geography is unique because 50% of its land use is dedicated to single family homes. This is an ineffi cient model because Vancouver’s population growth is currently out-pacing Canada’s national average by 9%. Increasing the available housing stock and subsequently, the increasing the population density, is required to pro-vide adequate housing that can begin to meet the existing demand.
2KM
.4KM
2MI
.4MI
00
430$100K
P E R S O N S / A C R E
F A M I L Y I N C O M E
860+$200K +
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66PROGRAM SECTION
The three sites are located immediately adjacaent to each other. The goal is to increase hous-ing stock so it was important to select three empty lots as opposed to tearing down exist-ing buildings. I have also chosen this site because it is located in a buffer zone between the downtown peninsula and Vancouver's poorest neighbourhood. The two distinct areas are within just 2 miles of each other. A large goal of this project was to create a community that is attractive to new residents but one that also does not displace current residents. This was achieved by increasing retail and amenities for the community. This will improve the local economy and expedite the community's development. Secondly, there was ample space al-located to social services to provide support for the lower income residents. Lastly, there are various scales of public outdoor space that are adaptable to numerous programs (from balconies and interior courtyards to an open park) to encourage interaction between all com-munity members. A focus was placed on organizing public program and amenities so that pedestrian traffic and sidewalk activity would increase.
SITE 1INCREASED PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY
PUBLIC COURTYARD
MATERIALITY: PERFORATED COPPER SCREEN
MATERIALITY: HORIZONTAL WOOD FACADE
MATERIALITY: MASONRY BRICK WEAVE
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PREFABRICATED BRICK PANEL This project is sited in one of Vancouver's old-est neighbourhoods, VIctory Square. The ex-isting architecture is compressed of mid-rise masonry buildings commonly seen around North America built in the last century. There was an effort to acknowledge the area's his-tory without imitating the area's surrounding architecture. This challenged was tackled by choosing materials that will age gracefully and create their own stories and histories - copper which patinas to a vibrant green, timber which loses its colour and turns into a steel gray, and masonry whose weight speaks of timelessness. Having three build-ings cladded in different materials will create individuality, identity, and pride.
An attempt was made to use the materials to skin the building in interesting ways that still stayed true to the material's essence. For example, the unit of the brick was translated into the unit of the prefabricated panel that is still stacked the same way a traditional brick would be. The unit of the brick was fur-ther emphasized by offsetting the way each was stacked to create an interesting texture. Thirdly, depending on the program of the spe-cific part of the building, bricks were taken out of the wall to create openings.
In an ode to the area's strong industrial past, the facades are mechanically operable. This gives the inhabitants the ability to control nat-ural lighting and fenestration.
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SITE2:OPERABLE FACADE
Circulation is key to all housing projects. In this case, circulation includes organization of unit types - market and subsidized. It was important that various units were dispersed throughout the project, so as to not segre-grate. Buildings also shared one residential entrance and lobby. Units are all organized in U-shapes to provide shared outdoor court-yards elevated above the street. Additionally, units were pushed and pulled to to create varied floor plates to accomodate square-footage unit requirements. This created bal-conies or sunrooms in some units and in-creased square-footage in other units.
DIVERSE UNIT MAKE-UP
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SITE3:OPERABLE WOOD FACADE AS SCREEN
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FACADESECTION FACADE MODEL
SITE 1:PERFORATED SCREEN
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25FT
SITE1:PRIVATE COURTYARD
SITE2:COURTYARD PERSPECTIVE SECTION
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SITE3: 1/16" = 1' SCALE MODEL
1/8" = 1' SCALE MODEL
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1/32" = 1' STUDY MODELS
This is a proposal for a mixed-use apartment/gallery on Lincoln Av-enue, in the Roscoe Village neighbourhood of Chicago. The transit rail posed issues of noise, while the corner lot created an intersection be-tween the commercial and residential corridors. The area demanded that all Lincoln Ave frontages on the ground level be accessible to the pedestrian. All retail space had to be entirely public. The two-story gal-lery incorporates load bearing walls and concrete columns that rea-sonably allows 16-ft spans. The building uses a terrraced profile that transitions the building from commercial on the east to the residential neighbourhood on the west. Residents were given a private entrance that is hidden from Lincoln Ave. The main volume of the building uses framing elements that hint at how the building is organized inside. This visual device was used to elevate the home to another level, liter-ally and metaphorically, over the hustle of the urban fabric of the city. SITE1:
1/16" = 1' SCALE MASSING MODEL
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Roscoe St
Lincoln Ave
EAST WESTBUILDING SECTION
ROSCOE STREET ELEVATION
LINCOLN AVENUE ELEVATION
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SITE1: 1/8" = 1' SCALE STRUCTURAL MODEL
PERSPECTIVE FROM SOUTH EAST
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CONCEPT SKETCH:CHILDREN PLAYING WITH BLOCKS
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During this project, I was in contact with Edwidge Dorelien, President of Haiti Sustainable Education. He is in the process of opening up a boarding school in Grand-Bois, a rural area in the south-east region of Haiti. There are two immediate issues that were dealt with in this project: 1. Economic and technologic limitations restricted construc-tion options; and 2. The selected lot is set on a steep hill-side.
I proposed that the school be comprised of multiple smaller units. The benefits of this strategy were that it allowed the campus to be built in phases, ease of construction on a sloped site, and spans with-in the dormitories and classrooms were managable. A secondary set of issues that had to be addressed dealt with connection to the outd-doors and the security of young children. Spaces were created so that children were always visible by many sets of eyes.
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AERIAL LOOKING TOWARDS SOUTHEAST
SCHOOL ENTRANCE
Program Schedule:Daily Sequence Diagram
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DINING HALL GROUND FLOOR DINING HALL ROOF
MAINTENANCE BUILDING
PAVILION SECTION CPAVILION SECTION B
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1/32" = 1' PAVILION MODEL MAINTENANCE BUILDING AND DINING ROOFTOP SECTION
DINING SECTION
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DINING HALL
EARLY SKETCH FROM POLYDWELLINGS
JESSE NGUYENDESIGN PORTFOLIO
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