This document proposes updating the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California to incorporate water desalination and purification capabilities. It would convert existing courtyards into water filtration ponds and install over 1,500 desalination canisters across three plazas. The updated facility could produce over 674 million gallons of drinking water annually, satisfying the needs of 46,000 people and generating over $2 million in profit to fund biomedical research. The goal is to preserve the monumental architecture while making it more vital and connected to modern water technologies and the surrounding community.

1. church street
U R B A N _ A C T I VAT I O N mapping locality
Metropolitan Redux Competition - a new public space for supporting local business
Metropolitan Redux Competition, September 2009 the building serves as a central hub for all local shops in
the champaign area. the goal is to promote the vibrancy
of small local businesses, and the diverse life style of the
city. instead of a strip mall, this building is designed for
small scale local shops,and connects them with a con-
form generation tinuous ramp surrounding an open courtyard at the
lower level. this ramp leads directly to the street corner
side walk, where a bus stop is located, thus linking the
building with the rest of the Champaign urban-scape
euro-mart
the tall folding facade is an information panel com-
posed of long columns of digital screens. the images of
the building is conceived as a green surface extending from the existing urban-scape. by lifting up the exiting
local stores on the screen moves vertically. As the visi-
land area, the building gives space back to the people, and creates open public spaces for urban life tor appoach a certain row, the moving images of that
april’s floral
column slow down, and stops when the visitor choose
a certain store by touch that image. if the store is lo-
cated in this building, a flashing line will activate on the
am-ko asian foods inner facade of the building, leading the visitor to the
specific store. If the store is located somewhere else
in the city, a bus route and schedule will be displayed.
pitaya att
site plan N ires
jarling’s
custurd
neil street old tim
e mea
t and de
li
cham
paig
n, il
lin ois
continuous green roof,
open to public access
browse for destination choose destination direction initiated follow direction to destination
tall front facade information panel
how to activate the information panel
continuous ramps,
extending the streets into
the building
the building the building has two mainthe main ramp from the street corner, and the lobby entrance from neil street. a side entrance to entrance to the coffee shop isthe plazaoff the plaza on church street. besides
has two main entrances: entrances: the main ramp from the street corner, and the lobby entrance from neil street. a side the coffee shop is located off located on church street. besides
the coffee shop,coffee shop, the building a restaurantaat the end of the ramps, and a farmer’s market at the base of the ramp.of the ramp. 14 rentabale shops are the continuous ramp and the courtyard. courtyard.
the the building will include will include restaurant at the end of the ramps, and a farmer’s market at base 14 rentabale shops are linked with linked with the continuous ramp and the
outter facades, com-
posed of translucent
glass panels
restaurant upper
restaurant upper
section section
tall facade, composed of
translucent/transparent n ce n ce
ra ra re s t a u ra n t re s t a u ra n t
t t
vertical strips of screens, m u l t i- p u r p o sm u l t i- p u r p o s e
e en en
p p
displaying store informa- c o ffe e c o ffe e ra
m
ra
m
tion here and beyond. shop shop a in a in
m m
innner facade, composed
of translucent/transpar-
ent digital wayfinding
system
b o o k s t o re b o o k s t o re kitchen kitchen
shop shop
fa r m e r ’s m a rfa rt e r ’s m a r ke t
ke m
vertical walls, seperating
up
up
shops on three leveles
do
do
wn
wn
shop shop shop shop lo b by lo b by shop shop
c o u r tya rd c o u r tya rd
horizontal floor slabs,
staggered in height.
shop shop shop shop shop shop
shop shop shop shop
shop shop shop shop shop shop shop shop
lower level lower level ground floorground floor second floorsecond floor
N N
0 2 5 10 0 2 520 10 20
exploded axon view of north wall and cafe plaza looking towards street intersection
view of courtyard
view of lower level farmer’s market, looking towards the courtyard,courtyard, and the lobby above
view of lower level farmer’s market, looking towards the and the entrance entrance lobby above
east-west section pespective through lobby, courtyard and shops

2. FLUX[CITY] domestic travellers events at the new hub local travellers
cleveland Riverfront Competition, Dec 2009
In collaboration with Wei Gao, and Chenxi Hu
FLUX [city] is set out to re-define the conventional i n t e g r a t i n g m a n y m e a n s of trafic <<FLUX [hub]
“train station”, and re-think its function and its pur-
pose in a city. The new transit hub should not only
weave with the urban fabric, but also reflect the tran-
sience and temporariness of life in the new digital age.
conventional train station >>
The “ticketing -> waiting room -> platform” con-
transportation nodes
figuration is linear and inflexible. It rejects the city View of east walkway, trains visable below glass plaza
and block it beyond the bounds of the station.
F L U X [ e v e n t s ] > > the convergence and divergence of people, transportation means and events
vehicular traffic
train station re-defined >> retail Dear Bob, thank you for using the
Integrating highway with the building, creating a visual connection
A redefined “train station” becomes an indistinguish- short-term rooms
Section through east side
need to nd
automated accomondation
system.
able part of the urban fabric. Various functions in the
long-term rooms somewhere to
stay for the night your room
entertainment 301 on 2B
conventional setting (waiting room, ticketing) are being N
broken up and mixed with programs one can only access
events 1 2 Room
outside of the station (hotels, art galleries, theatre, etc) buy hotel rooms here
Key
Friday 1 night,
5:47 PM single room
... and...
vend !
Friday
5:56 PM
pedestrian traffic
section through station and plaza my room is
2B
on Lane 2,
section B
small room, but it
has everything I
need.
Friday
6:01 PM
Friday
6:02PM
Oh! there’s a game
going on, I can’t
miss that!
Saturday
transit level has strong visual connection to the central plaza above and the train platforms
looks like there’s
11:00 AM a public event
section through west side down there. I’ll
go check it out
Saturday
4:00 PM
so many choices,
what should I do
next?
Saturday
5:00 PM
lower level +615 ft
My buddy Bob
I can meet my texted me to
local buddy Tom meet him for
lunch
for dinner
Saturday
5:01 PM
customer’s timetable other attractions
theater 1D
High Speed Train to New York 0 hrs 15 mins retail
bars
Saturday Amtrak Train to Boston 1 hrs 47 mins
gym
5:36 PM High Speed Train to Columbus 2 hrs 4 mins
N
0 20 40 80 160
It was nice to see ground level +635 ft
Bob, time to go
home
Saturday
7:25 PM
M e e t B o b , h e ’ s t r a v e l i n g t h r o ug h t h e n e w
station
<<FLUX [ self ] upper level +660 ft

3. ARTERIAL PRODUCTION
- P R E S E R VAT I O N B Y P R O V O C AT I O N A C S A C O M P E T I T I O N
APRIL 2009
upgraded main plazas: ocean water desalin
ization pad
converting courtyard into water filtration pond
upgraded main pump under ocean water desal
sea water from
plazas: ground inization pad
: lower level
Added layer of connection
ium
itor
aud
and
nce recessed passage-
fere ways carring de-
con salinated water to
sea water from pump und
er ground
: lower level
Added layer of connection intake pipe:
water from the reservoir are sucked
into the unit through this pipe.
the pipe can be made out of pres-
sure resistant metal. water dis-
water permeates
pense through the top opening. through mem-
rium
au dito
a nd
nce
fere
RO Core:
rubber seal dispense
water locally
con
The Reverse Osmosis membrane, salt
water filter through this and be-
comes unsalted water. RO is one of
the two popular methods of desali-
nization process.
casing:
the exterior container for the
processing core. installed are salt water pumped
color sensitive components.
3 stages of drinkable water processing
production
Site Plan
This project set out to challenge
STAGE 2 the notion monumentality and to intake pipe:
Purification Walls living community break down the social stigma of water from the reservoir are sucked
into the unit through this pipe.
40,000 SF
much alike Kahn’s original proposal, living community will occupy the hills west of
the institute. it will include resident housing, visitor housing, recreational center
biomedical research. It asks the each desalinization canister is able to
the pipe can be made out of pres-
sure resistant metal. water dis-
water permeates
STAGE 3 question of how to negotiate the produce one gallon of water in 2 minutes, pense through the top opening. through mem-
there are 1500 desalinization canisters
clean water to new residential in each of the three plazas, that is a total
dichotomy between monumentality of 4500 canisters producing 90,000 gal-
lons of desalinated water each hour.
and practicality, as well as
how to bring the monastery-
STAGE 1 green like research facility closer to
Desalination pads houses
the public realm. Taking what’s rubber seal dispense
product
RO Core:
avail able from the site: ocean The Reverse Osmosis membrane, salt water locally
water filter through this and be-
water, the new Salk Institute comes unsalted water. RO is one of
the two popular methods of desali-
will be upgraded into a fresh nization process.
water production facility with accounting 10% of water loss due to
evaporation, and 5% increase through
conference
desalinization and purification precipitation, 85,500 gallons of water
will be purified in stage 2 per hour,
center
capabilities, as well as providing generating a revenue of $255 per hour.
the functions to support casing:
the exterior container for the
biological research. The premises processing core. installed are salt water pumped
color sensitive components.
is to preserve Salk’s monumental
transition
new labs &
offices
impact as a masterpiece of Living communities:
housing and recre-
ational facility
20th century architecture,
while giving it vitality of the
zation
pumped
into desal
ini
STAGE 3 modern era with the aid of suppose the plant operates 90% of the
sea water
Clean Water for the water purification technologies year, it would be capable of producing
674,082,000 gallons of drinkable water
per year, (1,846,800 gallons per day.)
consumption
based on daily per capita residential wa-
ter flow of 40 gallons, the production of
the updated salk will satisfy the water
needs for a population of 46,000 people
payback
this amount of water will also gener-
ate a profit of $2,022,246, to be invested
back into biomedical research each year.
viewing the desalinization slab below the plaza level, from the new lobby below central row of the desalinization tubes lights up at night to hint the original waterway night view of the new central plaza, its lobby below and the sunken plaza in front
section perspective of the new lobby below the desalinization plaza

4. Leaf.Tech
In order to harvest biofuel
from the algae, processing
Leaf.Tech process stations are necessary. the
project proposes that existing
this project attempts to utilize gas stations should serves
such purposes with the pro-
the potentials of the algae biofuel
cessing tanks installed. The al-
through architecture, as well as by gae plant, after being exposed
mimicking the anatomy of leaf pho- to solar energy and grown to
tosynthesize. algae is transfused size, can be filtered out of the
among the triangular "leaf" pieces liquid solution at the process-
to capture solar energy, absorb car- ing stations, while new algae
can be injected into the system
bon dioxide, disperse oxygen, while
for another growing cycle.
grow to harvest biofuel.
Individuals can carry Leaf.Tech an
umbrella
Step 1. Step 2. Step 3. Step 4. Step 5
Purchase: Transport Assemble Shield Combine
The Leaf kit The kit is de- Connect the edge Use the as- The edges of each umbrella
includes 3 long signed to be tubes to the sembled umbrella can be attached to edges of
tubes, one equi- lightweight and tubes that are to protect from other umbrellas. This allows
laterial triangle portable in a built-in to the sun and rain. the umbrellas to form a inter-
certain portions of the Leaf.Tech membrane with backpack. membrane. actable urban infrastructure.
installtion can serve as shelters built-in aluminium
bars.
with its flexibility in configuration,
the Leaf.Tech installation can serve
the community in many ways.
thin perforated tubes that
collect carbon dioxide for algea
photosynthesise from the air,
and disperse oxygen back to
the environment
hollow carbon fiber tubes
capable of dispersing flowing
algea liquid from one leaf to
the other.

5. f a c e [ G U A R D ] replinger[UPGRADE]
H e m i n g w a y & a s s o c i a t i e s
H e m i n g w a y & a s s o c i a t i e s
winning competition entry for the 2009 Hong Kong rennovation project for the Replinger house
Shen Zhen Biennale, a hawker stall installation, 2009.
collaborator: Chenxi Hu
collaborator: Chenxi Hu, Mat Strack, Montana Crady
The Replinger house is located on the Urba-
na golf club. As a masterpiece of modernism,
The premise of face[GUARD], is that it hybridizes the cough guard
the house has an open floor plan for the main
of a typical retail establishment with the traditional hawker booth.
building, and a garage section. The renova-
tion is to carry the full-height window, and
The structure is to be computer numerically controlled [cnc] cut and perforated
simple material palette languages to the addi-
luan plywood painted white with wood structure on our router at the University,
tions of the house. The renovated house will
shipped in a crate for on site assembly by your organization with instructions in-
have a playhouse on top of the garage and
cluded. The exterior skin reflect the different alert categories, which for the safety
a long swimming pool collecting roof water.
of the person inside the booth which can be rotated to from the more open and
transparent to the more opaque depending on the status of airborne illnesses.

6. Basque Culinary Center Culture and Creative Park
Kengo_Kuma_&_Associates Kengo_Kuma_&_Associates
The Basque Culinary Center was a three-week competition for a new The culture and creative park is an ongoing project at KKAA for a
culinary school in Basque, Spain. The concept was to create a house/ historical fabric production facility in Beijing, China. The original factory
kitchen-like school whose form took cue from the local architecture buildings were built in the 1920s by Russian engineers and took forms
style: large gable roofs with heavy stone walls. of the sawtooth.
the undulating roof form reflects the rolling hills of this region, while The client wants to preserve a large amount of the original factory
the overall building shape complets the urban fabric of the site. buildings, and transform the plot into a new culture and creative park.
The new buildings will host offices for creative industries, and strive to
My involvement in the competition includes design investigations, 3D- achieve sustainability design.
modeling and rendering, and final image processing.
The preject has gone through many iterations of designs. The one
presented here, which I was working on, used the idea of “insertion” :
plugging new office buildings into the existing fabric. Two office towers
are also included as part of the project. They are to be placed at the
front edge of the site to serve as culture landmarks.
site plan
main street view
park view

7. WHAT IS YOUR SIGN ?
[ N O T _ T H E _ A S T R O L O G Y _ T Y P E ]
An Interactive LED installation for M.Arch Thesis
convergence divergence signals boundary centralization dispersion plus minus
material - plastic tube sections plugged into craft foam
Our soc
com iety tod
pu ay
now ting and is driven
hav com
munic by efficie
+
pheno e more
wa atio ncy ma
invigo mena com ys to com n, wh nefest
ich
gies rate our pupels the municate both sup ed throug
blic spa archite , yet por h the
ces usi ct to re- we som t and com preval
We are ng the examin ehow fee plicate ence of
new e our ub
redeen living in l
sets our built further apa social iquitous
ed. the of too env relation
The enc When age of ls like ironme rt from s.
mo
experie losed envyou are in bility and embed nt and each oth We
ded see
case nce of youironment your car synchr interac k ways er. This
of to oni tive tec to re-
you loodigital com destin of the car go to a cer zation,
r
hnolo-
atio iso and
Your k up info municatio n is thu lates the tain place, the not
phy rm s ion of
the gue sical loc ation on n device altered. Thiprocess you are “the
s of , in pla
leapt st room ation rem a hotel to ranges fro s altered “getting a sense, ce” has
from of ain sta exp the alre bee
your the hot s in front y, you m your hom erience re” from ady the n
curren el. Wh are
It is thi t pla en you of your comoffered e compuis more pre , and re. you
ces and a virt your
of dig s detach hav pu ter
met e a video ter, but ual tour to an iPh ent in the
val
ital me
spaces techno nt from up in one of
cybers conference can arg the gue . When
one
log our phy
These . In places y and pace. with ue st roo
how sica a frie that you ms.
tems. devices not commu it cha l environ
of
nd, you r min
that
For ma onl te, one nges the ment tha both d is in
they ny peo y serve as can oft way we t com have
do not ple, the com en obs interac pels one
1. event announced and participants invited through Facebook
have phone municatio erve to exa
to hav the t with
e any has anothe n tools, prevalenceach oth mine the
interac r but e of er in imp
tion function, also person the han physica act
with tha al ent d-held l public
the peo t is to
2. participants and visitors arrives at “what’s your sign party”, as they approach various panesl, LED
ple aro keep the ertainme device.
und m nt
them. appear sys-
busy
so
lighting animation indicates various of signs distance sensing module - 10 x 10 LED matrix performs pre-programed animation
3. participants and visitors uses their iphones, cell-phones, etc to text in the indicator, and receives a when user approaches
line of text corresponding to their sign. all texts are statements and questions relating to the topic of
ubiquitous computing and the notion of the “place” in the digital age
4. a central server collects all signs triggered by users, and maps their movements among the panels.
the server also uploads the participant’s selected sign to their Facebook profile.
5. make your own sign, using a facebook application that live-updates to the specific panels
composition
fabrication
5mm ultrabright LED Arduino Microprocessor ping)) supersonic sen-
stepping board module - LED lights up when sensing pressure