2022
In collaboration with Jay Zhu
The project serves as an educational institution for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The site is located at the intersection of 16th and Wisconsin Street in San Francisco, flanked by California College of the Arts (CCA) and a residential complex. An urban corridor connecting CCA and the residential neighborhood was created to allow people to walk through and see some of the events happening in the institution.
The bridges on the second level connect the programs on two sides of the corridor. It is a place where the students can see the events happening in the public space and observe the city from a distance. (See SECTION A-A) The large openings at the south ends of the bridges introduce the users to the following program. For example, they would see the kitchen from above before going downstairs to the cafeteria. Or, they see the basketball court before reaching the bleachers. (See SECTION B-B, SECTION C-C)
Through this project, we explore how light performs with the interweaving pattern, topography, and textures. The investigation involves a series of experiments with different representation approaches.
The weaving pattern shapes the sloped ceiling which helps diffuse the sunlight into the indoor spaces. Textures interplay with the rhythm of light and give the users varying visual and textural experiences throughout the project.
The designed topography becomes part of the lighting strategies when it controls the amount of light perceived by the users.