Telemedicine Center| SPRING 2008 | 2007 AMD OPEN ARCHITECTURE CHALLENGE

Design Team: Sergio López-Piñeiro / Saki Yoshimura/ Kin Chun Ma

In approaching this project, we perceived a number of existing voids in this fraction of the Nepalese society due to the temporal or permanent displacement of their people for different reasons: Chhapaudi; labor migration to India; constant death due to HIV; day-long work in the fields. These social voids produced by economic and cultural reasons have pushed us to consider our design in a similarly real yet hopefully more encouraging manner. Our design proposes a system of spatial voids defined by stone walls and wooden columns. At the same time, however, the design does not preclude the users from appropriating these voids as they need or desire. The proposed blank voids do not attempt to replicate the social voids in a metaphorical manner. Rather, our design attempts to resonate with the mind set and courage of Nyaya Health members when dealing with the opportunities that their daily lives offers them.

Fair Trade Exchange Center | SPRING 2008 | 2007 AMD OPEN ARCHITECTURE CHALLENGE

Design Team: Sergio López-Piñeiro / Saki Yoshimura/ Kin Chun Ma

Our design for Kallari proposes a building capable of mixing tourists, factory workers, and office staff members. A set of open and public spaces cross the building diagonally connecting the road with the river. The building's layout is defined by the location of the bamboo yard from which the building will be constructed later. In summary, the building proposes a clear integration between different aspects--natural environment and building; locals and tourists--but it also attempts to mix these same aspects by establishing an exchange between them.

The Wish Lantern | Summer 2017 | 2017 M+ Pavilion Competition

Design Team: Winnie Tsang/ Winnie Lam/ Kenny Feltrin/ Kin Chun Ma

“Pavilion” is originated from the French “paveillun” and the latin, “Papilio”, with a hint on the concept of an outstanding lightweight structure to create an open space for various functions. Wish Lantern Pavilion defines space according to its functions; thus, it changes with its nature. Sitting at the tip of the West Kowloon Development, the Wish Lantern Pavilion embraces the magnificent world‐renowned Victoria Harbor view with the ICC tower as its backdrop. There, this urban oasis stands as the public retreat in the metropolis.

In sync with nature, the “ Wish Lantern Pavilion” is composed in 3 plug‐in Design for Disassembly systems, the Shells, the Water Lotus and the Mat. Diversity is achieved through design variations that individualize these spatial complexes. Each Shell and each Lotus is conceived of as a freestanding component, fixed to the interlocking modular Mats according to needs. The Shells define quality space for stage and venue. Each has the flexibility to extend and merge with the surrounding public area to cover main programs, ranging from performance ranging from street set to small theatrical standard.

The Shell Canvas is shaped by a steel frame in covering of nylon fabric, that come from the Hong Kong Legendary Red‐White‐Blue bags. Its retractable mechanism takes up the idea of a Chinese festive lantern, folding from top down. The Shells become benches when fully folded. Enable to serve a wide range of functions, the shells open and connect to redefine negative and positive space in different scenario. The Lotus canopies loosely fill in the gaps between the Shells and provide naturally spread of sun shading and rain protection over the space defined. Flexibility in the overall design is achieved by controlling the number of the components and repositioning of these units. The self‐sustainable design for Disassembly system allows the Pavilions to be easily movable and fully capable in adapting to many different sites anywhere in the site. This perfect marriage of aesthetic design and simple technology achieve great extent of flexibility in a competitive cost.

Urban Swirl | Fall 2010 | Ali Rahim Studio

AIA NJ West Student Award Second Prize | 2011 Evolo Skyscraper Competition Finalist

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma/ Vivian Liao

In metropolitans like Tokyo, the shortage of the land become a major reason for vertical space development. Skyscrapers grow up and become isolated islands in the cities, disconnecting with the horizontal plane. Urban Swirl is seeking a new design concept about the relationship between skyscraper and its surrounding urban context.

In this project, we offer a design of a building complex which compose of 3 towers. On a site size of 360,000 square feet, it serves multiple programs including cultural, business and residential. By building connections in between the towers, as well as building connection between the towers and the site plane;

Urban Swirl aim to connect the vertical and the horizontal space. The connections between the buildings and the site serve as a buffer between the towers and the cities. It provides a smooth transition from vertical space to the horizontal space.

We define “Program Intensity” as the intensity of the program activities. Starting from the edge of the site, the program intensity gets stronger when it move towards the center and swirls into the buildings. The program intensity changes according to the rotation speed of the building as well.

Three buildings belong to the same ‘family’. They share the same concept of spatial organization. These three buildings rotate in different speed, most vigorous in the shortest and the least vigorous in the tallest one. The vertical space in each floor also corresponds to the rotation, space becomes more tighten up and hence more private when rotation gets more drastic. In general, the base is the least rotated part in each building. The base is more ‘loosen’, and the space is open up to accommodate public programs. When it gets up to the upper floors, rotation becomes more vigorous, and space is tightening. Partitions are formed along with rotation. Spaces become more private and rooms for offices and residential are created.

The Stage | Spring 2010 | Hina Jamelle/Arup Studio

Featured in Penndesign Work 2009-2010

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma/ Hyungwoo Kim/ Sara Witschi

This project examines how architecture can be a stage for seeing and being seen. Our goal is to enhance the experience of the user as a performer as well as a spectator.

The Performance Center is composed of three main stages, one in the basement, another hanging in the middle of the building, and the roof of the building. The orientation and location of each stage within the building is carefully orchestrated in an acoustically smart way in addition to providing an urban backdrop for the stage. Each stage has its own acoustical design strategy in relation to the other stages. The transformation from the basement stage to the roof stage was also embedded into the structural intelligence of the building. The structural logic derives from two systems in which there is a transformation from thick, concrete panels below grade, to a much lighter, steel structure at the roof.

The Torque | Fall 2009 | Hina Jamelle Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

For a place like Tribeca, where transformation had been occurring through time, and where disaster had left a scar; Architecture has to be emerged along with these impacts. The hotel aims to reflect the unease of Tribeca after 911 by creating a high energy and dynamic environment throughout the hotel. A green public space torques through the building as the primary circulation. The public green space connects public and private programs and provides an organizational strategy for the hotel units. The torque and angular nature of the public green space, facade materials and hotel units become more pronounced and enclosed as it gradates to the nightclub on the rooftop.

Imprecise Architecture | Spring 2008 | 2007 AMD Open Architecture Challenge

Design Team: Sergio López-Piñeiro / Saki Yoshimura/ Kin Chun Ma

Our proposal defines SIDAREC Center as an infrastructure for the slum’s artistic, cultural, and functional expression. All the building spaces will be defined by a system of blank fences that users can appropriate as they see fit.

Slums can show a poignant sense of fragility and adaptability that has inspired us in the design of our fencing system. The proposed fences do not fit exactly in the underlying hexagonal grid; rather, the system is designed with some tolerance in an attempt to overcome potential problems such as the impossibility to obtain the right material or the lack of good labor. As a result, and as the plan of our design shows, the proposed fencing system is delicate yet with a strong character, exhibiting an image that we find appropriate and inspiring for SIDAREC’s mission.

The Markt | Spring 2011 | Behnisch Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma/ Tzu-Chung Lai

The major goal of the project is to integrate the market experience on the ground with the residential units above.

Market

The building is generally raised up to provide an open ground floor for the market space. Depending on season and weather condition, the market will operate either at the perimeter of the building (outdoor), or underneath the building (indoor). An additional web of adjustable louvers is connected to the adjacent buildings to provide shading for the outdoor market.

Building

The building is organized as to maximize south solar gain for each of the units. Each unit has a south facing terrace. Roof top residential units even has the entire roof as a front yard garden.

Facade

The facade is compose of tracks that allow planting boxes to rotate around the building. The boxes would rotate along the tracks according to the solar angle in order to gain sunlight for the plants. At the same time it also provide shading for the units. Mature plantings would be brought down to the market level by the tracks to be sold.

Work Live Play | Fall 2008 | Brad Wales Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

Located at an urban site in downtown Toronto, this is a residential building that connects Work, Live and Play. All dwellings are Live-Work units. The building complex intend to bring working and living environment together, as well as providing urban leisure activities for the residents. Through architectural distinctions, the building seek to provide a new urban experience and quality to the downtown area.

All Dwelling units are prefabricated and assemble on site. Four concrete towers take up the load of the building, and units are being cantilevered

Watershed | Spring 2009 | Annette Fierro Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

Located at an urban site in Philadelphia’s center city, the watershed is a community health center that provides both healthcare and leisure services.

Watershed incorporates the city’s grey water sewage system as a water feature. Storm water is collected and drained into a trench, which runs through the middle of the building. The water is then being filtrated and put in use as a main water source for the recreational water surface.

Transformality | Fall 2010 | Ali Rahim Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma / Tiffany Fu

This project explores some of the instances in which designers are able to move beyond techniques by commanding them to such a degree as to achieve elegant aesthetics with transformation of forms.

Card Assembly | Fall 2008 | Roland Snooks Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma, Sean Bang

Growth behavior, Generative components, and Continuity are the terminologies that represent this project. When the generative components are combined according to its internal rule, a pattern emerges from the revolving shape as part become whole.

Three dimensionalities are then introduced as a new set of internal rules to create a complex system. As the complexity increases, physical limitations introduce another conditional rule, which then make it possible for yet another system to be emerged.

Surface Effect | Fall 2010 | Catherine Veikos Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma/ Vivian Liao

Building surface or building skin is not just a ‘clothing’ for building, it migrates into the interior organization and integrates with the tectonic assemblies. This project examines the potential of transforming a 2 dimensional surface pattern into a 3 dimensional space.

Atlantictartica | Spring 2008 Thesis Project | Eva Franch Gilabert Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

To Recreate Atlantis on Antarctica

MANIFESTO

THIS IS THE LAND WHERE CITIZENS

'despised everything but virtue, caring little for their present state of life, and thinking lightly of the possession of gold and other property, which seemed only a burden to them; neither were they intoxicated by luxury; nor did wealth deprive them of their self-control; but they were sober, and saw clearly that all these goods are increased by virtue and friendship with one another, whereas by too great regard and respect for them, they are lost and friendship with them.'

Plato, 'Critias'

THIS IS THE LAND WHERE
NO ONE OWNS THE LAND;
NO NATION;
NO LAW;
RESOURCES SHARED AMONG EVERY ONE;
ON THE LAND OF ANTARCTICA, ANY RESEACH THAT PROMOTES A BETTER FUTURE FOR HUMAN RACE WILL BE ENCOURAGED.
THIS IS THE LAND WHERE PRESERVATION IS NEEDED
THIS IS THE LAND WHERE TRACE OF HUMAN IMPACT NEEDED TO BE DOCUMENTATED

Live the Box | Summer 2008 | Moho Design

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma, Evan Chan

The word “MULTI-family” in 21st century is under a new interpretation, it should be called as Multiple Undefined Lifestyle Transformed Individual family. As each individual is demanding more privacy, people are using different ways to interact with one another. It is very critical and necessary to provide different public spaces within the area of living. Time to travel and proximity to shopping center are also two major factors for an individual to decide rather this is a good place to live or not.

In order to design something suitable for this group of people, the entire building complex is elevated from the street level to provide lots of open and green areas for residents and public use. The zigzag shaped corridor contains three tiers of containers which accommodate multi-family with more individual and private spaces. The curve shaped corridor contains six tiers of containers for commercial use. An open terrace elevated from the street level which connects the end of residential strip to the main residential tower. The main residential tower consists thirty tiers of containers along with a ten tiers parking garage. All these elements constitute a multi – lifestyle community, it allows interaction between different walks of lives; whereas, it provides private experience for individuals.

Time Line Drawing | Fall 2005 | Torben Berns Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma/ Keerati Smathvithayavech

A constructive drawing that identifies the critical moments in the ‘Monument to the third international, 1919’ by Vladimir Tatlin. The drawing device is a wood box with transparent glass at the back. The mechanical model of Tatlin’s tower is placed inside, In order to obtain both plans and elevations shadow view, the model could be rotated 90 degrees. A paper was placed on the glass to trace the shadow of the tower in different moments.

Stump | Fall 2004 | Freshman Studio_ Carlos Rodriguez

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

A device was created to collect and disperse water droplets from the tree canopy above, which in turn alter the rate of deterioration of the stump.

SkYtree | Fall 2014

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

Located at an urban island, the Skytrees serves as three observation decks looking over both the island natural landscape and City Skyline.

The Structure takes ‘Garden by the bay’ in Singapore as inspiration. Each ‘tree’ accommodate different architectural program – a museum, a free fall and a restaurant. They are connected by a walkable sky bridge, 30 meters above the ground.

Knot | Fall 2008 | Roland Snooks Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

The Knot is an application of self-repetitive pattern to generate space and Architecture form.

Corner | Fall 2004 | Freshman Studio_ Carlos Rodriguez

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

Four different corner conditions were documented. Their composition is then rearranged to form a new elementary house.

Construction of ‘Suprematism’ | Fall 2005 | Torben Berns Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

The painting ‘Suprematism’ by Kazimir Malevich is interpreted as a shadow of an object in a particular moment. The line weight of the ‘shadow’ indicated the distance between the object and the shadow screen and hence the movement of the object. The goal of this project is to reconstruct the other ‘moments’ for this painting.

Cantilevering garden | Fall 2005 | Torben Berns Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

The program of the garden is driven by Malevich’s painting ‘Suprematism (1918)’. The concept of the garden is to recreate the ‘shadows’ of the painting by projecting lines from the painting in different angles. The projection lines thus become the structural elements of the garden.

Boathouse | Fall 2007 | Leo Modrcin Studio

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma

The Site is located along the river bank, next to a bank building. The development of the boathouse was divided into three phases.

Phase 1 – The route of a pinball bouncing in a confined box marked a ‘pattern’. The notion of a ‘pattern’ here is defined as the trace of a predictable movement, and such movement always follows the rule of refection.

Phase 2 – The boathouse extended from the shore to the water. A safe area is designated for boat parking as the building is facing against the water current. Three imaginary boxes were introduced to the site, one for boat repairing and two for boat parking. The two entrances are created as the imaginary boxes carved into the existing bank building.

Phase 3 - The internal organization of the boathouse museum follows a ‘Moebius Curve’. Structure and partition wall also integrated with the Moebius strip.

Green Torque | Spring 2016 | Peter McCaffery Fellowship

2016 Peter McCaffery Fellowship Runner-up

Design Team: Kin Chun Ma/ Charlotte Law/ Gary Fung

At East Kowloon Hong Kong, where urban context transform constantly emerging Architecture has to address these vibrant changes. The tower aims to reflect the transformation by creating a dynamic green torqueing space throughout the complex. The green space link up private and public program, putting ‘Live’, ‘work’ and ‘Play’ together and soften the distinct boundaries between them. The intensity of torsion also increases when public and private meets (middle), providing more exchange opportunities; whereas ease out at private residency (top).