Mira Mui's Portfolio

MIRA MUIdream. design. build.

portfolio 2012

526 14th Ave E, apt 1Seattle, WA, 98112

[email protected]. 206.678.8956

[2] [3]

DESIGN STUDIO

PROJECTS

WORK EXPERIENCE

SKETCHBOOK

Learning CirclesArboreal HomologiesFour TowersArboressenceSavoring Montreal

Curating the EmpressBird of ParadisebuSanté

St-Thomas CourthouseToronto Union Station

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PORTFOLIO CONTENTS

Sketchbook

“My life purpose is simple: make dreams come true.”

[4] [5]

Looking beyond standardized healthcare design guidelines, this project explored the architectural opportunities of designing for a specific mental illness, in this case, a learning centre for persons with austism spectrum disorder (ASD). The project began through investigating how the mental disorder affects perception of the environment as well as architectural tools that would enable the thriving of persons with ASD. Circular spaces in increasing sizes helped accomodate specific individual to group learning situations, while the interstitial space created moments of random interactions. Order and way-finding are established through two skylight axes and exterior courtyards, acting as visual connections.

Persons with ASD thrive in controlled environments limited in stimuli to aid in focusing on the specific task at hand. Even sharp contrasts can prove to be too distracting. Social behaviours are furthermore not innate and must be taught.

LEARNING CIRCLES

SUMMER 2012ARCH 677: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 3INSTRUCTOR: FRANCISCA INSULZA

This project completed with:Marie-Pier Dufour

Site plan

Exterior view

Rue Champlain

Rue Ontario

Rue Alexandre de Sève0 1 5 10 20

guiding axis

specializingorder

compartmen-talization

fluidcirculation

overlay

dormitoryday center

parent care

[6] [7]

Elevation

Section a-a

Section b-b

Exploded axo

LEARNING CIRCLESCenter for Autism, Montreal, Canada

Main axes

Courtyard

Floor plan aa

bb

[8] [9]

This proposal for a permanent hospital in the earthquake devasted and poverty-ridden city of Jacmel, Haiti seeks to encourage architecture as part of a healing environment at one with its context: a rare patch of forested land.

To avoid the felling of this valuable resource, the structure snakes in and around the existing trees, following the topography of the land, facilitated by a 9 x 9m module. The trees are preserved, including those situated within the path of the structure, in special holders adapted to their swaying, growth and condition.

An exterior circulation path connects neighboring trees to the structure, enforcing the inside-out relationship.

Like tree habitats, the structure is elevated to take advantage of views, protect the hospital from flooding and securize from intruders, while allowing enough height for fauna to pass below.

The canopied bamboo roof system blends into vegetation and acts as a valuable water catchment area for rainwater collection.

ARBOREAL HOMOLOGIES

SUMMER 2012ARCH 677: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 3INSTRUCTOR: FRANCISCA INSULZA

Project completed with: Mylène Carrière

Exterior view

Concept sketches

[10] [11]

Model

ARBOREAL HOMOLOGIESHospital, Jacmel, Haiti

9x9m universal gridTopography Covered exterior areas AccessOutdoor circulation Overlay

Section conditions: (left) aa-intersecting tree, (middle) bb-circulation tree, (right) cc-parallel sections

a

a

b

b

c

c

Plan

1

1

1

1

1

2

2

3 4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1 In-patient2 Maternity ward3 Out-patient4 Morgue5 Laboratories6 Administration7 Staff services8 Moringa plantation storage9 Moringa tree plantation10 Chapel

9m

[12] [13]

ARBOREAL HOMOLOGIESHospital, Jacmel, Haiti

View from covered exterior

Aerial view Truss system

Elevation

PlanAxonometric

Structural section diagram

water capture [roof canopy]150 mm dia. cleaved bamboowaterproofing membrane

structure [trussing system]80 dia. tied pre-treated bambooties & anchors

material [timber promenade]imported 10”x2” joistsimported 8”x2” beams @ 400 mm c.c.imported 8”x2” decking.flexible bracket joint to trees and postsfixed joint to c-channel

defense [elevated sub-structure]9m span 500mm deep steel c-section beams9m span 500mm deep I-beam joists300mm deep columns (3-5m)elbow bracingwelded c-channel section

[14] [15]

This studio investigated the renovation of the burned down Empress into an cultural center dedicated to Analogue performance. The Empress was a cultural center throughout its history: first, as an Egyptian revival theatre and in the 1990s, a double-feature cinema.

The reinstatement of this institution as a central cultural focal point for the community is the underlying motive. Four periscope-like towers are inserted at the corners of the building, framing the performing spaces and acting as light beacons to the community at night. Mirrors in the towers bring in views of the community inside and distribute light from the cultural center out.

Bridging the towers connects public to production spaces creating peripheral servant space around the core performing areas. Visitors and artists are enticed to laterally peep into an ongoing show or simply people-watch.

This minimal destruction renovation seeks to rethink and build upon reclaimed lost space. Four Towers celebrates the rugged textures of the building while adding another layer to its cultural history.

FOUR TOWERS

FALL 2011ARCH 673: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2INSTRUCTOR: TALIA DORSEY

east of decarie

monkland

below tracks

sherbrooke street

existing segregated spaces

private

public

magic

identification oftraffic cores

bridging cores unifies space, emphasizes central

space and servesas organizing guide

light the cores!

live performace space

screening room 1

lab

extendable stageretiring room/bar

public lobby

lab

bridging area?

office

stage

projection

backstage

mechanical

lab

mechanical

controlroom

existing segregated spaces

private

public

magic

identification oftraffic cores

bridging cores unifies space, emphasizes central

space and servesas organizing guide

light the cores!

live performace space

screening room 1

lab

extendable stageretiring room/bar

public lobby

lab

bridging area?

office

stage

projection

backstage

mechanical

lab

mechanical

controlroom

existing segregated spaces

private

public

magic

identification oftraffic cores

bridging cores unifies space, emphasizes central

space and servesas organizing guide

light the cores!

live performace space

screening room 1

lab

extendable stageretiring room/bar

public lobby

lab

bridging area?

office

stage

projection

backstage

mechanical

lab

mechanical

controlroom

existing segregated spaces

private

public

magic

identification oftraffic cores

bridging cores unifies space, emphasizes central

space and servesas organizing guide

light the cores!

live performace space

screening room 1

lab

extendable stageretiring room/bar

public lobby

lab

bridging area?

office

stage

projection

backstage

mechanical

lab

mechanical

controlroom

segregated public and production space

Identify vertical cores

Connect public and private

Emphasize

Drawing communities in

Communicating out

east of decarie

monkland

below tracks

sherbrooke street

Exterior view

Existing condition

below tracks

east of decarie

monkland

sherbrooke st

below tracks

east of decarie

monkland

sherbrooke st

Organization concept

[16] [17]Longitudinal section

live performance space

screening room

offices

backstage

film labs

residence

residence

bar

lobby

film labs

rooftop terrace

5F

3F

2F

B

5F

2F

GF

B

3F

4F

GF

Floor plans

artist residence

bar areabarrel vault

live performance space

bar areastagescreening room

lobby

open workspace

FOUR TOWERSAnalogue Institute, NDG, Canada

workspace

Ground floor

Third floor

live performance space

Second floor

Roof

PRODUCE PUBLICPERFORM

View of live performance space

View of bar area

workspace

[18] [19]

100mm wide, 20mm thick cherry wood

siding

batten breathablemembrane

280 x 60mm SPF framing

25mm orientedstrand board

overlapped brass sheeting anchored onto

copper fasteners

FOUR TOWERSAnalogue Institute, NDG, Canada

View up tower

View down tower

Tower wall composition

Tower mirror view distribution

View of screening room and lab space

Construction sequence of bridges

[20] [21]

ARBORESSENCE

WINTER 2010ARCH 405: DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION 3INSTRUCTOR: HOWARD DAVIES

Interior view

The concept was inspired by my favourite place to read a book, in the dapple of a tree canopy. Both abstracted and natural ways to capture this experience were integrated.

With the brief to design a one-floor library, in an L-shaped lot, the building was divided into two main components to fill in the two sections of the L. A longitudinal service core divides the two partitions creating a portal between the two experiences.

The first component is a translucent after-hours pavilion greenhouse housing native birch trees and creating an open space for free standing exhibitions. The other component is the main library which has been overly “columned” to recreate the appearance of tree trunks in a forest. The columns pierce through a lit drop ceiling recreating a dapple effect.

A double facade, using structural translucent glass performs in winter and summer by insulating the building and pushing or pulling heat into the main library. At night, it doubles as a lantern, visible on the two main arterial roads, guiding people towards the library.

Marc-Favreau Library Ecological Review and Daylighting Strategies

Mira Mui | 2009.11.30

Exterior view

Section

ModelFloor plan

Collage concept encapsulating nature and through abstraction

[22] [23]

ARBORESSENCEMarc-Favreau Library, Montreal, Canada

kalwall translucent insulating roof panels R-20 sloped 2% to allow water drainagesteel truss joist

steel column (w-beam)steel angles and anchorskalwall translucent insulating panelsremote operated vent1.5m buffer air spacestee columnanchors

14” concrete thermal slabrigid insulationvapour barrier

Detail section

double skin facade creates a vent in which hot air is essentially shot out from the top

translucent insulating material helps reduce direct solar gain while allowing diffuse daylight

birch trees provide shade in summer to the southern exposed side

thermal mass (18” concrete) absorbs excess heat during the day and releases it at night

system draws out hot air from the library through a mechanical top vent

once the vent is close, trapped air acts an insulated air space in the buffer zone

nanogels give the transculent roof an insulation factor of up to R-20

thermal mass (18” concrete absorbs heat during the day and slowly releases heat once the sun is gone

mechanical system draws in hot/warm air from the top of the atrium releasing heat it into the rest of the building.

birch trees lose their leaves during the winter allowing warm sunlight to penetrate into the building.

Heating & ventilation system in summer

Heating & ventilation system in winter

[24] [25]

Savoring Montreal was an integrated design idea competition teaming students from ETS, an engineering technical college, with McGill University architecture students. The brief was to think of and design a possible adaptive reuse for a set of monumental historic grain silos in the Old Port of Montreal.

Using the past vocation of the grain silos, we were inspired by its connection to food. The concept promotes social, cultural and environmental initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint by educating and promoting the use of urban agriculture and local food. With the help of technology, we encourage the production, consuption and waste management of local food products.

Urban agriculture is achieved in highly controlled concrete silo environments. The industrial exterior is maintained for heritage conservation.

SAVORING MONTREALWINTER 2011PERSONAL PROJECTINSTRUCTOR: Leila Farah

Project completed with: Grace Lin (M. Arch.), Tristan Desjardins-Drouin (B. Civil Eng.), Bianka Bourgeois (B. Civil Eng.), Stephane Cormier (B. Civil Eng.), Karl Provost (B. Mech. Eng.), Jean-Philippe Gagnon (B. Mech. Eng.) Agricultural Educational Commercial Service

belevederereception hallfarmers marketrestaurants & retail

agriculture in siloscomposting

museums & workshops

circulationmechanicaladministration

Exterior view of northern facade

Urban agriculture silos: we have found several crops which thrive in minimal light conditions.

Belvedere

Farmers market Restaurant promenade View of southern facade

Programmatic section

Restaurants Commerce

+Education

Compost + Water Filtration

SavoringMontreal

economic ecological

social

Urban Agriculture

[26] [27]

The Empress was an abandoned Egyptian-revival theatre constructed at the height of atmospheric cinemas.

This exhibit explored the relationship between cinematic technological trends, current events and the evolution of the building itself throughout its life time.

Using a series of peepholes reminiscent of the first cinematic experience, participants focused on key moments embedded within an immersive 8x18 ft mural collage.

CURATING THE EMPRESS:AN EXHIBITIONWINTER 2012ARCH 673: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 2INSTRUCTOR: TALIA DORSEY

Project completed with: Silvie Marlette & Kyle Burrows

By studying the Bird of paradise’s morphology and growth pattern through Rhino, we explored how the flower, specifically how its cross-section, could generate a component form. The blooming growth pattern of the flower inspired the continuing formal explorations. This resulted in an Adobe Premiere animation using 3ds Studio Max renderings.

Lastly, a 3D textured-relief was extrapolated and manufactured using CAM rapid-prototyping.

BIRD OF PARADISEFALL 2008ARCH 272: DIGITAL REPRESENTATIONINSTRUCTOR: AARON SPRECHER

Project completed with: Emily Dovbniak

Longitudinal section Digital model Cross-section to 3D component evolution

Screenshot of animation

3D surface texture Line drawingsScreenshot of CAM prototyping simulation

[28] [29]

The buSANTÉ network uses buses that are transformed into spaces devoted to public health education, promotion and access. The articulated buses, which were headed for the scrapyard after renewal of Montreal’s city bus fleet, have been transformed into repurposed health lounges, comfortable spaces where communities can gather to meet, learn about new telehealth technologies and have access to non-emergency healthcare.

buSANTÉ

SUMMER 2012ARCH 677: ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN 3INSTRUCTOR: FRANCISCA INSULZA

network 1

network 2

network 3

median income between 0 - $15000

day stop

e

LA STM PREND SOIN DE VOUSNOUS INTRODUISONS LE RÉSEAU buSANTÉ EN COMMENÇANT PAR 4 BUS RECYCLÉS TRANSFORMÉS EN LOUNGE buSANTÉ

buSANTÉ

Marketing concept and design: (left) user passes that double as podometers & (right) advertisement

Concept collageNetworks based on low-income populations

9:30 BIO RHYTHM

WORKSHOPKNOW YOURGLUCOSE

In short the three main goals are:(1) HEALTH ACCESS: “reach out, don’t wait”(2) EDUCATION: “teach for self-awareness”(3) VISIBILITY: “health is a public concern”

On the education side, the buSANTÉ lounge is equipped with self-operated tele-monitoring devices, interactive touchscreens, treadmills and a technician to help you understand how all

the equipment works. In the medical side, a lab deposit space, consultation spaces with a nurse practictioner and medical dispenser is equally available.

This initiative is fully in keeping with the Montreal Transport System’s desire to be more visible at major Montreal events and in low-health communities in order to promote the use of public transit and health awareness as an integral part of a healthy lifestyle.

Plan

w.c.

waiting area

consulting consulting

dispensary BMIscreening

individual telehealth booths

treadmillsVO2 maxconsulting

examination examination

[30] [31]

Toronto’s Union Station is the busiest multi-modal transportation hub in Canada. The station is a Classified National Historic Site constituting the most important historical conservation status in the country. The revitalization project consists of restoring heritage features, optimizing circulation flow, and creating a world-class shopping and dining destination.

As part of the heritage team, my work included light fixture conceptual design with 3D rendering and lighting simulations; construction drawing; product and material research; existing masonry survey; report writing; and construction document control.

TORONTO UNION STATIONTORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADAHERITAGE ARCHITECT: FGMDACLIENT: CITY OF TORONTO & METROLINX

Project Architect: Julia Gersovitz & Dima Cook

VIA Rail Panorama Lounge (as-built)

Waiting Room Great Hall Panorama Lounge

The St. Thomas Consolidated Courthouse will bring together existing court facilities within one location in St. Thomas. The new building will consolidate within one modern facility St. Thomas’s two existing courts: the Superior Court of Justice and the courts of the Ontario Court of Justice.

My contribution to the project included: creating reports and presentations in Microsoft Office, Photoshop and Illustrator; drafting heritage scope drawings, document management, historical research and conceptual design.

ST THOMAS CONSOLIDATED COURTHOUSEST THOMAS, ONTARIO, CANADAHERITAGE ARCHITECT: FGMDACLIENT: INFRASTRUCTURE ONTARIO

Project Architect: Julia Gersovitz & Neil McNulty

Heritage Large Jury room drawing sheet

Existing conditions Exterior view Exterior view

[32] [33]

SKETCHBOOKVARIOUS PROJECTS 2007-2012Freehand Drawing I-IVSketching School Personal Travels

Freehand I charcoal & graphite

Freehand IV mixed media

Freehand III watercolor

Chania, Crete, Greece

Library of Celsus, Ephesus, Turkey

[34] [35]

SKETCHBOOKVarious projects 2007-2012

St. Martin, New Brunswick, Canada Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Saint John, NB, Canada Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA

Rue Ste Catherine, Montreal, QC, Canada

[36]

SKETCHBOOKVarious projects 2007-2012

Reversing Falls, Saint John, NB, Canada

MMdream. design. build.