AD ASTRA

KRISTI HSIAO PORTFOLIO OF WORKS / URB•ARCH•DESIGN

WELCOME

This portfolio serves as a visual tour of my work and experiences at UC San Diego and beyond. It is the culmination of four years of creative expression and learning; it is not the end but the beginning.

ITINERARY NAIOP U-CHALLENGE n BAUHAUS SUMMER SCHOOL 2014 n COURSE-RELATED MODELING n TRADITIONAL ARTS n GRAPHICS & DESIGN n CRAFTWORK n ABOUT ME n

NAIOP U-CHALLENGE The NAIOP University Challenge is a regional urban design competition spanning four months. Student teams are given a site in San Diego and tasked to redevelop it for highest and best use. The UCSD Team proposed a mixed-use techno-hub with lofts and apartment units, offices, retail, breweries, and an amphitheatre. We received second place overall.

SKETCHUP MODELING I had the opportunity to work in-office with some of the architects at Gensler to design a part of the site model, which can be pictured on the bottom right of the full rendering. 01. BREWERY DESIGN / CO-OP MODELING WITH GENSLER 02. SELF-RENDERING USING ARTLANTIS 5 03. FULL RENDERING (COURTESY OF GENSLER)

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FINAL REPORT Each page of the report was carefully crafted in Photoshop CS6 and compiled with Powerpoint. 04. SITE PLAN & SKETCH BY GENSLER

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BRANDING & PROMOTION Visual aids were created for the final presentation. All materials were made using Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 4. 05. STUDENT “DESIGN FIRM” LOGO 06. BRANDING USED TO MARKET THE PROPOSED SITE 07. TRI-FOLD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PAMPHLETS (FRONT & BACK) RENDERING & SKETCHES BY GENSLER

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BAUHAUS SUMMER SCHOOL 2014 This past summer, I had the opportunity to travel to Weimar, Germany as part of an exchange program between UCSD and Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. I was one of four recipients of the Strategic Partnership Scholarship, which covered full tuition, room and board, and travel expenses. As the first student to represent the Urban Studies & Planning Program at UCSD, I feel honoured to have been selected by my faculty for this unforgettable experience.

CAIRO & THE HEAT ISLAND EFFECT The main topic of the research seminar was a study on informal settlements in Cairo, Egypt, and their connection to the urban heat island effect. For our final presentation, my team and I concluded that of three typologies, informal settlements retained the most heat. We suggested passive cooling systems and rooftop kitchen gardens as solutions to reducing heat. 01. PRESENTATION SLIDES; DESIGNED IN PHOTOSHOP CS6

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BELVEDERER ALLEE 5 My classmates and I would spend 8-hour days at Belvederer Allee 5 (our classroom) discussing issues in urbanism and working toward the completion of our term projects. Throughout the course, we all developed a lasting bond as friends. We still keep in touch. 02. PROFESSOR YANG & STUDENTS DISCUSSING URBAN RESILIENCE 03. GIS & GOOGLE EARTH GEOLOCATING 04. PRESENTATION STORYBOARDING 05. A TYPICAL LESSON

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COURSE-RELATED MODELING Through courses that allowed me to implement design and computer modeling, I gained a familiarity with Google SketchUp and rendering software such as VRAY and Artlantis 5. I highly enjoyed exploring the features that SketchUp offers. I am constantly learning new techniques to make modeling more efficient and seeking to push the boundaries of creation and imagination.

USP 177: URBAN DESIGN PRACTICUM Model of a proposed sustainable redesign of the East Village in Downtown San Diego. Modeled to-scale and to-detail using field research and Google Earth.

CAT 87: EXPERIENCING SPACE Design proposal for an aquarium showcasing how ambient lighting, environment, and architectural design can influence mood, emotions, and feeling.

TRADITIONAL ARTS One of the skills I wanted to build as an undergraduate was traditional drawing. I had only ever dabbled in it on my own and thought formal training would be an excellent course of study. I eventually branched into painting as well, something I had never done before. My studio courses were some of the most challenging, enthralling, and inspiring courses in my academic career thus far.

VIS 105A: DRAWING & REPRESENTING THE SUBJECT The first studio drawing class in a series of three, VIS 105A teaches students the fundamentals of drawing with topics in scale, perspective, and focus. 01. FLIGHT; GRAPHITE ON CANVAS 02. DEPARTED; CHARCOAL & GRAPHITE ON PAPER 03. KURO OBI; CHARCOAL & GRAPHITE ON PAPER

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VIS 106B: PAINTING PRACTICES & GENRE A continuation of an introductory painting class. VIS 106B features the use of larger canvases and a greater focus on colour and composition. 04. SELF-PORTRAIT; OIL ON CANVAS – 20”x30” 05. HUNTER’S TROPHY; OIL ON CANVAS – 18”x30” 06. BRUSHWORK DETAIL 07. INVERTED TIME; OIL ON CANVAS – 24”x48”

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GRAPHICS & DESIGN Outside of academia, I have also gained invaluable experience as a graphic designer and self-taught photographer. Armed with Photoshop and a Wacom tablet, I am ready for any design challenge.

MAISON CHEF One of my first paid graphic design jobs was for a local private chef and catering service in La Jolla. I was asked to create a brand new marketing scheme for the company. 01. NEW WEBSITE LOGOS 02. WEBSITE TEMPLATE REVAMP (MAISONCHEF.COM)

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UCSD KARATE CLUB In addition to roles as Club President, I also provide graphic design materials for my club. Posters, fliers, brochures, and website design are just a few of the things I have worked on. 03. TOURNAMENT FLIER CREATED IN PHOTOSHOP 04. FINAL PRINT ON POSTCARD 05. TRI-FOLD TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE 06. GENERAL POSTER

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BECOMEA W O R K O F

ARTOKINAWAN KARATE-DO AT UCSDMAIN GYM: MON & WED @ 6-7PM

VISIT US ON THE WEBKKARATEATUCSD.ORG

SEE YOU AT THE DOJO.

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PHOTO EDITING & SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHY The thing that always enraptured me about photography is that you can feel it: the right angle and lighting are electric to the heart. 07. AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD, I FELT FREE; LIGHTROOM: CONTRAST, SATURATION, CURVES, VIGNETTE 08. HERE IT BEGAN: ON THE SHORES OF LIFE; LIGHTROOM: CONTRAST, SATURATION, CURVES, VIGNETTE 09. SELECTED PHOTOGRAPHY

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CRAFTWORK There is a special place in my heart for crafts and handmade projects. I enjoy making cards for others and discovering the possibilities that lie in balsa wood.

NINE’S TARDIS An exact replica from the popular BBC drama Doctor Who. Materials used: balsa wood, glow paint, acrylic paint, and glittered felt.

HANDMADE CARDS Made with quality cardstock. Tools of choice include an X-Acto knife, double-sided tape, PVA glue, and a 0.3 mm pen.

ABOUT ME Hello; nice to meet you! I am currently a Senior at UC San Diego set to graduate Spring 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies & Planning and a Minor in Studio Visual Arts. I plan to participate in the Spring Honors Seminar for my capstone project and publish a research paper on miniaturizing housing design as a response to lack of space for new housing development. I am passionate about architecture, sustainable design, and public engagement and am eager to learn more as a graduate student. I aspire for greatness and to be impactful in the field of architecture and design. Thank you for venturing through my portfolio. I hope you enjoyed the journey.

“Our perceptions of the possible are only limited by the scope of our imaginations.” MISHA COLLINS