Portfolio

Architecture & Art

Grace Cong Xin Wong

gcxwong@gmail.com
626 226 8654
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Table of Contents
Memory

Tactile Participation

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Sense of Place

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All works reproduced are created in part or whole by Grace Cong Xin Wong.

Memory
Sharing stories of the past is
a way of forming identity.
When I talk about the past, I frame the
story through the lens of the present.
Time and experience warp how I view the past,
and the stories keep changing as I grow.

left: abandoned house of Alonzo T. Cross, an early

pioneer of mechanical pencils and high quality pens.

reCollections

Woods Gerry Gallery, 2014.

South Providence, Rhode Island

Part of a masters thesis on South Providence, Rhode Island, reCollections questions

how an ethnically diverse community from over 150 countries can connect with
an immigrant-dominated industrial past. This exploration included countless
discussions and engagement with non-profit organizations, local artists, historians,
government organizations, and residents in this underpriviledged neighborhood .
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1. Dorcus International: Immigration center.

2. Historic Columbus Square:
Park containing a bronze statue produced by Auguste
Bartholdi (sculptor who created the Statue of Liberty).
3. Locust Grove Cemetery: Anne Tait, artist.
4. Knight Memorial Library:
Historical Greek revival building important to community.
5. Elmwood Avenue: Anon, a father.
6. Historic Brick Gasometer:
One of three suriviving gas holders out of brick from 1872.
7. Grace Church Cemetery:
Once a Victorian-styled rural retreat for the dead.

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8. Ocean State Flea Market:

Old freemasons jewelry factory turned into a flea market.
9. Alonzo T. Cross House:
The house of a famous pen and pencil maker.
10. Stop Wasting Abandoned Property (SWAP):
Community meetings for neighborhood improvement.
11. AS220 Art Signage: Romeo, teen artist.
12. Trinity Theater:
List of ethnic art groups that hold meetings in the theater.
13. Broad Street: Nathaniel, local youth.

Grace Church Cemetery Ocean State Flea Market

A burial ground for statesmen, opera singers, aviators,
and immigrants from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
It is also where addicts come to shoot up, the homeless
loiter, and vandals come to tip over old tombstones.

An old freemason factory where residents now sell goods

in their own makeshift indoor booths. The 50 semipermanent vendors are from countries like Venezuela,
Cape Verde, China, and the Caribbean.

On this site, I found drug paraphernalia such as heroin

needles and alcohol bottles. I also found nearby grave
markers with fascinating stories about immigrants
from the nineteeth and early twentieth centuries.

On this site, I purchased a variety of knickknacks and

recorded conversations with vendors who sold me the
items. These vendors do not sell their own possessions;
they purchase items from other markets and curate their
store as one would in a gallery.
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The Performance
For one hour, Shou Jie and I played a modified game of checkers
using resin-casted heroin needles from the cemetery and flea market knickknacks.
The stories transcribed from vendors were attached to the knickknacks.
The historical data from the gravestones were attached to the checkers board.
The resin-casted needles remained unmarked and detached from any story.
During the game, we alternately moved the objects to a free space and
read stories attached to the object and/or the place where it landed.

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above: close-up photos of the stories.

below: sequence from the performance.

At one point, I invited a spectator to take my place;

the rules of the game changed with a new person and
the performance became more fluid and spontaneous.
With each recitation, we blurred the lines between current
and deceased residents; personal narratives mix with historical facts.
As the stories overlap, we painted a complex portrait of South Providence that
revealed fragments of layers from multiple histories and cultures.

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Blauhhle

Honors Art Studios, 2011.

Irvine, California

A bachelors thesis on how experience of collected memories relates to

consumed objects. The installation consists of 456 stories as remembered
in the year 2011 from 456 receipts I collected over ten continuous years.
Haphazardly hung above is a dripping wet and decaying (odorous)
canopy made from a variety of pamphlets, maps, and other paper
documentation I have accumulated over the same ten years.
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9.
Thanks to Ping Wah Poon, my
earliest painting peer, I was able
to open my third and most attentive
eye for painting. I bought the smallest
brushes at the UC Davis Bookstore.
I was, at this point, obsessed. And I
painted religiously; I stayed late nights
at the studio after class. From Ping, I
learned to paint from what I see. While
it may be true that technical skill and
craftsmanship are no longer necessary
for art making--especially after the
coming of conceptual art--but thinking
is nothing without making and doing.
Communication feels much more clear
when I feel it with my hands and use
my body. I need to feel to connect to
my surroundings and understand it in
order to convey what I want to convey.

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Canteloupe: still live

Catalyst Gallery, 2010.
Irvine, California
For eleven weeks, I painted a cantaloupe using the oil glazing technique.
Instead of refining details, each layer became a documentation of the melons
phases of decay; each new layer hides the previous one, leaving residue that
hints at the melons original form. The piece challenges traditional painting
techniques and questions how time and process play a role in painting.
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Week 2

Week 4

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Tactile Participation
I am a maker, thinker, and wanderer.
I try new things, and I share it with others.
I want them to be able to experience it physically-touch it, feel it, play with it. Then we can talk about it.
Whether it is an installation or an architectural space,
I am interested in using materials and concepts to create
environments that appeal to the mind and the senses.
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Ceramic Installation
Metcalf Building, 2012.
Providence, Rhode Island

In collaboration with ceramic artist Hosseinali Saheb Ekhtiari, we created a

spatial-sensory experience through the destruction of handmade clay artifacts.
The artifacts were in various physical states--wet, dry, baked, glazed--resulting in
a spectrum of sensations and sounds upon contact with excited feet. The attendees
initially observed the installation from afar, until a demonstrative performance
invited them to directly engage with the piece.
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TechStyle Haus

Preliminary Design Concept, 2012.

Erfurt, Germany
Providence, Rhode Island

During a three-week workshop in Erfurt, I participated in an intensive

3-week charette to design a concept and form for a textile house entry to
the Solar Decathlon Europe 2014 Competition held in Versailles, France.
During this phase, I focused on narrative, form-finding, and materiality.
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playful

flexible

adaptable

TechStyle Manifesto
We want to reimagine and rebrand sustainable housing as something elegant and fun.
It should be a house that feels soft and fuzzy; a house where everyone sleeps on a hammock.
We want to make a passivhaus with textiles; one that can tighten into a bundle when
we are cold and feel light and airy when we are warm. It will be a living enclosure that can
respond to the environment without using more energy than it can produce.
We want to embrace the structural and aesthetic qualities of textiles as it tensions
and drapes; a flexible structure that works in harmony with the characteristics of textiles.
We want to build more than just a tent;
We want create to make a comfortable and beautiful home with TechStyles!
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(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

left: studies of self-supporting structures:

a. reciprocal structure.
b. monocoque structure.
c. preliminary tensegrity structure.
d. tensegrity model with fibre optic cables.
above: rendered elevations of TechStyle Haus.

One goal of this project is to achieve Passivhaus standards, which is a strict

set of energy efficency guidelines that results in buildings that requires very
little energy to heat or cool. We performed a series of rigorous structural
investigations to find a form well suited to this application. We finally
proposed a tensegrity structure for this initial phase, with only two
possible thermal bridges occuring at the windows facing north and south.
We also started to look at the material properties of textiles by
combining layers of smart flexible materials with specific qualities such as
waterproofing, insulation, phase changing, fireproofing, etc.
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TechStyle Haus

Design Development and Construction Documentation, 2013.

Providence, Rhode Island

Over the course of one semester, we designed major components on the interior and
exterior of the house with full-scale mock-ups and created construction documentation
in preparation for the first build in Providence. During this phase, I focused on the
design of a materials playground, wall assembly, and interior spatial experience.

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Materials playground: I proposed a materials playground, where visitors pull out

materials used throughout the house, touch them, and learn about them while
waiting to enter the house during the competition.
Wall assembly: Through 3d modeling and full scale mock-ups, we resolved wall
details, including elimination of studs to hold insulation in place and replacing
them with tensioned wratchet straps.
Interior design: We made full scale mock-ups of the interior wall fabric by playing
with light, shadow, layering and draping, and we built the interior flooring also to
understand its relationship to the wall.
left: final critique with a scaled model of house and construction documents pinned up beyond.
above: materials playground poles design in elevation and section.
right: full scale prototype of pull-out material railings.

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(a)

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(b)

left: (a) axonometric of proposed membrane layers.

(b) full scale mockup of interior wall design.

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TechStyle Haus

Building Construction, 2014.

Providence, Rhode Island
Versailles, France

In February 2014, we officially started construction of TechStyle Haus in Providence.

By May, we completed construction, disassembled, packed, and shipped the house to France.
In June, we constructed the house again within 10 days in Versailles. The photos shows this process.
During both constructions, I was a safety officer; I wrote the safety document in accordance with
French and American standards, and ensured the safety of 35 students throughout construction.
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TechStyle Haus

Solar Decathlon Europe Competition, 2014.

Versailles, France

In June, the Gardens of Versailles had a new addition to its 800 hectares of landscaping;
la Cit du Soleil (City of the Sun) exhibited twenty innovative solar homes designed and
built by students from 17 countries around the world. TechStyle Haus won third place in
the category of comfort conditions, and was one of the most photogenic houses on site.
In preparation for the public exhibition of the house, I co-curated the materials library
and helped organize the guided tours, which I led in German and English.
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left: aerial of all 20 decathlon teams, showing part

of Cit du Soleil and competing houses.
above: TechStyle Haus south entrance at dusk.
right: rendering of TechStyle Haus dated December
2013, prior to the completion of house design.

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above: our team led guided tours in French, English, and German for the international public, government officials, and acclaimed judges.
The plan shows the exhibition route of TechStyle Haus, including the order in which components or aspects of the Haus are introduced.
right: interior views of TechStyle Haus reveal samples of RISD-made furniture, casework, upholstery, textiles, and glassware.

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What is Sense of Place?

While working in Hawaii, the notion of Hawaiian sense of place
is not uncommon. Local regulations use it as a way to preserve a
certain expectation of Hawaii derived from a particular era, and
development projects use it as marketing to entice visitors with
its exoticism. It seems that sense of place for native Hawaiians is
more fluid than just regulations and standards; instead it is more
about the understanding and interaction with the ina (land).
While looking at various projects I have done in Hawaii,
I want to focus on learning about place and its relationshop to
each site, while learning more about the architectural process.
left: proposed info-graphic depicting Hawaiian sense of place
for a hospitality project in Waikiki.
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Retail Tenant Improvement

Haleiwa Store Lots, 2015.
Haleiwa, Oahu, Hawaii

Project manager for a 600 sf. store in a historical district in Haleiwa. With less than
3 months from permit drawings to completion, I was primarily responsible for facilitating
a fast-track permitting process for the Haleiwa Special District permit and to get approval
from the State Historical Preservation Division. This process of learning about the site and
acquiring permits raised a number of questions about what makes a place special in Hawaii
and what it means to preserve character in a historical site.
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left: photo rendering of storefront.

left inset: original photo of store facade.
above: special district permit submittals
include elevations, plan, reflected ceiling plan.

This is an example of how sense of place is used to preserve historical

buildings. In 1984, Haleiwa Town was recognized as a special district
to maintain the colorful low-rise shacks that illustrate life on the old
plantation countryside. The restrictions for the special district specify
particular exterior elements and colors for all new projects in the area.
The challenge was to juggle between the restrictions, client needs, and the
limited time available to negotiate the design; for instance, the guidelines
prefered using single or double hung windows. However, the client needed
large windows to showcase the product. I resolved the situation by showing
photos of existing buildings with diverse window types and sizes to the city.
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Regional Mall in Kapolei

Construction Documentation and Administration, 2014-15.

Kapolei, West Oahu, Hawaii
Revit project for a 1.4 million square foot regional mall in Kapolei, a masterplan city
west of Honolulu. As of 2016, it is the first mall built on Oahu in over thirty years.
My primary role was to assist in construction documentation and construction
administration; by combining this arduous task with site visits, I gained a better
understanding of the amount of land being used for commercial purposes.
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This project is an example of how sense of place is

envisioned for the future Hawaii. Set in Kapolei,
a growing masterplan city, the mall is as the only
contemporary Hawaiian retail experience on Oahu.
With future plans for a rail system and an increasing
demand for housing, Kapolei needed a regional center to
make it a destination. The shopping center is set to cater
to both locals and tourists within a 3-mile radius.

The vast scale of this complex required a tremendous

amount of effort and meticulous attention to detail. As
I worked through the documentation and detailing of
various components, I became lost in the paper space.
It wasnt until I actually visited the site that I actually felt
the size of the project. The cost of land on Oahu is very
high, and to see the amount of land used for this project is
overwhelming.

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Shopping Center in Waikiki

Exterior Building Improvements, 2014-16.
Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii

Architectural Designer for six building improvement projects in a multi-billion

dollar shopping, dining, and cultural entertainment experience. The complex stood on the
site once known as the Helumoa, which at one point had over ten thousand palm trees.
I primarily created design proposal presentations including graphics, renderings and
models for the clients review and assisted in project management tasks.
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left: early interior design concept for added

retail in diamond head wing.
above: preliminary hand sketches for open
lanai restaurant design in Waikiki.

This project is an example of applying sense of place to a shopping

center in the present, by re-claiming a place with a rich historical past.
Waikiki, the beachfront neighborhood known for its shallow waters and a
sandy ocean floor, was previously used as a surfing retreat for the royal alii.
It was a sacred space where members of the royal family would gather, play,
and tell stories of the Hawaiian legacy.
The shopping center today functions as the modern-day retreat for visitors
to shop at luxury name brands and dine at well-established restaurants.

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(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

Designing new spaces for the existing center was a challenge because of
historical precedence and a preference for coherence; the palm motif,
referencing the palm grove that previously existed on this side, is used
extensively throughout the center through various decorative elements.
In response to these precedents, I proposed the concept of an interlaced
facade inspired by traditional palm leaf weaving for one of the outdoor
dining spaces, as articulated with wooden slats. The resulting effect plays
with light and shadow that changes the space throughout the day.

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left: (a) palm light sconces from the center.

(b) axonometric sketch of slat pattern.
(c) close up of model proposing large bent
wooden ribbons wrapping to form a canopy.
(d) physical study model of woven slats.
right: (a) aerial view of partial project scope.
(b) rendered elevation of final proposal.

(a)

(b)

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