Douglas: It took me five years to go from building to actually becoming a designer at UCB

Transferred from: WIIISH Space

Douglas Min Yi Lee

University of California, Berkeley

Master of Architecture

University College London

Bachelor of Urban Planning

Bachelor of Design and Management biography

曾于OMA / AMO，SANAA，BIG，Neri and Hu，Atelier Deshaus，NEMESTUDIO，The Open Workshop，SLA等知名建筑设计公司工作。与 Yee Foo Lai 共同创立了多学科设计工作室 Temporary Office。他们的项目“Touch the Valley”获得了 2023 年雷克萨斯设计奖。

"During my time at UCB, I chose to take a two-year break to work, which is crucial for me to become an architectural designer today. "

2014-2023

Exhibit of works

←向左滑动查看精选作品 · © Douglas Min Yi Lee

The seeds that inspired me on the path of architecture

My architectural journey didn't start with an architectural education.

Frankly, I'm not sure if I want to study architecture at the undergraduate level. Although I was more inclined to art than pragmatism, when I was first introduced to concepts such as expressive composition and perceptual abstraction in high school, I was hesitant to pursue a major related to art and design or study something more broad. In the end, I chose Urban Planning because it was a sub-discipline closely related to architecture, and it wasn't too far to move if I wanted to turn to architecture, but at the same time it was far enough for me to move to another field entirely.

However, I would like to say that my interest in architecture has been quietly "brewing" in my heart. This passion was actually sprung up in the course of many encounters and explorations into the field of architecture, and it brought me closer to the construction industry. When I decided that architecture was something I wanted to pursue full-time, that passion eventually blossomed.

The Rotterdam © OMA

It goes back to my conversation with my brother, who was already an architect before my architectural journey began. When I was still studying for my undergraduate degree, he had already been working for MVRDV and OMA in Rotterdam for a year. When I visit him in Rotterdam and Amsterdam on weekends, we roam the area's striking architectural projects such as De Rotterdam, Silodam, Kunsthal, Cube Houses and Stedelijk Museum, to name a few.

These short trips introduced me to the world of architecture in the Netherlands, especially OMA's work, which has become my passion throughout my career. I was an outsider at the time, and I was curious how these seemingly strange buildings could break out of the traditional shell of "just a building" and become an important urban cultural heritage. I soon realized that it was fascinating to observe and learn how these unconventional spaces were designed.

Silodam, Amsterdam. Designed by MVRDV. This was one of the projects that inspired me to study architecture.

It stems from the architecture I was exposed to while studying at University College London (UCL).

The Department of Urban Planning and the Department of Architecture are both part of the Bartlett School of Architecture, so I am often surrounded by works of architecture in the same building. Seeing those amazing abstract drawings posted in the hallways every day made me curious about what they meant and how they were made.

When I was a sophomore in college, I lived just one block from AA College. I often go to their architecture bookstore and get a lot of inspiration from it (their in-house publications are usually very thought-provoking, and I highly recommend you to delve into their books).

Next door to the bookstore is a rotating exhibition space that sometimes deals with student work, sometimes on the subject of certain architectural events or important designs, which I always find time to visit after school.

An art bookstore with a focus on architecture

It has to do with the degree in urban planning that I pursued as an undergraduate. I eventually realized that I love the act of design, and thinking about the full impact of design on the built environment. By understanding the built environment from a broader perspective, I was able to look at the urban fabric in terms of government policy, zoning, real estate, and the economy – a discipline that examines where and why we build infrastructure.

However, I also note that urban planning is not a particularly specific sub-discipline compared to architecture. Policies take years or even decades to achieve, and in most cases, the intended effects of infrastructure policies are not apparent long after the policy has been implemented.

Conversely, in the case of architecture, although it still takes a long time to realize a project (depending on the size of the project, of course), its presence in reality is undoubtedly much more concrete and easier to understand. As a highly visual person, I've come to realize that architecture offers a more concrete way of understanding our built environment – through materials, forms, arrangements, compositions, patterns, functions, constructions, contexts, and so on...

These three "seeds" propelled me to make up my mind to apply for graduate school in architecture.

Explore a wide range of styles and schools of thought

OMA, led by Rem Koolhaas, SANAA led by Sejima and Nishizawa, and Neri and Hu (Neri&Hu Design & Research) are some of the renowned architectural firms that have left an indelible mark on the world of architecture. Each company has a unique design philosophy and approach that results in groundbreaking, thought-provoking work. I am fascinated by the work of these architects because they are innovative, focused on the spatial experience, and can challenge conventional notions of architecture.

下面请让我深入探讨一下我欣赏 OMA、SANAA 和 Neri and Hu 作品的原因。

Under the visionary leadership of Rem Koolhaas, OMA has continued to push the boundaries of architectural design. Koolhaas is known for his unconventional ideas, and his designs often embody a disruptive and critical of social norms. His work transcends the boundaries of traditional architecture, embraces interdisciplinary collaborations, and explores the relationship between architecture, urban planning, and culture. As Koolhaas himself said, "Beauty is a by-product, and its design is the result of decision-making." This quote reflects his philosophy of architectural creation, which is to go beyond aesthetics and focus on the fundamental concepts and ideas that drive the design process.

Programmatic diagrams for the Seattle Public Library

Similarly, SANAA, led by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa, impressed me with its ethereal and minimalist approach to design. Their work strikes a delicate balance between simplicity and sophistication, with the ability to blend effortlessly into their surroundings. Sejima and Nishizawa emphasize the importance of light, transparency, and fluidity in their designs, creating spaces that evoke a sense of tranquility and harmony.

Sejima once shared, "I think architecture should create an atmosphere that inspires people to think," which shows their commitment to creating spaces that deeply engage and inspire users. The idea that architecture can shape the human experience and evoke an emotional response is also reflected in their work.

About my work experience at SANAA, I have a detailed introduction in another article, interested readers can click the link below to jump:

Internship Life | What's it like to be at Tokyo SANAA?

Teshima Art Museum, Ryue Nishizawa, 2010

Finally, I relate to Neri&Hu's work, as it blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. Their projects often focus on cultural heritage and humanistic dimensions, blending a sense of modernity with a deep understanding of history.

Neri&Hu emphasizes the importance of narrative and context in its designs, seeking to create meaningful connections between people and space. As they say, "The greatest luxury in architecture is not in size or material, but in providing meaningful experiences", reflecting their commitment to designing spaces that touch the hearts and minds of individuals.

“Neri and Hu: Works in Permanent Evolution” Exhibition

Whether it's Koolhaas's provocative and conceptual approach, Sejima and Nishizawa's ethereal minimalism, or Neri&Hu's emphasis on cultural context, these architects are constantly challenging the status quo and inspiring us to reimagine what's possible.

I grew up at UCB

The reason I chose to study abroad in college was to be exposed to more parts of the world. Although my hometown of Hong Kong is a highly cosmopolitan city, with a strong influence from the West on its culture and urban structure, I wanted to see more than I was familiar with.

I was already excited to go to London for my undergraduate studies, many of my high school classmates chose to go to London as well, and with the UK capital being so close to the European continent, I was looking forward to moving to a new metropolis and exposing myself to a new environment. After graduating from UCL with an undergraduate degree in urban planning, I decided to change my mind and turn my attention to applying to schools in the United States.

我决定去UCB的个主要原因之一是那里有几位教授的作品非常吸引我——比如Neyran Turan, Andrew Atwood, Nicholas de Monchaux等等。

In addition, after talking to several friends who are studying for an MA in Architecture at UCB, I learned that CED's (School of Environmental Design) approach to teaching is to support you in developing your own trajectory, rather than positioning you in a pre-determined 'style' or school of thought. I sometimes get caught up in wanting to emulate a professor's approach to graphics or design, which allows me to critically find my own way of thinking about architecture.

Middle Earth，NEMESTUDIO

Life as a graduate student in architecture at UCB is much the same as what you would have experienced at other architecture schools – long nights in the studio, working on mock-ups all night before final drawings, and drinking lots of coffee late at night to keep yourself awake. In addition to my normal life, I also enjoy the camaraderie among my classmates. We'll party with our classmates on the weekends, take an architecture day trip to San Francisco, or relax at a bar after work and chat about our work or hobbies over the weekend.

California's pleasant weather also makes studying at the School of Architecture much easier, and just 10 minutes outside of the building, you'll be greeted by the cool breeze of the bay. A well-known place to watch the sunset is the 9th floor elevator lobby of Wurster Hall, which has one of the best views of the bay overlooking the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean in the distance.

Wurster Hall，Berkeley EBD

I majored in urban planning as an undergraduate, so I thought I would have at least a basic understanding of architectural design, but this was not the case.

In my first year of graduate school, my approach to architectural design was pieced together through conversations with my brothers and friends, as well as from listening to some academic lectures from architects I liked. Although the so-called "architectural design method" was invaluable to my growth as an architect, I also realized that I had to put aside my distant pursuits and start learning the basics of architecture seriously. Just like a child learning to run, he must first learn to walk. I think that's true of architecture, like every other discipline.

Architectural Chimera, Core Studio 2017

The first year of graduate school was a year of pure exploration, and I didn't care too much about where I was going. Our first task is to explore and find forms through physical forces. Balloons were injected with plaster to create the sculptural form, and then the spherical object was created by pushing, pulling, compressing, pinching, and punching through the poured balloons in an operable jig device made of plywood and screwnails. Then, using these objects to think about concepts such as mass, surface, skin, closure, opening, and porosity, using these forms to create a series of elevations, sections, plans, and isometric drawings, and combining these images with the invention patent drawings we found in the book to create something known as a "chimera",

This gives us the initial clue to what follows: the design of a house that contains a well-conceived narrative that makes the building echo with its environment. Interestingly, the design brief allows us to create any form of narrative. It can be on Mars, it can be fictional, or it can be post-apocalyptic. This really inspires us to find our own stories outside the conventional boundaries of our imagination.

Sailing Stone House, Core Studio 2017

The following year, I attended a studio taught by a visiting professor, Neeraj Bhatia, a visiting professor from the California Institute of the Arts (CCA), who led the "Form of Labor" studio—more on that later, and he was the professor who had the biggest influence on me. In addition, he was involved in an affordable housing studio with two urban planning students and two real estate students.

In short, the first half of my second year at UCB was more research-oriented and theoretical. The second semester is devoted to designing an affordable housing project, learning how to reconcile design intent with budgeting and zoning issues in close collaboration with planners and real estate professionals.

Over the next two years, I worked in different companies in Tokyo, Rotterdam and Shanghai, and then started my third year of graduate studies in 2021.

At UCB, the third year of the course consists of a comprehensive studio in the first semester and a dissertation in the second semester.

The focus of the integrated studio is to design a building that focuses on real-world issues such as structural improvements, façade systems, MEPs, codes and regulations, and building sustainability. The dissertation, on the other hand, is about research and design on a topic that interests us.

My dissertation delved into the possibility of establishing a community land trust in California, aided by Senate Bill 9, which allowed single-family plots to be built up to 4 units on the same site.

Building Elevation (Left)

West Facade, Facade Details (Middle)

West Facade (Right)

Light Well (Highlighting Operable Aluminum Louvers)

ARCH203 Integrated Studio

Over the past three years, these gradual changes have allowed me to truly grow into a well-informed designer. As I mentioned the "Form of Labor" studio, affordable housing studio, and integrated studio, from the first year of imaginative design, the studio became more and more grounded and constrained by real-world problems. Under the guidance of Professor Neeraj Bhatia, we learned different approaches to architectural design, among which the research-driven approach had the greatest impact on me.

We also have a lot of freedom to choose whatever we want to study as our thesis. The dissertation is organized in such a way that in the fall semester of the third year, we will have a studio called "thesis prep", with 4 hours per week to explore, develop and research what we are going to do in the next spring semester dissertation. At the end of the fall semester, we will have a final review of our dissertation preparation, write a manifesto about our project, produce a research proposal, and present a few pictures related to the concept of our dissertation for the next semester, at which point we will design our dissertation in detail.

Site Axonometric

“No (Or Some) Fences Make Good Neighbors”

Advisor: Neyran Turan，Jennifer Ly

View from the Street

“No (Or Some) Fences Make Good Neighbors”

Advisor: Neyran Turan，Jennifer Ly

Design using a "research-driven approach".

During my graduate studies at UCB, my favorite course was the "Form of Labor" studio, led by visiting professor Neeraj Bhatia.

As mentioned earlier, Neeraj was one of the most inspiring mentors for me and an important figure in shaping my view of architectural design. Neeraj's approach to architectural design transcends the boundaries of traditional architecture and explores the intersection of design, policy, and social impact. Through cross-scale design techniques, his projects always seek to find opportunities to fully integrate environmental, political, economic and social factors. Through extensive research and meticulous analysis, he has identified potential opportunities in the urban landscape, transforming challenges into catalysts for innovative solutions.

His focus on design research on how to renegotiate the relationship between architecture and the environment coincides with my interest in the field of architecture (perhaps because of my background in urban design).

Zoom-in G/F Plan

“Form of Labor”

The "Form of Labor" studio examines new types of mixing immaterial forms of labor with domestic labor spaces. The tech industry is shrouded in the myth of endless accumulation, wealth, and amenities, but at the same time is built on a form of exploitation known as "start-up culture." Start-ups are a very different side of the industry, producing an array of precarious workers who travel through various parts of the San Francisco Bay Area in search of affordable housing. At the same time, office spaces for immaterial labor are increasingly taking inspiration from the domestic realm, equipped with living rooms, kitchens and leisure spaces, while the adaptive reuse of factory spaces is likewise designed as production spaces.

Studio examines the spatial negotiation between life and work, between the public and private spheres, and between production and reproduction spaces. The end result of the study is to establish a platform for working and living together, to facilitate small start-ups in the early stages of growth, to find spatial strategies outside of market production, and ultimately to explore the potential of architecture as a tool for production equity.

Physical Model

“Form of Labor”

The studio places a strong emphasis on design research, and over the course of four weeks, we conducted statistical research on different demographics, microeconomics, social indicators, and general policies in the San Francisco Bay Area. We also used this time to co-investigate a range of precedents, such as housing types for communal living, corporate towns/tech office spaces from the Middle Ages to the present day, and urban waterfronts. These include the Narkomfin Building, designed by Moisei Ginzburg, the S.C. Johnson Wax Headquarters designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and the Union Carbide Company, designed by Roche & Dinkeloo, among others.

All of this culminated in a research manual that provided the basis for the final design. By examining the historical origins of precedents and architectural typologies, we gain a clear understanding of the social, economic, and political forces that have led to these housing units, and the ways in which traditional office spaces have been transformed over the decades.

(Top) Transition of Program from Livinf to Working

(Bottom) Cluster Layout Variations

“Form of Labor”

It was this studio that led me to use precedents as a way to critically analyse them, not to imitate, to think about how to interpret the foundations of their buildings and the systemic logic behind these projects in new ways. Therefore, whenever I start designing a project, I always look to history for clues as a starting point.

After reading my story,

I want to say to you

While in school, you have a certain level of intellectual freedom. Because in school you have complete control over your own projects and can do whatever you want. Your professors will provide you with guidance, and they will play the role of mentor rather than boss. But when you step into the real world as a full-time designer, you need to follow the rules, and you have more time to learn new skills and less room for error. Think of school as a simulated environment where you can try and test your boundaries, and the workplace as a real front line where your work will have a huge impact on real construction projects.

Of course, the type of company you choose to work for after graduation will affect how you translate the skills you learned in school into practice, but I want to convey that studying in school is very different from working life after graduation. There are exciting aspects to both, and I recommend trying different types of construction firms before graduating to get a feel for what you like.

Super Architect's Lair，Summer Studio

Experimenting with different types of companies, from small to large, from studios to corporate offices, from concept to technology, will be rewarding. The reason why it is advisable to "test the waters" in advance is because you can get a preview of what type of company will give you a good career development after graduation. If your school allows a year or two off while studying for graduate school, I highly recommend using that time to work at home or abroad.

During my time at UCB, I took two years off to work, which is crucial to me being an architectural designer today. In 2019, after two years of graduate school, I spent five months at the SANAA office in Tokyo and then another six months at OMA in Rotterdam. I had only planned to take a gap year for a year, but due to COVID in 2020, the school went all-in on remote learning and I decided to take another year off. During this time, I worked in Shanghai for a whole year, having the opportunity to work for Atelier Deshaus (4 months) and Neri&Hu (5 months).

These are some of my favorite architectural firms, and I'm very interested in how they approach architecture, their design ideas, and where they get their inspiration. I think working in different companies before graduation really helps determine what kind of company you want to work in after graduation.

In school, it is absolutely essential to explore the different studios so that you can find your area of interest in the vast world of architecture. Studios are usually selected based on a mentor, so you will have the opportunity to study under the guidance of this mentor and study how they approach architecture conceptually. Studios with well-known professors can be tempting, but I suggest that sometimes you can try to choose a studio not based on the professor's popularity, but on the design brief.

Choosing a Studio that you are not familiar with allows you to explore architectural design points that you might not otherwise have thought of. By choosing an unfamiliar Studio that is out of your comfort zone, you can challenge yourself to think about architecture from a different perspective.

Inauguration of Tower X，Summer Studio

Always keep your gears grinding! It's also a great way to build a portfolio for the future. By participating in projects and projects of all sizes, you can challenge yourself to become a flexible designer.

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Douglas: It took me five years to go from building to actually becoming a designer at UCB

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