(work in progress)
About Me
Architecture
16 Sims Model
15 Reimagine Ageing
14 Paper House
13 Paper Column
12 Undoing Hierarchy
11 Common Ground
10 Part-to-Whole
09 Soft Boundaries
08 Home After Crisis
07 Reuse Nymphaeum
06 Art Academy
05 Twist & Turn
04 Porous Playscape
03 Floating Playscape
02 Analysis
01 Projection
Wood
09 Airplane Riding Toy
08 Memory Box
07 Harmony in Nature
06 LLOYD
05 Wooden Stool.
04 Collaboratio n Toy
03 Egg Tool
02 Lotus Section
01 Force of Nature
Art
13 Thesis Probe
12 Grid
11 Surface
10 Line
09 Stories
08 This is Paper
07 Silkscreen
06 Children Museum
05 Life Illustrated
04 Jet Trenching
03 Sketch of Home
02 Nature of Glass
01 Memories of Home
大稻埕
Dadaocheng
Taipei’s Oldest District
Dadaocheng, once hummed with the energy of traders, craftsmen, and families who called it home. In the heart of it all was Dihua Street, a bustling avenue lined with merchants’ stalls, the scent of dried herbs, and the clatter of goods exchanged from hand to hand. My great-grandparents ran a small business there. They raised their family in this vibrant setting, where life revolved around trade, community, and the rhythms of the old city.
For almost a century, my family stayed rooted in Dadaocheng, weaving their own stories into the district’s colorful past.
Taipei’s Oldest District
Dadaocheng, once hummed with the energy of traders, craftsmen, and families who called it home. In the heart of it all was Dihua Street, a bustling avenue lined with merchants’ stalls, the scent of dried herbs, and the clatter of goods exchanged from hand to hand. My great-grandparents ran a small business there. They raised their family in this vibrant setting, where life revolved around trade, community, and the rhythms of the old city.
For almost a century, my family stayed rooted in Dadaocheng, weaving their own stories into the district’s colorful past.
大同區
Datong District
Population: 118,065 ppl
10 year growth rate: -8.3%
Population: 118,065 ppl
- <15 yr old: 12.1%
- 15-64 yr old: 67.1%
- >65 yr old: 20.8%
10 year growth rate: -8.3%
The two schools were originally one until 1908, when a major road was built as part of Japan's urbanization and city planning efforts, dividing them into two separate institutions.
永樂國小 Yongle Elementary School
130 years old school that holds many memories
Yongle Elementary school was founded in July 1895 during the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan.
It was originally called “Japanese Language Training Institute.”
Currently, Yongle Elementary Schools accommodated 575 students and 68 kindergarteners. The school has 24 classes.
130 years old school that holds many memories
Yongle Elementary school was founded in July 1895 during the Japanese colonial period in Taiwan.
It was originally called “Japanese Language Training Institute.”
Currently, Yongle Elementary Schools accommodated 575 students and 68 kindergarteners. The school has 24 classes.
活到老、學到老 (You're never too old to learn, we live and learn)
There’s something deeply poetic about returning to a school in old age. As children, schools are where we first encounter structured learning, social connection, and a sense of belonging within a community. To come back to that space later in life—not as a student, but as an elder—is a powerful gesture. It suggests that learning doesn’t stop with age; it evolves.
What if classrooms become residential units?
Creating an Urban Forest
The 130-year-old school stands as a quiet witness within the concrete jungle, its walls steeped in memory. By planting an urban forest within and around it, nature is invited back into the heart of the city—softening edges, offering shade, and breathing new life into aging spaces. As the trees grow, so does the promise that this place will continue to nurture life for the next hundred years.
Reimagine Ageing
B’Arch Thesis
Spring 2025
RISD
B’Arch Thesis
Spring 2025
RISD
Advisor: Anne Tate
A Memory Box: What if classrooms become residential units?
As Taiwan grapples with an aging population and declining birth rates, many once-lively elementary schools now sit underutilized, waiting for a renewed purpose. This thesis will use Yongle Elementary School (永樂國小), a historically significant school in Taipei now struggling with low enrollment, as a blueprint for reimagining such spaces. By preserving its historical character and thoughtfully adapting its structure to modern needs, the project envisions transforming the school into a vibrant assisted living and community hub. This approach not only provides housing and care for the elderly but also fosters intergenerational connections, revitalizing neighborhoods and addressing Taiwan’s demographic challenges.
As Taiwan grapples with an aging population and declining birth rates, many once-lively elementary schools now sit underutilized, waiting for a renewed purpose. This thesis will use Yongle Elementary School (永樂國小), a historically significant school in Taipei now struggling with low enrollment, as a blueprint for reimagining such spaces. By preserving its historical character and thoughtfully adapting its structure to modern needs, the project envisions transforming the school into a vibrant assisted living and community hub. This approach not only provides housing and care for the elderly but also fosters intergenerational connections, revitalizing neighborhoods and addressing Taiwan’s demographic challenges.