Jenny ZhangThe role of architects in a project is crucial in light of the fact that they are responsible for more than just the design of a building, but the leading entity orchestrating all disciplines to ensure functionality, aesthetics, sustainability, and compliance with applicable code provisions of the project. Moreover, complex projects that embodied various challenging parameters require novel expertise from the architect to coordinate design solutions that haven’t been articulated yet. The booming AEC industry has provided ample opportunities for competent architect Jingwen He to develop her well-round professional capability and prudence in the shortest amount of time. The interview is hereby the story-sharing of Jingwen’s unique trajectory that has shined through multiple prominent projects in the field.
Interviewer: Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Jingwen He, Associate from Perkins Eastman, who is an experienced registered architect in California and well-versed in miscellaneous project types, including large-scale commercial and mix-used developments, transit facilities and k-12 schools. Welcome Jingwen.
Jingwen: Thank you. It’s my pleasure to be here.
Interviewer: Could you give us a basic introduction of your architectural background?
Jingwen: I am a California Licensed Architect at Perkins Eastman possessing various aspects of professional experience from different kinds of projects, including commercial & mix-used, transit stations as well as k-12 schools. In terms of my educational journey, I obtained my Architect’s Licensure within 2 years after graduation from master degree of architecture at Washington university in St. Louis. Before joining WashU, I finished my first master degree of architectural design at Bartlett School of Architecture,UCL, and I also completed my 5-year undergraduate study of architecture at Zhejiang University, China.
Interviewer: Which one do you think is the most riveting project you worked on lately? Could you share with us some thoughts about that?
Jingwen: Echelon Studios at Television Center is my favourite project so far. It is a complex mix-used project located at the hub of Hollywood in LA proposing more than 200 thousand sqft of creative studios, production facilities and soundstages, to support the vitality of film making industry regionally. As the lead architect primarily focusing on soundstage design and execution planning on site, the development of the “ultimate studio lot” helped me continue to refine the extent of my profession in curating inspirational environments that facilitate Storytelling, Incubation, Innovation and Place Making.
Interviewer: Soundstage project was indeed an exciting yet challenging opportunity for architects to fulfil their career augmentation, as far as I could imagine. What are the major items to be tackled with when designing soundstages?
Jingwen: In my opinion, architects working on soundstages not only have to solve a bunch of problems from artistical and aesthetical aspects, but also from technical building science, which related to the utilitarian feasibility of the building concerning structural, acoustical and mechanical disciplines, just name a few.
Interviewer: What’s new/different about how the soundstages has been designed, especially the acoustic properties?
Jingwen: Before the outset of design, an ambient noise study of the studio, conducted by a qualified acoustic engineer, is required to be implemented over a sufficient number of days or weeks to accurately measure all potential noise factors that will affect studio design. The soundstage design needed to achieve NC 25 interior noise criteria for building envelope and for HVAC based on the ambient noise study. Interesting features apart from other buildings for soundstage design are:
- Catwalks: Soundstages will equip normally 4’-0’ wide clear wood walkway to avoid electrical conductivity. Construction strategy at Echelon Television center is wood frame with removable wood floor planks (for cable drops) and wood framed guardrails supported on wood lighting grid and bottom chord of trusses. 6’-8” head clearance minimum. One 3’-0” wide OSHA compliant wood stair for each stage is to get up to catwalks.
- Exterior Oversized Rolling Concrete (Elephant) Door: Huge acoustic rated exterior openings are paramount. Motorized reinforced concrete rolling doors with tracks, sound traps, and acoustic seals designed to meet NC 25 noise criteria and faced at interior side with hardware cloth over white Insul-Quilt is desirable for soundstages catering for paramount criteria.
- Entry Vestibules at Soundstage Corners: arrangement for egress component like the exit at soundstage building was handled as designing a sound lock space enclosed by walls with STC55 , typically in 8’-9’ height with 2 (minimum) layers of 5/8” gypsum board on exterior side and one layer 5/8” gypsum board on vestibule side, and cover with structural vestibule lid for floor loading and noise isolation. Besides pressure relief sound trap, each egress vestibule for paramount soundstages should be equipped with STC 50 sound door assemblies opening in egress direction, with lift hinges and acoustic seals all around as required to meet NC 25 criteria.
- Light Grid and Hoisting area: A grid system is installed above the soundstage floor to support flexible position of lighting fixtures, microphones, and other equipment needed for filming. Opening cuts at grid level with removable guardrails will accommodate hoisting procedure of moving sizable equipment from ground to catwalk level.
Interviewer: Any interesting use cases we can anticipate in soundstages?
Jingwen: Besides usual production support and related service for film industry, provided the integrated massive volume (both in width and height) of audience-rated soundstages (design to accommodate assembly occupancy), the iconic space is pretty versatile free of in-between structural obstructions, capable of hosting miscellaneous Paramount special events like gathering and celebration, art exhibition, masquerades, etc.
Interviewer: Can you share some attributes from the project about the vision/idea/ goals as well as challenges?
Jingwen: The Basis of Design Criteria and project goals for soundstage might vary slightly depending on different studio developers. In general, soundstages are the heart of the studio operation, and their technical quality and availability are key factors for a production company choosing a studio. Primary attention should be given to the design, construction and equipping of the soundstages to attract productions to the studio.
In terms of the challenge from architect’s perspective, the scope of work for soundstage building is way beyond design and space planning exercise. The commission requires architect to not only thoroughly review unique parameters from different stage types and provide a featured scheme that could be spatially articulated and code compliant, but to be technically critical in coordinating and conducting meticulous examination of all interdisciplinary design solutions to ensure acoustic performance in every single component in the building system.
Interviewer: working for a prestigious award-winning firm might provide you special insights on how to be a bellwether of movements that have rippled through the nation and the world. How would you envision your personal design strategy to be aligned and fortified by overall guiding principles of the firm?
Jingwen: every single project designed and executed by Perkins Eastman will carry through the “Human by Design” tenor as the basic intent, which has broached an open-end dialog for architects and many others to explore the territory of their design potentials in an attempt to imbue the positive impact on the living environment and ecosystem. Given the specific conditions and requirements of each project, my design approach will embody both the culture of the end users that reflects the community’s aspirations for the future and dedicated commitments to sustainability. Public schools and transit projects ushered me to discover practical ways to forge a professional combination of vision, creativity, technical knowledge, organizational as well as project and staff management skills.
Interviewer: Thank you for your incisive comments in the realm of architecture, Jingwen.
Jingwen: Welcome, it is my greatest honour having a chance to speak with you.
It is no doubt that Jingwen He is a more than just a competent project architect knowing how to deliver the general instrument of service, but a design thinker and effective organizer in the knowing of how to jungle amongst different project nuances and speculate options outside of the conventional box in the process of fulfilling her ultimate responsibility to safeguard public health and welfare, from the definition of an architect. I firmly believe her story will serve as an inspirational precedence for the next trojans to follow and identify the future discourse of architecture.