Hotel onda

The Hotel Onda was an integrated design concerned with environment andpeople. Avoiding a merely rational design, the research process experimentedwith various fabrication methods and technological tools for its integrated designapproaches. Located in Panama City, Panama, as well as functioning as a nightclub hotel, the project started from three issues related to the site specifics: rainwater, sound, and birds. From site observations, it is known that existing high-rise towers are made of mostly reflective flat glazing, which could be dangerous for birds, who may accidentally hit it. During wet seasons, the heavy rain water falls fast on the glazing facade, and pours onto nearby pedestrians. Based on these issues, a series of sound studies were generated to inform schematic design.A wavy skin with wire shading panels was developed along with traditional programming approach. The shading panels create a more bird-friendly skin, as well as slow down water speeds. The waving logic of skin system then transferred into spacial and experiential design of the interior.

and Site: Panama City, Panama
Team of Three: Yiqi Zhao(ARCH), Connor Gatzke(ARCH), Nicholas Kurth(ArtID)

*All drawings, models, and photos presented here are individual works by Yiqi Zhao otherwise noticed