MOCHI LIUPORTFOLIO

PARSONS AT THE WHITE HOUSE Type: Art InstallationInstructors: Alison Mears, Jonsara Ruth, Helen QuinnCollaborators: Mariam Alshamali, Laura Suppan, Neison DeJesus, Amanda Evengard, John Steward, James Clotfecter, Calvin Cheng, Stephen Finney, Laura Yeh, Marina Cunha, Julia Grunberg, Sofia Gimenez Burio, Junrui WangMaterials: Recycled old books, muslin

On October 8, a delegation of 31 students, as well as distinguished alumni, faculty and leaders from The New School’s Parsons School of Design were on site at the White House by invitation from the First Lady to take part in the first ever White House Fashion Education Workshop. Sixteen Parsons undergraduate and graduate students secretly spent two weeks conceiving and building a striking installation in the White House East Room as the backdrop for the day’s events and announcements.

“I want to thank all of the students and faculty from Parsons who contributed to the installation today,” First Lady Michelle Obama told young designers at the event. “If you can sit at these tables and sit here with all these great people, you can do anything.”

Underscoring the importance of design to the national economy, she said, “We are proud of you, our President is proud of you.”

The New School Press

LEFT: Proposing the prototype paper sculpture, two layers of paper fortune tellers overlapping; RIGHT: 4,000 pieces were folded in 5 days. White ones were laid out carefully to highlight the First Lady’s blue dress.

LEFT: Muslin sheets were used to hold the weight of the folded paper sheet. They w also used to roll up the panels for transporting from New York to Washington, D.C.RIGHT: Four panels were combined into one 8 ft. by 16 ft. backdrop in the White House East Room.

Final touch: In the spirit of Mrs. Obama’s, focus on education, the group repurposed 600 discarded books to create a celebratory and sustainable installation - centerpieces and mantelpieces made from folded books, sculptural columns made from books turned inside out and napkin rings/bracelets made from laser-cut book covers. An elegant, transparent lectern welded from discarded steel was designed to showcase the First Lady’s dress. Local flowers and ferns were used to make garlands that complement the sculptural paper pieces and the East Room.

The New School Press

SUNSET PAVILIONType: ArchitectureInstructors: Alfred Zollinger, Joel Stoehr, Stephanie Cramer, Eric FeusterCollaborators: Danielle Bowler, Felipe Colin Jr., Kristina Cowger, Marcus Kanters, Priscila Romano, Emmanuel Oni, Jennifer Hindeland, Derick Brown, Jelisa Blumberg, Jo Garst, Sabrina PlumSize: 3,500 sq ftLocation: Sunset Park, Brooklyn, New York

The Parsons Design Workshop is an innovative design and build graduate-level architecture studio that offers pro bono design and construction services to non-profit organizations. Founded in 1998, its goal is to make a meaningful contribution to a community while providing students with practical experience. Currently in its 17th year, it has evolved from a series of individual short-term projects with various clients to a multi-year partnership with the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. This year the NYC Parks Department has identified the Sunset Park Recreation Center and Pool as the new site for the Design Workshop intervention.

LEFT: Bending foundation rebars; TOP RIGHT: Notching flitch beam steel plate;TOP BOTTOM: Danielle operating Bobcat with hydraulic breaker.

LEFT: Calibrating bolts in the footing to level the steel column, with Eric and Danielle; TOP RIGHT: Installing cross bracing with Emmanuel;TOP BOTTOM: Team installing flitch beam.

Entrance to the Men’s Room. There are two family rooms on each side.

WOOD ROCKType: Product DesignSize: VariousMaterials: Recycled wood flooring samples

Each year in every architecture/interior design firm or school, thousands of discontinued hardwood flooring samples are being thrown away. I developed a prototype using these samples. Through a simple process, small wood samples are laminated into sizable blocks, and then sculpted into a singular art and design piece. Unlike most mass-produced green products on the market, every piece of my product is unique and handcrafted, which epitomizes the design process and craftsmanship.

Development of the product is focused on the challenge of utilizing various material specifications, including the type of wood, thickness of samples and finishing of surfaces. This is also the aesthetic foundation of this project. By sculpting a cross section through the wood layers, the characteristic of the original material resurfaces revealing the hidden beauty of modern manufacturing.

OREType: Product DesignInstructors: Jono PandolfiSize: 8 in x 8 in x 10 inMaterials: Porcelain, Cement, Wood

ORE is a ceramic lighting product design project. It is an experiment of mixing different materials with contrastive characters. The porcelain part is cast and fired, then cast again into cement. The porcelain-cement cube sits on a pine wood base with lighting fixture inside.

THE VOIDType: Installation ProposalLocation: Guggenheim Museum, Manhattan, New YorkMaterials: Wire, Recycled Cans

Speaking through a tin creates a connection between two or more strangers visually linked across the void. This breaks down social barriers that may prevent strangers from speaking at a more intimate level. The Rotunda of Tin Can Telephones generates interaction and establishes conversations between the visitors and the Guggenheim museum itself, filling the void with voices and visual connections. This low-tech design encourages local communities to contribute towards recycling and building the installation together, enhancing communication.

HAND DRAWN MAPType: CartographyInstructors: Jianli LuoSize: 33.11 in × 46.81 inLocation: Downtown Nanjing, China.Materials: Pen, Watercolor Paper

29 PEEKS INTO THE GAMBLE HOUSEType: InstallationInstructors: Luben Dimcheff, Erica GoetzMaterials: Ink Brush, Watercolor Paper, Traditional Japanese Paper, Plywood

The concept of my interactive installation “29 Peeks into the Gamble House” is to document the design of every aspect and detail of the Gamble House. The drawings were done with a traditional ink brush(毛筆). All the windows were handmade with wood and vellum paper. The red paper which was used for handles and hidden window hinges is Washi (和紙), traditional Japanese paper.

The layout of the windows is a unfolded continous elevation of the building.

KOI BOWLSType: PotteryMaterials: Stoneware. Porcelain

Inspired by a story:Two men were arguing about the koi fish in the bowl. “It’s the water that is really moving,” stated the first one. “No, it is the fish that is moving,” contended the second. A Zen master, who happened to be walking by, overheard the debate and interrupted them. “Neither the water nor the fish is moving,” he said, “It is the HEART that swims.”

MOCHI LIU

617-584-0939 1229 1ST AVE APT 21

NEW YORK, NY 10065 mochiliu84@gmail.com

EDUCATION MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE Parsons the New School for Design, New York, NY

2012-2015

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING IN URBAN PLANNING Southeast University, Nanjing, China

2003-2008

WORK EXPERIENCE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNER

DiMella Shaffer, Boston, MA 2008-2012

Participated in design development and construction documents of various architecture design, interior design and campus planning projects; responsible for all architectural visualization projects, including digital modeling, rendering and animation. • Massachusetts’ first state-owned Zero Net Energy building, Health and Student

Services Building at North Shore Community College • Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy’s Building Technology • Tockwotton On The Waterfront: Providence RI Senior Housing • Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly

TEACHING ASSISTANT Parsons the New School for Design, New York, NY

2012-2015

Taught design and architectural visualization in several graduate level courses, housing design studios and Parsons Summer Program; responsible for student orientation, technical support and laboratory maintenance; co-edited the NYCHA REDUX STUDIO BOOK.

SKILL SETS Bilingual in Chinese and English;

Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, AutoCAD, SketchUp, Revit, Rhinoceros, 3D Rendering, Microsoft Office Suite: Word, PowerPoint, Excel

AWARDS WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST SCHOLARSHIP

The New School, New York, NY For a collaborative pro bono project with SLO Architecture, the Bronx River Art Center and students from Fannie Lou Hamer High School.

2014

JOHN L. TISHMAN SCHOLARSHIP The New School, New York, NY For my commitment to sustainable development, design, and construction.

2013

DEAN’S SCHOLARSHIP The New School, New York, NY For my outstanding academic performance.

2012-2015

VOLUNTEER WORK CREATIVE TIME AND MTA ARTS FOR TRANSIT

Grand Central Terminal, New York, NY Responsible for facilitating public engagement. Act as designated dressers for performers.

2013

QUINCY ASIAN RESOURCES Quincy, MA Responsible for translation for Chinese artists. Contributed to bilingual painting and calligraphy demonstration.

2011-2012

HIGHLIGHTED PROJECTS

PARSONS DESIGN WORKSHOP Sunset Park, Brooklyn, NY Worked as the lead designer in a team, collaborated closely with the Department of Parks & Recreation, Landmarks Preservation Commission, Department of Buildings and Sunset Park local community to design and build two new pavilions for the Sunset Park Recreation Center.

2014

FASHION EDUCATION WORKSHOP AT THE WHITE HOUSE Washington, D.C. Worked as the lead designer in a team, designed and constructed an Art installation for Michelle Obama’s Fashion Education Workshop in the East Room of the White House.

2014