SHANGRILA HOTEL OCEAN WING RASA RIA (MY DESIGN)

The first Shangri-la Hotel that I designed and handled from concept to construction.  It is the Ocean Wing area of the hotel and designed primarily for exclusivity  and privacy.  It was a very fast phased project.
I have been surfing the net for some reviews regarding this design baby of mine and I must say that I am pleased with what I have found and one proud momma here. Thanks to Dannil who gave me the free reign in the design and concept of everything (eventhough we jokingly refer to the pool as the Mickey mouse pool when I have first drawn it),to Peridian's mr taylor for giving me the project,my team who helped me package the concept and construction drawings.Pictures are from the web.

The entry water feature with cultured stones feature wall

The entry driveway

The entry foyer

The entry courtyard garden with the decorative torches

The beach pool area

a closer look at the pool

pool details

private villa area

the meditation area

GUANGZHOU OPERA HOUSE

Designed by one of my favorite woman architect Zaha Hadid, the Guangzhou Opera House is a stunning architecture that sits pompously at the heart of Guangzhou and opens to the Pearl River.The design is greatly influenced by the river valleys and the natural landscape.The famous "double pebble" concept tells the story of the two massive boulders that go through the process of erosion;an interplay between architecture and landscape.The whole project took about 5 years to finish and has now become one of Guangzhou's most celebrated architectural wonders. I have always wanted to capture this building with my lens and I finally did. 

mighty and proud

reflection

details

another angle

The brown line and a whole lot of parks

I am not a train person at all.  Whether I am here in China or in my home country, the Philippines, I seldom take the metro primarily because I don't like being squished by a large number of people.  However, when I was in Chicago, I tried taking the brown line from Diversey to the city.  My family and I enjoyed a walk along Arlington as well as Nando's, the home of Peri-peri Chicken.

with mini-me at the train station

I like the rustic feeling of the brown line train.  It was a different way of experiencing the city and of course, it was a plus that it was not crowded at all.  I got to pass by the old rails that entered the city.

a view of the city riverwalk

I went to several parks for my case study references (yeah, for work inspo right there!).  Maggie Daley and Grant Parks are just simply awesome.  It was quite a sunny day but don't be fooled by the brightness because it was cold that day.  The wind was relentless and unforgiving.

surreal clouds at Grant Park!

walking towards Millennium from  Grant Park

a panoramic shot of Maggie Daley Park

reminds me of the Lord of the Rings Trees

I had fun park hopping though in spite of the chilly weather that day.  I did not really mind it because the clouds and the sunlight are just great for my shots.

WHAT I WORE:

black and maroon bonnet hat from RALPH LAUREN

leather jacket from ZARA MENSWEAR

skinny jeans from FOREVER 21

knee high boots from ALDO

Pandora bag from GIVENCHY

posing under the sun for some warmth

with mini-me again

A VISIT AT THE MILLENNIUM PARK

The famous CLOUDGATE aka THE BEAN

On the first night that I was in Chicago, I made sure that I get to see the Millennium park.  I have used this park as a reference and case study for several projects that I have worked on and designed so naturally, I would want to see the real deal.  It was a good thing because the park was just a few corners away from Hyatt Regency, the hotel where I was checked in for the ASLA convention.

My view from my hotel room at Hyatt Regency...the Chicago version of AECOM (where I work with) is just opposite it.

So I strolled along Michigan avenue with my family and eventually stopped at Shake shack first before heading to the park.  Mini-me was insistent on having burgers at Shake Shack since there wasn't any In and Out at Chicago.

lovely Shake Shack

sinned so bad!

I must admit that I was enthralled and surprised by Millennium.  Enthralled because of its sheer beauty especially at night and surprised because I was expecting a really mammoth scale of everything.  Judging from the images before, it looks like that everything is of grand scale but it wasn't the case out there in reality.  The scale was just right, in fact, human enough and thereby creating a sense of comfort rather than feeling out of place like what I usually feel in public plazas and parks here.  There is a sense of intimacy in some corners brought by the lush planting and right ambient lighting.

the 3d mapped sculptural fountains

the Pritzker Pavilion which I used as a reference case study for one pavilion I designed here in China

under the bean

the silent sculptures

I was also intrigued by how it blended well with the old fashioned buildings around it.  The famous bean or cloud gate is just in front of a classical style building.  The merging of the contemporary and the old is just mesmerising; a visual feast to the naked eye and to my camera lens too.

busy with the camera

I love exploring

reflection on the bean

with mini-me

WHAT I WORE:

printed olive green dress from H&M

navy blue coat from an online shop here in China

knee high boots from ALDO

pandora bag from GIVENCHY

the customary OOTN shot before leaving the hotel

under the bean again

Chill the explorer

all the love....

Sheri xxx

Majestic Oakpark

Being a Landscape Architect by profession, a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's house is a must. So we traveled all the way to Oak Park Illinois to take a look at the renowned architect's home and early works.  Thanks to my good friend Joseph who made this trip possible.  It was about an hour long drive from Chicago but the trip was well worth it.

We were greeted by the commanding presence of a giant Ginkgo biloba tree.  The tree was beyond beautiful but the smell was actually revolting... the kind that sticks to your shoes and brings the smell inside the car.

The splendid Ginkgo tree

We had our house tour of the famous Architect's house and it was like a virtual playground  to me.  However, I still like the latter years of Wright's design more than these initial designs.

Frank Lloyd Wright's house

the kitchen with canvas walls and paper rice lights

 Below are some of his initial designs too near his home.

 and then here is moi...busy with my camera and information digestion.  I wanted to wear my comfy culottes in spite of the cold weather here.  I just made sure I was wearing a pair of leggings and knee-high boots underneath to keep myself warm.

busy photographer

and of course, my ootd shot

WHAT I WORE:
OUTER WEAR:  Navy blue coat bought from an online shop
TOP: black turtleneck from Uniqlo
BOTTOMS: Red Culottes from H&M
SHOES:Knee high boots from Aldo
BAG: Givenchy Pandora