Calvin Tam

Who Am I? 2

Professional Projects 4

Studio Projects 30

Table of Contents

1
 Who am I?
I am an architectural designer and
a photographer. I am intrigued by
how an idea or a theory becomes
an infectious movement within a
natural system and the resulting
chain of reactions. Only through
practice, the act of inserting an idea
into a system, can the theories be
tested. My work as a designer is to
meld theory with practice, which
directly or indirectly and positively
or negatively affects the system. I
want to invoke positive change in
social and environmental systems.
During an Urban Agriculture
course I had taken amidst the
recession to fuel my curiosity, I
learned about permaculture as
well as gardening. Permaculture
was the practice of mimicking
nature to enrich our own lives and
to rely less on our increasingly
unsustainable living standards.
Photography has guided my
learning of the play of light, I had
always bathed my school projects
in light.

Calvin Tam,
LEED AP
4049 Patterson Avenue
Oakland, CA 94619
5 1 0 . 2 8 2 . 3 4 6 3
C a l v i n . Ta m @ m e . c o m

2
3
Professional Projects

4
5
 Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
brings state of the art hospital to
a region where health tourism
is popular. This 360-bed
hospital, scalable to 490 beds, is
to be operated by the excellent
healthcare provider Cleveland
Clinic in the heart of Abu Dhabi.
HDR Inc. (Henningson Durham
and Richardson Inc) had the task
of creating a “Modern” facility
while retaining the Arab culture.
This award winning hospital
incorporates many cultural
elements into the design of the
building to collimate regional
culture with the design of the
hospital.
The United Arab Emirates are
constantly purging their cultural
heritage, from changing their
financial system to their way of life.
HDR took upon the design team to
retain and insert cultural elements
into their new general hospital.
References to the five pillars of
Islam are present throughout.
Musical rhythms are embedded
into the floor pattern.

Overall Building Rendering - Crystal CG Cleveland Clinic

Abu Dhabi
HDR Inc. 4/08-3/09
Completion Q4 2015
24º29’51” N 54º23’17” E
Al Sowwah Island
Abu Dhabi, UAE

6
CCAD - Floor Plan and Section Diagrams
Left,, Location of the “The Canyon”; Middle, Location of the “D&T” Waiting Areas
Section, Location of the “Swing Wing”

7
 The swing-wing is an atrium
suspended above the hospital
facilities below and is perpendicular
to the bed tower. The space has two
HSS steel braces providing shear on
level 6 which needed to be treated
architecturally. My proposal is to
create five intervention volumes
of varying methods of occupation,
the number of volumes refers
to the five pillars of Islam. The
idea of the different methods of
occupation methods were the
culmination of one of my studio
projects, which focused on void or
non-void (space) and vice versa.
These volumes provide enclosed,
balcony, and uninhabitable space.

CCAD - “Swing Wing” Programming & Design Sketches Cleveland Clinic

As-Built Image of the “Swing Wing” Abu Dhabi

8
“Main Street” and “The Canyon” - Floor Pattern
Inset Left - “The Canyon” - Presentation Model D&T
Inset Right - “The Canyon” - Clinic

9
 Design Awards:
t
Bronze Award, 2016 Design
Award - Modern Healthcare
t
Merit Award, 2015 Built Category
- AIA Middle East
t
Best Hopsital Design, 2015 -
Building Healthcare Middle East
Awards
t
Best Sustainable Hospital, 2015 -
Building Healthcare Middle East
Awards
t
People’s Choice, 2015 - Building
Healthcare Middle East Awards
t
Best Hosptial Design, 2010 -
Build MIddle East Exhibition &
Congress
t
WAN Awards, 2010 Healthcare
Category - World Architecture
News
t
Citation - 2009 Unbuilt Category,
Modern Healthcare
t
HDR Crystal Pathfinders Award
for Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Hospital

“D&T” Waiting Area - In House Rendeirng - Artlantis Cleveland Clinic

Inset - Final Rendering - Transparent House Abu Dhabi

10
Left - Details of a tasting station
Right - Accented abandoned well with details of the bread merchandiser with the original cooler doors beyond

11
 Founded in 1881, this venerable
grocery store has been serving
picnickers and travelers in the
Napa Valley for over 130 years.
Several additions have been made
to the store over the years. The
much needed renovation resolved
the hodgepodge of additions into
a cohesive entity, which included
structural upgrades, ensuring
continued operation of the store
for the foreseeable future or
another 130 years.
We preserved the charm of the
century old store, while cohesively
bringing the hodgepodge of several
additions together. The primary
focus was to improve the flow of
customers around the deli island,
previously the isles were cramped
and did not allow customers to
manoeuvre around each other.
Custom mill work was detailed
and crafted to maintain the turn of
the century charm.
North Bay Business Journal
named Oakville Grocery a Top
Real Estate Project Award in
Historic Preservation.

Oakville Grocery storefront at dusk along Highway 29 Oakville Grocery

Avila Design Inc. - 7/10-5/14

Completion: May 2012
38º26’15” N 122º24’10” W
7856 St. Helena Highway
Oakville,CA

12
Copper light fixtures accenting the service counter

13
 Top Dog a East Bay institution
within the San Francisco
Metropolitan Area, were relocating
their Pleasant Valley restaurant
to neighboring Lakeshore,
both vibrant neighborhoods in
Oakland. The owners retained
Avila Design to design their new
space. We were able to find a new
location for the new establishment.
The firm started with a charrette
and introduced the owners to
design. The result was a reduction
of how the restaurant was operated
and design ideas obtained from the
charrette.
The owners originally wanted
vinyl flooring and were hesitant
with using tile within the
restaurant. They eventually
convinced not to specify vinyl tile
found a ceramic tile, which was
specified for another concurrent
Avila Design project, that melded
well with the design of the
restaurant.

Top Dog dining area Top Dog

Avila Design Inc. - 7/10-5/14

July 2010 - September 2012
37º48’38” N 121º14’39” W
3272 Lakeshore Avenue
Oakland, CA

14
15
AVILA DESIGN
 Gilman District was a complex
project that involved careful
sequencing of the construction
process, which invovled partial
demolition and renovation of
one part of the structure to allow
the tenant improvement of an
anchor tenant to commence. The
remaining tenants were either
temporarily or pernamently
relocated to adjacent retail spaces
during the construction.
While construction was ongoing,
Avila Design was tasked with
creating multiple LOD schemes
for the vacant retail spaces in order
to market them, eventually prior
to completion of construction the
entire project was leased.
One of the leased tenants was
Doughnut Dolly a local start up
funded though kickstarter. Instead
of just a storefront, this space will
serve as their doughnut making
operation for both their existing
Temescal Ally location and Gilman
District.

Gilman District &

Doughnut Dolly
Avila Design Inc. - 7/10-5/14
Completion: 2015
37°52’47” N 122°17’50” W
Berkeley, CA

16
 A

A
53.5 SF/ 52.9 SF/ 52.9 SF/
100 OCC. LOAD = 100 OCC. LOAD = 100 OCC. LOAD =
1 OCC. 1 OCC. 1 OCC.

42'-9" EGRESS PATH

72'-8" EGRESS PATH
53'-11" EGRESS PATH

B
UP

C
DN
77 OCC FROM
BELOW TENANT
SPACE #3
PROPOSED OFFICE
RESTAURANT KITCHEN
909.6 SF/200 OCC. LOAD = 4.5 TENANT SPACE #2
5 OCCUPANTS TENANT
RESTUARANT/MERCANTILE IMPROVEMENT

68'-1" EGRESS PATH

75'-0" MAX TRAVEL DISTANCE W/
SPRINKLER SYSTEM LOUNGE BAR WORK TO BE
A-2 - ASSEMBLY DN DONE UNDER
TENANT
1709 SF/15 OCC. LOAD = 113.9 SEPARATE
IMPROVEMENT
114 OCCUPANTS APPLICATION
WORK TO BE
75'-0" MAX TRAVEL DISTANCE
DONE UNDER
W/ SPRINKLER SYSTEM
SEPARATE
APPLICATION

D
TENANT SPACE #1
LOUNGE BAR

55'-4" EGRESS PATH

51'-1" EGRESS PATH

50'-0" EGRESS PATH

TENANT IMPROVEMENT
WORK TO BE DONE
UNDER SEPARATE
APPLICATION

46'-1" EGRESS PATH

RESTAURANT
A-2 - ASSEMBLY OFFICE

99'-7"
2219.4 SF/15 OCC. LOAD = 147.9 B - OCCUPANCY
148 OCCUPANTS SEPARATION 1798.8 SF/100 OCC. LOAD =

102'
75'-0" MAX TRAVEL DISTANCE W/ DISTANCE IS 18 OCCUPANTS

-4"
SPRINKLER SYSTEM GREATER 100'-0" MAX TRAVEL DISTANCE
THAN 1 3 W/ SPRINKLER SYSTEM

UP

E
FROM ABOVE
37'-11"
TENANT SPACE #2

19 OCC
SEPARATION
RESTUARANT/MERCANTILE DISTANCE IS
GREATER THAN 1 3
TENANT 23'-1" EGRESS PATH
IMPROVEMENT
WORK TO BE
DONE UNDER 57 OCC
SEPARATE

26'-6" EGRESS PATH

APPLICATION

38'-9"
123 OCC
UP

F
91'-4"

34'-7"
SEPARATION
DISTANCE IS

26'-2" EGRESS PATH

GREATER
THAN 1 3
OPEN TO OPEN TO
BELOW BELOW

G
DN

18'-9" EGRESS PATH

77 OCC FROM BELOW

61'-6" EGRESS PATH

29'-2" EGRESS PATH

16'-10" EGRESS PATH

RESTAURANT
A-2 - ASSEMBLY
1346.9 SF/15 OCC. LOAD =
89.7+154 FROM BASEMENT
244 OCCUPANTS
75'-0" MAX TRAVEL DISTANCE
W/ SPRINKLER SYSTEM

H
123 OCC

57 OCC
198 OCC
I

I
MECHANICAL
172.5 SF/300 OCC. LOAD =
1 OCCUPANTS
1

3
TOTAL BUILDING OCCUPANTS = 379

BASEMENT LEVEL GROUND FLOOR LEVEL SECOND FLOOR

1 SCALE: 3/16" = 1'-0" 2 SCALE: 3/16" = 1'-0" 3 SCALE: 3/16" = 1'-0"

NOTE: REQUIRED EXIT SEPARATION DISTANCE = 1 3 MAXIMUM DIMENSION OF SPACE BECAUSE

BUILDING IS EQUIPPED WITH A FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM, PER C.B.C CHAPTER 10.

Left - Historic Photo - HABS “1932 Oakland Paramount Theater”

Right - Floor plans

17
 The owner, with support from
the Oakland Planning, embarked
on a historic façade restoration of
an art deco building adjacent to
the historic Paramount Theater
in Oakland, CA. The building’s
original façade was removed and
covered in stucco. As part of the
façade restoration, the building is
also being redemised from a single
tenant space into three tenant
spaces to occupy the basement, first
floor and second floor mezzanine.
The building owner wanted a
central means of egress to serve as
a second means of egress for both
the two assembly spaces on the
ground floor and basement as well
as the main entry & egress from
the second floor office. The single
exit corridor created a need for
a three-hour rating to comply as
horizontal exit as well as increased
minimum width to accommodate
the exit discharge from all three
spaces.

Current Photo Broadway Core & Shell

Brian Kaufman Des. - 6/14-1/17

September 2015 - March 2017
37º48’34” N 122º16’05” W
Oakland, CA

18
 A2-0

A2-0

A2-
A2-

Left & Center - Floor Plans and Front Elevation

Right - Rendering of Front Elevation A2-2

A3-0

19
 The developer wanted to convert
this turn of the century automotive
garage within the Van Ness
Automotive Historic District into
a multifamily residential buidling.
Brian Kaufman Design was tasked
with maintaining the original
buildig’s charm while achieving
the client’s needs by elevating
and canterlevering the residentail
structure above the original brick
structure below.
The altered building contains
52 efficiency units and 3 loft
units on the ground floor, with
high efficiency parking, bicycle
parking and utilities located in the
basement.

Superimposed image with Rendering Hyde Development

Brian Kaufman Des. - 6/14-1/17

September 2015 - Ongoing
37º46’55” N 122º24’57” W
San Francisco, CA

20
Model of La Bou, used to convey the design with the contractor

21
 Avila Design partnered with HMS
Host, a nationwide concessions
operator, to replace an existing
concessions space at Sacramento
International Airport (SMF) with a
La Bou, a local Sacramento bakery
specializing in decadent pastries.
We introduced a modified
lamella, a curving lattice roof
structure formed by only straight
members, found in La Bou’s
downtown location, as a major part
of La Bou’s branding. The lamella
maintained the visual connection
between the terminal and the
arrival of one’s plane. We oriented
the grab n go cases along the flow
traveller traffic as they transverse
to their awaiting flight’s gate. We
used homogenous materials for
the service area to ease cleaning,
which included a stainless steel
back splash throughout. The glass
screens were introduced to replace
the required hand sink splash
and to visually veil the service
equipment from the customers.
La Bou Service counter
Avila Design partnered with HMS
Host, a nationwide concessions
operator, to replace an existing
concessions space at Sacramento
International Airport (SMF) with a
La Bou, a local Sacramento bakery
specializing in decadent pastries
We introduced a modified
lamella, a curving lattice roof
structure formed by only straight
members, found in La Bou’s
downtown location, as a major part
of La Bou’s branding. The lamella
maintained the visual connection
between the terminal and the
arrival of one’s plane. We oriented
the grab n go cases along the flow
traveller traffic as they transverse
to their awaiting flight’s gate. We
used homogenous materials for
the service area to ease cleaning,
which included a stainless steel
back splash throughout. The glass
screens were introduced to replace
the required hand sink splash
and to visually veil the service
equipment from the customers.
La Bou
Avila Design Inc. - 7/10-10/12
Completion: July 2011
38º41’39” N 121º35’15” W
Terminal A - Airside - SMF
Sacramento, CA
22
 12 ROOF / WALL INTERSECTION 3" = 1'-0" 9 PITCHED ROOF / WALL INTERSECTION 3" = 1'-0" 6 TYPICAL V

PRELIMINARY - NOT FOR CO

5 CLERESTO

TION 9 SECTION

9 SECTION

10 CLERESTORY FRAMING 1 1/2" = 1'-0" 4 ASPHALT

BUILDING SECTIONS

TION
Elevation, sections, and detail of the clerestory windows above the kitchen island
A2.3
BUILDING SECTIONS

A2.3

23
 The couple had an extensive wants
list, which included an inlaw unit,
revised layout and interiors and
a bonus room for their extensive
artwork.
At one point of the design process,
the project manager was designing
the clerestory windows above the
kitchen and was not able to come
up with a subltle design due to
the misalignment of the desired
location and the roof ridge. Via
a sketch, I convinced the project
manager it could be done when
he was considering using skylights
instead. To receive client approval
I was also requested to upate the
sketchup model and upon approval
to draw the details of the clerestory
windows.
Ultimately, the project was value
engineered and separated into
multiple phases due to the client
would not be able to recoup the
cost of the rennovations through
the change in the resale value
of their home, resulting in the
removal of the clerestory windows
from the scope of work.

Sketchup renderings of the clerestory windows. Hollister Residence

Avila Design Inc. - 7/10-5/14

Completion: 2011
37º43’17” N 122º05’07” W
Castro Valley, CA

24
 1212NOT USED
NOT
12NOT USED
USED

9 OUTRIIGGER (BOT. VIEW) 3" = 1'-0" 3 PLAN (TOP VIEW) 1 1/2" = 1'-0"

5 5 OUTRIGGER / KNEE
5 OUTRIGGER
OUTRIGGER/ KNEE BRACE
/ KNEE
BRACEDETAIL
BRACE
DETAIL
DETAIL 3"3"=3"
=1'-0"
= 1'-0"
1'-0"

PLANS & ELEVATIONS DETAILS

DETAILS
DETAILS

10 SIDE ELEVATION, TYP BOTH SIDES 1010PLAN

1 1/2" = 1'-0" 10
7PLANDETAILS
PLAN
DETAILS
DETAILS
ELEVATIONS 3"3"=3"
=1'-0" 7 7 DETAIL
= 1'-0"
1'-0" ELEVATION
7 DETAIL
DETAILELEVATION
ELEVATION 3"3"=3"
=1'-0" 4 4 JBOX
= 1'-0"
1'-0" 4 JBOX& &POST
JBOX POSTSTRAP
& POST
STRAPDETAIL
STRAP DETAIL 1 1/2" =3"1'-0"
DETAIL 3"=3"
=1'-0" A0.1
1 1 BASE/FOOTING
= 1'-0"
1'-0" DETAIL
1 BASE/FOOTING
BASE/FOOTINGDETAIL
DETAIL 3"3"=3" =10
=1'-0"1'-0"
1'-0" A0.2
A0.2
A0.2
FLEUR-DE-LYS DETAIL 1" = 1" 7

Section, Elevations, & Details

25
 Avila Design was commissioned
to design a lamp post for the
Riemann’s when they bought a
turn of the century light fixture.
The original design called for
a complex leveling base with a
framed redwood post that was
shaped on an entasis, which was
revised after the owner purchased
a 9”x9”x80” rough sawn burwood
log. The design brought in
the inspirational elements of
the owner’s ornate home and
introduced carving details
reminiscent of their dwelling.
The post was received hammered
copper escutchen plates to prevent
the precipitation from puddling on
the level surfaces, further weather
protection was provided by a clear
sealant. The final result was a lamp
post that did not compete with the
ornate light fixture, but one that
compliments it.

SketchUp Model/Renderings Riemann Residence

Avila Design Inc. - 7/10-6/14

Completion: 2012
37º54’45” N 122º17’01” W
Kensington, CA

26
27
Studio Projects

28
Mapping of a section of North Beach, San Francsico on Vallejo and Green Streets.
Corresponding color coded section.
West Elevation

29
 Sustainable skyscraper, the
solution chosen solves energy
consumption without relying on
technological advances or creating
yet another problem to solve, thus
Jan Jul the design started off with an
Feb Aug integrated passive design solution
Mar

Apr
Sep

Oct
to daylighting and ventilation
May Nov to supplement technological
Jun Dec
solutions to provide a net zero
carbon footprint. The building as
a narrow section of 75’ and major
rooms are a maximum 25’ from
a window. The floor plates shift
to allow green gardens to flourish
while also providing shading to
the programmatic spaces, thus the
name Tree House. The eco-tower
is faced with photo voltaic on all
four elevations so that it could
take advantage of the orientation
of the grid of SOMA and the
majority of the panels will be in
sun light majority of the year. Tree
House encloses a primary school,
supermarkets, offices, retail, and
dwellings. In essence Tree House
is a horizontal neighborhood
rearranged vertically.

Top - San Francisco Bioclimatic Chart, Ventilation Diagram, Sectional Diagram Sustainable Skyscraper
Bottom - San Francisco Sun Path Diagram, Daylighting/Shading Diagram, Section Detail
Bloszies, Ikeda, & Gottlieb
Fall 2008
37º47’14” N 122º23’42” W
SOMA - Transbay Terminal
First St & Folsom St,
San Francisco, CA
30
Typical Office Floor/Housing Floor
Housing Enlarged Plans

31
 Tree House was the embodiment
of several ideologies of previous
studios, where ideas of shared/
private green space and connected
isolation were implemented via the
shifting of the floor plates. Space
may be defined by either a physical
or visual boundaries.

Additional Renderings Sustainable Skyscraper

32
Physical model and Rendering

33
 The objective of the studio was to
design multi-use housing complex,
the overall strategy is to occupy
Octavia Boulevard Redevelopment
parcels J, K , and L with the main
focus on Parcel K. Parcel K is
bound by, Hayes Street, Octavia
Boulevard, and Linden Street.
The surrounding area is filled
with retail stores and restaurants,
which cater to a niche market.
Hayes Valley residents reside in
typical San Francisco town homes
with limited day lighting and
Site Second Fourth ventilation. The design is based on
the idea of “Connected Isolation”
where the user experiences a
journey into the private realms
of their dwelling. To accomplish
this, the private catwalks become
the vehicle to create the separation
between bedrooms and the semi-
private spaces within the dwelling
in plan, the use of loft like spaces
create privacy in section. Finally
the catwalks create a porous
façade where a visual connection
to Hayes Green, a park surrounded
by Octavia Boulevard.
First Third Fifth
Site and Floor Plans Housing

Cooke & Steinmuller

Spring 2007
37º46’35” N 122º25’26” W
Hayes Valley
Octavia St & Hayes St,
San Francisco, CA
34
 Glass & Aluminum Railing

24” Square Ipe

Bison Level.it
Lower Floor
Waterproofing
Flashing
Rigid Insulation

Silicone & Backing Rod

Insulation
Suspended Ceiling

Curtain Wall Clip - Beyond

Upper Floor

Raised Floor
Silicone & Backing Rod
Post Tension Concrete Slab

Wall Section and Wall Section Details

Typical Unit Floor Plans and Section

35
 For the final project of a Details
studio, was to continue with a
previous studio design project.
The housing project was the
most successful and had areas
of the design that would benefit
tremendously from implementing
some reviewer comments from the
studio. The second chance allowed
a chance to work out certain
details to the facade or the building
assembly and reciprocity of design
to be implemented.
The focus of the detail was on the
south-west side of the building
where a design strategy was created
to meld two different programatic
volumes into a cohesive design
aesthetic. The original design was
altered and subsequently refined
because originally the design had a
storefront window system attached
between floor slabs and currently
there are several wall systems.

Housing - Detail

Tauber
Fall 2008
37º46’35” N 122º25’26” W
Hayes Valley
Octavia St & Hayes St,
San Francisco, CA
36
Site and Floor Plans
Vertical Spatial Diagrams and Sectional Diagrams

37
 The Site studio was to design an
environmental educational center.
The site in question is a triangular
site within The Presidio, bound
by Presidio Boulevard, Pacific
Avenue, and West Pacific Avenue.
The design attempts to mimic the
duality of bound vertical space
inspired from an analysis of natural
sectional spatial qualities. This
canopy diagram is to analyze the
spatial qualities of the Monterrey
Pines in The Presidio where they
were planted simultaneously.
Thus the building was derived
in section, where the spaces are
bound by adjoining floor plates
and programmatic spaces, thus a
space may have several conditions.
Some of the conditions call for
program to be suspended above
the landscape or hardscape. The
fluctuation of heights in major
spaces allows to be filled with light
since the diagram maps spaces
without program above thus
allowing light to penetrate into
larger gathering spaces.

Physical Models Site

Parco & Marsh

Fall 2007
37º46’35” N 122º25’26” W
Presidio
Presidio Blvd & West Pacific Ave,
San Francisco, CA
38
Domestic Event Collage - Typing on Keyboard
Micro and Macro Models of use of Keyboard
Geiger & Caradec FA 2005

39
 My first architectural studio at
CCA involved selecting a domestic
event to capture and create a
collage of the event. My chosen
event was typing on a keyboard,
my first attempt was to try to
capture the dancing of the fingers
across the keys, the final collage
was an overlay of each individual
key typed on standard keyboard,
where the fingers rest on the home
row and the thumbs rest above the
space bar. The micro model depicts
the usual location of one’s fingers
and movement of the fingers to
type the other keys. The macro
model is a cross section of how the
represenative fingers of the model
interconnect and create space.
My first upper level studio,
invovled creating a new warehouse
space for the Goodwill of San
Francisco. My solution was to
create courtyard and lightwell
penetrations to reach into the
lower levels of the warehouse.
These incisions and shifts mimic
the fractal earthquake fault lines
found in the Bay Area.

Study Models Charrette Projects &

Courtyard/Lightwell penetrations into Floor Study Models
McCall FA 2007

40