MAD no doubt is one of the most recognized architectural practices in China and worldwide. Every year, MAD receives countless job and internship applications. To be able to work at MAD will definitely enrich your career as even though the people working here might have been lucky, but are undeniably outstanding. What could possibly be on the minds of the MAD interns?

MAD无疑是中国最受瞩目的建筑师事务所，同时在世界范围内也受到极高的关注。MAD每年都收到来自全世界不计其数的工作申请和实习申请。能够进入MAD学习和工作一段时间，职业生涯无疑会变得精彩丰富，在这里的人们，也许是幸运的，但肯定是优秀的。在MAD工作的实习生们，他们脑子里天马星空的想法是什么样的？

Name: Wenjie Cao
Educational Institution: McGill University
Year: Third Year Bachelor Degree
Nationality: Chinese Canadian
Email: wenjie.cao@live.ca

Who is your favourite architect? Why?

Carlo Scarpa. His design speaks the same language with landscape and materials. Hebrings you
into the sensuous world of the materials.His building fruits from its landscape; however it changes
the landscape with apoetic touch. He is also the master of details. You can see a different world
from his architecture.

What is the major characteristic of your current school’s education?

The architecture program in McGill pays attention to history and culture. The professors give you
a strong foundation in the history of architecture on which you develop your own sense ofgood
architecture.The professors have a close relationship with their students. They encourage a lot
of critical thoughts, refection about architecture and practise.

In my earlier history class, the professor encourages us to “see” with your senses other than just
vision. When I first took that class, I didn’t think as much, but a few years later I started to
understand little by little what that professor was trying to teach me. I wish I could go back to that
class ten years later, when I have more experiences on architecture. Maybe then I would be able
to learn from that class much more.

What have you gained during the MAD internship?

I like the culture in MAD. They care about their interns. Every two weeks or so there will be
different tutorial classes open for everyone, from which I learned a lot of useful digital techniques.
Also I appreciate the fact that MAD provides fitness classes for its employees, even though it is a
very busy firm. During my internship in MAD, I gained different experiences almost every day, from
the concept design to the partnership of different teams, and even to the actual process of
building the design. Architecture design is actually a team work, and I am glad that I was with
such a friendly and open-minded team.

What are your thoughts and feelings upon Chinese Architecture and the environment? Any suggestion?

I think China is developing very fast. Every time I come back, I notice a lot of changes going on in
the city. Everyday, new buildings are being built; some are very interesting and ground breaking.
However,I sense that there is a lack of city planning. It feels like an orchestra missing the
conductor. Maybe each building has a great characteristic on its own, but when they stand side
by side with each other, they can make the whole city look confusing and awkward. Sometimes I
have a feeling that we do things first, and when all the things are being done, then we start to
think. I wish China could slow down its speed of development to give itself more time to think or to
plan.

What is your dream?

I don’t know what I would do in the future, but I know what kind of person I want to be. I wish I
could be someone who can see the good things, even if they are miles away.

What would you do if you were not an architect?

I will continue my passion in music. A few decades later, if you find an old lady playing organ in a
church, that might be me.

What is your dream project?

If you ask me this question now, I would say a house. I want to design a house and watch it being
built. It doesn’t have to use the newest material, doesn’t have to be located in the best part of the
city, doesn’t have to bea big mansion. But it must be a house that is loved by the people who live
there, and it makes them feel free and comfortable.
One day, the house will age with its owner. When time has changed its look, I might walk pass it
someday, and I would think: oh, I remember this house. I designed it many years ago. I
remember I used to make decisions like this and that – and those decisions were once very
important and meaningful to someone on this earth.

What is your favourite project in your portfolio? Why?

Passage is my favorite project. It changed my view towards structure. Before that project, gravity
was my biggest enemy, and I barely thought about structure in my design process. During the
making of Passage, I encountered a lot of structural difficulties, but as I built my design with the
structure, I started to appreciate it. That was the turning point of my design path. I think from that
project on, I start to believe that structure is beautiful.

姓名：曹闻婕
学校：麦吉尔大学
年级：本科三年级
国籍：加拿大/中国
电子邮箱：wenjie.cao@live.ca

最喜欢的建筑师是谁？为什么？

Carlo Scarpa是我最崇敬的建筑设计师。他的建筑与水土，材质相融合，可以将人带入一个诗一般的意境，时间在他的作品中好像是停止的，是永恒的。他的建筑孕育于特定的环境，而他也同时用他的建筑在雕琢环境，悄无声息地凸显这环境的美感。同一方水土，在他的建筑的视角里，却可以让人看到一个不同的世界。

你所在学校的教育特点？

McGill的建筑体系很注重历史与文化。我想那些学术理论课程也为学生的批判性思维开了一扇窗。导师们和学生走得很近，也很善于鼓励我们去探索,去思考。当时影响很深的一门课是历史，导师教导我们建筑不应该只是单用眼来看的，触觉，嗅觉，听觉全应用来体会整个环境，当下读完这门课只觉得稀奇，可是两三年以后才渐渐开始领悟导师曾经所讲的那些话，所以有可能的话，我真希望十年以后再回到学校听他讲这门课，我想那时我会收获得更多。

你在MAD实习最大的收获是什么？

我很喜欢MAD的员工文化。他们重视对实习生的培养。基本上每一两个星期就会有不同的教程课，让我学到了很多十分有用的数码知识。我也很感谢MAD提供的一些运动课程，我觉得一家忙碌的建筑事务所能做到为它员工的健康着想，这是十分难得的。在MAD实习期间，几乎每天都有不同的收获，都能接触到不同的领域，从建筑设计最初的理念，各方合作单位的谈论，到实际建造的流程。建筑设计是一个团队工作，而我很庆幸我遇到了这样一个友善开明的团队。

你对中国建筑以及环境有怎样的感触？建议是什么？

我觉得国内发展的真的很快，每次回来都能感受到不一样，我想这是很多其他地方无法比拟的。每天都有很多新的，有趣建筑在诞生，但是总觉得没有一个总体的规划，好比一个没有指挥家的乐队一样 — 可能每个人都有特别的嗓音，别样的才华，但是在一起有时就会特别凌乱，缺少了指挥者这样的灵魂。我们好像总是先急着把一件事完成，等到做完了以后，我们才开始思考。这样的思维模式，我觉得还是挺可怕的。中国有足够的时间去发展，能不能把发展的步调调慢一点，或者说在发展前，给出更多的时间和精力去规划，去思考。

你的梦想是什么？

我不知道将来我会做什么能做什么，但是我知道我想成为什么样的人。我希望自己无论在什么情况下，都能看得到美好的一面，就算那份美好在比较遥远的地方，我也能努力向那边靠拢。

你如果不当建筑师会选择什么职业？

我会继续热衷我所爱的音乐。如果很多很多年以后你在教堂看到一个老太太在弹奏管风琴，记得要上前打招呼，说不定那就是未来的我。（笑）

你梦想中的项目是什么样的？

如果你问现在的我，我会说，我想建一栋房子，普通的房子。小小的就好，不一定用最新最贵的材料，不一定在最热门的市区，不一定会让每个路过的人会停下脚步，但它一定是一个能让居住在里面的人感到舒服自在的房子。

总有一天，它会屋里的主人一起在时间的流逝下慢慢变老。当阳光和灰尘改变了它的原貌的时候，作为设计者的我，也许有一天会路过那里，想着，啊，原来这就是我画出的房子啊，曾经，它是那么的漂亮，曾经，我做出过这样或那样的决定，曾经，我所做出的决定在这世上是有意义的。我很想为自己留下一套这样的房子。

在自己的作品集中，你最喜欢的作品是什么？为什么？

我最喜欢Passage，它的存在改变了我对于结构的想法。以前做作品，不怎么考虑结构的问题，地心引力是我最大的敌人。在做那个作品的时候，最初结构给了我很多困扰，但在我用钢结构加固模型的过程中，这一阻力慢慢变成了设计的推动力。它是我设计之路的转折点。从那一刻以后，我开始相信结构也是美丽的。

Passage

The initial purpose for this project is to build a passage between a library and a beekeeper’s house. The two buildings are located on a steep slope, which is not a walking-friendly environment. Instead to building the passage on the ground, I decided to build a bridge between the two buildings. In this project, I did the experiments on light, shadow and reflection, and also the possibility of a light steel structure.

通道

项目旨在建立图书馆与一位养蜂人住所间的通道。两栋建筑位于陡峭的斜坡之上，在这里行走起来举步维艰。我决定在两座建筑间架起桥梁一座通道，而不是基于地面修建通道。在这个项目中，我对光，影，反射以及轻钢结构做了可能性实验。

Absolute 231

Mount Washington is the windiest place on earth. It held the record for the highest wind gust, 231 mph. The proposal for the design of Absolute 231 is based on the given unique topographical and the extreme weather conditions of Mount Washington. Absolute 231 explores the conditions of human to human interactions and the conditions between human and their environment. It will serve as the apex for an emerging community of outdoor fanatics, skiers, snowboarders, hikers, adventurers to congregate. The architectural responses under such extreme conditions are: a sensitive artificial topography that reflects the natural topography of Mount Washington, and a smart skin that is responsive to the wind.

The deployment of such a proposal is realized through the act of shielding oneself. The exterior and interior systems merge by sharing the same surface, crafting space and creating partitions within. Rather than being overwhelmed by the extreme, Absolute 231 borrows from the extreme characteristics of Mount Washington, the nature of its extreme environment. The modules become the breathing element, the medium between the exterior and the interior.

绝对231

华盛顿山是世界上风最大的地方，有着每小时231英里的高速风速记录。绝对231这个设计方案基于华盛顿山独特的地貌和极端的天气。这个项目探索人类与人类，以及人类与自然的相互关系。也将成为新兴户外爱好者如：滑雪者，滑板者，徒步旅行，冒险者聚集的一个致高处。建筑在这种极端条件下的应对为：一个敏感反应华盛顿山自然地形的人工地形，一个顺应风势的智能表皮。通过以上部署将建筑更好的进行了保护。外形与内部空间同属一个体系，共同分享一个表皮。相比在极端条件下的消极承受，此设计积极利用华盛顿山的极端环境特征，这些要素成为内部与外部的联系媒介。

Stair Design

Location: Unitéd’Habitation designed by Le Corbusier
Style Borrowed from an Architect: Tadao Ando

楼梯设计

地点：柯布西耶设计的Unitéd’Habitation
风格参考：安藤忠雄

MORE

Name: Wenjie Cao曹闻婕

Email: wenjie.cao@live.ca

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