Tao Xu_Portfolio by Arctics

EDUCATION

University of Pennsylvania / Philadelphia, PA

Master of Science in Design - Advanced Architectural Design

Taiyuan University of Technology / Taiyuan, China

Bachelor of Architecture

DESIGN EXPERIENCE

JZA Architecture

Los Angeles, CA / Architectural Designer

Digital models/ Drawings development/ Exterior elevations design/ Exterior builidng renderings/ Coordination with consultants & clients/ Site visit

Archi-Union Architects

Shanghai, China / Intern Architect

Interior design / Renderings / Detail drawings / Digital models

Materials and design references / Grasshopper scripts

Taiyuan Juchuan Architectural Design Office

Taiyuan, China / Intern Architect

Conceptual diagrams / Digital models / Drawings

Presentation materials / Renderings

SELECTED HONORS

Excellence award,

2018 National Green Building Design Competition / Team leader

Honorable mention,

2021 The Architerrax Portfolio Competition

SKILLS

Software Languages Adobe Creative Suite (PS, AI, ID), Rhino, Sketchup, Autodesk Maya, AutoCAD, Vray, Keyshot, Enscape, Autodesk Revit, Grasshopper, Microsoft Office

Mandarin, English

| Professional Works

12th St Apartments

27 units affordable apartment with diagonal line design

35th St Apartments

13 units apartment with red ribbons separating the masses

Jefferson Blvd Townhouses

7 units in total triplexes with punched openings and FCP siding

36th St Duplexes

6 units in total duplexes with pitched roof motif

Kinzie Village

230 units affordable apartment with arch on the facades

Sepulveda Apartments

245 units affordable apartment with folded balconies

| Academic Works

Andy Warhol Museum Design

Integrate pop art features into museum design

UPS Logistics Hub Design

Hybrid of human spaces with logistics system in New York

Horticulture Center Design

Facade and space design with algae cultivation

City Block Activation

Block revival design in Taiyuan

Residential Complex Design

Community retains the traditional hutong life experience

| Other Works

Develop the plan from the draft layout in Revit/ Create site plan, elevation, section, enlarged elev&stair plan&section, enlarged unit plan&RCPs, enlarged bathroom&kitchen plan&elevtion, building RCPs etc.; Create diagrams such as zoning&building code area diagrams, LAFD required diagrams, hydrants&access diagrams; Design the exterior elevations/ Create renderings; Coordinate with consultans&clients to revise building layout accordingly

12th St Apartments Project is a new-construction, 5-story 100% affordable apartment building with 27 units and approximately 13,400 SF living area in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Los Angeles, just west of downtown. The building is designed to provide affordable (low income and moderate income) micro-living units with pleasing aesthetics and maximized roof-deck views to downtown Los Angeles

We provide three different unit types including studios, 1b1b and 3b1b and different recreation rooms such as reading room and gym in the building. A communal rear yard and roof open space allow for gathering with landscaping, seating and a BBQ area. The core concept of the design begins with the expressed exterior stair at the front elevation. Attracting attention through the open, brightly colored exterior design, the use of diagonal line on the elevation to provide a simple but powerful movement divide the building. The diagonal line distinguishes the different treatment of building materials and the density of screens, creates an emotional façade with dynamic shadow environments and conditions of illumination at night. Staggered balconies along the front and rear elevations, provide outdoor space for living units, but also create depth and cast shadows on the facades. Exterior finishes include two types of smooth finish exterior plasters and thin-brick veneers at the ground floor.

01 12TH ST APARTMENTS

NEW CONSTRUCTION, 5-STORY, 27-UNIT, TYPE III-A, 100% AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

Address: 2553 W 12th St, Los Angeles, CA 90006

Project Type: Affordable Housing, Multifamily

Project Status: CD Phase

Professional | Group Work

Manager: Jeff Zbikowski 08/2022-01/2023

Enlarged Unit Plans

Enlarged Stair Plan&Section

Enlarged Unit RCP Section

Enlarged Bathroom&Kitchen Plan&Elevation

Role & Responsibility:

Develop the plan from the draft layout in Revit/ Create site plan, elevation, section, enlarged elev&stair plan&section, enlarged unit plan&RCPs, enlarged bathroom&kitchen plan&elevtion, building RCPs etc.; Create diagrams such as zoning&building code area diagrams, open space diagrams, LAFD required diagrams, hydrants&access diagrams; Design the exterior elevations/ Create renderings; Coordinate with consultans&clients to revise building layout accordingly

Just a block away from the University of Southern California, this 13-unit development consists of a 5 story building with a mix of 2 bedroom and 3 bedroom units designed for student living. The site features a large rec room and generous bike storage facility as well two roof top decks. With the 5th floor units designed with large double height ceilings and mezzanine level the views will be sure to capture the beautify DTLA skyline. The color palette is intended to expresses the volumetric ‘subtractions with a large vertical pop of color that is utilized to separate the masses.

02 35TH ST APARTMENTS

NEW CONSTRUCTION, 5-STORY, 13-UNIT, TYPE III-A APARTMENT BUILDING

Address: 1142 W 35th St, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Project Type: Multifamily

Project Status: DD Phase

Professional | Group Work Manager: Emmanuel Sandoval 04/2023-11/2024

Enlarged Elevator Plans&Section

RCPs

Enlarged Bathroom Plan&Elevations

Enlarged Kitchen Plan&Elevations

03 JEFFERSON BLVD TOWNHOUSES

NEW CONSTRUCTION OF 3 TRIPLEX & 1 SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING, 7 UNITS IN TOTAL

Address: 1710-1716 1/2 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Project Type: Triplex & Single-family

Project Status: Under Construction

Professional | Group Work Manager: Jeff Zbikowski 06/2023-10/2024

Role & Responsibility:

Develop the plan in Revit/ Create site plan, elevation, section, enlarged elev&stair plan&section, enlarged bathroom&kitchen plan&elevtion, enlarged building floor plans, building RCPs etc.; Create diagrams such as zoning&building code area diagrams, LAFD required diagrams, hydrants&access diagrams; Coordinate with consultans&clients to revise building layout accordingly; Visit the site during construction bi-weekly and create field reports

A student housing project along Jefferson Blvd near Los Angeles’ University Park neighborhood, this site is the home of four buildings and seven units and three future ADUs. Each unit is four stories on height with en-suite bathrooms for each bedroom to provide privacy for the student groups. A communal rear yard allows for gathering with landscaping, seating and a BBQ area. The four-story volumes are subdivided by white plaster volumes with punched openings and vertical fiber-cement plank siding and a decorative louver system.

Field Reports

36TH ST DUPLEXES

NEW CONSTRUCTION OF 3 4-STORY DUPLEXES. 6 UNITS IN TOTAL WITH 4 HABITABLE ROOMS EACH

Address: 1219-1223 1/2 W 36th St, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Project Type: Duplexes

Project Status: Under Construction

Professional | Group Work

Manager: Emmanuel Sandoval 02/2024-09/2024

Role & Responsibility:

Develop the plans in Revit/ Revise elevations, sections/ Create enlarged elev&stair plan&section, enlarged bathroom&kitchen plan&elevation, building RCPs etc.;

Create diagrams such as zoning&building code area diagrams, LAFD required diagrams, hydrants&access diagrams;

Coordinate with consultans&clients to revise building layout accordingly; Visit the site during construction bi-weekly and create field reports

Just a block away from the University of Southern California, this 6-unit development consists of three duplexes buildings designed for student living. The site features ample outdoor space, with a generous passageway and landscaped courts at the ground level. While the 4-story upper-level units feature multiple shaded roof decks with great views of the soon to be completed and highly anticipated Lucas Museum. The buildings are playfully angled to subtly reflect the pitched roof motif seen throughout the neighborhood, with a modern twist. The three-tone palette expresses the volumetric ‘subtractions’ of the roof decks and unit entries with a warmer, lighter wood tone. A fenced garden is provided at each unit entry for privacy and comfort.

05 KINZIE VILLAGE

NEW CONSTRUCTION 5-STORY, 230-UNIT, 100% AFFORDABLE APARTMENT. TYPE-IA (P1 FLOOR), TYPE-IIIA (1ST-5TH FLOORS)

Address: 17715,17719 W Kinzie St, Northridge, CA 91325

Project Type: Multifamily, Affordable Housing

Project Status: SD Phase

Professional | Group Work Manager: Jeff Zbikowski 05/2024-11/2024

Role & Responsibility:

Develop the plan from the draft layout in Revit/ Create site plan, elevation, section;

Create diagrams such as zoning&building code area diagrams, open space diagrams, LAFD required diagrams, hydrants&access diagrams; Design the exterior elevations/ Create renderings; Coordinate with consultans&clients to revise building layout accordingly

Kinzie Village is a 230-unit, 100% affordable building at Northridge. The project seeks waivers of development standards for density, height and open space in order to maximize the city’s much needed low-income housing units, which has a mix of studios, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units, ideal for students.

Architecturally, builidng introduces a FCP arch surface moving along the elevations. Archs interact and exaggerate at main entrance to emphasize it. Arch also brings the logic of arch end at the top of each column of window stacks. Amenities include a lobby lounge, ground floor rec room, 1st floor courtyard, large roof deck, roof pool and common laundry at each residential floor.

06 SEPULVEDA APARTMENTS

NEW CONSTRUCTION 7-STORY, 245-UNIT, 100% AFFORDABLE APARTMENT. TYPE-IA (1ST-2ND FLOOR), TYPEIIIA (3ST-7TH FLOORS)

Address: 8615-8631 N Sepulveda Blvd, North Hills, CA 91343

Project Type: Multifamily, Affordable Housing Project Status: SD Phase

Professional | Group Work Manager: Jeff Zbikowski 03/2024-06/2024

Sepulveda Apartments is a 245-unit, 100% affordable building at North Hills. The project seeks waivers of development standards for density, height and open space in order to maximize the city’s much needed low-income housing units, which has a mix of studios, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units.

Architecturally, builidng brings the folded balconies in the front. The open half for these balconies is facing the view of the mountain in the end while the semi-closed half by screen is meant to prevent the sun burning. Each floor of folded bacolnies is staggered so that to create a more dynamic elevation. Amenities include a lobby lounge, 2nd floor front rec room with storefront, 3rd floor courtyard, large roof deck and common laundry at each residential floor.

Role & Responsibility:

Develop the plan from the draft layout in Revit/ Create site plan, elevation, section;

15 Minutes and Counting

Andy Warhol Museum Design

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Academic | Group Work

Instructor: Hina Jamelle

TA: Caleb White

Teammate: Zheyuan Fu 01/2021-05/2021

Our work aims to study and evaluate artistic techniques of paint drips in Takashi Murakami's artwork Infinity (02). In this Murakami's work high contrast is achieved through techniques of the physical drip on the canvas, which we studied through diagrams and machine learning. In the new museum we aim to develop cultural consequences of the geometry of the drip itself. The drip is developed into a transformational device spatially through overlap, depression, nesting and other techniques. The drip itself is seen in a different context away from the painting itself through a subversion- and is a transformational device. The background now becomes figural. The boundary between art and reality is blurred, and the building itself becomes the content depicted in the painting.

Color in our building emphasizes contrast and intensifies through warm and cold colors. Pink and blue have different personalities of enthusiasm and calmness. They respectively imply Western and Eastern pop art. Materially the drip is soft, puddled in areas and unexpected. Different colors define the exhibition of eastern and western pop art, but their borders are blurred. Their nesting implies the integration of Eastern and Western Pop Art.

Design Research Model

This model reflects the evolution of our design ideas: on the façade of the model, the left side is 2D painting, which gradually transforms to 2.5D, becoming small window holes, and on the far right side, it becomes the 3D space composition. While on the top surface, the 2D diagram gradually becomes larger planar scales, then different arcs are nested with each other to form a plane organization.

The work expresses the relationship between man and nature through different colors and graphics. We abstract and extract on this basis, sum up several different colors and three techniques, and use this as the basis of our diagram. Our ideas come from three rules extracted from the original painting, including hue, brightness and dripping. We develop one single drawing for each rule, then we combine these drawings into one diagram.

Color is one of our important research objects, so we first separate the black, white and color parts of the original painting, combing machine learning and our diagram to generate new patterns. Then we use techniques such as overlap, sunk, nesting and gradient to generate interesting space fragments based on these patterns and use these fragments to form a new assembled model for subsequent building facades and interiors study.

Infinity (02) - Takashi Murakami

Diagram

Interior View Section

Drip Pieces Analysis

2D Geometry

Pieces

UPS Logistics Hub Design

Location: New York, USA

Academic | Group Work

Instructor: Ali Rahim, Na Wei

TA: Grace He

Teammate: Jingyi Chen

09/2020-12/2020

In our envision, in the future, with the development of science and technology, the gap between machinery and labor, nonhuman and human will gradually be narrow. When it reflects on the architecture or the relationship between public office and logistics system, they will no longer be completely separated.

In our project, we use spiral structures to insert into the building volume to bring the exterior space into the interior, to blur the boundary between the inside and outside.

Then we introduce the ring beams, they not only assume the role of structure, but also serve as a traffic corridor for logistics transportation as well as people corridor. These ring beams travel through the logistics system and office space, creating a new relationship between the two spaces. Also, it travels between the facades, blurring the boundary of exterior and interior of the building.

Floors are aimed to connect the spirals and the ring beams, creating an experience in different locations and different spaces.

So, in our imagination, human and nonhuman have no strict boundaries and become individuals that will affect each other.

Physical Model

Different spirals are inserted into the building as the transportation system, as well as to blur the boundary between inside and outside, human and non-human.

The ring beams are designed as the structure for bounding the spirals, also serve as a traffic corridor for visiting of people. They travel between the facades, bring the exterior space into the building.

The vertical structures on both sides of the spirals are used to hold the spirals and provide vertical support like columns.

Chunk Model

Short Section

Long Section

Immersive Algae Garden

Horticulture Center Design

Location: Philadelphia, USA

Academic | Group Work

Instructor: Nate Hume

TA: White Matthew

Teammate: Jingyi Chen

09/2021-01/2022

Our idea starts from Kahn’s plan, extracting several interesting points including stepping, inlay, telescope and oblique connection of indoor and outdoor spaces, and use these strategies to create our new graphic drawings.

Combining with the study of agricultural technology, nutrition and gas such as CO2 will be added to water and provided through pipes for plants. Then the water and biomass will be collected and transported back to the processor through these pipes. According to the technology above, we design a double-layer wall that contains two different systems which can cooperate together. One system is the planter. The figures of planters are extracted from castle drawings and contains soil to grow plants. Then these planters will composite together and fix on both outer and inner wall by metal joints. The second system is recycling tube, set on both building elevation and inner spaces. These tubes can provide nutrition and water for plants and can also become the container to cultivate algae.

On the elevation, several pieces of planters will be densely composited together to form a kind of pattern. Between the space of planter patterns are algae pipes, which are inspired by the castle drawings as well as the different infill line types in them.

Graphical Studies

The main research purpose is to use clay to print planters by using a robotic arm, with pockets spaces as containers for soil, as well as with transition from one circle to multiple circles for the figuration. In the color research, we use two transition colors and embellish them with crystal pigments.

Ground Floor Plan

Mockup Physical Model

In our building, we have two wall systems. While the outer wall system consists of the planters, recycling pipes with different figures, and we use glass for the hanging material for the planters. In the inner wall system, it only has planters hanged on it, but we use barbed wire as the hanging material, to create a transparent visual experience with the interior space.

The mockup physical model shows part of our wall system in actual scale. We suspend planters on the façade, considering adding nutrients and gas to the liquid to supply soil and plants through pipes based on our previous research on agricultural techniques. Therefore, combining with the graphics we extract from the Kahn's plan, two sets of piping systems are designed. The first set is to use the negative shape between the planters to design complementary pipes, such as the green pipes in the mockup model. The second set is the transparent pipes that shuttle between the planters, and the pipes are fixed by means of hollow balls designed on the surface of the planters when the robotic arm prints the planters.

1. Water Proof

Rain Water Collector

Water Pump Device

Through the Vibrant Neighborhood

City Block Activation

Location: Taiyuan, China

Academic | Individual Work Instructor: Qiang Xu 09/2018-03/2019

In this site, many blocks are disorganized and disconnected by two highways, to a considerable extent weakening the functions of these blocks and bringing inconvenience to local residents. However, different blocks have unique functions, such as parks, gym, school and etc. They should be connected thus enhance the vitality of these blocks.

In my project, I choose six nodes for design, including library, parking space, market, theater, office space, etc., and connect them with aerial walkway. The purpose is to respond to the original geographical attributes of the site, facilitate citizens' lives, and stimulate the vitality of the area.

Market Explosion

In the market node, as a main transportation hub, it connects the three main transportation systems of subway station, bicycle path and pedestrian bridge, using modular composition mode to create a building that is transparent and rich in spatial experience.

Inheritance and Rebirth

Residential Complex Design

Location: Beijing, China

Academic | Individual Work

Instructor: Zhiwen Zhang 05/2018-08/2018

Beijing has a large number of courtyards, which are connected by small-scale streets in all directions. These streets are called Hutong. The hutong connects every household, the neighbors have a close relationship through the hutong, and communication has become a daily routine. However, this living style is now facing a crisis of disappearance. On the one hand, the traditional courtyard has become a miscellaneous courtyard, losing the original spatial experience; on the other hand, under the influence of urbanization, the younger generation is unwilling to live in hutong.

In my project, I hope to integrate the activities in the hutong while maintaining a high residential density. Therefore, I rotate the plan of courtyards into a section of the building, the inner space of courtyards become the public space in the building, and the hutong becomes an aerial corridor connecting different units. There are rest spaces of different scales between the units and the interior corridor, the purpose is to preserve the original indirect connection between the courtyard and the hutong.

Site Analysis

Description of Site

Site is in Beijing, China where there are a lot of courtyards and they are organicly connected by streets and alleyways. Within the public realm of the hutong, residents broke the barrier that existed within traditional co-living clusters and social vitality was visible at every corner. However, these communities, which are embodiment of memories from several generations, are facing the risk of being demolished. Many of the traditional “hutong” courtyards have now become overcrowded and poorly maintained with multiple families living in one hutong and the common spaces serve as random storage. Despite its history, hutong courtyards are almost becoming forbidden. On the other hand, during the process of globalization, more and more people desire to live in modern buildings and work in big city, only the elderly and children are now living in hutong, which means it is no possibility to develop again. But the activities in hutong deserve us to explore.

Description of Design

My concept re-envisions the courtyards in plan into a vertical situation, where the plan arrangement becomes the elevation design of the building. The individual units are linked by an aerial connector, similar to how the hutong is connected. The aerial connector allows residents in different units to reach public spaces and enjoy a variety of functions and activities. The arrangement maximizes the benefits of hutong.