Portfolio 2009-2013
Mengyuan Cao
Mengyuan Cao Tel: +34 695108548 Mail: mengyuan.cao.es@gmail.com
Education
Working Experience
1995-2001 Calligraphy course
2009 Jul.-Aug. Integrated Architecture Studio Internship making Revit model
2007-2011 B. Arch program Nanjing Univesity, Nanjing 2011-2013 M. Arch program (Recommended) Nanjing University, Nanjing Conducted by Wowo Ding 2012
Teaching Assistant of Prof. Hu Heng, in Method of Architectural History
2012
Associated Project with Tokyo Woman Univesity and Taiwan Donghai University Conducted by Satoko Shinohara
2013-2014 German course Goethe institute, Nanjing Self-study in spanish Translation of Words and Buildings into Chinese with professors in South-east University and Nanjing University 2014-2016 M. Arch program ETSAB, Barcelona
Project
Problem
2011 Feb.-Jun. Archidot Studio Internship Jade Museum in Yunnan Province 2011 Jul.-Sep. 9-Town Design Studio Internship Culture Center of Shengze Primary School Clubhouse of eco-agriculture park 2012 Jul.-Oct. East China Architectural Design & Research Institute Internship Bidding of skycraper in Suzhou Renovation in Changan Street 2012 Nov.-2013 Apr. Ding Wowo Studio Internship Restoration of Tex Town Research of Rural space Culture park in Kunshan 2015 Honerable Mention, TIBET Earthquake Emergency Competition
Language
Skills
Madarin native English IETS6.5 German A2ďźˆ2013) Spanish almost B2, will finish the master course and tesis in spanish in Febrary, 2016
CAD: Autocad, Sketch up, Revit, Photoshop Others: Calligraphy, Physical model making
Private Residence
Order Space
Student Community Centre
Urban
Vertical Garden
Managment Control
Bidding of Skycraper
Wooden Pavilion Others
Private residence
To create architecture is to put in order. Put what in order? Functions and objects.
Niushou village, Nanjing Sep.-Nov. 2009 Redrawn in 2013
——by Le Corbusier Where does order come from? And how can we feel it?
Concept open to river & lake
wall--outside(concrete) close open close
open to garden & yard
open
wall--inside(wooden frame)
The house locate on the hillside of Niushou Mountain in Nanjing, facing the main street of the small village, surrounded by other houses in the mountain. The site suffer sights from pedestrian and neighbour at fist floor but has better rural scene to the lowland in the north. Its order comes from the site, which open to the courtyard at first floor and open to scenery at second floor. Concrete is used as outer wall when timber used inside,as wall and furniture.
East - West Section
Ground floor plan
Bedroom and living room which correspond respectively to the most private and public part of house organize the composition. As well as furnitures and tiles, openings on the wall suggest the diagonal direction of space. Wooden structure is supported by central column and fixed by walls as traditional structure of tower. It maintain neutrality and symmetry in the space. The central column doesn't touch the roof but keep a distance instead. An pyramid skylight fix on the top of roof, with which the central column form a shrine, where always offer sacrifice in countryside. Artificial lighting is mounted at the top of central column to substitute the skylight at night. With the glass skylight, the roof is analogous to common rural residence.
Not only dwelling behavior but also country life are considered, including the communication with neighbour and daily farm works. The elevation of first floor is lower than the road so that one can see the earth and plants at eye level, and avoid bother of sight at the same time.
North Elevation
First floor plan
Student centre
Nanjing University , Nanjing Nov.-Jan. 2009 Redrawn in 2013
A system of tension in free space A change of space into urbanism No foundation, no walls Detachment from the earth, suppression of the static axis In creating new possibilities for living, it create a new society ——Kiesler described his installation
The student community centre is demanded with complicate function and various public space. Located in a long site in the campus, surrounded by students’ dormitory which also have rectangle plan, the site show preference of a rectangular cuboid. Beside the function, the exited road and residence in the north should be taken into account.
Perspective
Ground floor plan
Second floor plan
Exibition Hall
Entrance
Theatre
Classroom
Structure
Service
By classifying and reorganizing the program, the building finally find a proper way to get along with the site and its self. A series of volume, that one of them combines the service space and transportation, a train of four boxes contains those activity room, and a bigger one serve as the theatre and office for different community, are organized with an in situ concrete frame structure. Activity rooms are raised up to free the ground floor and leave the fourth floor empty as exhibition place so that residencial building would get more sunlight. A piece of wall is suspended in front of the boxes where can hang some painting when needed. People standing on the top of box would enjoy the pairing in 4m distance. The wall also act as protection from sunshine for activity rooms. The ground floor is a long hall, opening to every student in the campus. Freedom doesn’t mean nothing in control. Along with the linear space, one could see the boxes hanging in the mid-air, could see the coffee shop on right hand, could see people cross the site as before, could see little garden with long chairs, and also could see the theatre in the end with terrace on it, where vine climb on the frame and cast green shadows. In front of the theater, another stairs lead people to upper floor, whose first steps are part of a solid platform which conduct to the other entrance of the theater and suggest the interior distance of height. Also as linear space, the corridor are designed with various kinds of railing and chairs on one side, while activity rooms and courtyard spaces on the other side.
What happens when the city grows vertically? We only have one ground. We live flat on that ground before. The ground bears everything. We have to go downwards to the ground to walk around, or take a taxi, to go to other places, to be social, to go shopping, to enjoy the artificial nature, But, why not create more ground? Why can’t the ground be vertical?
Vertical Park
Xinjikou district, Nanjing Sep.-Nov. 2011 Cooperate with Zhouyan Wu, Yi Yin, Chen Wang
sunbath
cinema
soil layer
section of deck
Concept exhibition
entertainment park on the ground
park rising up
vertical park
Insert in the city theatre
fountain
restaurant
market
Plan in each layers
South- North Section
Bidding of Skycraper
Taking the Xinjiekou district in Nanjing as an example, the park begin from a plaza, passing by the roof of shopping malls, treading among skyscrapers, connecting existed public places and expanding them . Successive but distinct landscape provide different experience and capacity of abundant activities. By researching local plants, vegetation in each level come out harmonious in each season.
Indutrial district, Suzhou Sep. 2012 Intership Cooperate with Li Yue, Ding Fan, Qiao Li In East China Architectural Design & Research Institute
Skyline
Generation of shape
We aim to design a vertical park which has multiple level and connected to the high-rise around. People can go there to enjoy the nature and have a walk. The park offer various space for different experience and activity. It can be the new ground where gather people and provide commercial opportunity. New stores or even shopping mall can be built around the park, which would rise living quality in high-rise. A spiral form could avoid casting too much shadow below and produce routes with proper slope for promenade. Transparent tube with lattice column serve as main structure, hanging the deck as suspension bridge. Both vertical transportation and equipment are contained in the tube. The deck use concrete with steel structure inside, where upturned grid-beam leave space for the roof of plant.
Viewing hall Plan
Giving thought of the skyline of city and relation with other two building, the plan of building contract gradually along the vertical axis and twist round a bit so that it looks like growing from the ground. Composed by rectangle unit as fish scale, the curtain wall enclose the building smoothly. It is divided in three parts in height which correspond to three kinds of function,while each part have appropriate scale of structure. Even have a twisting figure, the structure is quite regular. Reinforce concrete tube serve as vertical transportation and structural support, working together with sidecolumn and truss.
Aluminium Board
Fitness centre Plan
Lateral Window
Beam Fireproof
Hotel Plan
Fireproof Concrete tube
L angle steel
Dislocated curtain wall Outrigger truss Metal Board
Tube and Wire Mega-column Suspended ceiling
Ring Truss
Section
Sopping Mall Plan
Wooden pavillion
Xianlin Camous of Nanjing University, Nanjing Mar.-May , 2012 Cooperate with other ten students in the group In charge of facade design and all about electricity, including the ilumination, solar energy system and computer numerical control.
Nobody, therefore, attempts to practise any other art in his own home—as, for instance, the shoemaker's, or the fuller's, or any other of the easier kinds—but only architecture, and this is because the professionals do not possess the genuine art but term themselves architects falsely. -----By Vitruvius We architects do not possess the genuine art but we have the knowledge to use it.
This pavilion is one of three built in the construction course. I joined one group but was assigned with all about appearance of the three building, such as the material and construction of facade, the design and calculating of solar energy system, the interior and exterior illumination, and the computer numerical control lighting.
Instead of cutting timber and put it up, I spend all time in the building material market, looking for suitable material and equipment, or in the building site talking with electrician and carpenter about the detail, or in the lab of architectural algorithm, discussing the effect and the way to realize. This pavilion is an example to show my work.
Firstly I discuss with each group about the appearance, and we determine to use policarbonate hollow sheet as enclosure while in other part use Acrylic sheet with illumination behind. We engrave words shallowly where more light penetrate the semi-transparent acrylic sheet. Then We plan to fix simple fluorescent tube along the beam in longer side, to indicate the direction of space. The TED belt is used in the corridor and platform to illuminate their age. Electrical appliance are also considered in the quantity of electricity. I calculate it and consult with the solar energy system company about the type and its quantity. After talking with electrician and carpenter, we decide to put the battery in the smallest room and settle the construction with tube and wire. The lighting effect on acrylic sheet is a big problem, for which the professor in the lab and I tried many ways. I have no idea about writing code and assemble module with circuit board, but I know their principle and function, their effect with different lighting material as well. Because of the limitation of space and the product, we determine to control the position and order of lighting with common lamp and TED belt. I design the technological process and show my classmates. For clear understanding and easy operation I specially buy wire with distinct color. The last job is to design a wireless switch of all the lighting system, which is convenient for chancellor to control it n big events.
The application of Numerical control focused on synthesizing techniques of micro-controller of Arduino, several of PCB made machines,design the detail of packing box and detection of the precision of new 3d-printer, and etc.. We consider much on using existed techniques for real architectural application within a very shot time. The achievement must be secure, nice-looking, and stable in using, and to make sure that it’s simple to switch among different designed modes.
Reformation of Dwelling District Zoshigaya, Tokyo Oct. 2012 Cooperate with Yoshiko Aoki and other 4 persons.
Medicine center development zone,Yunnan Mar.-Jun 2011
High-rise Gulou Campus of Nanjing University Feb.-Apr. 2010 Cooperate with Haijing Liu
Restroration of liberal arts building Gulou Campus of Nanjing University Apr.-Jun. 2013