Shihua Chen_Portfolio_Winter2020

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URBANISMS

SHIHUA CHEN

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)

South China University of Technology cshihua@umich.edu 86 18813299324

“If the rhetoric about handing on a decent living environment to future generations is to have even one iota of meaning, we owe it to subsequent generations to invest now in a collective and very public search for some way to understand the possibilities of achieving a just and ecologically sensitive urbanization process under contemporary conditions. That discussion cannot trust in dead dreams resurrected from the past. It has to construct its own language - its own poetry with which to discuss possible futures in a rapidly urbanizing world of uneven geographical development.”

David Harvey, 2000

Contents 1

Aquatecture: Cross the Edge

2

Beyond the grid: Reimagine the Maxwell Street Market

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Urban Design; Neighborhoods; Winter 2019 Urban Design; Market; Fall 2019

Live with wastes ：From landfill site to quarry parks Landscape Architecture; Fall 2018

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Bubble in the crowded city：Urban smart furniture

5

Other works

Landscape Architecture; Structure; Winter 2017 Representation; 2019-2020

Aquatecture： Cross the Edge Graduated studio design，Winter 2019 Independent work Instructor: Christina Hansen Detroit，the United States

Brief Description: Plenty of discussions focused on redeveloping existing neighborhoods and reusing the vast vacant lands in Detroit. However, risks will come along with benefits as the city dense itself again. The diametrically opposite functions and scales between developed housing and landscape create a special space in the city -- urban edges.

When these happen in landscape-housing edge situation, the “access” here, could be how residents’ life tracks here can be intersected with the public landscape.

My design goal is to seek for a working method that can be applied anywhere in Detroit facing the urban edge conflicts now or in the future development.

The vacant lots in Detroit

The landbank owerships in Detroit

The proposed landscape distribution in Detroit

Mapping The Urban Edge

The existing single family houses in Detroit

The Current Connguration of Site A World-wide Catalog of Edges

Ypenburg Town houses The edges between landscape and residential districts

The edges between industries and residential districts

The distribution of transit areas

Ypenburg Town houses

Almere Almere Waterfront neighbourhoods Waterfront neighbourhoods

Dordrecht Soft residential edges with landscape

Malmo Hard residential edges with promenade link

The existing multi family houses in Detroit

Amsterdam Highrise apartments The edges between landscape and industries

Ypenburg Multi family houses

Almere Highrise apartments

Amsterdam Single family houses welded to the edge

The proposed residential districts in Detroit

From my mapping results, urban edges are identified by density rate and different land use, which means that higher density residential areas will require more public access while private access will become a niche product. As single-family housing, the presence of front and back yards provides some cushioning for public and private spaces, while also providing more access possibilities.

Using a particular site, which is shown as a potential district to attract more density, to display several edge types reacting to different housing conditions.

Model typical housing edge solutions around the world to create a tool kit, which shows the actors and components on urban edges, with universality. My study focus more on how can edges be more productive and accessible.

Extending the “coastlineâ€? by shifting the display of buildings, creating walkable connections like pedestrian bridges, using water features as attractive points to enhance the mental map to landscape, etc. and also, it is important to control sightlines and guide streamlines. For edges are described as linear space, the material, length, width and other physical characters are shaping the space controlled by edge stuff.Â

Although the final outcome is a prediction of the future development of a particular site, and it could be a weird plan, a collaged vision, a time-tested approach, or just a small stopgap.

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Beginner | Residential community

Intermediate |Residential community

Expert | Financial district

Beginner | the Dog Stop

Intermediate | 1547 N Milwaukee Ave

Expert | The Terrace at The Peninsula

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Beyond the grid Reimagine the Maxwell Street Market Beginner | Beacon Park, Detroit

Intermediate | Paycom, San Francisco

Expert | Refinery Rooftop, New York City

Graduated studio design Fall 2019 Groupwork (Shihua Chen, Yunsong Liu) Instructor: Moddrell, Andrew, Wang, Hui Chicago the United States

Mapping & Modeling the Chicago Grid -- "ballet" of the good city grids Dating back to the Land Ordinance of 1785 and James Thompson’s subsequent first Plat of Chicago in 1830, The Chicago Grid is designed to give dependable service if operated according to instructions. In fact, a majority of users enjoy the remedial comforts of the ‘beginner’ in perpetuity. Intermediate use of The Grid requires diligent study; expert use requires rigorous exercise and speculative inquiry.

The mapping and modeling works develop expert mastery of The Chicago Grid (past, present and future) by generating novel urban scenarios; mediating charged contingencies; mobilizing diverse audiences, and launching (transportable) heretofore unknown urban morphologies.

Brief Description: "The activity generated by people on errands, or people aiming for food or drink, itself an attraction."

-- Jane Jacobs The Death and Life of Great American Cities This project started with mapping the famous Chicago grids, looking for the inner spirits in street life. Side-walk cafes, drive-through restaurants, rooftop dining halls, and other kinds of semi-public places, how would these spaces function everyday life by grabbing crowds and making stops? How can a weekend market rewarm a declining district?

Live with wastes From landfill site to quarry parks Course Landscape Planning and Tutor Jian Chen (SCUT) Individual work Guangzhou China

esign

SCUT Fall 2018

Brief Description: Garbage disposal facilities are considered to be placed far away from downtown and be isolated from citizens. Guangzhou, as one of the biggest city in China, is facing the problem of overloading garbage.

To find a way out, this project turns several pits, which were made by quarrying in s, into parks and playgrounds. The aim is to point out the possibility of combining garbage disposal facilities with public space and provide more unique experience for citizens.

Also, timescape is included in this design and a phasing plan for next year has been lay out.

Possibilities of updating existing garbage disposal methods

Collection, transportation and classification of garbage is the first and decisive link to disposal the. Sorting waste can not only reduce environmental pollution, simplify waste disposal technology, improve waste disposal efficiency, but also turn waste into energy resource.

Composition of garbage

20% Hazardous waste

14% Other waste

41%

25%

Food waste

Reclaimable waste

Plant

1%

Compost

Pyrolysis

88%

10%

l Power Therma

1%

Central

in Shil

g La

ndfi

ll

Garbage disposal methods

u ko

n Ta

Landfill

Incineration

fill

nd

La

Existing characteristics in these quarry pits Geological environments

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er

al

Pla

w Po

erm

Hu

n aru

Th

Pits in this area show diverse characteristics due to the different degree of exploitation.

Pit Area

Slate

240m

Mixed Granite

Shale

Clay

Sandstone

Granite

900m

Pond Depth 0 10 20

Pit Depth 0 -10 -20 -30 -40 -50

Potential forms of the quarry pits to exist after the large-scale urban construction The landform of this area changed a lot because of quarrying activities during the urban construction period in Guangzhou. It is considered that the function of this site will be renewed with morden technology.

Choose pits adjacent to the scenic spot to carry the function of out garbage composting, covering soil and water purification to create ecological habitat.

Pit for Habitat

Pit for Adventure

The pit surrounded by the communities was turned into an adventure park and the knowledge of garbage disposal was popularized through technology.

Pit for Power Plant

Supply electricity to the surrounding area by burning garbage, and the residue is used for landfill filling. Until better technology emerges, it will become a new venue.

it for Landfill

Unburnable garbage will be buried in a location far from the community. After the mission is done, the landfill will be restored into a park.

Specific distribution of different functional pits

Landfill Park

Ecological Thermal Power Plant

Habitat Restoration

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Adventure Park

0

Pit for Power Plant it for Landfill

Pit for Habitat

Pit for Adventure

100M

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13

12

8 11

10

4

9 3 7 6 5

2

1 Main entrance plaza 2 Service center 1

3 Playground for children 4 Playground for citizens 5 Playground for viewing 6 Woodland walk 7 Piscinas naturales 8 Western entrance 9 Super lift up 10 Estern entrance 11 Garbage disposal display center (outdoor classroom) 12 Natural habitat 13 Playground for skateboard 14 Northern entrance

Habitat

Restore the fish and bird habitats through ecological restoration, retaining only the basic maintenance facilities.

Plaza

Set up squares to meet the needs of surrounding communities,and provide social places for surrounding residential areas

Playground

Provide playsructure for surrounding communities to play with nature, and also set some venues for extreme activities in combination with topographical features.

Piscinas naturales

Through ecological restoration, the pit becomes a natural swimming pool, integrating human activities into nature.

Woodland walk

Planting woodland facing south and constructing undulating forest path which provide a unique walkthrough experience. t et e e et u in the c n t

Outdoor classroom

It is mainly used to display the garbage disposal technology of the surrounding pits, and promote the public to accept new types of garbage disposal measures in the community. let the public understandv

Before entering the pit.

Experience the garbage disposal technology of the surrounding pits via VR equipment.

The southern side of the pit is inaccessible, recovering forests and lakes to rebuild habitats for birds and fish.

The Garbage Disposal Display Center will demonstrate to the public the treatments of urban domestic garbage in surrounding pits.

Playing water in an underground piscinas naturales

After sinking into the pit from the tunnel, you can experience a variety of activities.

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10

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50M

0 year

2 years

5 years

10 years

Bare rock, lack of soil fertility

Recover the quality of the bottom soil

Purify water by wetlands

Purify water by wetlands

Recover soil fertility by composting on the pit, plant aquatic plants, properly stock fish and shrimp to purify water, and help the pool change water through natural processes.

Typha orientalis Presl

Melaleuca bracteata

Nelumbo nucifera

Juncus effusus

H. verticillata Hygrophila pogonocalyx

Alocasia macrorrhiza

Dracontomelon duperreanum Pierre Dimocarpus longan

Ctenopharyngodon idella

Coilia mystus

Pseudorasbora parva

Sapium sebiferum

shrimp

Pycnonotus sinensis

White-eye

water p

ump

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rainwater

Collect rainwater from the greenroof and improve water quality through wetlands and water purification equipment.

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Spatial sequence of the entrance tunnel

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50M

10M

Bubble in the crowded city Urban smart furniture Course Heories and Principles of Urban Design SCUT Winter 2017 Independent work Guangzhou China

Brief Description: The Baiyun istrict is known as a settlement of floating people in Guangzhou. Immigrants, along with their family members, come here to find cheap flats and work chance. The city villiages, where these workers gather, are in needs of updating.

The project tries to transform the lagging infrastructures with one kind of urban furniture, which is low-cost, muti-functional and can be controlled by samrt phone.

This is also a research on triggering activities for after-school children in this are.

There is very little playground in the community and students have limited space to stay after school and are often unsafe.

The middle school is located on the south side of the community and students go to school in different ways.

The kindergarten is located in the center of the community and is affected by traffic within the area.

The primary school is located on the north side of the site and is subject to security threats from public traffic.

Students spend time in spots on their way home or near home

Playground in other cities

m

Entrance square

Commercial street

Laneway

Chaoyang-Beijing

Lack of space

Special age composition

The extremely low GDP in this area asks for low-cost ways to upgrade the system of open space.

With a large population and a high density of buildings, there is little room for public activities.

A large number of foreign tenants have changed the demographic structure here.

Public space

2

.2 11

Low income

Less than one-ninth of the whole area.

2

m 11

16%

The old live here and look after their grandchildren.

Luohu-Shenzhen

Green space 7.2% of the public space can be considered as green area.

21%

School-age children have a strong demand for the playground.

42600

Playground 2 2

Second floor rooftop

Between buildings

Rooftop

6m Jingan-Shanghai

6m

0.4

Baiyun-Guangzhou

Only 4% of the public space are made into playground .

63%

The activity time of office workers is concentrated.

Typical spaces feasibility study

Apply the strategy on site Arrange the structure along the commercial street to provide a shunting of people and vehicles while upgrade the space.

Place different sized structures according to the scales of the streets, which ensure students to gain variable after-school experience.

Create a special playground on secondfloor rooftop and can be flexible with other use.

Buildings equiped with second-floor rooftop are seen to located along the main street.

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Tiny spaces within the mixedneighbourhoods, mostly exist in estern site are transformed into public playground.

Renovate the space between the buildings to improve the quality of activities and provide the necessary facilities for planting.

Use rooftop space to increase the areas of public space and improve the quality of life for high-rise residentsv

The structures after inflation separates people and vehicles to ensure traffic safety after school.

These structures can facilitate housework before children leave school.

To ensure the western site with enough playground, the rooftops are finally renewed with multi-functional structures.

Adding planters can promote urban farming and reduce people's cost of living.

By combining with rods the structure could be use in a mutifunction way.

Smart structure on your phone Release or recycle the structure is a very simple operation by using the APP on your phone.

STEP A Release

Sensors and Bluetooth (connected to a smartphone) allow everyone to communicate with the structure and change some functions.

Add new features to your structure by adding equipments.

STEP B Interact

STEP C Repack

Gas filling

Interactive working

• Open the APP

• Connect to the structure by Bluetooth

• Book one structure on APP

• Wake up the air pump

• Touch the surface to active the sensor

• Choose the pendant

• Release the structure by filling it with gas

• Upload a playlist by the APP

• Set the equipments

Function changing

• Control the brightness and color by touching the structure • Low cost air film • Underground air pump

Music & Radio

Planting area

Playground

Tactile sensor

Drying rack

Shed

Street light

Weekend

9:00 AM

Lunch time

11:00 AM

Out of kindergarten

3:00 PM

Out of school

4:00 PM

Sunset

5:00 PM

Off work

6:30 PM

9:00 PM

• Flexible volume

Other Works Representation

Trash City

Amazon Urbanism

Time: 2019

Time: 2019

Teamwork with MUD colleagues

Teamwork with MUD colleagues