NARRATOR
Portfolio of Dixin Wei
USYD ADP BDes.Arch
USYD ADP MDes.Arch
Story Line
01
Story of Discipline
Renovation of Heritage Site
Sydney, Australia/In Collaboration With Apus Zhang/9-11, 2021
02
Let The Fish Lead Your Way
Ocean Pool Pavilion for Visual Impaired People
Sydney, Australia/Individual Project/3-6, 2021
03
The Laksa Gallery
Sustainable Project in Hawker Centre
Singapore, Singapore/In Collaboration With Eugina Duan/9-11, 2020
04 Take A Break
Sydney Public Performance Space
Sydney, Australia/Individual Project/9-11, 2019
05 Mountain And River Research Centre in Rainforest
Maliau Basin, Malaysia/Individual Project/9-11, 2018
06
The Cloud Urban Oasis in The City
Sydney, Australia/Individual Project/3-6,2019
Story of Discipline
Renovation of Heritage Site
Sydney, Australia/In Collaboration With Apus Zhang/9-11, 2021
The history of Artisans yard, from aboriginal decades, then to female factory, and finally to mental hospital, is a history of discipline. The discipline is imposed from people to nature, from government to female criminals and psychiatric patient. Humans lived here were regulated and educated to adapt to the environment. In this disciplined history, labor occupies an important position, such as planting and fabric production. The proposal of this revitalization is to transfer the past disciplines on labor to a more modern approach.
We decided to restore the significant role that fabric had played in this site. It once produced Australia's first exported linen. This icon of fabric productivity should not be forgotten. We hope that people nowadays could look back on the history of linen production here, in a more modern, experiential and relaxed way, of course. For example, a fabric workshop, or studio, where people could use the fabrics to make more creative artworks. This combination of productivity and creativity allows Artisans Yard to be better integrated into the surrounding artistic district.
NARRATIVE COLLAGE
LOCATION PLAN OF ARTISAN YARD
This project attempts to find a more modern, free and creative way of reproducing the old, compulsory production of fabric, such as a fabric art piece workshop that promotes free communication between creators, which could be a modern extension and overlay of the old semantics.
This overlay is reflected in the architecture by superimposing new functional parts on top of the old. The forced fabric factory are not completely covered but partially retained. The workshop provide a modern extension of the old parts vertically. Roofs of buildings C & D have been removed, which have more slight historical significance than that of buildings A & B. Compensatingly, the new roof has been reconstructed with a similar triangular shape.
The same architectural expression has been applied to the new two-storey building. The archaeological site of the prison was excavated and protected by reinforced glass. The archaeological progress can be restored at any time with a removable glass structure. Visitors could discover the historical heritage on the way past the new structure. Moreover, the new structure provides shade for the archaeological remains to prevent them from being over-exposed to the sunlight.
Another point we picked up for the site is that this meadow was once used as a garden in the mental hospital for patients to care for plants. It works as a means of healing. The gardens in the gaps of the building have been designed as healing gardens, cooperating with trees, shrubs and flowers of different seasons.
ARRANGEMENT ON THE SITE
The fabric produced by the artist provides the exhibition for the landscape, and the income of selling the artwork will go to the fund for managing the site.
POTENTIAL VISITOR RESEARCH
The garden provide the basic atmosphere of the site. They link the buildings and carry the secondary function of the indoor area. Some of the plants are used for dyeing material.
The school-based workshop will held the activity for class and family weekly. The work of kids will be the decoration for the site.
gallery
SPACE FORMATION
Intangible Values surrounds Artisan Yard: Heritage of Female Factory, Memorial Park, Parramatta River
New-Built Connects 2 Corridors: the Memorial Corridor the Factory Corridor
ARIEL VIEW OF WHOLE SITE
Connecting 2 Cooridors with Footbridge of Different Heights
New-built Construction with Similar Roof Shape on the Top of Existing Buildings
FINAL MASTER PLAN -- GROUND LEVEL
LONG SECTION -- FROM FLEET ST TO PARRAMATTA RIVER
LONG SECTION -- FROM FEMALE FACTORY TO ORPHAN SCHOOL
FINAL MASTER PLAN -- FIRST LEVEL
Roof Garden
PERSPECTIVE SECTION OF FABRIC FACTORY
Sky Window
Colorbond Steel Roofing
New-built Mansory Wall
Polycarbonate Facade
Glass Door
Curtain Fence
Concrete Slab
Concrete Stair
Existing Mansory Wall
New-built Steel Structure
CHILDREN PLAYGROUND
SEASONAL HEALING GARDEN VEGETATION ANALYSIS
FABRIC INSTALLATION
RIVERSIDE PARK
JACARANDA FAIR
Let The Fish Lead Your Way
Ocean Pool Pavilion for Visual Impaired People
Sydney, Australia/Individual Project/3-6, 2021
If the eyes are blindfolded, what perceptions will act as guides and what will act as effective signals? Our work this semester has been an ongoing reflection and exploration of this question. From the perspective of a visually impaired person, but also from the perspective of a designer.
The project site is set in malabar beach.Sydney is a city with an extreme abundance of coastal bathing areas, where the love of sea, sand and sunbathing is engrained in the bones. The aim of the project was to create an auxiliary building around the beach that would help the visually impaired to experience and even participate in the atmosphere of the beach to a greater extent.
We started by studying the marine life and the surrounding environment,translating the tactile pattern into the subsequent design of the building and the surrounding facilities to increase the accessibility and richness of the space. The intention of the building is to reduce the disparity and inconvenience of using the space for the visually impaired, so that the building can become another blind stick for them and give them a sense of security and comfort in it.
The work comes from a translation of Fish Storm. This large and spontaneous group activity is magical and directional. I wanted them to become handrails in space, guiding people to different locations, or even to be spaces in themselves, where the school of fish carries people forward and they walk through them, feeling for a moment like they are in an underwater world.
Fish storm: The fish storm is one of the more unusual of the untouchables because it is constantly changing and can be changed by touch. In natural situations, small animals with a large number of individuals generally act in clusters. Fish gather by biological instinct and to protect the majority of individuals in the event of a predator encounter.
Fish behaviour rules:
Separation: steering to avoid overcrowding of the local group, individuals have separateness relative to the group. Alignment: Individuals turn toward the local group's tie, and group behavior has a certain consistency.
Cohesion: Individuals move toward the average position of the local group (group center), and the group behavior has cohesion.
Fish behaviour has some similarities to human activity, and I hope that by studying their movemen patterns I will be able to obtain information about the way in which different movement spaces are formed.
created a top view of a school of fish using individual clay groups. After user test I got feedback that when a group of similar things come in a cluster, they often cannot quickly distinguish their precise direction of movement. They need to find the boundary of the group and then identify the general direction of the individuals inward, and finally determine whether the individuals have the intention of movement based on their own shape (curvature, sharp corners).
Stream is represent with line pattern.Trenches of different depths were made on the clay slab using tools of different widths to distinguish the different ranges affected by individuals of different sizes. Experiencers tended to feel along the texture of the furrows with their fingers rather than vertically. if the textures are widely spaced, the experience is more likely to follow one of the textures from start to finish.
starting point
plan of chairtop and movable fish models start disturb emergency elude regroup ideal storm centre
space for grouping of fish-------Space for the collective activity of people. Space for fish mobility------Space for human passage and brief stops along the way. Space for random fish movement alone------The space of individual solitude of man.
The water flow textures translate into a bumpy to textured floor, which is used to guide the movement of the blind canes on the floor, as well as to show the different types of spaces. The colours range from blue to orange to represent the degree of crowding.
When a person is in an underwater space, surrounded by a school of fish, the light that can be seen is influenced by the state of movement of the fish and the ripples of the current.
Fish movement models can be converted into handrails and indication textures for walls to indicate spaces to stay and reading information.
A small number of point-like light sources with a directional character, which can be used to guide the exhibits in the exhibition hall.
Aggregate light sources, made up of numerous light sources, guide people in clusters and can be used to converge people to resting spaces.
Linear light sources with fluidity, used to guide people along the walkway.
depending on the skeletal contours of the marine life and the dynamic shape of the waves, the passage space can be simplified to a cylindrical shape, depending on the degree of opening and closing of its structure, from a handrail in a fully open space, to a semi-open pavilion, to a closed passage space with open windows.
Undersea Space To Architectural Space
Light Undersea To Skylight and Openings
Fish Circulation To Tactile Pattern On The Floor
Fish Circulation To Handrail On The Wall
Fish Swarm Circulation On Malabar Beach
Based on the laws of fish movement obtained from previous studies, have simulated the clustering and dispersal paths of fish throughout malabar beach. From different plane heights, and different starting points of movement. This was used to find easy walking paths and places where a tactile plate could be set up.
Building Site Choose & Space Arrangement
Fish Swarm Circulation On Ocean Pool
Diagrams of Building Shape Formation
if the school could reach the shore space, the fish would be split at the ocean pool, where the topography and natural environment influence the movement. mapping shows the simulated movement of the fish as they depart from the shore and pass through the water respectively.
fish swarm on site cube form from circulation trim the shape
simplify the shape
smooth it the circulation on the surface form the place of openings
3 circulations on the site & the sketch for space experience
Sketches of Experience
Heat and Humidity Control
04
Take A Break
Sydney Public Performance Space
Sydney, Australia/Individual Project/9-11, 2019
Adjacent to Sydney CBD and the largest urban park "the domain", this site has become a channel of transitional urban space. People rush through this place, busy between work and life, and gradually lose the sense of the surrounding. They need a space to “take a break” and feel life again.
The purpose of the building is to build a smaller version of the city, slowing down the pace of life from the busy urban life around it. People can stay here for a few minutes, maybe for an exhibit, for a book, or just enjoy the changing scenery in the winding path. This building will be a small “break” in their daily routine.
The design starts from the analysis of "utzon center", studies the relationship between void and volume, and how void affects circulation. Then I redefine the concept of “ void” in architectural space, design small modules on different layers, and then assemble them into a large space.
The size, location, shape and internal circulation of the space are further determined by using the surrounding factors obtained from the site analysis.
Site Analysis
The site is very special for Sydney. It located in a historical area, where exist many “first”building of this city, like first hospital,first postoffice. It is near the most busy street of CBD, but it very quiet. This area seems sperate the sydney in two world , one side is busy, the other is enjoying the nice park. It is like a “void”in the city.
Modules used in building
Void on the ground could change the path speed or the use of the ground
Void on the wall
xould change the routine or watching way
INdepth View Simultaneous View Fragmented View
Void on the roof mainly affect the light then use the light guide people
COME! AND TAKE A BREAK HERE! ANYWHERE U LIKE!
Sctions of theater part
Courtyard under the roof
Wall layers of exhibition area
Sunken Plaza
Mountain And River Research Centre in Rainforest
Maliau Basin, Malaysia/Individual Project/9-11, 2018
The programme is for a cluster of buildings located deep within the heart of Maliau Basin, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia.
This cluster should provide a series of working space as well as a home away from home for long term forest researchers.
These lodgings for the reaserchers will be interspersed with lodging for forest rangers who ofter act as guides.
While the area is pristion and beautiful it is also remote and lacks the creature confors in urban area.
Because of the remote location of the site, the buildings need to be self-sufficient in the provision of water, energy and waste-management.
Programme elements: 4* individual houses for rangers, cluster housing for up to 4 visiting researchers, communal building for cooking, socialising, entertaining.
This project exploded, when people are totally surrounded by nature, how could the building be like.
Site Analysis
As the geographical location of Maliau Basin is 4°51`N, 116°50`E, the sunpath could show that the sun "grill" south and north equally, both sides need to be shaded for the thermal comfort.
Two monsoons go through annually, the south west monsoon comes on April and last until September. This is summer. As for winter, the wind comes from northeast, from October to next March.
The average daily temperature varies from 27°C to 34°C, with the amount of rainfall from 1800mm to 4000mm. So ventilation is much more important than keep warm.
Nibong palm is a common tree in sabah for building use. So in order to build a eco-friendly house is forest, we consider to use local materials, and learn from vernacular houses.
As t he w ork content of f or es t rangers, build t heir h ouse on t op of t he h ill c ould h elp them s ee more about t he f orest to d iscover the issue earlier.
This s ite slop d own from S W to NE. So i f we b u ild t he b u ildin g along the contou r, t he w in d woul d fully pass through t he house( like w hat the long hous e do). Also the slope is slighter than other place to park the car.
Long H ouse i s often built to f ace Me cca(no rt h or n or theast). We learn from t his precident, a nd decide to m ake the buildin g orientation facing n or theast And to p rote ct i nside space o f building, t he w est s unshine need to b e c onsidered and b locked mainly The s truc tu re f or d oing this f un ct ion could be e xt ende d eave, louver panel and others.
Inspiration and Concept
As the aim of this project is "designn with climate", we should learn the sourroundding envionment first and see how the climate affect people's movement.
When start from the drawing the landscape of site, I find that the technique and the final presented artworks of Chinese drawing is a good way to express the special feeling in the rainforest--- a remote place away from city and closer to the nature nstead.
That's all about "shan&shui", which means "mountain and water". As the drawing simplify the mountain as a vertical line and river as a horizontal one, the site also simplify people's daily life and relationship with each other. So I use the result of the abstract geometry from the landscape, to simplify the space the two groups needed.
Due to the particularity of site as well as clients, the relationship between these two clients groups need to be clear before doing the space arrengement. And after studying the routine of them, the basic space needed is well cleared. The space is decided by both occupation and the clients
As I S tart ed f rom landscape, I found s ome elements that are connected to the life in rainforest.
The
rain and the sunlight
When r ain season c omes, the road c onsition would become w orse, and the only thing people could do may be ---be in a daze look ing at the rain.
And the sunlight, in o rder t o be c omfort able, a ll t he opennings s hould be c overed t o get r id o f the hot light
But w hen a ll t he v ivd natural elements a re b locked outside the relationship between n ature and u s are weakened a s well. Then I w onder i f the space invite
building as " a channel"---to c hange s omething to feel something.
AXO Drawing ( house for ranger)
AXO Drawing (house for researcher)
The Cloud Urban Oasis in The City
Sydney, Australia/Individual Project/3-6,2019
The urban oasis is a place for exercise, relaxation and entertainment in a club like atmosphere operating from 5pm till Midnight-bringing the restorative qualities of water to a dense urban area with a mix of swimming, floating, eating, drinking and relaxation.
When building a new building in city context, more things need to be considered. The style, the shape, the texture...... To follow or to be opposed? That’s a queation.
Water experience reasearch
As Sydney is a city born with so many harbours and beaches, the sea is mostly the first choice for weekend. It decide on many elements, the climate, the geographic position, the convenient transportations...... Water is a thing that you need to touch then to feel it. So the Oasis might be like a place like beach, you can walk without shoes, you can just wear your swimming suit in the plaza, you can feel the water anywhere.
Little sketches of water experiences
F rst oor circu at on conta ns both spor ts and enter ta nment People cou d choose w m
