Esther Xie 2018 Portfolio

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SELECTED WORK OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN

2016-2017

CONTENTS

ABOUT BLUE COMMONS Nordhavn Masterplan, Copenhagen, Denmark

BREAK THE BOUNDARY Greenway Affordable Housing Project, Ithaca, NY

TRANSFORMATION Vandkunsten Square Renovation Project, Copenhagen, Denmark

MIND THE EDGE Suzhou River Renovation Project, Shanghai, China

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PROFESSIONAL WORKS

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OTHER WORKS

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ESTHER (XUEZHEN) XIE XX59@CORNELL.EDU +39 3490792188 CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, NY14853

EDUCATION

CORNELL UNIVERISTY, ITHACA, NY, USA 2015 - 2020 College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Majors: Urban and Regional Studies and Lanscape Architecture GPA: 3.46 CORNELL IN ROME, ITALY Spring 2018 DIS, COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Fall 2017 Architecture and Design Program ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION VISITING SCHOOL, SHANGHAI, CHINA Summer 2016 ZHENHAI HIGH SCHOOL, ZHEJIANG, CHINA 2012 - 2015

EXPERIENCE URBAN DESIGN INTERN, TONGJI URBAN PLANNING AND DESIGN

INSTITUTE, SHANGHAI, CHINA Summer 2017 Participated in Shanghai East Beijing Road urban regeneration project, Sichuan Tianfu District masterplan project and others. Assisted with graphic design, rendering, research, conceptual design and communication with clients.

PHOTOGRAPHER, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ROME, ITALY Spring 2018 Contribute images to the student blog, coordinate with blog writers, produce visual materials for program publicity.

MEMBER, DESIGN CONNECT, CORNELL UNIVERSITY, ITHACA, NY Team Geneva, Fall 2016 Team Elmira, Spring 2017 Involved with participatory planning for local communities.

Participated in initial research, community meeting, rendering, schematic design and final presentation.

SKILLS

LANGUAGES

Adobe Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Lightroom), Rhino, AutoCAD, SketchUp, VRay, Grasshopper, GIS, Microsoft Office. Knowledge of Python and Web Design.

Graphic Design, Photography, Physical Modeling, Hand-drawing, Technical Planting Plans, Soil Volume Calculation.

Chinese and English (Fluent), Danish and Italian (Basic).

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BLUE COMMONS FALL 2017 COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Urban Design Studio Prof. Rasmus Frisk

The city of Copenhagen has planned Nordhavn as a main place to accommodate its fast increasing population. Once a 270,000 m 2 shipping harbour, Nordhavn will transform into a vibrant city district.

This masterplan looks into the future of Nordhavn as an active addition embracing all kinds of residents. Various public spaces are created for entertaining residents onsite as well as people from other parts of the city. A 2.2km fitness loop, connecting all the attractions, serves as an exercise space for residents and visitors. Close to the ocean, Nordhavn will become a blue commons for the city Copenhagen.

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PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM THE MAIN STREET. The main street is 25M wide, with two car lanes and two bike lanes. Ground floor of buildings on both sides are used for business, which creates what Jan Gehl calls active life between buildings. Culture center (the pink building) is also visible.

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SITE LOCATION Nordhavn is connected to the city center by train, bus and super cycle lane.

The closest train station is 30mins walk away.

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The current movement by vehicles and bikes to the site.

Create grids based on the current movement and the planned metro station.

Curved main roads and canals based on the grid.

Fitness loop around the site connecting various activities.

NORDHAVN MASTERPLAN

GREEN AREA& WATER

PUBLIC SPACE& FITNESS LOOP

INFRASTRUCTURE

LIGHTS

ACTIVITIES (Orange for students, pink for single families and green for elderly.)

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The water garden community to gro food.

ISOMETRIC PLAN The Nordhavn will become an exciting place for the residents, and also a regional attraction. The metro station and the cultural center are the center of the community.

The park extends to the seaside, connecting to the beach and waterfront park.

Various housing types are provided to make the neighborhood diverse and individualized.

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A

NORDHAVN MASTERPLAN

n allows local ow their own

The waterfront park functions as an urban playground and skatepark.

A lookout point allows people to overlook the ocean.

C

B

The wooden circle connects the beach with the fitness loop extended into the ocean, which enables people to walk on the water.

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BREAK THE BOUNDARY SPRING 2017 ITHACA, NY LA 2020 Medium of the Landscape II Prof. Kathryn Gleason

As high housing prices become a major issue in Ithaca, this project proposes an affordable co-housing project for various population groups.

It also explores a feminist approach to collective housing. The idea of co-housing as a tool to break traditional patriarchal spaces originated in the 1930s in Scandinavia. Social scientists like Alva Myrdal believed that co-housing was an important factor to transform domestic labor of women from a private into a public responsibility, and thereby facilitate the liberation of women.

The form of the project is inspirated from Chinese courtyard housing (Siheyuan), an ancient housing type that restricts freedom of women. By revisiting the partriarchal spaces, this project aims at producing a community that provides spatial equality and redefines household responsibilities.

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SINGLE HOUSIN

MULTI-GENERATION HOUSING CLUSTER

SENIOR HOUSING CLUSTER

BUS STOP

E FAMILY NG CLUSTER 1

COMMUNITY GARDEN COMMUNITY CENTER

COMMUNITY PLAYGROUND SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING CLUSTER 2

COMMUNITY GARDEN

MASTER PLAN.

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SITE CONDITION The site is located in suburbs in Ithaca, which is currently dominantly residential area.

Cornell University, as the main place for employment and production. The residential suburbs, on the other hand, are the place for household work and reproduction.

PATRIARCHAL SPACE: REVISIT CHINESE COURTYARD HOUSING (SIHEYUAN) The traditional Chinese courtyard houses were home to multi-generation families.

Normally, four pavilions were arranged in a square to create an inner courtyard. The head of the family resided in the large central house, while the female members of the family were required to remain in the private inner courtyard.

AMERICAN SUBURB Historically, the American city planning draws a clear boundary between places for production and reproduction.

City is defined as public, masculine space for production.

While suburb is private, feminine space for reproduction.

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GREENWAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT

PROGRESS DIAGRAM

Community + Clusters

Underlay with Topography

Overlaps

Final Plan

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Under this model, the surplus of domestic labors can be shared with others, like the elderly, thereby transforming private household works into a public good. The community also provides space for production, wage-owning work.

DIAGRAM OF COMMUNITY SPACES AND DIFFERENT CLUSTERS.

ISOMETRIC DIAGRAM

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GREENWAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT

COMMUNITY GARDEN PLAN

COMMUNITY GARDEN SECTION The community garden mediates between the site and nearby residents, by offering the view to nature. The slope and the pond help collect stormwater.

HOUSING TYPES

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CLUSTER PLAN

SECTION

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GREENWAY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT

PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM COMMON LOUNGE TO COURTYARD The semi-private courtyard provides safe environment for kids.

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TRANSFORMATION FALL 2017 COPENHAGEN, DENMARK Urban Design Studio Prof. Rasmus Frisk

The main purpose of this project is to transform Vandkunsten Square, a historical square located in the center of Copenhagen, into a modern urban plaza. It also addresses to the current needs from the city to integerate waste sorting solutions into public spaces. The project works on transforming a series of cuboid forms, that integerates waste sorting with various activities such as sitting, bike parking and urban theater. This multifunctional urban furniture can also be implemented in other urban spaces.

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ISOMETRIC PLAN

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Connection with Landmarks

Current On-site Activity

Surrounding Business

Purposed Movement

CONCEPT DIAGRAM

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The project began with the observation of peoples’ desired route passing by the site, Installations on the site were thereby aligned according to these movements.

VANDKUNSTEN SQUARE RENOVATION PROJECT

Recycle bins are placed into the cuboids.

Underneath the curved “steps” placed the cuboid and bike-parking space.

The cuboids were combined with two types of seating to make different furniture.

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MIND THE EDGE SUMMER 2016 SHANGHAI, CHINA Architectural Association Visting School Group: Esther Xie, Zetan Qin, Weichen Pao, Ziyue Wang, Zhuo Chen

This is a group project in the Architectural Association Visting School.

The project focuses on the Yangtze River Delta Metropolitan Region in Shanghai.

After analyzing the spatial relationships between green spaces and urban villages along the Suzhou River with Grasshopper, we proposed to transform the river edge into an extended recreational space.

By considering various scenerios and allocating various functions along the river side, we created connections between urban villages, green spaces and the river.

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ANIMATION OF PEREPECTIVE VIEWS, BY GRASSHOPPER, RHINO AND PHOTOSHOP. The animation illustrates the process of transforming the green spaces at the edge of land into active, multi-functional spaces with height variation.

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SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP ANALYSIS WITH GRASSHOPPER

Location of urban near Suzhou River

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villages

Approximity of urban villages to closest green areas

Urban Villages with green areas within 5mins’ walk

Routes from urban villages to closest green areas

Routes from the River to green areas within 5mins’ walk

Routes from the River to green areas within 5mins’ bike ride

Routes from the River to green areas within 5mins’ car ride

Combination of the three

SUZHOU RIVER RENOVATION PROJECT

TRANSFORM THE WALLED EDGE OF WATER TO AN INTERACTIVE PLAYGROUND...

The transformation of sticks creates various urban furniture.

The sections of the playground changes along the river bank, creating spaces for various activities...

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PROFESSIONAL WORKS SUMMER 2017 SHANGHAI, CHINA Tongji Urban Design and Planning Institute, Studio 2

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SHANGHAI EAST BEIJING ROAD URBAN

REGENERATION MASTERPLAN, FINAL RENDERING. BY SKETCHUP, VRAY, PHOTOSHOP.

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BEFORE AND AFTER COLLAGE, BY PHOTOSHOP.

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PROFESSIONAL WORKS

SICHUAN TIANFU DISTRICT MASTERPLAN, CONCEPT DIAGRAM

DISTRICT 9, 10, 11 SITE ANALYSIS, BY PHOTOSHOP.

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Criteria

Visible From Public Space

Densification of built env

Proximity to existing dens

Borders high-volume roa Historic Sites Current Zoning Parcel Size Total Road Frontage

OTHER WORKS

Road Frontage Ratio Market Value

Ecological Value - Wetla

Ecological Value - Ripari Farmland Parcel Grade

Proximity to already-preserv

Total Points

TEAM PROJECT: SCEN PRESENTED IN PRIORI

FORM IN DESIGN

RECTANGLE

Esther XIE

ANGLES

STUDIO ASSIGNMENT: FORMS IN DESIGN, HAND-DRAWING.

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CIRCLES

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Point Scale 20

vironment

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sity

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and

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ved parcels

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NIC RESOURCE INVENTORY FOR HYDE PARK, NY. LAND PARCELS WERE SCENICALLY VALUED AND ITY ORDERN. BY GIS.

Technical Planting Keys Key EF HP IM JH JP JS RS SV TO VD VL VPFT VS

No. 21 6 22 23 9 23 18 12 12 15 10 21 15

Botanic Name Common Name Euonymus fortunei Wintercreeper Hydrangea paniculata Peegee Hydrangea Ilex x meserveae Blue Holly Juniperus horizontalis Creeping Juniper Juniperus procumbens Japanese Garden Juniper Juniperus squamata Singleseed Juniper Rosa spp.

Rose Syringa villosa Late Lilac Thuja occidentalis Eastern Arborvitae Viburnum dilatatum Linden Viburnum Viburnum lantana Wayfaringtree Viburnum Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosumDoublefile Viburnum Viburnum sieboldii Siebold Viburnum

Size 15'' -18'' 3' -5' 15'' -18'' 15'' -18'' 15'' -18'' 15'' -18'' 15'' -18'' 3' -5' 3' -5' 3' -5' 15'' -18'' 15'' -18'' 15'' -18''

Root Comment Cont.

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ROBERTS HALL TECHNICAL PLANTING PLAN. BY AUTOCAD.

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PHOTOGRAPHY

DRAWING

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OTHER WORKS

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Thank you!