Fengxue Xia I Application Portfolio 2022 I Admitted to Columbia GSAPP & UPENN Weitzman AAD

Selected Work 2020 - 2021

FENGXUE XIA

Iowa State University I Bachelor of Architecture 22’

ENCOUNTERS OF EXUBERANCE

ConceptualProject Fall2021,IowaStateUniversityCollegeofDesign

Location:Venice,Italy|Boon,IA|losAngeles,Ca Instructor:MitchellSquire GroupWorkwithBrennaFransen,LukeMcdonell,JihoonKim

With the expansion of capitalism, markting has become a process of solving the problems of economic production and resource distribution. People’s desire for specific objects stimulates regional economic growth, it is always caused by capitalism who tends to interfere artificially with people’s desire for site resources. With the expansion of capitalist control over people’s desires, people of the future world might be lost in a society dominated by interests. To avoid the loss of one’s true will, it is urgent to remind individuals of their true will in order to survive as real humans. This Project explored how design can provide individuals with their spatial agencies, enabling them to escape from their impacts in the capitalist world.

Desire of Natural Resource COMMON DESIRE

Natural resources are resources that exist without any actions of humankind. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. On Earth, it includes sunlight, atmosphere, water, land, all minerals along with all vegetation, and animal life.

With Combining the representative sites( land, sea, suburb, country) to a hybrid map. By comparing the number of residential (filled desire) and the average annual travel (desiring) on this map, it shows a stronger trend of site desire growth in areas where Capital controls resources.

Desire of

Social Resource

Human desires vary from person to person and city to city. However, capitalism responds to people’s s desire by setting similar prices. Desire is threatened by the felt necessity to view all encounters for their inherent gains.

Mushroom_$0

Dead tree_$0

The 16 basic human desires are felt through narratives that have shaped cities of all scales and histories. Venice, Los Angeles, and Boone, are the representative of how different types of cities emerges from desire.

Watts

Lax

Jewish deporarion Film Festival

Ledges State

Veniece Biennale Kate Shelly

Hamberger_$8

Coal Mines

Settlement

Napoleon

Zenorsville Relacation

Campanile

Rail Station

Bubble Burst Revolution Gold

Dog’s Burning

Grape Vines

Queen Of Angels

Psycho-behavior

Existence: Unbuilt

Artifacts to re-imagine encounters For non-productive purposes.

The case studies dismantling traditionally efficient uses of space and artifacts to re-imagine encounters without control from Capitalism.

Dismantling traditionally efficient uses of space.

Existence: Build

Action

SHOWER FILTER

SHOWER FILTER

GREEN EXCHANGE

TRAIN MUSEIC CELEBRATE

GREEN EXCHANGE

BILLBOARD RESTURANT

Could you ever realize your desire may influence by the surrounding environment?

Did you imagine occupying, owning, or designing your desires?

The designed performance questions the authenticity of desire and how we engage with our desires. Are all of your desires really your own? How many of your desires exist outside of you? The performance set utilizes 3D and 2D artifacts causing onlookers to decipher between the real and the false.

Performance as a practice of architecture gives agency to the body. Dealt with carelessly, prominent architecture works have problematically treated the body as an object. To avoid this mistake we center ourselves into the work, not to design selfishly, but to be intimate with the work. To be vulnerable with the work. To grapple with the limitations of the designer and its role in a larger collective.

The board game serves as an introduction to the idea of giving a hint to individual players to invoke their true desire without the regular rule of the city in the real world. The game includes objects and site conditions of the three chosen sites (Venice, Los Angeles, and Boone), and action objects which help to form relationships. The objective of the game is not to “build” but rather to foster unexpected relationships with both the game pieces and your opponent. The infinite configurations of the game allow players to form their own “city of desire” with site conditions and artifacts. Shadows cast onto a backdrop reflect this imagined skyline and transform with each new play.

1. Draw an object card to see which object you will encounter

2. Draw an condition card to pick a spatial condition

3. Draw an action card to choose an action This round you draw the action of submerge

4. Using the three cards, combine them to form new and unlikely encounters, pick 3D print model and see if they can combined.

5.Start Re-thinking about the value of object from the new combination which may never happened before in real lift.

Bringing the game to different groups of people from various ages and backgrounds, there was a clear understanding of how different objects or spatial conditions meant different things to different people.

In this way, the game allowed players to learn new stories or understandings about their opponents, which in return gives them a new perspective about the artifacts and conditions of the game.

02 HYDRO WARD

UrbanDesignProject Spring2021,IowaStateUniversityCollegeofDesign

Location: Clive, IA

Instructor:KimberlyEZarecor,AndrewGleeson GroupWorkwithDaiLe,ShivangPatel

The city of Clive has seen a proliferation of the flood disaster along with the dramatic change of climate in past years, the unwelcoming nature of the Cul-De-Sac layout of the current Clive would be obsolete and dangerous for the population continuing living in Clive. In the spirit of Clive, a new ward concept proposes a water infrastructural system that prevents potential future floods based on the spatial characteristics of the phenomenon in Iowa. And draw the further concept of a hybrid grid where the ghost of the cul-de-sac still remains but is able to respond to the flooding problem. Utilize the water resources, and importantly promote a more inclusive and active environment not only for the residents but also for the visitors.

Green Infrastructure Ward Transformed From Suburbans

As a part of the “White Flight” phenomenon, there is a clear difference between the West Clive. Observing from the zoning condition in Clive, the East Clive is heavily for industrial and commercial usage. Meanwhile, the West of Clive is densely packed with housing whose cost are hight.

Clive I Suburban Of United States

II. Context I Thematic Study in Environment

The Key Feature of Clive is the Cul-De-Sac neighborhood of suburb along its living condition, In addition to the most representative density of Cul-De-Sac exist in residential of Clive, other city such as waukee, Urbandale or west desmonies also frequently see Cul-DeSac.

Clive I Cul-De-Sac Neighborhood

The Wilds. This zone may afford the City of Clive its greatest opportunity to lead the region as pacesetters in storm-water management, habitat protection and recreation. While some development has started in this Northwest “corner” of Clive, the city has an opportunity to live its “Distinct by Nature” brand by putting stream, habitat and trail protections in place before new developments occur in the balance of The Wilds. Emphasis in this zone is on policies protecting Walnut Creek and habitat features along with stream bank restoration.

The Headwaters. This zone offers particular opportunities to enhance education at Shuffler Elementary with an outdoor lab envisioned, while also improving safety and recreation with a new trail to bypass the challenging 156th Street/Hickman Road intersection.

The Lakes. Water quality, habitat restoration and improved connections dominate here. The plan envisions wetland restoration near 128th Street while also consider City of Clive Greenbelt Master Plan Executive Summary 9 in stream stabilization, with utility and trail protection. Facility enhancements proposed include a Country Club Lake bridge for connectivity, a trail head at Casey’s General Store and natural/creek play at Wild wood.

The Falls. This segment emphasizes the Eastern gateway to the Greenbelt and the whole of Clive, while also stressing improved trail connections and access for existing neighborhoods and businesses. Key projects include the North Walkut Creek Trail extension,commercial redevelopment, improved trail connections to adjoining neighborhoods ,stream stabilization,storm water management at Indian Hills Woods and natural areas restoration.

The Headwaters. This zone offers particular opportunities to enhance education at Shuffler Elementary with an outdoor lab envisioned, while also improving safety and recreation with a new trail to bypass the challenging 156th Street/Hickman Road intersection.

WEST CLIVE

Being in the FLOODING ZONE, the unwelcoming nature of the cul-de-sac layout of the current Clive would be obsolete and dangerous for the population continuing living in Clive. Therefore, in the spirit of Clive, the concept proposes a hybrid grid where the ghost of the cul-de-sac still remains but is able to respond to the flooding problem.

Integration

STARTS by drawing the ward with cul-de-sac layout, we use strategies such as open up the dead ends, and increasing the size changing the cul-de-sac into nodes to get the final grid layout of the ward.

Re-use

V. Amusement I Fun Line Detail

The fun line consists of playgrounds and pavilion spaces with pedestrian and bike paths through out the line, It will have its own life in the day with events like farmers’ markets and concerts at night.

VI. Plan I Repeat the Ward

As the ward starts to stamp the fun line, the nodes will connect it to the new wards, thus, a repeatable city ward emerged where the cul-de-sac exists on suburban.

EMBED into the In-Between space of the commercial zone. The fun line creates a slow-speed action space. The Travel Experience for visitors becomes more interesting with the fun line.

SEEPS into the Living zone, the walkable bridge provides a recreation center for surrounding residential. During the Weekend, residential has more diversified leisure activity spaces.

The Hydro Ward proposes a hybrid grid where the ghost of the Cul-de-sac still remains but is able to respond to the flooding problem. Utilize the water resources, and importantly promote a more inclusive and active environment not only for the residents but also for the visitors. With Transforming the cul-de-sac layout into nodes, utilizing it to enhance the community experience, and developing flood mitigation systems are the main visions of the hydro-ward.

IX. Rendering I Sustainability Green Infrastructure

03 HOLLOW GARDEN

Blurring Boundary to Release Rule of Space

Practical Project Spring2020,IowaStateUniversityCollegeofDesign

Location: Manhattan, New York

Instructor: Bosuk Hur

GroupWorkwithMingDing

As the largest city in the United States, New York’s regional differentiation has been continuously improved, and immigrants from all over the world can adapt well to the life and rhythm of New York City. Regional differentiation distance is based on the function of the land. However, at the same time, the copy and paste of the city boundaries or barriers it creates have, to some degree, gradually weakened the connection among different people, it inevitably produces monotonous and lifeless urban space. This Project proposed blurting boundaries from an architecture perspective, thus releasing the strict limitation rule of spaces defined, letting the space become fresh and vivid.

The study of three different types of space shows human use of space on territory, interpersonal distance, spatial arrangement, crowding, and other aspects of the physical environment that affect behavior. These are spaces’ definitions surrounding each person.

II.Documentation I Site Analysis

The Relationship between NYC Zoning District, Floor Area Ratio(FAR), and Space Function Show How individual lifestyle is planned by its strict and clear urban divisions system.

III. Analysis I Proposed Strategy

With blurring boundaries of spaces to intervene regular spatial behavior happens in normal life. Through split and re-arrange solid definition to space, defuse the routine of space that city rules bring into buildings, thus space becomes fresh and vivid.

IV. Concept I Modular Approach

Split the function from traditional hotel represent to private and museum represent to public space and rearrange them to form a new space.

V. Isometric I Spatial Organization VI. Sections Sculpture Exhibition

The Hollow Garden blurs the function of museums and hotels to achieve multi-function use in a broader sense.

Through the scaffolding structure and open-up spaces, visitors’ exhibition experiences expand to diverse spaces and distances.

Section

Section

HOLLOW GARDEN- EXPANDING HUMAN SPATIAL REACTION FROM BLURRING BOUNDARY

IntheUnitedStates,therearefourtypesof“distance”whichpeopleusetocommunicateonaface-to-facebasis.Theseinclude:

· Intimatedistance(0-2ft.) · Personaldistance(2-4ft.) · Socialdistance(4-12ft.) · Publicdistance(>12ft.)

FLOOR1: BLURRING PUBLIC SPACE Open view reading exhibition is a space designed for a group of people, and they may be passengers, an unfamiliar person to others. The exhibition space meet the public space distant requirement at the same time, visitor can insulate themselves to private spatial experience from papers.

FLOOR2: BLURRING SOCIAL SPACE, A certain area of the exhibition is spread out. The center space is used for exhibition but also help visitor divide to the spread-out exhibition. Within the glass-made exhibition room, the user’s group of social space is broader.

FLOOR3:BLURRING PERSONAL SPACE, different types of room furniture and facility will be set for exhibition, these room sets are no more limited to personal space distance. People can enjoy the exhibition at any time in the hotel.

Bridge Exhibition

Temporary exhibition for people to walk by.

Brige Exhibition Green Exhibition for people to stand by.

Brige Exhibition

Furniture Exhibition for people to stop by.

Museum Exhibition Hotel Exhibition Exhibition windows for residents to watch by.

Hotel Exhibition

Museum Exhibition

Museum Exhibition

#01 #01 #04

#04

#03

#03

#03 #02 #02

FLOOR #04

FLOOR #03

FLOOR #02

FLOOR #01

The landscape is assigned by one water exhibition on the East public gallery, two exhibition decks at the center, three exhibitions decks on the west. the museum connects to New York High-line.

The hotel connects by bridges. As the temporary residents living in the hotel, they will have chances to experiment with art anytime, any second. Thus, living spaces fill in learning and inspiration resources.

Hotel

Function and roles between different spaces are blurring by the hotel. Sculptures exhibition provided from balcony area of each apartment type, and large sculptures are shared between the two floors. It can form a good interaction with the residents and complement the public space.

Connection Bridge

The top of each connection bridge is accessible to visitors. Fun space is formed with the outdoor amusement facility set up on roof.

X. Rendering I Experiences of Blurring Spaces

These renderings show different scenarios of building portions, with multi-function use and diverse experiences in the building; thus, space becomes fresh, and the architect becomes vivid.

Sculpture Exhibition Museum of Hollow Garden, Chelsea, Manhattan, NYC Blurring Personal Spaces Experience BridgeofHollowGarden,Chelsea,Manhattan,NYC

04 CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM OF DSM

The Multi-use Museum to Promote Prosperous Site Tourism

Practical Project Fall2020,IowaStateUniversityCollegeofDesign

Location: Des Monies, IA

Instructor: Thomas Leslie GroupWorkwithRuodiZhang

Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a city landmark landscape in Ames, IA. It is full of potential to become a cultural center in the city. However, the surrounding buildings are not welcome to visitors who expect to travel around the site. Could a building as a multi-function space welcome visitors thus prosper the site tourism? This project proposed a multi-use contemporary museum concept based on elements extracted from the surrounding environment and building typology into contemporary museums. Thus cultural deliverables and educational landmarks emerged.

V. Section Ceiling Design Details

The section shows the cut from the Pappajohn sculpture park. Three floors assign the museum, and each topic is education, exhibition, and relaxation.

Inspired from the Pappajohn sculpture park flowing road, the building ceiling as a part exhibition of the gallery, emphasis the feeling of flowing, which responses to site features.

VI. Moment I Components Analysis

THE COMPARTMENT

Embedded on the second floor is used as an exhibition. the height of the second floor was designed to have two-floor high In order to optimize the function of the exhibition space with set up a small compartment.

THE CEILING

Emphasizes the graceful rhythm of curving and flowing curves, inspired by the curvilinear landscape of PAPPAJOHN SCULPTURE PARK at site.

THE RAMP

Leads visitors to the small compartment. With walking through the ramp, visitors will experience the unique design of the ceiling and the best view of the BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS located at north of site

THE HANDRAIL

Repeat shape allows the overall shape of the building to match the floor shape within a controllable range. Echoing the curves of the ceiling, providing visitors with a stronger sense of spatial curves.

THE WINDOWS

Expand Visitor’s view. The use of large area transparent glass allows the sunlight to enter the gallery floor, light and building facade creating a unique shadow.

VII.

Space

1.Concrete flooring

2. 2.5” Rigid insulation

3. 6” Fiberglass Matt insulation

4. Gypsum panels

5. Plaster facade

6. 3 Panel glass

8. Stroked concrete floor finish

10. Extruded polystyrene insula-

9. Screed

11. Leveling screed

12. Gravel layer

Daytime walking for lower space

Daytime viewing for ramp Sculpture exhibition for upper space

Multi Use Of Compartment

The space preferentially adopts a blockshaped functional layout to guide the flow of people to the center of the site and generate more interaction with the building ceiling gallery design. To this end, the functional part of the building was transferred to the middle area of the site. With the flow of people to the art gallery on the higher floors, the curve elements use in the scene give the design a stronger sense of fluidity.

Ceiling A

Gallery A

C

X.Load-Bearing I Structure Strategy

Ceiling B The concrete structure of the wall and the use of precast cement boards provide the building’s feasibility.

The use of column and diagonal bracing structures in the gallery space ensures the freedom of design of the interior ceiling and exterior wall.

The diagonal bracing structures gave the space of the stair-auditorium. This approach has also increased the height of the art gallery.

XI. Details I Space Typology

The second floor is used for the exhibition. The connection of the assigned biggest gallery with middle galleries achieve the most smooth exhibition viewing experience when visitor walking the entire second floor.

The third floor mainly use as auditorium and viewpoint space,visitors enter the auditorium through ramp and stairs.

The seating area, green space, a walking area, and a water pond are assigned surrounding the building. Visitors experience the landscape and the lobby on the first floor.

Mullion

Curvilinear