"I recall that when I was a child, could look at the sun with wide eyes and notice the smallest things. When saw a tiny thing, would observe its texture carefully, so I could often feel the pleasure beyond the thing itself." —— Six Records of a Floating Life (1808), Shen Fu
The environment has encompassed a variety of criterions, and humans have applied them to develop spatial forms that fit the scale of the body all the time. Any expression of the spatial scale represents a different situation of empiricism. Therefore, the gradation of criterions will largely influence the understanding of spacial production in the social & natural contexts and lead to different types of constructed spatial frameworks.
RESIST, GATHER, ABSORB, DISCHARGE
SYNERGETIC
Nature and human life have always been in constant interaction. Water is an example: the ebb and flow of tides shape the boundaries of our living spaces, prompting humans to respond with levees, bridges, and terrain manipulation to refine this relationship. Therefore, chose water as an entry point to explore how it can reconcile and synergize the relationship between nature and humans within the context of Rumney Marsh.
Boston’s water supply system exemplifies such synergy by leveraging elevation differences in reservoirs to integrate purification functions. This dynamic serves as inspiration for the strategies aim to explore at Rumney Marsh. And over the next 80 years, areas surrounding Rumney Marsh will face significant challenges due to marsh migration, further straining the already fragile ties between nearby communities and the marsh. Combined with rising tides, this poses significant risks to the neighborhoods around the marsh.
Stormwater management has already become a pressing issue in surrounding communities, particularly in Saugus, where outdated or insufficient facilities frequently cause stormwater overflow. Therefore, my proposal will focus on addressing the stormwater problem and its interplay with tidal water.
Boston water supply system study
Stormwater issues inside the community
OPERATIVE
The map identifies the major flood-risk areas, whose forms are directly or indirectly influenced by the existing contours. To address the backflow issues with existing sewage outfall pipes, propose small-scale, decentralized wastewater purification installations. These systems would collect and treat wastewater from specific areas before discharging it into the ocean with the tides. Due to the natural flow of water to lower elevations, the stormwater pathways in Saugus are determined by the surrounding hills.
The proposal’s goal is to address both flood resistance and stormwater management simultaneously. To achieve this, developed four primary strategies, each represented in different colors and variations to adapt to site-specific conditions. These strategies include a comprehensive water management approach encompassing hard infrastructure and soft landscapes for coastal defense (resist); policies and systems for managing rainwater runoff (gather); interconnected green infrastructure to store and direct excess water (absorb); and alternative drainage routes (discharge).
Flood risk and purification installation proposal
Stormwater from highground Communities effected by flooding Stormwater and flood resist systems
Enhanced flood defenses will protect assets and minimize disruptions, resulting in reduced costs for emergency response and long-term defensive measures.
INITIATIVE
The next challenge is how to establish these systems under current conditions. Where will the aggregate and materials for flood prevention systems come from. On a broader scale, it may be possible to transform the area into a self-sustaining system. For example, the elongated coastal section of Revere, which faces the highest flood risks, is also the least efficient place to construct flood prevention systems.
I propose relocating materials, such as sand and gravel, from Revere’s "peninsula" to build flood-resistant and stormwater management systems elsewhere. This approach involves removing materials from Revere for construction while relocating affected residents to less vulnerable areas. These relocated residents and materials would provide opportunities to develop robust flood-resistance and stormwater systems in safer locations.
On a community scale, the system reform will progress gradually, influenced by material transportation and the development of Revere and Saugus. Initially, water purification efforts will focus on micro-scale installations within right-of-way areas like sidewalks, medians, and underutilized public spaces.
As demand for improved stormwater management grows, the system will expand incrementally. When households relocate or sell their properties, the government may repurchase these homes to integrate the land into the larger stormwater management network. These areas could house additional purification units, bioswales, or retention basins, enhancing environmental functionality.
This step-by-step approach will connect more neighborhoods, creating a network capable of managing greater stormwater volumes. By addressing flooding and improving water quality, this strategy strengthens community resilience while aligning with regional water management goals.
Once we zoom in to the neighborhood itself, the stormwater filtration system also reframes the streetscape. In areas where traffic volumes do not require dual carriageways, and where pedestrian walkways lack greenery,
I propose repurposing certain streets into stormwater systems. These redesigned streets would integrate green infrastructure, creating adaptable prototypes for various site conditions.
Another key aspect is the relationship between the flood-resistance system and tidal water. Given that the existing marsh habitat cannot withstand future sea-level rise, gravel relocated from Revere can fill this gap.
This process would also establish a one-way drainage system, channeling purified stormwater into the marsh, so that the system can prevent community from flooding and allow stormwater to go out at the same time.
For the discharge process, the natural tidal ebb and flow can serve as a “gate” that creates a buffer zone for treated wastewater. The treated water accumulated at the end of the installation and flows out with the rising and falling tides.
The installations are strategically placed where sewage outfalls are expected to be overtaken by marsh migration. By purifying the wastewater before discharging it into the marsh, these installations not only replace the original sewage outfall function but also subtly reshape sedimentation patterns over time. This process would gradually influence the surrounding micro-topography, enhancing the overall resilience of the site.
THE BUFFER ZONE
BOUNDARY
The growing trend towards urbanization has left several non-integral constructions, which barely establish connections with their surroundings or traditional urban. We need to re-examine the positioning and responsibility of architecture as a city cell. The effective connection between the building and the region makes the building no longer an isolated island of function, and thus actively reconstructs an urban space with relevance.
Binghamton city (1806), south-central New York, U.S, lies at the confluence of the Chenango and Susquehanna rivers. According to history, Binghamton has undergone two major transformations in urban development from an agricultural-driven city to an industrial-driven city. Today, Binghamton has become a city dominated by service and education industries. The project will thus incorporate the concept of ‘interplay’ to develop a comprehensive design for a basketball training facility on the site.
Moving creatures, such as birds are usually the natural elements that are unwelcomed to design considerations in many architectural practice, because their consciousness would provide uncontrollable consequences to typical human-centric designs.
However, we decided to have birds as an initial element of our considerations, rather than trying to isolate our architectural design from the birds on site. This conceptually inspired our vision for the architectural form and spatial arrangement of the elite basketball training facility as a middle ground for humans and birds. It was also an opportunity to embrace non-human nature in the design of sports facilities, which will help us to reconceive and break the boundaries of conventional sports facility design.
SIGHTS OF BIRDS
UNIT PROTOTYPE
HABIT OF BIRD IN RELATION TO RIVERSIDE CONDITION
Morphological formation the bird-friendly soft architectural shape is modified according to the wide vision and relatively random flight path of birds through function blocks. As the functions of the building are divided into 3 main parts including the living/working area for humans, the sports fields for humans, and the area for birds, detailed functions are all physically and functionally connected to the main functions respectively. Sectionally, the more open the functions are placed closer to the ground which is more accessible for everyone circulationally.
FORMATION LOGIC
COMPLEMENTARY
The landscape, shaped as an extension of the built form, is the buffer zone between the surrounding site and the interior functions, and between the human settlement and the natural environment by the river. The soft form in the middle of the building is intended to be a semienveloping system to provide a more coherent experience for the birds flying through the area according to the wide range vision of the bird.
Throughout the ground control, the range of human activity is not limited to one single plane but is interspersed above and below ground to activate the ground condition. Sectionally, the pool in the middle works incrementally as a supporting facility for bird-living facade in between bird and human, but also echoes the river next to it.
TOPOGRAPHY
A set of sectional models are made to reinforce the idea of special arrangement in relation to ground condition reflecting four kinds of identical aspect of sectional function arrangement in relation to the ground. The sequential sectional models also show the circulation and experiences of humans entering the space. They enter the space through the atrium near the cafe, then go through the trophy hall connected with the bird facade to reach the sports field, and finally the exit at the frontier of the sports field to reach the bird watching space for further interaction with nature.
WALL SECTION B
Although the paths of humans and birds are divergent, the design itself serves as a buffer zone experiencially, allowing humans and birds to intersect in the circulation towards the end to bridge the gap between humans and nature narratively and experientially.
ROOF-LINE PATCHES
COMPILATE
La Plaza Cultural de Armando Perez Community Garden was founded in 1976 by local residents and greening activists who took over what was then a series of vacant city lots piled high with rubble and trash. In an effort to improve the neighborhood during a downward trend of arson, drugs, and abandonment common in that era, members of the Latino group CHARAS cleared out truckloads of refuse. Later, block residents tilled the western portion of the space and planted vegetables, flowers, and fruit trees. During the 1980s, the garden came under attack by developers seeking to build on the space. After numerous court battles, La Plaza was finally preserved in 2002 as part of the terms of a legal settlement.
Ownership: NYC Department of Parks and Recreation
LA PLAZA CULTURAL COMMUNITY GARDEN ATLAS PLAN & SECTION ARCHIVE
LA PLAZA CULTURAL GARDEN ATLAS
CHARAS moved into P.S. 64 in 1979. The community center's arts and cultural programming included classes, meeting spaces, studio spaces, after-school activities, tutoring, a bicycle recycling program, with showing including dance, film, and theater. Director Spike Lee showed his work at El Bohio while studying at New York University. In its time, CHARAS/El Bohio was among the most prominent of a series of institutions secured through community effort and served as the political center of multiple community centers and gardens founded in the same period.
According to the zoning ordinance, which almost single-handedly changed the later urban landscape of New York, wonder if it's possible to design a paradigm applicable to transforming shaded community gardens into a new community lifestyle. Therefore, first approached it from the angle of sunlight, attempting to quantify the proportion of direct sunlight each community garden receives throughout the day based on the angle as a standard.
HISTORY OF CHARAS
RETRIVE
Envisioning this method of elevating the current community garden, aimed to establish a rooftop garden paradigm reminiscent of the "High Line," all while preserving the essence of the original garden. These elevated structures would not only maintain their function as gardens but also accommodate a range of community center-related activities underneath.
This integration of functions would not only cater to visitors but also initiate a zoning reform grounded in the customary arrangement of ground-level commercial spaces and residential units above the second floor in the East Village neighborhood. By transforming these rooftops into multi-functional spaces, we not only address the challenge of sunlight access but also foster community engagement and revitalization.
This design proposal creatively integrates New York City’s zoning regulations, such as R8B and commercial overlay C1-5, to reimagine urban space utilization. In R8B zones, which allow mid-rise residential buildings with flexible height and density ratios, the design maximizes vertical space by embedding green areas and public spaces between buildings. This approach enhances community openness while maintaining residential density. For C1-5 commercial overlays, which permit local retail within residential areas, the proposal strategically incorporates commercial spaces on the ground level, meeting local needs while keeping the primary residential function intact. Additionally, city-owned land managed by parks departments is repurposed into multi-functional community gardens, to better serve public needs.
59 West 128th Street, New York
Zone (Maximum FAR): C2-4(2.0), R7-2(3.4)
Maximum Average FAR: 3.0
225 West 28th Street, New York
Zone (Maximum FAR): C6-2A(6.0), M1-6D(12.0), M1-6(10)
Maximum Average FAR: 9.0
821 1st Avenue, New York
Zone (Maximum FAR): C1-9(10.0), C5-2(11.0)
Maximum Average FAR: 10.0
524 West 37th Street, New York
Zone (Maximum FAR): C6-4(10.0), C6-2(6.0), M1-5(5.0), C2-8(10.0)
Maximum Average FAR: 8.0
East River Waterfront Esplanade, New York
Zone (Maximum FAR): C6-4(10.0)
Maximum Average FAR: 10.0
The elongated Community Garden, nestled between two buildings, offers a chance for community enrichment, though optimization poses challenges. Balancing building facade usage and managing sunlight obstruction from nearby structures are key considerations. The garden's interaction with surrounding buildings reflects a natural ecosystem, where plants adapt to shade, akin to saplings beneath a forest canopy. In traditional East Village residences, sealed circulation systems pose notable concerns. Enclosed indoor staircases and elevators contrast starkly with the vibrant urban environment, limiting street-level engagement and community vitality. Addressing these issues fosters a symbiotic relationship between the garden and residential life, echoing concerns about urban stratification. Promoting interaction aims to counter such trends, enhancing inclusivity in our cityscape.
ACTIONS TO TAKE:
-ELEVATE GARDENS IN THE SHADE
-LINK RESIDENTIAL ROOFTOPS
-REVIVE CLOSED ELEVATORS
-RECLAIM COMMUNITY CENTER
-ACTIVATE VERTICAL SPACES
-REGAIN MICRO AIR RIGHTS
ELEVATE
The perpose of envisioning this method of elevating the current community garden is to establish a rooftop garden paradigm reminiscent of the “High Line,” all while preserving the essence of the original garden. These elevated structures would not only maintain their function as gardens but also accommodate a range of community related activities underneath. The integration of functions would not only cater to visitors but also initiate a zoning reform grounded in the customary arrangement of ground-level commercial spaces and residential units above the second floor in the East Village neighborhood.
SECTION 1
VIEW ON THE ROOF-LINE
SECTION 2
EAST VILLAGE AS NEW ZONING TESTING GROUND
These elevated gardens, serving as vibrant communal hubs, would redefine the urban landscape, offering residents and visitors a new way to connect with nature and each other. Moreover, by reimagining zoning regulations to accommodate such innovative uses of space, we pave the way for a more inclusive urban environment, where public spaces serve not just as idle corners but as thriving centers of community life.
EMU GATHERING ORGANIZATION
FALL 2021 / SHANGHAI VISITING CRITIC
INSTRUCTOR / ZIYUE LIU FROM SANAA ARCHITECT SITE / NANJING, CHINA
COLLABORATOR / XINQI MENG PROJECT EXHIBITED IN BI-CITY
ENCOUNTER
As the intersection of the Hongshan Zoo, Nanjing Train Station and commercial center, we designed a complex for the site that combines sightseeing, accommodation and commerce. Thus, the design can serve not only as an extension of the zoo, but also as a middle ground between the zoo and the city, providing an exhibition hall to explore the animals' habitat and related functions that enable both humans and animals to gain particular experience.
The site is a part of a zoo area attached to the main campus of Hongshan Zoo. In traditional zoos, people and animals are divided by artificial alternations that form an unequal relationship between watching and being watched . This change of view is also reflected in the characteristics of the site, where the relationship between human-mountain-animal and the relationship between nature and artificiality should be relatively equal but constantly changing according to the site condition.
CHANGE OF VIEWS
VIEWS AROUND THE SITE
HUMAN to MOUNTAIN HUMAN to ANIMAL ANIMAL to MOUNTAIN ANIMAL to HUMAN
INTERACTION
In the late 1930s, Australian residents complained about the lack of food and fresh water due to the overwhelming number of emus in the area. As a result, the Australian Army started the Great Emu War. A total of two machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition were fired toward the emus, but the emus were able to dodge the bullets at a speed of 70km and eventually defeated the Australian army
If humans can't defeat emu in this way, why not try to cohabitate with them?
The traditional way of combining circulation and function to produce a collection of form was not adopted, instead related functions are placed adjacent to each other through bubbles and allow people to come and go freely under the premise of ensuring functional relevance through decentralization . All functions are carried out around the stadium where people and emu race. Emus are also raised in different bubble-shaped areas in different lifetimes
The functional requirements are not the only consideration for the location, shape, and size of Bubbles, but their arrangement also refers to the contours and extent of the original site which makes the existence of bubbles become a progression and continuation of the original site.
Microtopography is a response to nature, the medium through which nature and manmade are connected. Microtopography not only enhances the spatial experience of a specific function to the viewer but also divides the dimensions of space through undulations and connects different positions. In microtopography, space is opened up while the function is distinguished by topography.
STADIUM and VISITOR CENTER
EXTENSIVE
The goal is to make this foothill complex a part of the landscape as an extension of Hongshan Mountain and to make the building's presence invisible. The building is integrated into the rolling landscape of lawns, trees, and hills, winding over hills and slopes, and forming pondlike spaces along the way. The walkways, courtyards, and glass-wrapped volumes that form beneath the roof are remarkably transparent and invite people to engage with the expansive natural surroundings
Work exhibited in 2022 Shenzhen Biennale “Urban Cosmologies”. The display of works is an extension of the idea of microtopography and decentralization of circulation.
From outdoors to indoors, the ever-extending curves connect Hongshan Mountain and Nanjing city, the mountains and the architectural spaces, the man-made and the natural form. It is a progressive experience for both humans and emus.
VISITOR CENTER MODEL 1/100
STADIUM INTERIOR (MODEL PERSPECTIVE 1/40)
EMU HOTEL (MODEL PERSPECTIVE 1/40)
Human activities facilitate the gathering and parting of food, in turn, influences human interactions and gatherings as catalyst, often referred to as "Fate" or "Destiny."
FRIDGE OF KENSINGTON
SUMMER 2023 / HABITABILITY OF URBAN SOIL STUDIO
INSTRUCTOR / FUMINORI NOUSAKU & MIO TSUNEYAMA SITE / BROOKLYN, NEW YORK INDIVIDUAL WORK
REPRESENTATIVE OF GSAPP END OF YEAR SHOW SUMMER 2023
MATERIALITY
In Kensington, a typical Brooklyn neighborhood with diverse housing types, our project emphasizes researching local materials for construction. This approach aligns with the area's architectural style and promotes the use of sustainable, locally-sourced materials in the design process.
In the racially diverse Kensington community, a proposed food processing and exchange center near a relief center, school, and residential areas aims to unite diverse groups. Residents will grow and exchange crops, fostering social integration, particularly for low-income individuals. This system is designed to strengthen community bonds through shared food activities.
SITE SURROUNDINGS COMMUNITYVEGETABLE CULTIVATION
OPERATION
The perspective shows how food processing methods are adapted to specific environments. Air-drying is designed for the second floor's shaded areas, optimizing for quick drying and minimal sunlight, suitable for low-sugar vegetables. Fermentation spaces are located in the semi-basement, requiring dry, sunless conditions with stable temperatures, and are easily accessible from the main staircase.
The two main factors related to vegetable cultivation are time and location. The planting and harvesting times of different plants indirectly determine how people process and store them. Location, influenced primarily by sunlight and soil conditions, varies since different crops require different soil depths. Therefore, vegetable cultivation in the community can be systematically planned in various areas based on their growth conditions.
EXCHANGE
Narrowing down to the "Kensington Fridge" food center, it's not just a venue for exchanging vegetables. It also encompasses several traditional food preserving programs, including drying, baking, cooking, fermenting, and smoking. Additionally, the system considers food waste management, where composting at one end of the facility contributes to the center's energy supply.
FOOD PRESERVATION METHODOLOGIES
FOOD PRESERVATION LOCATIONS
Among all the traditional food preservation methods, drying is the oldest and most widely used. Most preservable vegetables can have their flavor enhanced and shelf life extended through drying. Therefore, the drying system is centrally located at the site. It features adjustable stands and mesh fabrics, allowing vegetables to be hung or spread out in the sun. The drying angles can be manually adjusted based on the type of vegetable and the sun's position.
MODEL 1/200
SUN-DRYING CORRIDOR
Human activities facilitate the gathering and parting of food, and food influences human interactions and gatherings as a catalyst in return.
In the "Kensington Fridge" food center, traditional preservation methods like drying, air-drying, cooking, fermenting, and smoking are not isolated processes. They share similarities in processing conditions, facilities, and spatial requirements. This means that their designated spaces within the center are closely interconnected, allowing for an integrated approach to food preservation.
FLOATING NOMADS
FALL 2023 / INDUSTRY OF WASTES STUDIO
INSTRUCTOR / RUTH MANDAL & BOBBY JOHNSON SITE / RED HOOK GRAIN TERMINAL, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
INDIVIDUAL WORK (GROUP RESEARCH INCLUDED)
PROPOSED BY BK RED HOOK TERMINAL COMMITTEE
Composition of Floating Sea Waste:
Plastics Percentage: 60-80%.
Includes items like plastic bottles, packaging, fishing gear, and microplastics.
CIRCULATION
The project aims to use recycled ocean waste as a particle of new construction to create a flexible floating community system above water. And the scheme is planed to get started from now to future, when the sea level will rise and cover a part of our living land. In the stage of research, we found out that industrial wastes like producing concrete or plastic is kind of a big deal, yet a lot of material have already been produced. decided to figure out how can reapply those debris is production and bring them to a more relevantly close loop. And to address the issue of rising water levels, I examined the site's historical infill land and its future submersion areas. This led to the concept of a flexible system capable of transitioning between aquatic environments. Such a system could navigate coastlines, assist in local ecological restoration, and potentially foster unique floating communities.
The construction material will be produced on site, and use the front part of the grain terminal because it is close enough to the water for receiving the recycled water waste. This part of the terminal will turned into a production line of the concrete shell with plastic meshes and fabric. The shell can be extremely light in thickness which can be done within 4 to 6 inch due to its structure. Those small shell structure will be produced as separated unit inside this area and will be assembled and reassembled freely. The terminal focused mainly on turning ocean plastic to soft mesh as structure bones and pouring recycled cement as fresh, for creating the structure as the media for the floating system.
To enhance the shell structure's production efficiency, adopted a methodology inspired by ETH focusing on the environmental benefits of production. This approach improves recycling of concrete waste, reduces concrete usage due to lighter thickness, and incorporates recycled plastic waste into the structure system.
MANUFACTURE LAYERING OF FOAM CONCRETE SHELL
MODALITY
basically, as the plastic are collected and reconstructed as meshes as shell structure. The sized of the shell is controlled in certain length and ark, and several types of typical shell structure can be produced by combining different typical edge beams.
FLOATING ROOF
PRESCRIPTION
imagining of how the island unit will change according to the raise of water from time to time. In current status, the structure are mostly attached to the shore for easier access.
As the water-level becomes higher and higher, there will be less limitation for islands.
Those islands will gradually merge from unstable and separate forms to form a larger island that is sizable enough to establish connected floating community.
SPRING 2021 / BEIJING VISITING CRITIC, DRAWING ARCHITECTURE STUDIO
INSTRUCTOR / HAN LI, YAN HU SITE / BEIJING, CHINA
COOPERATORS / XINQI MENG (LARGER GROUPWORK FOR THE BASE MAP)
DRAWING PRIZE SHORTLIST, WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL 2021 / 1 DRWAING CHALLENGE, SPECIAL MENTION
LOCALITY
Shanzhai (the Chinese word for copycatting) is a complicated concept. On one hand, it is often mentioned together with plagiarism, replica, vulgarity, and cheapness. On the other hand, it is also related to learning, borrowing, reference, and analogy. Shanzhai architecture is found everywhere in China. The contempt, laughter, and abuse from architects couldn't stop the masses’ love for those knock-offs. Venturi once said “There is nothing wrong with being influenced, or even with copying. Imitating is how children learn. You have to acknowledge sources.” We look into Shanzhai from a positive angle. It is a straightforward, specific, and high-efficient design strategy. It is a cut to study the most important contents of architecture such as history, form, and ambiance. At the same time, it is the engine for creating topics, generating traffic, and gaining attention. We shall put down the burden of "originality" while there was no real original architecture in the world, understand the ready-made in Duchamp's way, and make shanghai in a serious and positive way.
The Copied from Beijing was therefore created, we copy from Beijing and learn from Beijing. People in Beijing learn through Shanzhai in the process of civic construction, while we learn from Beijing's Shanzhai constructions. The map was divided into 3 parts that reflect both the Beijing character and the “learning from” process, and together they eventually becomes a collage of the city that also redefined the capital city of China visually.
BEIJING HOTEL
NANPING VILLAGE
A. PIRELLI BUILDING
Beijing Hotel, the first five-star hotel since the founding of republican China, was formerly a tavern opened by two Frenchmen on Chang'an Street in 1900. The Beijing Hotel is located in the absolute center of Beijing, adjacent to the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace, a five-minute stroll to Tiananmen Square, the Great Hall of the People, the National Grand Theatre and other historical and cultural attractions, and close to the bustling Wangfujing shopping street.
Its history and location make it more than a mere spectator of its surroundings; it is a part of the recent history of this capital city.
LIVING ENVIORNMENT
Nanping Urban Village is close to the main city of Beijing and is now one of the popular places to rent for people who work in the city because it is cheap. These "small castles" in Nanping Village are actually extremely ordinary, even low-cost and temporary, but they may reflect the moment we live in and the process of urban development better than the monumental buildings of the same period. On the one hand, the urban village is not completely part of the city, nor is it a complete village, but rather a way to emerge between the city and the countryside; on the other hand, because it has a more limited standard of daily life, but solves the problem of settling for most of the workers, people simultaneously embrace and fear of its existence.
As the foreign population entered, it created a large demand for rental housing. When the interior space of the original building was allocated out, a whole bunch of little living boxes were then attached to the original building. That's when a fundamental change was created, the circulation system had to be flipped to the outside of the wall. The forms seem to be placed randomly, but they are all driven by the actual demand, from the selection of materials to the construction are all especially reasonable.
In the process to create Shanzhai architecture we will use images and maquettes as the main instrument for study. But if only taking them as the tools for design, we would seriously devalue their potential. We shall re-understand the mission of architectural drawing and maquette at present. They shall be a hybrid, both a process and a result, both a tool and an artwork. The role of instructors is more like the curators, while the students are like artists in residence.
For us, we learn from the
BEIJING HOTEL FUNCTION + NANPING VILLAGE STYLE + PIRELLI BUILDING FORM. The design part was an integration of Beijing character and a representative resident of the functional objectives. Tools like Ostagram are utilized as a visualizing assistance to see the potential output. The Ostagram is a style transfer tool, and we used it to transfer the Beijing style onto the front façade of the Pirelli Building.
Robert Pirelli Building by Marcel Breuer and combine it to the function of Beijing Hotel and style of Nanping Urban Village
URBAN VILLAGE LIVING QUARTER
ARMSTRONG PIRELLI BUILDING (1988) by Marcel Breuer, New Haven, NY.
ANDONG MARKET
RIPPLE
When it becomes a part of the collective landscape, it also acts as one of the components of the city collage which is a kind of recreation derived from the Shanzhai cottage.
In addition to being directly inspired by the civic constructions of Nanping Urban Village, the form of the Ripple Building also incorporates a lot of direct metaphors of symbolic architecture. Its metaphor is not only limited to the contemporary culture but is another interpretation of local acculturation, which enriches its locality.
"THE RIPPLE" "FOLDING FAN" "ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION" "CORRUGATED STEEL"
COPIED IN MACAU
2021 TO 2022 / WORKS FOR DRAWING ARCHITECTURE STUDIO
PRINTED AND EXHIBITED AT CENTRO CULTURAL DE MACAU
SITE / MACAU, CHINA
COWORKERS / JUNYE Z, ZHEXU Y, XINYU T, NUO L, XINQI M, YUXUAN W, XIAOXUAN X
Learning From Macau! Macau is known as the Las Vegas of Asia, a thriving gaming and entertainment capital. This analogy naturally reminded the architects of the thesis "Learning from Las Vegas". Looking at Macau from a similar perspective, the casino architecture may be no less striking than what the authors of this book experienced in the "decorative sheds" and "ducks" of Las Vegas. The drawing is a visual fantasy about the city's unique culture. Historical and contemporary, exaggerated and peaceful, real and fictional architecture are mixed and collaged in a world of play to present a Macau that seems familiar and fresh.
In Learning from Las Vegas, the authors advocate an unbiased and open-minded approach to what already exists, an attitude that has influenced more than a generation of architects. Learning from Macau is our response to this initiative in the form of an architectural drawing to express our respect and appreciation for Macau's unique urban culture.
COPIED IN CHICAGO
2021 TO 2022 / WORKS FOR DRAWING ARCHITECTURE STUDIO
EXHIBITED IN 2021 CHICAGO BIENNALE
SITE / CHICAGO, UNITED STATES
COWORKERS / JUNYE Z, ZHEXU Y, XINYU T, NUO L, XINQI M, YUXUAN W, XIAOXUAN X
Still Life In The Windy City is a long scroll that DAS was invited to create for the 4th Chicago Architecture Biennale. Referring to the public space in Beijing, DAS presents an imaginary life in a Chicago community in this long scroll, exploring the role of objects in creating activity space and stimulating community vitality, as a response to the issue of how to use public space and stimulate community vitality raised by the Biennale.
The traditional still life painting depicts objects placed on a table. As a response to the Biennale's theme of how to reactivate public space, Still Life in the Windy City extends the definition of objects to the scale of the city. Objects may play a more powerful role in urban public space than architecture. They are independent of their surroundings, are not bound by a fixed location, are often easier to make, transform, move or be sustainable, and can bring more resources together.
ITERATIVE SHAPESHIFTERS
SUMMER 2018 / FURNITURE FABRICATION
INSTRUCTOR / TIMOTHY STENSON
SITE / ANYWHERE FOR RESTING WRITING READING
INDIVIDUAL WORK GOLD AWARD, MOVABLE BUILDING COMPETITION
The set of installations design was inspired by the traditional origami art which originated in Asia. One of the most striking aspects of origami art is its simplycity of the creative process. One begins by folding a 3D form from a piece of 2D paper The crease as an indication of form, would also involve a change of dimensions. The three installation prototypes maintain the same size of "paper"(4' by 4'8" plywood pieces) when unfolded, but formulate different scales when folded, interacting with the scale of various human activities. The scale of each installation's service activities unite to form a set of progressive usage system in contexts.
CHAOLOU MALL RENOVATION
SUMMER 2021 / RENNOVATION PROJECT BY ATELIER CNS, CONSTRUCTION FINISED IN 2024 COWORKERS / YONGZAI C, YUHENG X, ZHENCHENG H, QIYI L, ZHEHAN L SITE / GUANGZHOU, CHINA
PROJECT DETAILS / https://www.archdaily.com/1019565/beijing-road-yue-chao-lou WORKED AS CONCEPTUAL AND BRANDING DESIGNER DURING SUMMER INTERNSHIP
The Chaolou Building, located on the historic Beijing Road in Guangzhou, is surrounded by Lingnan-style arcade buildings. Once a symbol of trendy culture for the "post-80s" generation, the building declined due to stagnant business and outdated grid-shop commerce.
The renovation reimagined the Chaolou by transforming its horizontal street-level design into a vertical, multi-level commercial street, incorporating elevated arcades on each floor to reflect Lingnan architectural elements. Retaining its historical and cultural features, the redesign introduced a "stairway" layout to create a multi-ground-level space blending retail, art exhibitions, and social activities.
INTO KILNINGS
SUMMER 2021 / INTERIOR PROJECT BY ATELIER CNS, PROPOSAL
PROJECT LEADER / ZI'AN LUO
SITE / GUANGZHOU, CHINA
WORKED AS PROJECT DESIGNER DURING SUMMER INTERNSHIP
The set of interior design was made for a Chinese style ceramic merchant as a commerence exhibition space for his collections. The major space is segmented by the arch structure, while the form is designed to recall the ceremic-making through the baking processes take place in kilnings. The different sizes of arch structures have also distinguished different exhibition functions.
SUZHOU OPERA HOUSE
WINTER 2022 / ARCHITECTURE PROJECT BY SANAA, CONSTRUCTION FINISED IN 2024
PROJECT LEADER / ZIYUE LIU (SANAA)
COWORKERS / RUOHAN X, XINQI M
SITE / SUZHOU, CHINA
WORKED AS RESEARCHER DURING WINTER INTERNSHIP
Worked as an assistant for research and project docking between design and construction for SANAA’s under-construction project “The Suzhou Opera House” in Suzhou, China, focuse mainly on the aucustic construction part of the main stage.
Expending my exploration of scale to a big picture of the interconnectivity and fluidity of architectural criteria can shift these criteria as collective from intermediate steps into a gentle slope by adding more ambiguous, undiscovered frames as connections between those set-up norms. I plan to apply this methodology to multidimensional systems within the context of urbanism. This approach aims to delve into the complexities and interconnections of urban spaces and their social and environmental impacts, providing a comprehensive understanding of how these elements interact with each other in the urban landscape.
