Modulor and Typology: a Method
Hanwen Xu's Works Collection Bachelor2016-2020Projects
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This booklet records the projects of Xu Hanwen's undergraduate architecture study from 2016 to 2020. In the four projects, modulor and typology in architecture become the critical elements for the discussion. All the projects presented are under the context of the delirious metropolis in China. In such a contemporary, chaotic, and complex urban context, how to decide, rebuild, or even create new programs is on the front burner than anything. On the contrary, nature and form become less necessary.
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Email:PersonalLocation:website:
The author, Xu Hanwen, is an architect, second-rate graphic designer and game script writer. In the mediocre and flat 21st century, the author believes that the field of architecture still needs serious research and deep contextual design. It is that much more than the things we are creating in cities today. London, Hanwenxu721@gmail.comhanwenxu.meEngland
The Booklet
TheContactAuthor
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“Everyone is the scenery of other's life”.
5 Renovation of old apartment Individual IndividualOldGroupOldIndividualCommercialworkbuildingworkfactoryarearenovationworkfactoryrenovationwork
Project 1. Folding Longchang
4026166 CONTENT
“The opposite things have their value”.
Project 3.2 . The Moon and Sixpence
Project 3.1. Yuanyang Fish Factory Renovation
“They are heads and tails of a coin”.
“The ants in the metropolis and their folded life”.
Project 2. The Terrace
6 PROJECT 1
“The ants in the metropolis and their folded life”.
2018 Fall Semester, Year 3 Renovation of Old IndividualApartmentWork
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Folding Longchang
The project "Folding Longchang" show work with subtle tragic overtones. Shanghai, the symbol of China's modernization and urbanization, is sucking in labour from all over China as its fuel. Farmers from Anhui, Henan and northern Jiangsu provinces have come to this metropolis and become labourers. However, the strict hukou system and the uneven distribution of public resources make settling in Shanghai an unrealistic goal for them. The most realistic strategy for these workers is to consider Shanghai a factory to work in and then return hometown to start a "real" life after saving enough money.
Under such a realistic logic, this project chooses Longchang Apartment as the object for renovation, which aims to create a new type of collective living for the migrants to resist the pressure of the metropolis.
8 History: the "Invade" of Migrant
-Living Condition: High
-Per Capita Living Area: <10m 2
-Living Condition: Decreasing
Police
1920s
-Number of Residents: High
The living conditions in this old apartment became worse and worse. Only olders stay because of deep feelings for this building. Furthermore, muscular tensions form between migrant workers (who are attracted by cheap rents here) and old residents because of cultural differences.
1949 - 1969 1969 -
-Number of Residents: Increasing
After the Cultural Revolution, large numbers of people from the countryside poured into the cities, leading to a severe urban housing shortage. Furthermore, it leads to a decrease in the per capita living space in the apartments and the gradual decline of the residents' living quality.
Early stage - police dormitory
After culture revolution - the increase of residents
-Per Capita Living Area: >60m 2
-Per Capita Living Area: <30m 2
Nowaday - the decay of apartment
-Living Condition: Low
-Number of Residents: Low
Head of Government Police Official
In its early days, Longchang Apartment was Shanghai's most modern high-rise apartment. It was offered to government officials to live in. The number of people living in Longchang Apartments during this period was small, and the resident's quality of life was high then.
Facade: The Encroachment on Public Space
1920 - 1949
9 Official1980s
Now 1980s - Now 2010s - Now Local Migrant Worker Group
- old local + Not poor + Special emotion to apartment + Local group + Long stay + Don’t like migrant residents + Be familiar with living condition 1 2 3 Temporary4 home 1 7 8 9 10 11 12 32 4 5 6
Client Analysis B - migrant workerA
1. Go in 2. Go out 3. Sleep 4. Work + Poor + "Migrant" bird + Diversity group + Short stay + Discriminated by local residents + Dissatisfied with bad living condition The migrants in Shanghai come to this city for more money. However, they never try to stay here. They, like wild geese, stay here temporarily and will leave at the end of the year. Most of the old locals have lived here for more than 20 years. The reason they stay here is that they like the condition. They consider the apartment as home. The ownership belongs to them. 1. Eat 2. Wash 3. Dry cloth 4. Cook 5. Walk 6.7/10.MahjongChat 8. Drop around 9.11.GardeningRubbish 12. Newspaper Group
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Strategy 1: partial addtion
The easiest way.Place the furniture outside the door.These hallway Spaces can be converted into kitchen, laundry and storage Spaces when needed
Strategy 2: push-out the wall
Strategy 3: extraposition furniture
The lack of space makes the living condition to become worse. Residents have no choice but to occupy the corridor to put more things, which leads to many problems like the encroachment of public space, the confusion of property rights and the degradation of the visual quality. However, in some cases, it also has a positive aspect. It is a flexible way of using space.
Some residents have built walls directly into the outer corridor, enlarging the interior space.The encroachment of public space was used by them as a living or dining room.
Strategies Used by Residents to Increase Space
Make a semi-enclosed space by using simple materials (plastic sheet, iron sheet).These Spaces can be used as bathrooms or toilets
In the old building, different functions are mixed together, which caused low efficiency and living quality.
The development of structure for migrant
Expansion and contraction of function "wall"
Break down traditional residence structure. Classify the functional areas and divided them with each other.
Expansion and contraction of corridor
“Mixed”
Each unit support one function. Use the space in centralized way. Space will be used in high efficient .
Solution: Space Integration
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“Units”
“Break down”
The whole system use removable partitions (800mm*3500mm*40mm) as wall, which is very easy for you to instal it by yourself. Clapboard has good sound insulation and shading performance.
Step 2. Pay More for More! (Optional)
The instal of board still should follow basic organization. It could be improved in the future.
These things are all shared and controlled by adminstrator.
The people in Long Chang could enjoy many kinds of service and facilities for free! They include exerciser, cinima, net bar, toilet, kithen, dining room, etc...
The basic unit of sleeping area is 0.64m 2 (800mm*800mm). You could rent the number you need in the area.The space is already organized preliminarily. You still could develop your space by yourself.
Step 1. Rent for Sleeping Area
Step 4. Enjoy Free Public Service!
- More personal bedcloths!
- More furniture!
No matter how much space you rent, you could enjoy all the same public space and facilities in the apartment!
Step 3. Install You Own Units!
- More personal electric appliance!
You can rent more things in the apartment you need! It depends on the things you need and how much you can pay.
From Beginning to the End: the Process to Install Your Own Units The Structure of Each Room Recommended Unit Type Take them, Stick them, and Organize Them! Type 1. Single Type 2. Double Type 3. Collective Type 4. Capsule Type 5. Expansion
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In the beginning, these areas were still entirely inhabited by old local residents. They totally control the space.
New Community, New Ownership
Nibbling, Erasing and Recombining
Immigrants are nibbling on longchang's apartment space, new communities are growing. Over time, illness, death, and other reasons have caused the local elderly community to demise.
Finially, original community dispear. The new community take over the ownership of Longchang apartments.
The Demise of Original Communities
Original Community, Original Ownership
15 CookingEntertainmentandDinnerUnitInstallationCommuting(Stairs)Morning/Evening Afternoon(work time) Evening (after work) Commuting CookingCheck-in(Elevator)andDinnerEntertainment
Zhaduzha Weekend Market, Bangkok
16 PROJECT 2
2018 Spring Semester, Year 3 CommercialIndividualBuildingWork
“Everyone is the scenery of other's life”.
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The Terrace
"The Terrace" continues the discussion of immigration from the last project. Even if the migrants go all out to settle in the city, more problems will be waiting for them. It can be seen that, for whatever reason, communities made up of immigrants are often considered "off-limits" in large cities. Even if these immigrant areas are not a high crime and dangerous, they at least represent the most heterogeneous parts of the city. Then there is the problem of implicit segregation within cities.
In this project, a Sichuan immigrant community in Shanghai is chosen as an example. According to pick "slow life", a crucial life concept in Sichuan culture, as a critical element, there special programs (teahouse, hot pot, and mahjong) are organized in the building. When the facilities are used by Sichuan residents nearby, they also become the blueprint and landscape for visitors from "outside". Through this mix of outside visitors and local Sichuanese, the author tries to achieve an authentic and profound experience like the Zhaduzha Weekend market in Bangkok.
Compared with selling "goods", selling "cultural concepts" becomes the key strategy for the design.
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To achieve this goal, I chose three of the most famous images in Sichuan culture, teahouse, hot pot and mahjong, representing the characteristics of Sichuan people's slow life. The idea of slow life is suitable for people in Shanghai; most are very busy every day, and sometimes they need a place to slow down.
Context and Element
This project is based on the senior student's urban design project. The site is a gathering place for immigrants from Sichuan in Shanghai. To revive the local economy, I decided to design a Sichuan characteristics community commercial building.
Design Strategy: Type and Metaphor CommunityMahjiongParkOverallKitchenMarketDiningRoomTeahouse New Type Kitchen New Type Market New Type Dining Room New Type Teahouse Bamboo Form Terrace Form Local StiltedBambooPeopleFormBuildingFormBambooFormBambooForest New Type RealOverallPavilionSichuan
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In design, I tried to use typology as methology. I referred to the architecture and cultural fragments in Sichuan. Based on people's memory of Sichuan culture, I extracted simplified type elements from it. The new type will have the same prototype as the type in human memory to achieve homology, and it also becomes a metaphor for visitors outside.
Program Mahjiong
Program
2 -
Program 4 - Teahouse
Program 4 - Dining Room
Program
1 - Retial space
Program
Program
Program 3 - Tea picking 3 - Kitchen
1 - Retial space
2 - Market 1 2 3 4 6 5 7 87 68 35 241
20 Function and Structure
21 Mixed CustomerCustomerCustomer/Local22 TimberColumnWarehouse/OfficenetboxsystemPavilionTeamakingareaTeahouseMixed 1 CounterToiletCustomer 1 Retial DiningKitchenMarketspaceroomPeopleCirculation StructureFunction
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Semester, Year 4 FactoryGroupRenovationWork
2019
The context of the original factory supports us in the pathway for design. Following the four layers of the site, and elements such as the fish slide (the bridge), waterfronts and train rail, this project attempts to demonstrate the fascinating, typologically complex and chaotic nature of the Yuanyang fish factory.
“The opposite things have their value”.
Yuanyang Fish Factory Renovation Fall
Yuanyang fish factory is located at the riverside of the Yong river in Ningbo. As the symbol of the industrial era of Ningbo, now half of the site remains abandoned. The charming duality of dilapidation and operation allows us to bring back the history of the industrial age and the planned economy to the people in Ningbo, which also adapt to contemporary urban life. Two opposite programs (modern life/local life) are set based on the duality of the site (left-dilapidation/right-operation).
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There is no "type" in this layer, at the same time, this layer has the best vision. These idiosyncrasys give this layer protential to be the best public space.
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The abandoned train rail connects the site with urban. As the boundary of the site, it is benifit to change it to public space for relax to attrcat people.
1st layer - train rail
The second layer has four very huge old ice plant. This makes the activity in the buildings become very powerful and important.
2nd layer - ice plant
4th layer - waterfront
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3rd layer - warehouse
The typical warehouse texture in industrial estate. The experience of cross inside this layer is very special. The house and outer space are both important in this layer.
RailTrain PlantIce
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The Contrast in the Site
Design Strategy
30 fish slide none water abandoned area running area yong river ground layer new structure "small" water morden life local life "big" water old structure
morden-local life
Debate:
big-small water
Debate:
32 Design Strategy: Chaos and Variety Type: water Type: bridge ViewConnectJointMarketInAdjoinParkTheater SwimmingChildStepPlatformInteriorOverSlopeParkPool ViewingConnectionCrossSurrondDeckStudiosFishVillage
Public spaces
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Scale 2
Scale 3
Scale 1
Ground layer - upper layer Big water - small water
Art gallery - local market Waterfront - train rail park
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41 2020 Spring Semester, Year 4 Museum and CommunityIndividualCenterWork
The Moon and Sixpence
The project's name comes from the British novelist William Maugham's Moon and Sixpence , which celebrates the hero's action of Paul Gauguin in abandoning everyday life for the sake of great art. In comparison, this project tries to rethink the moral superiority of the two metaphors, the moon and sixpence. Based on the site in project 3.1, an old fish factory was chosen for the design. Two pairs of opposing programs (museumcommunity centre) are organized base on the original structure. According to the hybrid of type and mix of space, a multifunctional architecture with new typology has been created.
“They are heads and tails of a coin”.
44 3.Fish Slide 1.Refrigerated Storage 6.Platform 2.Ice Making Space 4.Equipment and Heat Dissipation Elevatorand5.Corridor 41 52 63 Old Structure Analysis Client AnalysisMoon - idealism, spirit and dream Sixpence - pragmatism, material and reality For outside visitors, the ice factory, as a landmark, is the embodiment of the collective memory of this industrial heritage, which makes it a very suitable museum space for exhibition. Locals need a space for everyday function in which the ice factory can continue to serve the local community after transforming its identity and role. Visitor - Icon, history and collective memory Local - Service, community and daily need
Type - The Mixture of Space
This type is recessive mixture. Functions have negative inflence with each other.However, it is possible for them to use the same space in different time with their requirment.
Prototype - Community Center
The prototype museum and community centre can be summarized from the above. Then, by hybridizing the summarised geometric archetypes, new types conforming to the two characteristics can be obtained, thus achieving the homology of the types mentioned by Aldo
Rossi.Prototype - Museum
Type Development - Hybrid of Type
The spaces have similar functions, which can be mix together to become one. And functions being mixed do not negatively affect each other, or this mixture is invalid.
CommunityCenterMuseum
(Time A) (Time B)
(Time A) (Time B)
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Because of the feature of different space, the mixture of the space is relatively independent. Functions in two space could be integrated, but some part of them have to be separated to ensure the use of function.
Type B. complete mixture
Type C. time mixture
Type A. partial mixture
B. The second floor as projection room
A. The ground floor as street
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B. The ground floor as square
The 2nd floor: reading room + projection room + archives
A. The second floor as as reading room/archive
The 1st floor: street + square + service station
The 3rd floor: exhibition + meeting room
The 4th floor: open space + activitity room + insulation
B. The third floor as meeting room
A. The third floor as exhibition
B. The forth floor as activity room
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A. The forth floor as open space
48 Main circulation Middle as an independent open space service outdoorcenterstagetoiletwarehouseart restoration equipmentsouvenirwarehouseroomtoiletshoptoiletwarehouseroomprojectionreadingexhibitionmeetingprivateopenactivityinstallationviewingroofinstallationgardenplatformroomfreespacespaceroomspaceroomroom
relatively open visitors are invited togo inside
The third floor
The second floor
independent space
suggestive contact weak strongeyesmediumindirectlightcontactlightcontactlight
The forth floor
not so closed visitors are invited tolook inside
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Fade-in and fade-out
The outer floor
relatively closed visitors could see inside totally closed complete concrete box
The junction, the shadow
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Ground floor, the pivot of the area
The new part, the moon
The End
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