Portfolio of Zhengmeng Dong

ZHENGMENG DONG

PORT F O L I O

2017

EDUCATION MSAAD US GSAPP, Columbia University BARCH CHINA CCEA, Zhejiang University EXCHANGE STUDY CZECH REPUBLIC FA, Czech Technical University

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE JUNIOR ASSOCIATE CHINA JAMA Architects Group ARCHITECT CHINA M.A.O., Masters’ Architecture Office INTERN CHINA Kengo Kuma and Associates INTERN CHINA LYCS Architecture

01

LEARNING FROM FOOD

Public Building for Food Health Control Barranquilla, Colombia

02 ReconstructionRECOLONIZATION of French Culture Center Phnom Penh, Cambodia

03 04 05 06 07 08

MICRO CITY Research Center Shenzhen, China

INFINITE LOOP

Center for Residential Sales Tianjin, China

SPACE “CUBIC METER” Renovation for Shared Economy Beijing, China

ENVELOPE

Museum for an Artistic Group Hangzhou, China

STORAGE EVOLUTION

New Housing Strategy of Gentrification The Bronx, New York, US

OTHER WORKS

LEARNING FROM FOOD

Institution for Health Control Barranquilla, Colombia GSAPP Advanced Studio Critics: Giancarlo Mazzanti, Carlos Medellin Collaborator: Dasylva Cherie Bolton Fall 2016

The territorial specificity brings a lot more dialogue of social problems in Barranquilla than the developed areas, in which the capital accumulation is the most significant representation of buildings. The project focuses on how a public building can find a strategy dealing with the social and political issues that are summarized from field experiments and conversations with people from different societies. A hierarchic system that contains a distributed temporary construction system and a permanent matrix building is thought the right solution to reconnect the local culture and political agendas by building the information delivery medium. Hence, the architecture is the stationary condition, yet generating the dynamic effects of events.

STORY

RYBOARD 2. STORYBOARD

do you

1. People see a strange object in the

1. People see a strange object in the

4. He

park, they walk close and look at the

park, they walk close and look at the

his ey

object. They find that the object has

object. They find that the object has

people

an opening at the bottom.

an opening at the bottom.

city.

2. A young man finds it very interesting,

What do you 2. A young man finds it very interesting,

5. “Wh

and he is curious about what it is like

and he is curious about what it is

city? W

inside the object. He gets into the

inside the object. He gets into the

object, and finds a mask with some

object, and finds a mask with some

kind of lens on it. Through the lens

kind of lens on it. Through the lens

he finds a colorful world very different

he finds a colorful world very different

from his own.

from his own.

imagine from like your city?

voice a

What do you 3. He heard a voice from outside

3. He heard a voice from outside

6. The

asking, “What do you see?“ It was

asking, “What do you see?“ It was

things

some architecture students doing an

some architecture students doing an

his fam

experiment.

experiment.

to talk

see?

ong Ruomeng Wang & Zhengmeng Dong

TOY — Inside Out

ASSEMBLY

C to A tie fis

Ruomeng Wang & Zhengmeng Dong The toy act as a costume, as well as a camouflage for city of Barranquilla, and triggers spontaneous behavior of people. Different age groups interact with the toy in very different manners. As field researchers, we have recorded their physical movement, how they use the devise as medium, and how they interact with other people.

The data we have collected shows that small kids usually come with their parents yet play with themselves, the lenses and holes of the devise is for them to play and observe, and they can do this for a long time. It becomes a space to explore with their curiosity. Kids use it to interact with all kinds of people, including us, their parents, students, and passersby.

In comparison, the young group of students use the devise in a very different way. They usually come as both small and large groups, using the lenses and holes not only for observation but for communication as well. They turn around within the devise and talk to other members of the group, and the interaction only happens with their own friends. The devise, in this case, becomes the center of attention, as well as the center of communication.

A slightly older group of people, mostly professionals, see the devise more as a hiding place. In their view, the devise provides isolation, a place to get away from the world, instead of communicating with it. They observe with the lens as other people do, but they rarely talk when they are inside the devise. They only talk to us after they get out, and the conversation include diverse topics.

The elderlies still show great interest with the toy, yet they interact with the toy for the least amount of time, yet the thoughts they generate from the toy is the most profound, and the conversation with us happens in a very logical way.

In conclusion, the devise is able to activate very different behaviors and interactions among different age groups. The nature of cover and discover of the devise allows it to acts as mediums that provoke people’s curiosity and reflection towards Barranquilla, and trigger social interactions and activities toward different group of people. Such nature can also be used at a larger scale for social groups to explore, to interact and to reflect.

MAPPING EVENTS

FOOD AND TREATMENT CYCLE

WHAT DO WE WANT TO TRIGGER?

EDUCATION

RESEARCH

HEALTHY BEHAVIOR

ADV V | MAZZANTI + MEDELLIN

DASYLVA BOLTON

JAMES ZHENGMENG DONG

ENERGY CIRCLE

ENERGY

ENERGY

COLLECTION

FERTILIZER

FERTILIZER

COMPOST

CO2 BIOGAS

IRRIGATION

COLLECTION

WATER FILTRATION

CROPS

LIVESTOCK

ORCHARD WASTE TREATMENT

BIOWASTE MANURE

IRRIGATION

GREENHOUSE

SOLAR FARM

AQUAPONIC

EXCESS HEAT

BUILDING

TRANSPORTATION ROAD V1 ROAD V2 ROAD V3 ROAD V4

STRATUM STRATUM 01 STRATUM 02 STRATUM 03 STRATUM 04 STRATUM 05

MASTER PLAN

MOBILE UNITS`

9.00M

4.00M

172.80M²

37.70M²

1. STORE 2. BATHROOM 3. TREATMENT 4.00M

1. WORKSHOP 2. DEMO-GARDEN

4.00M

4.00M 12.57M²

1. STORE 2. WORKING ADV V | MAZZANTI + MEDELLIN

1. WORKSHOP 2. DEMO-GARDEN

16.00M 87.00M²

1. EXHIBITION 2. WORKING

6.00M

1. DINING 2. WORKING

7.00M

8.00M

8.00M 50.25M²

4.00M

16.00M

8.00M

2.10M 8.4M²

5.00M

50.25M²

1. DEMO-GARDEN 2. EXHIBITION

16.00M 201.00M²

1. LECTUER 2. PERFORMANCE DASYLVA BOLTON

JAMES ZHENGMENG DONG

RECOLONIZATION

Reconstruction of Institut Francais Phnom Penh, Cambodia GSAPP Advanced Studio Critics: Mark Wasiuta Spring 2017 Having been a cultural and humanistic assistance for developing countries, Institut Francais is no longer at the front of representing its state ideology for promoting French culture. By becoming an EPIC, it looses its burden of representing state ideology to increase corporate interest. The dilemma and the opportunity happen at the same time by collecting capital to allow its expansion. The New building identifies an architectural form through the logic of its business operation by analyzing the existing condition of Institut Francais as a system. The strategy brings out the adjacency of programs producing economic capital and consuming culture capital. And the transparency in-between exposes the camouflage of conventional culture institutes that is the transforming process of these two capitals. The gesture of new colonization is hence through this corporation injection inside a culture institute.

1890

1910

1922

1937

1943

1958

1968

1994

COLONIAL URBAN DEVELOPMENT

INSTITUT FRANCAIS IN CAMBODIA

GEO-LOCATION

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

Over the last two decades, the Institut Francais’ role and budgets worldwide have altered according to economic constraints but also due to changes in French governments and senior public servants, with some seeing support to the arts in developing countries as essential as assistance to rural development or education, while others have viewed the institute’s role strictly as a public relations entity promoting French culture.

This has led to budget cuts at the institutes throughout the world.

2010 2014

BEFORE

AFTER

BUILDING RENOVATION IN 2011

FILM THEATER

RESTAURANT

LIBRARY

GALLERY

CAFE & BAR

WORKSHOP

BOOK STORE

STUDY ROOM

RECEPTION

ADMINISTRATION OFFICE

URBAN RELATION

SIEM REAP FRANCE

ASEAN

ORGANIZATION RELATION

GALLERY OF IMAGE

GALLERY OF OBJECT

PERFORMAN

NCE THEATER

LIBRARY

FILM THEATER

MICRO CITY

CEIG Testing & Assessment Research Center Shenzhen, China LYCS Architecture Summer 2011

The project attempts to create its own living and working environment in terms of its undeveloped urban context. The continuous system of volumes identifies the diversity of its programs, including offices, apartments and recreational programs. Moreover, its extended interface creates more interactive chance with audiences. By introducing multiple courtyards and a shared terrace space in the sky, it generates dynamic links among all the programmatic volumes. In the street view, the level of recreation is amplified through its waving form by contrasting to the stability of other floor slabs.

FORM STUDY

Ancient Urban Design Principle

Homogeneous Grids

Courtyard

Connection

Site Context

Adjustment of Grids

Permeability

Ground Space Continuity

Programs

High rise

Platform

Optimization

Geometric Design of the Platform

Second Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan

Fourth Floor Plan

Third Floor Plan

Fifth Floor Plan of Expert Apartment

Ground Floor Plan of Expert Apartment

Fifth Floor Plan of Dorm

Fifth Floor Plan of Office

Section B-B

Section A-A

Section D-D

Section C-C

INFINITE LOOP

Yacht Club, Sales Center Design Tianjin, China JAMA Architects Group Spring 2015

The project as named yacht center has already been considered as a programmatic trigger of the whole real estate development project. Its site is embedded in the forest of high-rises by purpose to distribute potential customers around the whole vacation area at the first place.

The form of the building should play a heterogeneous role in collecting people again. Hence, it is referent to the shape of yacht hull to act as a symbol, even a commercial advertisement, while operatively it is also a representation of fusion and distributer. Here the building is the decorative duck of Robert Venturi. Yet spatially it generates the experience of living on the deck.

URBAN EXPANSION

1994, when Binhai New Area of Tianjin taking the first step constructing a sub-city based on its pre-developed TEDA and Free Trade Zone, it has been accelerating its speed for all these years, contributing major portion of GDP of whole Tianjin with small amount of its population. However, the expansion of the city is unstoppable. After taking the best advantage of logistic port to the east of the main city, the aim is targeting north and south by employing their natural resources, economically, politically, environmentally and sustainably. The biggest resource of north part, where our site located, is its nature, its resorts and its role of gate open to more significant cities in north. Thereby, the construction of the yacht city, taking an important place in the new urban development, is put on the schedule.

Fig. from Principles of yacht design by Lars Larsson and Rolf E. Eliasson

FORM GENERATION Reference

Taking the principles of yacht design as the reference rather than scaling an actual yacht is metaphorical definition of the role of the building. And these principles include hull geometry, hydrostatics stability, plan organization and so on, representing a figure of yacht that can be imagined without specific shape, an impression.

FORM GENERATION People Flow

According to the original trend of people flow in the site, which is mainly centralized and unfolded in the direction of facing the sea, three completely differentiated prototypes are introduced. They are evaluated by indexes of program organization, exterior space, user flow and view of sea, in order to come up with the most proper one. Though the strip can be bended to form the guided exterior space, it cannot give consideration to both sides. And the length of its view side is shortest by comparison. As to the ring, the program organization and flow is considered being inconvenient. Hence, the final proposal would develop based on the branch prototype.

FORM GENERATION “Hull� Trim

In order to make the form related to its function mainly as a yacht club, the first step is to achieve integral figure by making the prototype trimmed by a hull surface, obscurely but representatively, unstably but dynamically. The tension as a spot can be revealed surrounded by either vertical or horizontal fluency.

FORM GENERATION “Deck� Loop

The second step is to accompish a relevant figure, to emphasize the side of hull surfaces both with roofs and floors by making a continuous loop, connecting all these surfaces. So the wander in the building is, on the other hand, like walking on the deck of a dynamic yacht, including view changed at different position.

The functions basically connect to links of roofs or floors of the other sides.

BUILDING MODEL 1:300

BUILDING MODEL 1:300

INTERIOR RENDERING

SPACE “CUBIC METER”

Interior Renovation for Shared Economy Infinity Design Award, Team Leader AIM Co-working Space International Design Competition Beijing, China Collaborator: Chen Xin Spring 2016

The easy conversion, creatively designed by a push of a button, has maximized the ambiguity and flexibility between what’s public and what’s private, which are generally considered as contradictory.

The proposal has achieved greatest possible mixture of all functions, maximum possibility for sharing as well as options of transforming shared space into your own private offices, and hopefully will lead a new type of office life in the Internet age.

The proposal is named “cubic meter” for two reasons, one is to refer to our office units and the dimensions of them, which are designed to adapt the human scale and the daily activities; the other is to emphasis the circulation among these cubicles, the change of the dimensions creates variety in function and generates endless possibilities for activities.

CITY SPACE

Ancient organization of public and private spaces has basic typological vision of each of them. Based on that, the new space reflecting Internet characteristics would inherit the traditional ideology but evolve to a innovated form.

Plaza Anfiteatro, Lucca, Italy

Plaza Mayor, Salamanca, Spain

INDUSTRIAL CHAIN

Industrial chain controls the operation of production. While the traditional one maintains the similar process since ancient time except more detailed work division, the new information age emerges Internet industry chain, service oriented without material exchange. Thus, to further analysis, each process of product industry chain and Internet industry chain is listed.

TARGET ANALYSIS

By listing each process of product industry chain and Internet industry chain and proper order of flow, we point out the relationship of all the steps. Obviously, while traditional product industry chain is investment oriented, Internet ideology makes the flow inclining more and more to plan and design oriented mode. Then all the steps are classified based on different workplaces of them. With certain combination, we summarize the targets, which are investor, planner, supplier, server and consumer.

TARGET RELATION

By listing each process of product indusAmong all the targets, the relationship is represented by the process of the industry chain, simplified as money, idea and actual product, and finally it links to consumer. The flow of them is believed as essential for the target relationship. On the other hand, the information flow cannot be ignored, which includes a wider range of relationship, thought as potential relationship. For example, it may base on the resource how people get their options of clients or partners.

PROGRAM MATCHING

It is obvious that the proper processes happening in the site are the flows from money to idea, from idea to product and the circulation of idea itself. And information flow is involved, too. These flows are linked to demanded programs by criteria of different identification of occcurrence.

Continuous line represents certainly occurrence. Dashed line represents potentially occurrence. And unlikely occurrence is linked by nothing.

PROGRAM EVALUATION

Programs are classified in three different kinds of lists named as work space, encounter space and event space that relate to the context happening inside them. In order to make the proper distribution of these programs, they are also evaluated by indexes of disturbance resistance, user number, utilization frequency, convenience demand and daylight demand.

MODE ANALYSIS

By overlapping the polylines of all the indexes, certain name of classification presents its own characteristic. Work space shows the similar degree of each index within an average level and same tendency. Encounter space shows clear characteristic of each program without our any similarity. Event space shows total characteristic and similar degrees of indexes of each program. Analogous to traditional European city pattern, these three modes correspond to central square space, lane and open space, and block and courtyard space.

UNIT DIMENSION

Body dimension is the essential index when considering about unit scale. In order to get to the appropriate one that can be utilized by a single person, we judge all the possibilities by not allowing them being too large or too small. So as a result, 1.8m is taken as the most effective unit scale.

COMBINATION EVALUATION

All possibilities of mobility of sides are evaluated by the combination ability and trace area. While the combination ability is considered positive, the trace area is preferred being small. So the final evaluation is the synthesis of these two indexes.

All possibilities of combination are listed with their maximum capacity of users.

When the chosen mobility mode is applied to all combinations, it shows that not all the units are effectively used, which means there are some redundant sides when the full shape is formed. So the efficiency is taken as the major index to choosing the final combination options.

The final unit and its combination are decided. Their different states are presented as open-plan, single and expansion.

COMBINATION AND MOBILITY EXPANSION

When a unit square with side length 1.8m is put into the actual site plan, the expansion of its combination possibilities is limited by the spacing of columns. A 3Ă—3 combination of units is the maximum expansion. So all the other possibilities should be contained inside this limitation.

Considering of the mobility of each side, entire rotation would make the trace of a single unit involving too much outer space. In order to reduce this interference, the mobility is set as combination of rotating and sliding.

OPEN SPACE AND CORRIDOR

In order to overcome the limitation of orthogonal column grid and create more flexible open space, certain deflection is taken into consideration. However, column grid takes an essential part of judging the proper angle. While only considering the open space, the smaller the deflection is, the better the space presents. But while only considering the corridor space that has the potential of involving various behaviors, the bigger the deflection is, the more possibilities the space contains.

As a result, 15°is taken as the threshold, being the most proper value.

ISOMETRIC VIEW

ENVELOPE Museum for an Artistic Group Eight-university United Architectural Graduation Design Hangzhou, China Zhejiang University Critic: Xiang Chen Spring 2012

When we are attempting to cast out a cultural thesis with meaningful historical significance, the primary contradiction should be between the continuity of historical inheritance and the idiosyncrasy of its cultural content, while we cannot abandon any of them with bias. Hence, the spatial inconsistency, which means that a collective of individuals displays harmonious integrity and integrity manifests individuality of its components as well, comes to be the preliminary. Beyond that, this envelope is with inclusiveness, just like our society, containing transparency that uncovers extrinsic characteristics at meantime. Anyway, to discover, we have to experience. The simplicity of from and its polysemy is the underlying contradiction. It is the structure, the functional container, the cultural symbol, and the internal and external representation of spirit as well.

The diagram exhibits the chronological classification of seals. Each of the chosen ones is representative of its era. As they didn’t singly emerge, links show the connections that they inherited from their predecessors.

INDIVIDUALITY Measured as a delicate solid with an engraved pattern on one of its artificial planes, seal is informative, surprisingly within both its concrete objection and meaningful inscription, like continuously token for political power and inserted artistic value after long period of development. Not only does the pattern itself, like other arts, demonstrate its content, but also infer the style of technique with personality. It could be regarded as the container of the engraver. The characteristic belongs to each seal.

Thus, it is essential to present the individuality, as we treasure each of them instead of an overall item.

INHERITANCE The treasure of seal is developed as it first emerged more than 3000 years ago. After 1500 years’ chronologically progressive development and depressed situation after that as totalitarian employed, the circumstance extraordinarily changed because of the utilization of new basic materials, much softer than former ones. Thus, the technique of engraving substituted for chisel and casting, that appeal to most artists involving in this career. But the development of content itself was retrospective, imitating predecessors’ presenting styles or even duplicating that was well appreciated. One of its values is that exhibiting the origin instead of irrelevant fabricating. Historical inheritance is the impression we have on seal as it maintains this way of circulation.

HISTORY AND REJUVENATION The contradiction in seal is between its inheritance, relevance with predecessor and individuality. While seal experiences ebbs and flows in the long-lasting history, superficially, it booms in recent times with the active operation of Xiling Seal Engravers Society. But as closely involved, we do believe that seal is reaching its declination, the functional utilization prevailing significantly and artistic treasure valued only in limited circle. The history itself is horizontal, based on the eternal time line, and coherent. The behavior, the act of creating a seal is a treasure we should rejuvenate, that is to say, vertical.

XILING SEAL ENGRAVERS SOCIETY The society is located on an island embodied by West Lake. With picturesque scenery, now it has been regarded as a tourism resort both as historical remains and as an exemplar of Chinese mountain garden. The inerasable trace would be, by no means, left behind.

XIXI WETLAND With more than 400 years history, the wetland, until now, has been used as agricultural land, fishery ponds mostly, while more than 70% of area is water. The distinctive pattern of the wetland, combined with ponds and crisscrosses, features as assemblage. It is a kind of democracy, but with its own uniqueness of each, taken as wholes and parts.

TYPOLOGY The simplicity of the envelope form contains polysemy, formally and functionally. Externally, pitched roof is utilized as drainage system and the cambered surface below create the space under the eaves while enveloping the structure. Internally, the tension created on pater in stamping is imitated to representing the inner power of the culture container.

01 Hotel, Apartment and Private Club

03 Car Flow

02 Retail, Restaurant, Museum and Wharf

04 Pedestrian Flow

SITE VIEW

SITE ANALYSIS

As differentiated distributed functions around the whole site and connections with the city traffic, they lead the accessibility and people flow. On the other hand, the location of our site was supposed to be free up, to provide hotels and apartments wetland scenery. Hence, in order to set minimum obstacle to the sights from these buildings, the height of our proposal should be limited.

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MUSEUM

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PROGRAM ANALYSIS

The program organization of our proposal is based on distribution of accessibility of discriminated people types. With pre-demanded programs and area of each, number and area of units has been taken in to consideration. The properties of different programs contribute to determine their area of units, while the total number of area of each function decides the number of units that it contains.

OFFICE AUCTION

LIBRARY MUSEUM

Sto

rag

e

Boundary Circulation

Type 01

Type 02

Type 03

Type 04

Expansion Type Circulation Type

Exhibition Part

Single Theme

Major + Temp

Double Theme

Regular

Independent Theme

EXPANSION

The stationary appearance of this space pattern allows freedom of combination of exhibition type, as the pattern itself has the capability of endless expansion.

How ever, the adaptability is based on controlling circulation flow by closing or opening some connections in between.

In order to contain the probability of four exhibition type, the number of units utilized is decided.

BUILDING MODEL 1:400

STORAGE EVOLUTION

New Housing Strategy of Gentrification The Bronx, New York, US GSAPP Advanced Studio Critic: Hilary Sample Summer 2016

The Grand Concourse residence has higher rate of occupancy of white-collar professionals compared to other areas in south Bronx, since the gentrification in the Bronx has already begun. Industrial lands with vacant warehouses and self-storages are options of the substitute to be filled with new communities, as the site is. Yet the significance of self-storage makes this program inerasable. However, the situation may change when facing the data revolution of the storage market, which also retreat to the historical beginning of this program as just land bank. “Business model has changed.� As a result, data server can be distributed anywhere or even very close to our daily life, while the information inside is constantly transferring from one to another and backing up. The project itself represents the transition of storage evolution. It never ends, always in the process.

SUBWAY BUS HIGHWAY MAJOR ROAD

3KM

1KM

TRANSPORTATION

SITE RESIDENTIAL INDUSTRIAL

3KM

1KM

LAND USE

SELF-STORAGE OCCUPANCY

83.3%

66.7%

75.0%

75.0%

STORAGE MANAGEMENT

STORAGE METHOD

88.9%

SMART STORAGE

SS

MINI SERVER

CIRCULATION

AGGREGATION

STRUCTURE

CANOPY & PARKING

ROADS & PEDESTRIAN

SITE & RESTORED BUILDINGS

PLUG-IN SYSTEM

AGGREGATION TYPES

LIVING TYPE 01

LIVING TYPE 02

WORKING TYPE

LIVING UNIT DETAIL

PLAN LEVEL 01

PLAN LEVEL 02

PLAN LEVEL 03

OTHER WORKS

“Voice of the Wind”

2009

Parametric Design Workshop, Tsinghua University Architecture Summer School

“Twinkle Star” Product Design and Fabrication Art of Object, GSAPP, Columbia University in New York

2016

2012 Tengchong Exhibition Sales Center Project Intern, Kengo Kuma and Associates, Hangzhou, P. R. China

“Brooklyn Capsules�

Modular Hotel Design Modular Architecture, GSAPP, Columbia University in New York

2016

OTHER WORKS

2014 Huangjiaan Sales Pavillion Architect, JAMA Architects Group, Shanghai, P.R. China

2014 Luyuan Urban Complex Architect, JAMA Architects Group, Shanghai, P.R. China

“Ink City”

2013

Zhangjiajie Urban Design Architect, JAMA Architects Group, Shanghai, P.R. China

“Cutting City” Lingang New City Urban & Landscape Design Project Associate, Project Leader, JAMA Architects Group, Shanghai, P.R. China

2014

PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTOGRAPHY

MSAAD, GSAPP, Columbia University, New York, USA EMAIL zd2190@columbia.edu TEL +1(718)687-6698