PORTFOLIO Z I YA N Z H O U SELECTED WORKS 2 0 17- 2 0 2 0
PROLOGUE
CONTENTS
01 The slight 25mm height difference was perceivable the moment I set foot on the staircase in the new home.
In the Bamboo Forest The Waterfront Health Care Building for the Elderly 02
However, the previous high knees——my body memory with the old house—— reminded me of family time huddling together and created a home atmosphere. This detail inspired me that each element in a room, behind which lay much emotional memories, defines spatial character and interacts with human. When houses were considered in the dense urban fabric, it is observed that the traditional alleys and waterfront public area make up the space quality indoors. To the empty nesters reluctant to move, interaction and companion are the first priority. Once formed, the inertia of space can leave an intangible but far-reaching imprint on people and be reinforced every day. In the old neighborhood, I see the power and responsibility of architecture design. On the subway in Beijing, people just swipe their phones and nobody talks. Used to the lengthy daily commute, people become the gears propelling the city forward while the public space is the extension of workplace pushing them to rotate. Ironically enough, the city is designed for improving productivity rather than comfort. When we get accustomed to it, will the tiring commute and silent subway become the new city memory? In a time of rapid change, how can architecture help to form a powerful inertia for the sake of better life among the many new rules? All the pending problems drive me to go on and explore further. From a stair scale to the city level, from neighborhood atmosphere to urban culture, I witness and believe in the power of architecture, the potential to create the bond between person, community and city, to bridge the gap between economy, society and culture, and above all, to trigger the spark of people from all walks for the transformation of a better future.
T h e Tw i n C u b e s Sanatorium for Albinoes 03
The Ring Community Center for the Local Drum Music Club 04
M u s e u m o f A r t o f Wa r Translation of the Strategies of War
05
Mapping and Surveying of Jiangs Manor Other Works
06
The Gaps of Public Space Other Works
-01In the Bamboo Forest The Waterfront Health Care Building for the Elderly Academic | 2020 Spring Graduation Projecct Group Work with Fei Zhai, Mengxin He,Yang Yu Role in Team: Conceptual Design(90%), Technical Drawings(95%), Modeling(40%) Location: Kunming, China Instructor: Juan Xu (xujuan0626@chd.edu.cn) Ziliang Lu (luziliang@chd.edu.cn)
Opportunity & Challenge With the serious aging problem and the rising trend of remote pension, the health and wellness industry has developed rapidly. Kunming has attracted plenty of retired people to settle here with its great natural and tourism resources. Guandu District, where the site locates, intends to catch the opportunity to cultivate other industries and and achieve common prosperity. The river through the site flows into the Dian lake. Therefore, the protective exploitation should be considered carefully to maintain ecological balance.
Four Site Elements: Mental & Physical Health The original site is divided into two strips by the river. Urban plaza and a wetland park together create a gap. The four parts with different themes of Zen, Wellness, Cure and Recreation correspond to their nearby functions.
0 5 10
50m
Master Plan
Stratgy The three requirements of Migratory Birds Travelling——Multiple experience, Organic community and Good ecological environment respectively correspond to characters of the site——Multi-industry mode, Population diversity and Productive landscape. A symbiont, integrating local industries, waterfront landscape and health care buildingwas, is formed. The comfortable and poetic life for the elderly is what I want in the exploration of architecture.
STEP 01- Podium
STEP 02- Tower
STEP 03- Form
The roof is mainly covered with greenery, creating multi-level natural landscape serving both residents and tourists..
Each tower of the elderly apartments has a specific theme of living units.
Split the volume and set landscape into the niches to make the towers transparent.
Four Themes
0
5 10
50m
Zen focuses on the internal peace and spiritual culture.
Recreation provides entertainments and promotes the warm community atmosphere.
Zen
Recreation
Taking the surrounding urban content into consideration, I choose a Buddhist temple, traditional herbal medicine, local hot spring industry and neighborhood recreation as starting points. They respectively develop into four themes of Zen, Wellness, Cure and Recreation, with different public functions and housing types.
Wellness
Cure
Wellness integrates local herbal medicine into planting experience.
Cure utilizes the medical resources and terrestrial heat to help the elderly rejuvenate.
The Ground Floor Plan
Color and Material Analysis The facade is inspired by the bamboo forests in Yunnan. The material and vertical lines of bamboo and wood echo the plants on the Island. The warm and heavy color of earth is picked on account of the architectural color of Kunming and the needs of the elderly.
The Bamboo Skin The climate in Kunming is pleasant with a need for ventilation and heat dissipation in summer. The rotating bamboo panels are designed for shading and noise reduction, and a ventilation shaft formed on the back enhances indoor comfort.
Planting Soil Non-woven Filter Cloth
Planting Roof
Plastic Root Resistrant Drainage Layer
30*40 Main Keel
Asphalt Paper Isolation Layer
30*40 Minor Keel
8mm Plywood PVC Veneer
Detail A Non-skid Floor
Planting Soil Polyester Non-Woven Cloth Filter Layer 100mm Gravel Drainage Layer
Detail B
Flexible Waterproof Layer Asphalt PU Rubber Enhancement 2% Fine Aggregate Concrete Slope Forming Layer Roof Structure
40mm Fine Aggregate Concrete C20
Closed
PVC Surface Ceiling
Waterproof Material 2% Fine Aggregate Concrete Slope Forming Layer Roof Structure
100*50 Cedar Window Frame Triple Glazed Windows Rotating Bamboo Skin
Accessible Sanitation 100*100*10 Steel Angle
Open
100*100*10 Steel Tube
Detail A: Eave
Detail B: Terrance
禅 | ZEN Inner Strength Close to Baohua Temple, the Zen area is quiet with less human flow. The topic is Arouse the mind and gradually enter the good situation. As a static space, It mainly focuses on the mental health of old people with relevant activities including meditation, reading, tea art, exhibition, etc. Users can cultivate their mind here.
Quiet Life Mainly designed for the quiet, solitary elderly who place emphasis on the inner world, the living unit echoes the theme ZEN. The room is centered on meditation and tea drinking area surrounded by other daily programs. The transparent windows provide the core space high-quality leisure views. The soft partition separates private and meeting area and enable residents to shift between spiritual exercise and daily life.
0
The Isometric of Site
2
10
20m
The Housing Floor Plan of ZEN
The Isometric of Unit
The Housing Unit Plan of ZEN
康 | WELLNESS Herbs & Tradition The theme is traditional life, health concept, and the function is combined with the industrial park. Native plants can be seen in all seasons on the roof. Meanwhile, a handicraft experience area will be set to demonstrate Yunnan traditional culture. Water flow is introduced into the ground floor to reflect Kunming's water street in the journey through the streets and lanes.
Family Garden & Workshop The unit is prepared for elderly couples or co-living dwellers yearning for idyllic life. Facing the public corridor each unit has an open bar with a vegetation wall,allowing residents to learn recipes or prescriptions from different families. The T-plane enables each family to share balconies and planting experiences with their neighbors.
0
The Isometric of Site
2
10
20m
The Housing Floor Plan of WELLNESS
The Isometric of Unit
The Housing Unit Plan of WELLNESS
疗 | CURE Health Improvement Featured food therapy, physiotherapy, spa and gym are included in the part. This area is closely related to the hospital for the convenience of daily diagnosis, treatment and health care for the elderly.
Indoor Spa with Scenery The residential unit corresponds to the spa function in the podium and provides in-room medicated bath to meet seniors’ need of health improvement. The hot spring area set up by the balcony takes into account the landscape and convenience, and the glass wall facilitates the nurses to observe and record residents’ physical condition. There are nurse stations on each floor to provide care for semi-self-care elderly people.
0
The Isometric of Site
2
10
20m
The Housing Floor Plan of CURE
The Isometric of Unit
The Housing Unit Plan of CURE
乐 | RECREATION Community Atmosphere Recreation is located in the north of the site, connected with the residential area. This part, combined with the public square, provides leisure activities for the elderly and nearby residents with the theater and the market, giving the elderly a sense of belonging.
0
2
10
20m
First Floor
The Housing Floor Plan of RECREATION
Second Floor
The Housing Unit Plan of RECREATION
The Isometric of Unit Family & Friendship
The Isometric of Site
Residents are elderly people with grandchildren or old friends living together. The important dining room in Chinese family is the core of each unit. The living room and mahjong room on both sides are for time with friends. Walls are sliding opponents to transform room into a large space for the entertainment of two families.The loose walls facing the corridor also allow the entire floor to hold a big party during important holidays, promoting community interaction.
-02T h e Tw i n C u b e s Sanatorium for Albinoes Personal | 2019 Summer SA Open Project Group Work with Yijin Chen Role in Team: Conceptual Design(80%), Technical Drawings(90%) Location: Helsinki, Finland Instructor: Alfred Pun (cpun@gsd.harvard.edu) Albino patients' skin is vulnerable to ultra-violet radiation in sunlight without Melanosomes,which can block harmful electromagnetic radiation from the sun. Since there is no cure for albinism, it is managed through lifestyle adjustments. People with albinism need to avoid sunburnt and have regular healthy skin checks by a dermatologist. Besides, treatment of the eye conditions consists of visual rehabilitation. Psychological counseling is also of necessity. This project aims at designing a sanatorium for albino children where they can enjoy beautiful natural scenery and improve health condition. The building is located in Inside the Arctic Circle of northern Europe where the extreme darkness and light occur around the year, which makes the spot perfect for the sanatorium. The project can be considered as twin houses, one above water and one under water. The two parts have different functions in different time.
Albinism is a rare group of genetic disorders that cause the skin, hair, or eyes to have little or no color. It is also associated with vision problems. Patients are also sensitive to the sunlight, which may cause serious symptoms. Their daily activities are largely limited by intensity of sunlight. However, contacting with nature can be beneficial for their mental health, so keeping a balance between outdoor and indoor is critical for the patients.
The relationship between daily activities and the length of day and night in the Arctic Circle
Children of the Moon
Site Selection The sanatorium is located by a lake in the suburbs of Helsinki, Finland. The peaceful area enjoys beautiful landscapes. Patients' activities are mainly arranged according to two factors: First, the treatment requirements. Second, the different daylength and radiation caused by the local polar days and nights. Both are meant to help them use the sunlight properly to recover their health.
Accessibility from the City
Natural Environment Seasonal Scenery
0 10
20m
Master Plan
Circulation
Medical
Underwater Wards
Ramps above water, stairs and elevators under water together link the project as a whole.
The medical boxs are surrounded by the ward so that patients on each floor get easy access to the boxes.
The big box above water is a public hall while the four mobile boxs under water function as doctor's offices for treatment seperately.
Above and Below Water Half of the building is underwater. The submerged part consists of wards and medical departments, where patients live as the lake is a natural shield from the sunshine. Patients with similar conditions are arranged in ward on the same floor around the altrium. The medical departments in the atrium can move vertically for daily check and treatment. The upper part is functioned as outside activity space when the sun is not strong. The outside structure is
covered with vines to protect shades for the building. The suspended box on the top is the main activity room for patients. The two parts are intergrated as one by a steel frame. The frame is the structural support that keep the stability of the building. The above water part is covered with greenery like a floating forest on the water. The underwater part is decorated with luminous tubes like an artistic installation at night.
Frame The stainless steel frame is the supporting structure. The underwater part can be illuminated at night. The plan consists of a 7 *7 (m) grid. Top and bottom of the grid are double high to accomodate the volume of the boxes as well as increase the stability of structure.
Light Cube
Dark Cube
Above water part decorated with plants is like a floating forest at sea. Cables are added to strengthen the structure and give elegance to it.
Under water part decorated with luminous tubes is like an artistic installationa at night.
Floating Forest & Artistic Installation
Convenient accessibility
The above-warter part is like a floating forest, covering the suspended-box and the central void in vines and providing shades. There are several platforms overhanging out of the frame where people can enjoy the scenery around the lake. The underwater frame is decorated with luminous tubes that provide lights underwater.
The suspended box with a courtyard on the top is connected to the grond floor by a rising circular ramp, which provide a shaded vertical walking and activity space for patients. In the atrium under water are four medical medical department boxes which can move up and down, so that patients in different floors can get quick medical treatment.
Suspended activity box
Ramp
Steel frame
Vertical transportation box
Movable medical box Activity room
Ward
Axonometric Drawing
Perspective Section
Detail of Frame I-beams are for the above water part to creat a sense of lightness.
The joint fastened in a welding way
Greener y baskets hanging on the beam
The web resists shear forces, while the flanges resist most of the bending moment experienced by the beam
Detail of Ramp The ramp is suspended with cables as a viewing route above water.
Joint: Steel Link
Joint: Bolted Connection
The Activity Room Plan
Detail of Frame Square steel pipes with LED lights are for the under water part to shine by night. Wires are hidden in the pipes
The tube illuminates the structure under water at night
The joint fastened by bolts
The hallow pipe allows the wires to pass through
Detail of Medical Box The medical box can move vertically along the fixed tracks.
Pulley System: Gear Combination
Pulley System: The wheel and cable
The Wards Plan
-03The Ring Community Center for the Local Drum Music Club
鼓钟将将 淮水汤汤 忧心且伤 淑人君子 怀允不忘
鼓钟喈喈 淮水湝湝 忧心且悲 淑人君子 其德不回
鼓钟伐鼛 淮有三洲 忧心且妯 淑人君子 其德不犹
鼓钟钦钦 鼓瑟鼓琴 笙磬同音 以雅以南 以籥不僭
——The Book of Songs : Bell and Drum
This is a poem about listening to drum music and recalling the gentlemen. It describes the instrumental ensemble of various musical instruments like bells, chimes, drums, Chinese zither, sheng, etc. The music heard was the Zhou Dynasty (AD 1046—AD 256) Style, which was connected with the glorious history. Hearing the drum music, the poet, at the end of a declining kingdom, naturally sighed with emotion about the past and the present. As a carrier of collective memory, traditional music has played an important role in the long history of Chinese civilization.
Academic | 2018 Spring Architecture Design Group Work with Zixian Feng, Qiwenbo Luo Role in Team: Conceptual Design(90%), Technical Drawings(100%) Location: Xi'an, China Instructor: Wei Liu (cauliuwei@chd.edu.cn) Chang 'an drum music is a traditional large-scale propaganda music spreading in Xi 'an (ancient Chang 'an) and surrounding areas. Dating back to the Tang Dynasties, it is a living fossil of Chinese traditional music. However, modern pop culture has become the mainstream while traditional culture has faded away especially in the digital era. During the process of urbanization the village has also turned into a urban village with messy environment.This design is the renewal of the drum club in the village, aiming at reconstructing the relationship between the music club and the surroundings and activating its original function in order to let the music culture return to villagers with a new language.
The Past (1970s)
Historical Change of Drum Music in Hejiaying Village Hejiaying village, located in Xi 'an, Shaanxi Province, is famous for its drum music culture. However, since the reform and opening up, modern pop culture has become the mainstream while local music and temple culture have faded away. The number of music clubs in city has greatly dropped. In addition, the increasing number of rural youths moving to city results in the loss of music inheritors. As activities like weddings and funerals, temple fairs have declined sharply, some villagers know little about drum music. Meanwhile, in the process of urbanization, the village has also transformed from rural farmland to a urban village.
The Future (2020s)
The Current (2010s)
Program & Space
Strategy Step1: Mapping The Drum Music Club is located in the urban village with scattered texture Surrounded by residential buildings, there is little public space or greening.
Old and New Buildings
As a special place for drum music activities, performance, teaching/rehearsal, study/adaptation and exhibition are the main functions of traditional music clubs. Based on that, the functions and corresponding space requirements of the new building are extracted as following: Performance-Square, Teaching and research – Separate room, Rehearsal - Removal of partition in separate rooms, Exhibition - Display space
The new building is embedded between the selected old buildings. Together with the drum music club, it becomes a fusion of different historical periods in the village.
Unfold Facade
Step2: Clear Clean up illegal buildings and select three residential buildings with good building conditions for reconstruction.
Old and New Programs Household units in the old buildings are reserved, and the junction with the circle is arranged with the common functions as traffic, communication, cafe, etc. The roof of the ring is a good place for performance watching.
Step3: Encircle Make a circle around the drum music club based on the three buildings to lead the crowd towards the music club and the square.
Unfold Facade
Cafe
Unfold Section
Roof Garden
Rehearsal
Roof Garden
Exhibition
Culture Study
Doorway
Unfold Section
Village Fair
Festivals
Plaza as Activity Generator The renewed drum plaza is a performance venue for the music club during festivals and celebrations, and public space for villagers at ordinary times. It undertakes functions such as communication, recreation, market gathering, and creates a unique community atmosphere.
Ground Floor
0 1
5
10m
The Connection between Old and New The grey space on the roof and ground is for communication and performance watching while the interior is for drum music activities. To highlight the strong monumentality, the Drum Club is the center of the geometric center of and the visual focus from the ring.
First Floor
0 1
5
10m
Facade
The Community Culture in The New Era The new drum club and plaza will not only become the core public space providing activity areas in the narrow urban village, but also the stage for the village to demonstrate the drum culture of Chang 'an to the outside world, so as to renew the drum music activities. 17.000
13.000
9.300 8.700
8.500
4.000
±0.000
±0.000 -0.900
Perspective Section
Plaza Perspective
0 1
5
10m
Ramp Perspective
-04Museum of A r t o f Wa r Translation of the strategies of war Academic | 2017 Fall Architecture Design Individual Work Location: Suzhou, China Instructor: Juan Ren (juanren@chd.edu.cn) Alfred Pun (cpun@gsd.harvard.edu)
Museum of Art of War is located in Qionglong Mountain in Suzhou, the birthplace of the legendary book. According to ancient records, Sun Wu, the famous ancient military strategist, lived in seclusion in Qionglong Mountain to escape wars. Inspired by the simple life here, Sun combined nature with military tactics and completed the astonishing work——Art of War.
Mountain Related with Wars
矛
鼎 Ding
Spear Spear is a long-handled weapon in ancient times. Its slender appearance often corresponds to narrow and high display space.
Arrow
箭
Arrows are long-range weapons with sharp edges launched from bows.Characterized by lightness and speed, arrows are used in large numbers on the battlefield.
The Fighting Spirit & Four Nature Elements 风 林 火 山 (Wind/Forest/Fire/Mountain) refers to an indomitable fighting spirit, which originates from the article on military contests in Art of War. The original text is as tidy as the forest, as swift as the wind, as steady as the mountain, as fierce as the fire ( 其徐如林， 其疾如风，不动如山，侵略如火 ). Inspired by the philosophy of nature, Sun innovated the military tactics with the four nature elements and applied them into the theory of war.
Compactness be that of the forest.
Let your rapidity be that of the wind.
In immovability be like a mountain.
In raiding and plundering be like fire.
The ding is a sacrificial vessel used in ancient times to pray for the victory before wars. As a symbol of authority and status, it was made of bronzes and thus huge, heavy and stocky.
剑 Sword
Qionglong Mountain, the birthplace of Art of War and one of the highest foothills near Taihu Lake, has an open view and peaceful environment. It was once the territory of the State of Wu in the Spring and Autumn Period when wars frequently broke out. Therefore, many cultural relics were unearthed here, especially cold weapons and bronze vessels for war sacrifices.
Sword is a long offensive weapon with a tip at the front, a short handle at the back and edges on both sides. It was described as especially dangerous and born to kill.
Ground Floor
Underground Level One
0 2 4
Underground Level Two
10
20m
Forest
Compactness be that of the forest. As the army marched, the soldiers held spears in their hands like a moving wood.
Spear & Forest
Perspective Section
Wind
Exhibit of the Forest theme is the spear. The vertical space is high with slender columns which can not only display the weapons but also create the feeling of dense forest. The side facing the vally is not separated by solid walls, which enables the exhibition to permeate with nature. The large area of glasses also creates a visual corridor to take advantage of the landscape.
Let your rapidity be that of the wind. The characteristics of arrows is consistent with the theme, and flying arrows often bring high winds.
Arrow & Wind To highlight the existence of wind, light elements are selected in this section. The visiting path is a suspended bridge, with light yarn and arrows hanging on both sides so as to create the feeling of thousands of arrows firing in full swing. Arriving at a platform, there is a path to the roof, and the outdoor space direct wind to the exhibition hall, reinforcing the theme in different senses.
Axonometric Drawing
Mountain Ding & Mountain
Perspective Section
Fire
To reproduce the archaeological site of the relics buried in the mountain, the exhibition makes use of the original landform of the cave and shapes the feeling of moving towards the deep underground. A sloping wall in the double-height space filters the sunlight and creates a sense of being at the bottom of the valley.
Sword & Fire The bronze sword is the core of the exhibition. In order to demonstrate the sharp line and swift momentum, the triangular space points along the sword’s front toward a crack like a cut by the sword. The interior space is very dark, and the sunlight highlights the sword through the crack. The pointed tip is also the end of the museum, leaving it the momentum of a drawn sword.
Axonometric Drawing
Detail A
Section 1-1
Detail A Door A Section
Detail B
Detail B Door A Elevation
-05Mapping and Surveying of Jiangs Manor Other Works
Academic | 2018 Spring Ancient Building Surveying and Mapping Group Work with Xiaoye Yang, Jiazheng Xin, Liliang Huang, Qianqian Zhang Role in Team: Leader, Surveying(40%), Technical Drawings(95%) Location:Mizhi, Shaanxi, China Instructor: Siliang Chen (chensiliang@chd.edu.cn) Yitong Shen (+86 15129078641)
Section 2-2
Plan
Elevation
The Community Adhesive
-06Urban Research: The Gaps of Public Space Other Works
Academic | 2018 Summer Workshop Individual Work Location: Xi'an, China Instructor: Lei Mao (maolei@architect.so) Juan Ren (juanren@chd.edu.cn)
The site is located in the old city of Xi 'an. Surrounded by residential buildings, the small square is the activity space for the community. Now the connection between different age groups is loose and the activity time varies; Young people spend less hours there and hardly communicate with teenagers or the elderly. An ideal local domain should be one that accommodates people of all ages harmoniously. I hope that the field can encourage people to pay attention to others and reflect on the relationship between different age groups. Therefore, I would like a construction connecting people of different ages on the site. One of the standards that naturally differentiates people is the dimension of the human body. As the height of the construction changes continuously, diverse spaces formed in the process meet the activity and psychological needs of people. Children’s imagination lets the use of the construction extremely flexible.
Axonometric Drawing
