Qiongying Cai - architecture portfolio

"I think modern architecture should be as natural as a growing tree, rooted in the local soil, time and culture. "

Content

1. Greenhouse in Velbastaður, Faroe Islands

2022 Master final thesis project / public architecture, landscape, sustainable

2. Street on the Rooftop

2018 Competition / urban, renewal

3. Island Under the Roof , a Ceramic Workshop

2021 Master 2th Academic term thesis design / Cowork, renovation

4. Invisible Boundary

2017 Competition / residential architecture, adaptive reuse

5. Playground in Glass Boxs

2021 Master 3th Academic term thesis design / public architecture, sustainable

6. Triangle Primary, a Promary School in Senegal

2023 Competition / public architecture, sustainable architecture

7. Construction Practice

2015-1218 Construction competition -Other Works

GREENHOUSE IN VELBASTAÐUR, FAROE ISLANDS

A community center

2022.01 - 2022.06

Master Final thesis Project / individual

Site: Velbastaður, the Faroe Islands

Key words: public architecture, landscape Superviser: Tom Mose Petersen

When it comes to the greenhouses, people are familiar with the image of a pure glass-andiron structure for cultivate plants. However, greenhouses was known as "winter garden" in history, because it's features also provide suitable indoor climate for human at high latitudes. The greenhouses become one of the prevailing public space in Eroupe.

In Faroe Islands, the extreme enviroment is a big challange for people and plant, so that the indoor public space is critial for faroeses to gather and have their social lifes, and the indoor controlled climate is a way for grow new species in Faroe islands, where almost only the root vegetables can grow up in. The greenhouse could be a promising prototype for people and plants in Faroe islands.

Velbastaður is built on a slope of nearly 30 degrees, with houses, roads, and any space deliberately created, like isolated islands, weakly linked by human acquaintance physically. In a city built on flat land, public spaces such as squares are of great importance to life. It gives people the possibility to connect with each other and create a common memory. In this project, try to bring the quality of the square to the city in my greenhouse; to become a "slope square" for the village.

The undefined open space I try to create is a background for the life here. I believe that space is not defined by the architect, but by the user. What the design is supposed to achieve is contextualized with the possibility of development and change. The villagers might bring extra chairs from home to the site and come to relax and chat sometimes. The water is gurgling, with horses and sheep passing by occasionally. This is my vision of the greenhouse.

David:-new comers:

"The village gather together in new year, we set a bonfire. but I don't join that much. the people live in this street we gather four times in a year. we don't use the village house, we ...hold in our houses by turns."

Simona Heinesen -teacher in kindergarten: "All the kid in the village come to this kindergarden. and there is also a few kids from thoshavn. because their parents appreciate the nature here."

Theodor Kapnas-Musician "the reason i wanna settle here is the good view and peaceful vibe. and the village is very open-minded, more and more young artist are coming to live here."

"I am from greece originally. moved here in 90's with my family, so im almost a Faroese."

Bergur Dalsgard -nurse in rehab: "the reason why they build the center here, is to closed to the city but away from the city.

Marin Katrina Frýdal -Former board mumber of Sólarmagn: " born here, and than moved to thoshavn. Even not lived here anymore, but I still come back for the events in the community house."

Oli Rubeksen -farmer/private restaurateur: " am almost the eldest people in the village, and i bearly know the new comers. my son know them because they meet in their kids' school."

The nature is a method to get rehab."

"we try to invite the new comers to join our kniting club, but some of them never come."

THE INTRODUCTION OF THE SITE

The story begins with the greenhouse. When one thinks of a greenhouse, the stereotype would probably be a structure of steel and glass used to cultivate plants. Within the history of greenhouses, they took the form of winter gardens, a type of popular social place in the high latitudes especially during the winter-- a warm, greenery-filled interior, yet with the airy feeling of being outside. For the site of this project,I chose the Faroe Islands, where extreme weather exists and a greenhouse might be a potential solution to some needs. Everything about the Faroe Islands is the opposite of what I used to know. It was challengeable and also important for me to learn a new place and try to position myself properly since the Faroe Islands is such an isolated and colorful world. With its changing extreme climate and dramatic landscape, the human presence seems particularly insignificant. Full of

awe, caution and passion, the Faroese people have created their home in this land. Since the Faroe Islands have had colored paint, each tiny house leaps colorfully across the tundra as if to say,"I'm here! I'm here!

I went to the Faroe Islands for research in March, windy, cloudy and rainy, and it would be very lucky if we could see the sun. I chose Velbastaður, which is ten minutes away from the capital Tórshavn, as my site. Due to its close proximity to the capital, it is a popular settlement while still preserving the feeling of living in the countryside with the sunshine and by the sea. But also because it is too close to the capital, the village does not have much infrastructure, and the villagers just live in their sweet home most of the time. More than 300 people in the village know each other, but they also keep themselves disconnected in many ways.

VELBASTAÐUR

The village Velbastaður is built on a slope of nearly 30 degrees, with houses, roads, and any space deliberately created, like isolated islands, weakly linked by human acquaintance physically. In a city built on flat land, public spaces such as squares are of great importance to life. It gives people the possibility to connect with each other and create a common memory. In this project, I try to bring the quality of the square to the city in my greenhouse; to become a "slope square" for the village.

DESIGN PROCESS

My first step was to plan the functions of the greenhouse, which is selling, gardening and dining. Acting in these functional spaces encourages informal social activities to occur. Secondly, a gently sloping path was introduced in the site to break the large volume of the building while breaking the restrictions that the slope creates based on people's activities. This is also the logic of the development of the village form, where the roads were built to guide people to settle in the sloping site. Finally, some open space are placed between houses and the slope. The outdoor space can be sheltered from the wind by the cooperation between the buildings and the terrain.

THE "PATH"

The undefined open space is a background for life here. I believe that space is not defined by the architect, but by the user. What the design is supposed to achieve is contextualized with the possibility of development and change. The villagers might bring extra chairs from home to the site and come to relax and chat sometimes. The water is gurgling, with horses and sheep passing by occasionally. This is my vision of the greenhouse.

CONTINUOUS WOOD STRUCTURE

After the whole volume was broken by the walkway, I formed their clues through the wooden structure relationship between the small blocks, making them a whole. A few tiny wiggles between the small volumes create a more dynamic surrounding space.

STREET ON THE ROOFTOP / Urban

Village Renewal

2019.07 - 2019.10

Competition / team leader

Site: Chengjie Village, Guangzhou, China

Ket words: urban, renewal, public architecture

Superviser: Ling Yaoguang

Collaborator: Qiu Yanxia, Cai Feiyang, Chen Ying

"Village in the city" is a "crack land" in the city. With this unique status and phenomenon, there are also social problems that cannot be ignored. For example, the population is mixed, illegal buildings are concentrated, the living environment is poor, and there are serious fire hazards. In the process of urbanization, urban villages are regarded as obstacles, and many urban villages have been demolished, so that the land can radiate more commercial value.

In this project, we took the chengjie Village as our site, and we found that the urban village is actually a island of humanity and tolerance in modern cities. The cheap housing and prices in the urban village make it a place where many foreigners settle. Many young people who have just come out to work will also choose cheap housing in urban villages during the transition period. The very narrow spacing between buildings means that many rooms are not illuminated. So people who live here will only sleep in the village and spend their time in the city.

This project wants to use the roof space to bring a shared space that can see sunlight to the urban village, build a street in the sky in a growing way, improve the quality of life of the urban village, and bring different possibilities.

URBAN VILLAGES

Urban villages refer to the traditional villages remaining in urban areas, which is a unique phenomenon in the process of urbanization in mainland China. In the more than 30 years since the reform and opening up in 1978, the built-up area of cities in some economically developed regions (such as the Pearl River Delta, the Yangtze River Delta, the Bohai Rim, municipalities directly under the central government, and provincial capitals, etc.) has expanded rapidly, and the rural areas that were originally distributed around the cities have been included The territory of the city, surrounded by rows of high-rise buildings, has become a "village in the city".

In this project, we focus on Chanjie Village, the buildings are mainly four or five-story buildings, which are mostly used for residential purposes. In this case, many homeowners will rent out the extra rooms at a low price.

There are few open spaces in the village, only the main road with some grocery stores, restaurants, barber shops, massage shops and etc. The other roads are extremely narrow, without light, and you can only look up to see the sky in the gap between the buildings. many rooms are not illuminated properly. So most of people who live here temporarily will only sleep in the village and spend their time in the city.

Mappiing of urban villages in Guangzhou

Mappiing of Chanjie Village

ELEMENTS

COMBINATION TYPOLOGY

ISLAND UNDER THE ROOF /

A ceramic workshop

2021.01-2021.07

Master 2th Academic term thesis design / Individual Site: Kanonbådsvej 3, 1437 København, Danmark

Key words: public architecture, Renovation, interior Superviser: Tom Mose Petersen

The gunboat sheds were built on Holmen in around 1820 to house the gunboats that were built for the country's defence after the loss of the fleet in the war against England in 1807. The shed was built with a slight slope gently approaching the water. The water can reachs half of the floor in water rising season. One of the intentions of the restoration is that part of the gunboat shed 3 will function as a ceramic studio.

In preliminary research, I visited two ceramics studios to learn about the making process and the crucial factor of a ceramics workshop. The life of a ceramic is narrated in a small space, throwing, drying, glazing, firing and selling, which inspired the spatial strategy for the pottery studios in the gunboat shed.

This gunboat shed 3 is one of the few public places on the Holmen. So in the subsequent renovation, I intended to preserve its public nature and become an open space for people to gather in the area. on the other side, tried to introduct the water to the architecture, letting the water goes into the interior like the old time. The inside of ceramic workshop can still percept the change of water level throughout the seasons instead of resisting the impact of sea. making the architecure archive of history of the gun boats shed.

Site

The gunboat sheds were built on Holmen in around 1820 to house the gunboats that were built for the country's defence after the loss of the fleet in the war against England in 1807. These 200 year old sheds were listed in 1964 as an important part of Danish cultural heritage. Of the six gunboat sheds, one has been burned and rebuilt, four have undergone transformations. The gunboat shed 3 has undergone a restoration process, true to its original form as a simple wooden structure clad with boards and a single tile roof. One of the intentions of the restoration is that the gunboat shed 3 will function as a project studio

for artists and architects, and in addition rented out to a number of rowing clubs.

The current status of the site is used as a kayak club. The façade is not fully closed, so that water is able to enter the shed. The space is used for storage of water supplies which would not affected by that.

This gunboat shed 3 is one of the few public places on the Holmen.So in the subsequent renovation, I intended to preserve its public nature and become an open space for people to gather in the area.

INTERVIEW 1: TRINEFOURNAIS CERAMICS STUDIO

The studio is located at Nyhavn, Copenhagen. This single studio is only 38 square meters, but has all the functions a pottery studio needs, including showing, throwing, drying&glazing, firing and storage.

I took a core furniture from each space to represent a step in the production of pottery. And then, I try to narrow down the working precess by placing the furniture in the space.

INTERVIEW 2: YONOBI STUDIO

The studio is located at Løvstræde, Copenhagen. This single studio is 95 square meters. The basic functions and core equipment are not very different from the former. In this studio, there is a personal workshop for the manager of the studio and also some co-work space for the pottery students. In this research, I saw a ceramic studio made for teaching, working and communicating. Meanwhile, cores enmage together.

Showing

Firing

Drying & glazing

Throwing

THE RISING WATER

The site is a military shipyard closed to the sea. The shed has a slight slope gently approaching the water. In the old days, boats were built when the water level was low, and pushed into the water when the water level rised.

Currently, some of the shipyards have been transformed into offices, and the rising water level has become a difficulty in adapting the architecture for reuse. Most of offices using gates to counteract the rising water. In the renovation, I tried to introduct the water to the architecture, letting the water can go into the interior like the old time. The inside of ceramic workshop can still percept the change

CERAMIC CONCEPT MODEL

This ceramic concept model shows the change of water level. The material soak in the water for different times, showing the effect of gradient color, which is the trace of time and also the archive of nature.

SKYLIGHT WINDOWS

Some new opening on the roof of the gunboat shed was designed with different heights and widths by calculating the influence of the sun's height angle. The window frame is made of materials that can refract light, so that the window can maximize the introduction of light into the gray space, and at the same time enter the workshop through the skylight of the new architecture.

Summer solstice

Winter solstice

INVISIBLE BOUNDARY /

A renovation of old residence

2017.06 - 2017.09

Competition Thesis Design / Individual

Site: Guangzhou, China

Key words: residential architecture, adaptive reuse Superviser: Yaoguang Lin

In modern residential areas of China, people barely know their neighbors. The walls which are also the property rights boundary, confirm every families' space and the attitude toward others. As an important unit for people to communicate with each other in the city, the form of it isolates people from knowing each other.

In Qingcaidong community, the unit space built for small families is broken. At the very start, this community is to serve as a dormitory for the employee’s family from the companies, which is the bond that bring residents together. Over the course of three decades, the demographic composition of the community changed and only a few original families still live here. On the one hand, because of the rental demand, many young people only need a bedroom with a bathroom which is affordable so some landlords rent out their suit by dividing them. On the other hand, lots of families moved out or leave the older generation to stay alone. In this matter, the love and companion from the community will mean something for them. In this project, I try to break down the boundary between suits and create an open space for bonding the peer and different groups, to create a community that people are sharing, loving and caring.

TULOU

The tulou "fuhai Lou" was once destroyed by floods. At the time of the reconstruction, the residents did not build together, but according to the original Land allocation. The family In good financial condition built first, and steal area from both sides with rectangular flat shape. The last units have almost triangle plans extruded by the units built before. Thus, People's attitude towards responding to the environment factor, including build order and other surrounding houses, forms individual diversity under the order.

The Qingcaidong community was a residential area for an electronics company originally, and residents were all colleagues who knew each other. Even the community is lack of public space to encourage social activities, but they still had a bond of the company to maintain the community in a friendly vibe.

The development and construction of new areas around Yuxiu was promoted the measures to transform the workunit housing into commercial housing. Thus, the buying, selling, and leasing have brought the flow of people among this kind of residential areas.

The bonds that maintain the relationship was disappearing, and the boundaries and order of the slab residential areas and lack of public spaces intensify the independence of individuals within this community.

The humdrum living space and public space in modern residential areas discourage people's communication. The modern residential area is the most basic residential unit in the city now. In order to improve the land efficiency, the residential area maximizes the living area, and neglects the public construction, as its side-effect, it makes the living space become homogeneous and boring.

PUBLIC SPACE FOR COMMUNICATION

Villages are also very basic living units. Villages began to be built in rough planning, in which everyone responded with different attitudes, forming a very dynamic and diverse public Spaces. The abundance of public Spaces gives people the possibility to bring the whole community together. People share their lives. They hold wedding ceremonies and funerals, and celebrate festivals. Such acquaintance societies give individuals a sense of security based on contacts and collectivity.

The open space in front of the tulou is often used to hold folk activities in the village, such as weddings, ceremonies, or festival events.

The linear space in the village is mainly their traffic space, but because of its rich interface changes, it creates possibilities for other activities.

Inside the traditional buildings, there are some public space, such as patios, courtyard. They are relatively private, but still open to everyone.

[Cantonese traditional village]

[hakka village]

[Beijing Hutong] [village in the city]

PLAYGROUND IN GLASS BOXS /

A modern interpretation of the greenhouse

2021.09 - 2022.01

Master 3th Academic term thesis design / Individual

Site: Forest Playground Mariehøj, Gl. Holte

Ket words: public architecture, extension, microclimate, sustainable architecture

Superviser: Tom Mose Petersen

The site is located inForest Playground Mariehøj, Gl. Holte, outskirts of Copenhagen. In the area, cultural center, the gallery and it create the leisure life for people around it. The gallery is an local historical architecture with a unique baroque garden.

The project aims to create a "winter garden" in the natural park, creating a winter shelter for people who can still feel the outside world indoors. The glass façade of the glasshouse reflects the surrounding environment, fading into the mountains and blue sky, which is designed to respect the dominant position of the historic building in this area. Underneath the greenhouse is a form that inspired by the state of nature, in contrast to the conformity of the baroque garden, like a playground for children in a natural park, a form for people to explore, with infinite possibilities.

GL Holtegaard Gallery culture facilities

Baroque garden Axis of the baroque garden Site

THE GREENHOUSE

The greenhouse has developed for hundreds of years. This is how the Oxford dictionary defines a greenhouse, “a greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.”

In a sense, the greenhouse is defined as an architecture type with specific characteristics for coping with scientific climate control. In practice, the greenhouses always create a comfortable environment for plant cultivation. For example, botanical gardens raise many exotic plants to provide places for nature education, and greenhouses break the limitation in different seasons and locations for the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. For centuries, the development of technology has reduced the limitations of greenhouses, providing solutions and directions to many

EVOLUTION OF THE GREENHOUSE

1. the nobles in ancient times wanted to grow some exotic plants, like cucumbers and oranges at high latitudes.

2. people built wooden houses for storing plants to help them survive the cold winter.

3. People planted plants in containers that could be easily moved and moved them out to receive light in summer, while the house became a space where they could feast, forming the prototype of an orange garden.

4. The popularity and application of glass allowed plants to absorb sunlight even indoors,

5. Botanical gardens and winter gardens, which were plant-oriented indoor spaces, were developed.

Bird flight view of the floor garden on the Zakvliet estate, The Hague. On the center axis successively the Catshuis, a large fountain and the orangery.

COPENHAGEN BOTANICAL GARDEN

The garden was first established in 1600 but was moved twice before it was ultimately given its current location, in 1870. The garden was laid out in 1874. The garden also has a special airconditioned greenhouse that can re-create environments suitable for Arctic plants.

In this section, except the glazing space for plants, there are some solid construction related to ventilation, heating, storage and etc.

CONCEPT

1. In some garden with a greenhouse, there are always some shed built by bricks, separating from the main glazing space. The shed usually uses for storaging tools or growing muchroom.

2. In this proposal, the project try to put the concrete volume inside the greenhouse, solving the pratical issue for the greenhouse, such as toilet, heating, ventilation and etc.

3. In summer, the glazing facade is able to open, engage the interior with nature. In winter, the closed greenhouse creates a microclimate itself. People can still feel like being connected with the outside.

CONCEPT

I used a small-scale model of the site to express my preception of the site by red line. Unlike the baroque gardens where paths and behaviors are regulated, this natural park is a place where people can move freely and create different possibilities.

The first level of intervention in the site is a multifunctional form of continuous anisotropy. It continues zigzagging through the site, reaching out in all directions to interact with the environment. The second level of intervention is a few regular, simple glass boxes, the glass material of the façade reflecting the surrounding mountains and blue sky. The form is understated and subdued, fully respecting the uniqueness and priority of a baroque garden gallery. It also hides the wild and modern form under a low-profile exterior.

TRIANGLE PRIMARY / A Primary School

in Senegal

2023.06

Kaira Looro International Architecture Competition

Site: Bériou, Senegal

Ket words: public architecture, sustainable architecture Collaborator: Qiongai Cai

The right to education is a fundamental and inherent entitlement for all individuals. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural and southern regions, the majority of schools are unable to provide the necessary services to protect students, ensure their safety, and foster their full potential.

In rural and southern areas of Senegal, school buildings typically consist of a unified structure composed of a series of parallel classrooms, each equipped with an exit leading to the outside. Here, we are reimagining the teacher-student relationship within the classroom environment. During instructional periods, the space should foster concentration and enclosure, allowing students to focus their attention on the teacher. Simultaneously, a school is not merely a place for academic learning but also a setting for social interaction, exploration, and personal growth. Thus, we aspire to create a harmonious fusion of enclosed and open spaces.

In the village of Bériou, Senegal, we propose a school model based on triangular spatial units, designed to accommodate the educational needs of local and neighboring children. Within each triangular space, two boundaries are constructed using rammed earth, while the remaining side features an adaptable and open boundary. By controlling the direction of interaction within the space, we aim to promote a sense of concentration and enclosure during lessons, while encouraging dispersion and openness during breaks. When students face the solid walls, they can engage attentively in their studies, and when the class is over, they can effortlessly turn to face the vastness of the external world, inspiring them to venture beyond the classroom into nature and the community.

1.Sickroom

2. Canteen

3.Classroom

4.Office

5.Toilet

Rammed Earth Wall

We employ the technique of continuous rammed earth, where moist soil is filled into prepared molds or wall frames, and then uniformly compacted using ramming tools.

Wooden Columns

Custom-made steel connectors are used to reinforce wooden posts on the rammed earth walls and connect them with beams, establishing a solid foundation.

1.Primary School

Bériou Village

reinforce the connect

The

Two layers of wooden planks are laid on the beams to serve as the base for the

The iron sheet roof is installed, along with the installation of drainage channels to collect rainwater for reuse.

Fabric

To provide insulation, a layer of fabric is placed between the wooden planks on the roof, effectively lowering the indoor temperature.

Wooden Beans

secondary beams are placed on top of the main beams and columns.

Wooden Planks

roof.

Iron Sheet

2016 - 2017

Construction competitions

Site: Guangzhou, China

Flying Pavilion

The site of the project is a terrace in the department of architecture of south China university of technology. Based on the concept of ecological sharing, we designed it as a space with different possibilities of use as the interface changes.

Folding Show

Based on the topic of the competition, folding-show, we tried to create a flexible streamline connecting indoor and outdoor, to enrich the experience of seeing a small exhibition. We used couple of geometrical flats in different dimensions to embrace the space in a folding way. The pavilion itself became a show of space.

Shape of Mountains

CONSTRUCTION PRACTICE 7

We tried to build a place for people to communicate with nature in the campus. Based on the topic of bamboo structure, we tried to figure out the growth rhythm of bamboo, and built the dome reflecting the natural law in new form.

CONCEPT

The site of the project is a terrace in the department of architecture of south China university of technology. Based on the concept of ecological sharing, we designed it as a space with different possibilities of use as the interface changes.

The Windows and two doors shape the interface and people can decide the opening and the closing of for specific scenes. This space can be a fluid exhibition space, a semi-open rest space, or a closed discussion space.

Flying Pavilion

CONCEPT

We tried to build a place for people to communicate with nature in the campus. Based on the topic of bamboo structure, we tried to figure out the growth rhythm of bamboo, and built the dome reflecting the natural law in new form. Project was built on a 3 m × 3 m square area. The combination of domes reflects the shape of the mountains. The domes of different sizes and heights form a rich interactive space, while the boring square space is enriched by the difference of space limitation.

FRAME FORM

We used double banboos as frames to solve the problem of lapping the bridges. And the force is more stable when the two bamboos were tied together.

TECTONIC NODE

We used a short piece of bamboo to connect the two tops of the bamboo, and bamboo spikes were used to reinforce them so that they bends and shapes.

CONSTRUCTION PROCESS

In this project, we learnt from a bamboo craftman about the characteristics of materials and common construction methods. During the construction process, we will select suitable bamboo for each position by recognizing and contrasting every bamboo’s characteristics. Sometimes, the length of bamboo is even directly used to replace the original preset length, and the final result of construction is relatively relaxed and open because of these uncertainties and adjustments.

CONCEPT

In this project, we learnt from a bamboo craftman about the characteristics of materials and common construction methods. During the construction process, we will select suitable bamboo for each position by recognizing and contrasting every bamboo’s characteristics. Sometimes, the length of bamboo is even directly used to replace the original preset length, and the final result of construction is relatively relaxed and open because of these uncertainties and adjustments.

OTHER WORKS

OUT OF THE LINE - residential renovation 2018 Competition project Team work, leader

THE BUDDHIST MOBIUS - skyscraper design 2019 Competition project

Team work, lead the conceptual phase and created collage