Linxi Zhang portfolio

Jenny (Linxi) Zhang

Thank you for viewing my portfolio.

This portfolio is my previous design which represents my interest in architecture. In my design, I am especially interested in the relationship between spaces, sequence, and formal aesthetic.

In my previous project, I experienced urban design, monumental design, and small-scale spacial design. I am particularly interested in the social, environmental, social engagement with community, and political issues related to the existing context.

Activate suburbia

Partner: Qi Liu

Site location: Mattydale, NY

Completed Fall 2021

Instructor: Lawrence Davis

“Activate Suburbia” is a renovative exploration of a vernacular block in Mattydale.

Considering the existing challenges of the aging population and the high unemployment rate in this community, the purpose of this project is to energize it by attracting young generations and stimulating the local economy. This project increased commercial density and residential density by adding units on the re-zoned block. Aiming to provide higher income and various public services for the residents, it also introduces new programs of basketball-bar, restaurants, and offices to activate the block. The three main public spaces embedded into the volume, flexible for night markets and dances after dark.

Right: Northern Axon of the renovative block Software use: Adobe Illutrator, Rhino

Top: Section drawing cutting through the basket-bar and home offices

Bottom: Section drawing cutting through residential units Software use: Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

Top and Bottom: Unfolding elevation of East and West sides demonstrating the continuity of the materiality Software use: Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

Each existing residential unit will have a shared semi-public greenhouse with their neighbor, but also a private greenhouse for their own use. Within the private greenhouse, residents can grow their own fresh vegetables and fruits, which could potentially help them to get access to the resources of fresh food. Other than the existing unit, there are also three additional residential units attached to the greenhouse, those could be rented out to others for a home office and small restaurant, which is to help them to gain more income.

Right: Evolution of private and public greenhouse

Left: Overall plan of the block after renovation

Semi-Public Greenhouse

Private Greenhouse Private Greenhouse Activate Suburbia | Renovation | Fall 2021 9

Residential Housing Residential Housing

Existing Condition

By efficently utilize the existing property, residents are able to have a greenhouse near their home, own small bussiness by renting out the home office and small store front. The residential block now become a mix-use block.

Existing housing type two

Connected Greenhouse

Combination of each housing unit axon

Commercial unit type two

Existing housing type one

Apartment unit

Commercial unit type one

Top: Each complex of unit after renovation contain two existing residential units, apartment unit, two types of commercial units, and greenhouse Software use: Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

The newly built units will reuse some of the existing material from the nearby community, due to sustainability and economical considerations. Plywood, Metal, Vinyl, and Wood are used as the main construction materials.

Right: Exploded axon diagram showing how to reuse the old materials.

Left: Exploded axon demonstrating the inside of each residential unit. Software use: Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop,Vray

Physical model image

Material used: Blue Foam, Foam core, card board, 2-ply card board,Wood stick, sand paper

“Activate Suburbia” is a renovative exploration of a vernacular block in Mattydale. Considering the existing challenges of the aging population and the high unemployment rate in this community, the purpose of this project is to energize it by attracting young generations and stimulating the

Hidden Therme

Partner: Rui Cao

Site location: Grosseto, Maremma

Completed Spring 2022

Instructor: Luca Ponsi

The “Hidden Therme” is a project locate in Grosseto, Maremma. The project is to create a thermal bath that completely merges into the site. By carving out various scales of spaces from the mountain to introduce a thermal bath guiding by experience and light. The whole project focuses more on the interior than the exterior, use water in a sustainable way, and celebrates hot spring water. Create a nice balance between the dense and loose, heavy and light, dark and bright, hot and cold. The design is based on the research of orientation, circulation, functions, and sequences (for both water and human being). The project is closely related to the existing site of the quarry. The narrative of our project focuses on curating experiences. The scale changes between rooms and the changes in views will create various lighting and visual qualities. The project gradually reveals the curved valley of the quarry as visitors progress.

Material use: Plaster, paint,Blue foam, Foamcore

Right: Physical model of the negative space of the design. Each color represents the room and water temperature of the space. By putting them into the accurate relationship of height, to show the dramatic change of views that visitors can experience.

Ground

Left-Top: Circulation diagram

Left-Bottom: Plan transformation diagrams

HUMAN PATH

WATER PATH

Fragidarum

Right: Main level plan

Left: Flow of human and water Humans climb up to the hill along the room temperature changes from cold to hot. Water flows the opposite. The spring water was pumped to the top of the mountain with originally 37 degrees celsiustemperature. Water will cool down by the stone as it is led down by gravity.

Calidarium

Tepidarium

Calidarium

Tepidarium

Fragidarum

Pathway

Celebrating Spring Water

Loggia

LPC Headquarters

Partner: Yuxi Dai

Site location: 315-317 Broadway, NYC

Completed Fall 2022

Instructor: Rami Abou-Khalil

This project is to design an LPC headquarters on top of an existing landmark. To fully respect the context landmarks. The design has setbacks on all sides. A cantilevered hearing hall is “bitten” into the landmark. Open the corner plaza to invite the city in, as well as to watch the hearings through the jumbotron. The bookshelves also serve as circulations to provide a special experience when staff circulates. The facade pattern and material are highly influenced by the inside program. The LPC exhibition space, which locates in the existing building serves as a museum and a space for hearing introductions.

Right: Render of the design as a whole.

Software use: Adobe Photoshop, Vray, Rhino, Adobe Illustrator

Left: Formal transformation analysis

Right: Axon diagram of circulation and four main programs

Partial render of the plaza during daytime and nighttime Software use: Enscape, Rhino

Plan of the 14th level Software use: Rhino, Adobe Illustrator

A Place Closer to Dream

Individual work

Site location: Syracuse, NY

Completed Fall 2020

Instructor: Valerie Herrera

“A Place Closer to Dream” is a project that has a close relationship with the context. It is a youth athletics center. The project derived from the datum line from the context of residential housing and the existing school. The building is in an L shape which creates a courtyard for the architecture and the city. The city and the building merge at the corner. Every corner is treated differently. The swimming pool in the courtyard is used for ice skating in winter, and the yard

to

becomes an active space the whole year long,

provide a rest space for the city.

Right: Overall axon of the design, showing the relationship of the athletic center with the nearby school and other context.

Software use: Rhino, Vray, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

Project Four

A Place Closer to Dream

A Place Closer to Dream |

Right and Middle: Collages

Software use: Rhino, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

Collages were made to analysis the historical aspect on how the I-81 highway in Syracuse influenced the economical and social evolution. By deeply researching the problem Syracuse has, provide a design concept that could help to improve the city.

Middle: Formal transformation diagram

Left: Program diagrams

Software used: Rhino, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator

Sweep Scape

Partner: Greta Ulatowski

Site location: Chicago, Illinois

Completed Spring 2023

Instructor: Joel Kerner

Sweep Scapes serves as an access point between a public bike path in Chicago (the 606) and a green Boulevard by being a field house and a Garden for the community and its bikers. The design gives the space the building takes up on the site back to the city and further expands it by having a fully bike accessible ramp throughout the building which leads up to the green roof, another green area for Chicago. The first level is fully expose to the outside in order to give the space back to Chicago residents and further, even expand it. Through utilizing ramp circulation, green spaces, and sport court projection, these sweep scapes extend the experience of the 606 and provide further public recreational space in Chicago throughout the year in our project. To provide a green space for the nearby residents and better serve the community.

Right: Site Axon

Software use: Rhino, Vray, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

and fundation detail.

Right: Since the main level of the building is open to outside, only the small unit attached on has wall insulation. The HVAC system was put at the bottom level, and the income air and output air are at a distance of more than 10ft.

Detailed drawing of partial building. Including wall detail, fan room detail,

Right: Structural analysis of partial building. Including primary structure, secondary structure, and the structure for individual units attached on the main level.

Right: HVAC diagram of the design

Left: Zoom in plan of the fan room for HVAC system

Project Sweep Scape | Architecture as Access | Spring 2023 43

Selldorf Architects Internship

Firm: Selldorf Architects

Location: NYC

Completed Fall 2022

Program: Institution

Physical model made for an institution building in Washington DC. The model was originally taken from Rhino digitally and transformed into a physical model. The main part of the building and site were laser-cutted. The trees are made of paper and wood sticks. There is no other color in this model in order to keep the purity of the relashionship of space.

Model making & Render

Selected models and renders from my previous individual work.

Left: 3D-printng model of section perspectives

Cast concrete / negative space model

Right: Rendering of a designed project

Software used: Rhino, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop

Right: Physical Model with site. Laser cut chipboard. Material: Chipboard, glue,paper,woodstick Software use: Rhino, lasercut

VRH Studio Internship

Firm: VRH Studio

Location: Syracuse NY

Completed Spring 2022 Program: Sculpture for restaurant

Worked on the assembly of a 19ft x 21ft plaster sculpture for a local restaurant in Syracuse NY. Cut foam using the CNC technique, and glue it together.

SOM Internship

Firm: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Location: NYC

For this educational design project, I helped my team use MidJourney to generate human figures dressed in school uniforms specific to the institution. Utilized Photoshop to adjust colors. Imported the edited human figures into Enscape renders of the building interior in order to showcase student life within the new facility.

Internship work

Rendering of A Educational project

Software use: Rhino, Enscape, AI, PS, MidJourney

Drawings

Individual work

Water Drawing & Ink drawing Collages Completed 2019-2021

Material used: Caryon drawing & Paper collage, Watercolor, Ink

In the drawing, the flying bullets represent the pressure that comes towards me. Badminton rackets and shields, thus are a method for me to relax and release the pressure.

Self-portrait drawing

Drawings-Water

The collage of my self-portraits was made with pieces of my life: train and plane tickets, exam sheets, images of me playing badminton, drawings, etc. Which is to use those elements from my life to represent my daily life.

Right: Collage of self-portrait

Watercolor drawing when I traveled to San Li Tun shopping plaza in Beijing. I used contrasting colors to represent the facades.

Right: Watercolor

Pen drawings during the trip to the Forbidden City in Beijing and the Church in Harvard when I visited the campus.

Left: Ink drawing

Hand Sketches

Individual work

Hand sketches during field trip

Completed Spring 2022

Italy

Hand sketches during field trip when study abroad in Italy, including geometry analysis, facade analysis, volumn analysis.

Material used: Pencil sketches on paper