RuoxiLi_Portfolio

PORTFOLIO RUOXI LI

[IDENTITY] Selected Works 2018-2023

Master of Science, Advanced Urban Design Cornell University Bachelor of Architecture Huazhong University of Science and Technology

PROLOGUE

TABLE OF CONTENT

01 NATURE AS A CORE Innovation Park Design at Wuhan Shipbuilding Industry Factory

02 Two New York Cities Investigation into the implication of social media qualities on the built environment

03 A MANIFESTO OF STEEL AND BRICK Industrial Renovation of Hanyang Steel Plant

04 STAPLING THE URBAN GRID As a Chinese millennial, I grew up seeing significant changes in my living environment. Street vendors were replaced by chain stores like Starbucks and McDonald, and traditional urban spaces were replaced by wide boulevards and city viaducts. Truly we enjoyed the advanced urban development brought us, however, a sense of familiarity and alienation overwhelmed me.

I then entered the field of architecture in college, and after five years of cultivation and reinforcement, I gradually formed my own understanding of the role of architects in our time.

Architects should balance between rapidly progressing technology and the disappearance of perceptional spaces. Therefore, it triggered my interest and desire to study further in this field.

Hence I seek alternatives for solving the paradox between cultural contexts and modern technology, large-scale blocks, and intimate neighborhood. In order to re-establish familiarity and urban identity in every citizen’s mind.

Paulista Avenue Renovation Based on Civic Events

05 LIFE CONDENSER Residential Design at an Urban Village

06 TIME RESORT Cultural Station Renovation in Elini

01 NATURE AS A CORE

Innovation Park Design at Wuhan Shipbuilding Industry Factory

- 2022 Fall HUST Studio - Individual Work - Site: Wuhan, China - Industrial Park Renovation and Urban Design -0.6k㎡ - Instructor: Mei Jiang jump_jm@126.com

As the periphery of Wuhan expanded throughout the last fifty years, industrial areas were relocated to the outskirts of the city, leaving a number of brownfields within the city. Over the past decades, these former industrial zones have been trasformed into commercial areas, innovation parks, and other cultral heritages.

This project is located on the east bank of the Yangtze River, previously known as the Wuhan Shipyard. This site was officially declared closed in 2016 and the plant and surrounding staff quarters were demolished and relocated.

This area is also the node linking Wuhan Yingwuzhou Yangtze River Bridge to the Wuchang Riverbank, so it has good accessibility as well as the advantage of being a gateway to the city.

Taking into account the location of the site and the distribution of surrounding functions, the former factory

and the worker dormitory are transformed into an innovation park. The mixed-use design of the Innovation Park allows it to host different groups of people: incubators, office buildings and apartments meet the employment and living needs for many young people, while commercial and urban public spaces provide cultural and recreational spaces for citizens throughout the city.

A system of public spaces was set up around the original dock and factory. The high-rise and multi-story buildings enclose the central green space, allowing all who arrive at thepark to focus their sights on the public space in the center of the site.

Meanwhile, greenlands combined with the natural environment are set up on the east and west side of the site, allowing people to march along the walkway to the waterfront and enjoy the intimate contact with nature from the busy city life, forming a rich spatial experience and transformation of atmosphere.

Transformation and Connection of Former Industrial Area

Connection with Regional Scale Open Space

Alongside the Yangtze River, two metro lines and over five bridges were build for crossriver transportation.

There are three significant waterfront parks located along the river, creating a green corridor for the citizens.

A number of docks and routes are stil in use today, for tourism a nd c a rg o t r a n s po r t a t i o n purpose.

Connection with Regional Scale Open Space Existing Innovation Prak and Collage Innovation Park University and College

Road Network

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Wuhan built many factories along the Yangtze River in the funding years of the country, forming the Yangtze River Industrial Belt. As the periphery of Wuhan expanded, idustrials zones were divern to the outskirts of the city, leaving industrial brownfiled to be transformed.It is found that most industrial sites are transformed into commercial pedestrian streets, and a few are transformed into science and technology business parks serving nearby universities.

Primary Road Secondary Road Metro

Situated on the east bank of the Yangte River, the site is connected with other open spaces in its region mainly through a cross river bridge and one metro line and the dock is to be put into use again. The site is mainly surrounded by residential areas and schools, which is an important factor affecting the site's funtion.

Land Reaggregation The innovation park is built on the former shipyard factory site and part of its workers dorms.

Road Network The primary road network is based on a grid of 300*400m, and the block is approximately 100*100m in scale.

Zoning and Footprint The typology and height of the blocks are varied by functions and location. Basiclly, the site shows a semi-surrounded feature with a high-rise cluster in the east and north.

Open Space Along theYangtze River is a natural continuous wetland and a central public space. Linear public spaces were inserted into the blocks to enhance public interactions.

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Site Plan

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Function and Spatial Layers Diagram

north bank and south bank

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Block Programatic Typology

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Industrial Heritage

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Public Amenity center

The function inside the innovation park can be categorized into three parts, and each part is resembled by different typologies. The office bulding typology is constructed with courtyard blocks with tower building and linear multi-storey blocks. Residential typology is featured by its courtyard blocks with slab buildings. And the public amenities usually takes up a block by themselves.

Courtyard Block Composition

A typical courtyard block can be deconstructed into three parts. High-rise building to provide a intensed integrated space, and the podium which is often connected to each other by flyovers to create a closed circulation. Hard patterns worked as a spine to connect the block together and the soft pattern is a transitional space between functions.

The most distinctive feature of the park is its semi-encircling structure, with the open space at the centre and the high-rise buildings on the other three directions. Three linear open spcace are designed to enliven the site and a linear one continuous trail is set to bridge the central greenland to other parts of the waterfront.

From the urban sections of the site, the semi-surrounded structure and the variation of height is significant. From north to south, the height gradient first decreased from a high-rise cluster to multi-story podiums and central public spaces, then it rise up when meeting anothing high-rise cluster and decreased again to connect with surrounding residential areas.

Another significant feature is that the site is trespassed by a introduced canal and created multiple waterfront open spaces.

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1. retail shop 2. exhibition 3. resting area 4. conference room 5. meeting room 6. office 7. lecture hall 8. open working space 9. activity space 10. visitor center 11. pavillion

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The section shows the contraction of the river and shows the change in height of the buildings on either side of the river. It can be seen that the profiles on the north bank all show a gradual increase in height, while the profiles on the south bank show a decreasing height from west to east.

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The view from the central greenland towards the high-rise area reveals buildings of multiple layers and heights. Conversely, the central greenland area can be seen from all views from the high-rise buildings.

The mutual visual link between the open space and the integrated space provide active interactions between different groups.

A View From the Yangtze River The semi-enclosed feature is emphasized by the view of the entire site from the Yangtze River. The form of the green space is also differentiated according to its function, with the natural wetlands serving primarily as a gathering place for people to relax, while the man-made green space provides more hard paved areas and a marina to add vibrancy to the waterfront.

02 Two New York Cities Investigation into the implication of social media qualities on the built environment

- 2023 Fall - Practicum Project - Instructor: Brian Ho - Collaborator: Melanie Chu, Yongcong Gou All the drwaings except ones annotated with*

- Site: Manhattan, New York - Urban Spatial Analysis and Application

Instagram has evolved into a powerful tool for individuals to explore new places, serving as a public database shaped by the community rather than a centralized agency. Within this context, a realization surfaces – there exist two New York Cities. One is the vibrant metropolis showcased on social media, while the other is the hidden reality, often overlooked in the confined dimensions of a single photograph.

This study unfolds in two phases, each addressing critical aspects of urban spaces in New York City. Initially, the focus is on analyzing ten of the most frequented locations, aiming to discern the disjunction between social media portrayals and the reality. Factors such as the absence of green spaces, citizen complaints, or issues like food insecurity are scrutinized to unveil the authenticity in the depiction on social platforms. This comparative analysis seeks to unravel the extent to which social media reflects the "truth" about these iconic places.

The second phase of the study delves into the intriguing question of what happens when public urban spaces are

set to be "Instagrammable." The exploration involves analysing web-scraped images , extracting three key spatial elements and their associated features.

Subsequently, a series of controlled variations are introduced for testing, utilizing both surveys and social media posts. The outcomes of these tests are collected to discern the specific spatial qualities that contribute to the heightened popularity of urban spaces on Instagram. The findings aim to provide valuable insights for urban designers, aiding them in enhancing the visual allure of public spaces.

In the broader scope of this research, the study hypothesizes that individuals exhibit an inclination towards environments and elements characterized

by Instagrammable features. This includes but is not limited to attributes like symmetry, vibrant multicolor schemes, diverse architectural variety, and other visually appealing elements. Through this comprehensive exploration, the study endeavors to unravel the intricate dynamics between social media, public perception, and the design of urban spaces, offering guidance for future urban planning endeavors.

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Daily Ridership Analysis

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TIMES SQUARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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Based on open data from the New York City government, the coordinates and daily ridership of each station are extracted to reflect the location and popularity of different parts of New York City. Each day, a heat map is generated, and the ten most visited stations are listed based on the weekly ridership summary.

TIMES SQUARE IN REALITY

Two Parallel Realities Instagram has become a powerful tool people use to explore places and it is a database that is created by general public and without an agency. However, we realized there are two New York Cities, one is what we see on social media, and one is the experimental reality that are rendered invisible on a single photo dimension. In this project we would like to investigate how social media has stretgetically curated and limited our perspective towards an urban space.

Times Square-42 St ratio = 2.54

York Street ratio = 1.12

restaurant grade

restaurant grade

tree health

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crime report

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Lexington Av/ 53 St

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crime report

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restaurant grade

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Tree Distribution and Health Status Health = Good Health = Fair tree health

tree health

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Crime and Violation Location Violation Type

Restaurant Distribution and Grade Grade = A Grade = C

311 Report Report Detail

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Media-Reality Deviation Site Engagement and Complaint

The juxtaposition of the reality layer and the socia media layer reveals that lots of negative aspects are missed out from the simple posts from social media, and social media has been deliberately depicting public spaces as simple icons.

When the quality of a location is compared within the same coordinate system, the ratio of engagement to complaints is used as the judgment criterion, with an ideal ratio set at 1:1. If the ratio is greater than 1, it indicates that the space is a pleasing one in reality. Conversely, if the ratio is less than 1, it suggests that the quality of the space in reality may not be as depicted on social media.

Alternative Generation A streetscape in Long Island City Industrial Business Zone is selected as the study area.

For each spatial element, eight manipulations based on their features would be generated by Photoshop Generative Fill. Synthesis of spatial elements are generated in the least manipulation and most manipulation scenarios to test out the effectiveness of elements.

For each features, it is ensured that the streetscape, other elements, and context remain constant between the original and manipulated photos.

Tree

Architecture

Signage

Final Streetscape Synthesois Through these survey and tests, the result shows that the element preference in decending order is tree, signage and architecture. The preferred subfeatures for tree are multi-color, less quantity, and symmetry, for signage are various type, multi-color and asymmetry, for archiecture are multi-color, symmetry and various type.

Based on the survey result, a final streetscape is synthesised to show how to generate a appealing urban public space.

Social media, as a bottom-up research perspective, provides us with the most authentic preferences and needs of the public: there is a demand for more greenery, signage, and a variety of building facades in the city. Those are the perspectives often missing in the urban design process.

03 A MANIFESTO OF STEEL & BRICK Industrial Renovation of Hanyang Steel Plant

"The paving extends from the interior to the exterior, leading to a shared garden.People can sit in the lounge area on the first floor and watch the view downstairs and the passers-by."

- 2022 Spring HUST Studio - Collaborator: Wenzhuo Cai All the drwaings except ones annotated with*

- Site: Wuhan, Chiana - Industrial Renovation project - 3540㎡ - Instructor: professor Wei Zhou +86 133 6725 7496 weizhou_@hust.edu.cn

-Winner - Archtwist Regeneration Competition

Situated in the center of China alongside the Yangtze River, Wuhan has long been praised for its convenient transportation and rich mineral sources. During the 1890s, Zhang Zhidong realized its marked influence on the whole country and triggered the urban and industrial development of the city. As a result, the original campus of the Hanyang Iron Plant was built. Over the later fifty years, the Hanyang Iron Plant had its time of glory and was relocated west to its original site after being demolished during WWⅡ .

However, in the 21st century, the significance of industry decreased, and industrial zones were drawn to the periphery of the city. The enclosed factory areas that were originally in the center of the city were shut down and become forgotten barren places inaccessible to the public. Therefore, the heritage urges the need for transformation.

The project thus aims to resolve the conflict between present urban development and the preservation of old buildings. The primary intervention is to break down the intimidating large-scale blocks and open up the campus

to the public. Physical boundaries are eliminated and urban networks are introduced. Moreover, the former steel manufacturing industry is replaced by a digital publishing industry while some factories of historical value are reused as museums that are educational to the public.

For the specific architectural design, the same concern is how to introduce new functions and forms while meeting the historical value of the heritage. After a careful examination of the authenticity and originality of the factory, an elevated curve ramp is inserted into the factory, serving as a link between the old and new programs and a commemorative route regarding the workers’ closely-supervised and isolated working environment under the time of collectivism. The preserved structures and ruins of the original factory buildings have become part of the tour, allowing visitors to have a chance to get a closer look at the industrial relics. When stepping on the soil and ruins, feeling the brutal structures from the past, visitors can recall the old and glorious days of the factory.

* Collaborated with Wenzhuo Cai

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01­_ Circulation By thickening the road system, the macro-scopic industrial blocks are broken down into more accessible ones.

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02_ Rezoning The campus is divided by a gradient, where the program site serves as a place for exhibiting and beta testing.

A Heritage Withstood the Test of Time Being relocated west to its original site twenty years after WWⅡ , the Hanyang Iron and Steel Work had its time of glory, providing construction materials nationwide. However, the ironwork was shut down and became an industrial heritage in 2007. With most of its buildings obsolete, the heritage urges the need for transformation.

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03_Reallocation of Open Space The open space around the site can be categorized into three hierarchies.

Public Space Network

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After years of regional transformation, the site is currently surrounded by a number of urban public spaces. The infrastructure construction has also provided the site with a possibility of serving as a primary public space.

Considering its close connection to industrial production, the proposal aims to activate the site by inserting a digital production function while also preserving its historical significance.

urban space exhibition logistic space

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04_Program Organization The architecture mainly serves as an exhibiting and beta-testing space, while maintains some urban functions.

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The Gate A route through the equipments and trees indicates passing through the gate.

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The Passageway Along the path is the preserved brick wall.

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The Tower The 20-meter tower combined with the structure suggests the insignificance of the workers and the power of supervisors.

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Surveillance Windows are inserted into the curve wall, casting visual control over other visitors.

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Duty Shift After a path along the curve wall, the character between the workers and the supervisors are reversed.

* Collaborated with Wenzhuo Cai After a careful examination of the authenticity and originality of the factory, an elevated curve ramp is inserted into the factory, serving as a link between the old and new programs and a commemorative route regarding the workers’ closelysupervised and isolated working environment under the time of collectivism. The preserved structures and ruins of the original factory buildings have become part of the tour, allowing visitors to have a chance to get a closer look at the industrial relics. When stepping on the soil and ruins, feeling the brutal structures from the past, visitors can recall the old and glorious days of the factory.

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The path through equipments and plants

The path along the brick wall

The high rise structure circulating the preserved structure

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The supervising curve

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The character recersal path

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Isolation The matrix of vegetation suggests a status of seperation.

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The vegetation matrix of isolation

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A draft of the curve form design

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1. Electric furnace factory 2. Converter factory 3. office building 4. water tower N

Symbols As one of the traditional industrial cities, there are many industrial heritages left in Wuhan from the 1950s. They have gradually become an imaginary part of the city for the Wuhan people. Even in today's society where industrial production has moved away from the center of the city, industrial heritage still has its cultural and spiritual value.

Transition In order to pass on the productive feature of space, the original function of industrial production is transformed into intellectual production. The research on the distribution of technology and cultural industries in Wuhan shows that there is a lack of integrated industrial parks in Hanyang. Therefore, the abandoned factories are reused after the function transition.

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Site Plan The originall electric furnance factory is a brick and concrete structure architecture, to its north is a new concrete-structure factory, to its south is an old converter factory. The site and the new electric furnance factory shares a outdoor garden together.

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1. main entrance 2. theater 3. equipment room 4 . rest room 5. conference room 6. historical exhibition area 7. office 8. storage 9. waiting room

10. plaza 11. cafe 12. digital media exhibition room 13. souvenir shop 14. reading area 15. resting area 16. workshop

Into the Woods The curved wall defines a theater on the ground floor and also serves as a monitor window allowing visual connections with people on the elevated ramp.

At the end of the route is a book shop in the woods.

Readers can watch the bustling tourists from a quiet space and experience how workers were isolated by the equipment in the past.

"An elevated curve ramp is inserted into the factory, serving as a commemorative route regarding the workers’ closely-supervised and isolated working environment under the time of collectivism."

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The three tower-like spaces become the basic element that divides the continuous space of the factory. Their inclined walls offer more possibilities for spatial perception, sound is reflected on the walls, light is gathered on the walls, and people's senses are enhanced with them.

1. digital media exhibition room 2. resting area 3. workshop 4. historical exhibition room 5. cafe

6. historical corridor 7. lounge 8. theatre 9. entrance

Entrance

Section A-A

The uplift of the floors provide an entrance for citizens to relax. The visitors who want to experience the histories of the workers' life can enter the building by the ramp crossing through plants and equipments.

Theater

Section B-B

To renovate the old building and introduce new function, we insert digital publishing theaters for holding small exhibition and press conference of digital products. Citizens can also utilize the space to enjoy moives and some public acitvities.

Exhibition

Section C-C

With the raised structure in the center of the building comes the climax of the whole tour path. Visitors can experience the weakness of the original workers' power through the visual and mental oppression brought by the structure.

Different flows of people converge at the atrium centered on the tower space.

Visual Intersection

Section D-D

Volumes on the second floor are linked by a continuous ramp. Visitors walking on the ramp are watched from behind the curved wall and from the ground floor, creating a sense of being supervised.

Three types of paving are used in the project, creating different walking experience in the factory.The preserved ruins of the original factory buildings have become part of the tour, allowing visitors to have a chance to get a closer look at the industrial heritage relics.

When stepping on the soil and ruins, feeling the brutal structures from the past, visitors can recall the old and glorious days of the factory.

NODE A photovoltaic panel 18mm OSB panel zinc Covering 220mm insulation between rafters 140mm counter insulation on slope

NODE B poultry barn retifies rain screen OSN panel rock wool insulation vapor barrier BA13

BA13 type interior lining

vertical joint covers

BA13 suspended, rock wool insulation

brick wall

Menuiderie wood stain, roofing a souffiet

Second Floor Plan

Third Floor Plan

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An elevated curve ramp is inserted into the factory, serving as a link between the old and new programs and a commemorative route regarding the industrial context. Moving along the path, the visitors can travel between the old and new, experience the difference between the past and present, visite exhibitions of digital publishing and industrial history, and attend a digital media workshop.

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4. rest room 5. conference room 6. historical exhibition area 7. office 8. storage 11. cafe 12.digital media exhibition room 14. reading area 15. resting area 16. workshop

* Collaborated with Wenzhuo Cai

04 STAPLING THE URBAN GRID Paulista Avenue Renovation Based on Civic Events

- 2022 Havard Design Discovery Virtual - Instructor: Alex Yueyan Li, Elyjana Roach, Sophia Xiao - Individual Work - Site: Sao Paulo, Brazil - Urban Spatial Renovation

Often referred to as São Paulo’s answer to New York’s Times Square, Paulista Avenue represents the modern center of Brazil’s biggest city. The 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) thoroughfare links the southern neighborhoods of Vila Mariana and Paraíso to the old center and the city’s west zone, meaning almost every visitor to São Paulo will spend at least some time on Paulista.

As one of the oldest and most significant boulevards in São Paulo, countless civic events were held and celebrated in this streeet, as well as protests and parades.

However, as rapid urban development took place, more and more high-rise buildings were constructed, taking up spaces for small-scale residential buildings. This rapid urbanization process has led to the demolition of many homes and the alignment of high-rise buildings along the street has become a rift across the middle of the residential area.

As a result, the existing urban scale is too large for people to fully participate in public events, yet the current strategies that citizens take are passive. They will have to construct temporary flyovers and allow no vehicles to trespass whenever holding an event, causing a lot of troubles to the regular routine.

My strategy is to create a connector between the large and small scales, to reserve space for people to move around, to allow more people to participate, and to strengthen the identity of the street and the city. The nodes were designed to solve the problems between the small-scale residential areas, the large-scale highrises and the linear street.

By inserting four different types of space, chessboards can be set up again, banners will have a place to hang and more people are encouraged to participate in this event.

Section A-A

Section B-B

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Urban Fabric

Urban Section

Node

Streetscape Typology Traditional streetscapes and scenarios have disappeared, replaced by high-rises and large-scale neighborhoods, which became a rift between citizens and urban life, erasing the city’s identity. Although such a large-scale space provides room for people to hold large-scale cultural events, it nevertheless blocks the surrounding residents from using the street.

01_Transport System

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03­_ Urban Development

This avenue is connected to two primary and two secondary roads in a northsouth direction and has three metro lines set along the primary road.

The axis of history runs radially in all directions from the church district and intersects with the economic axis this avenue represents.

In 1950, the urbanization extended São Paulo's urbann periphery to this avenue.

At that time it was a residential area.

Masterplan

Potential Problems

Strategy

A one-kilometer-long street was selected as the scope of the design, and the related urban problems were obtained through the analysis of the urban fabric in it. Bridging the differences between large and small scales is used as a mean to solve the problem.

Differences between spatial scales influenced human behavior and diminished connectivity between regions.

The connection of scales provides flexible spaces for people to move around.

High-density residential spaces crowd out public activity spaces.

Public spaces are elevated above the residences.

The large-scale high-rise buildings block the connection of the smaller-scale residential areas to the street.

A flyover between the houses and the street is established to increase connectivity and reduce the volume of the high-rise.

There is a lack of connection between the metro stations and high-rise buildings create a lot of unused spaces.

A cross-street flyovers has been created to increased accessibility to the metro station and provide public spaces.

NODE AXON Through the same structural system and prototypes, four types of public space different in functions and combinations have been designed to address different street issues.

After the nodes were placed in the city, the streets and other unused spaces of the city were revitalized. The neighborhood can use them as a community public space for everyday life and as a public space system to serve the city during special events.

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Node #3： Cross-block Flyover

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By connecting the buildings around the street, a multi-level movable space is created in the unused plot.

Node #1: Multi-layered Community Space

Node #1: Multi-layered Community Space 100mm floor covering

The joint of several roads creates a large-scale unused space where it is difficult to cross several streets at once or to carry out activities on the site. As a result, a community connector to connecs the branches of the roads and allows for multi-level activities is designed. One end of the architecture connects to the low-rise residential area with a walkway that leads to a massing embedded in the high-rise and then across the road to the complex on the other side.

20*300mm steel hollow beam 100mm ceiling covering

500*500mm steel hollow column 300*200mm I-beam 260*200mm I-beam

Daily Circumstance

The architecture uses a combination of portal structures and sling pulleys to suspend and move the panels.

The architecture can be used as a cultural and economic centre for the community in everyday life, where residents can read, play and rest in.

JOINT DETAIL Node A

Node B The horizontal beam is attached to the main framing, the bracing i s c o n n e c te d to t h e system by a bolt .

Ephemeral Circumstances

TC bolts are used to attach the X plate to the beams.

A larger high strength steel bolt with a hex head is used in the connector.

During civic events, resideents can lower the walkway to create a multilayered communication with ground level. This can promote citizens to participat in civic activities while providing enough space for activities

The reason for choosing the portal suspension structure as a generic structural element was to echo another classic architecture on the street---- the MASP by Lina Bo Bardi.

展示地铁出入口、街道以及节 点的关系

Node #2: Infrastructure Connector The construction of large-scale high-rises has led to the creation of many small-scale fragmented spaces, however the contrast in scale is so pronounced that it is difficult for people to make use of these spaces.

The newly added system uses the fragmented spaces as drop-off points for columns, elevating the connections between the upper floors, while creating sufficient buffer space for the metro stations.

Explosive View

The installation of flyovers on both sides of the street connects the underground infrastructure above ground, increasing connectivity between stations while providing a place for pedestrians to stop and rest and enjoy the extended street view from the flyover.

Node #3: Cross-Block Flyover

Node #4: Community Center

Many of the high-rises along the street prevent the residential blocks behind them from being connected to the main street, and the massing of the high-rise results in a larger, more impenetrable block in scale. The strategy is to build a footbridge from the residential area, embed it into the high-rise and extend it to the street, increasing connectivity while dissipating the volume of the original high-rise.

The high density of residential communities has resulted in the crowding out of public spaces for residents to interact and live recreationally with each other.

We have selected unused plots within the neighborhood and used them as a basis to elevate and expand the public spaces of the community. The elevated space allows residents to hold group activities and community meetings, which enhances neighborhood interaction.

05 LIFE CONDENSER

Residential Design at an Urban Village

- 2022 Spring HUST Studio - Collaborator: Wenzhuo Cai All the drwaings except ones annotated with*

- Site: Wuhan, Chian - Residential deisng project - Instructor: Mei Jiang jump_jm@126.com

The rapid urbanization of China that began at the end of the 20th century swallowed up large amounts of agricultural land but failed to absorb the homesteads of the agricultural population protected by state land policies, thus creating villages in the cities. These villages do not provide a leisurely landscape for the city; instead, they take advantage of policy oversights and expand even more feverishly as the city expands, providing basic low-rent housing for the new urban underclass.

Aesthetically, the urban village is seen by many as a scar on the city; politically, it is a ticking bomb. Yet in the small-scale space of existence, people are closer to each other than in most areas of the city, at the same time, due to the mix-use of functions, the urban village is also a condensed society where people live, work and participate in many social interactions. This is due to the fact that streets serves as a skeleton connecting each residence to the public space, mixing private and public spaces and creating many semi-public spaces for people to connect.

Therefore, a proposal has been made to rethink the living pattern in the city. The traditional living pattern is extended in one horizontal plane, which provides enough space for residents to communicate but the capacity of residents is limited. The modern housing model emphasizes the efficiency of living and extends as much as possible in height but it compresses the space for residents to communicate. Therefore, in this proposal, street were extracted as a skeleton to link different housing units and different layers are superimposed with each other in terms of height.

The original urban village spaces are preserved at the lowest level and the original scattered public spaces are linked into a complete system. High-density residential layers are set in the middle section, where linear roads intersect to form different levels of publicity, and residential units are arranged along the streets to bring them closer to each other.At the uppermost level,

Form Study and Variable Control Form Transition

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1. Former street pattern 2. Present street pattern 3. Transition layer 4. Decentralized pattern

Unit Quantity Control

* Collaborated with Wenzhuo Cai

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1. n=20 minimum connections 2. n=40 mide-scale unit 3. n=60 maximum capacity

Phasing Strategy

* Collaborated with Wenzhuo Cai

PHASE Ⅰ : urban village renovation leksandr Deyneka’s V Rayonnom Klube (At the Local Club) depicts workers’ clubs, which became the setting for many activities to promote proletariat culture.

From Social Condenser to a New Understanding of Living Pattern STEP 01

Insert commercial and community service nodes

The notion of a social condenser began in the late 1920’s during Soviet Constructivism. It is an idea in which architecture can be used a catalyst to facilitate social interactions within communities. Later this concept were used in the OMA book Content, where a social condenser is described as a "Programmatic layering upon vacant terrain to encourage dynamic coexistence of activities and to generate through their interference, unprecedented events."

However, the idea of designing a social condenser was ignored during the past decades. Due to the rapid urbanization process, cities expand horizontally and vertically beyond limitation, traditional alleys and communities were replaced by boulevards and highly integrated residential blocks. We are obsessed with a frantic paradigm of modernization and yet, the relationship between friends and neighbors were alienated by the large-scale blocks and introvert spaces that constrain people.

Therefore, a proposal has been made to rethink the living pattern in the city and to free people from their living boxes. After studying the living and interaction patterns of people in urban villages, typologies of the street were extracted as a skeleton to link different housing units and superimposed different layers in terms of height. The closeness between neighbors is re-established, and traditional forms are inherited while meeting the demand for high-density living space.

STEP 02

Increase interconnected public spaces

STEP 03

Build flyovers between public spaces to form a system

PHASE Ⅱ : superimpose the residential layer

STEP 04

Superimpose the public space in height

STEP 05

Set hierarchical street system between the cores

STEP 06

Insert different functional blocks into the cores

PHASE Ⅱ : superimpose the open space layer

STEP 07

Build a decentralized road system at the roodtop of the core

STEP 08

Insert different functional blocks into the cores

STEP 09

Build planting system on top of the open space layer

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0m

10

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40

Ground Floor Plan

1. lecture hall 2. lounge 3. chess room 4. cafe 5. resting area 6. reading room 7. library 8. conference room 9. media room

Exsisting Street Typology

seminar room

public lounge

outdoor pavilion

Integrated working space Office and seminar rooms are provided for the working population in this area.

Designed Street Unit

community service

chessroom

outdoor pavilion

Public space cluster Multiple connected public space unitscan serve as the community center of a residential cluster.

multi-layer residential unit

outdoor dining space

Residential block and its surrounding blocks Public space outside the residential area allows some of the household functions to happen outside, enhancing communication among residents.

0m

5

10

20

Residential Layer Plan

1. residential unit #1 2. residential unit #2 3. residential unit #3 4. residential unit #4 5. agriculture unit 6. chessroom 7. miniature theater 8. conference room 9. lounge 10. cafe 11. media room 12. exhibition 13. library 14. greenhouse 15. conference room

0m

5

10

20

Public Layer Plan

1. residential unit #1 2. residential unit #2 3. residential unit #3 4. residential unit #4 5. agriculture unit 6. chessroom 7. miniature theater 8. conference room 9. lounge 10. cafe 11. media room 12. exhibition 13. library 14. greenhouse 15. conference room 16. chatroom

Residential Layer

Public Space Layer

Four types of residential units are defined based on research and studies of the residential population, which can provide living space for people of different ages and living patterns. However, private space is controlled within a certain area, and public space is inserted in the middle of each residential group to promote interaction between neighbors.

In the future, the residential model will reduce the hierarchy of streets, and the clusters will have the same hierarchy and be inter-connected in a network to form a decentralized organization model. At the same time, the upper streets will be used as sports tracks and planting frames will be erected at the top.

A New Paradigm of Living In this proposal, street were extracted as a skeleton to link different housing units and different layers are superimposed with each other in terms of height. The goal is to re-establish the closeness between neighbors, and traditional forms are inherited while meeting the demand for high-density living space.

06 TIME RESORT Cultural Station Renovation in Elini

- Young Architect Competition 2021 -Competition Work - Instructor: Jingjing Lei - Collaborators: Zemin Yan, Wenzhuo Cai All the drwaings except ones annotated with*

- Site: Elini, Italy - Infrastructure Renovation -Honorable Mention - YAC Cultural Staion Competition

Rail infrastructures have long been neglected or abandoned, for they are linked to a form of transportation that was considered obsolete and incompatible with the speed of modern times.

Elini is a perfect mixure of tradition and future, and this is the feature we decided to build our culture station on. We grasped several images from different times and collaged them into a bigger picture.

Using time as the thread, we connect Parco Carmine, Elini Town and the Old Mill together. When the tourists arrive at Elini by train, it's his / her choice to go on a journey of time and context.

Our new station is a linear space which interact with the old buildings and the site. Arriving at the station, tourists are able to take a quick glance at this time-honored town or enjoy a leisure time at the cafeteria and outdoor theater. If they intend to explore Elini thoroughly, three different paths are designed for them to choose.

We are hoping that this culture station is not only a transfer station for tourists, but also a wonderful depiction of Sardinian culture, and Elini will be known as a land of idyllic beauty.

* Collaborated with Wenzhuo Cai

* Collaborated with Zemin Yan