MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE THESIS BY RUGUI XIE
Content ABSTRACT
02
URBAN CONTEXT
04
DESIGN STRATEGY
16
DESIGN PROPOSAL
21
ILLUSTRATIONS
34
Abstract Rapid urbanization has been going on since China started economic reforms in 1978. The economic and urban architecture development increased imbalance in the distribution of wealth causing economic inequality, while it had some positive socioeconomic impacts across Chinese society. This thesis argues for the value of urban villages as places from an urban design perspective, meanwhile, seeks to understand the causes of these inequalities in the housing system and the negative impact of the reformation in rapid urbanization by learning from political, social, economic, and cultural influences and developing a new rational solution to address the current issues. During the years, the government, developers, and architects invest money and efforts in the city’s massive development. Still, the potentials of these marginalized urban villages as part of the urban fabric are rarely studied. This thesis will be analyzing a typical urbanized village neighborhoods in Shenzhen. Based on the analysis, it will be used to compare the new urban renewal approach for upgrading the living condition of marginalized communities and as an opportunity to incorporate a greater variety of socioeconomic groups into the same neighborhood. In the proposal, a series of interventions for the public space of the urban village that benefit both side of government and residents will be delivered through research and design iterations.
URBAN CONTEXT
1980
Introduction/Redefination: A Fishing Village to A Megacity 2018
URBANIZATION GROWTH 1980 - 2018 China’s population ballooned rapidly from 1980 to 2018 - the equivalent of building a new Chicago every 2 months.
Dense urban construction
Source: South China Morning Post
What Is a Urban Village ?
Farmland
Urban land
Rural Village
Urban Village
Top cities by GDP in 2014
Migrant worker
Locally residents
Note: Under China’s household registration (hukou)system, migrant workers have little access to healthcare, education and other benefits outside their registered hometowns.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics via CEIC
304 ‘URBANIZED VILLAGES’ Occupy 5% of city’s acreage, but more than 50% of the city’s total population live in ‘urbanized villages’.
Countless urban villages have been engulfed by modern cities. The towers create dark, claustrophobic alleys topped with strips of daylight and jammed with dripping AC, hanging clothes,caged balconies and bundles of buzzing electric wires.
VILLAGES IN THE CITY
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During the years, the government, developers, and architects invest money and efforts in the city’s massive development. Still, the potentials of these marginalized urban villages as part of the urban fabric are rarely studied. In this proposal, the goal is to develop a series of interventions for the public space that benefit both sides of government and residents,and the meantime, revitalize urban villages’ public space through building a better-built environment for all different communities who live here.
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SITE LOCATION Gangsha Village, Shenzhen, China 岗夏村
Total population: ~ 40,000 Area: 86 acres Area/person: 23 sq ft/person Building height: 6 - 12 stories
Located in the Futian District, Shenzhen, Gangsha Village is the only urban village within the CBD of Shenzhen. Because of its location and the need for afforable housing, Gangsha Village has extremely high density.
Main streets width: 16 - 22 ft Lane width: 10 - 16 ft Alleyway width: 3 - 6 ft
Surrounded by several office skyscrapers, many white-collar workers choose to live in Gangsha Village, which sets the village apart from the others.
SHENZHEN
GANGSHA VILLAGE
IN URBAN VILLAGE, MANY INHABITANTS CAN FIND EMPLOYMENT AND WHERE LIFE STILL HAPPENS ON A ‘NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE’ WITH AN ANONYMITY THAT IS MUCH LOWER THAN IN THE URBAN SURROUNDING.
BUILDINGS IN GANGSHA VILLAGE
RETAIL BUSINESS IN GANGSHA VILLAGE REPRESENTS A DENSE AGGLOMERATION. IN CASE OF A DEMOLITION, THOUSANDS OF INHABITANTS WOULD LOOSE THEIR HOME AND JOBS.
FLOOR SHOPS IN GANGSHA VILLAGE
Shops on alleyway
6 ft
10 ft
27
ft
19
COMMON MIX-USE UNITS
ft
For Residential
commercial & residential 1 - 2 person unit 1076 sq ft (incl. retail shop)
For Business 600 USD / month
Mix-use building section
Building interstitial space
DESIGN STRATEGY
05 Great China International Financial Center
A commercial complex with five major business use including: office headquarter, luxury hotel, luxury apartment, enterprise park, and financial center located in the center of Shenzhen CBD.
Sub entrance
04 Rainbow high-rise residential tower Gated residential community with 30 stories. All registered residents applicable for the supporting security and property management.
site boundary
03 Gangsha Street Market
The biggest food market in Gangsha Village
central commercial area
02 Gangsha community center Community administration center with an exclusive communal public square
Main entrance
06 Shenzhen University Teacher Apartment A typical work unit community with 30 blocks of 6 stories building. These apartments exclusively provide for the faculty of Shenzhen University.
01 Gangsha elementary school An historical institution in Gangsha Village
Site Analysis
Sub entrance
Existing Public Space Structures
ALLEYWAY
ROOFTOPS
BOUNDARY
Site Condition
CROSS & CORNER
VERTICAL INTERVENTIONS: Built-Up Commercial (ROOF ADDITION) Communal Recreations (INTERSTITIAL SPACE) Communal Recreations (ROOF)
HORIZONTAL INTERVENTIONS:
Public Space Intervention Strategy
Pop-Up Installation (ALLEYWAY)
Greenspace & Sculpture (CROSS&CORNER)
De-fencing (BOUNDARY)
DESIGN PROPOSAL
GREEN SPACE
GREEN SPACE
SITTING SPACE SITTING SPACE
BOUNDARY
CROSS & CORNER
STAGE / OUTDOOR CINIMA
BOUNDARY BOUNDARY
& CORNER CROSSCROSS & CORNER
STAGE / OUTDOOR CINIMA
SCULPTURE
PUBLIC ART
SCULPTURE
PUBLIC ART
POP-UP INSTALLATION DIVERSE ROOF (URBAN FARMING, PLAYGROUND, OPEN MARKET)
POP-UP INSTALLATION
DIVERSE ROOF (URBAN FARMING, PLAYGROUND, OPEN MARKET) DIVERSE ROOF (URBAN FARMING, PLAYGROUND, OPEN MARKET)
ALLEYWAY ALLEYWAY
ROOFTOPS
ROOFTOPS GREEN SPACE ALLEYWAY
GREEN SPACE
ROOFTOPS ROOFTOPS
Public Space Intervention Proposal ROOF ADDITION & VERTICAL CIRCULATION
POP-UP INSTALLATION
POP-UP INSTALLATION
ROOF ADDITION & VERTICAL CIRCULATION
ROOF ADDITION & VERTICAL CIRCULATION
SITTING SPACE
CROSS & CORNER
SCULPTURE
Detail of Cross & Corner Interventions
POP-UP INSTALLATION
ALLEYWAY
GREEN SPACE
POP-UP INSTALLATION
Detail of Alleyway Interventions
GREEN SPACE
BOUNDARY STAGE / OUTDOOR CINIMA
PUBLIC ART
Created by b farias from the Noun Project
Detail of Boundary Interventions
Created by HAMEL KHALED from the Noun Project
Green Wall
Gallery Wall
Projection Wall
DIVERSE ROOF (URBAN FARMING, PLAYGROUND, OPEN MARKET)
ROOFTOPS
ROOF ADDITION & VERTICAL CIRCULATION
Created by Mello from the Noun Project
Created by Adrien Coquet from the Noun Project
Created by shashank singh from the Noun Project
Details of the Rooftop Interventions
Mix-use building section with new interventions
Sub entrance
03 Gangsha Street Market
The biggest food market in Gangsha Village
Main entrance
1
01 Gangsha elementary school An historical institution in Gangsha Village
2
1. Alleyway
2. Cross & Corner
Site Axon
