UCL Portfolio Xu Hanwen AD

Portfolio Architecture Full Name: Hanwen XU Applying Programme: MArch Architectural Design Student Number: 20137251 Academic Year 2020/21 Mode of Attendance Full time

HANWEN XU Emali: zy21581@163.com

Phone: +86 18048610721

Education 09/2016 - 06/2020

The Univerisity of Nottingham, Ningbo, China Bachelor of Architecture

GPA

3.4/4.0

Academic & Intership Experience 08/2019 - 11/2019

Urban Space Renewal From the Perspective of AR, Student

07/2019

UNNC x CCA, School Exchange Activities, Student representative

06/2019 - 08/2019

Research of "Li Nong" building in Shanghai, Group leader

06/2019 - 08/2019

Shanghai ConCom Studio, Architecture intern

07/2018 - 09/2018

Chendu Urban Architectual Company, Architecture intern

06/2018 - 09/2018

UIA HYP Cup Student Design Competition, Participant

The research is about how to use AR technology in future's urban space to improve people's life quality.

The activities include a series of academic lecture and evaluation of Student representatives' work.

The research about old residential housing in Yangpu, Shanghai.

Site inspection and data collation, assist in daily tasks

Model making and CAD drawing

The research about urban co-living-customizing modules for community

Honors & Awards 11/2019

"Head Student" Scholarship 2019

07/2019

Exhibition Representative to China Academy of Art

06/2019

Excellent Student Work of Spring Semester 2019 Retail building project: The Terrace

01/2019

Excellent Student Works of Fall Semester 2018 Collective housing project: Folding Longchang

06/2017

Outstanding Student Union staff

Play an important role in the organization of big events (X-show, Chinatown, Spring Ball, etc...)

Skills Software

Rhino, Sketchup, Maya, Revit, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, CAD, V-ray, Enscape

Compare with rendering, I am better at personalized expression like collages, illustrations and line drawings.

Hobbies 2

Graphic design, Script writing, Travel, Reading

Personal Statement

Confused by the artistic and abstract teaching in the first two years, my architecture passion was not truly kindled until the third year on the transformation design of old apartment built in 1920s. Since the building was still in use, I had to include many real-world factors in the design, a truly enjoyable process full of analyses and reasonings to make concrete changes. Chilean architect Alejandro Aravena further sharpened this academic appetite with his outstanding social housing design that questioned the essence of architectural design, as well as made me realize that a good design could cast huge impact on people and community. A lover of reading especially on social science and history, I can clearly feel the interconnections between architecture, society, and urbanism that appeals to me with all-embracing stance and potential.

In retrospective, I feel grateful for having my undergraduate study at The University of Nottingham Ningbo, one of China’s earliest joint institution with UK where most of my teachers graduated from AA and UCL. In the second and third year, I engaged in big design projects that allowed me to conduct in-depth research-based study on urban and renovation of historical building; while the urban design task last year trained me to see architecture and city from macro perspective.

Out of peculiar interest in renovation of old buildings and blocks, I participated in two important designs.

From the block renewal project during internship, I learned the unique urban fabric of Shanghai Lilong and how this style should be renewed for future use, as well as the intricacy of real-world urban case where a designer needs to consider many factors such as transformation cost, developer requirement, and predicament of original residents. The second case is my independent design project “Folding Longchang”, a regeneration plan of one of China’s oldest concrete apartments. In addition to discussing the conflicts between the old “aborigines” and new “immigrants” and employing modularization to grant high flexibility for the limited space, I also researched on the building ownership and living system. By analyzing the social environment change in 30 years, I tried to see what can be done by architects to not only appease the elders with little modification, but more importantly, to grant the “invaders” decent living space that every citizen is entitled with.

Speaking of design habits, I prefer to employ logical analysis and reasoning (sense) to dissect subtle and humanistic needs (sensibility). Much like Aravena labelled his style as “calm humanitarianism“, was aspired to look at China’s social equity and power asymmetry such as the pressing wealth gap as a down-to-earth designer to solve real problems other than flaunt empty concepts. This logic-base design thinking makes me highly value the connection between people and site over the funcitonoriented design that prevail in today’s China, which I believe should and will be replaced in the future by those who have a true vision.

A highly interdisciplinary domain with very vague boundaries, architecture has always lured me to break and expand the boundaries.To fulfill my design value and pursuit, I have been making unremitting efforts. Yet the further I explore into this field, the less I realize I know. This intellectual hunger motivates me to continue my studies in Europe to further expand my vision and get prepared with better expertise.

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CONTENT

Project 1. Folding Longchang

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15

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25

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“The ants in the metropolis and their folded life”.

Type: Renovation of old apartment Time: 2017, Year 3, fall project, individual work

Project 2. The Terrace “Everyone is the scenery of other's life”.

Type: Commercial building Time: 2018, Year 3, summer project, individual work

Project 3. The Fusion of Opposite “The opposite things have their value”.

Type: Old factory renovation Time: 2019, Year 4, fall project, group work

Things For Fun

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PROJECT 1

Folding Longchang “The ants in the metropolis and their folded life�.

Renovation of old apartment 2017 fall semester project Individual work 5

History and Current Situation

Early Stage - Police Dormitory

After Culture Revolution - The Increase of Residents

Nowaday - The Decay of Apartment

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Old Facade in 1920s

The Longchang apartment was one of the best apartment in Shanghai in the first half of the twentieth century. It was one of the first modern buildings in China, which was designed by British in 1920s.

Nowaday Facade

However, with time pass by, the situation of Longchang apartment become worse. Now, only old local people (who already live in it for more than 20 years) and poor migrant live in the building.

1920 - 1949

Police

1949 - 1969

Head of government

1969 - 1980

Police official

1980 -

Local people

2018 -

Migrants

Client Analysis Resident Group A - Migrant worker

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2

3

Resident Group B - Old local

1 2

3

4

5

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Temporary home + Poor + "Migrant" bird + Diversity group + Short stay + Discriminated by local residents + Dissatisfied with bad living condition The migrants in the Shanghai, they come here for more money. However, they never try to stay here. They like wild goose stay here temporarily.

+ Not poor + Special emotion to apartment + Local group + Long stay + Don’t like migrant residents + Be familiar with living condition

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1. Go in 2. Go out 3. Sleep 4. Worlk

Most of old local live here for more than 20 years. The reason they stay here is because they like the condition.

They condisder the apartment as home.

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9 101112

1. Eat 2. Wash 3. Dry cloth 4. Cook 5. Walk 6. Mahjong

7. Chat 8. Drop around 9. Gardening 10. Chat 11. Rubbish 12. Newspaper

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Strategies Used by Residents to Increase Space

The lack of space makes the living condition to become worse. Residents have no choice but occupy the corridor t rights and the degradation of the visual quality. However, in some case, it also has possitive aspect. This is actually

Strategy 1: Partial Addtion

Solution: Space Integration “Mixed” In the old building, different functions are mixed together, which caused low efficiency and living quality.

“Break down” Break down traditional residence structure. Classify the functional areas and divided them with each other.

“Units” Each unit only support one function.

Use the space in centralized way.

Space will be used in high efficient (also support more function).

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Strategy 2: Pus

Development of Design Stra

to put more things. This leads to many problems like The encroachment of public space, the confusion of property y a flexible way of using space.

sh-out the Wall

Strategy 3: Extraposition Furniture

ategy Expansion and contraction of corridor

The development of structure for migrant

Expansion and contraction of function ‘wall’

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STEP 1. Rent for sleeping area The basic unit of sleeping area is 0.64m2 (800mm*800mm). You could rent the number you need in the area.The space is already organized preliminarily. You still could develop your space by yourself.

No matter how much space you rent, you could enjoy all the same public space and facilities in the apartment!

STEP 2. Pay more for more! (optional) - More furniture!

- More personal bedcloths!

- More personal electric appliance!

You can rent more things in the apartment you need! It depends on the things you need and how much you can pay.

STEP 3. Install you own unit!

The whole system use removable partitions (800mm*3500mm*40mm) as wall, which is very easy for you to instal it by yourself. Clapboard has good sound insulation and shading performance.

The instal of board still should follow basic organization. It could be improved in the future.

STEP 4. Enjoy free public service!

The people in Long Chang could enjoy many kinds of service and facilities for free! They include exerciser, cinima, net bar, toilet, kithen, dining room, etc...

These things are all shared and controlled by adminstrator.

From Beginning to End: The process to install your own unit The structure of each room

Recommended unit type

Type 1. Single

Type 2. Double

Type 3. Collective

Type 4. Capsule

Type 5. Expansion 11

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Entertainment

Entertainment

Cooking and Dinner

Cooking and Dinner

Unit installation

Check-in

Commuting by stairs

Commuting by elevator

Morning/Evening

Evening(after work)

Afternoon(work time) 13

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PROJECT 2

The Terrace “Everyone is the scenery of other's life�.

Community commercial building 2019 spring semester project Individual work 15

Context and Element Compare with selling goods, the store is more like selling cultural concept.

This peoject is based on senior students' masterplan project. In general, the site is a gathering place for immigrants from Sichuan in Shanghai. To revive the local economy, I deceided to design a Sichuan characteristics community commercial building.

To achieve this goal, I chose three of the most famous images in Sichuan culture, teahouse, hot pot and mahjong, which represent the characteristics of slow life of Sichuan people. The idea of slow life is suitable for people in Shanghai, most of them are very busy everyday, sometimes they need a place to slow down.

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Design Strategy: Type and Metaphor In the process of design, I tried to use typology to design.I referred to the architecture and cultural fragments with sichuan.Based on people's memory of sichuan culture, I extracted simplified type elements from it. Achieve homology, the new type will have the same prototype as the type in human memory. It's a metaphor for customer outside.

Market

Stilted building form

New type market

Kitchen

Bamboo form

New type kitchen

Dining room

Bamboo form

New type dining room

Teahouse

Bamboo forest

New type teahouse

Mahjiong

Bamboo form

New type pavilion

Community park

Terrace form

Overall

Overall

Local people

Real Sichuan 17

Function and Structure

Vision 3 Teahouse

Vision 3 Dining Room

Vision 2 Tea picking

Vision 2 Kitchen

Vision 1 Mahjiong

Vision 1 Market

Vision 0 Retial space

Vision 0 Retial space

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Circulation

Function

Dining room Counter Teahouse

Kitchen Tea making area

Market Pavilion

Route 1 (Customer) Route 2 (Mixed)

Retial space

Route 3 (Customer)

Toilet

Route 4 (Mixed)

Warehouse/Office

People

Structure

Timber box

Customer Customer/Local

Column net 19

Section

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PROJECT 3

The Fusion of Opposite “The opposite things have their value�.

Old factory renovation 2019 fall semester project Group work Hanwen XU, Zhenyou CHEN, Tianchen KANG, Yuhang TAO My duty Team leader, Concept develop, Graphics making The graphics made by me will have underline as mark 25

Elements

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Typology Analysis 29

The Contrast in the Site

Fish slide

None water Alive part

Abandoned part Yong river

Ground layer

Design Strategy

New structure

Small water Local life

Morden life Big water

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Old structure

Debate: Morden-Local Life

Modern life, represented by art, is in some ways a contrast to traditional local life. The dead area on the left and the still functioning area on the right are good ways to express this contrast.

Debate: Big-Small Water

The different scale water has different character. In China old paint, big water is active and noisy, it is suitable for big activity. However, small water is calm and quiet. It is for people to think amd dhyana.

Design Strategy

O

Type: Water Design

Market

View Park

Theater

Interior

Child Park

Connection

Studios

Swimming Pool

Fish Village

Joint In

Platform

Cross

Adjoin

Step Over

Surrond

Connect

Slope

Viewing Deck

Type: Bridge Design

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Organization of Public Spaces

Design Strategy Overview

Four Layer of Masterplan Layer Layer Layer Layer

1 2 3 4

- Train Rail - Huge building - Warehouse - Waterfront

Small Size Public Space Small public space Middle public space Large public space

Big and Small Water Water

Medium Size

First and Second Layer Second layer

Art Zone and Local Zone "Morden life" "Old life"

Large Size 33

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Over

rview

Ground Layer and Upper Layer

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Big Water and Small Water

Art Gallery and Local Market

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Waterfront and Train Rail Park

Things For Fun Architecture is interesting. But the process to finish a design is too long... Sometimes I like do some small design (not architecture) just for fun. Here is some of my work.

Logo Design 1. UNNC‘s board game club logo

2017

I am an avid board game club player.This design is a new logo that I was invited to design for my college's board game club when I was in year 2.

2. Logo For Myself...

2018

Logo designed for myself. I like do some interesting design. So, I decided to design a logo to include all my design.

Graphic Design 1. A Satire Visual Image

2019

There are three of my classmate is really "punk" in the design studio. They are too noisy everyday. So, I made this image for them (without their allowed hahaha).

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Bookmark

2019

I like reading book. So, I decided to to make a series of bookmark for myself. Here is the first one I designed. The topic is about the cyber city in the future, because I like the movie Blade Runner very much!

Script

2017-2020

Story Script Cover Design

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This is a series of story script I wrote by myself. Two years ago, I was obsessed with Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythology. So, I wrote Cthulhu story in his style. The cover design, text and illustration of the script were all done by myself. Many friends like the stroy.

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