Portfolio for UCL MArch Architectural Design

QIN YI XU PORTFOLIO SELECTED

WORKS

2017 - 2021

Applying For M.Arch Architectural Design UCL, The Bartlett School of Architecture

PROLOGUE My architecture is about designing for societal objectives.

Designing for societal objectives advocates for people's actual needs rather than made-up fantasies. As a result, architects should build for social objectives to solve the living situations of underprivileged individuals. This includes creating a performance, a work of art, or a product that addresses, resolves and reflects on those challenges.

I believe designers must pay attention to and comprehend societal objectives and operations and people's perceptions of humanity in the right social environment to design for societal objectives. Only with such understandings can we build for social living, economic life, and societal viewpoints to better the world we live in.

The core content of exploration in my portfolio is designing for societal. The projects analyze the culture of the site and the context from three time dimensions: past, present and future. From the perspective of society-users, it is designed for their needs and survival.

CONTENTS [ Rhapsody in Blue ] A Manifesto for Future Group Work Fictitious, Somewhere in the Universe Instructor: Li Dan Email: 704062358@qq.com Hand Model

Mountain Villa Design 2017

[ Berlin 1989+ ] Historical Research and Design Project Individual Work Berlin, Germany Instructor: Yun Jiaxin Email: 3573224653@qq.com [ Della Perduta Patria ] Renovation of San Giovanni Val di Lago, San Lorenzo Nuovo, Italy Individual Work Instructor: Yun Jiaxin Email: 3573224653@qq.com [ Back to Living Community ] Social Research and Residential Design Guangzhou, China Individual Work Instructor: Xia Zhengwei Email: zwxia@suda.edu.cn

01 Rhapsody in Blue A Manifesto for Future

Site: Fictitious, Somewhere in the Universe Team work & Created for Standout Archi - Young Vision Architect Competition 2021 Contribution: Concept (50%), Design and Modeling (100%),Representation (100%) Instructor: Li Dan

Email: 704062358@qq.com

"But without fallibility there is no art. And without art there is no truth."

Alastair Reynolds Author of <Zima Blue>

Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?, 1897 , Paul Gauguin

Humans never stop thinking about life, which reminds me of the Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin.Toward the end of his life, he spent ten years in French Polynesia. The paintings from this time depict people or landscapes from that region.He explores the essence of human life in modern society.

When technology develops to a certain level, what will people think about themselves?

Separation It is the separation of space, time, whole and part separation. When the territory of human life expands to an infinite range, humans begin to isolate from space. Too long a life allows human beings to travel upstream in the long river of time. The memory that uses time as a variable begins to saturate, chaos, and time begins to separate.

Equality Any living body has free will and is unique, whether it is a machine that performs simple tasks or a human that controls a machine. Self is equality, and all lives have the right to pursue truth and selforiginating value.

Home

Is the home a living room for humans? Is it the result of wisdom and social civilization? "Home" is a physical shelter. In the highly developed society and the torrent of science and technology, it is the origin of human beings, an emotional and spiritual high ground without any modification. In architecture, human beings strip away the shackles of science and technology and obtain happiness from the simplest life and work. It is also the answer and personal choice for human beings to explore the truth.

Reference: "Love, Death & Robots" Zima Blue (TV Episode 2019) Poster

ZIMA

Human–-Robot

ZIMA

BLUE

The Story of

SEPARATION isolation

2019 separated from the

Too long a life allows human beings to travel upstream in the long river of time.

The memory that uses time as a variable begins to saturate, chaos, and time begins to separate.

to facilitate the re-merging of humans and time and space.

machines

HOME With the development of science and technology, will the imbalance caused by the continuous change of the relationship between robots and humans create meaningful space or chaos?

Do people need to intervene in the psychological changes caused by the development of science and technology?

social distance

wisdom and social civilization a living room

an emotional and spiritual high ground without any modification to explore the Any building can become a home for people, and architects should help users find themselves.

Truth

When the territory of human life expands to an infinite range

Spiritual

for humans

Is the home the

of human beings

MEMORY SATURATION

BLUE

To extract some simple pleasure from execution of a task well done.My search for truth is finished at last. I'm going home.

Zima

Human & Robot

Zima was originally manufactured by human as a pool robot, after continuous transformation, it has a brain and wisdom.

SEEK all lives have the right to pursue

unique EXPORATION

Any living body has free will and is

whether it is a machine that performs simple tasks or a human that controls a machine

Zima reformed himself. He explored the cosmos to find the true meaning of art—— the blue tiles in the pool in the first memory.

Zima continues to create works of art related to the blue square, and to achieve the ultimate in art. He became truly famous.

The last performance of Zima is un-making himself into the original swimming pool robot and clean the tiles for the simplest happiness.

Zima's exploration of self inspired robots and humans to think about the origin.

LID

10 0%

Mass Generation

LI D

SO

LI D

BLUE

80 %

SO

70 %

The Manifesto of

SO

ZIMA

Perspective

LI D

LI D SO

LI D LI D SO

75 %

SO

LI D

75 % LI D

LI D SO

LI D

65 %

individual

85 %

expande

LID

SO

SO

60 %

SO

LI D

85 %

Simplicity Since his birth, he has gradually expanded its understanding of the world. Every individual gets pleasure from completing simple tasks.

T h e f a re w e l l b e t w e e n t h e robots and the owners , the disintegration of the ro b o t s a re a l l i n t h e m a i n building composed of small modular memorial palaces.

The remaining parts of the unmaked robots are used for the construction of human residential areas. The public space in the main building is divided into four parts: the lobby, sorting, compression and transportation.

SO

55 %

Plan

SO

Elements

50 %

Icons

60 %

explore

VO ID D

VO I

20 %

VO I

30 % VO I

D

confused

VO I

D

50 %

VO I

45 %

He began to feel confused that gain fame and benefits beyond his own desires, and fell into thinking about the meaning of his own existence.

D

Perplexed

D

H e e x p l o re d t h e t r u t h in this tortuous world, experienced hardships, and gained a deep understanding of the world and his own thinking.

SO

Exploration

15 %

Legend

D

Memorial Palace for Individual VO I

D

25 %

The truth is to return to the original self, leave the necessary objects to complete simple tasks and return to the spiritual paradise.

D

25 %

VO I

D

40 %

VO I

Home

Sorting Robot Parts

VO I

35 %

VO I

D

15 %

Compressing Robot Parts Collecting and Transmiting

40 %

VO I

D

return

Module

Memorial Lobby for Zima Blue

Master Plan

Memorial Palace The memorial palace is designed for every individual robot. Zima's exploration of life is built into a space to remind humans who have lost themselves and to help the robot return to its original function.

Re-engraving zima's exploration of truth onto each individual. The waste parts recovered by the robot are used in the construction of human houses.

1. Module Stack Memorial Palaces

2. Cut & Streamline Place spiral streamline and connect modules in series

3. Dislocation & Public Space Vacant high public spaces to accommodate functions

4. Geometry Standardize public spaces with geometric shapes

…What do you mean you have to go, Kevin?

But we have been together for 40 years!

Yes, indeed. But I start to think about Zima recently. We all gain fame and glory when growing up, but do we still remember what we are deep inside, William?

This is what I must do, William.

I know, I do know.

You came to me when I was just a little boy, we became two better individuals together though these years. You were just a memo robot but now you are all equipped with just like a right human!

You have made up you mind for Rhapsody in Blue?

I am, this is all the destinies belong to.

Okay, then we will be doing this together. Let’s go Kevin.

Oh, what a place!

As Kevin and William going though the tunnel and looking for their individual room, they also witness the farewells of the others.

Is this a pool? What is this for?

This is the pool where Zima Blue decomposed himself.

He found the real self now——a pool cleaner, happy and satisfied.

There’s nothing particularly sad about this, every robot and their human understand the significance of these tiny little cubes.

This is the final shipping step.

This is the second step of the factory streamline compression.

The transported parts can be used in the construction of settlements.

Machine compresses robot parts of different sizes into cubes.

Look, that's the introduction to the recycling plant.

I'm ready to start the journey.

This cube consists of four small rooms, which represent zima's mental journey.

L o o k , t hi s i s o u r room, let's go inside !

The stele represents each individual robot, doing its own thing

Waiting for me to come back to you in my original form.

It's time to say goodbye, thank you for being with me all these years, but we all need to find ourselves back.

Disintegrate to its simplest form.

02 Berlin 1989+

Mending the Cracks in History

Historical Research and Design Project Site : Berlin Mitte, Germany Individual & Academic Work Instructor: Yun Jia Xin Email: 3573224653@qq.com

"Only the person who has experienced light and darkness, war and peace, rise and fall, only that person has truly experienced life."

Stefan Zweig, Die Welt von Gestern

From the trauma of the past to the present world This is an era that requires alert. The imprint of war still remains in the world today.After two world wars, Germany experienced division and bridging. The memory of history is buried under the ground of modern construction.Berlin, as the center of the division between East and West Germany, bears the responsibility of alerting people.

The project started from the old railways and stations that have experienced wars, awakening traumatized individuals' memory of history. The project re-planned the Berlin Wall section of the Berlin Mitte district from an urban scale. The newly built history museum reproduces the divided Berlin, in order to set up a better bridge of cooperations for the present world.

BERLIN

The site is located in the Mitte district of Berlin, and the Szczecin Railway passing through was damaged by two world wars. During the Cold War, the Berlin Wall divided the site into two halves, which affected the operation of the railway and two important stations.

Ideological Changes in Germany Resources and power

LEGEND

Communism Communism Communism

Capitalism others...

Berlin

Capitalism

Capitalism

Communism

Capitalism

1914

1939

1947

World War I

World War II

Uneven distribution of resources among powers.

The opposition between the two political and military blocs.

....

1991

Cold War

Dissolution of the Soviet Union

Berlin Wall Germany were completely divided.

Merger of East and West Germany after the Cold War.

FUTURE Merger of East and West Germany after the Cold War.

The Influence of Ideology During the Cold War Street Appearance East Berlin Berlin airlift

Capitalism

West Germany accepts economic and technological donations from the United States.

West Berlin

Market economy Military parade

The streets are spacious and sparsely populated. Most of the architectural forms are Stalinist.

The Marshall Plan

Free and open citizens

Some East German citizens tried to defect with a hot air balloon.

Square and sculpture

Freedom of dress

Graffiti

Common prosperity Bolshevik

American street

Military heavy industry

Street Appearance West Berlin Economy

East Germany's economy is relatively backward and heavy industry is emphasized.

East Berlin

Communism

LEGEND East Berlin West Berlin Lead to Reverse

The Differences in Architectural Characteristics Baroque & Gothic

Classicism & Modernism

Plan & Elevation

Perform geometric translation based on the distribution of East German and West German style buildings on the site.

Stalinist

Power Division

Character

Custom

Factor

Kandinsky's ldealisation

Religion

1947 Cold War

Architectural characteristics of Berlin during the split period. ( plan & elevation )

War

Economy

History

Ideology

Culture

Partisan

Climate

Humanistic Tradition

Politics

Berlin–Szczecin Railway

Berlin Wall

Elevation Impression

Gesundbrunnen Station

Bridge

East-Berlin

West-Berlin

Classicism & Modernism

Stalinist

Facade Hierarchy type1 type2 type3

type1

b a b b b

type4

a

2a b 2a

type2

b b b/2

b/2

5b/2

5b/2

type3

d c c

c/2

c/2 c 7c/2

c 3c c

5c

2c 2c d 2c 2c

c

Nordbahnhof

2c 2c

type4

7c/2 c

b

West-Berlin

East-Berlin

Figure Ground Relationshp Hamburger Bahnhof East German Building District West German Building District East-West-German Architecture Conflict District Greening

The plane is free, the building can be added freely over time, and the enclosure is strong.

The plan is regular, and the buildings are mostly intensive residences arranged in a straight strip shape.

0.5km

Berlin-Mitte

Railway Station Berlin Wall

Reginal Planning

SiteA Analysis Berlin–Szczecin Railway

Berlin Wall

Gesundbrunnen Station

SITE

Bridge

Nordbahnhof

Hamburger Bahnhof LEGEND Green Space Residence Supporting Facilities Major Business Centre Utilities

0.5km

Urban Programme Planning

SHOPPING MALL

RAILWAY STATION

MUSEUM

SQUARE TOWER

THEATRE

AMUSEMENT PARK

SHOPPING CENTRE The site of the underground air-raid shelter in the site connects the escape tunnel from East Germany to West Germany, as well as underground trams and military material storage warehouses.

BATHS

CHURCH

PARK

HOTEL Existing building 100m

Site red line

From Reality to Abstract Interpretation

Elemental Analysis Invert

Supremacism Deja Vu

Concept Model

Perspective On the basis of the original building: Gesundbrunnen Station, new exhibition and entertainment functions are built. The underground bunker building is retained, flipped to the ground in the same shape, connected with the subway, and constitutes the function of exhibition and traffic core.

Streamline Analysis

Section A-A' The spiral passage inside the main building abstractly restores the escape route from East Germany to West Germany. The two inner and outer tourist flow lines converge into the cylindrical core traffic core, and play the role of expressing cultural integration and commemorating history.

03 Della Perduta Patria Renovation of San Giovanni

Site: Val di Lago, San Lorenzo Nuovo, Italy Individual & Created for International Architecture Competition - Reuse the Lake Chapel Instructor: Yun Jia Xin

Email: 3573224653@qq.com

"Wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion."

<Holy Bible>

Alla ricerca della perduta Patria What people should and shouldn't do is difficult to prove. Rely solely on reason, then the result is that people have neither sufficient reasons to do anything, nor not to do anything that can be accomplished. The world itself is driven by love and hate, but those cannot transcend the boundary between birth and death. The meaning of religion is to integrate the overflowing love and hate into an established framework so that the memory of civilization and history can be possible.

This project renovated a lake chapel on the holy road Via Francigena from London to Rome in Italy. The chapel was built in the 16th century and was once the center of a city. The renovation turns this old chapel into a religious center on the holy road, reviving the former grand occasion here.

Holy Road

Via Francigena

Extract and abstract the religious architectures on The Via Francigena, and applied them to the design of the site.

Site History

The church was once located in the small town——San Lorenzo Nuovo.

In the 18th century, the small town moved north to its current location, and the church was abandoned.

The Via Francigena is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land.

The Lake Chapel

San Giovanni in Val di Lago

Formation San Giovanni in Val di Lago is a Renaissance-style, Roman Catholic f o r m e r c h u rc h . T h e r u i n s a re notable for the octagonal shape of the church, erected between 1563 and 1590 to designs by Pietro Tartarino.

Location

Figure Ground

Road Network

Religious center and city center

religious center

city center

Acquapendente

religious center

city center

San Lorenzo Nuovo

city center

Bolsena

religious center

accommodation bazaar

node

Site

Methodology

Church

Figure Ground

+ Sanctuary

Function

Formation

Typology

Nave

Courtyard

Road Network

Religious center and city center

Bazaar

+

Accommodation

OUTPUT

Lookout

Infrastructure Concert

Infrastructure

Amphitheatre

Master Plan

A-A' Section

Streamline Function Analysis

Vertical Section Perspective

Perspectives Amphitheatre Corridor

1

50mm Cenia Limestone

2

300mm Reinforced concrete slab

3

Support steel nails

4

Glass pillar

5

Drainage ditch

6

Footing foundation

The sunken square is located on the north side of the site. When there are religious concerts or fairs, they are used as gathering venues for public events.

North entrance

The entrance on the north side is mainly for visitors, l e a d i n g t o t h e b a z a a r, church and religious activity area respectively.

4

Oasis on the Holy road

2

3

1

5

6

The reconstructed church provides accommodation and activities for pilgrims, and it is also a spiritual habitat for pilgrims.

04 Back to Living Community Social Research and Residential Design Site : Guangzhou Haizhu, China Individual & Academic Work Instructor: Xia Zhengwei Email: zwxia@suda.edu.cn

" 人因宅而立，宅因人得存，人宅相扶。感通开地 "

"People stand because of the house, and the house survives because of the people, and the house supports each other. The feeling is open."

The House of HuangDi

Cities in Evolution When the urbanization frontiers sprawled to the villages that used to be located on the outskirts of the city, government compulsorily purchased some farmlands formerly cultivated by the villages and turned them into urban land, while reserved the residential lands due to the high social and economic costs to relocate the villagers. To compensate the villagers for their lost dwellings, the government had to arrange jobs and larger apartments in the city for these unskilled villagers, which is usually difficult to achieve during the early period of China's reforms. Therefore, cities such as Guangzhou have the urban characteristics of urban villages due to their rapid development.

The project addresses the existing problems of Guangzhou’s urban villages: housing shortages and high housing prices. It designs a residential area that combines commercial functions for young migrant workers. Meet the needs of these people for renting.

Site Analysis

Background Analysis

The site is located in Longtan Village, Haizhu District, Guangzhou , China. Due to the rapid development of cities, cities have surrounded the countryside, forming 'Urban Villages'. Longtan Village is a typical one.The site is next to the Longtan Overpass, and the green space planning is affected by the two parks in the south.

Urban villages in Guangzhou have problems such as dense population, shortage of housing, poor living conditions.

Group Mass Generation "Z" Combination

"L" Combination

Group

Shape Generation

01 The building axis is perpendicular to the river.

Master Plan

02 Wind direction, traffic, surrounding houses affect the layout of the building.

03 Sunlight affects building height.

04 Urban Greenway Planning affects the trend of building form.

Riverfront Runway

South Side Entrance

Floor Plan

Unit Group Diagram The standard floor of the residence is composed of three types of units to meet the needs of different groups of people. Every two floors share a common space.

Section A-A

Insulation Support steel nails Hanging pole

Vegetation Soil substrate

Main keel

Roof barrier Waterproof mambrane Thermic insulation Bearing structure

Square panel

Construction Process

TRANSPORTATION

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

1 month

1 month

1 week

FACTORY PREFAB

3

Foundation Construction

Structural Construction

Assemble and Build

Put into use

2

1