For me, architecture is more than just buildings. Architectural design is a creative and critical tool that connects social practices with building materials to imagine future relationships. The portfolio contains my academic and professional works as well as personal thinking and self-motivated works. It represents my understanding about architecture.
The coral reef is like a vibrant natural city, it got texture, it got colour, it got movement.
—— Dr. Ruth Gate (Hawaii Institute ofMarine Biology)
Into the Coral
Atelier Forest + Self-Motivated Design
Location: Shanghai China
The installation attempts to use space and interaction patterns to reflect the mutual influence and dependence of living creatures. As residents of coral reefs, fish cruise through the installation in the form of lights. Children who participating in interaction are physical reflections of the fish: participants can freely explore the special playground creating by different forms of coral on the site. Also, tapping the coral will trigger changes of light and sound.
We hope that the physical experience of interacting with coral installations can trigger participants to pay attention to the living conditions of coral reefs, to feel the close connection between humans and the ocean as well as marine life, and reflect on the impact of human activities on the ecological environment.
The second half of the design is based on my own interests after the research I did about coral. It propose a possibility of symbiotic relationship between human, algae and corals.
Background
Current Situation of Coral Reef
Bleached coral on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef near Port Douglas (reference: https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/great-barrier-reefhit-third-major-bleaching-event-five-years-n1166676)
Coral
Coral reefs occur in more than 100 countries and territories and whilst they cover only 0.2% of the seafloor. Between 2014 and 2017 around 75% of the world’s tropical coral reefs experienced heat-stress severe enough to trigger bleaching. For 30% of the world’s reefs, that heat-stress was enough to kill coral.
Relationship Between Coral Reef and Human
Acidification
Coral Structure
Coral polyps are under protected mode during day time. Algae inside polyps receive sunlight and provide energy for polyps
During night time, coral polyps using tentacles to sense the environment and catch prey in sea water.
Interaction between coral and human
Behaviour Input sensor Output feedback
Get into the cabin-type inflatable, weight changes in space
Swing, push and pull the inflatable, causing the structure to shake
Gravity sensor
Lighting effects with breathing gradient effect, sound effects
Pad on the inflatables
sensor
When an inflatable is triggered, the light will change from low to high, the surrounding lights in inflatables will spread accordingly.
changes
Sitting on lower corals
Lights in the inflatables start to flicker spreading from a single point
Stay for a period of time in the gap between the two inflatables
Concept: Marine City
Large scale and human smaller
A city which is alive and sensible
Its’ growth and expression relate to human interaction
Light colour changes on the spot
Simulate the color of coral by using gradient colors
Narrative
When night fell, the land turned into a fantasy ocean, and a colourful coral reef appeared on the square. As children approach to it, they suddenly transformed into marine creature, swirl through the coral reefs. The corals also become excited because of their arrival...
Further Development (Self Motivated Project)
reference: https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/zooxanthellae-and-coral-bleaching https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/media/supp_coral02a.html
The corals and algae have a mutualistic relationship. The coral provides the algae with a protected environment and compounds they need for photosynthesis. In return, the algae produce oxygen and help the coral to remove wastes.
Base on the inspiration from coral and the materials using for coral reef restoration, I came up with the idea of designing a device, where people can live in and contribute to the growth of coral reef at the same time.
Biorock materials are the only marine construction material that grow, get stronger with age, and are self-repairing. It not only grew hard limestone rock for structural purposes, it greatly increased growth of corals and all marine organisms.
Reference: https://www.globalcoral.org/to-rebuild-coral-reefs-quickly-just-add-electricity/
Inspiration of the coral
Coral polyp
Human Algae
Algae
Coral Reef Restoration Materials
Coral Reef Restoration Process
Rendering with Unreal Engine
Pipe that connects beyond the ocean
Buffer area, where elevator can take people to the living space under the sea
Outer structure, where provide a foundation for coral growth
Second tier structure to hold the container for algae storage, also can be the foundation for coral growth
Modular design, channel to connect different living space
Waterproof and breathable bag to store the algae
Algae
Elevator
Main living space for human Secondary living space for human
Algae storage cell
Refresh Together!
dongqi
Location: Shanghai China
Among humans’ five senses, smell is a special one. Believing that the common memory created by sense of smell will not fade as time goes by, we designed this pavilion.
Composed of several sets of inclined cylinders, the pavilion is light and dreamy As aroma itself is invisible, the pavilion is supported by a carefully designed tensegrity structure system. It is detached, suspended, and almost hidden at the height of the human nose, completely becoming a surreal aroma-carrying space. Each set of aroma-carrying unit is made up of two steel cylinders that act as a tensegrity structure. From different directions may come two strangers. As they run into each other right here, they may activate the aroma reminiscent of nature by chance. From the intersection onwards, strangers will continue to walk in different directions. Smell connects them, in more than one dimension.
Concept
In the era of epidemics, wearing masks has become a daily life for people, and the nose has become a sensitive part. Under this circumstance, we want to design a installation for everyone to refresh together, so that people can leave refreshing memories in random encounters.
Generative Logic
Force Simulation
Architects × Miller Harris
Retro Avant-Garde
Self-Motivated Project
This project stems from my thinking on human and nature in my life. I choose to express the relationship between human and nature by learning from Salvador Dali, who was one of the great pioneer artists of last century.
Mixing surprising and incoherent fragments of reality, Dali painted with detailed accuracy a confusion in which objects merge and exchange places.
By imitating Dali, want to express the relationship between human and nature with surrealism.
Storyboard
For some reason, there is always a feeling of me wanting to escape. It has probably been going on for a while, but I don’t know exactly when it started.
Development Sketches
At this moment, the endless noises outside the window gave me the urge to escape from the city.
As James Hillman in his book: “The world has become toxic.” Buildings are sick, institutions are sick, schools, streets are sick. We live in a world full of toxins!
Humans invade the land, invade nature, and at the same time, are invaded by these invisible and intangible toxins made by ourselves. Physical damage will gradually affect the mental and psychological health of human beings. I don’t know why human beings always go to great lengths to change nature.
Interaction
Normally, the whole device stay still, the its’ eye stay close. However, when people come close and put a living plant into its body, its’ eye will open up and the heart will start beating.
Iterations
I was in a taxi one day, feeling suffocated by something, taking a deep breath, and really tasting the exhaust in my mouth.
Just then, I got a message from my friend Nana, who lives in inner Mongolia.
In the video Nana send me. I saw two people from weather bureau is firing rain-proof cannonballs into the sky.
As an architectural designer, I realize design has always been “Human centred design”.However, nature and human beings should be unified.
Using the blood vessels inside human heart to form the heart shape and connecting the heart to the root of tree.
Different iterations of the heart shape when doing 3d printing with clay
I was collaborated with 建筑大王 claudeverett as a site architect in this project.
The aim of the project is to create a shelter using cardboard in high efficiency
The Roman architect Vitruvius in his treatise on architecture, De Architectura, asserted that there were three principles of good architecture: Durability, Utility, Beauty. Taking this into consideration my design utilises the triangle as a basic form and combines this with the techniques of the art of origami. The design sought to create a sense of enclosure and safety and whilst also expressing the structure in a poetic and elegant form.
Radical Art: The Weaving Theatre
UAL 3rd Year Project
Location: Coldharhour Lane, Brixton, London
The Weaving Theatre is an atypical theatre which includes local shops and a performance space. Taking gender issue as a starting point, the whole project was developed with the focuses of trauma, informal therapy, movement etc. The theatre is designed for the performers as well as those who need curing or relaxing, where they can feel safe and cherished. The building includes spaces for different people and can satisfy different user requirements, from public to private, from quiet and intimate to open and sharing spaces.
The weaving theatre was designed based on a process of healing programmatically and spatially. Weaving is a hair salon service in Brixton for men or women, which at the same time represents the process of “weaving” their lives and improving their quality of life.
Manifesto: Challenge dichotomy between male and female, audience and performers, on stage and off stage. becoming vocal about new experience in gender and being healed through performance therapy.
History of Brixton Riot Starting Point
Gender Race and Repression through History
Taoist School
A unique presence concept in China which describes how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are actual complementary, interconnected and interdependent in natural world.
-Yin and Yang (feminine and masculine)
Confucian School
-Male superiority to female
-A woman without talent is virtuous
-Three Obediences and Four Virtues
Foot-binding (Existing for a long time in China. Greatly ruined Chinese women mentally and physically)
-The smaller the better -Bones deformity build up muscles, which is beneficial to give birth
-A woman is property of man
An Incident
Fire Brixton!
Brixton Skateboard Park (2017)
Our site research team acted as an initiator of provocation, getting involved with the local residents.
We made an installation and brought it on site to see how people react to it.
The flag was burned by the local people at the end of the day.
The scene was chaotic. The flag was burn to ashes. Some people even threw fireworks into crowd.
Conceptual model of the chosen cultural practice
Different Feelings
Three different feelings after the incident in skateboard park
Hu was excited, kicking and playing with the burning flag.
Gender Spaces on Site
Fire Brixton video links: https://vimeo.com/manage/ videos/676598347
Brixton collage video links: https://vimeo.com/manage/ videos/676598564
Christina got angry when someone throwing fireworks into the crowd. She thought it is very dangerous.
found this incident scary. They were shocked for the whole thing happened in a such short period. did not feel safe and afraid of getting hurt.
Tutor: Ursula Dimitriou & Dejan MrdjaSkateboard
Public
Health/Sport
Pedestrian
Interview and findings on
site
“Living in a place like Brixton, You have to make good, positive things to yourself.”
“Be strong as a lion. Be positive.”
Owner of a wig shop
Do we need to stay strong all the time?
When doing drag, people can be whoever they cannot be in daily life
Local
Informal A “SAFE” Place
A place for local vulnerable people where provides an opportunity to heal them
Daniel (The local manager)
Back then Barber shops and Salon were separated. It was like a community meeting place The barber shop was not just about getting you hair done, but it was a place to talk about other life topics with your neighbourhood.
The process of making hair is a possible informal therapy
People may tell their own story and turn into a performance
Paris is Burning
A 1990 American documentary film. It chronicles the ball culture of New York City and the African-American, Latino, gay, and transgender communities involved in it.
The Brixton Gay Community Centre
The community centre was squatted by people who were determined to come out into the clear light of day with a public statement of gay identity.
A women’s theatre company
The women in prison tell their stories in front of a camera, the video clips were put together and turn into a short film.
Within
Iteration 1
The private circulation leading to the upper floor, where is more quiet and intimate.
Make the shops on the first floor and the performance space connect to each other and become a whole space
Iteration 2
Main circulation Shops View connection
Circulation from private entrance
A place for escaping from the world for a while.
The platform where people may access when entering the building from the private entrance
Section Perspective and activities
Spatial Reference
In the book ‘‘Environmental Theatre’’, Richard Schechner put out a new theory of performance study. He shaped the space to conform each play and its theme. He used various ways to provide a wider range of space for the actors and the greater flexibility of interaction between the audience and performers.
Street Elevation
Shops on the first floor correspond to the shops on the ground floor
Imagine the Future
In nature, all kinds of creatures have their unique urban structures. Such as the city of forest, the city of coral reefs in the ocean and so on. The difference of living environment between humans and other creatures is that their structures of city are formed by natural growth, while the cities of human beings are usually composed of reinforced concrete or other man-made materials.
Why are the cities we live in must be square and solid? Is it possible for the city of the future to be soft and light?
In the future, people no longer live in concrete walls, instead, they live in “buildings” composed of a main structure and soft and elastic bubbles that grow on with. Inspired by a plant and its leaves, the new form of buildings has a circulatory system inside: humans and algae form a symbiotic relationship within each inflated bubble. There is also an open platform, making by inflatable membrane, for each family to grow plants or vegetables. At that time, cities are no longer rigid, but with vitality and can metabolize....
