Sijia liu_2023 SP

MY SONG, YOUR PLAYGROUND

Music conveys emotions through its beat, melody and lyrics. The listener can feel this emotion and become relaxed and happy because of a song. When thoughts return to people listening to music with tape, children always use the tape as a toy, turn its axis, and watch the black tape circle after circle.

The project was inspired by a song named favorite stuff that describing the unforgettable age of music with cassettes. Through strict physical experiments, the tape presents different extruded, restricted states, and some interesting spaces can be found in these shapes. The design focuses on creating various space to provide a playground and a community centre for public neighbourhood. There are facilities with different functions in close proximity, providing an opportunity for all ages to interact, hoping to create a dynamic relaxed atmosphere for people like music can do.

Synthesizer with digital recall system

graphic equalizer echo unit record

Operational diagram

The black line indicated the signal path.

delay return

tape recorders

playback

output stored on master tape combined monitor output

Physical study

Physical study

Extrusion and limitation Extrusion limit Restrictions

From the physical experiment in which the tape-carrying wheels are rotated with the rotation direction and the number of cycles as variables, different relative positions of the tape-carrying wheels are obtained.

Site plan

The position is facing the river, with a lot of trees next to the project. Artificial landscape is connected with city street and river bank, it's natural for pedestrians to get into this area from street and river bank. It is a community centre for public neighbourhood.

Downward stripping Wrap in outer ring Pull toward the arrow

Extrusion Pull opposite Limit and squeeze

1. Art gallery

2. Meditation room

3. Gymnasium

4. Emporium

6. Activity centre

7. Church

8. Hotel

9. Library

1. Art gallery

2. Meditation room

3. Gymnasium

4. Emporium

5. Live house

6. Activity centre

7. Church

8. Hotel

9. Library

10. Conference centre

Exploded-axon

Aerial view rendering

WHITE CRESCENT

Papermaking is one of the four great inventions in China. It is generally believed that origami originated in my country and then has been widely developed in Japan. Origami art is rich in forms, complex in structure, and lifelike. Today, it is no longer just a simple children's game. when standardized mass production has become the mainstream, traditional handicrafts have highlighted their unique appeal. The traditional folding, cutting, weaving of traditional origami crafts create ever-changing shapes and give people countless modeling reveries.

Through interlocking, bending, and mirroring, I can find the origami forming complex space and interesting massing. These flows made by origami have graceful curves like the white crescent in night.

Things are closely connected with each other so that they are linked.

When bending it, it changes direction to form a curve or angle.

These curves move there steadily and continuously.

Elevation change Mirror

There are different heights above the horizon, some curves can be higher than others.

One part can be copied, then these two parts have similar features.

Front view

Aerial View

Detail A

Detail B

Detail C

THE WAY OF A LITTLE DROPLET

Watching the ink in the cup drip into a glass of water, only a drop of ink filled a glass of water. This drop of ink affects the environment in which the entire cup is located. The changing shape of ink droplets into the water is fascinating and reminiscent. I began to think of a very classic sentence from the famous writer Lu Xun: May all Chinese youths get rid of the cold air and just walk up, without listening to self-deprecating people. Whatever can do things, can make a sound. There is a bit of heat, a bit of light, just like fireflies, you can also shine a little in the dark without waiting for the torch. After that, if there is no torch, I am the only light.

There is an article that moved me recently. He wrote: Even though architecture is unable to handle most social issues, we will actually participate in political activities and urban construction when we complete the project. Even if the policy itself and the direction of capital have determined the general direction, when the process of materialization begins and architecture intervenes, architects have to use a mindset of concern and professional confidence to try to solve the problem with the most effective means. I think the architecture is moving. In addition to its good looks, it may be the sense of social responsibility not to give up, and the heroism of a small person, shining with the glorious beauty of human nature.

The horizontal Process Ⅰ

Process Ⅱ

The sparkling

The concentrative

Process Ⅲ

Process Ⅳ

The superposed

The bulky

Process Ⅴ

Process Ⅵ

The vertical

Cluster collection

Subtraction process

Entrance

Interior

04

I designed and built a chair with my two team members. It is a movable chair with four different heights. Because we wanted this chair to be made for people of different heights, or different ages. They can sit facing each other and communicate with each other. They can also be facing different directions. The chair was finally bought by a customer who said he thought it was perfect for his family. Starting from drawing the section and elevation of the chair, we began to study the relationship between the object and the body. Then by having these drawings there was a model of the space developed. Finally studying the movement of the body through the space and beginning to explore the forms that could emerge from it. Surprisingly, the final spatial research results can also be seen in the characteristics of the original chair.

The design and production of this chair was done in collaboration with two partners and photography by a partner.

HOME NO BOUNDARIES

This housing project has two rotations, the site of the first rotation is San Juan. What I learned from my studies in San Juan is that the floor plan changes with time and the population of residents. This flexibility can make housing suitable for more people to live in. In addition, the urban development of San Juan is closely related to the development of public housing. Then I went to the rotation 2 and the site is Chicago . When I opened the Chicago news website, I was surprised that public housing was also getting a lot of attention in Chicago. Public housing provides shelter for the homeless, but with it comes Boundaries, segregation, and poverty. Leading to some crime in Chicago. One the the other hand, I found that no matter where people live in Chicago, they have their own dreams. Music, as an aspect of Chicago people's love, has always connected people.

In some units of my housing, some walls are movable for different needs. Like perhaps a single mother could live in a studio and then set aside a space for the child's bedroom. At the kitchen of each unit, there are stairs leading to the outside. A transparent fence is used outside the stairs so that people who live on the two volumes can see each other. This staircase also provides an opportunity for the residents to get to know each other when they run up and down the stairs or look out from the kitchen. Besides, The ceiling of the first floor is transparent. So people who study or play music downstairs can see the footprints upstairs. The sound of music spreads in the building, which can also make connection for people.

In general, this design is mainly based on two ideas. One is to break the boundaries and connect people, so the building has two volume to face each other. At the same time, stairs and outdoor platforms are used to connect people on the upper and lower floors. The second is that people are different, they have different hobbies, dreams and lifestyles. I hope they can choose their favorite kitchen. Meanwhile, each resident has a different window, so they can choose the way they see the world,

Location map

Site plan

Chicago's roads divide each neighborhood like a grid. My site faces the river to the east, the tall buildings are on the other side of the river, and there is a straight road to the west. The site is surrounded by commercial and residential buildings, and there is no library in this neighborhood. My building has a total of 6 floors. The first floor is on the same level as the river, including the music rehearsal room and library. The second floor is on the same level as the street and is have entrances for the residents. There is no elevator in my building, to make it more affordable. So the units on the second floor are accessible.

1. Music studio

2. Garbage room

3. Gymnasium

4. Rehearsal room(Public)

5. Rehearsal room

6. Study

7. Libaray

8. Kayak shop

9. Garbage room

10. Garbage room

Cultural image

Ground floor plan

Second floor plan

Section A

Section B

Iris Latalpa ovata Red maple

Mairen grass Iris Latalpa ovata

Iris

Ginkgo

Iris Latalpa ovata Red maple

Iris Latalpa ovata

Iris

Ginkgo

Typical floor plan

Elevation

MAKING

The best feeling of making is the feeling of being a quiet person. When painting, you can think about nothing. There are only colors, shapes, shadows, and lines in the eyes. Many interesting little things are gradually ignored by us because they are common. In fact, at any time, we can retain the same curiosity and exploration spirit as a new born child to discover different beauty. Even in depressing things, we can actually find emotional memories worth cherishing.

Drawing is a very personal matter, but what you draw at the same time can affect the people watching it. When you paint a painting, your character, your mood at that time, your thoughts, and your views of the world are all hidden in the painting. The same is true for architecture. Therefore, to create shelter for people, the designer should be careful. His emotions should be positive. I think architecture should at least give people a positive guidance. Everyone has his different aesthetics and views on things, but that doesn’t mean we are totally different. We bleed the same and we made equal, happiness is everyone's pursuit, and we can do more efforts though our architecture.

Some things are truths and some things are feelings. Design is about explaining. Through making to understand the world, to learn the truth, and to develop the design process. These are some of my current understandings of the architectural design process.

The church on my bitthday

Figure ground

Cola

Twilight Flowers

Under a blue umbrella

Mama

Sitting on the grass

The bird house index

I was drawing at the Bird house one day in the fall of 2021. The time here and the feeling at that time made this place special for me. In the fall of 2022, I chose this site for the photography class. The first series of photos is to record the life of birds. I hope to reflect their happy life and their living environment. This series of photos is toned to similar colors, and flat feeling.

The theme of the second series of photos is waiting, because the feeling of this place for me is waiting, like every year we have a similar but different Christmas tree , like watching different people emerge from the horizon. Come to take photos at the same site many times,I can take different photos. From the predecessors of photography, I can learn interesting points that I can pay attention to when taking pictures, such as color, composition, and relationship between photos. While the most important thing I learned from photography is to ''trust my own intuition.''

It's the same in architectural design. ''Design is about confidence'', it is important to trust your own design, feeling and judgement. This is an important thing I learned in 2022.

The bird house (2022)

The bird house (2021)

Architecture for me is the way to discover the world. I want to get to know the world by going to study architecture. From nature, from the emotions and wonders that the eye can see, to the crystallized wisdom and history that cannot be seen. I hope to learn the unknown by studying architecture.

To say that the pursuit should be a sincere joy that comes from the heart, I found this beautiful emotion in the process of studying architecture. It suddenly comes to my mind that it snowed in St. Louis some time ago, and also my parents sent me a video of our local snow in my homeland. The snow was very fine in St. Louis. It was very windy and the snow was flying around in the air. The wind was blowing the snow at an angle of about 60 degrees. The snow in my hometown usually falls vertically from the air in flakes, and you can see the shape of the snowflakes when they fall on your clothes, so it looks like real snowflakes. The snow in St. Louis is very fine, but when it falls for a day, it surprisingly piles up to a height thicker than my ankles. Grab a pile of snow, no fluffy feeling, it feels close to the ice. I would like to say that on that day, standing in the midst of small snowflakes flying almost 60 degrees, I was blowing on the balcony while the weak sun shone. I was surprised at my emotions; I had never felt so blissful. How exactly should the feeling of happiness be conveyed, and does architecture have the power to help people feel, experience, and learn a kind of happiness.

There are still a lot of things I do not know, so I want to learn more.

sijialiu.architecture@gmail.com