XIMENG LI
PORTFOLIO A Collection of Work 2010 - 2015
A journey into architecture world
A collection of work
Architecture is about form, function, events and all aspects people could possibly imagine. To study architecture, one must first wander in architecture world. This portfolio is a collection of most important works during my study at Tongji University. It is a display of my exploration of architecture and my own understanding of narratives. It demonstrated my belief that architecture is not only about form or function, it is about the program, the way how construction and people interact, and the pattern of the designer proposed.
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Tongji University
Li Ximeng
Despite the future of architecture is unpredictable, there are certain tendency towards a technological worship. However, fundamental factors of architecture would remain still. The task of architects, rather than creating sculpture-like object, would be more accurate to be defined as designing whole dynamic system. This portfolio includes many direction I tried during undergraduate study. It was through all these attemptions that I gradually developed my understanding of architecture design. As an architecture student, I choose not to merely focus on form or shape. Architecture is sort of organism. It should be a complex system. Architects should be sloving this system based on envionmental factors and constraints; how to react to urban context: how to deal with the need of users, how to respond to the climate situation. Each architecture requires a different system. And the answer of how to program these systems takes me more time to pursue.
Contents
The Covered City
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Schematic design for urban system
Museum Addition
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Monolith reshaping landscape and view
Architecture Knock-off
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A proposal for self-generating architecture
Folk Art Museum
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Rejuvenation of traditional housing space
Space//Space Theatre Complex
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Parametric design
Autonomous Tectonics
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Robot fabrication
Public Kiosk
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Detailed construction proposal for public follies 2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
THE COVERED CITY Urban SCHEMATIC DESIGN Studio Work, Fall, 2015 Students: Ximeng Li; Juejin Lu Instructor: Nicholas de Monchaux
The proposal of this program is to generate a integrated urban area, where aside from building interior and exterior, exists a third level of space. This semi-exterior space, under the semi-transparency tensile fabric roof structure, creating a unclear, but a full-of-potential space. The ambiguous of ground level making this whole system become a living system, which indicates a possible future of urban condition.
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Tongji University
Li Ximeng
The design process starts with a decomposing analysis of a standard oxford shirt. Moving on, we were testing with the relationship between urban fabric and real tensile fabric. How to apply tension into the site reference model, and using force to represent urban condition. Moving on, we applied a layer of tensile fabric to cover the city, creating a new space prototype in between. Each conical space going to groud is a center for interactive activities. The fabric would work cohesively with existing buildings, and creating a integrated system, which could collecting rain water, creating an ambiguous spatial relationship. This semi-exterior space, under the semitransparency tensile fabric roof structure, creating a unclear, but a full-of-potential space.
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
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Tongji University
Li Ximeng
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
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Tongji University
Li Ximeng
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
Museum Addition Design - In progress Museum addition for legion of honor Studio Work, Spring, 2016 Students: Ximeng Li Instructor: Susan Ubbelohde
This semester, we are designing for an existing famous museum in San Fransisco, considering a condition that this facility would take an expansion in the near future. The museum, Legion of Honor, is located in a large city park in San Francisco - land’s end park. In spite of its great location in this great nature space, the old building is a typical neo-classic building, which has a relatively closed experience. After vistors go into the courtyard, they would be isolated from the great nature view of land’s end park. In my proposal, the new museum addition should provide vistors an open experience, an oppurtunity to see the sea and golden bridge. By removing a side wind of the existing building, and changing it into a two level high atrium, the close experience of old building would be broken. And the views would lead people navigate into the new museum addition galleries. In these galleries, while seeing the art work, people would also has an chance to see the nature view through opening in the volume and the bridge. Taking advantage of the geography, while remaing in the same level of existing building, when people go east to an open area, they would find themselves at a rather high level, giving them an open view to see the ocean. This is a work of the land slope at both side of this building. In general, the old and addition would create a contradition atmosphere of material: contrete, metal mesh, glass and stone, open and close experience, art work and natural view, and so on.
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Li Ximeng
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
Through different iteration of addition volume, each study model display a possibility of variation in volume height, sequence and geometry.
In one specific addition gallery volume, peopl would enter from the second level, and circulate down by a ramp. At different pace in this ramp, people would find platform for exhibition and open windows displaying the exterior view of land’s end park.
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Li Ximeng
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
ARCHITECTURE KNOCK-OFF
Collaborative studio BY RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND TONGJI UNIVERSITY
Studio Work, Spring, 2014 Students: Ximeng Li; Elizabeth Lee Instructor: Kyle Stover, Adjunct Professor(RPI)
We’re all familiar with knock-offs. We all probably own a few, both knowingly and not. The real question is, what’s the value of a knock-off? After all, a knock off is a reproduction of an original, an alien alteration, or a hybrid mutation of the existing – it’s literally ‘not the real thing.’ A knock-off is a mass produced mirror, a reflection of the original with an alibi for authenticity. They are copies made to look, feel, or operate like the real thing. With knock-offs, looks can be deceiving, and beneath the label their ingenuity is in the capacity to alter the tectonic logic of the original. A fake is a product of reverse engineering; it takes an original and works backward using alternative fabrication techniques to simulate the original. The knock-off is an unauthorized imitation, designed to deliver the same effect for a fraction of the cost – and it is ironically the most unique and interesting product in today’s global society. Architects are experts at making knock-offs. We, as architects, draw from history and the immediate present in the production of architecture. Architects are professional imitators with a penchant for practice. Like the trained body of an athlete conditioned for competition, the act of building is a strategic rehearsal for an on site performance. As a practice, architecture is an act of repetition. Buildings are never unique, rather, they are extensions of the existing – prosthesis for place-making. Citation, quotation, adaptation, remake, series, and forgeries are textual operations within this logic of repetition – and it is precisely this logic of repetition that connects architecture and knock-offs. It would be easy to dismiss knock-offs and forgeries as cheap products unworthy of investigation. However, a deeper truth lies beneath the surface. Digital computing and information technologies have wired the world into an atmosphere of inter-connectivity that has fundamentally altered the human-landscape. The Digital Revolution is marked by this drive towards technicity, and its devices like the internet or smart phones that contribute to a self-replicating augmentation of collective subjectivity. Knock-offs are fundamental to the Digital Revolution, if not one of its greatest inventions. The digital is defined through replication and morphological variability which give rise to a unique variation of the copy. Digital copies are simulacra – copies without an original – and this studio will extract logics of the digital, in the form of a knock-off, to be applied in the production of architecture.
New York City
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Knock-off New York in Chongqing, China
Li Ximeng
A replica proposal - Generic buildings loosely indexed on the facade 2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
To create some knock-offs, some replicas, we shall first study the original work of previous great architects. First stage of this studio was to select certain period in architecture history and to study, analyze and conclude. We chose post modernism architecture as our study subjects. We focused on Robert Venturi and some other architects, rebuilt their work into digital models, deformed and reorganized fragments from different buldings into one piece of synthetic art work. The theme of our study followed many classic theory from that time, like ironic Classicism, latent Classicism and other well-known trends, which challenges traditional belief, for example: Venturi’s idea of “less is bore“, instead of “less is more“. The foundamental of post Modernism, as we think, would be reborn of decoration. Based on this idea, we would develop our later design. The aim of our design is to create a building provide abundant decoration and enlighten the city, rather than a clean cude. 1. One Detroit Centre Detroit 1991-1993 Philip Johnson John Burgee 2. Top part of 77 West Wacker Drive Finished in 1992 Chicago 3. Bank of America Centre Houston 1993 Philip Johnson John Burgee 4. One Detroit components
Centre
Top
part
5. One Detroit Centre Top part 6. PPG Place downtown Pittburgh 19811984 Philip Johnson John Burgee
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Synthetic work - mixture of post-modernism building pieces
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Li Ximeng
Basic Shape
General Space Program
Volume for studio making knock-off pieces
Frame Structure
Floor Plates
The actual design assignment is to design a musuem which has both capability to hold exhibition and to operate as factory designing and producing knock-off pieces. Our intention is to use the pieces produced inside the building as the facade that decorate the building on the outside. It would form a self-productive architecture operating pattern. Meanwhile these reproduction pieces would bring people in Shanghai a new experience of the original works.
Facade Proposal Collage 2010 - 2014
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1 2 3 4
7 5 8 6
1. Metro Station 2. Ecology 3. Parking 4. Main Entrance
N
MASTER PLAN
5. Staircase 6. Atrium 7. Mesuem of Knock-off 8. Loading Area
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10
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SCALE - 1:1000
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Li Ximeng
To elaborate the idea of knock-off architecture, we started from decomposition. Knock-off means to reform, recombine and reinforce rather than make fake elements. By slicing a large cubic volume, smaller volumes are created. After twisting and rotating these volumes, we get clear figures - each figure has a clear boundry between the inner and outer space. Next step is to extract primitive volumes. We decided to enbed those volumes into certain floor plates, which were pre-arranged according to programmatic analysis. 2010 - 2014
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Ground Floor Plan 1:1000
Second Floor Plan 1:1000
Li Ximeng
Third Floor Plan 1:2000
Fourth Floor Plan 1:2000
Fifth Floor Plan 1:2000
Sixth Floor Plan 1:2000
Plans of the program would be highly free-arranged. Spaces inside the large polyhedral volume would be factory area. Other space would be open gallaries, exhibition bays, cafe area, video room, study room, libary, restaurant and other pubilc spaces. Elevators and stairs are placed at each corner. Public circulation would be arranged by ramps locating at the central atrium.
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
Enclosed concrete volume working as factory and studio spaces for artists who design knock-off pieces
Knock-off pieces, produced in studios, with a rigid measurement of 9000*9000, decorating facade
Enclosure Structure, working as a frame to hold knock-off pieces.
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Li Ximeng
Roof components and floor plates construction, steel structure were adopted in this project.
Atrium penetrates each floor, creating a continuously space, in which ramps form the main circulation for the whole exhibition experience system.
Axonometric View 2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
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Li Ximeng
Section A-A Perspective Render 2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
Interior Render from Atrium at First Floor
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Li Ximeng
Exterior Render from Corner across Street
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
FOLK ART MUSEUM
third year studio Studio Work, Spring, 2013 Student: Ximeng Li Instructor: Prof. Xie Zhengyu
Shanghai has a very unique type of traditional housing - Li Long. It is marked by rather low buildings of high density, slope roofs
and parallel space structures. When some part of the preserved area were demolished, some pieces from the old buldings survived. Based on these relics, my work aimed at creating a museum to present folk arts and life pattern of Li Long. The preserved part - in this case, is a piece of wall relic from old Li Long building. To represent and recall an earlier life, the revival of the original space is crucial. My idea of this project is to rebuild the orginal space character in new form and thus to exhibit the original folk arts within.
TOURISM ZONE
LI LONG AREA
LI LONG AREA
School
Preserved Area
SITE
Site Location, Shanghai
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EDUCATION ZONE
LI LONG AREA
Li Ximeng
Perspective View of Folk Art Museum
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
Character of Traditional LiLong Space
The alley used to be the central space for public activities and events. It is also the core of this society living style. People from different families would run into each other in this space.
Typical Lilong Space has parallel housing buildings and alleys in between.
Builing prototype in Lilong is ususally generated from traditional Chinese building and also a sign of foreign style since Lilong came into being after 1840.
Space in alley is ususally of high density due to massive activities happening here and people would put their clothes here for drying out. Thus this space would express a populated scenario.
Space Pattern Parallel square buildings and alley in between
Circulation Main road outside parallel buildings and single direction
Sight Sight would be blocked by buldings, thus each alley is isolated from others.
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Lilong buildings usually are rather low and have slope roofs, rain water could thus drain to the alley. This makes Lilong a successful system in rainy Shanghai.
Activity On the main road, activities are in linear direction. In the alleys, activities are happening in a random pattern.
Topology Slope roof would be the main building geometry prototype.
Density The width of alley varies from each other.
In those Lilong which transformed into business areas, alley becomes most dynamic space of all.
Density of lilong is not always the same, different alley has different width, thus the space of lilong implicates a rhythm to follow.
Li Ximeng
Representation of traditional Li-Long space
Proposal of a new space pattern for exhibition function
Orginal Type
Space Unit
The most impressive element of Li Long building, is its architecture type with slope roof which usually spreads in all residential area, leading to an obvious pattern of building prototype.
Exhibition space requires more than one single tranformation from public space to private space. In this project, I create a unit space which has a reversed space of two floors. slope roof building
Context
Slope Angle
One typical element of Li Long is the repetition of buildings and alleys. Each element appears next to the previous one. This pattern create a rthym of privatepublic-private (A-B-A) space.
The angle of the roof would be varies from one to another.
building
alley
typical space prototype
building
Simulation
transform
Construction
To tranform Li Long building space into a museum, museum spaces should be defined as exhibition spaces and circulation paths. These two types of spaces arrange in sequence, would represent Li Long alleys.
To bring previous idea into reality, I select the mid-line of a unit shape as the main structure element. In this way, a s roof shape would be adapted.
museum space
Organization
Expansion
Repeat the unit to create a series of space.
alley
exhibition
As this mode repeats, a sequence of roof and reverse exhibition space is created.
sequence sequence of roof
Structure component Structure, in this case, is similar to a curve-shaped keel, suppoted the slope roof and exhibition spaces underneath.
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
Roof Beam
Facade View
4200
6400
Office
2200
Exhibition
9600
2400
Roof Glass
4000
Hall
3200 2400
8400
1000
Exhibition
3000
7200
3200
3200
Alley
2800
Second Floor 2800
Exhibition
2400
8400
3000
Alley
3200 3200
3200
Exhibition
7200
1000
Exhibition
Concrete Wall Structure
Alley
2400
9600
2200
Preserved Wall from Li Long Building Relics
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3600
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4000
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Plan
3600
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3600
Axonometric View
4200
Exhibition
6400
Main Entrance
Li Ximeng
Interior Render
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
SPACE//SPACE - THEATRE COMPLEX DESIGN
fOURTH YEAR STUDIO
Studio Work, Spring, 2014 Students: Ximeng Li; Ji Shi; Xun Liu Instructor: Prof. Yuan Feng
This project is a theatre center. The brief required a consideration of both architecture form and urban context. Our group started from the idea of minimal surface, which provide two parallel spaces to correspond such binary theme. Each space would not be accessible from the adjacent one without crossing one floor plate. One space would be indoor space working as the theatre, music hall and other public spaces. The other ones would be outdoor green spaces, creating a park for the nearby residents.
3D Printed Model - Variety of space unit
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Li Ximeng
3D Printed Model - Scene of Main Entrance 2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
At the first stage of studio, we modeled many prototypes of minimal surface, in searching for the suitable forms for theatre
space. Next step would be to transfer the unit into parametric form. We used a cube to control the unit. There would be two sets of factors to define the shape: eight edges and points.
Parameters: -- 8 frame points; 1 central point; control points for curves -- 2 top & bottom curves; 8 side curves -- height
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Parameters: -- 8 frame points; 1 central point; control points for curves -- 2 top & bottom curves; 8 side curves -- height
Parameters: -- 8 frame points; 1 central point -- 2 top & bottom curves -- height; vertical proportion; size of the hole
Li Ximeng
Theatre Parameter Diagram
Frame and Frame Points
Top and Bottom Control Curves
Central Points
Side Control Curves
Units type and direction
Side Control Points
The theatre volume is formed by 90 basic units of minimal surfaces. There were 4 different types of units in total. Edges of the units were generated from site context and links with surrounding urban condition. Parameters: basic units -- 4 types, 90 units; points -- 352 frame points, 90 central points, 1335 control points for curves curves -- 240 top&bottom curves, 438 side curves number -- height for each unit
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
First Floor Plan
Second Floor Plan
Plan of theatre is divided into two spaces with different characters. White areas are indoor space - functional area like concert halls, cinemas, etc. Grey areas are outdoor space gardens, public halls, etc.
Concert Hall Plan
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Li Ximeng
To present the mode this theatre complex operates, we sketched several section drawings to show the functional and structural proposal of our idea. Indoor spaces are theatres, concert halls and other functional spaces such as libaries, cinemas. The entire space is coherent as the cells work as main functional spaces and tunnels between minimal surface units work as circulation spaces. Top of the interior space was enclosed with steel beams and glass facade. Outdoor spaces, on the other hand, is consistent with the urban context. It is connected with the urban sqaure and jogging path. Trees and plants create a natural atmosphere for outdoor space, making the building merge into urban context as part of citizen’s daily life. People are supposed to wander, jog, walk, dance and play in this space. The two spaces were isolated from each other. Only certain points provide path through. This reinforces the parallel character of the minimal surface proposal.
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
AUTONOMOUS TECTONICS 2014 tongji digital future summer workshop Summer Workshop, 2014 Students: Ximeng Li; Panpan Cao; Xiaonan Wang; Hang Su; Yunxi Huang; Yuan Jiang;Tianyu Kan Instructor: Matias del Campo, Sandra Manninger, Philip F. Yuan
Construction technology is in a rapid-developing stage right now. It is highly possible that plastic and other materials with enough strength take place of concrete and steel in structure field. Also, robot fabarication is a gradually maturing technology. During the summer workshop, we ran a series of experiments to combine these technologies and proposed a future building method of linear construction. By constructing two plastic towers with robot arm and plastic melt gun, we proposed a prototype for our ideal future building tectonics.
Material Experiment during Robot Fabarication Test
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Li Ximeng
Final Printed 3D Model pictured on 07/07/14 Exhibition at Tongji University 2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
Construction Line printed, Comlex Form Modeling First Week
First stage of this summer workshop was a tutorial on Maya modeling skills.
We spent a week on modeling complex, nonlinear form and analysis of form construction lines. Future construction would be based on the outcome of this period. Basic construction lines of complex form would be the route that the 3D printer moves.
3D Printer moving by Object Construction Line
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Li Ximeng
Robot Arm moving by Route Pre-programed
Rules defined to observe the emergent behavior of material agglomerations. Š RPI, Matthew Hickey 2013
Material is the focal point of this project, in order to create the form using nonlinear plastic strips, the material should be easily melting and cooling down rapidly, thus the shape would be possible to fabricate. The plastic melting gun is fixed to a Kuka robot arm, which would move following the routes we developed in G-code. Since the material would cool down in a rapid speed, the form could be settled.
2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
“The machine has no feelings, it feels no fear and no hope ... it operates according to the pure logic of probability. For this reason I assert that the robot perceives more accurately than man.“ MAX FRISCH, Homo Faber: A Report
The route of our tower was programmed in G-code. It has a hint of traditional Chinese tower style. We added several base points onto each floor, thus each of them has a gap of certain distance. Between two levels of base points, there would be column - like structures, which are formed by thin plastic material. This structure basic unit - base points | plastic colum | base points (A-B-A type) - would repeat for several levels. Each level yields some changes in measurments.
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Base Points
Structure Basement
Beam-like Links
Secondary Basement
Secondary Likns
Secondary Likns
More Links
Third Level
Third Level Links
Robot Arm Moving Route Generating Process
Li Ximeng
Exhibition at Tongji University C Builing, July, 2014 2010 - 2014
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A collection of work
Metro Station
Cube Residential Area
Passenger Terminal
Cube Location within the site
Axonometric View of Shoukou Harbour, Shenzhen
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Harbour Warehouse
Li Ximeng
KIOSK FOR INCITING PUBLIC ACTIVITY 2014 SHENZHEN YOUNG BIRD PLAN COMPETITION
e Location within the site
Competition in Shenzhen, Summer, 2014 Student: Li Ximeng
This project is located in Shenzhen Shoukou District, which is a recently thriving area, originally developed from an industrial harbour. As the district becoming more prosperous, people from surrounding villages started moving into this area. Previously, this area, as an industrial area, did not have much public space. While the number of residents growing larger, more urban housing and public squares were built. However, between these newly built skyscrapers and modern buildings, urban squares were spacious and inactive. These voids without any detailed design could not be the catalyst to sustain public activities. Commissioners of the competition named the topic to build an urban kiosk within a cube space of 5*5*5 meters. This kiosk could be a space providing shelter, resting space and view spots. The expectation of the kiosk is to be easily built and removable, to be capable of multiple functions and to be alterable to fit different site conditions. The goal of this cubic space is to create a space to light the whole adjacent public space and draw more people to the squares in order to encouarge more public activities. Hopefully in the future, this area would transform from a single functioned industrial district to an urban complex district sustaining various functions including residence, industry and tourist.
Industrial Harbour
2010 - 2014
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To develop the previous ideas, certain modules and guidlines were adopted. On the base of original orthogonal grid, a secondary grid, which derives from a rotation of 30 degree angels from the original one, forms the final gridline. After rotation, two grids intersect with each other, forming three major shapes. These shapes have five different length borders. Different borders could be certain module as beams of different length. Each shape has its own space character. Different combination of these shape could create different spaces. Through these combination, a possibility to fit different sites could be fulfilled.
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Li Ximeng
Volume combination creating different kiosk space
There are five different volumes in total. Central square as a volume; corner volume as b; rectangle as c; triangle as d; and trapezoid as e.
a=1; c=4; d=2; e=2;
a=1; c=2; d=2;
a=1; c=2; d=2;
a=1; c=3; d=3;
a=1; c=4; d=2; e=2;
a=1; b=2; c=2; d=2; e=2;
a=1; b=2; c=3; d=2; e=2;
a=1; b=2; c=3; d=3; e=2;
a=1; b=1; c=4; d=2; e=3;
a=1; c=3; e=3;
a=1; c=2; d=2; e=2;
a=1; b=2; c=4; d=2; e=3
a=1; b=4; c=2; d=2; e=4
a=1; b=4; c=4; d=4; e=2
a=1; b=4; c=4; d=4; e=4 2010 - 2014
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EXPLODED AXONOMETRIC DRAWING and construction sequence
Exploded axonometric drawing shows how the kiosk is
structurally built, from the varied basement to the light column and steel cable on the top. The constructing process is programmed using prefabricated H-shape steel columns and beams. Secondary structures, such as decking materials and roof system, utilized wood. Steel columns and beams are connected through several joints. Diagram below shows a standard steel detail. Welded plates and bolts create a rigid frame with the beam flanges and supporting columns.
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Li Ximeng
1. Concrete strip footing poured onsite
2. Concrete piers poured upon strip footing
3. Concrete base beam
4. Saddles and wood beam upon concrete basement
5. H-shape steel column
6. Decking wood
7. Steel stair structure and stair deck
8. H-shape steel beam
9. Bar joists for second floor
10. Second floor decking
11. Handrail
12. Roof beam
13. Roof joists
14. Roof Decking
15. Light column and steel cable 2010 - 2014
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Column connection concrete pier.
with
Stair structure The structure that bears load is a system based on a central column. Upon the metal keel are stair decking woods. Handrail is built on the decking wood.
Wood decking beam connecting concrete beam through steel saddles and bolts and nuts.
Light column on the top. These structures are working as suspension parts. The steel cables are linked to the vertical columns.
STRUCTURE NODE DETAILS
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Li Ximeng
NORTH VIEW
SOUTH VIEW
FACADE VIEW OF KIOSK 2010 - 2014
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XIMENG LI A Collection of Work
Thank You for Considering