Nanxi Su | Selected Works

Portfolio of SU Nanxi Apply for M.S.AAD

Room 1201 Building 7 Qiaojianli Community, Haidian District Beijing, P.R.China, 100038 sunanxi@126.com +86 18521382244

TOWARDS A SKEIN OF IDEOLOGY

SU NANXI B.Arch, Tongji University For the Application to M.S.AAD GSAPP, Columbia University

CONTENTS

01 Erosion

3

Peniche Cliff Theatre

Towards A Skein of Ideology

02 Hamam

9

Shared Living in Brussels

From trees to sky or ocean to mountains, I am often impressed by what I observe from nature. It is the underlying orders between matters that arouse my interest. I still had a vivid memory of an old tree in front of my house from the old days. The twisted branches informed tons of relationships which provoked my imagination. Lightning strikes left scars on the trunk, which was then covered by dirt and dust over time. To me, this quotidian phenomenon is a palimpsest of relationships and hierarchies. While one relates to the other, the interaction reveals a skein of tangling order, not chaos but a hierarchical unity with its principal. Under the tangling condition, serial events establish various causes and effects and create infinite possibilities. This idea significantly influences my train of thoughts when I was an architecture student. Relentlessly bridging my preoccupation and design work, I perceive architecture as a life-like presence that could be altered in form, through interactions between its inner principal (order) and external influences (context). This perception structures my attitude towards architectural design, producing work both from inside out and outside in.

03 Vertical Courtyards

15

Hongkong High-Rise

04 Curved Boundary

19

Part I: Structural Wall & Part II: Lilong MOMA

05 Robot-assisted Wood Construction

25

Chinese "Mao-Sun" Timber Structure

06 Mountain House

29

Shanghai Museum East ARTWORK & EXHIBITION

ARTWORK & EXHIBITION

07 Experiment Lujiazui

30

Shanghai SUSAS Exhibition

08 Begonia with Butterfly Chinese Traditional Realistic Painting

30

01 [Erosion]

-- Peniche Cliff Theatre Independent Project Site Theatre Competition Advisor: CHEN Yannan, LI Wenjia Winter 2017

NATURE CONTEXT | Peniche, Portugal

TANGLING RELATIONSHIP | Interpretation of Nature

The building consists of eleven inclined rock-like concrete tubes oriented to the same direction.

Classic spatial types like dome, arcade and amphitheatre carve out main performance spaces from the ‘team’ of concrete tubes. Cracks between each individual block demarcate the boundary and create a realm where one can appreciate the juxtaposition of different classic spatial types. The in-between spaces metaphorically represents the force of nature as a result of erosion caused by winds and waves.

Site Theatre Site Theatre

Classic Spatial Types

Dome

Amphitheatre

Arcade

Various Statuses of Rocks Peniche Cliff Peniche is famous for its powerful natural scenery with warm and temperate climate, where sheaer cliffs drop dramatically into the ocean. The remains of the Fortress rise from the landscape and the cliff surfaces eroded by the wind and waves are notable features within this setting.

audience seats

audience seats

audience seats

performance

Rocks around the dome performance

8:00 am

Peniche, Potugal

2:00 pm

8:00 pm

performance

performance

Rocks around the arcade performance

2:00 am The rock is cut by the classic form of dome. Lighting bars are inserted into the rock, creating dash lights over the ceiling.

Temperature: 15.3 °C avg Wind: North/Northwest Precipitation: 634mm/yr Relative Humidity: 74%

audience seats

Wave

Cliff

audience seats

Rocks around the arcade performance space

coverage

Rocks function as coverage

central staircase

side staircase

Rocks function as transportation

04

SPACE ASSONANCE | Plans & Sections

9 7

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Ground Floor 1:300

First Floor 1:300

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Dome Section 1:300

+11.00

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Dome Theatre Reception Desk Cafeteria Gift Shop Office Toilets Dressing Room

Arcade Section 1:300

Rooftop Floor 1:300

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Arcade Theatre Audience Seats Audience Seats Preparation Room Amphitheatre Audience Seats Backstage

Amphlitheatre Section 1:300

1 05

The Dome Performance Space Cracks between each individual block invite light, rain, even the sound of winds and waves which penetrate into the building. The audience and performers are both participants and observers of nature, continuously sensing the surrounding environment while wandering within the venue.

06

07

Space Sequence The three performance spaces are like natural caves, while people are like tiny animals climbing inside. Starting from the ground floor and finally reach the rooftop, one appreciates the various spaces within an order. Though separated according to heights, the three performance spaces are not isolated. Gaps between the walls make people be aware of the activities happening on other stages, forming a status of coexistence and harmony.

1 08

02 [Hamam]

-- Shared Living in Brussels TUM Master Studio (17-Week Group Work) Contribution: Concept & Strategy / Research / Design Instructor: Bruno Kruker & Stephen Bates Collaborator: SHEN Yibing Exchange Semester Spring 2016

SITE RESEARCH | Brussels, Belgium

CONCEPT | Public Baths & Shared Apartments

Living comfort level

Unemployment rate

Living comfort level

a isfice inof

Human everywhere have tended to organize themselves in communitis based on the desire to live in groups. The project is aimed to provide a wider range of options for those living alone, including the opportunity to live within small collectives where resources can be share, individual privacy retained and micro communities formed.

Foreign citizen density

Unemployment Rate

tor tra nistor i dm tra

Shared Living

Foreign citizen density

Unemployment rate

Living Comfort Zone

m ad fice

of

rt po up rt s o lf sehopupp

slf-s sehop

Foreign Citizen Density

nt me t art p a en

s

m art ap

od rho d bo h oo ig ne orh

igh ne

b

l rai

y wa

l rai

y wa

society structure

society structure

ls

sse bru

tre cen y t ci

tre cen y t i ls c

sse bru

exercise hall

exercise hall park

Site Condition

Block Overview existent running society

Kruitmolenstraat 33 is within an existent self-sufficient community, the chief of the park community would value if one is qualified to live here, in spite of his/her national or religious background. Once moved into the community, residents do not need to pay any rent, yet they work here so as to make the community function properly. They live, eat, study and work together.

10 existent running society

HANDCRAFTED MODELS | Street Facade & Inner Spcace Sequence

HANDCRAFTED MODELS | Small Moments

Inner Space Sequence Contrary to the facade, the inside of the building is a different world. Clusters of apartments are attached to the central baths system, with turning stairs bringing people to different ends.

Throughout the day, owners of the apartments and the guests of the baths share this entire building.

Entrance Hall Public Entrance & Apartment Entrances Main Facade The main facade is respect to the surrounding context with jumping beams and round window revealing the inner space organization. The hue of green is related to water, steam, and bath.

"Hamam" means Turkish Bath and the form of the central atrium is taken from its traditional shape. The public entrance is facing the street inviting guests coming for a bath, while the entrances of two suites of shared apartments are hidden on the side. People with different starting points of the building could meet in the vertical system of the baths.

11

BUILDING ORGANIZATIONS | Plans

HANDCRAFTED MODELS | Small Moments

6 2 3

7

5

4

CANDELAproŠ http://candelapro.blogspot.com.ar/ DORMITORIOS

1

Ground Floor Plan

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1:150

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Entrance Hall Lounge Massage Bath Apartment Apartment Backyard Secret Chamber

4 6 3 1 7

5

2

First Floor Plan 1:150

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Atrium Hot Bath Tea Room Gaming Room Secret Chamber Secret Chamber Apartment Communal Living Room

Steam Bath Viewing the City The hot bath facing the street is a segment of the vertical baths system, while it is connected to a secret chamber which offers the opportunity for the apartment residents enter the baths system from their home directly. People could sit on the stone chair and enjoy the city view while bathing in the hot steam.

12

BUILDING ORGANIZATIONS | Plans

HANDCRAFTED MODELS | Small Moments

2

3

1

4

6

CANDELApro© http://candelapro.blogspot.com.ar/ DORMITORIOS

7

5

Second Floor Plan 1:150

1

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Lounge Sauna Bath Massage Room Secret Chamber Bar Apartment Apartment

3

4 5

2

CANDELApro© http://candelapro.blogspot.com.ar/ DORMITORIOS

Rooftop Plan 1:150

1 2 3 4 5

Outdoor Bath Secret Chamber Rooftop Garden Rooftop Garden Apartment

Secret Chambers The building consists of five secret chambers opened to the apartment owners whenever they want to take a bath, while the chamber is hidden at corners which are hard to be observed by guests. The secret chambers cordinate the transition from public to semi-public and then to private space.

13

CENTRAL BATHS SYSTEM | Axonometric Sections

03 [Vertical Courtyards] -- Hongkong High Rise

Independent Project Competition Advisor: LI Wenjia, Francis Yuen Summer 2017

CONCEPT | Vertical Courtyards

INNER LOGICS | Courtyards Distribution Beijing and Hongkong are both hometowns for me. While with different cultural background and geographical conditions, buildings of these two cities possess distinct styles from each other. Take the Forbidden City which is the biggest Chinese traditional courtyards, for example, interlocked greens are distributed averagely into the horizontal layouts for the needs of communication and getting close to nature. Quite the opposite, Hongkong is filled with vertical high rise confined by the shortage of vacant space. The project is intended to create a vertical courtyards system within a highrise in respond to the restricted dwelling life and the tropical sizzling climate.

Organization Logics

Courtyards Distribution of Ci Ning Palace

unit 2 3 components

unit 3 3 components

unit 4 3 components

unit 5 3 components

unit 6 3 components

unit 7 3 components

unit 8 4 components

unit 9 3 components

unit 10 4 components

unit 11 4 components

unit 12 3 components

unit 13 4 components

unit 14 4 components

unit 15 4 components

unit 16 4 components

unit 17 3 components

unit 18 3 components

Standard Plan of a Highrise Building

Changing Elevations

Courtyards Pattern

Vertical Distribution of Courtards

unit 1 3 components

Pattern of Grids

Unfolded Elevation

Elevation A

Elevation B

Elevation C

Elevation D

16

VERTICAL COURTYARDS | Section

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Units Assembling Process After 3D printing, the modules could be assembled to construct the whole building.

Courtyards are formed as the cracks between the different units naturally.

17

PROGRAMS ARRANGEMENT | Plans

2 3

1

1 2 3 1

1

2

2

2

Typical Plan of Office 1 Courtyard 2 Office 3 Meeting Room

Typical Plan of Office 1 Courtyard 2 Office 3 Meeting Room

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1

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Typical Plan of Hoterl 1 Courtyard 2 Standard Room

16

Typical Plan of Hotel 1 Courtyard 2 Suite

18

04 [Curved Boundary]

-- Part I: Structural Wall

Turenscape Academy Workshop (9-day Group Work) Instructor: Olivier Ottevaere Winter 2017

-- Part II: Lilong MOMA

Tongji Core Studio (8-week Independent Project) Instructor: Ercument Gorgul Fall 2014

PART I: STRUCTURAL WALL | Fabrication

POURING CONCRETE| Bamboo Molds part 1

part 1

Corbusier has tried various forms and types of buildings throughout his life. The domino sandwich prototype he proposed ultimately free the layout of a plan, and also liberate the space and facade of architecture. This revolution also inspired contemporary architects. If it is possible to invent a structural curved wall, which can make the buildings free of columns?

The workshop was intended to build this self-structured curved wall. The shape of the curved wall is generated by pulling points on the controlling curves. Applying the principle of gravity, along with the vertical direction, the curvature of the surface is counteracted, so that the wall share the same center of gravity as the straight one.

The curved walls have a guiding effect on human sights and movements, so I extend the idea of this workshop to my design of Lilong MOMA, which was intended to evoke the vitality of historic district and to create a more vibrant urban atmosphere in the neighborhood.

part 2

part 2

part 3 D

part 3 D

C

The curved wall is poured into a mold of bamboos. After removing the mold, the wall can naturally reflect the shape that the bamboos have formed and the curvature is the perfectly showed.

C

B

B 1

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part 2

x=1

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Original line Tangent vector

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part 1 y=1

Original line

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Original line Tangent vector

part 2

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y=0

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x=1

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y=1

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147mm

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Tangent vector

900mm

217mm

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part 2

part 1

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Original line Tangent vector

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section C curve section C curve

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section D curve section D curve

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Constrain point

Constrain point part 2

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y=0 x=0.628 y=1.741 216mm

y=0.577 x=1.330

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section A curve section A curve 450mm

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Original line

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PART II: LILONG MOMA | Urban Strategy

FLOWS WITHIN LILONG| Interweaved Movements Lilong is a typical housing compound in China where traditional custom and lifestyle in Shanghai has deeply preserved. The alley between rational-organized rows of housing is called Long. The Design is a modern art gallery, with intentions to evoke the vitality of historic district and to create a more vibrant urban atmosphere in the neighborhood. Dimensions of the streets and the historical context are also of design concerns.

Traditional Context

Site Overview

Ground Floor Plan The project utilized curved walls to interweave various activities of the citizens. The dynamism created by the form injected a sense of vitality in the historic neighborhood.

21

INTERIOR RENDERING | Atrium Exhibition 2 4

1

3

3F 1 2

Central Atrium Vedio Corridor

3 4

Exhibition Room Exhibition Room

1 2

4

3

2F 1 2

1

Side Atrium Vedio Corridor

3 4

Exhibition Room Exhibition Room

4 3

2

1F 1 2

Outdoor Exhibition Courtyard

3 4

Lobby Workshop

22

BUILDING SYSTEM | Exploded Axonometrics

INTERIOR RENDERING | Small Moments

ROOFTOP

The facade towards the street reveals the inner activities, enhancing the vitality of the surrounding historic area.

TRANSPARENT SHELL

STRUCTURE WALL

Lilong Residence

CIRCULATION SYSTEM

Restaurant Park

Grocery

Exhibition Plaza

Outdoor Exhibition Hotel

Lilong Residence

Cafeteria

Gr Grocery

The curved walls are self-structured to support the building. The structural curved walls make the building free of columns.

Splitting Curved Walls Revealing the City Curved walls have the nature of guidance. While appreciating the artworks, the city landscape is revealed by the splitting curved walls to visitors. And the surrounding context becomes the artwork too.

23

TWISTED CIRCULATION | Axometrical Section

First Twist

Second Twist

Third Twist

Fourth Twist

24

05 [Robot-assisted Wood Construction] -- Chinese "Mao-Sun" Timber Structure

Tsinghua Parametric Design Workshop (9-day Group Work) Contribution: Programming/ KUKA Control/ Fabrication Instructor: YU Lei Collaborator: SHI Zhengzhi/ Arnold Zhang/ LI huili/ LIU Zhengtao / TONG Pengxiu/ ZHANG Hanqing/ ZHANG Zhihao Summer 2017

STRUCTURE | Grouped Components

Group 1

CONNECTION | Various Joints Between Wood Sticks

23 pairs of diagonal wood sticks joined end to end by paper pipes which form the margin of the bridge surface. Some of them have mortise in the middle of the wood sticks in order to connect to the opposite edge or to the understructure.

+ Group 2

This group of segments occupies the majority of the wood sticks in the project. And it is the most time -consuming part due to the complicated crafting process. There are two kinds of wood sticks. One needed to be milled a mortise to fit in the paper pipe, while the other needed to be milled a tenon.

+ Group 3

Although the quantity of the paper pipe is huge, the processing procedure is simple.

Using the sliding table saw, it was quick to cut the paper pipe according to the data exported from the grasshopper.

Type A

Type B

Type C

Type D

Type E

+ Group 4

The understructure is composed of wood sticks with the diameter of 110mm and foundations of poured concrete. When being mortised out a notch for the 80mm wood sticks to connect, the contact area with the drill is larger, and the speed of the KUKA arm had to be slowed down for safety.

26

WORKING ENVIRONMENT | Assembly Line

12

TENON & MORTISE DRILLING PROCESS | KUKA Robot

4

001 Time: 0'01''

002 Time: 0'38''

003 Time: 1'13''

004 Time: 1'41''

005 Time: 2'05''

006 Time: 2'29''

007 Time: 2'45''

008 Time: 3'11''

009 Time: 3'45''

010 Time: 4'13''

011 Time: 4'45''

012 Time: 5'04''

013 Time: 5'37''

014 Time: 6'01''

015 Time: 6'16''

13 8 11 9

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80mm wood raw materials 120mm paper pipes Fixed Mold Vacuum Cleaner Sliding Saw Table Ready for milling Control Panel KUKA KR 90-270 R3100 Milling Cutter Joint Testing Area Air Pump Dust Gathering Paired Components

Milling with KUKA This is a series of screenshots from the recording of the milling process.

Normally, each stick needs around 5 minutes to be milled a mortise.

We fabricated these components in a reconstructed container, where we divided the space into three parts: cutting, milling, and assembling. In the first area, we used sliding saw table to split the raw material into different parts according to the data exported from Grasshopper, and then we labeled them. In the milling zone, by fixing the wood sticks into the platform designed by ourselves, a Kuka robotic arm with milling cutter was used to carve out the tenon and mortise on wood sticks. After the milling process, those fabricated components were collected together according to labels in the third area, and then they were packed for delivering to the construction site.

27

Assembling To finish the project on time, we were divided into two groups. The assembling and production were ongoing at the same time. During the assembling process, we also used QR code and cameras to project the figure of the digital model in order to reduce mistakes and improve efficiency. It was hard to match the mortises and tenons due to the huge number of pairs, so we made sure to store and transport the components orderly to avoid repetitive work. Through nine days of teamwork, the final installation was structurally reasonable to hold up to ten people at the same time.

Product Visitors were astonished that we could finish such a complex work within intensive nine days. It is proved the Chinese traditional timber structure is amazing to create infinite possibilities. With the help of the robot and digital design methods, we have saved tremendous time and efforts.It is not hard to imagine that as technology evolves, we can create more complex designs in a short time The bridge is completely constructed by environmentallyfriendly materials so that all the components could be recycled or reused after the exhibition.

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腔体 像素化山体 体块 体块

06 [Mountain House]

-- Shanghai Museum East Internship Project Employer: Atelier LI Xinggang China Architecture Design & Research Group Contribution: Models / Renderings / Analytical Drawings Summer 2016

形 体 与 空 间

形 体 与 空 间 抽象体块 抽象体块 像素化山体

Pixel Mountain

形 形 体 体 与 与 空 空 间 间 抽象体块 像素化山体 像素化山体 空洞与腔体

Edge Erosion

形 体 与 空 间 抽象体块 抽象体块 抽象体块 像素化山体 抽象体块 抽象体块 空洞与腔体 空洞与腔体 峰石透漏

Ponds

形 形 体 体 与 与 空 空 间 间

形 形 体 体 与 与 空 空 间 间 抽象体块 抽象体块 像素化山体 像素化山体 像素化山体 像素化山体 空洞与腔体 抽象体块 抽象体块 像素化山体 峰石透漏 峰石透漏

Structure

形 体 与 空 间

形 体 与 空 间

形 形 体 体 与 与 空 空 间 间

形 体 与 空 间 像素化山体 像素化山体 空洞与腔体 抽象体块 空洞与腔体 空洞与腔体 空洞与腔体 像素化山体 像素化山体 峰石透漏 空洞与腔体

Shared & Exhibition Space

抽象体块 空洞与腔体 空洞与腔体 峰 像素化山体抽象体块 峰石透漏 峰石透漏 空洞与腔体 空洞与腔体 峰石透漏 峰石透漏

Lighting and ventilation

水池、天池垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 结构：巨筒与桁架 水池、天池 水池、天池 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 结构：巨筒与桁架 结构：巨筒与桁架 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 水池、天池 可持续：自然通风 结构：巨筒与桁架 水池、天池 水池、天池 水池、天池 结构：巨筒与桁架 结构：巨筒与桁架 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 结构：巨筒与桁架 水池、天池 水池、天池 水池、天池 水池、天池 可持续：自然通风与采光 结构：巨筒与桁架 结构：巨筒与桁架 结构：巨筒与桁架 结构：巨筒与桁架 水池、天池 可持续：自然通风与采光 水池、天池 可持续：自然通风与采光 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 水池、天池 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 可持续：自然通风与采光 结构：巨筒与桁架 结构：巨筒与桁架 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 可持续：自然通风与采光 可持续：自然通风与采光 水池、天池 可持续：自然通风与采光 可持续：自然通风与采光 垂直向的共享 抽象体块 空洞与腔体 空洞与腔体 像素化山体 像素化山体 峰石透漏 空洞与腔体 垂直向的共享空间和水平向的展陈空间 像素化山体 抽象体块 峰石透漏 峰石透漏 空洞与腔体 空洞与腔体 峰石透漏 空洞与腔体 像素化山体 峰石透漏 峰石透漏 峰石透漏 空洞与腔体 峰石透漏结构：巨筒与桁架 29

07 [Lujiazui Experiment]

08 [Begonia with Butterfly]

-- New City Reconstruction Urban Design

-- Traditional Chinese Realistic Painting

Graduation Design (17-week Studio Project) Participation in SUSAS Shanghai 2017 Exhibition Instructor: CAI Yongjie/ XU Kai Contribution: Concept Design & Development/ Models/ Drawings Collaborator: DAI Fangguo/ CHENG Yanning/ HONG Yilun/ ZHOU Xihui/ ZHOU Yi/ ZHANG Jing/ LONG Jiayu/ XU Chun/JIN Gang Spring 2017

Personal Artwork Tongji Elective Art Studio Instructor: HU Wei Winter 2015

30