TIANFANG FANG Architecture Portfolio 2017- 2020
t.fang@wustl.edu 217-418-6106
Prologue
Architectural design to me is like a way to explore and widen the connection between people and nature. Compare with seeing architecture as a mirror which reflects social value I prefer to treat it more like a piece of art which not only insipire people but also enhance the relationship between people and the environment they are in. In this modern age architecture has envolved far beyond a building and how to enrich the meaning it could bring to the world and to people who have opportunity to access has always been the critical aspect I want to express and pursue. In this portfolio I would like to show my work and process that I made from year 2017 to 2020.
01 University city Montessori School
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Architectural design of a Montessori School in University city, St. Louis.
02 The Bubble
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Architectural design of a series of conceputal and consecutive multi-functional structures based on an existing and reviving city infrastructure in St. Louis.
03 Barcelona cultural center
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Architectural design of a cultural center in Barcelona, Spain.
04 Multi-family housing project in Yesler Terrace
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Architectural design of a multi-family housing project in Yesler Terrace, Seattle.
05 Matrix boutique hotel
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Architectural design of a boutique hotel in urban context in downtown Champaign.
06 Community centre in Nepal Architectural design of a community centre in a countryside, Nepal
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University City Montessori School Site location:
University city, St Louis, MO
Project year:
2019
Design Period:
Full-semester
Design of this Montessori School in University City, St Louis includes five individual classrooms which has assigned outdoor and indoor space accordingly for kid's activities designated to the teaching program. Kids in this school ranging from 3-year-old to 14-year-old. The school also provides a 2500 sqft indoor green house for planting in the winter time.
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Classrooms are arranged in a diagonal movement which gives access for sunshine to come in to the mat area covered with wood panels located on the west side. Each classroom has a square shape of front door area that interacts with the piazza space in the middle surrounding by classrooms.
Site Plan, Scale: 1/16”=1’,
Stairs up to the second floor of the classroom
Front door area at the entrance of each classroom
Gathering space for the whole school
Large green house for winter use for the whole school
Entrance School staff office
Waiting area for parents
Ground Floor Plan, Scal
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Corten steel panel
Insulation for the roof Upper window allow more light to enter
Black steel window frame to match the structure Terrazzo tile for piazza floor Insulation for the foundation
Short Section, Sca
Short Section, Scale Steel structure corporates with wood panels installed on the higher part of the room give kids a feeling of staying in a delicate box. Steel beams and joints are exposed intentionaly inside the classroom for kids to watch, and gypsum board on a lower height allow kids to draw anything they want on the humble wall.
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Long Section, Scale
The Bubble Site location:
Old North St. Louis , St Louis, MO
Project year:
2020
Design Period:
Full-semester
Design of this conceptual proposal was based on a whole semester's research on the specific needs of City of St. Louis and the site is set in the Old North which is a declining neighborhood on east-north of the city that experienced huge population loss and limited access to fresh food for the past decades. The series of buildings includes three mixed use structures that provide local population fresh tomatoes and meanwhile places for rest and joy.
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The Leisure Buidling -Functions: restaurant + Cafe -Target population: residents of the city, travelers, greenway bikers and visitors
The Trade Buidling -Functions: greenhouse + farmers' market -Target population: residents of the city, travelers, related workers
The Production Buidling -Functions: greenhouse + gym -Target population: residents of Old North Neighborhood, travelers
The bubble's surface consists of two hard and rigid facades on the two ends and a wrap of ETFE membrane that connects them and cover the whole inner space. Diamond pattern was created by cables that held the membrane together. Air expressors work to keep the positive pressure constant inside and fill the shape.
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On the existing Trestle, visitors are able to walk through the Bubble via the elevated tunnel constructed by storefront systems and during the walk they can have a nice view over the tomato growing field from above.
The second structure is a farmers' market along with a greenhouse that set above. The space below the Trestle was designed as a trade space and the space above was set as a long greenhouse with pedestrian walkway on sides. 13
The long narrow space was designed for visitors to walk. On the Trestle they walked by the framed greenhouse and below it they walked through the boxed trading stalls.
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Barcelona Cultural Center Site location:
Barcelona, Spain
Project year:
2019
Design Period:
Summer school
This project is design of a cultural center for Barcelona. The site is located in a plazza with restaurants, residential apartments and grocery stores all nearby. The whole building made with pure and white concrete was formed by multiple corridors in various shapes stacking on each other, and the space created by the gap between them became usable for exhibition, study and office purpose.
Protruding corridors that reaching out of the 'glass box' become balconies with different heights for visitors to step out and have a view towards Barcelona's historical building clusters.
Semi-open space, open space and closed space coexist in this building, light enters the inner space through the glass and puts shadows on the white surface.
Concrete structure is supported by columns hidden behind several walls; denser and larger walls on lower levels furthermore enhance the strength of the whole structure. Glass panels connected by cables are hanging from steel structural web that fixed on the wall behind and also supported by the wall on the top floor.
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Stairs of the cultural center are arranged on the north western cornor in an irregular layout, the purpose is to move the visitors in a free way and express them a feeling of walking inside a maze. People walking inside the building will unintentionly meet others at several spots due to the rich spatial connections within.
People walking, working and visiting in the building in the same time could be very close to each other but they will not meet or disturb others. This is a building that encourge visitors to walk and discover, during their visit they can encounter various types of space in rich relationshops and compositions.
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Yesler Terrace Housing Project Site location:
Yesler Terrace, Seattle, WA
Project year:
2018
Design Period:
Half-semester
This housing project designed for multi-family located on a steep slope which adjcent to a busy highway with noise from morning to night. The project not only served as a residential place but also functioned as a passway for pedestrians to go through that connects other housing projects located besides it.
Due to the sloping condition of the site, tower form is chosen for this project. Units with multiple bedrooms which designed for families are located on the lowest level, and units with single bedroom which designed for individuals mostly the new employees of companies in the city are located on the upper floors. The twin towers are facing two directions -- one to the Elliot Bay and one to the SODO in order to distract from the nosiy highway on the south.
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Balcony for bedroom use only
Sliding door for the use of living room balcony
Sliding door for the use of living room balcony Recess area at the front door
Central vertical circulation core
Central kitchen area
Balconies of each unit are facing to specific angle in order to give the residents a view to the beautiful Elliot Bay and SODO industrial heritage, furthrmore, the openings are turned with an angle to reduce the disturbance of noise from the closed highway.
Cultural understanding of the local is essential for housing project since the way people live, sleep and work identify the place they want to speed the most time in for their daily life. Seattle rains most of the year so warm texture is crucial for housing in the city whereas for Barcelonata residents want the most privacy within the crowded living environment.
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Matrix Boutique Hotel Site location:
Downtown Champaign, IL
Project year:
2017
Design Period:
Full-semester
Design of this boutique hotel in downtown Champaign, Illinois includes a bar and a indoor garden on the ground floor, a restaurant on the second floor and guests' bedrooms on the second and upper floors. The most intriguing spot of this hotel is the 'secret garden' located on the northeast corner, which provides visual connection to the guests walking along the hallway.
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Indoor garden with temperature control
Access from the alley way
Waiting and relaxation area for guests and visitors
Central vertical circulation
Hotel front desk for reception
Kitchen area for the bar and garden use
This boutique hotel proposed to locate at a corner space in a crossing road way in downtown Champaign. Facade design is the main focus of this project because south and west sides of the building will be watched by numerous people driving and walking in the hub area of Champaign city.
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By having a back garden guests of the hotel can have a chill time relaxing in the serene environment they may never find in downtown area.
Fire stair 1
Structural concrete column Central core for elevation
Fire stair 2 One-way slab structure
Ground level Underground level for mechanical uses
Air condition control unit Central core for electrical and water transition
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Facade of the building was formed by matrixes finishing in green and dark gray, in order to express a feeling of nature and forest to correspond with the hidden garden inside.
Rectangular shape of the building ensures the stability, meanwhile perfectly matches the surrounding environment for a small city.
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Community Centre in Nepal Site location:
Nepal
Project year:
2018
Design Period:
Half-semester
Design of this community centre in Nepal is proposed for an architectural competition in 2018. This group work design is named 'under the dome' which utilizes the canopy made of organic plaster to collect rainwater and thus achieve the goal of reusing natural resourses through filtration. Furthermore, such expanded roof structure provides villagers a chill place for resting on their way home under the hot climate in Nepal.
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Sustainable design of this community centre allows the structure to harvest rainwater by the smooth and curved surface supported by bamboo structure on the top, and water will be filtered and stored in a tank set at the lowest of the topography where water will naturally flow to.
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t.fang@wustl.edu 217-418-6106