Selected Works 2018-2022

Tianhui Li

Syracuse University School of Architecture

Bachelor of Architecture, Class of 2023

Matematics minor Contact email: tli149@syr.edu Phone: 315(395)6082 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/li-tianhui-b39908223 issuu: https://issuu.com/tianhuili

While architecture is often regarded as “immovables,” it has exposed an aspect of spatial flexibility, in response to its local context. In today’s society，─ with rapid changes in lifestyle, society, or environment modern architecture is required to respond to those trends as quickly as possible. Throughout my architectural education in Syracuse University, I have been aware of this concept of architecture that continuously adapting evolving demands. In this portfolio I would like to introduce my journey of exploring responses of when architecture meets its context.

A DEMOCRATIC FORUM

BETWEEN THE WALLS

Spring 2022, Comprehensive Studio

Instructor: Richard Rosa

Partner: Kaicheng Zhuang ACSA Steel Design Student

Competition 2022 Category I

Honourable Mention

King + King Leadership by Design Prize 2022 Finalist, Syracuse University

A major problem of contemporary architectural education is the elitist top-down pedagogy that focuses on incubated/isolated abstractions and speculations without addressing the rich entanglement of disciplines and networks crucial to the dynamic civic contexts we operate in. The choice of sitting in an architecture school is a meta critique of our tendency to view the ‘public’ as static scenarios ; the intervention of inserting a living archive in its agora, and a campus corridor for the public to access , is a provocation of how the dynamic politics of difference should inform and challenge the way we design for communities. The project introduces two walls of knowledge to replace the original walls which separate professional spaces apart from the public atrium space.

Project site Slocum Hall Architecture School

Project + Context

relationships drawing Syracuse University Campus Rhinocerous/Adobe Illustrator

Axonometric section view of Slocum Hall with glass walls intervention (Left)

Interior views of Slocum Hall with intervention (Right)

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from

The new walls primarily serve the function of archive storage and displacement, they create a grand vertical space for students and faculties to experience each time they enter any program in the architecture school. The two glass walls go down to the space underneath the building, forming the space of a grand auditorium with a campus corridor that sits above it. The corridor enables public access to the archive and makes them part of the architecture’s academic discussion.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and

From our it is based Hutongrenovation

Even our

Display wall structure

or stems from exudes ration and

or stems from

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from

Mechanical archive shelf

3. [Surgical Interventions]

Operating on the Archetype

Circa 2026: It’s been 50 years since the start of the idea. Seligmann’s

there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from

in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and

studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the project, it makes little difference in the long term.

representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control. From our case studies, we realize that

Display wall+Archive desk

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in axonometric exudes ration and control.

Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control. From our case studies, we realize

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control. From our case studies, we realize that

Archive Display Studio Crit Archive Study Lecture on Archive

for an intervention. Architectural nutrients in the form of assembly space, symbolic archive space, effective social space and the elements necessary for a viable and world-class space of education, inspiration and exchange are desperately needed.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

Archive Display

3. [Surgical Interventions] Operating on the Archetype

These two glass walls are each composed of a display wall and an archive storage wall. The display wall is composed of openable double-layered glass panels, where students and facilities can insert drawings and display them on both the atrium side and the inside of the wall space. The backside of the storage wall interacts with different programs behind it, it can operate as a studio pinup space on the fourth floor, a screen for the Selignmen Auditorium on the first and second floor, and even an exhibition wall inside the marble room.

Circa 2026: It’s been 50 years since the start of the idea. Seligmann’s vision of a curriculum, born in 1976 is being dissolved in 2023. The building has been used and abused, tested and transformed, updated and mutated.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision

Roof gardens' access to archive

studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision

The Seligmann renovation of the 1970’s was built as the precise facilitator of that educational vision and its functional needs. The Garrison renovation revised, opened, and refreshed the building providing glorious spaces of light, air, volume and expanded studio space to accommodate the bulging student population.

We are asked to reconsider, reimagine and reconstruct this indispensable artifact of history through the lens of contemporary technologies, programmatic accommodation and in dialogue with the reformed societal ideals and political currents that we have inherited. This is a surgical exercise, one situated in the struggle between authenticity and translation, between the notions of idealization and distortion, between origin and evolution, and ultimately between the economic value of simply accommodating square footage requirements vs. the architectural values that suggest the intangible value of architectural space as a symbolic, meaningful and inherently inspirational component of the built environment.

Studio Crit Archive Study

The two walls work together to form a multifunctional space, where archives can be displayed, lectures can be held, studio crit can take place, and with foldable glass desks, working and studying in front of the displayed masterpieces becomes possible. The archives are no longer stored in storehouses with limited access, instead, they constantly interact with the students, the building, and the public.

Tired and broken, suffocated by overcrowding and outdated technology, absent of symbolic content or the trace of it’s own history, Slocum Hall cries for an intervention. Architectural nutrients in the form of assembly space, symbolic archive space, effective social space and the elements necessary for a viable and world-class space of education, inspiration and exchange are desperately needed.

that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational exudes ration and control.

Display wall+Archive wall

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline,

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision

Archive Display Studio Crit

Lecture on Archive

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control. From

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

From our case studies,

a

realize that in our discipline,

Archive Study Lecture on Archive

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like the people’s commune, or stems from what we think is the best for the occupants like in the Hutongrenovation project, it makes little difference in the long term. Even our representational tools such as plans and axonometric exudes ration and control.

From our case studies, we realize that in our discipline, there exists a tradition of top-down planning and decision making. Whether it is based on pure idealism like

people’s commune, or stems from

Partner: Tenkei Li Status: In Progress Instructor: Professor Richard Rosa Spring 2022

Final renders by Zhuang

TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY

REIMAGINED

Spring 2021, Visiting critique studio

Instructor: Liang Wang

Partner: Meejan Patel

The project focuses on reinventing the traditional pol house typology of Ahmedabad, India into temporal housing for student living. With the increase of technology and online classes, we are interested in the ways in which we can provide temporal housing for the younger generation in response to such technological change. Therefore, while maintaining traditional elements essential to the pol typology, the proposed housing reimagines the pol as a more flexible and open community dwelling for students in Ahmedabad.

We envision the block as a populated and vibrant community where residents can interact amongst themselves, but also with the surrounding community and informal economies that circulate onto the site.

Type 1 module

Type 2 module

The project proposes two types of modules in order to fit both residential and commercial needs. One of the main differences between type 1 (residential) and type 2 (commercial) is the inner "garden" space. This concept of an inner garden originally came from the traditional pol house typology where the garden serves as an air tunnel to release hot air inside the house. This space is also regarded as an in-between space, which loosely connects public and private spaces within the house. While the inner garden is situated in each module of type 1, the garden seen in type 2 is generated by combining modules. In order to respond to the collective character of the type 2 modules, we decided to create a larger inner garden, rather than having small gardens inside of each module.

The main material of the project is wood since it is light and suitable for humid climates. While the traditional pol house uses walls as a spatial guide to separate units or programs, in our project, we used frames, which consist of wooden columns and beams, to create more spatial flexibility.

An axonometric view of the project site

Rhinocerous/Adobe Illustroator

With the development of (digital) technologies, the importance of physical existence has been getting less and less. We further argue that programs are now not defined by architectural spaces, rather, users define temporal programs of the space they are at/in. In other words, multi-purpose is a keyword for responding to a rapid-changing society. Although the modules we designed to have only two types, by changing elements of the interior, modules can function for various purposes.

Phase 1: Aging existing site

Phase 10: Building facade construction

Phase 2: Demolition of the project site Phase 11: Building walls construction

Phase 5: Construction of Phase 3: Foundation construction

Phase 12: Repeating process for the rest of the modules

Phase 4: Wooden frames assembly

Phase 13: Reimagined community during daytime

Phase 13.1: Daytime activities

Project Process Phases

Phase 6: Wooden beams construction Phase 13.2: Evening/night time activities

of the frames Phase 7: Secondary beams construction Phase 14: Demolition due to deterioration activities

Phase 8: Roof construction Phase 15: Reconstruction of new community

Phase 9: Floor construction Phase 16: Repeated demolitions as needed

A project of designing a tiny house. We chose Indian Head and Fish HawkCliffs, New York as our site to design glampers' portaledge . This house can accomodate 1 to 4 people, and includes kitchen,toilet, sleeping space, etc.

TINY HOUSE PROJECT

Fall 2019, Building structure class Instructor: Daekwon Park Teammates: Bryce Edwards, Nicholas Chung, Leyla Ramelmeier

The primary structure of the project consists of four cantilevers. There are secondary turnbuckle systems to resist the buckling forces from the cantilevers. Since this project is hung from the cliff, users use ladders to access the house. The house is a two-story building with its upper floor being public space and the lower floor is private space. The front face of the house is a big glass curtain wall, providing a magnificent view from the cliff. In order to control lighting/shading from the curtain wall, we introduced a movable steel panel supported by a gear system. Users can manually open and close the steel panel by rolling the gear.

Rhinocerous/Adobe Illustrator

A WELL-BEING LANE

BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE

Fall 2021, NYC design studio

Instructor: David Vega-Barachowitz, Robert Daurio, Crystal Eksi

Teammates: Javier Lam, Shangkun Zhong

In East Flatbush, Broocklyn, NY lies Utica Avenue, an important north-south road that anchors many major roads. It is a commercial corridor, with a large variety of programs. Many of the stores are served for cars, although there is a good mix of different stores along the road. Along Utica Avenue is an intersection of Canarsie Lane, which was built in 1842. The combination of Canarsie Lane and Utica Avenue brought prosperity to the neighborhood. However, by 1980, Canarsie Lane had been abandoned , and are vacant till this day. This Canarsie Lane Revival project, a reintroduction of a once historic lane, seeks to provide health and overall well-being for the community.

Lifestyle of each blocks

Vacancy rate and land ownerships

Bluer area show higher vacancy rate

C mark:company-owned House: privately-owned Pink:public-owned

Canarsie Lane Revival is split into four zones: Meandering Park, Canarsie and Utica Square, Art and Sculpture Path, and Family Lifestyle Zone. Most of the development around Canarsie Lane has occured before 1980, which was when the road was removed. Since 1980, the lots on Canarsie Lane are either vacant or under-utilized. Along Utica Avenue, there are buildings that will be removed and existing services will be rearranged. The lifestyles of the neighbors are integral to how the spaces work. The age, amount of exercise, and meal consumptions of residents are surveyed, and are taken into consideration of their needs, to provide adequate amenities to these people. Traces of art are also seen within the site. A park, gathering spaces, and the arts are integrated within the neighborhood. The proposal looks into the remains along Canarsie Lane and identifies these as traces.. Each zone speaks to transform an element along Canarsie Lane into the design, which are either trees, walls, or fences.

Four zones development/design processes

Zone 1: Meandering Park

A piece of vacant land is used as a car entryway, while the other two pieces are fenced. Existing trees are kept and are used to guide the meandering park walkway. The park preserves the car entryway and introduces a running trail, a low-intensity exercise zone, and a set of seats under tree coverage.

Zone 2: Canarsie and Utica Square

Many of the current commercial activities along Canarsie Lane and Utica Avenue’s intersection are either misplaced or already exist along Utica Avenue. These buildings are redesigned, keeping some walls as traces of previously existing buildings along the intersection. The ground is redesigned to allow users to walk, stand, and sit at different heights along Utica Avenue.

Zone 3: Art and Sculpture Path

The Art and Sculpture Path goes across multiple gardens and garages along the former Canarsie Lane. The land is under-utilized and will be bought from the land owners to develop a public path. The path, guided by fences, is redesigned to bring back art and life into the community. Cafes, art pavilions, and seats are integrated along the lanes.

Zone 4: Family Lifestyle Zone

A few schools exist around this area, but commercial activities are not beneficial to children and families. These buildings are taken down and traces are left behind and modified along the site. The Family Lifestyle Zone provides different amenities for group activities and gatherings.

EXTENDED SIDEWALKS

LEADING TO COOKING

REVITALIZATION

Fall 2019, Design Studio (Urban)

Instructor: Ryan Doyle

On August 14th, 2019, the city of Fulton won first place for the NYS Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), bringing $10M in state-funding to the city. This project provides a new vision for this downtown that can serve as models for other communities in the region.

The city of Fulton once prospered in manufacture industry, especially in chocolate manufacturing . Even now, there is a factory for food packaging, and there are many restaurants in downtown Fulton. The project responds to its context by introducing a molecular gastoronomy research center which studies cooking from scientific aspects.

The main design concept is extending the exsisting sidewalks, which lead to the center of Fulton, to the project site to create a lively circulation.

First floor plan with surrounding context

Rhinocerous/Adobe Illustrator/Arc GIS

Section 1

(cutting approximately in east-west direction)

(cutting approximately in east-west direction)

(cutting approximately in east-west direction)

Section 4

(cutting approximately in east-west direction)

Section 2

Second floor plan

Night view render Rhinocerous/V-ray

site context

Majority of surrounding buildings situate its main entrance on sidewalks side, meaning sidewalks play an important role in the context circulations. The project inherits this trend by extending the existing sidewalks to the project site. The extended sitewalks became guidelines for the form design. program

This molecular gastoronomy research center has three programs: community space, greenhouse, and research center space.

The community space has several individual rooms in order to fit various civic activities. The research center space has one continuous space in order to have a smooth transitions of food processing. In order to maintain both visal and spatial connections of the program, the project applied "C-shaped" module combinations.

The greenhouse serves as in-between space which not only connects each program, but also sereves as gathering space to make extended sidewalks more than a passageway.

Rhinocerous/CMU 3D printing

ILLUSTRATIONS

2018-Present