BEFORE / AFTER
ANT CAVE FACTORY+NATURE +CITY
MAT BUILDING VS. PENCIL TOWER
page 3
2012-2017
THE BALANCE
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
CONTENT
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
BEFORE
page 5
2012-2017
ANT CAVE
AFTER
THE " ANT TRIBE"
INTRODUCTION
Ant tribe (traditional Chinese: 蟻族 ; pinyin: yǐzú) is a neologism used to describe a group of low income university graduates who settle for a poverty-level existence in the cities of China. For job opportunites, they come to unfamiliar cities with no families or friends. After at least 8 hours of work everyday, they find themselves tired and lonely in their small rented apartment. We should pay more attention to their life in the city, since they are the main labor rescources , the vigor and power of the city.
This is a prpject about wonder, and an architectural way of writing a new fairy tale. And it is always the dissatisfaction to a current social scenario which triggers this fairy tale, where the architect imagine that he can change every thing with his idealistic design proposal. The project, Ant Cave, began when I visited my friend in her small rented basement apartment. Her poor living condition made me pay attention to this special group of people called Ant Tribe. Then, out of no where, I came up with the idea of designing something for these people to improve their life. With no assignment, no request, no tutorship, I sat on my chair and began drawing my ideas and imagined what their life will be with my design. Through series of drawings, a personal architectural fairy tale was then constructed.
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu page 7
2012-2017
DILEMMA OF THE “ANT TRIBE” Li Yun, a typical ant triber, usually comes back home at 6:30 pm, and spends the rest of the day alone at home. She never goes out at night. She feels lonely sometimes when she has nothing to do.She wants to make new friends, but she can’t afford to eat out and socialize. She wants to exercise everyday but she doesn’t want to pay for that. She wants to live in the big city, but she doesn’t know how to make it all by herself. She has a dream of starting up her own business, but she knows nothing about entrepreneurship. Life is a dilemma for her, and for every ant triber who is struggling to live in big cities in China.
ANALYSIS OF NEEDS A survey is made to understand what kind of help do these ant tribers really need, and decide which elements should be valued and expressed in design. The results will be used to shape the function of the building. It’s obvious that ant tribers care more about learning and career building than general users. And both of them need emotional support services. As for amusement, they share almost the same interest.
STUDIES OF STRUCTURE The population of ant tribers is unstable. Most of them tend to leave when they find life is far from their expectation. So, a flexible and transformable structure is needed here. It must be something temporary. The building needs to serve as a framework, in which all kinds of stories could happen. The structure must be able to change according to the variation of ant tribe population and be able to accommodate all kinds of activities. A structural study is made to achieve that, and tranquility is made into consideration. The final goal of this study is to find the structure with less columns and more flexibility. And the structure needs to be able to grow with time which means that it will always be under construction.
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
Ventilation System
page 9
SIMULATION OF CONSTRUCTION SCENE
Piping System
2012-2017
Electrical System
INSTALLATION OF UNITS
All boxes are prefab, and transported to the construction site. Pre-fabricated modules can be easily transported by ship, truck, or rail, because they already conform to standard shipping sizes. During installation, boxes need to be connected to the rails on the floor. After installation, boxes can then slide along the rails. The rails can not only regulate the direction of the box’s movement, but also ensure that the box can not fall off the building. Construction Video Of ANT CAVE: https://vimeo.com/190476739
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu page 11
2012-2017
VIEW OF INTERMEDIATE FLOOR There is an intermediate floor between every six floors which is used as a playground for ant tribers and citizens. This playground serves as an open space for ant tribers to exercise and get to know their neighbours.
BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY The final goal of this project is to make these young people be supported and involved by the community. The building can provide them all kinds of spaces to learn to get prepared for life in big cities, but the main purpose of this design is to guide them, and ending their lonely life. Through proper arrangement of funtions, ant tribers and common citizens can spend some leisure time together. This is a chance for them to be part of the community.
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu page 13
2012-2017
INTERACTION WITH THE STRUCTURE Ant tribers are young, creative, and have a thirst for adventure. A changeable plan can give them a new architectural experience everyday. As the poplulation of “Ant Tribe� is quite unstable, boxes can be pulled out if they are no longer in need. And the surplus space will be used by common citizens nearby.
USER INTERFACE Most of Ant tribers use internet frequently. In order to make this service center more accessible to them, I made a website for the Ant Cave. It helps me to imagine how this building will be used. Ant tribers can use the website to find the box they are interested in and check recent events in the community. They can even design their own rooms with the help of architects. The website serves as the brain of the whole system of Ant Cave.
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
BEFORE
page 15
2012-2017
FACTORY+ NATURE+ CITY
AFTER
THE LAND OF WASTE
INTRODUCTION
The Philippines’ National Capital Region, Metropolitan Manila, has 14 cities (Las Piñas, Makati, Malabon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasig, Valenzuela, Kalookan, Pasay, Quezon and Taguig) and 3 municipalities (Navotas, San Juan, and Pateros). The region has a population approximately growing at a rate of 4% annually. The increasing population and urbanization of the region results to creation of more industries and establishments. Inadequate collection vehicles and lack of disposal sites have contributed to the reduction of collection efficiency of household waste. The main problem of too much garbage generation will hardly be solved when the solutions are not really targeting the main problem.
Due to the large population in Manila, a great amount of organic waste is produced every day in the city. They will be the resource of the new vertical factory. All the waste will be dumped at the bottom level of the factory, then they will be transformed into valuable products including water, fertilizer, heat, electricity… We use these products to create different kinds of natural environment. The landscape is shaped according to the scale and shape of factories. Organic waste then can be turned into new city landscape while factories hide beyond natural surfaces. The main concept of this design is to let people be aware of the truth that the natural environment is a loop, everything you produce will then form the new world. Instead of criticizing the pollution problem we create the most ideal way for people to understand the best interaction between human and nature.
Green House Landscape Soil & Landfill Housing
Pool & Bath
Public Transportation 0.03 m3/car
Digestate Storage
3D Printing
Water Supply
84% 0.395 ton 1.2 ton/d/silo 6 m3/silo
Fertilizer
Gas Station
96% 183 m3 2.2d x 3h 10m3
30%
33.75 m3
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
Anaerobic Digestion 150 tons/d/silo 400 m3/silo
Powdered Material 84% 151 tons 1.88 m3
Methane
Diesel
Purifier
90% (98%) 112.5 m3 101.3 tons
11.6d x 6h 634m3 16hrs
Plastic
40% 40 tons 0.8 m3 ~50 kg/m3
Contaminated water
Pasteurisation
Crude Oil 13% / 33% 125 m3 ~ 0.85 kg/m3
20% / 33% 191 m3 ~ 1.06 kg/m3
page 17
Pressure & Combustion
Pre-treatment
2012-2017
20% 140 tons 30 tons/d/silo
80% 562 tons 564 m3
MBT
BRING FACTORIES BACK TO THE CITY
MORE SUSTAINABLE WASTE MANAGEMENT
Centifugal Separation 320 L
By 2025, the number of megacities (cities with populations over 10 million) will grow from 23 to 36, and the population in the top 600 cities in the world will grow by 500 million. In the near future, two-thirds of the world's population will live in megacities. Factories moved to areas outside cities because they were noisy and polluting. But now, many factories are cleaner and could have a new place in the urban environment. Moving them back into the city would provide a higher quality of life, by allowing employees to walk to work rather than commute in cars. Urban factories would be closer to populations of skilled workers, suppliers and technical and research centers. This is the vision we have for the cities of tomorrow: factories will be dissolved into small pieces and then be stacked together into high rise vertical factories. By bringing factories back to the city, we can achieve zero CO2 emissions, energy efficient, even higher quality of life, resource efficient.
The main problem of too much garbage generation will hardly be solved when the solutions are not really targeting the main problem. Each dumpsite can only contain a specific capacity or amount of garbage and when it gets reaches its threshold it eventually becomes non-functional and will be shut down. The Metro Manila Development Authority reacts by searching for alternative location for dumpsites. Metro Manila's dumpsite problem will never end until local governments are able to drastically reduce their garbage output as mandated by Republic Act 9003. Metro Manila's poor drainage system, pollution, and garbage problem might have worsened the effects of the heavy downpour that ‘Ondoy’ brought to the area. Metro Manila city mayors claimed that it was the garbage problem that was a major factor in the heavy flooding caused by Ondoy (Calonzo GMA News, 2009)
5.5-7 m3/hr
Liquid Waste Solid Waste
33% 284 tons/d 316 m3 ~ 0.9 kg/m3
67% 702 tons/d 642 m3
Stock Farming 16147 m2
Material Filter
30% 986 tons/d 958 m3 1029 kg/m3
Food
outputs materials energy
Organic Waste 3290 tons/d
Program
Output
water supply
e
ast
dw
heat supply
foo
he
c mi
c
n tra al
org
an
ic f
page 19
oo
d
LANDSCAPE SHAPED BY VERTICAL FACTORY Due to the large population in Manila, a great amount of organic waste is produced every day in the city. They will be the resource of the new vertical factory. All the waste will be dumped at the bottom level of the factory, then they will be transformed into valuable products including water, fertilizer, heat, electricity‌ We use these products to create different kinds of natural environment. The landscape is shaped according to the scale and shape of factories. Organic waste then can be turned into new city landscape while factories hide beyond natural surfaces.
2012-2017
. sp
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
plastic transp
ter wa cals ste emi a w ch ls ica em ch
Water Treatment
Crude Oil & Plastic Production
Liquid Centifugal Separation
Electricity Generation
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
3d Printig Factory
page 21
2012-2017
Anaerobic Digestion
FACTORY HIDING IN NATURE Factories are hiding in the natural emvironment. And natural environment exists in the manmade skyscraper. It will be not rare to see the whole city view in the high-rise factory and part of the machine under the grass. The main concept of this design is to let people be aware of the truth that the natural environment is a loop, everything you produce will then form the new world. Instead of criticizing the pollution problem we create a special way for people to understand the best interaction between human and nature.
Water Treatment
Mechanic Biological Treatment
Waste Storage & Filter
Waste Dumpsite
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
BEFORE
page 23
2012-2017
THE BALANCE
AFTER
THE RUINS
INTRODUCTION
The site holds a completely ruined and empty palace that overlooks the bay, side by side to a gothic church from the XIVth century. The remaining stone walls of the building need to be preserved, as well as the historical ancient ruins in the foundations, which have roman origin.
The project explores the way to better respect the walls and ruins from different ages and at the meantime make a good use of them to fit the program of a mixed-use building. The building includes an exhibition space for the ruins, a restaurant, and some public space to connect the street to the seaside. The design strategy is to create a floating structure which will allow people to wander above the ruins and between the old walls. The great contrast between the light floating structure and the heavy thick wall will make it clear about what is new and what is old.
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu page 25
2012-2017
PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL RELICS The working site is located in the city of Getaria, 20 miles west of San Sebastian, in the north coast of Spain, within a historical environment and strong topography. In order to preserve the cultural relics and exhibit them at the same time, the design need to follow a certain rule. The exhibition space need to prevent tourists from stepping or touching the ruins and keep the ruins from the rain and strong sunlight. But it also need to provide a chance for people to get closer to the ruin and walk around the site to see cultural relics from different view points. The new structure need to touch the old wall or ruin as little as possible.
The site
2
Remove the damaged building
3
Open the wall to the public space
4
Add a new supporting wall
5
Insert trusses to create a balance
6
All other structures are suspended from the roof
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
1
page 27
2012-2017
STRUCTURE OF A BALANCE Two pieces of wall are used to lift the whole building. The idea comes from the structure of the balance, where only one column touches the ground. The balance structure is perfect for this project since the new structure will not cause damage to the ruins and there will be no columns on the ground level. Several bridges are created to go through the two walls and the building grows up above them.
The Balanced Structure
Detail-A
2nd Floor Plan
Detail-B
Detail-C
Detail-D
Detail-E
Detail-F
4th Floor Plan
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
B
page 29
Ground Floor Plan
2012-2017
A
C E
3rd Floor Plan
F
D
THE SPACE BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE There are three layers of space in plan, the outside balconies above the ruin, the inside kitchen, and the transportation space between them. That is the space between the two supporting walls. Vertical circulation and all kinds of service space are accumulated here which allows for a more flexible indoor and outdoor space. The shape of the balocony originates from the grid of the ruin. People can have a good view of the ruin and also the buttress since the balcony are very close to the historical parts.
THE FLOATING STRUCTURE It's quite clear in section that the new structure is floating above the ruins. The cantilevered balcony sometimes is so close to the butttress, that people can have a very close view of the historical relic standing on it. And when the new structure has to touch the old wall, the touching area is reduced to the minimum. Because of the difference in material, it's easy to tell which part is new and which part is old.
Section
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
The Free University of Berlin, Candilis, Josic, Woods and Scheidhelm, 1963
BEFORE
MAT BUILDING & PENCIL TOWER
INTRODUCTION
A mat building is a building that has access, layout, daylighting and ventilation solved for a plan unit that’s repeated as often as needed. Mat buildings have real and immediate advantages. Their integration of construction and human needs facilitates the efficient use of resources and land. Mat buildings usually have an intimate relationship with human scale, because it's usually 2-3 floor's high. And the inner courtyard in each unit provides a sence of nature.
This project is located near the United Nations Headquarters, New York. It is a mixed-use housing community with both luxury neighborhoods and social housing part. A combination of mat building and pencial tower makes it possible to combine this two kinds of housing projects. Low density mat building is for luxury housing, while high density pencil tower is for social housing. Rich people pay for the high construction fee of the pencil tower and get a low density garden mat building in return while poor people can live in the riverfront pencil tower which is usually quite expensive in other circumstances.
Skyscrapers are the product of high land values caused by urban density, and pencil towers truly are. Hong Kong is famous for these, but New York has seen then popping up recently as well. It requires an extraordinary set of circumstances to make pencil towers economically viable and for people to accept very high-priced or very compact apartments, but Hong Kong, and sought after parts of Manhattan do offer that urban context of scattered and expensive land ownership and an extreme high demand for space.
page 31
2012-2017
MAT BUILDING VS. PENCIL TOWER
AFTER
Luxury High-rise
Apartments Riverfront Hotel Office Mid-rise
High Connection
Roof Green
Gymnasium
Office Residential Studio & Loft Mall Courtyard Commercial Extended deck Amenity Promenade Plaza
Swimming Pool Riverfront Park
EXTENSION OF THE CITY GRID The grid of the new building is an extention of the city grid. The land is divided by this grid system into 3 blocks, and each block is then divided into several units. People can go directly to the waterfront along the city street which is the main street in the project without breaking in to the semi-private courtyards. The small courtyard becomes larger and larger when it gets closer to the river, and finally, it becomes the waterfront public space.
PROGRAMMING AND WATER FRONT VIEW
page 33
2012-2017
Playground
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu
Middle Connection Landscape Gate
STUDY OF UNIT COMBINATION
STUDY OF UNIT-COURTYARD RELATIONSHIP
Selected Works of Tianshu Liu page 35
2012-2017
UNIT ANALYSIS AND GROUND FLOOR VIEW