Theatrical Plays
Tingdong Xiong University of Pennsylvania Master of Architecture Candidate Architecture Design Portfolio
TINGDONG XIONG US (+1) 2672907711
tingdong@design.upenn.edu
EDUCATION University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, US Master of Architecture
Aug 2019 - Expected May 2022
Tianjin Chengjian University, Tianjin, China Bachelor of Management in Project Management
Sep 2015 - Jun 2019
Graduate with distinction
WORK EXPERIENCE REX Architecture, New York, US Architectural Intern
Jun 2021 - Expected Aug 2021
Works on design development phase, design studies, build models, make renders, assist in preparing client presentations, help with architectural research and aid the team in the production of technical drawings.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Engineering Management Society of Tianjin Chengjian University
Sep 2017 - Jun 2019
Teaching Assistant for overseas students of Tianjin Chengjian University
Feb 2018 - Jun 2019
As a group member take charge of university freshman academic performance Help the overseas student to get a good academic performance
Tianjin Chengjian University - VIA University Colledge Workshop
Sep 2016, Sep 2017 As a group leader take charge of a 2700 SF residential housing construction management
AWARDS Distinguished Graduates Award of Tianjin Chengjian Univerisity
May 2019
BIM Graduation Desgin Competition for National Universities - Excellent Award
May 2019
Distinguished Youth Award of Tianjin Chengjian University
Mar 2019
‘Challenge Cup’ National Students’ Extracurricular Competition - Second Prize
Apr 2018
Merit Scholarship of Tianjin Chengjian University
Feb 2017 - Jun 2019
PUBLICATIONS Penndesign’s Pressing Matters X
May 2021
Penndesign’s Pressing Matters IX
Dec 2019
Penndesign Core 602 - The Wedged Forest Penndesign Foundation 501 - Urban Theater-Museum
PROFICIENCIES 2D Representation:AutoCAD, Illustrator, Vray, Keyshot, Indesign, Photoshop 3D Modeling: Rhino, Revit, Zbrush Scripts: Grasshopper, Pythen (RhinoCommon, RhinoScript) Others: Microsoft Office, 3D Print
Selected Works
The Wedged Forest 4-19
Childcare design focusing on the relationship between nature and architecture Penndesign Core 602 Instructor: Miroslava Brooks
The Public Common Gaps 20-31
Public housing project rethink the meaning of public common space Penndesign Core 601 Instructor: Scott Erdy
Urban Theater-Museum 32-43
Decolonize the museum by introducing a new architecture program Penndesign Foundation 501 Instructor: Eduardo Rega Calvo
Sprouting Castle 44-49
Treehouse imitate the influence of Europe Castle Independent Work Team work
Elizabeth Quay 5 & 6 50-55 Archictural Intern project REX Architecture Reference: Adam Chizma
Museum Kaleidoscope 56-59
Museum Display Cabinet question the colonize quality of museum artifacts Penndesign Core 501 Instructor: Eduardo Rega Calvo
Eccentric Fold 60-61
Architecture folly design questioning contemporary impression of color Penndesign Reserach Seminar Instructor: Ferda Kolatan
The Wedged Forest
Bring nature into the childcare education
O
n a vast grassland, kids will be carefree to play and health to grow in an architecture that invites the nature to design the interior. The Wedge Forest proposes a playful place with wedge landscapes germinating from the interstitial places between cluster modules inspired by Isamu Noguchi. The wedges tightly connect the playrooms to the vast grassland contexts and branch out a landscape system which keeps over 90% of the existing trees. A forest with diverse plants growing on the wedges reinterpret an assemblage of soft and hard natural landscape for kids to play, wander, and learn. The architecture lies on the undulating grassland with multiple wedge openings that invite sunlight and exterior playscape to penetrate the linear spatial sequence. In order to accommodate the playful and carefree circulations for kids to run around, the main pass ways are lightened with bright colors, and there are minimum fixed separations in the interior in response to the domination of natural plants. Meandering in the Wedge Forest, kids are encouraged to interact with environment and cultivate the natural sense of play.
Penndesign Core Studio 602 Selected for Penndesign’s Pressing matters 10 Partner: Dongqi Chen Instructor: Miroslava Brooks Mix-use childcare center design Location: Stamford, CT 2021 Spring
There is an idea from Isamu Noguchi that a ‘play sculpture’ can educational potential to childcare. Children will easily be appealed by geometrical interaction. Based on that, a base model which is geometrical, dynamic, and scale indeterminate is created as the prototype of the project.
By playing and joining this sculpture, a group of planar toys was created. The plan was utilized as the primary architectural medium through which a multiplicity of spatial conditions are organized in productive spatial adjacencies, conducive to programmatic cross-exchange for play, discovery, and collective gathering.
“I think of playgrounds as a primer of shapes and functions; simp
ple, mysterious, and evocative; thus educational.” -Isamu Noguchi
“I think of playgrounds as a primer of shapes and functions; simp
ple, mysterious, and evocative; thus educational.” -Isamu Noguchi
To stimulate children’s interest in play, the overall building is dynamic, nonorthogonal, and altering people’s perspectives. And to continue the focus on play, tectonic and material specificity is mainly about establishing zones of visual and tactile stimulation. Of particular interest is the creation of tactile surfaces and the ‘natural’ which coexists with the artificial. Inspired by Noguchi’s sophisticated treatments of stone and surfaces, the building will be constructed with two main materials, brick and stucco. Creating an easy-going and appealing atmosphere of this childcare center.
West ele
Section lookin
evation
ng at the west
Frame plan showing where are the strucutre elements
The landscape and ground profile is articulated to make this space natural and also joyful. While meandering inside, people will have a feeling that they are constantly interacting with this building because of the various surrounding environments.
Interior view of walking into the building
Interior view of looking from one side to another
The Public Common Gaps
Transforming gap space into public common space
W
ith the influence of global-wide pandemic, the experience of interior living is reconsidered. It seems that people do not need a city or a square to communicate with others. The necessity of the old public common space with specific functions has to be reconsidered. Because without programs like café or museum, people can still get in touch with others with the help of the internet. Here I’m thinking about creating a public common space that can connect the neighborhood without function. And my conclusion is that letting residents feel their neighborhoods are with them can give people a sense of community at this specific moment. I cut several gap spaces between each unit and applied a one-way french glass at the sides of the gap to allow residents to see their neighbors instead of purely city view. So the gap, even though looked like the junk gap space on the street, can totally change residents’ living experience by letting them know they are living in a huge community. By adjusting the width of the gap, some gaps can become bigger with specific functions. So the gap space, even though it started with the similarity of junk space on the street, generates spaces that become the vitality generator of the community. Penndesign Core Studio 601 Instructor: Scott Erdy Urban housing design Location: Philadelphia, PA 2020 Fall
Westpark Apartment
Gap between building
The site, Westpark apartment, is the last residential tower of Pennsylvania. But right now, the space inside is cold and solid. The building is needed to be reconstructed to be more open and give the residents a sense of community. Inspired by the junk gap between buildings, I’m thinking about how to redesign the gap between buildings and apply it to the high reside building, as the public common space which will unite the residents and give the people a sense of someone is accompany them. Give public space a new meaning after the influence of the Pandemic.
The public common space can b
be the void gap between units
Gap break the vertical boundary of public housing
French window offers the possibility of community unity
Typical Single Floor Unit
Open window to see the neighbor
Living room with large window
Typical Double Floor Unit
Two level curtain connect the family
Flexible living experience
Interior view of typical single floor unit
Urban Theater-Museum
Decoloninze Penn Museum by makeing a theater
I
f architects are trying to think about a way to decolonizing museums by redesigning the space arrangement of museums, they will never succeed. Because the architecture term museum, was generated to show the Predatory colonization products. Adding additional cliche to the museum will not decolonize the museum at all. What this project is trying to do is to transform the original organization of the museum. Improving the openness, and public responsiveness has become the appropriate approach to provide the vitality for the museum. Specifically, free the museum’s spacing function and guide people, including visitors and non-visitors, participate in a variety of events in the museum space spontaneously and revolutionary, and bring the museum back to society. The museum will tell citizens what happened in the past colonization history and brings the people together that were separated by Prejudice and discrimination. It is not a traditional museum at all. It is an urban-theater that will produce continuous events that will be used to decolonize the human society. Penndesign Foundation Studio 501 Selected for Penndesign’s Pressing matters 9 Instructor: Eduardo Rega Calvo Museum Extension Design Location: Philadelphia, PA 2019 Fall
Space behind the screen The urban-theater is not only a facade, but it also has spaces, rooms are hidden behind. The in-between space serves like a bridge connecting the existing museum to the wilder public. As for the realistic function of the in-between space, it offers space for the production of drama and exhibition. And the space is also playful. The roof of rooms in-between can become the passways for people and artifacts and also a great seat for people to see what is happening on the other side of the extensions. And the rooms are more opaque, but the wall does not completely cover it. They have glass walls on one side to allow the dialog between different places in between. Multiple theatrical moments happened in the space in between.
Ciculation experience: watch and watched There are several passways, and stairs to allow people to circulate through the theater. On one side of the structure, what people will see is the people on the square, the height, and watch and watched creates funny theaterical moments. One is watching others’ life, but he is also be seen by the people they are watching. But when people come to the other side, things become more complicated. For different extensions, there may be various exhibitions or shows are happening, while circulating inside the theater, people can watch plays happen consistently. It is like a moving theater. When people feel tired, there is always a resting space with seats. People can take a seat and watch what is happening in front of their eyes. While the circulation is happening, people who are working or playing could also become visitors, watching what others are doing. There is not a fixed role about which one is the actor, which one is the visitor, one can be a visitor and also an actor at the same time.
Backside exhibition space
Backside circulation offers a sense of watch and watched
The sense of public is everywhere inside the museum
Backside extend rooms are also watching the people on the ground
Castle Sprouting
Treehouse imitating the representation of castle arch
T
he Tree House Module is the projection of a desire for adventure, a spurt of creativity, reconciliation with nature. It is the media between the built environment and nature. Our design is comprised of half arches as the main structure to support an enclosed cylinder volume with the eccentric circle shape for its plan. The half-arch idea not merely resonates with the unique formal features of medieval castles but also defines the space under the treehouse module for various outdoor activities. Additionally, the crack is generated by the process of shifting the center of the circle in plan brings the geometry a tendency of growing and also evokes an image of the castle ruins. Wrapping around the trunk, Module 1 provides a relatively playful interior space, whereas the structurally-independent module 2 brings guests a more immersive and tranquil spatial experience. The duo of the treehouse module will be per-mutated and combined to generate a vibrant living community (hospitality). With comfortable living services and wild experience, the newly-growing tourist attraction will be vitalized significantly. Design work outside school Team member: Tuo Chen, Hongbang Chen, Yushan Jiang Team role: Concept design, Line drawing Treehouse module design Location: Mothe Chandeniers, France 2020 Summer
Module 1 builds on the tree to embrace nature intimately. Guests will enter into this module through the guiding bridge. Module 2 is elevating the occupants from the ground to provide an immersive and tranquil spatial experience. Guests will access the module 2 treehouse via the spiral staircase from the ground.
By arranging two different modules, the ground part of the treehouse becomes the resort’s vitality generator. If people want to meet with other tourists, they can walk through the ground. If they want to fast travel to the site, they can use the wooden bridge above.
Elizabeth Quay Towers Archiectural intern project at REX
L
ocated along the city’s Elizabeth Quay, the new project is created with executive architect Hassell, and will combine hotel, retail, offices and residences in two towers. The latest design has been submitted to the city’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority, and this project would become Perth’s tallest skyscraper. The two towers to be constructed in phases, and the taller tower is made to be an iconic landmark in the city, an “elegant, lean volume interrupted by the dynamic amenities.” Program: Two mixed-use towers, including Class A offices, 4-star boutique hotel, luxury residences, and related amenities; street-level retail and food & beverage; and below-grade parking. Area: Tower 5: 109,000 m2 (1,170,000 sf); Tower 6: 49,900 m2 (537,000 sf) Location: Perth, Australia My work: Involved in design development phase. Utilized Rhino, Grasshopper, Enscape, Photoshop, CAD, Illustrator to create renders, pick up redlines, and make design researches. Mixed-use tower
Groud Level
Level 1
Level 2
Typical Office Level
Museum Kaleidoscope
Cabinate showing people the history of artifacts
A
rtifacts collected from around the world are currently held hostage by the Penn Museum. While the privileged 1% of the objects are clustered on pedestals trapped within sleek and elegant vitrines, thousands of these hostages are also kept in storage as stockpiles. These objects are portrayed as pieces of western exploration and acquisition, and little to no information is available to understand them within their cultural contexts. The shipping crate has acted as a vehicle of theft and cultural appropriation, bringing in objects that once had meaning and function within a society to become decorative trophies. Our project is a blatant critique about: (1) The intentions of the west in acquiring foreign artifacts. (2) The unapproachable nature of these objects, (3) The constructed identities of objects that are strategically curated by the museum’s oversimplified descriptions and violent western language. Remaining unapproachable and lost in their reflections, our crate cabinet now traps 3d printed replicas of these objects in reflective dioramas that introduce some of the hard truths of colonialism and propagate complicated and disorienting narratives and experiences around the objects. Penndesign Foundation Studio 501 Instructor: Eduardo Rega Calvo Team member: Reem Abi Samra, Umar Mahmood, Shifei Xu Team Role: Concept design, Physical fabrication, Installation Museum Cabinate Design Location: Philadelphia, PA 2019 Fall
The museum extension should not be a passive teller of the story. It should motivate people to explore the facts of artifacts. Look into different openings; people will know how Western countries stole different artifacts.
Eccentric Fold
Applying novel color impression to architecture folly
T
he architectural folly is a historically unique structure. As suggested by its name, it is typically viewed as an extravagant and superfluous artifact with no specific function or deeper purpose. Having been popularized in the 17th and 18th centuries as pleasure pavilions in English and continental gardens, follies often reference different times and places. What is “foolish” then could refer to the character of the folly as a mere “exotic” plaything as well as to its liberal use of stylistic types irrespective of an actual origin in time or place. After all, the digital image in our era has become -through technological transformation and social media outlets- vastly proliferated and removed from any origins of time and place. As such the digital color, as well as the traditional folly, share a quality of uprootedness, which, by definition, allows and even encourages unexpected expressions of hybridity, mixture, and fictitiousness. This strange affinity between digital image-making and the traditional folly is further amplified by the deep integration of pictorial elements with tectonics as evidenced in Baroque and Rococo follies. While the integration of image and object is not restricted to follies, it is here where the dissolution of boundaries between the pictorial image and the architectural object is particularly well articulated. Form and color, picture and ornament, nature and culture, all fold into each other in delicate and surprising ways. This line of inquiry frames the project: What should a contemporary folly look like? How could the traditional folly be updated and intersect with the image/object relations of the digital era? How do we locate novelty without originality? Instructor: Ferda Kolatan Partner: Hongbang Chen Architecture fooly research 2021 Spring