LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO

Siyang Zhou

Content

Student Housing Area Design / Connection Link

Water-front Design / Landscape Revetment

Children Courtyard Design / Ecological Playground

Other Works

Cemetery Design Memorised Place

Sep-Nov 2016

Area : 105113 m²

Cemetery Design / Memorised Place

Design Brief Location

The site for design is located in Shiling cemetery, covering an area of about 105113m². In traditional Chinese concept, death is the symbol of bad luck and terror, most tombs is made of concrete and stones which occupy large areas of mountain in China, so that to form albinism of mountain and soil hardening, the whole atmosphere is bleak and chilly. Taking Panchang knot as design elements, I make use of light and shadow to reconstruct space, bring in ecological burial to restore the ruined soil and vegetation, form a complete landscape structure, and try to endow thve tomb with a new commemoration way, which makes the people to feel a different relation of man and nature, as well as makes the tomb to be a quiet place of green tree-lined, birds habitat.

Required burial land area is more than available burial land area, burial land shortage situation intensified year by year.

Environmental Analysis

Most people visit the cemetery only in tomb-sweeping day, which explains the cemetery belongs to the low utilization of land resources.

SWOT Analysis S W

Big topographic slope, which is easy for flowing; abundant original vegetation types in mountain

People’s view has changed so as to seek more abundant forms of commemoration and more efficient use of land; The original vegetation has the potential to form rich changes of season; Take advantage of terrain to lead flow to complete water cycle so as to provide water for ecological burial.

Affected by traditional concept, single form of commemoration; Single form and high-density of burial ; Insufficient infrastructure, damaged present landscape, dignified and gloomy atmosphere.

TOSimple zoning according to road system, difficult to recognize zoning;

The fixed dignified and solemn impression of grave in the eye of the Chinese; Big dispersion is easy to cause water and soil loss.

Concept Process

We believe in the immortality of the soul, also believe that people will go to the Elysian Fields After death.

Panchang is one of the Chinese traditional signs.Chinese use it to express the Dharma loop implementation contains permanent

Era is developing continuously.

Life is a journey from birth to death, finally go backto nature, into other forms between heaven and earth.

In the terms of entire distribution, transform the Panchang knot to match the site, develop different landscape devices and infrastructure as . Tombstone and its surroundings becomes a part of enframed scenery structure , so as to express the cold theme of “death” in a tender and poetry waythis is the last relationship of life and nature.

People weave Panchang knot to express the miss of distant friends.

Create a burial area of flowers and plants in a more spacious space. The vitality of grass and flowers symbolizes the cycle of life and death and endless life.

Inspired by the shape of rocks, the essence of mountains is the displacement of gravel. The gravel is used as an image of a 30 cm * 30 cm * 30 cm niche. The overlap of niches forms the shape of the wall, which makes the traditional square ashes wall become a form of expression of life.

Master Plan

Greenspace

Ordinary Green Space Burial Green Space

On the base of preserving original vegetation, bring in flower-plant burial and tree burial to expand green area.

Design Process

The spatial composition form design was inspired by the the basic life characteristics - lifeheart beating and brain operation. Integrate contrast (Imagine and Reality, Light and Shade, Big and Small) into the space, trigging people's thinking about life and death

Infrastructure Analysis Landscape Wall Landscape Structure

Landscape device should be installed through the whole site, forming a complex-functioned infrastructure integrated with bench, light, flower bed and landscape wall.

Functional Uses Map

6 6

1 2

2 3

4 5

9 9

10 10

Provide more possibilities for constructing complex-functioned landscape space on the base of guaranteeing burial function.

3 4

7 7

Service Area 1

5 6

8 8

On the basis of reserving the original efficient ramps, decorate the roads to connect the new landscape nodes.

Feature Entrance Wall Burial Area Central Square Forest Trail

Ecological Burial Area Parking Lot

Runoff Analysis N Entrance Plaza

11 11 07 08

Entrance square is mainly a large area of hard pavement, decorated with water scenery and characteristic hollow landscape wall, besides stubborn Huangge tree in the space enclosed by the landscape wall.

Osmanthus fragrans are planted in the entrance corridor. Landscape devices with "picture frame" image are set at the end. The combination of concrete and glass creates a sense of combination of imagine and reality.

Make full use of the original vegetation to create space where people can feel buddhist atmosphere. Surrounded by nature, people who come here can feel that the deceased has become one part of nature. The life of the deceased just becomes another forms. Lead people to think about life and feel nature.

Material Analysis

There are two distinct spaces along the canal. The contrast of size in the space s can give visitors a sense of openness when they enter the central area. In the central area, there is a smooth landscape device, which can be seen as the focus of sight in the elegant space. The device can project different lights and shadows with sunlight changes. The solar panel lamp inside the device absorbs sunlight and provides energy for night lighting. On the edge of vegetation, "24 solar terms" landscape wall is set up to provide seats for people to stay. This kind of landscape is friendly and symbolizes human life, reminding people to cherish the present.

In the summer morning, the sun will map the word ”morning” in the hollowed-out landscape wall to the ground.In the summer midday, sunshine above the landscape wall map the poem in the top to the static water.Sunset will build the interaction between the shadow in the landscape wall and the poem in the hollowed-out landscape wall .

Traditional Tomb Landscape Area

Traditional tombs follow the original form of tombs, only modifying local topography and adding landscape structures. A new spatial relationship model is obtained from the knitting process of the disk length knot. The yellow structure forms the frame of the surrounding environment. The design intent is to express that "after death, life can also become a unique landscape in another form".

Along with the ups and downs of the terrain, the burial area of flowers and plants can be planned. Rainwater collected from landscape canals can be irrigated daily. Irrigation water can be reused for landscape water through plant infiltration and filtration. The circulation of water elements can make flowers and plants grow healthily. It also expresses the philosophy of the ecological cemetery, that is, the shape of the cemetery is extinct, but our life will be changed. Blooming in another form in the world. Flowering plants mostly use white, yellow and purple systems, so that the burial area can also give people a feeling of gentleness and tranquility.

Material Analysis

Shadow

Sunshine map the transparent part in the landscape wall— butterfly wing to the ground.In the winter midday, sunshine project the poem on another wall on the butterf ly wing.In the winter afternoon, the sun lengthen the shadow of the device and form a strange texture on the ground.

Tree Burial Area

At the junction of the tree burial area and the background forest area, a silent space is enclosed by the deformed landscape wall and plants, which is fully integrated with the natural environment and conforms to the original terrain. Build wooden boards and bamboo boards directly on the ground for people to think, meditate, rest and set up tables and chairs, where people can rest or write letters to their deceased relatives and friends to express their sorrow. LED lights are arranged on the background woodlands so that night can also be the time for visiting the cemetery.

Niche Burial Area

The three-sided niche walls shape a composite concrete building, which is connected by a circular slope to facilitate visitors'entry and exit. Skylights can get into the architecture. The natural light enables people to see more clearly the floating particles in the air and create a textured space. Paddle slopes also provide opportunities for the development of small private spaces in niches. The living not only stand in front of the cold wall and hang by the dead, but also stay in the space formed by the exterior projection of the wall. Looking at the scenery outside through the glass, the position of "human" and "place of death" is exchanged.