Boundary/less | Thesis Book 2019 | Wenjia Zhang

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ABBIE WENJIA ZHANG

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Boundary/less A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of requirements of the degree Master of Architecture in the department of Architecture of the Rhode Island School of Design. by Wenjia Zhang 2019

Approved by Bachelor's Examination Committee:

Amy Kulper, RISD, Department of Architecture, Thesis Chair

Emanuel Admassu, RISD, Department of Architecture, Primary Advisor

Ijlal Muzaffar, RISD, Liberal Arts, Secondary Advisor

To my mom and dad, my grandma, my aunt—my little family that gives me unfaltering and unconditional support, And to my grandpa: I hope I can be your pride and joy.

I Ally & Enemy

Gooogle Image Search "boundary"

bound·a·ry /'bound(ə)rē/ noun

1.

"A line which marks the limits of an area; a dividing line."

1.1 "A limit of something abstract, especially a subject or sphere of activity"

A boundary is generated by the operation of cutting, marking or dividing.

Boundaries are used as a limit to separate area, subject or sphere of activity. When it comes to architecture, architects usually use enclosure, such as a wall, floor or ceiling to set boundaries of buildings.

A boundary is generated by the operation of cutting, marking or dividing.

Boundaries are used as a limit to separate area, subject or sphere of activity. When it comes to architecture, architects usually use enclosure, such as a wall, floor or ceiling to set boundaries of buildings.

A boundary is generated by the operation of cutting, marking or dividing.

Boundaries are used as a limit to separate area, subject or sphere of activity. When it comes to architecture, architects usually use enclosure, such as a wall, floor or ceiling to set boundaries of buildings.

What keeps me thinking is what if the act of establishing a boundary is passive, what if a boundary is the outcome of adjacent entities reaching their maximums? In this case, the definition of a boundary reaches beyond physical separation. The permanence of a boundary is also questionable.

Sand gaming inspired by Villa Savoye

fun /fən/

noun 1.

"Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure." adjective INFORMAL 1.

"Amusing, entertaining, or enjoyable."

Ally

WITHIN THE DISCIPLINE OF ARCHITECTURE ADVERTISEMENTS FOR ARCHITECTURE

BERNARD TSCHUMI

"Architecture is not simply about space and form, but also about event, action, and what happens in space."

Enemy WITHIN THE DISCIPLINE OF ARCHITECTURE XIANGSHAN CAMPUS

SHU WANG

Discipline "The only way is to make believe.

Just as advertisements for products like cigarettes and whiskey are made to trigger desire for something beyound the illustration, the Advertisements had the same purpose—to trigger desire for architecture."

OUTSIDE THE DISCIPLINE OF ARCHITECTURE

Ally

GAME

CRAZY ARCADE

The game provides two sides between which you can choose, attacker or defender. In the whole sequence the role you play can be changed.

Attacker breaks boundaries and defender sets boundaries, but the two boundaries are both set passively as needed.

Enemy

OUTSIDE THE DISCIPLINE OF ARCHITECTURE VR ONLINE SHOPPING

TAOBAO BUY+

Virtual Reality deconstructs people's need about spaces, because of the immerive experice, people are becoming more and more unconscious about the enclosure.

Physical boundaries are less important than what happens in the glasses.

Before

Politics

BEIJING — When China’s leaders began the hurly-burly transition to a market economy, they encouraged dislocated workers to take up their own entrepreneurial pursuits. Many of them started small shops, bars or cafes, in what became known as kai qiang da dong, meaning “to open a hole in the wall.”Now, in Beijing, the holes are being bricked up.The city authorities call it a beautification project. And it is, of a sort, in places where white walls, tree boxes and flowering planters have replaced jerry-built, sidewalk-clogging stalls and storefronts.

After

When policies try to block what is happening inside of space,"illegal boundries" will still be formed as needed, either temporary or misused.

wildcard

RELATIVITY

M.C. ESCHER

Identity

Photography of New Countryside Houses in Guangdong, China

What would happen when you use your wildest imagination to build your new house?

Is what you want what you need?

Liquam que perum volupti nvelist oruptatur modit, sum quid

II Thesis Probe

LET'S START WITH G R I D.

ASTHE FIRST BOUN D A R Y.

WITH SECONDARY

TRANS LAT E THESE P LAN S

INTO FUN S P A C ES

V E R T ICAL BOUND A R I ES

III Market

Boundaries are defined as the threshold events between structures of power and public desires.

2:00 PM Shuncheng South Road

7:00 AM Morning Street Market

Structures of Power vs Public Desires

This is a street market existed in Xi’an, China, that takes up the whole street every morning along the City wall. For the rest of the day, the street looked no different from other street in the city.

Relatively permanent boundaries are established by structure of power to define the city, creating an environment for public desires like this temporary market.

"To open a hole in the wall" in 1980s

A lot of street market actually were facilitated by the policy which pushed by Chinese government in 1980s called “kai Qiang da dong”, meaning to “open a hole in the wall”, negative street spaces were spontaneously transformed into bustling and unauthorized commercial zones. Traditional Chinese homes were transformed into small shops, bars or cafes. This architectural transformation from wall to shop window gave character to the streets.

"Beautification P

Project" in 2010s When policies trying to block what is happening inside of space,"illegal boundries" will still be formed as needed, either temporary or misfuntional.

However, these transformations that gave the alleyways presence have been deemed illegal in 2010's by city authorities, especially in Beijing.

Authorities claim they do not match one of Beijing’s city planning laws entitled “Beautification Project”.

This law stated that white walls, tree boxes and flowering planters are to replace sidewalk-clogging stalls and storefronts. Structures of power are deeming these activities to be illegal, while public desires are creating a city environment that is much more exciting.

How can we create a kind of architecture that can negot

tiate between structures of power and public desires?

Xi'an, China

My project is constantly trying to explore a way in which existing citizens are already achieving these goals.

They are finding a way to occupy the city, in this case Xi’an, the city where the street market

But when structures of power are too dominant, public desires can no longer exist. From the documented street views over four years, we can see how those white walls, tree boxes gradually dissolved the street market.

Street view on 07/24/2017

Street view on 04/22/2015

I am trying to imagine a type of architecture that allows for this ongoing negotiation to stay within the city.

Crazy Arcade

game /gÄ m/

noun 1.

"Activity engaged in for diversion or amusement."

2.

"A procedure or strategy for gaining an end."

Before

After

The negotiat happened i boundaries a events altern public de governm Previous ac exist in these storefronts activities. The boundaries d events ha but instead another kind flexib

tion already in the city, as threshold nate between esires and ment laws. ctivities still e blocked up as “illegal” e blocked up didn’t prevent appening, d provided d of “illegal” bility.

Maximum flexibilit through relative per ing responses from

ty can be facilitated rmanence provokurban residents.

Xi'an, China

City Wall

City Wall

Existing Analysis

Market

City

Wa ll

Residential

Pedestrian

Umbrella

Tree

Awning

Bicycle

Tricycle

Van

Wall

Truss

Column

Interior Extension

Exterior Extension

City Wall

City Wall

Street Market

Community Bound

City Boundary

dary

Private Boundary

Community Public

Activities coexist and negotiate between different scales of permanent boundaries, which generates a second layer of temporary boundaries as buffer zones to allow shifting desires to happen.

Existing Floor Plan

Ground Floor Plan

Boundaries articulate laws and restrictions. They are defended and attacked on both sides. The role of “attacker” and “defender”, however, alternate between our desires and our government laws. Through the methodology of translation of boundaries to threshold events, this thesis aims to redefine the boundary as relatively permanent architectural elements which ensure the highest flexibility for programs to reconfigure contradictions and restrictions according to the influences of its users.

City Boundary

Informal Exte

eior Markert

Community Boundary

Exterior Vehicle Market

Exterior Wall Market

Interior Formal Market

Second Floor Plan

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Community Boundary

Communi

ity Public

Private Boundary

Exterior Truss Market

Exterior Tree Market

Interior Open Theater

Structures of power will continue to shift, but they seem relatively permanent, while public desire are much more temporary, always shifting.

This thesis is trying to negotiate a type of architecture that is relative permanent in order to accommodate shifting desires.

Acknowledgments

I would like to express my deep gratitude to professor Emanuel Admassu, my thesis advisor, for always guiding me to explore and structure my research interests, for his patient guidance, encouragement and constructive critique. And my MoDP professor and graduate program director Carl Lostritto, thank you for guidence in many aspects from the moment I arrived at RISD. I would also like to thank my BEB peers for their company during this challenging year. My grateful thanks are also extended to my roomates, Clay, Anrui and Yong, for many delicious family dinners and for Yuan and Lu for assistance on my thesis project. Special thanks should be given to my formal classmates Danni Zhang, Ke Xie, Nil Shang, Yisi Rao and Yunchu King, you bring me light in my darkest days.

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