Weishun Xu Portfolio 2011

Weishun Xu Selected Works 2009 - 2011

Univerisyt of Virginia B. S in Architecture | Class 2012 xuweishun@gmail.com Dual Degree - MArch / MLA Applicant | Fall 2012

Contents Studio Projects Opportunistic Urbanism The Future of Fermilab beyond an Archaeological Site

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Arch 4010 | Instructor: Nana Last | Team Project with Tamrat Gebremichael

It contributes huge amounts of evidence for and - in even more impressive quan es - against each hypothesis. In A tower blocks lead to suicide, in B to happiness ever a er. In C they are seen as a first stepping stone toward emancipa on, ...in D simply a passĂŠ.

- Koolhaas, The Generic City

[auto]Dependence Environmental Conservation Center

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Arch 3020 | Instructor: Michael Beaman | Individual Work

Internal Street This por olio records the beginning of my architectural explora on from A (or any other le er from the alphabet) to Z, and beyond.

Re-Claiming Abandoned Construction Site

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Arch 2020 | Instructor: CThomas Hogge | Individual Work

Maker’s Stories 1. Physical Speech marionette artisan trailer

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2. Urban Ruins mechanic sculpture studio

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Arch 3010 | Instructor: Alexander Kitchin | Individual Work

Supplementary Exploration Proxy - 10 Flocking Movement Test

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Research Assistant for Michael Beaman | Role: en re scrip ng process; physical assemly test

Lines Art Works

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Resume

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Opportunistic Urbanism The Future of Fermilab beyond an Archaeological Site This project views the future of Fermilab beyond the scope of its immediate programma c needs as a suburban laboratory.

It addresses two conflicts on the site: a global one between the programma c shi s dictated by socioeconomic prac ces (including CERN as a replacement of Fermilab) and the physicality shaped solely by the need for scien fic researches; a regional one between the required expansions of facili es constrained by the poli cal boundary and the tendency of physical sprawl and popula on explosion of surrounding urban centers. Thus the simple func on of the lab will collapse internally, if such program monotony is maintained ll the cessa on of the lab’s procedures.

Hence, the project approaches the future development of the site through qualita ve changes of it social role rather than a linear extension of its current func onality. The ques on for the future then becomes a retrospec ve one: how to register the lab’s history without compromising the development of both Fermilab and surrounding ci es? The proposal transforms the site as a new urban center generated by a formal language of folding and ground manipula on based on the site’s infrastructures for its scien fic past. This new center discovers and re-defines Fermilab’s historical layers, and introduces a complexity of urban spaces and programs which triggers further opportunis c urban growth and densifica on. The history of Fermilab then is not a sta c image like the Stonehenge, but a dynamic one that always generates new ac vi es and forms for the future.

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The nature of a scien fic research facility is to obsolete itself. Opportunis c urbanism seeks possible inserƟon of social events into the normal development (and obsole ng) pa ern of a top-down regulated laboratory. These programs then diverge into urban ac vi es and re-generate social demands for fully u lizing the site’s infrastructures (accelera on tunnels, power sta ons, etc.).

Static History 2011 A.D WĂƌƟĐůĞ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ Archaeology Origin

?

?

2400 - 2200 B.C Stonehenge

7011 A.D 2011 A.D WĂƌƟĐůĞ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ

Archaeology

Social Value / Memory ^ĐŝĞŶƟĮĐ sĂůƵĞ ͬ &ƵŶĐƟŽŶ

7011 A.D

^ŽĐŝĂů ZĞĐŽŐŶŝƟŽŶͬ/ŶƚĞƌĂĐƟŽŶ

Time

^ŽĐŝĂů ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƐ

Social Value / Memory ^ĐŝĞŶƟĮĐ sĂůƵĞ ͬ &ƵŶĐƟŽŶ

Dynamic Urbanism

?

2400 - 2200 B.C Stonehenge

2011 A.D WĂƌƟĐůĞ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ

^ŽĐŝĂů ĞŵĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƐ

7011 A.D

Archaeology Origin

Time

Social Value / Memory ^ĐŝĞŶƟĮĐ sĂůƵĞ ͬ &ƵŶĐƟŽŶ

džŚŝďŝƟŽŶ ŽŶĨĞƌĞŶĐĞ ...

Time 2011 Tevatron Shut Down

2015 DƵŽŶ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ

ŽŵŵĞƌĐŝĂů Tourism ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ...

2025 Muon Shut Down

ZĞƐŝĚĞŶĐĞ EĞǁ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƐ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ ...

2050 hƌďĂŶ ĞŶƚĞƌ

??

??

??

20??

30?? ĞŶƐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ Urban Growth

The long-term placement of new programs considers both current and future development of research facili es, and converges existing acƟvity centers and spaces as infrastructures for social events to a ach to.

Activity Centers

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Direct Connection

2015 Development Plan

Activity Convergence before Muon

Activity Convergence After Muon

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The ac vity convergence simulaon provides three prototypical condi ons for formal interven on when ac vity connecons parallel, run across or mesh with the exis ng infrastructures. This generates three stages of opportunis c urban development with dierent programs and a tudes towards the exis ng site and its surroundings.

Site Section Concepts

The axes of ground manipula on and volume inseron are generated by both the physical connec ons between exis ng infrastructures such as accelera on tunnels and buildings, and the possible future convergence of civic and research ac vity centers.

Events

Stage 1: Exposure

TTarget Ta arg rget get ett

Stage 2: Regeneration

Events

Stage 2: Regeneration

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Stage 1: Exposure

Stage 3: Fusion

Events

Intervention vs. Infrastructure

Excavating

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Folding

Stage 3: Fusion

Connecting

Synthesizing

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Stage 1: Exposure Opportunis c urbanism starts as the Tevatron Accelerator is shut down. While other parts of the lab are s ll func oning, the exposure of exis ng infrastructures and inser on of interac ve programs generate dialogues between the public and the lab. The first stage allows the society to re-posiƟon science to prepare the site for later developments.

Existing Conditions

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^ŽĐŝĂů ZĞĐŽŐŶŝƟŽŶ

džŚŝďŝƟŽŶ Conference 2011 ...

Tevatron Shut Down

New Researches Industry 2025 ...

Muon Shut Down

Site Transformation

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Stage 2: Regeneration The second stage seeks to intensively re-claim the rich infrastructures and generate urban programs while preserving the physicality of the site a er the cessa on of par cle collisions caused by social-economic prac ces. It results in contextualized urbanizaon processes that are ini ated by opportunies provided by the history of the site. Such processes in turn allow the history to conƟnue developing and formally addressing itself.

Existing Conditions

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^ŽĐŝĂů ƉƉůŝĐĂƟŽŶ

^ŽĐŝĂů ZĞĐŽŐŶŝƟŽŶ

^ŽĐŝĂů ĞŵĂŶĚ ĨŽƌ ZĞƐĞĂƌĐŚĞƐ ŽŵŵĞƌĐŝĂů New Researches dŽƵƌŝƐŵ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ 2025 ...

2015 ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ DƵŽŶ ŽůůŝĚĞƌ ...

DƵŽŶ ^ŚƵƚ ŽǁŶ

DƵƐĞƵŵ /ŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ 20?? ... ĞŶƐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ

Site Transformation

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Stage 3: Fusion Proposed Detector Connec on

The third stage is a response to the /ŶƚĞŐƌĂƟŽŶ ͬ DƵƚĂƟŽŶ

sprawling of surrounding developments. It integrates the fabric of the new urban center with adjacent suburbs. Programs are generated by considering the social demands from both sides. The result is a mixture of both spaces and social ac vi es centered around the core culture of Fermilab.

Data Processing Infrastructure Entertainment Connec on Entertainment Connec on

ŽŵŵĞƌƟĂů ...

20??

30?? ĞŶƐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶ hƌďĂŶ 'ƌŽǁƚŚ

ZĞƐŝĚĞŶƟĂů ĚƵĐĂƟŽŶ ŶƚĞƌƚĂŝŶŵĞŶƚ ...

Research Center

Research Center Transi on Zone Park Stadium

Existing Conditions

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Site Transformation

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[auto]Dependence Environmental Conservation Center The concept of environmental conserva on challenges the necessity of a normal architectural interven on due to the conflict between the self-regula on of the nature and the superimposed design strategies. This ever-changing ecology in Washington DC further magnifies the eect of ar ficial disturbance on the natural systems and its poli cal implica on.

In response to the bo om-up nature of the conserva on program, this project proposes architecture as a process of selfregula on and adapta on that results in strategies in spa al organiza on. U lizing Roosevelt Memorial Bridge as a superstructure of grid regula on for minimal footprint, the building is interpreted from a program automata process dependent on both the internal rela onship among its programs and the possible changes in the landscape. The light-weight carbon fiber construc on allows varia ons of the built form throughout me, so that at any given moment the building is able to re-configure itself to trace the evolu on of the ecosystem. Meanwhile, the evolving forms manifest the changing nature of the ecosystems as an a tude of bo om-up environmental conserva on against the poli cally superimposed sta c plan of the Na onal Mall.

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A

B

B Precondi on: The current earth-filling strategy polarizes the ecosystem into two modes of life cycles determined by flood planes. The annually flooded land is separated from the one elevated by the original bedrock.

A

C

B Conserva on as DiversificaƟon: Proposed earth-filling connects both ecosystems to generate a new system of annual migraƟon. The flow of organic ma ers promotes the long-term health of the nature in the city.

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Top-down | Program > Relationship

Bottom-Up | Relationship > Program

The Na onal Mall and the Arlington Na onal Cemetery area provide planned landscapes as figures highlighted by top-down regula ons. Every niche is evaluated at a sta c moment and maintains this status. It is an arƟficial nature manifested and limited by imposed forms.

Programs connected by the site are generated under dynamic rela onships between the grids, forming a self-sustaining urban ecology juxtaposed against the top-down planned na onal mall.

It is the designer’s responsibility to manifest the monumentality of the spontaneity of this natural arƟficiality.

A

C

The placement of architecture is ini ated by landscape manipula on, and the growth of the building must parallel the changes of the ecosystems.

B Re-distribu on as StabilizaƟon: A second step of land re-distribu on is proposed a er the new ecosystem is formulated to balance the patch areas, so that the three ecosystems can stand environmental disturbance.

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Design Concept Mapping

Internal Program Logic

Flooding Material Flows

WĂƚĐŚ ZĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉ

Surrounding Programs

WƌŽŐƌĂŵŵĂƟĐ Dependence

Ecological Change

I+N

ŽƵŶĚĂƌLJ ŽŶĚŝƟŽŶ

ŵĞƌŐĞŶĐĞ ^ŝŵƵůĂƟŽŶ

I+A

/ŶƚĞƌĂĐƟŽŶ /ŶĚŝĐĂƚĞ

PROGRAM AUTOMATA

Other Disturbance

P+A ++

Planning Principles

&ŽƌŵĂů DĂŶŝĨĞƐƚĂƟŽŶ

Urban Ecology

KƌŐĂŶŝnjĂƟŽŶ Dependence

+

/

-

+

+

--

/

-

--

++

+

/

/

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P+N N/A

A simula on process is used to evaluate the rela onship between the programs and the nature as well as among programs. The cube system responds to the grided structure of the bridge, to which the building is structurally a ached.

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4 5 12 3

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Generic Distribu on, G0

Primi ve Organiza on, G1

Primi ve Evalua on, G2

Secondary Distribu on, G3

Secondary Evalua on, G4

Evolu on, G5

Evolu on, G7

Evolu on, G11

Evolu on, G15

Evolu on, G19

Evolu on, G26

Evolu on, G30

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Entrance

Outdoor

Woody Plant

City Program

Educa on

Migra on

Administra on

Water Covered

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Annual Flood

Research

Herbaceous

1

Annual Growth

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Individual Behavior - Niches

Group Behavior - Patches

Study of sample unit clusters from the simula on informs typical program groups that func on as a room. The size of each unit cube is determined by the grid of the bridge.

The general pa ern of the simula on determines the chance of distribu on in rela on to other clusters and boundary for each unit type.

Public Patch

Education Patch

Administration Patch

Research Patch

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Carbon Fiber System The construc on method serves the need of renewing the lightweight cells as moveable units that trace the life-cycles in the ecosystem.

Insulated Glazing

Aluminum Waterproof Mullion with Bolted Skin Self-Cleaning Plas c Fabric with Polymer Film Carbon Fiber Foam Aluminum Rib Steel Reinforcing Bar

Non-Structural Skin

Carbon Fiber Steel Reinforcing Bar Foam Insula on Self-Cleaning Plas c Fabric with Polymer Film

Secondary Structure - Ribs

Primary Structure - Carbon Fiber

Bracket Bolted into Founda on

Cast Concrete Founda on

Exis ng Structure of Roosevelt Memorial Bridge

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Internal Street Re-Claiming Abandoned Construction Site The site is a 11 story hotel abandoned a er the construc on of reinforced concrete structure in Historic Downtown, Charlo esville, VA. It stands as the tallest structure in the city, symbolizing a failure of the development mode ini ated by blind funding for grand businesses, while the surrounding small shops maintain a high level of commercial ac vi es in the same area. The proposal seeks to gradually re-integrate the structure into Downtown’s public actvi es with an emphasis on street life and social interac on.

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Commercial

Production Office Pathway

Commercial Commercial

Activity Lv.1

Main St.

2nd St.

Main St.

Public Activity Activity Lv.2

Site

Driving Speed Zone

Pathway

Site

Activity Lv.3

Office Production

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Walking Speed Zone

Program Rupture

Circulation Disconnectivity

The lack of program along the site and the different typology of programs on parallel streets break the conƟnuous experience of Downtown as the core of the city.

An abrupt shi of circula on mode from automobile to walking segregates the experience of the street’s unified facades and programs.

Commercial Walking Street Entry from Rivanna Trail Offices/Production/Parking 26

Program Expansion The proposal extends interac ve programs from Downtown to the site to expand the social idenĆ&#x;ty of the city center.

Mechanical

Open Theatre Entrance/ Street Performance

Mechanical

Cafe Collec vvee o Studio

Motel Cell

Motel Cell

S rage Sto Storage Courtyard Cafe

Internal Street To provide an enclosed mode of communicaĆ&#x;on that matches the atmosphere of Downtown, the street access is shi ed into the exis ng structure.

Motel Cell Collec ve Studio

Collec ve Studio Shops

Shops

Art Shops Shops Sh ops op ps Art Shops

Ind ndivid nd dua ual Individual Per e formin ng Performing

Communica on Pla orm Gallery Gallery Pathwayy

Individual Studio

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Communica on Pla orm

Motel Cell

Collec ve Studio

Collec ve Studio

Art Shops Sho Sh op ops ps ps Art Shops

Performance Prepara on

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Organization Progress

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$

Expansion of City Square

Topographic Adjustment

Longitudinal Access

Resulting Program: theatre

Resulting Program: street shops

Vertical Street

Social Interaction Promotion

Future Reclaimation of Upper Levels

Resulting Program: studio, motel

Resulting Program: gallery, conference

Resulting Program: housing

Resulting Program: cafe, gathering space

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Room Pototypes The organiza on of public programs is based on a ver cal re-distribuĆ&#x;on of

prototypical interacĆ&#x;on spaces in Downtown to maintain a coherent spaal atmosphere.

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Maker’s Story 1: Physical Speech marionette artisan trailer We rely on language as our main source of information and the most ef icient way of expression. However, language itself is so precise and programmed that it begins to constrain us. The intention of this travelling Airstream trailer is to construct a boundless way of storytelling through the making and theatrics of marionettes, which is a physical expression of ideas through light, sound, movement and other scenes. Although less precise, physical communication is more genuine and informative.

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Object to Experience As the trailer travels within and between ci es, the maker’s transcendental experience of the city is conveyed not only through the marione es, but also through the maker’s physical ac vi es. Linked by a central chain loop, the shi ing of the programs is juxtaposed with the moving figure of the maker opera ng the en re system. The furniture responds to the way the space is used, which is another physical manifesta on of the stories.

Story & Feedback Loop

Fabrication Mode 35

Story Design Mode

Living Mode 36

Maker’s Story 2: Urban Ruins mechanic sculpture studio This site in Philadelphia is located at the intersecon of urban fabrics, where an elevated railway brutally cuts through a 300 year old worker class community. This railway eliminates the mixed-use buering zone between Fishtown community on the east and the abandoned industrial area on the west, where people from the community used to make their contribu ons to the city. The proposal a empts to re-connect the workers to their industrial past, taking the form from a generator in loosely constructed ruins, to synthesize the two zones via programma c and physical connec on. The project is a deliberate explora on in the phenomenological transla on of architectural metaphors into spaces via physical modeling processes that resemble in working style the community cra speople’s physical touch.

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Site Analysis City Scale

Community Scale

Block Scale

The site is located at the convergence point of urban axes that define the boundary of Fishtown. The view from the site should be extended to the edge of this community and beyond to posiƟon the community in a larger context both physically and socially.

By nega vely affec ng the street life, an elevated light rail islolates the working class community from the abandoned industries where people used to work.

It builds up a segregaƟon between a community and its physical memory. The proposal reac vates both material flows and human resources to rediscover the community’s cultural iden y with both programs and physical access.

The spa al organiza on seeks for maximum porosity in order to coverge the movement of recycled industrial materials and the movement of cra speople from the community. It also seeks to rejuvenate the dilapidated bike shop by direc ng circulaƟon around the exisƟng building.

Activity Flow

Exhibition / Interaction Zone

Material Flow Material Processing Zone

Disturbed Gound The ground surface is both lifetd and sunken throughout the spa al sequence. It is a metaphor of eleva ng the community members’ earthy cra s to high-figure mechanical art, and also directly responds to the displacement of social idenƟty brought by the programmaƟc changes depending on their relaƟve height to the elevated raiway.

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Evolution of Models The modeling explora on a empts to interpret the form of metaphors by taking on the senses of mechanical ar sts during hand cra processes. It starts with expression via materials and ends with phenomenological experience during manipula ng the same material.

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Progression of a Place The design is supposed to generate the sense of a place, a field where no specific constructed object other than the central corridor is defined. It a empts to achieve so by de-emphasizing the thresholds between the interior and exterior.

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1. Outdoor Gathering 2. Sculpture Chamber 3. Material Exhibit 4. Cooking Area 5. Living Room 6. Bathroom 7. Exis ng Bike Shop

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1. Assembly Stage 2. Sculpture Chamber 3. Exhibi on Corridor 4. Design Studio 5. Bedroom 6. Balcony 7. Exis ng Bike Shop

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3 1

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1. Joining / Welding Sta on 2. Cu ng Sta on 3. Tools / Prepara on

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Perspective Looking into Fishtown

Existing Condition

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Proxy - 10 Flocking Movement Test [in progress] Proxies are construc ons that examine the nature of generic architectural problems within: programming, process, procedures, manufacturing and assembly. This tenth version is generated around a flocking model that extracts an overall

General Flocking Model (Processing)

spa al distribu on and movement of a group based on generic individual choices. Each individual has exactly the same deci-

Accumulated Units

Node Connection

Possible Unit 1

Possible Unit 2

sion making mode, and this model is used to test how a general group with unconsciousness of interest in movement can possibly be encouraged to interact with constructed objects placed according to the group’s movement pa ern.

Cluster Generation (Processing) Boundary Condition

Speed

Acceleration

Intensity Calculation (Grasshopper)

Velocity Distance

Attraction

Cluster

Mechanism of Individual Movement 47

Accumulation of Built Units (Processing - Grasshopper)

Assemby Test (Part from Proxy 8) 48

The Lines Art Works A line is the simplest geometry that depicts the space of its own. My sketches are an exploration on the capability of lines in de ining its own spaces with a certain line type logic while depicting actual concrete objects.

The Tangental 49

The Diagonal 50

WEISHUN XU

EDUCATION University of Virginia - Charlottesville,VA B. S. Architecture Candidate | August 2009 – May 2012(Expected) Overall GPA: 3.83/4.0 | Major GPA: 3.85/4.0

Zhejiang University of Technology - Hangzhou,China B. Arch Candidate | September 2007 – June 2009 Overall GPA: 3.84/5.0

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS Teaching Assistant - U.Va

434-466-6368 | xuweishun@gmail.com 2021 Ivy Road, Apt B2 | Charlottesville, VA 22903

2010 U. Va SARC Graduation Exhibition • May - June 2010; • Project 3 from ARCH 3010 selected on behalf of Kitchin studio.

2009 U. Va End of the Year Exhibition • December 2009; • Project 3 from ARCH 2020 selected on behalf of Hogge studio.

Sustainable Design Competition at ZJUT (Professional Level Second Prize) • October 2008; • Team project with Zheng Lv.

• January - May 2012 for ARCH 3020 Architectural Design II (Appointed); • August - December 2011 for ARCH 1010 Lessons of the Lawn.

LEADERSHIP / ACTIVITIES

• August 2011 - May 2012 with Virginia Teaching Fellow Michael Beaman.

Advocacy Officer|Habitat for Humanity - U.Va

• Spring 2010; • Fall 2010; • Spring 2011.

Copy Editor|Lunch vol. 7, Student Journal of School of Architecture - U.Va

Research Assistant - U.Va Dean’ s List - U.Va

Second Class Scholarship - ZJUT • 2007-2008; • 2008-2009.

Webmaster & Exec Board|American Institute for Architecture Students - U.Va • August 2010 – Present.

• September 2011 – Present.

• November 2010 – Present.

Project Assistant|Fallow City Project - U.Va • January 2010 – April 2010.

Advocacy Officer|Chinese Student and Scholar Society - U.Va • August 2009 – March 2010.

COMPETITIONS / EXHIBITIONS DesCours 2011 Exhibition (Withdraw from fabrication) • December 2011;

Vice Minister|Student Council in School of Architecture and Engineering - ZJUT • October 2007 – June 2009.

Member|Chinese Young Volunteers Association - ZJUT • September 2007 – August 2009.

• Team project with Michael Beaman and Zaneta Hong.

SLANT Garden Competition (Long List Garden Design Award) • August 2011; •Team project with Patrick Bradley and Jinhui Huang.

Spain-China 2011 Competition • August 2011; • Team project with Fang Qiu and Jing Wang.

2011 Washington Unbuilt Competition (Entry to 2011 Design DC Exhibition) • June 2011; • Entry to 2011 Design DC exhibi on.

U. Va Car of the Future / Future of the Car • November 2010; • Team project with Jinhui Huang and Yi Li. 51

CAREER EXPERIENCE

Externship|NADAAA - Boston,MA(Scheduled) • January . 2 – January . 13, 2011.

Internship|H+D Studio - New York City,NY • June 2011 – August 2011.

Internship|Christopher Counts Studio - Charlottesville,VA • March 2010 – April 2010; July 2010 – January 2011.

Externship|Architecture Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University - Hangzhou,China • January 2010.

Program Coordinator|UK Education Advisory Services - Hangzhou,China • October 2008.

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