PORTFOLIO Zheng Xiang Columbia University | M.S.AAD’19 Cornell University | B.Arch’17
Structure Model of Canberra National Arboretum (ARCH 2613)
ELEPHANT PUZZLE
01
ETHNO-MUSIC-OLOGY
02
FLOATING CITY
03
FOGGY INCUBATOR
04
HOUSE IN WESTON
05
[UN]DISTRESSED
06
THE LIGHTBOX
07
URBAN FRONTIER
08
CENTRE D’EDUCATION INCLUSIF
09
BOTANIC HOUSE
10
WINDING WATER
11
CUBICAL THEATRE
12
Perspective
ELEPHANT PUZZLE Fall 2019 Advanced Studio VI Prof. Laurie Hawkinson Group Work w. Shuang Liang, Junru Xu This project breaks down traditional office building to decentralize work space and introduce a new movement system to provide flexibility for the future of working. This project started with a potential proposal for the Amazon HQ2 in Long Island City. After extensive research about the site, Public-Private Partnership and Business Improvement District and Amazon’s decision to abandon the site for HQ2, we have realized that the site is at a prime location high high potential in Long Island City, with subways, ferries and Brooklyn-Queens Express tram, which will be done in 2024 passing through. Therefore, the Elephant Puzzle seeks a different Public-Private Partnership with smaller businesses and provides a baseline of democratic spaces for the negotiation between government, the public and private sector. The belief is that as technology moves forward, traditional office buildings could no longer suffice the need of people’s use. Thus, a movement system is introduced at the site. A system that transports people, work spaces, public amenities, resources, etc. The project is done by a group of three where each member of the group took one part of the site and develop.
Axonometric
Internal Movement System
Site Plan
Section
Interior Perspective
ETHNO-MUSIC-OLOGY Summer 2018 Advanced Studio IV Prof. Mark Rakadansky ETHNO-MUSIC-OLOGY is an addition to the american museum of natural history, in order to engage with the problems of current museum as well as to explore the potential in exhibitions and curatorial narrative. One misconception of museums is that most artifacts are taken out of context. For example, an exhibitions of music should include a lot more than the instruments themselves, but the music culture and background histories in the form of documentaries, artworks, sound, performances etc. The project aims to develop a narrative of how ancient civilizations affect contemporary music culture of the current society as well as to explore more interactive ways of displaying and exhibiting musical instruments.
Section
Plan
Plan
Interior Perspective
Section
Underwater Perspective
FLOATING CITY Fall 2018 Theory of City Form Prof. Vishaan Chakrabarti As sea-level rising happens everyday around the globe, it is an urging demand for professionals from all fields to come up with solutions to the problem. The rising of sea level is not only a threat of buildings and infrastructures but also is threatening the economics, as it may influence the real estate market, commercial buildings and subway lines. The comprehensive idea and the vision of the floating city in lower Manhattan is inspired by the ideology of Ecological Urbanism, which is predicted on an understanding of these natural ecosystems. The objective of the project is creating a city in an innovative form that adaptive to the environmental change in the scenario of the rising sea level in lower Manhattan. The Floating City are expected to be an adaptive and enduring vertical structure which embrace compact and mixed use urban pattern. The primary goal of Floating City in Manhattan is being adaptive. It assumes that the flood due to the sea-level high rises will inundate waterfront areas in the lower east Manhattan and large part of buildings and original urban space are submerged in the future.
Exterior Perspective
Diagrams
Elevation
FOGGY INCUBATOR Spring 2019 Rethinking BIM Prof. Jared Friedman Foggy Incubator takes the Level House in Manhattan, NY as a precedent and modifies it to adapt the environment. Because of the relatively high humidity in New York City year-round, I believed that it would be great opportunity to utilize the natural resource. The proposal provide a solution by adding a responsive facade to the existing building. The new facade is consisted of a structure frame and a screen system for vapor condensation. With a mosturize screen, water in the air will be filtered by the screen and condensate to be used by the building, while dry air flow through to provide natural cooling ventilation. On sunny days with low humidity, the screen will be clear and allow sunlight in. At the same time, the opened screen moves outward on the structure to provide extra activity space for the tenants of the building. On foggy days, the screen will be closed which results in a low transparency. Sunny Day 10% Transparency
Foggy Day 90% Transparency
Elevation
Humidity Level in New York City
Section
HOUSE IN WESTON Fall 2017 - Spring 2018 Wolf Architects, INC Work Experience in Boston, MA Wolf Architects, Inc. is a boutique architectural design firm, in the Greater Boston region, specialized in single-family houses. During my time working for Gary Wolf, I took part in four projects at different stages of design, from schematic design to construction documents. In one of the projects, Historic House in Weston, I gained experience of construction administration, while corresponding with the clients and product suppliers.
Zacharias House 77 Sudbury Road
Zacharia 77 Sudbu
Weston, MA, 02493
Weston,
WO L F
A R C H I T E C T S I N C
98 North Washington Street, Suite 304 Boston, Massachusetts 02114 617 742-7557 Fax 617 742-7656 E-mail info@wolfarchitects.com
Job number 1605
A R C H I T E C T S I N C
Scale 6" = 1'-0"
Description Proposed Shiplap Clapboard Profiles - For Final Review
98 North Washington Street Boston, Massachusetts 02114 617 742-7557
SK number 012618-A
Date January 24, 2018
Revised
Zacharias House
Zacharias House 77 Sudbury Road
D C R
A R C H I T E C T S I N C
98 North Washington Street, Suite 304 Boston, Massachusetts 02114 617 742-7557 Fax 617 742-7656 E-mail info@wolfarchitects.com
Job number Date Scale Drawn by Checked by Revisions
1605 October 16, 2017 1/4" = 1'-0" @ 12" x 18" 1/2" = 1'-0" @ 24" x 36" RG/JG
Issuance:
PROGRESS SET
First Floor Enlarged Floor Plans and Interior Elevations
A-3
Jo D S
WO L F
CONSTR
West a E
Weston, MA, 02493
O U
O 1/8" 98 = 1'1/4" = 1'-
77 Sudbury Road Weston, MA, 02493
Drawn by Checked by Revisions
Job number Date Scale
SK. Details
Issuance:
METAL FLASHING
WO L F
Job number 1605 Date 3" = 1'-0" @ 12" x 18" Scale 6" = 1'-0" @ 24" x 36" Drawn by RG/JG Checked by March 19, 2018 Revisions
Fax E-mail info@wolfa
98 North Washington St Boston,
A R C H I
A-4.0
Final Review
[UN]DISTRESSED Spring 2017 Studio X Prof. Jerry Wells | Visiting Crit. Ryan Ludwig Distressed neighborhood: neighborhood which is suffering hardship. In context, aging neighborhood with multi-story apartment buildings built in 1990s. [Un]Distressed looks to develop a methodology for revitalizing the spatial conditions of these distressed neighborhoods to suggest solutions to social, economic and legal problems, such as overcrowding, indifference to physical environment, lack of finance assistance to support maintenance and unclear land ownership. From the initial analysis, this project will then explore an economically-efficient solution to regenerate and redevelop distressed neighborhoods from both political and architectural points of view. By implementing the manifesto proposal, the Weifang neighborhood will be used to construct a prototype of urban renewal for distressed neighborhoods around Shanghai. Massing
Exterior Perspective
Sectional Perspective
Section CC’
Section BB’ Final Review
Interior Perspective
Interior Rendering
THE LIGHTBOX 2
Fall 2016 Studio IX Prof. Ruben Alcolea This project aims to develop a contrast between old and new by creating a light, glass-enclosed volume hovering over the ancient ruin walls. The building next to the ruin site is utilized to accommadate supplementary programs such as offices and a gallery, while the main volume is used for Gastronomical society dining space.
3
4
1
1. Exploded Wall Struture 2. Bathroom Core 3. Circulation 4. Section
Exterior Rendering
Exterior Rendering
Upper Level Plan
Ground Level Plan
Model
Section
URBAN FRONTIER Spring 2016 Studio VIII Prof. Tao Dufour | Visiting Crit. Paulo Tavares Analytic Atlas
This project explores the deforestation and urbanization occuring in the Amazon Rainforest and proposes a utopian solution to the current situation. Through the researching phase, a pattern of deforestation was found from mapping the area both economically and topologically. The design proposal introduces a residential system that fulfills an agricultural need within the city while preventing further deforestation.
Current Satellite Condition
Current Condition Analytic Drawing
Ideal Condition
Ideal Dense Condition
Lower Lever Plan
Upper Level Plan
Rendering
Section
Interior Rendering
CENTRE D’EDUCATION INCLUSIF Spring 2014 Studio IV Prof. Jerry Wells This is a design proposal for a school project in Haiti. The proposal is focused on modular wooden structure system adapted from Japanese structure which performs a high resistance in earthquakes. Due to the hot and humid weather inHaiti, a big roof made from corrugated metal is used to create semi-open spaces serving for school activities and as playground with shades.
Physical Model
Physical Model
Exteiror Rendering
Interior Rendering
Model
BOTANIC HOUSE Spring 2013 Studio II Prof. Val Warke | Prof. James Williamson This project is a working and living space for botanists on a sloped waterfront site with an abandoned mill. It started from comprehensive analysis of Casa Poli as a precedent to understand the topological relationship between spaces within a building. The final design proposal uses modern materials to mimic the ruined mill walls and creates space in between to be used as a greenhouse.
Analytic Drawing of Casa Poli
Study Model
Exploded Axon
Model
Aerial View
WINDING WATER Summer 2015 YESHE Competition Third Prize Winding water is a competition project based in Hangzhou, China. The program is designed as a seven-day summer camp following with a two-day design challenge. The project is to design a building served as a lobby and lounge for a local luxury hotel project. My design proposal is a structure extending from the main road into the lake with restaurants facing the water. The structure has the sloped roof as the traditional houses to adapt the humid weather.
Model
Exterior Rendering
CUBICAL THEATRE Summer 2015 START Competition (1 week) “Cubical Theater” changes the way people see cinema. It brings the audience into the movie scenes and the movies out to the viewers “architecturally.” It fits into the urban background but also stands out as a unique individually.
Interior Rendering
Architectural Sketches