Coexistence O
PORTFOLIO O O
of XIAORAN ZHANG
Concert in Mellon Park, Pittsburgh, 2021 Summer
PROLOGUE
Through the fight of Jane Jacobs against Robert Moses in the urban reformation process of New York, I can clearly see two opposite viewpoints towards urbanism - one super-scale mega city with fast-pace development and modernity, versus the other local-scale community full of roots of neighborhoods. People from all types of cities and communities, are enjoying, sacrificing, struggling, cultivating at the same time. Having a dream of being a placemaker in different kinds of urbanism, I appreciate the diversity from how cities are shaped by the nature, the culture and history, the policies, the designs. However, one question has been repeatedly asked in my mind - who are we designing for?
During years of learning and practicing, I consistently find that broad design ideas sometimes can ignore the importance of “people”. In the fight between preservation and construction, when designers and planners hope to introduce something new, it brings a barrier for residents to retain their connection and identity, as well as for new comers to fit into the environment. Through this process, the exploration of better design strategies that “change” but “not change” is significant. In the portfolio, I explore how coexistence of people and communities can be connected and maintained in the complexity of urban system, as records and thoughts on what a designer can do for the homes, communities, cities, and us as an integrity.
Weekend
CONTENT
DESIGN IN PRACTICE
FROM OBSTACLE TO LINKAGE
CoVillage - East Village Development Proposal
FROM SINGLE-USE TO MIXED-USE
Bloomfield Neighborhood Place-making
FROM SEPARATION TO INTEGRATION
Rural Community Commons Concept
FROM PAST TO FUTURE
AR-based History District Regeneration
FROM BARRIER TO CONNECTION
Transit-Based Community Center Complex
DESIGN IN EXPLORATION
DESIGN IN PRACTICE
There are many things I have learned from school about good design, while working in the industry helps me understand how good design brings real impact to the people, the environment, and the places. In the communities I worked in, I can see where the needs are - healthier and safer environment, affordable housing, better connection, equitable policies and development, long-term solutions...
I am grateful to work on design projects in the cities and communities where I lived in, as I do see how the caring of design makes a difference to people and communities. A good urban design project can always build up connections between people to places. In an ideal urban environment, people share, celebrate, and eager to explore through a way that they are familiar with.
This makes me realize that design itself is a language that helps people to understand. In my design practices, I am learning and utilizing design in a way to communicate to the public, engage the communities and stakeholders, to help them land to the values and the vision that they are happy to share.
Transportation Planning Project in Utile, Inc, with MBTA, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, McMahon Associates, Concord Engineering, Inc
Location: Boston, MA, US
Status: Complete - adopted
Duration: 01/2022 - 06/2024
Role in Team: Urban designer - graphic design based on understanding of context and typologies of public transportation plan.
Bus Priority Toolkit is designed and introduced to provide a clear and consistent approach to planning and implementing transit priority treatments in Greater Boston metropolitan area. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) worked with partners and consultants on this plan to summarize the lessons learned from recent projects, outline the benefits and trade-offs of treatments through illustrative implementation considerations.
Interpreting Transit Priority in Urban Context
As a historical city with its unique urban form, Boston is known as a complex urban system. In this project, the consultant team generalized a variety of bus lanes and bus stops as a collection and representation of Boston’s bus transportation system. Working on this project for more than one year, I was able to learn and understand the context and applications of different types of bus priority treatments, and translate the planning text into 2D and 3D illustrative scenarios. More than creating graphics, it is more of a way of understanding better complete streets for accessibility, workability and with Boston local urban character.
Boston Transportation Department
Transit Team On-Call - Blue Hill
Avenue Transportation Action Plan
Transportation Planning Project in Utile, Inc, with BTD, Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, WSP, Regina Vill Associates
Location: Boston, MA, US
Status: Complete - adopted
Duration: 02/2023 - 06/2023
Role in Team: Urban designerdeveloped complete street and public realm renderings for street redesign.
As a vibrant commercial corridor running through the heart of Boston, Blue Hill Avenue provides vital access for local residents. In order to improve this three-mile stretch that supports the highest bus ridership and a lot of minority-owned business, Boston Transportation Department is working with consultant on design and public engagement, making efforts on creating a safer, more resilient, accessible and efficient transit corridor.
Representational Approach for Engagement
As the urban designer, I was working on the streetscape and public realm design and rendering, in order to help represent technical transportational roll plans into approachable features for public engagement. By combining the existing photos and model-based illustrations, the representation can conclude street and public space improvements in an interactive way, so as to better engage local residents and wider range of audiences.
DESIGN IN PRACTICE
The Andover Comprehensive Plan: Envision, Preserve, Enhance
Urban Planning and Design Project in Utile, Inc, with Town of Andover
Location: Andover, MA, US
Status: Complete - adopted
Duration: 01/2023 - 08/2023
Role in Team: Urban designer - worked on existing spatial analysis, town planning vision maps and developed urban design scenarios for priority districts.
A Comprehensive Plan is a planning tool which develops a strategic vision and road map for the Town’s future. As the Town of Andover prepares for the coming decades after last completed comprehensive plan in 2012, the design team worked with the town in a 2-year time frame to help better understanding the existing development and planning policies, enhancing local character, and developing a road map for the town to broaden policies and create urban development visions, which will reflect the values and goals for residents, business owners and other key stakeholders.
Existing Spatial Analysis
“Learning from present” is the first step of visioning planning and scenario design. Through both outreach and data analysis, I was able to hear and see complication of Andover’s socio-ecological system. Based on comprehensive understanding of databases, I created a series of maps to visualize where opportunities and challenges exist in the town: Shawsheen River, as the most important corridor of the town, brings the highest potential for local development and peacemaking, as same as facing the complication of zoning, transportation and ecosystem.
Vision Planning and Urban Design
Prototype Design - Industrial -
After public hearing and engagement, public feedback from workshops along Interstate 93, Enhance along The designed prototype scenarios parks, the design emphasizes creating community. As an opportunity for where smaller-scale neighborhoods
see the where most development
Existing Analysis - Mobility and Transportation Network
Existing Analysis - Environment & Ecosystem
- Office Park Prototype Design - Industrial - Housing Infill
engagement, my team was able to start planning visioning and designing process based on the workshops and survey. As a community-driven plan, it identifies priorities for the community - “Grow along Shawsheen River, Connect East to West”. scenarios help contextualizing the planning strategies. Focusing on large-scale industrial office creating an environment with better mobility and accessibility, as same as job creations to the for providing more housing to the town, the housing infill scenario illustrates opportunity zones neighborhoods can locate closer to the commuter rail and riverfront.
DESIGN IN PRACTICE
Vermont Homes for All Toolkit
Urban Planning and Design Project in Utile, Inc, with State of Vermont
Location: State of Vermont
Status: Complete - adopted
Duration: 06/2023 - 03/2024
Role in Team: Urban design lead- developed spatial analytical workflow on community site selection and visualizations for housing typology infill studies.
Vermont’s home production is principally producing large and expensive single-households. The housing options in-between, like a duplex or four-plex, cooperative housing, senior housing units, agefriendly homes, or townhouse condominiums are very limited. With the goal of alleviating regulatory and financial complocations of developing diverse homes on a small footprint for local residents, a systematic overview from development to design of new Missing Middle Homes (MMH) typologies in local communities was introduced in this toolkit.
Community Infill Design & Study
The purpose of community case studies was to explore how the environmental, infrastructural, design, and regulatory characteristics of each community interacted with the developed Missing Middle Home typologies, which is a process of “groundtruthing” how these proposed home typologies best fit into the actual physical and regulatory conditions.
Infill Site Selection and Home Typology Test-fit
For the community infill design case studies, I worked on developing a comprehensive spatical analysis workflow for better understanding of community environmental and regulartory constrains for missing middle home development, and identification and selection of infill focus areas with high development potentials. Additionally, I participated the local site visits for each community and interviews with each property owner for finally identified infill sites, in order to better understand different site conditions and develop a hypothetical infill test-fit for each community. The testfit visualizations illustrate an approach to bringing new Missing Middle Homes to that community through site plan and perspective rendering, along with the regulatory information and development metrics listed.
Existing Analysis - Developable Parcel Width
Existing Analysis - Proposed Focus Area
PLAN: Newmarket, The 21st Century Economy Initiative
Urban Planning and Design Project with Utile, Inc and BPDA
Location: Boston, MA, US
Status: Complete - adopted
Duration: 11/2021 - 05/2023
Role in Team: Urban designer - developed mixed-use district development prototype and transportation improvement strategies based on rezoning framework, and prepared for city public meeting presentations.
At the nexus of the Dorchester, Roxbury, South Boston, and South End neighborhoods, the Newmarket industrial district plays a fundamental role as a critical economic engine for the City and the region.
PLAN: Newmarket, The 21st Century Economy Initiative is a community vision plan located in Boston. The design and planning team worked closely with community stakeholders to develop a vision for an equitable industrial neighborhood of the
future. Identified by Imagine Boston 2030 as an “expanded neighborhood” initiative, PLAN: Newmarket is focused on land use and employment goals, as well as the climate resilience, transportation, and public realm infrastructure needed to achieve them.
Urban Development Prototypes
As keeping existing food distribution and manufacturing jobs, the community also focus on local business development, transportation improvements and affordability. Therefore,I worked with the team to propose four mixed use development prototypes, in order to encourage industrial-commercial development, job creation and accessibility in Boston.
High-bay
High-bay
Public Realm Design Phases
Hybrid: Industrial/Commercial (lab variant)
Maker and Manufacturing
Urban Planning and Design Project with Utile, Inc and Providence 195 District
Location: Providence, RI, US
Status: In progress
Duration: 11/2021 - 09/2024
Role in Team: Urban designer - Prepare urban studies and graphics for design review presentation, and work on district open space analysis and mapping graphics production for park framework plan.
Utile is serving as the on-call planning consultant for the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission in Providence, Rhode Island, the state-appointed authority responsible for the development of 21 parcels that were liberated by the relocation of the Interstate south of the Jewelry District in 2013. Utile’s role is to advise the Commission on development and urban design strategies to unify areas of the city previously divided by the highway, and to attract new development and business opportunities to Downtown Providence.
The new Providence Innovation & Design District features 19 acres of developable land and 7 acres of open space. After working on the district development plan, Utile, the design team continue working on assisting the district commission on development strategies, design reviews and development status update through informative graphics.
Shadow Study for Development Proposals
Winter Solstice Equinox
Summer Solstice
Open Space Framework Plan
The district park is located on the center of I-195 district. The park aims to foster a healthier community, protect and enhance the natural environment, and improve the quality of life for residents and workers in Providence. The design team is also working with district to analyze the park’s potentials for development, activities and better access to the city.
Design Guideline Illustrative Diagrams
Urban Design Guideline Projects with Utile, Inc
Location: Varied, US
Status: Complete
Duration: 11/2021 - 09/2024
Role in Team: Graphic designer - designed and developed guideline illustrations for designers and planners to easily understand design guidelines, including restrictive requirements, use of spaces and preferred design features to various context.
Design Flood Elevation Permitted Use Visualization
Permitted Uses:
Marine uses (any size)
Parking
Lobbies, egress, vertical circulation
Storage and non-occupiable spaces <1000sf
Entire Structures <1000sf except those containing critical uses
Frontage Offset Public Realm Design
Design guidelines are designed to emphasize the considerations of sustainability design, urban forms, and ideal built environment, in coping of long-term design and planning challenges. The design of guideline illustrations helps understanding the allowance of preferred design and development options in cities and neighborhood.
Uses required to be @ DFE or higher:
Residential, hotel
Medical and emergency services
Schools and daycare
Government offices
Mechanical, electrical and critical building systems
Multi-Story Example
Single-Story Example
Facade Articulation
Facade Articulation
Representations for Better Design and Communication
Urban Planning and Design Projects with Utile, Inc
Location: Varied, US
Status: Complete
Duration: 09/2021 - 09/2024
Role in Team: Urban/graphic designer - worked on creative graphic representation and workflows for design concepts, in order to better communicate design schemes to clients, consultants and other audiences.
Master Plan Conceptual Design Axon Representation (with Utile)
Through working on diverse types of project, I have developed a clear and creative sense of urban scale and public realm when producing varies types of illustrative graphics to represent ideas. I am good at utilizing a combination of medias, including Rhino, Sketchup, Adobe suites and hand drawings. These illustrative renderings are widely used in order to communicate design schemes, final product presentations and public engagement in front of different audiences.
I always believe that visualization is playing a significant role in retrospective design projects. It does not only convey great design concepts and ideas, but more importantly, tells good stories about places, communities and how proposed schemes can fit in the neighborhood with considerations of the existing residents.
Hyannis Twin Brooks proposal (with Utile and Barnstable Land Trust)
DESIGN IN TRANSITION
How to design for great places where people can comfortably connect and share together? It has been a forever question to me at school. In the process of searching for the answer, I kept seeing countless physical and social barriers that isolate groups of people from the places they live at - environmental deterioration, gentrification, lack of collective memories, lack of connection to the communities...
In my design projects, there are envisions and experiments that not only focus on the site itself, but also on the recreation of systems that empower people to transition and reconnect through relinked physical spaces and shared identities. Through ooking into the challenges and converting obstacles into opportunities, I design experimental solutions to bring care and reconstruct the ideal environment back to places and communities.
FROM OBSTACLE TO LINKAGE
CoVillage - East Village Development Proposal
2021 ULI Hines Competition Team Work
Instructor: Prof. Ray Gastil, Prof. Valentina Vavasis
Site: Kansas City, MO, US
Duration: 01/2021
Team : Xiaoran Zhang, Siqing Ge, Wei-Ni Ting, Rutuja Dhuru, Osama Mohamed
Role in Team: Team Lead, Development Strategy, Master Planning, Zoning and Program Proposal
CoVillage is proposed based on three design principles: connection, co-existence and cocreativeness.This transformational mixed-use development contains a well-structured transit system that connects with the surrounding neighborhoods. With the creation of the various housing types and amenities, villagers are able to embrace healthy and various lifestyles in this inclusive place. Creative industries are combined in a unique way with sustainability, focusing on waste recycling and environmental improvement.
The village will serve as a transition between Downtown Kansas City and the Paseo West District, enhanced by the micro-transit, solving the fragmentation of the two districts by the highway system. The Co-living lifestyle is encouraged in CoVillage, which celebrates the coexistence of nature and human, people of all kinds and all of the spirits that need to be treasured. The public spaces for planting co-cultivation will bond the villagers together to contribute to the sustainable development of the CoVillage.
By developing transit-based connection, flourishing the coexistence of all-background villagers, and inspiring the co-creativeness culture, CoVillage is able to grow a smart, livable and sustainable future.
Community Transit Node
Grocery Transit Node
Public Parking Node
Central Plaza Node
Farming Garage Transit Node
Entrance Transit Node
Delivery Hub
Delivery Hub
Delivery Hub
Build up the Link
Smartmove System
Activity Centers
Universities +
East Village
University of Missouri Extension Kansas City University-Medicine
Park University in Kansas City River Market District
Central Business District Power&Light District
18th&Vine District
Crossroads Arts District
West Side District
University of Missouri
Crown Center/ Union Hill District
Paseo West
River Market District
The existing condition for the public transit plan embraces the site. As activity centers are developing along the smartmove main corridor, new and exciting activities need to be programmed into the site. There are plenty of universities located around the East Village within an accessible distance. The new activities will flourish East Village and make it more welcoming for younger market.
CoVillage proposes to develop the public transit system to increase its mobility. The streetcar system for Kansas City will be connected to the site by improving the pedestrian and bikes trails experience and supporting the existing bus stops.
The retail, art and cultural amenities and offices buildings are mostly located in the central business district. The site can work as a corridor to not only further develop the amenities into the Paseo West communities at a smaller scale but also serve as the meeting point of the communities and the businesses on the CBD.
The existing green spaces are segmented by the highway system and the streets across the site can serve as the corridors to connect people, the communities and green spaces with 12th St. as the connection to the downtown business district, the 10th St. as the link of the green spaces and the 8th for the residential areas.
Jade Landscape BLVD (E 10h St)
Green Parking / Co-Cultivating Garden
Welcoming Junction
Village Eye Junction
‘The Jade’ Bridge
Common Garden - Village Edge Garden
Master Plan
Co-Living Apartment
Civic Garden / Canopy Amphitheater
Amazon-Go Grocery Store
929 Holmes St, - Mixed-use
Central Plaza
‘Village Heart’ - Local Market Center
‘The Village’ Hotel
Headquarter Office
‘Village Alive’ Gate Park
Courtyard
3R’s Fountain Plaza Village+ Creative Square Creative Industry Center CoVillage SpeStore
Program and Phasing
Events & Activities
Anita - Single Mother
“Anita is a single mother who lives in Paseo West. She is now working in the Market Center and the booming of the East Village improves her quality of life and income. She is also looking for a beautiful and safe place for her and her child to hang out and enjoy the sunlight near the neighborhood. The good connection from Paseo West to the CoVillage encourages her to come to the Kemp Playground and further to the Central Plaza. She and her little girl enjoy the movies played every Saturday night in Canopy Amphitheater.”
Casey & Donald - University Retired Professors
“Casey & Donald just retired from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. They have been hired by the CoVillage to support art and design education in the Museum and Creative Industry Center. They live near the Center and the Museum in a condominium which is affordable and provides them with a community who are also passionate about art and design. They are now enjoying a peaceful life in the heart of downtown Kansas City. They also claim that the Amazon Go downstairs is super convenient.”
Rebecca “Rebecca in and housing higher provide peers and hers
Rebecca - Graduated Student
“Rebecca just graduated from CUKC. She interns downtown KC and enjoys the enthusiastic colorful lifestyle in CoVillage. The affordable housing prices in CoVillage allow her to have a higher quality of life, and the Co-living apartments provide her with millions of chances to meet with peers and connect. She just got herself a piano found a piano teacher who is also a friend of hers in the Co-living apartments.”
Daniel - Pioneer Artist
“Daniel is a pioneer artist. He is now working with recycled materials to build sculptures and holding exhibitions for his work. He believes CoVillage has been a strong support for his work since the 3R’s Museum (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) opened 3 years ago. Daniel has lived in CoVillage for 5 years and has built a strong connection with local residents. He holds a recycled workshop that is welcomed by local residents in Paseo. He is very happy that his work can help alleviate the trash burden on Paseo.”
Christopher - Startup Business Owner
“Christopher rents office space in CoVillage for his company because of the convenient public transportation and high-tech resources nearby. Christopher moved to CoVillage a few months ago. Even under the impact of the pandemic, the high-tech system still operates for delivery, and the shared car&bike system allows him to save money on parking. His company is working on a smart food delivery system during the pandemic.”
FROM SINGLE-USE TO MIXED-USE
Bloomfield Neighborhood Place-making
Instructor: Prof. Stefani Danes
Site: Pittsburgh, PA, US
Duration: 09/2019 - 12/2019
Team : Xiaoran Zhang, He Su, Sameedha Mahajan, Yashasvi Tulchiya
Role in Team: Site Analysis, Case Study, Modeling, Individual Project Design
Bloomfiled is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh with a strong characteristic of diversity. It is a neighborhood with local and migrant residents. As time goes by, Bloomfield has become a multicultural neighborhood. It not only has unique history and culture, but also is a place encouraging commoning and emerging culture. Therefore, its unique culture and affordable housing has been attracting new residents.
The Saturday Market in Bloomfield is a characteristic farmers market in Bloomfield. It is located by Liberty Avenue - the artery of Bloomfield and opens every Saturday on the site where is a parking lot on workdays. The high vitality has called Bloomfield Development Corporation’s interest in exploring the potential for replacing the parking lot with a mixed-use complex that includes a year-round market house, along with related businesses, and housing to provide more amenities to the whole neighborhood.
In order to enhance the community culture and continue its unique characteristic in the neighborhood, we explored the potential models to develop different mixed-use projects that encourage Bloomfield to become a livable, friendly and energetic neighborhood in Pittsburgh.
Neighborhood Location
Bloomfield is a plateau above the Allegheny River. This boundary is disputed – many residents believe that Bloomfield abuts the neighborhood of Friendship. Therefore, Bloomfield and Friendship interactively form a special neighborhood. As the community is adjacent to many communities including Shadyside and North Oakland where most university students are located, the neighborhood has a potential to attract more young residents and visitors if there are new complex projects developed.
Site Selection
Liberty Avenue Characteristic
1 is a permanent parking lot in a mixed-use area. Nearby there are church, residential, institutional and commercial buildings.
Site
Site 2 is used as ground parking lot in workdays and is used as a farmers market on Saturday.
Pittsburgh Dance Center
West Penn Hospital West Penn Hospital
St Maria Goretti Parish
As the main street of Bloomfield, Liberty Avenue is a major mixed-use corridor where most commercial and service buildings are gathering in the neighborhood.
Site 1
Site 2
Market Typology Analysis
Community Integration Concept
Great Market Hall, Budapest, Hungary
Feria de San Telmo, Argentina
Chatuchak Market, Thailand Columbia Flower Market, London, UK
Site Sight Site Analysis
Peripheral Path
FRIENDSHIPPARK
The site forms a void in contrast to surrounded buildings. At the same time, there are accessibilities to the parking lot from various directions, and obviously the site has a wider sight range to the direction of Friendship Park.
Generating Process
The massing of two proposed complexes can shape the open spaces between Friendship Park and the church, connecting the blocks directionally and creating more pedestrian-friendly streets in the neighborhoods.
The mixed-use function of the complex can connect the indoor and outdoor public space, providing a new recreational and gathering space for community that can both satisfy the need of community activities and attract new residents.
By forming the open spaces and arranging the function configuration of indoor and outdoor spaces, the parking lot can be transformed into a multi functional and attracting public space in the community.
Site Impression
There is a feeling of connectivity of the walls surrounding the site, which constitutes a great enclosure. Also,even though there are some pedestrian friendly facilities, the stop sigh in the front shows that the site is now a barrier between blocks.
Scheme Comparison
By comparing multiple schemes of place-making, a lot of possibilities can be conceptualized to form those well-shaped ‘paths’ and ‘squares’. Through the comparison, I am able to explore more flexibilities of the open space based on different occasions(seasons, events etc.)
Ground Floor Plan
St. Maria Goretti
Maria Goretti Catholic School
Dimension Setback
The site area is 62,700 sq ft and the side along Liberty Avenue is 340 feet long.
Space Forming and Functioning
There is a 15 foot required setback from adjoining residential properties.
By forming the spatial and functional indoor and outdoor spaces, the complex can play as a connector between the front street and backyard, in order to
First Floor - Cross
Second Floor - Gather
Parking and loading shall not be located within 15 feet of residential properties.
to create a community place for gathering and sharing.
Building height shall not exceed 45 feet or three stories. One more story is allowed if it is 50 feet from residential property.
Third Floor - Retreat Forth Floor - Uplift
Backyard Model & Sketch Scenario
Future Vision
The site is located in a developing district in Bloomfield-Friendship. In the future, the successful market might lead to more commercial development and public spaces around the site. In addition, it is a good way to develop growing gardens among neighborhoods. There is a vision that house owners on the south of the site can spare part of their backyard as common growing area and shared backyard. This can greatly encourage communication among neighborhoods and provide healthier food for community.
Neighborhood Growing Garden
FROM SEPARATION TO INTEGRATION
Rural Community Commons Concept
Instructor: Prof. Renchao Luo, Zhou Xu
Site: Nanjing, China
Duration: 03/2017 - 06/2017
Individual Work
Due to the national reformation of rural policies and the expansion of cities, villagers have moved away from their original homes due to the need for land intensive use. It is also a fact that their original joint labor and common life are gradually weakening. The vast land which they depended on was gradually replaced by mechanized production. Such issues are existing in Gaoli Village, a suburban village in Nanjing. Residents are isolated from their farmland. The gradual depression of the farming industry also causes issues including unemployment , low income, and the problem of aging.
This project imagines a rural cooperative system through exploring multiple housing typologies. By reconnecting villagers and citizens through the residences and public spaces, the new commoning system creates an opportunity for a local-based live-work cooperative. Meanwhile, by exploring the surrounding tourism resources, it provides the the local enconomy that connects travelers and local residents. Through these concepts, the traditional rural living experiences and culture of the villages are preserved, as well as a new form of village enconomy is reconstructed.
Village Status Analysis
Gaoli Village is a village based on traditional planting industry. It is surrounded by abundant natural tourism resources and suburban conditions. However, the current situation indicates that there is a problem of villages’ isolation from farmland.
Status Data
Village Status Map
Urban Development Brings Change
Community Unit Composition Typology
Residential Node Space Structure
Co-living in Labor Group
Co-living for Generations in One Family 2
Co-living between Villagers & Tourists 3
The basic structure of the village layout consists of a windmill-like public space and a surrounding living base unit. In each residential base unit, three residential space prototypes provide a good space for production, living and communication for all types of residents.
Life Scenes in Countryside
Shared Residential Work & Life Scene
Village Avenue Space
Fish pond is both our production base and our activity area. It improves our working and living environment!
Axonometric Activities
We work together to develop various crop products in the experimental field!
Nice scenery! Walking by the Landscape Path, I can feel the closeness to nature.
The public granaries are filled by our harvest each year, which carries our hope for the next year!
We live here together, sharing common activity space and enjoying the community lifestyle.
It is fantastic that we feel being welcomed at the entrance of the village!
FROM PAST TO FUTURE
AR-based History District Regeneration
Instructor: Dandi Ma
Site: Shanghai, China
Duration: 06/2018 - 08/2018
Team Work
Team : Xiaoran Zhang, Yanran Lu
Role in Team: Preliminary Investigation, Concept generation, Diagram drawing, Architectural representation
Under the influence of urban renewal in Shanghai, the Old North Station Shikumen Historic District has become an important renovated area. Undergoing tremendous changes through urban renewal and development, the site became a neglected place that is difficult to be defined due to the conflict between historical conservation and gentrification.
In the process of balancing historical protection and future development, it is an emerging opportunity to utilize new technologies to protect historical culture from a new perspective. This project aims to protect the integrity of Shikumen District’s history and living culture by creating AR technology and its installations without compromising construction intensity due to urbanization, and satisfy residents’ living demands, in order to create more valuable historical blocks and realize urban tradition and city.
Memories of old objects in the street
Since Early in 20th Century...
Tales of the neighborhood
Phenomenon - “In Between”
In the process of urbanization, skyscrapers are gradually replacing the traditional urban places. Extensive demolition and construction activities have caused historic communities become undefined negative urban spaces, The Shikumen historical area in Shanghai is undergoing this issue that has been affecting cities internationally.
Early Shikumen District
Mid-term Shikumen District
Late Shikumen District
Old Town
1846 British Concession
1848 British Concession
1863 International Settlement
1899 International Settlement
1847 French Concession
1861 French Concession
1900 French Concession
1900 French Concession
1914 French Concession
Conflicts In History Districts of Shanghai
Located in Shanghai, many Shikumen History District are under the process of regeneration. Through this process, many modern styles are added into reconstruction of history buildings, which causes the new-built environment incongruous with the conservation of traditional district.
Old North Station District
Modern Style Traditional Features
Reformed as Commercial Center
XINTIANDI
Reformed as Creative Industry Park
TIANZIFANG
JIANYELI
Reformed as Superior Hotel
Old Town
Shanghai
Life Scene
The Possibility of AR Technology
The AR Technology creates an opportunity for both residents and tourists to get closer to scenes in history district years ago . Through diverse screens in movable and immovable devices can people see virtual scenes directly. From this innovative method, old scenes can be reverted.
Spatial Experiences From Three Perspectives
Vista of Historic District
Former Residence Celebrities
Master Plan ground floor &roof combined
According to the trend of the lanes and alleys and the configuration of public facilities around the site, the street texture of the site is reconstructed, forming direction and north-south direction divides the site into four functional areas, including new community areas, public service area (consisting of commerce, residence experience part and exhibition part).
forming a public space system corresponding to the surrounding area. The axes of east-west commerce, culture and education parts), residential areas, tourist areas (consisting of shikumen
AREAS HERITAGE CONSERVATION EXHIBITION AREA
Former Residence of Wu Changshuo
Former Residence of Mr.Liang
Activities Based on AR Structures
In the strategy of AR space implantation mentioned above, the buildings are divided into five levels according to the integrity of the reservation, and the reconstruction modes are put forward respectively. The following axonometric maps are the morphological expression and crowd activities of five modes.
FROM BARRIER TO CONNECTION
Transit-Based Community Center Complex
Instructor: Prof. Yuli Wei, Zhou Xu
Site: Nanjing, China
Duration: 03/2018 - 06/2018
Individual Work
As the city continues to expand, the Old Xiaguan District has been gradually integrated into the urban planning, being transformed from the original industrial area into an developing area integrating residential, commercial and service functions. As a transportation hub of the old Xiaguan area and Nanjing, the development of Nanjing West Railway Station is going downhill. With the relocation of the Nanjing West Railway Station in 2012, the station building and railway lost their original functions and gradually became an urban brownfield, blocking the development of the station and the connections nearby.
Despite the railroad outage, the demand for transportation in this area has not diminished: the construction of subway stations, the opportunities for tourism and the need for commuting. At the same time, the historical value of Nanjing West Railway Station and the planned tram line have brought development opportunities. This project aims to reshape the Nanjing West Railway Station into a community center based on a transit hub, thereby transforming the original barrier into a connected open zone and gradually being integrated into the urban development.
Planned Connecting Line Analysis
Transportation Obstacles
The abandoned Nanjing West Railway Station and its tracks will be reused to integrate into the regional public transportation lines. There are favorable traffic elements such as subway stations, docks and expressway entrances and exits around the blocks. The abandoned stations and surrounding buildings form the track and surrounding areas as a traffic barrier for the district.
A continuous section of the site and its surroundings shows the obstacles that Nanjing West Station and its ancillary buildings bring to people around the site, including transportation, sight and continuity.
Resident
Tourist
Layers & Functions
Nanjing West Station Railway Culture Museum
Tram Station Perspective
Perspective Point 1: Overlook the tram station from the museum interior
Perspective Point 2: Open Space at the junction of the corridor
DESIGN IN EXPLORATION
In addition to design concepts and practices, I am also curious about the complexity of urban system and the root of social issues. Design research helps me understand the cause of existing issues in depth and motivates me look into theories and technologies that could be solutions to those unsolved problems. Those exploration beyond design also question myself - is design the only solution? Or there are things that I can learn from people we are designing for?
After a few researches and graduation from grad school, I spent time in farms and community organizations before starting my full time job, trying to be grounded and learn something that I could hardly learn at school. During that summer, I talked to people about exciting and sad things in their life, I shared the pleasure of harvesting and sharing in local CSA programs, I began to understand that every community seems to have their own pathway that works things out (even facing varies challenges). These all taught me that designers should always learn and find answers from the places and the people. The design is not just a solution, but more as a voice that tells the stories.
Chongming Re-cultivation, Urban Commons Thesis Research
Website link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lPH4f1VuxGiydPR3OWf-66ByMbfwjDiH/view?usp=drive_link
Graduate Thesis
Instructor:
Prof. Stefan Gruber
Prof. Jonathan Kline
Duration: 11/2020-06/2021
Chongming Recultivation selects Chongming Island as a model to explore the possibility of reshaping cooperativebased rural communities through bottom-up commoning practices. By reviewing the evolution of village community’s socio-physical changes at different stages of development in China and exploring emerging involvement opportunities into village community reformation, the proposal focuses on how commoning can intervene into diverse forms of localized economy in village communities. By stressing the importance of actors’ interaction within the transition system, the thesis explores structural typology and bottomup participation in changing villages’ physical and social environment. Through developing various scenarios, it builds up models for a knowledge and skill sharing system for Chinese villages.
A System Emerging with Farming Culture
Intervention Typology & System Change
Based on traditional form of Chinese cultivation system, it explores a future model of self-organized, cooperative-based urbanrural community system that can support a healthier growth with greener economy, shareable resources and humannature harmony. The three intervention structural typologies can engage into a commoning system in Chongming villages. By experimenting the rebalance system on a typical pattern in Sanxing Town, it both forms a recultivation system and multiple place-making scenarios.
STEP 1: ROOT
Rebuild localized social network based on existing villagers to form mutual support relationship.
STEP 2: CONNECT
Connect design professionals and participants to village communities to promote urban-rural community interaction.
Rebalanced Triangle & Programs
STEP 3: PROLIFERATE
New villagers bring more social innovation projects to encourage more events and engagements.
Based on the rebalanced triangle model, three types of programs are proposed in Reclutivation Cooperative Framework, in order to encourage the diverse forms of engagement into Chongming village communities, including Farmers Market & CSA(Community Supported Agriculture), Tour & Co-housing and Industries & Workshops.
DESIGN IN EXPLORATION
Soot and the City, Pittsburgh Air Quality Based Environment System Research
Website link: https://pittsburghair.cargo.site/
Studio Group Research
Instructor: Prof. Nida Rehman
Duration: 01/2020 - 05/2020
This map overlays median income with childhood asthma rates, and we see a pattern of environmental injustice happening along the river and around the hill district.
Air Pollutant Matrix
Downtown
Lawrenceville
“We need to operationalize actions we can take now to address this problem”
“I will never forget the first time I experienced that smell”
“There are so many statistics in here I was floored with. I’m shocked to learn how bad this problem is”
Shenango Plants
“It’s getting pretty bad” “The smell is definitely noticeable”
“My family often wakes up feeling ‘foggy’ in the head, with burning throats and eyes”
“I didn’t have asthma when I moved to Pittsburgh, I have asthma now”
Mononghela Valley
“The windows were open and it smelled like Shenango was in my room ”
“I had run two marathons, and I couldn’t get up and down the stairs without my inhaler here”
“It was dangerous to sleep with the windows open at night because you didn’t want to be awoken by the stench”
“US Steel acts with impunity. God forbid that the unhealthy air we breathe would be put upon them and their families”
“I’m scared one day when he does finally get it, it might be too late if I’m not around”
“I have lost a grandfather, a father, a sister, a daughter, and a son to cancer ”
Cheswick and Springdale Boroughs
“It’s like hell. Living in hell. It’s filthy; it’s dirty; it’s noisy—it’s unhealthy”
“Dirt on my windowsills, dirt on my furniture. It’s a constant cleaning. Filthy. It’s a filthy place to live, and we’re breathing this in”
“Living next to a coal plant is like a neighbor from hell just moved in”
“The smoke is always there. Wherever you go, you see it”
DESIGN IN EXPLORATION
Downtown Pittsburgh Green Space System Optimization Design
Issuu link: https://issuu.com/xiaoranz/docs/xiaoranzhang_urban_design_media_project_2020
Lab Work - Urban Design Computation Design
Instructor: Prof. Nico Azel Duration: 01/2020 - 05/2020
Walking Accessibility Network Evaluation
Current Scenario
Filtration
In this scenario, more accessible entrances can and recreation components can reform the walking and cycling trail along the river.
Existing Green Space Components
In this scenario, filtration components can reduce the air pollution along the river and bring more renewable energy installations.
Existing Green Space Components Existing
In this scenario, filtration components can reduce the spread of air and noise pollution along the highway.
Environment Simulation
Lab Work - Media Lab Work For Studio Instructor: Prof. Marantha Dawkins
Duration: 11/2019
Sunlight Analysis
Shenzhen Urban Village Ecology System
Issuu link: https://issuu.com/xiaoranz/docs/term_project_urban_ecology
Previous Tiled All Direction Accessible Distributed Green Space
Latter High-rise Restricted Entrance Concentrated Public Space
Coursework Instructor: Prof. Christine Mondor Duration: 01/2020 - 03/2020
WHAT’S NEXT?
I believe that the lifelong class for every urban designer is always learning from the people and places. Therefore, I am always surprised to see new places and people, and learn new things in my life and my career. Just in this way, I feel myself closely related to the projects the communities, and take more responsibilities for contributing to a smaller part in our city and community life.
In the end, I wish everyone can live in a better world that all of us can build together - free, healthy, connected, caring, full of love.
Contact Information
Email: xiaoranzhang619@gmail.com
Cell: NL: +31 6 57212791 US: +1 (412)-519-4283
Address: Havenzichtstraat 14D, 3022 GP Rotterdam, Netherlands