Yanbo Li_Portfolio by Yanbo Li

Portfolio_Selected Urban Design & Architectural Works 2013-2019

Yanbo Li 李彦博 1

URBANDESIGN

Yanbo Li Urbanism & Architecture 2013-2019 94-13, Shenzhen, CN; 13-18, Guangzhou, CN; 18-19, Ann Arbor, US; 20-**, _____________

YANBO LI 李彦博 Urbanist, Urban Designer, Architect, Planner

EXPERIENCE

E-MAIL

liyanbo@umich.edu

Jun. 2019 - Aug. 2019

StudioTEKA Design Architectural Intern Architectural Design / Interior Design & Rendering / Modeling / Sourcing / Field Work

Feb. 2019 - Mar. 2019

International Habitat Design Studio 2019, Ahmedabad, India International Workshop Design Thesis / Field Investigation / Documentation

July 2017 - Sept. 2017

Urban Planning and Design Institute of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China Intern Urban Designer Project: Urban Design of Malanshan Video Creative Park Conceptual Design / Design and Modeling of individual Projects / Analysis Diagrams / Graphic Work / Content Composing

June 2017 - Oct. 2017

Masterplan of Tianzhu town, Guizhou, China Masterplan Practice with Instructor and Local Colleagues Professional Practice / City Masterplan / Field investigation / Governmental Consultation / Resident Interview

Apr. 2017 - June 2017

Social Investigation of the Spatial & Behavioral Recognition of Living Area in Urban Village of Guangzhou, China Research Thesis in South China University of Technology Interview / Survey with Local Community / Documentation / Proposal

Mar. 2016 - June 2016

Urban Research, Sustainable Renewal of the Yide Rd. Old Town Area with the Function of Wholesale Industry, Guangzhou, China Research Thesis in South China University of Technology

PHONE

(+1) 734 358 8136 LINKEDIN

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yanbo-li-mud/ WEBSITE

https://liyanbo.wixsite.com/portfolio

EDUCATION

Sept. 2018 - Dec. 2019

University of Michigan Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning Master of Urban Design

Sept. 2013 - June 2018

South China University of Technology Bachelor of Engineering, Urban and Rural Planning

INTEREST

Urban Design / Urban Renewal & Redevelopment / Urban Studies / Architecural Design / Environmental Issues

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

Adobe Creative Suite

AutoCAD

Sketchup

Enscape

Rhinoceros

Vray

ArcGIS

Lumion

Revit

LANGUAGE

English (Professional) Mandarin (Native) Cantonese (Native) 5

Defragmentation

Co-mmunity

The Hub Archipelago

Renewal/Revitalization

Industry/Community

Speculation/Proposal

Spring 2017 Urban Planning and Design Studio South China University of Technology Theme: Urban Renewal Instructor: Miaoxi ZHAO, Hui LIU Site: Xicun, Guangzhou, China Research Teamwork with Pu LUAN Individual Design Work

Fall 2018 Urban Design Studio I 2018 Theme: Community Revitalization Instructor: Mclain Clutter Site: Banglatown, Detroit, U.S. Collaborator: Kunnong Gu, Mingyu Chen

Fall 2019 Urban Design Studio III 2019 University of Michigan Theme: The Green New Deal Instructor: El Hadi Jazairy Site: Kearny, New Jersey, U.S. Collaborator: Jing Yang, Shourya Jain

The River is An Illusion

Compresence

Complementary Works

Polemical/Cultural

Concept/Rural/Suburban

Urban/Architectural/Interior/Art

Spring 2019 Urban Design/Architecture Proposition Studio University of Michigan Theme: Urban Water Commons Instructor: MarĂa Arquero de AlarcĂłn Site: Ahmedabad, India Individual Cultural Project

Summer 2017 Personal Designated Topic Theme: Urbanization Concept of Rural Area Site: Qingyuan, China Individual Design Work 7

2013-2019 Professional Works Other Student Works Sketches/Hand Drawings

DEFRAGMENTAION 碎片重组

Spring 2017 SCUT Urban Planning and Design Studio South China University of Technology Theme: Urban Renewal Instructor: Miaoxi ZHAO, Hui LIU Site: Xicun, Guangzhou, CHINA Teamwork with Pu LUAN in site research/survey/photo documentation Individual Design Work

Aimed to address the challenge of sorting up fragmented open space in the district of Xicun, which sat on the 1901 Guangzhou Railway Station and became one of the earliest-developed area in Guangzhou, the strategyoriented urban design has involved reorganization of urban functioning and enhancement of the quality of muliti-utility public space, to repair the disordered, inefficiently-functioning district with anticipatory vitality and potential of mixed-use development. Through analysis upon the realtionship and the operation pattern in the area, the design strategy, which in specific way integrates resources into an commercial-residential-educational-mixed zone, offers opportunities for cross connection between different groups and trades, possibly vitalize the unutilized and inactive public space. The urban design defines modifiable units to be either transformed or demolished, and establish recreation spots, education quarter, and senior apartment, together creating a new, qualified, and successive sequence of open space. A local resident wanders along the street, attracted by the tree-shaded, stone-paved alley which leads to a lively community. A senior citizen resting on the bench outside the senior center, bathed in the sunlight shed down to the yard. Students after school come in groups, ready to engage in a variety of extracurricular activities. Visitors from the city gathering at the railway museum, exposed to the weight of history as well as the novelty of creative industry.

2,9376 Mixed Population

On-Site Investigation Early-built residential buildings and industrial plants occupy their area respectively, leaving the space between scattered, ragged, depressive.Yet local residents with various backgrounds have been active, which further accentuate the conflict between space limit and people's demands.

Resident

Rail

Running Business

Within 2 km Range

Aged Under 15

Aged Over 64

Station Collective point

Urban Fabric

Space Utility

Active Group

Residential Quarter

Activity Types Urban Village

Section SITE

Total Site Area: Gross Floor Area: ---Warehouse ---Resdential ---Station Floor Area Rate:

5.94 ha 109,754 m2 57660 m2 46612 m2 5482 m2 1.85

Warehouses

City Park

Market

Shaded space

Warehouse

Expansion of Cross Connection By bringing in urban programmes as apartment complex and tourist spot, existing programmes gain antipacitory opportunities to advance common vitality. Apartment complex provides locals with rentable housing and leisure activities avalible, which helps retain the population in the district. Local retail merchants can see increased profit by the time the railway museum has been estabilished, attracting vistiors.

Integrated Strategy

Transfer development right

Open space gathering people

Increase in revenue

Social activity center

Updated enterprise space

Museum-oriented vitality

Sequence of public space

Offer for housing

Improvable historic value

Fragmentation Reassembly, Population Fusion The urban design concludes projects from different businesses which serve the varied population in the area. The fragmented neighborhood has been reassembled to draw resources together, creating successive sequen of public living area. Through rearrangement of space utilization, open ground space is gathered to form place with sense of closure, while construction density has been transitted onto unutilized space. By utilizing residue space to set up versatile urban programs, enrichment in living experience can be expected. Projects of public use contribute to the revival of sense of belonging, which in turn boost the running and functioning of local businesses.

Public Apartment

Senior Apartment Temporary Housing

Micro Office Industry Incubator

Senior Center Extracurricular Education Center

Supermarket Gym

Senior Center

Basketball Court

Plaza

Railway Museum

Subway Station Urban Village

Railway

Middle School

GuangzhouWest Railway Station

Liuhua Lake

Phasing of Masterplan

Systematic Planning

Masterplan strategy consists of three phase. First, construction units are modified to empty space. Second, complex community center and new types of housing established to joint population. Third, Industrial-related area is fulfiled.

From overall perspective the design strategy enhances systematic functioning of the district, specificly facilitate tranportation, organize open space, transit landuse and promote commercial activities.

Present

Modified Units

Circulation Increase the density of cirluation promotes transportation structure

Modified Units

Landuse Business Edge Insert mixed-use zone activate and Commercial-residencial-mixed relink each area of the district zone expands business edges

Open Space Reorganize the system of open space to enhance living experience

Vertical

Elevated Corridor Temporary Housing

Interior and Exterior Zoomed into architectual scale, the scene gives a glance into the prospect of the urban living of designed projects.From an architectual vision it helps examine and detailize the urban design. Widened alley with sheltered grey space facilitates the lingering of pedestrians, as people walk to look around and stop to talk with each other. Flexible arrangement of rooms in community center accomodates different types of occurence.

Dispersed plan of multi-storey apartments avoids to shield the sunlight from the alley and onto the surrounding residential buildings. Space gaps between warehouses has been utilized to create temporary housing for workers. Air corridors provodes workers with resting place and convinent path from one warehouse to another.The space residue along the rail holds potential for primary-staged companies.

Ground Floor Plan of Commercial-Residential-Mixed Zone Untangled Open Space The ground floor plan and the section shows the scale and pattern of open space. Fragmented space has been integrated to shape enclosed yards on the designed sequence.

Section from Guangya Rd to the railway

Residential Building Guangya Rd

Apartment Complex

Senior Apartment Warehouse

Logistic Headquarter Warehouse

Guangzhou Railway

Life Composition Xicun has undergone an era of rapid development originated from railway logistic industry. During urban expansion, public space was scattered through repeated squeezing, and living experience became even worse. The urban design strategy attempts to 'defragment' the resources, and joint the varied groups in the district to create surplus value which leads to anticipatory revitalization. With transition of community interior into a mix-used zone, various trades are introduced into the community, generating new types of common activities.

The commercial alley nurtures a place where vendors do their business, locals enjoy sufficient services, and the elderly find sense of belongings. Transformation in warehouse area offers lowrent offices as well as quick link to front-line workers for starting companies. As urban programs are set along a spatial sequence, it is not only has the fragmented open space been linked up, but also the dots of public services have been connected. The plan purposed an operation series in which programs runs unitedly to recreate prosperity in community.

COMMUNITY 社区复兴计划

Fall 2018 Taubman College Urban Design Studio I University of Michigan Theme: Community Revitalization Instructor: Mclain Clutter Site: Banglatown, Detroit, U.S. Collaborator: Kunnong GU, Mingyu CHEN Contribution: team coordinator/concept design/concept diagram/modeling/ rendering/VR modelling

Bunglatown, Detroit, one of the most heavily depopulated neighborhood, has been suffering from vacancy and decommodification. The project starts with an analogical research in Queens Borough, NYC. The research project is about the coexisting relationship, either existing or potentially, between industrial sites and other urban context. By our research in once heavilyindustrialized areas in Queens, NY, we present an argument of approaches to mediate heterogeneous urban conditions in industrial sites. Learning from Queens, the team project concept is ‘Co-mmunity’. Modern city planning tends to split the functions into different areas, but it seems not working in a sustainable way in depopulated areas. So our idea is trying to bring back different urban context as well as functional connection into one community. And we come up with this idea of “Co-mmunity”. So what is the “Co-“ part means in a community? What does a “Community” deal with? We think it would be: Coexistence, which means Inclusiveness of various urban context and civic activities; Cofoundation, which means shared responsibilities and profits on joint development; Cooperation, which means interlinked industrial ecology inhabited in the community with connection and differentiation; Co-living, which means adequate civic space offering places for family activities, religious belief, commercial, leisure, and so on; And there is more possibilities for innovative urban finance can be developed.

Potentials for Redevelopment The site Banglatown has a convenient transportation condition, and there is an elementary school, a career training center in here. It connects with logistic companies just across the freeway. So we think there is potential for introducing industry in here, to provide jobs and boost the economy. Based on transportation condition, anchor connection and existing commercial condition. we embed new zone types and place them in the site according to the related factors.

A Shift in Community Development Rights We are basically using landbank and cheap lands to make our plan. Despite its low population, Banglatown accommodates a certain amount of low-income people. As we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to reap the lands from them, the idea of CBT, Community Building Trust, which is like a reverse way of building a company town. It proposes people to keep the land, lease the building and operation right to CBT, and then CBT transfer the right to companies whoever wants to come in.

A Community Light Industry Chain We choose light industry compared to heavy industry for five reasons. 1.Environmental friendly 2. Lower investment and fast training at first 3. Provide more jobs and make profit faster. We vision to introduce some food factories, manufacturing factories, urban farms and some personal workshops. They will cooperate with each other and promote the community economic development. The operation of factories can be divided into four parts: making a plan, producing, cooperation and making profit. We redesign the careers center for new workerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s professional skills training. And about the cooperation, for example, the waste wood from the furniture factory can be used for making wooden cups. And all these products can be sent to inner stores, outer stores to make money and used as workerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s welfare. The spatial arrangement about the career center, factories, urban farms and stores. We see the specific function of each building and how these different parts cooperate with each other and the designated routes for trucks to deliver products. In this system, a series of building and public space types indicate the relationship and working function within other sections in the system. For example, FLEA MARKETs suggest a way that products from local factories can be consumed or reused locally in a commonplace in the community. MEDIEVAL FAMILY WORKSHOPs suggest a way that allows families to launch their own crafts business in their home yard, that workshop is placed aside the street and the house is placed in the back. COMMERCIAL BACKYARDS suggests a way that informal businesses take place in the back alley between manufacturing and residential areas where workers can ship and trade by-products.

Interfaces

Urban Farms

Nostalgic Introvert Atmosphere These moments call back to the medieval urban atmosphere where production and trades happens in a single community. The project challenges the use of modernly planned blocks and streets, bringing in various use types and mediating the spatial relationship between each area thorough specific design themes. While one moment embraces the interactive/collective use of backyards of homes, another moment challenges the ordinary shopping experience, and create safe and pleasant pedestrian-friendly environment.

Flea Markets

Back Streets

THE HUB ARCHIPELAGO

于基础设施之上

Fall 2019 Taubman College Urban Design Studio III University of Michigan Theme: The Green New Deal Instructor: El Hadi Jazairy Site: Kearny, New Jersey, U.S. Collaborator: Jing Yang, Shourya Jain Contribution: team coordinator/narrative diagram/hub diagram and rendering/birdview rendering/human persepctive rendering/modeling

Logistics being an underpinning link for the Green New Deal, matters in commuting, supplies transportation and energy conservation, and remains the backbone of cities in a greener future. Integrating logistics infrastructure and the meadowlands on Hackensack River, New Jersey, the project proposes an acclimating archipelago landscape with protected transit infrastructure, adaptive to rising water levels in a delirious climate. While the mega transit hub provides access to both intercity and innercity population and incorporates multiple civic functions, the design strategically creates an archipelago out of existing topography for accreting inhabitation of future residents. By introducing relief water inlets and using excavated soil to strengthen highlands, the landscape accommodates three types of development adapting to different stages of water level rise. The proposal starts from protection and mitigation at present, and builds towards the delirious future. Our project questions the larger strategies we need to adapt to which allow us to build. Keeping larger infrastructure systems and the forces that govern development today and the future keeping in mind all the natural forces that will affect our lives, our surroundings, and our planet. The biggest critique of the Green New deal is that we have too much to do in a very short period of time. We need large infrastructure projects that will come with a great amount of investment. Infrastructure becomes the main driving force of the Green New Deal and without it, resilience in a changing climate is almost impossible to achieve.

Infrastructure is The New Public Sphere Infrastructure is the new public sphere we should invest in. Back in mid 20th Century, The New Deal breeded a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations that responded to needs for relief, reform, and recovery from the Great Depression. PUBLIC SPHERE is supported by PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, investment in infrastructure creates more new things and productive cityscape/landscapes that are beyond mobility and logistics and integrate public activities. In the era of delirious climate change, we aim to explore how

infrastructure establishes a public sphere responding to the environmental crises. Our project looks at logistics infrastructure as an underpinning link of the GREEN NEW DEAL and imagines a hub that triggers the public realm supported by an archipelago cityscape to emerge on the meadowlands of Kearny Point, New Jersey.

Logistics as the Underpinning Link Logistic registers member of trajectories that are relevant to question of architecture, urbanisation and the built environment. But it is generally a layer that is invisible to us. Logistics define a larger system that relies a great deal on various layers of infrastructure.

dominate logistics in New York City, as they provide the last mile delivery throughout the city. Meanwhile, rail provides only 2% of shipment . Rail provides the highest transportation capacity with the lowest carbon emission outputs in the US. Compared to the rest of the world, rail in the US is highly underutilized.

According to United States statistics, transportation accounts for the most greenhouse gas emissions. Automobiles contribute the most due to the American reliance on the automobile. Trucks

Reconnecting North-East Megalopolis System Amtrak rail is absent from the northeast region, including New York City, because people are not taking it to move around. Rail travel on Amtrak is notoriously slow due to routes designed 180 years ago, and too many stops resulting in slow service between destinations. Also development hardly explore the capacity of potential developments can be related to the station.

US. The ongoing plan by Amtrak plans to develop the Boswash Corridor into a high speed train (HST), Acela, and upgrade the infrastructure along the corridor. What we propose is to expand the Amtrak route to have a separate hst line for boswash intercity connection while present amtrak serves local stops By having fewer stops at each metropolitan area, meas NJ-NYC would share one station, to serve more population.

We argue that speed and capacity are the main issues in order to develop an effective rail system for the Northeast region of the

The Hub as A New Anchor in NJ-NYC Logistics System goods. The rail system going into NYC convenes here resulting in existing logistics infrastructure. The meadowlands remain untouched, within reach of Jersey City and Manhattan. This is a no-manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s land with high transit significance. With this hub, the logistics system of NJ-NY metropolitan is reorganized. The hub connects people from NJ-NYC to Boswash Corridor intercity flow, while local stops at Newark and Penn take people from the hub into the city. With the existing infrastructure on the site, the hub is highly connected with intermodal transportation.

The ongoing plan by Amtrak plans to develop the Boswash Corridor into a high speed train (HST), Acela, and sets the new HST station, Moynihan, right next to Penn Station in midtown Manhattan, which is already a highly saturated area. Layering flood zones, rails systems, and ecological assets a transportation gateway for the greater NJ-NYC region is revealed. We propose Kearny Point as the location of the NJ-NYC serving HST station. Historically, Kearny Point has been a gateway for

The Transit Hub Organizing the City and The Landscape making a microcity itself. Logistics, transit, working, green technology innovation, cultural, recreation, education and most importantly, housing happens in this mega hub. With the immense population flow to and through the hub everyday, the megahub accommodates intercity travellers, tourists, good buyers, and noticeably, former residents from flood-risk zones. As sea level rises, an increasing amount of citizens flee from their homeland to seek safe and dry ground. The megahub imagines a city living on top of meadowlands--or water in a delirious climate.

As Kearny Point is prone to flooding and sea level rise, making all transit infrastructure across at risk. We propose building a megastructure transit hub on top of the present Amtrak route, stretching from higher points on both sides of the flood basin and for both passenger and freight rail to protect them from flood risks. The megastructure stretches for one mile to connect with two high points across the flood basin performs multiple civic functions,

Layers and Interconnections feet. It creates a sense of logistics landscape: people are landing and increasingly living on the infrastructure, rather than the land.

With different layers, different modes are intercrossing with each other and the ground addressing with ecological ground, the meadowlands and the rising water. The ground rail is used for freight, which is covered by a green roof. The body elevated from the ground to allow water and air to pass through. The megastructure has space under it to let people pass through. It continues the natural landscape of meadowlands underneath its immense volume. People move around through the infrastructure protected in this megastructure, nature sits right underneath their

This enables a release of logistic stress from Manhattan and brings development momentum to New Jersey. It sits in connection with Newark Airport, Jersey City, ports, and neighborhoods. The hub works as a new anchor point of the metropolitan area.

The Archipelago by looking at the triangle and the low lying meadowlands between and above the existing old rail yards and the Amtrak corridor.

As megahub established, developments come along on the surrounding lands. The area is prone to flood, and the water levels might rise by more than 10ft at high tide, and it might be worse when serious weather, such as Hurricane Sandy, like Johnstown Flood, like the Great Galveston Storm back in 1900, etc. How can we ever live with the risks of rising water? We think it is inappropriate, and impossible, to wall up the rising water. We must adapt to it. An archipelago aims to address water

Adaptive Landscape and Typologies The main logic of the larger system governing the formation of these archipelagos is: 1. Carve in the water inlets to bring in the water and naturally channelize it and use the excavated soil to reconfigure ground elevations with floodplain at 0ft, lower grounds at 10ft and the highest at 20ft. 2. Plant in our building typologies on the site, which are landscape buildings, buildings on stilts and modular platforms in three different phases as sea levels rise and submerge the island.

By introducing relief water inlets and using the excavated soil to strengthen highlands, the landscape accommodates three types of development adapting to different stages of water level rise.

Building typologies accreting on the Archipelago as sea level keeps rising, emerging from the MegaHub.

Living with Infrastructure in the Delirious Climate Living with infrastructure is not a fantasy, but a speculation with the reality of the delirious climate. This is where climate change is taking us, and we are learning how to adapt to it and live with it. Our general proposal is to direct investment in mobile infrastructure that involves a larger scale, that not only stands as public condensers for the city but also means consolidating megalopolis and concentrating resources as one integrity. The biggest critique of the Green New Deal is that we have too

much to do in a very short amount of time, and we still need large infrastructure projects that will come with a great amount of the Green New Deal. And without it, a more resilient, sustainable future is almost impossible to achieve.

THE RIVER IS AN ILLUSION

关于河的幻想

Spring 2019 Taubman College Spring 2019 Proposition Studio University of Michigan Theme: Urban Water Commons Instructor: María Arquero de Alarcón Site: Ahmedabad, India Individual Cultural Project

The Sabarmati River exists as an illusion for the citizens of Ahmedabad. Over the past decade, the distant Narmada River waters have brought a dead Sabarmati to life. This vital transfusion transformed the Sabarmati from an uncertain, seasonal river into a postcard-driven waterscape for the globalizing city. This process is far from sustainable, and the dams, barrages, and hard-edge riverfront promenades have consumed the energy, funding, and imagination of the public. Despite the much-awaited first-class waterfront for the metropolis, the appearance only hides a much larger crisis: the Sabarmati waters run dead through the city signaling a broken ecosystem. There is no double effect: the Sabarmati River is today an illusion. The river was a river. The city has been seeing Sabarmati as a resource of the waterscape, which is sarcastically lying in the middle of a city where people struggled for hundreds of years for accessing water. The vast view today people have of their ‘river’ is an illusion of water resources. And with disregard of the environmental issues, people want to keep this illusion until future. On the river, six urban scenarios occur, with an ambition to celebrate the domination of human nature over the river. In these stories, certain urban structures retain the image of waterscape. People enjoy their continuous possession of the river and heighten the idea that they still believe in the river. The “vigorous” river continues to be an illusion.

The River is Extraction Competition level, risking irreversible salinization of aquifers. Yet the City Water Department doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell the full story. Urban dwellers live the illusion of secured water access, and this is gradually dismissing the need for more awareness on the regional consumption patterns and climate projections. As a response, the interventions here provide a reinterpretation of inverted observation towers acting as The water has always been a scarce resource in the region, and wells to witness the ever-increasing efforts of farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to access the crisis has continued to worsen in recent years, yet it seems out underground water. sight for the urban dweller. In a single year, Gujarat uses almost 19.79 bcm of water, of which 12.3 bcm is used for irrigation and 1.14 bcm is used for domestic and industrial purposes. The groundwater level has dropped 54% in the past seven years, with the water level sinking 9-20 ft per year down to about 600 ft below ground The river is now a competition for increasing water extractive capacities. Infrastructures and other artifacts dig into the ground and compete for domination of the scarce resource of clean water. The experience of the intense depletion of groundwater rest under the guise of a calmed and plentiful surface water body.

The River is Structured Containers The river is a choreography of structured containers and wellcalibrated pools. It is highly controlled water pools and reservoirs, channels, and damns, crossing the manmade territory. These containers celebrate the monopoly of cities in terms of water distribution and utilization. In order to serve the cities, a total of 598 structures are constructed upon the 458 km length of the Narmada Canal System, cutting through rivers and tributaries to domesticate water and frame it in ‘manufactured pools’. This mechanical system has a capacity to flow 1133 cumecs at its head and irrigate 17 district, 79 talukas and 3,125 villages in Gujarat. Once it leaves the state in its way to Rajasthan the capacity reduces to 71 cumecs. It was not to long

ago that the state government alerted farmers that reserves in the Sardar Sarovar reservoir had dropped by 45% - the lowest in 15 years. In 2018, the government cut off water for irrigation to support the insatiable domestic use of city dwellers. As our society continues to admire the ‘manufactured pools’ as an expression of the unlimited human capacity to commodify water, we fail to register the immense network behind our tap. Across the territory, the Narmada canal system powers rivers and moistures the land. Architectures to observe and indulge our control of the planet, recreational routes that offer desirable holiday destinations, all along with the endless system of pools, water containers that keep our imagination captive.

The River is Replaceable Terminal The river is now a replaceable terminal of water discharge. A megastructure of water recycle stands on top of the city. The building establishes a self-sustained system of water, out of which human manifests their independence from the river. The megastructure builds on the basis of treatment infrastructures. Ahmedabad has a sewage treatment capacity of 1075 mld, processed by 9 sewage treatment plants concentrated at the downstream. While the STPs struggle to tackle pollution, the water tax is too low - Rs 0.50 per 1000 liter to arise value for water usage. The treated water is discharged from the plants and directly plunges into the river as if an exit from the city.

By a floating water tank, water travels around in a route of which recreational use of treated water goes through a platform of public programs. After being discharged from the city, this portion of water is re-appropriated for a series of educational and recreational use in public programs of museums, aquatic plant park, experimental farming, etc. The sight of the public is brought to the water again, where the water as public resource is embraced and empowered by various groups. With certain responsibilities and collaboration, these groups intervene into the exodus of water turns into a multiphase process. The series process initiates the sense of sharing possession, to which the architecture and programs make the chamber, that inhabits the concern of individual occupation versus an amplified sense of sharing.

The River is Collective Commons The river is now collective commons. It is a created compromise occupation and the constant dead water took away this privilege of natural geography and different species. It takes the stand of from the natural species. the river as an only piece of nature and illustrates on the forced A slice of land cut through the river, exposing the riverbed. This environmental-friendliness of cities. is an artificial â&#x20AC;&#x153;heavenâ&#x20AC;? for natural existence. In this enclosed Ahmedabad, despite its image of highly urbanized land, remains enclave, an uncanny zoo is constituted with captive fish ponds, a significant spot for migrant birds and bovid mammals. Gujarat artificial wetland, and shelters to accommodate creatures, with has an unrivaled diversity of eco-systems reflected in the rich and human standing on the high ground, supervising beyond the fence. varied birdlife of the state. Through thousands of years, animals convene around the river for water, food, and settlement. Under the human domain period, people convene at the riverfront as well, to stretch their urban activities of bazaars, textile processing, grazing, and fishing on the riverbank, also the riverbed. The human

The River is Intangible Value The river is now an intangible value. It is an aquarium of religious Underwater ashrams emerge to elaborate the intangible sacredness with retaining the water elements in these religious retreats which inhabit the essence of religious sacredness. retreats. Floating platforms shadows the ashrams to offer There is no dearth of religious places in and around Ahmedabad, transportation access. The perception of distance--with proper but lack of appropriate hide-outs. Many religions coexist in accessibility and vague visibilityâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;creates an unprecedented route Ahmedabad, thereby indicating the strong unity, of which is the and experience of a pilgrimage. dominant water elements, in diversity. Religions are different, but the basic teachings are the same. Hinduism is the main religion of Ahmedabad; however, other religions that are prevalent include Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Zoroastrianism and Christianity. There are plenty of religious places in Ahmedabad, consisting of temples and mosques, and none of them could separate themselves from water.

The River is Public Condenser The river is now a public condenser. It becomes a place bridging the new territory; 1962, Nehru Bridge, serving as an artery of major west and the east, the past and present. The artifacts amplify the public transport for the city. recognition of river as a centerpiece in the city, and celebrate the As the river marks the separation of uneven development of the historic meaning of the river to the city. different groups, nowhere could be better to bridge connections Bridges mark the existence of the river. Bridges stand because between people than bridges. The platforms extend the function people own desire to go across the river. Ahmedabadis used to of the bridge, creating public gatherings which were responded by walk through the riverbed, but not anymore. Bridges have taken the riverbed. Platforms of public programs of mobile exhibition, over what used to have happened on the riverbed. Bridges facilitate informal forum, viewpoint pavilions, and docks for transporting. transportation today, and memorizes the movement in the past. British colonists and Indian elites were the instigators of the flyover. 1873, Ellis Bridge, first bridging western and eastern parts of the river; 1939, Gandhi Bridge, built to connect the old city to the

The illusion is not an illusion, but reality.

The Illusion is More Than A River These illusions are reality â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so as the human overexploitation of water resources in these incongruous scenarios. By rendering visible the ever-increasing water consumption patterns our society has indulged, these six stories call for a renewed environmental stewardship. These six scenarios reimagine the potentialities of different futures for the Sabarmati river and its cities. The worsening situation of human disregard of environmental issues and sustainability makes these imaginary projects possible in Sarbamati River â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and probably foreseeable in water bodies intervened by human urbanization across the globe. Through the eyes of the designer, six situations trace the illusion of a river that it is not. Underlying beneath them is an urban reality of the long-

term consequences of contemporary urbanization trends and the dismissive treatment of finite resources in our current civilization. At its heart, this project sheds light on the hidden mechanisms that enable water artifice in the urban scenes we consume today. Raising awareness and building a different imagination upon the formulation of the river as an illusion, this project aims to provoke a conversation that would bring together the urban and rural dwellers in a collective plight for survival. Resisting site-specificity, the project recognizes the universality of the water crisis and invite to a much-needed larger conversation as key to open a wider horizon of possibility.

COMPRESENCE 城乡共存

Summer 2017 Personal Designated Topic Theme: Urbanization Concept of Rural Area Site: Tantang Village, Qingyuan, CHINA Individual Design Work

Due to the gradual concentration of population in the first-tier cities in China, the urban and suburban areas in urban areas urgently need to make room for new entrants through urban renewal so as to improve living conditions for local residents. From 2000 to now, second-tier cities like Qingyuan, led by rapid real estate development hs attracted the population from first-tier cities such as Guangzhou. However, the accumulation of large-scale properties compresses the room for public use and worsens urban experience, and it is such a wide-spread phenomenon that lies in metropolis and suburban countryside as well. The idea of design places focuses on the vast area on the edge between rural and urban regions in the second-tier cities in China. Tantang village in Qingyuan is picked for a sample as a design subject. Village residents rely on the markets and other public services in the town to meet their daily demands. The design aims to propose a pattern in which urban life and rural style coexist. 'Compresence' matters not only in terms of a scenic mixture, but more in the concern about the obscure diving line of 'urban' and 'rural'. By embedding of promoted residence and communal facilities, structuring a 'rural farmwork-urban community-mixed residence' division, which expands space for interaction.

Qingyuan, a second tier city in China

Zhouxin, a peri-urban area of Qingyuan

Sample: Futang Village

Portrayal of Rural Living

Targeting Rurban Area The idea of design places focus on the vast area on the edge between rural and urban regions in the secondtier cities in China. Futang village in Qingyuan is picked for a sample as design subject. It demonstrates the basic features of those rural villages located on the city region but underdeveloped. Elderly people in the village spend their time farming some crops and livestock. Village residents rely on the markets and other public services in the town to meet their daily demands.

Physiological Needs

time use

accessibility

transportation

Safety Needs

community service

deomestic livestock

crops farming

neighborhood enclosure

Love and Belonging

resource accessibility

material property

job opportunities

Esteem

pleasant scenery

neighborhood

population regathering

countryside features

rural residents urban residents

time use

accessibility

transportation

community service

deomestic livestock

crops farming

neighborhood enclosure

resource accessibility

material property

job opportunities

pleasant scenery

neighborhood

population regathering

countryside features

image improvement

confidence in development

spontaneous industry clusters

triabal belief

creative environment

group integration

al modification

rural renovation

functional modification revitalized ties of clan

image improvement

Self Actualization

functional modification spacial modification Using a division principle of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, it has shown the discrepancy and common grounds between urban and rural living groups. The design focuses on maintaining the characterristic of rural areas while integrating urban needs, which leads the direction to functional consideration and then perform it in spaicial modification.

Willingness to register for urban residence For Pre-80s:

For Post-80s:

20.15% 11.04%

24.66%

if keeping farmlands

12.80%

if returning farmlands

if keeping farmlands if returning farmlands

Reasons against being urban residents living comfort

stable housing

job sustainability

expense

22.7%

21.9%

14.6%

11.2%

other

Intersectional Rural-Urban Relationship Rapid urbanization and convenient transport makes the relationship between rural and urban areas closer than ever. The enormous number of urban residents who originated from countryside makes it hard to define demands of different groups. At prensent, rural residents lack sufficient communal space as they actually demand. Despite the convenience of urban life, local residents show more enthusiasm in their farmlands and living comfort stable housing job sustainabilityexpense living comforts.

22.7%

tering

PERSONAL RELATION

SPATIAL CONNECTION

ORIGINAL FAMILIES

URBAN

Young below 50 travelling between urban and rural areas

Residence housing estate apartment Work professional occupation

Elderly over 50 retired from ocupational position

Public service culture/technology/medication...

nity life

SOCIAL GROUPS

RURAL Residence collective housing

Back-flow returned from city returned for stable housing returned for stable job

Work rural management Farmwork crop farming livestock breeding preliminary production

External migrants cooperative partner farmwork employee

young

elderly

young

family unity

elderly

family differentiation

shared income

urban working

Promoting spatial demands for farmwork Increased demand for resdential capacity

rural farmworking

Enhancement in community sociality

residence residence

public events

residence

farmwork public events farmwork farmwork farmwork

Rurban Design Proposal Functionally, it is proposed that elderly group in the countryside engage themselves into light farmwork such as garden farming and livestock raising. The family differentiation contributes to raise in overall income and enrichment in rural life. In terms of spatial modification, increased resdential and communal demands lead to enlarged room for residential and tramsformation in joint living pattern. Division in living provides ample space for each portion in a modular combination.

residenctial block

facade

vertical traffic

multi-utilty unit

shared living room

grille platform

parterre and seats

storage

hencoop

transformed obsolete house

fern farm

Residence It is constructed in a modular block , presenting joint livng pattern, offering separated living room and function room shared by residents on each storey

structure

spatial connection

block unit

Communal kitchen It replaces traditional, worn-out kitchen, saving room for other activities Shared living room

communal

activity area

living room

Daily entertainment and rest space. Community service

dining hall

Various service blocks facilitate communal service and enhance community atmosphere.

workshop

lecture hall reading room

tea house

Parking lot It located near the vehicle lane, provides adequate parking space Community center It introduces communal canteen and child eduction, sets farm crop trading area Platform light, wood-steel combined grid offers wide action field for communal ground Storage , workshop

service coverage

It comtemporaryly stores crops, processes farm crop and other byproducts . Farmworking area light-needless farms such as hencoops are placed under platform while crop farms spread on the outskirt of the village. Bungalow

covered farm area

open-air farm area

It reserves the majority of original bungalows, to preserve as much rural style and feature as possible. Unmodified units may maintain residential use or be transitted into storage house.

Platform: Compresence

Ground Floor Plan - Farming Grounds

Compresence The design aims to propose a pattern in which urban life and rural style coexist. 'Compresence' matters not only in terms of scenic mixture, but more in the concern about the obsecure diving line of 'urban' and 'rural'. By embedding of promoted residence and communal facilities, structuring a 'rural farmwork-urban community-mixed residence' division, which expands space for people to interact within.

Farm: Extension

First Floor Plan - Community Events

Residence: Room

Second Floor Plan - Joint Living

Rurbanization Potential 'Compresence' matters not only in terms of scenic mixture, but more in the concern about the obsecure diving line of 'urban' and 'rural'. It shows potential in urban renewal. New constructions enter the pre-development area as a supplementary role, and reserve a possiblity of further transformation. To this extent, 'Compresence' can be either an ultimate stage for ruban renewal or an intermediate phase of rural transformation.

Complementary Works

Urban Design

Architectual Design

Sketch & Photographs

Thank You For Your Time.

Yanbo Li 李彦博

URBANDESIGN URBANDESIGN

Yanbo Li liyanbo@umich.edu linkedin.com/in/yanbo-li-mud/ 78