UCL-Yichen Zhang-Portfolio

CONTENTS

01 | Escape · Encounter

Design of Youth Apartments in Beijing Old Town

02 | Cradle for girls

Design of Iraqi Girls' Shelter

03 | The rebirth of Yucun Square

Reconstruction design of square and surrounding buildings

04 | Thermodynamic Architecture Prototype

Design of Silo Art Gallery in Qingdao Science and Technology Innovation Zone

05 | Other works

Construction/ Mapping/ Thermodynamics/ Models

01 | Escape · Encounter

Design of Youth Apartments in Beijing Old Town

In the eyes of old people in Beijing, Hutong is the vein of the old city, containing ordinary and happy life. In the eyes of young people, Hutongs are the place of artistic feelings. As Jia Zhangke said, "In the 1990s, our youth was in Hutongs". With the renewal and transformation of the old city, more lifestyles are being implanted into hutongs in different forms.

The significance of travel is to escape from the complexity and troubles of current life and seek for temporary freshness and happiness. Especially under the perplexity of COVID-19, this need for "escape" has become more urgent. The purpose of escape is to encounter, come out of the original life, encounter another kind of life, and feel living in a new atmosphere with a new identity. In the old city block around the White Pagoda Temple in Beijing, according to the two keywords of "escape" and "encounter", a youth apartment is designed to make it a place for people to live.

Residential design

Personal work

August,2022

Beijing,China

Instructor:Wenda Xiao (incity_lab@126.com)

Traditional quadrangle dwellings: surrounded by four sides, with courtyard in the middle, relatively closed.

COVID-19 makes it difficult for people to go out. Working from home makes people's psychological state gradually worse, becoming lonely and anxious.

Deformation: Open a path, the central courtyard will become a public area, and the interaction between people and residents will be greatly improved.

The proximity of the White Pagoda Temple to the old city block makes the surrounding area of the base present a diversified population type, including the elderly, young people, children, locals, tourists, etc.

Select two complete quadrangles and demolish some of their buildings to different degrees.Based on the above deformation ideas, open courtyard shape will be built on the site.

Compared with the original work life, the short escape and solitude make people feel calm and peaceful, and relieve people's long-term anxiety.

With the improvement of the epidemic situation, people can go out of their homes, but the pressure of work still makes people nervous.

Escape is often based on demand. In order to get rid of a certain predicament or uncomfortable state, accompanied by a fidgety and negative psychological state, the design needs to respond to the question of how to create a calm and comfortable living environment to eliminate discomfort. Encounter is the result of escape. It is a purposeless behavior that suddenly breaks into a certain atmosphere and scene, making people feel surprised and comfortable. Aiming at this point, the design hopes to create some unconventional space scenes, such as the private courtyard of the quadrangle becomes a public space, and some outdoor scenes have a certain degree of indoor space sense, etc.

After experiencing solitude, people can receive others with a more positive and peaceful attitude, communicate better with others, and return to a happy social atmosphere.

1.Delineate the base area and select the demolished/partially demolished quadrangles.

3.Adjust the architectural form. Subsidence, overhang and partial expansion/contraction are used to create rich architectural spaces and functional types.

2.Plan the distribution relationship between buildings and public space on the site where houses are demolished.

4.Select the location where the building and public space are easy to communicate, and set windows to facilitate interaction between tenants and others.

5.Set guiding nodes (corridors/ landscape nodes) to gather people to reach the site

6.Integrate the above operations and design the outdoor flooring and covering. Add details.

Exploded Diagram

The "window", a space at the junction of buildings and courtyards, often brings more opportunities for communication and interaction between people. And this kind of communication is often easier, which can occur between people of different ages or identities.

It's too late now. It's time to go home for dinner.

The temperature dropped a lot today.

Right, but soon the temperature will rise again.

The nearest one is where you turn right when you walk out of the alley.

Hello, I would like to ask if there is a larger market nearby?

There used to be a small orchard near this place, where everyone would grow some fruits and vegetables……

Section A-A Section B-B

02 | Cradle for girls

Design of Iraqi Girls' Shelter

One quarter of Iraqi children live in poverty, and one third are unable to obtain basic human rights. This is a longstanding problem in Iraq. The education and health of children cannot be guaranteed, which limits the potential of a large part of young people. Especially for girls, under the long-term influence of religion, their demands are more difficult to be supported and their basic rights are more difficult to realize. For this reason, girls' shelters are very needed and valuable.

The aim of the shelter is to restore balance in the lives of abandoned, destitute, mentally and physically traumatized children and to help create a new environment to disseminate awareness of these issues. But more than that, the shelter should also meet the health, psychological, educational and cultural needs of young girls and encourage them to express themselves. When they grow up, they can reintegrate into society and culture in an open and positive way, and have the power to make greater changes.

Cultural architecture design Personal work November,2021

Baghdad, Iraq Instructor:Yi Wang (wangyicaup@tongji.edu.cn)

Site analysis

Mesopotamian civilization, the earliest civilization in the world, originated in Sumer, the valley of Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Here the Kingdom of Babylon was developed. The site is located along the Tigris River, implying "fostering".

When designing the Museum of Islamic Art, I.M. Pei said, "I once tried to seek inspiration from well-known Islamic buildings such as the Kodova Mosque, but eventually I went to Tunisia and Cairo. I was very interested in some local blockhouses, because blockhouses are real secular buildings, a place to live, not a place to worship and pray."

Baghdad has a tropical desert climate. It is cool and rainy in winter, humid, and hot and dry in summer. The average daytime temperature in July and August is 41-43 centigrade, and it can reach 50 centigrade at noon.

The courtyard first appeared in "Birad Sham" in 3000 BC, a country located between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.

Before long, the courtyard became the basic feature of Islamic architecture. Almost every mosque and traditional residence has a courtyard called sahn. The courtyard is surrounded by rooms or arcades.

Analysis of psychological state and living state

Take the film of The Breadwinner as the basis of psychoanalysis.

Mathnawi (Poetry anthology) The girl's study turned into a sneaky behavior.

After pretending, the girl experienced some common things for men, such as shopping. This is something she can't do as a girl.

Don't shout here. You shouldn't show up at the market.

The wreckage of tanks and aircraft suggested the background of the war.

He doesn't even know when he makes a fool of himself.

Thank you!

It is not unusual for girls to work disguised as boys.

Few men are willing to help girls. It is difficult for girls to get help in the face of injustice.

Women can't speak loudly in public, and they need to wrap themselves up.

If you don't go home, your husband will be severely punished for your violation of the rules.

Women who go out without men will be arrested and beaten.

It's so beautiful.

In order for the family to survive, the girl had to disguise herself as a boy.

Hanging Garden Extract design elements from site and culture

I've never seen such blue water.

can't lose you.

The Hanging Garden in Babylon is one of the seven wonders of the world. It is said that this garden was built for the princess by the king at that time.

Islam does not worship idols, so the images of people and animals rarely appear in paintings, so the decorative art of patterns plays an important role in Islamic art. Islamic patterns can be divided into three types: calligraphy patterns, geometric patterns and plant patterns.

stable, majestic, noble Instability, shielding, Hidden

Abstract and extract the shape of the Hanging Garden and invert it.

The unstable architectural form implies the girl's unstable psychology.

The inverted form also reflects a kind of asylum, which protects girls' unstable psychology.

The first and simplest spatial sorting method in early Islam was the geometric grid method used as early as the birth of Islam. This method is based on sorting spaces with square and equilateral triangle meshes to extract design forms. The extracted design form is usually included in the boundary lines of hexagonal blocks and square blocks.

1 2

To see the sea became a dream for two girls.

The girl pretends to be a boy to support her family. She not only suffers a lot, but also is full of danger of being exposed.

The film tells about the unequal treatment of women, especially girls, in the Islamic religious background.

Hexagonal elements are generated in the site with a similar grid system. Combining with the reserved trees in the site, the boundary of indoor and outdoor space and the combination logic of space sequence can be delineated.

Use nested polygons to position design elements or create baseline meshes from which to extract designs. Create a second layer texture by scaling, rotating, and arranging the first layer.

Figure 1 shows a Zellige mosaic on the side of the entrance of the Al attarine madrasa courtyard in Fez, Morocco, A.D. 1325.

Figure 2 shows the design of the surface of a copper plate embedded in the ensor Holliday collection, Cairo, 10th century.

The pattern generated in this way can be used for the design of the courtyard space, and the middle part allows the trees in the site to pass through it to form a "tree courtyard".

The architectural form characteristics formed by the change of the form of Hanging Garden are also responding to the problem of hot climate. The shadow area formed after the downsizing of the lower building serves as a sunshade, and is connected into a sunshade corridor through the cluster, so that people can reach every space of the building without too much direct sunlight.

As a common symbol in Islamic architecture, arch structure can also be applied or embodied in design. The shape and style of the arch are extracted from the famous historical site Taq kisra not far from the site to respond to the historical site.

The arch element is mainly reflected in the form of corridors and windows.

Pattern from Ibn Tulun mosque in Cairo, Egypt, 884.

Based on the specific needs of girls under the influence of religion, combined with the relevant analysis of the site and culture, set the functional classification of the site. And the architectural elements analyzed above are used to guide the design.

The generation analysis in the right figure illustrates how each refined element is specifically applied to the design.

Morphological analysis

Functional organization strategy and analysis

The layout is designed according to the correlation between functions. Each functional area is divided into a lot of specific functional spaces, which connect a wide range of functional areas through the use of correlation.

The overlapping of bubbles in the figure represents the organized relationship between functions, especially the overlapping of small circles (specific functions), which indicates that the two functional spaces have a close use relationship.

Characteristic space

A sufficient outdoor activity area is reserved between the building and the river, which can become a free waterfront activity area. The external stairs make it easy for people on the second floor to come to this activity area.

The outdoor activity area surrounded by the building includes natural grassland activity area and small artificial courtyard space. The location of the courtyard space can serve as many functional areas as possible, generating more interaction possibilities.

Each function of the building is connected through the corridor system.

Through the characteristic means of symbols and patterns, create a corridor space with a sense of ritual.

Divide functional areas Set the position of main and freight entrances.

Put the grid system into the site.

Building and outdoor are divided according to the location of reserved trees on the site.

Set up courtyards in some outdoor spaces, especially those surrounded by functional spaces.

Connect the functional spaces of buildings with corridor system.

Integrate arch structural elements into corridor system.

The site functions are roughly divided into four areas: square, service, study and accommodation. The main entrance of the whole building is set in the square area, and the freight entrance (secondary entrance) is set beside the canteen in the accommodation area.

Section A-A

The sectional drawing and explosion analysis drawing reflect the interwoven relationship among buildings, corridors and landscapes.

03 | The rebirth of Yucun Square

Reconstruction design of square and surrounding buildings

Mogan Mountain has been a summer resort since ancient times, and the tourism industry has developed vigorously, which has spawned a large number of related industries in the town. There are local residents behind the main tourist street and on the north and south sides. Yucun Square is located in the only way to enter the scenic spot. The project plans to update the overall design of Yucun Square and surrounding buildings. What kind of role does this land play in such a tourist town with wild environment and mixed foreign and local population is appropriate for its long-term development? What kind of behavior and place will it lead to?

Through research and analysis, I tried to find a reasonable mode of site use. After experiencing the site in person, I hope that people's activities are still the main body of the site, and the emergence of large buildings may destroy this free space that can "breathe" in the town. Therefore, the concept of "site boundary design" is proposed, hoping to optimize the use function and site experience on the premise of preserving the atmosphere of the square itself, and finally, realize "the rebirth of Yucun Square".

Building and site reconstruction

Personal work

April,2022

Zhejiang, China

Instructor:Ting Zhang (ztzt@tongji.edu.cn)

Site location

The site is located in Moganshan Town, Deqing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Mogan Mountain is one of the four major summer resorts in China, attracting a large number of tourists from Shanghai and other surrounding provinces and cities. The site is located in the small square at the foot of Mogan Mountain, which is almost the only way up the mountain. The site and its surroundings also have a very rich historical background under the changes of years.

Historical development

Space evolution

Town Farmland and others

Mogan Primary School Auditorium

Moganshan Republic of China Library

Mogan Primary School Teachers' Dormitory Dalezhiye Home Stay Yucun Cultural Market

Mogan Primary School Reading Room Xiaohui Studio Huzhou City Jiaxing City Deqing County

Moganshan Town

Daixi Town Hangzhou City

Buildings in and around the site

Due to the development of tourism, Moganshan Town is currently roughly divided into tourist activity areas and local residents' activity areas. With the subsequent progress of "Fuxi Water Street Reconstruction Complex Project", the activity area of tourists will be strengthened and the regional division will be more obvious. The design takes this as the starting point to discuss how to eliminate this gap and achieve the purpose of effectively communicating the initial activities of the two groups in the design site.

Buildings in and around the site

Buildings in and around the site

Tea culture

Deqing County has a long history of tea production. As early as the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu wrote the "Tea Book", which said, "South Zhejiang, on Huzhou,... produces Anji and Wukang valleys." In the early years of the Republic of China, Wukang County, which had jurisdiction over Qiantang Road, belonged to Longjing Tea District. According to the Tea Overview of Hangzhou and Huzhou Districts in Zhejiang Province in the 19th year of the Republic of China, "the tea garden in Wukang County covers an area of 5000 mu, produces 100 tons of tea and is worth 60000 yuan."

In 1980, the first refined tea factory in the county was built in Yucun Village at the foot of Mogan Mountain, with a workshop of 2690 square meters, 44 permanent employees, 35 tea machines of various types, and 5480 tons of raw tea processed annually. By 1985, there were 69 primary tea plants and 1 refined tea plant in the county, with an annual processing capacity of 180000 tons of dry tea.

"Mogan Yellow Bud" Tea King Competition

Spring tea consists of bud tea, Maojian tea, Mingqian tea and Yuqian tea, among which Mingqian bud tea is the most worthy of careful taste. Therefore, in late spring and April every year, Moganshan will hold a grand Mogan Yellow Bud Tea King Competition, inviting people to enjoy tea.

1. Yucun 1932 Cultural and Creative Park

2. Library of the Republic of China

3. Home Stay (Dale Zhiye, etc.)

4. Tourists

5. Parking lot

6. Moganshan Town People's Government 7. Moganshan Health Center 8. Township residents

17. Yiyuan Organic Farm

18. Laoling Reservoir

19. Cycling route 20. Scenic Area (Sword Pool, etc.)

21. Restaurants, teahouses, coffee

22. Mogan Mountain Lunjian Valley International Conference Center 23. Explore the Extreme Theme Park

9. Moganshan Central School 10. Jun'anli International Convention Center

Vegetable Market 12. Moganshan Republic Style Street 13. Moganshan Transportation Hall 14. Tourism distribution center 15. Equestrian 16. Sunshine Ecological Park

6.Dale Zhiye Home Stay

7.Xiaohui Studio 8.Moganshan Railway Station

3.Library of the Republic of China

4.Adult education building

5.Parking lot

2.Bell tower

1.Moganshan Activity Center

Crowd activities

（Only in the peak

tourist season

Small interview

As a person who has lived here for a long time and is also a professional architect, from your perspective, how do you view the current situation of Yucun Square and the problems that need to be solved most?

Based on the analysis of the site, the design idea of "site boundary design" is adopted to optimize, improve and supplement the existing functions of the site (and its surrounding areas) on the premise of preserving the positive commonality of the site.

1. On the premise that the surrounding industries are relatively perfect, the square space that can generate activities spontaneously has its uniqueness and value.

2. Optimize some "aimless spaces" into spaces with directional use function to solve the problem of negative use of site space in off-season.

3. Introduce more tourists and townspeople to the site, strengthen the vitality of the site, and provide the possibility of interaction between tourists and townspeople.

General layout

Lv Xiaohui (architect, founder of Xiaohui Studio): Over the years, have witnessed many changes in Yucun Square, which has gradually changed from primary school to its present appearance. In the peak season, you can see that the square is quite busy, but it lacks a reason to stop. It is too cold and clear in the off season. In terms of functions, the surrounding related industries have been relatively rich. You can think about how to achieve 1+1>2 in the superposition of industries.

Comparison of two site treatment methods

Site center design

Emphasize the value of the building itself

Unified functionality

Low relationship with surrounding buildings

Site center design

Building as the main body (Outdoor activity space is ancillary space)

Annular activity space

Human activities as the main body (Building space serves human activities)

Block active space Activate the linkage between the site and the surrounding space

Introduce people from the surrounding building space to the site

No emphasis on the value of the building itself

Diversified functions

High correlation with surrounding building functions

Site boundary design

Dismantle

Expansion of existing buildings

Library——Reading Room

Home Stay——Cafe

Sales——Lecture——(Adult education)

New functional buildings Teahouse

buildings Bars

Group analysis: Library——Reading Room

Group analysis: Home Stay——Cafe

Along Main crowd Water platform

1. Home Stay 2. Coffee 3. Reading 4. Library 5. Lecture hall and sales 6. Adult education 7. Bar 8. Tea House First floor plan Second floor plan

As a reserved building on the square, the volume and function of the library make it more like a clock in object than a building with more practical functions. The design hopes to stimulate the usability of the library and become a place for people to stay through additional reading rooms and corridors. As it is close to the square entrance, it is hoped to make its overall atmosphere more transparent, not to suppress the preservation of buildings, but to produce more visual interweaving with the activities on the square.

1. Home Stay 2. Coffee 3. Reading 4. Library 5. Lecture hall and sales 6. Adult education 7. Bar 8. Tea House

Group analysis: Sales——Lecture——(Adult education)

Adult Education

The lecture hall space above the stream can be rented for adult education (reserved buildings), and it can also provide the possibility for tourists to gather (local culture and history explanation), or some lectures for local people. It can be used as an activity room in the offseason. Effective use will become an effective means to communicate the space on both sides of the water bank. The lower floor space will become a (corresponding supporting) retail space, and the outer space will be formed through the treatment of the terrain to contact the square activities.

Group analysis: Teahouse

Considering the local industry and culture of Mogan Mountain, the tea house, which is an industry type with local characteristics, is designed as a narrow opening between the parking lot and the square, hoping to show more visitors the unique tea culture of Mogan Mountain to the maximum extent, and guide people to understand. At the same time, the tea house can complement the surrounding catering industry and become a rest place before and after dinner.

Group analysis: Bars

The original square bar is small, but it is the main source of vitality at night. Therefore, the location of the bar was changed to the opposite side of the stream, hoping to have a greater connection with adult education, local residents/local workers, and expand its area to make it a unique place of vitality at night. In addition, the water bank shall be excavated and reconstructed to guide people's hydrophilic activities, and further guide people's activities on both sides of the water bank to avoid the adverse situation that they may be idle during the day.

Water platform

Space under eaves

Outdoor furniture

Second floor platform

Parking lot

Thermodynamic Architecture Prototype

Design of Silo Art Gallery in Qingdao Science and Technology Innovation Zone

The design is based on the actual project Silo Art Gallery in Qingdao Science and Innovation Zone, which is located in the largest industrial cluster along the Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao. It is a place for future innovation of digital technology and contemporary art in the city, trying to create an art landmark in Qingdao. The design is to build a new type of art museum based on the silos left over from the alkali factory. By implanting a thermodynamic architectural prototype study, the design expects to create a thermodynamic architectural sample with local climate, fusing industrial heritage and contemporary functions.

Thermodynamic Building Design

Group work(Group leader)

Feat:Yichen Wang,Rui Qian

80% concept development

100% software simulation

100% graphic (in the portfolio)

June,2022

Shandong, China

Instructors:Linxue Li (lilinxue@tongji.edu.cn)

William W. Branham(Director, Center for Environment Building & Design, University of Pennsylvania)

Site and environment

Qingdao is located in the transition zone between the subtropical zone and the temperate zone, with both monsoon climate and marine climate characteristics. Winter lasts the longest. The temperature rises slowly in spring and summer, lasting for a long time. Summer is shorter. Autumn is the shortest.The base is located in an urban area under development, which will be planned as a science and technology innovation zone in the future.

Ventilation theory

Psychrometric chart, Comfort zone, Wind rose

Qingdao

Blocked by the building, positive pressure will be generated on the windward side of the building.

Prototype key words - carving

Organize the building space by subtraction and passively adjust the thermal comfort of the building

Stacking Carving

Ventilation

Carving and air flow

Building Horizontal ventilation

Building openings and wind pressure

Addition, unit superposition of functional block

Public space: high openness, difficult to cope with adverse climate

Small and independent functional space organization

Passive regulation: horizontal air pressure ventilation

Large shape coefficient

Subtraction, leave empty according to light and ventilation organization

Public space: controllable climate boundary, better thermal comfort

Giant building, large volume, great depth, high functional relevance

Passive adjustment: vertical hot pressure ventilation

Small shape coefficient

Vertical ventilation Horizontal and vertical ventilation

Solar Radiation

Carving and solar angle

Ventilation inlets and outlets are set on the lower floors, which makes it difficult to regulate the hot air inside the building located on the higher floors.

The ventilation inlet and outlet are set on the higher floors, which can distribute the hot air, but the natural wind is difficult to circulate in the building.

Air inlet is set in lower floors and air outlet is set in higher floors, which can make air flow efficiently inside the building and adjust thermal comfort.

In autumn and winter, take the 45 ° vertical solar angle as an example to analyze the relationship between solar radiation and space.

When the depth of the building is large and the windows cannot meet the sunshine demand of the building, more natural light will be introduced into the building through the vertical height space, and the solar radiation energy will be fully used in cold seasons.

Energy Conservation

Carving and shape coefficient

When the shape coefficient increases by 0.01, the energy consumption index will increase by about 2.5%

Larger objects have smaller S/V (surface area increases by a factor of 2, whereas volume increases by a factor of 3)

Juxtaposed objects have smaller s/v (There is no energy loss between units, and the arrayed units reduce the surface area exposed to the environment)

Carving and unconditioned zone

As the windward side in spring and summer, the southeast side can be designed as an adjustable open public space.

Space with low thermal comfort demand can be set in the northwest, such as equipment room or storage room.

Surface-to-Volume Ratio (S/V)

The south side receives the most solar radiation energy, and some non air conditioning areas can be set as required.

Combination of units

"Connected" direct connected combination

"Side by side" interaction combination

General layout

Based on the analysis and simulation of the prototype, the design takes "carving" as the main design idea, hoping to carve out the path of the wind inside the building. On this basis, the space is divided into two states: "Empty" and "Enclosed". "Empty" refers to the space that allows air to flow. The functional definition prefers the space with strong publicity. The interface has two states of opening and closing, while "Enclosed" refers to the indoor space with clear boundaries. The functional definition prefers independent exhibition halls. After the overall relationship and space state are clarified, the functional space will be implanted into the whole system and improved to achieve better integration and improvement of building functions, energy conservation and passive comfort.

Main roads

Main airflow

The whole gallery is divided into two parts. Part 1 uses a large public space as the main exhibition hall, surrounded by sub exhibition halls. The principle of hot pressure ventilation is practiced in the main exhibition hall. Part 2 transforms the old building into a Chinese Memory Museum, takes the bottom of the silo as the exhibition hall, and combines the upper part of the silo to create an immersive exhibition hall. Part 1 and Part 2 are connected by the sun corridor.

Section A-A Section B-B

Section C-C

1.Main exhibition hall

2.Ticket Office

3.Souvenir sales

4.Cafe

5.Sub exhibition hall

6.Sunshine Corridor

7.Chinese Memory Museum

8.Office and storehouse

1.Tongji University Construction Festival of Timber Structure

2.Surveying and Mapping of Ancient Architecture in Shanghai

Qiuxia Garden

上海嘉定秋霞圃实录

3.A climate-responsive prototype(15³m³)

Location

Cliostraat 40, Ámsterdam-Zuid, Amsterdam, Holland

52 ° 21 'n, 4 ° 52' e

Cfb

C:warm temperate

f:fully humid

b:warm summer

Shading - sunlight - hours analysis in selected winter periods

Daylighting - daylight autonomy(DA) Daylighting - Spatial DA (sDA) / ASE

4.Models of some designs

Folk Museum Design Oct.2020

Design of Mountain Resort Dec.2020

Urban Design of Shanghai Qingpu Xicen Science and Technology Innovation Center (Western Area) Jan.2022