Portfolio for upenn

Build the Place

Build the Place Yingjia Xu

Portfolio

Appilicate for MCP-UD@Upenn

Yingjia Xu XU Yingjia

Mobilephone: +86 13761091326 Email: irisyingjiaxu@gmail.com

Yingjia Xu

Bachelar of Architecture, Tongji University Address: University, NoTongji 1239 Siping Rd, Shanghai, China BachelarTongji of Architecture, University Mobilephone: +86 University, 13761091326No 1239 Siping Rd, Shanghai, China Address: Tongji Email: irisyingjiaxu@gmail.com

Prologue

Contents

To build the place we live in has always been the call residing in my heart. The meaning of building the place involves not only inheriting the old value and memory, but also creating future experience and memory we are to share.

Urban Arcadia

Evolution in vernacular / Renovation of Shanghai old town

01 - 14

Layered Shelves

Interface of communication / Community library

15 - 22

The most touching part about architecture is that it shows deepest concern about human beings. Every needs, action or behavior and the place they occur is to be studied to establish a more objective and scientific relationship between place and behavior.

With type, we set up modes for behavior, with construction we make it real and with design we trigger variations according to specific environments.

Collected Individuals

Collage of identities / Design plaza on industial site

23 - 32

Research & Fine arts

01 Urban Arcadia evolution in vernacular regenerate the boundary area of Shanghai old town Shanghai old town is the origin of Shanghai city, which has flourished as the living place for citizens, but is now facing stress of dispersal from demands for efficiency in space use embodied by the identical high-rise houses and informal spontanoeus adding construction. The boudary areas suffer the most.

Is there a way to rebuild an arcadia that still reminds people of the ineractive and orderly town life while meeting the urban needs? Is there a possibility that the town evolves in its own law and language?

8 week studio work instructor: Yongjie Sha research collaboration: Yahan Zeng, Yinuo Ma ruban design: solo work

(left): map of historic Shanghai old town, a typical water town with defensive wall (right): texture of nowadays old town, encroached and isolated boundary

Line1: S + traffic: deffenseless Line2: L + S: contrast Line3: M+ S: harmony

Two interfaces of boundary area: shield on urban side, patch by the old preserved The boudary area is a double-dealer, playing the interface on both sides.

We reseached on the types in this area to find their relationship with the outside traffic and street life, inside with the old preserved houses from which we made a selection of the right and wrong strategy based on observation.

The area I choose is located near the broad traffic road that disperses the old town and embraces several historic houses to be preserved.

It is supposed to block the outside noise as a sheild and establish a neighbourhood with the old.

Strategies to outside and inside problems

(left): heavy traffic to the north of the site (right): historic houses inside the site 3

(left): defensive green or construction and commercial interface (right): green and middle-scale buildings as mediators 4

Research1: historical plots and paths

Strategy1: relocate plots

Research2: historical types

Strategy2: integrate types

merge some plots, connect the main path and create a residence center, secondary path starts from the main path

integrated type for mixeduse, yet sill keeping the feature of the old type

residence, grocery

plots

historic types

This historic map shows the plot system as the basic law to arrange houses by landownership. Under this regulation, most paths start from the out street and end in the private yards, some main paths divide a block.

new plots activity center

I

IV

1

Three major historic types that fill a block are concluded as: A. yard-type, in which yard is the core space; B.Lilong type, which are lined up to effectively arrange the room for increasing people; C.commercial type along the street.

Blank filling: transformation from the old fabric for mixed-use

residence, SOHO, retail, office

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6

4

9

8

1,2,3

2 4

5

6

7

3 8

9

I.historic texture and main street II.classified types III.compliment of streets IV.relocated plots of different land use

II

III

secondary preserved house preserved house yard type Lilong type grocery type

1,2,3 commercial office board 4 housing, retail, grocery 5 housing, grocery 6,7 housing, office,SOHO 8 community center 9 housing, retail,SOHO

7

old paths predicted paths 5

6

N

10m 5m

private yard

main path in a block

street

corner

closed interface 2/3 < h/d < 2/1

closed interface 3/2 < h/d < 3/1

open interface 1 < h/d < 2

open interface 1/2 < h/d < 3/2

20m

bird view of the renovated area

Open space: publicity and spatial hierachy As more mixed-use types are brought in to the blocks, the ground floor space becomes more public, bringing together not only the possibility of more public space that mingle different group of people and instigate interaction, but also the rigid demands to secure residents' privacy. Public space of the old town is studied to guideline the scale and openness of public space, and variations are made to accomodate to different urban conditions.

public center

lifted private yard:

residence center:

slope park

terrace

private yard

to provide space for public program like grocery and office while secure privacy

to enhance communication, main paths are expanded to form residential center

to utilize the slope of garage entrance to form slope for activities

to increase the activeness of the corner for various groups of people

main street

7

secondary street

8

Place making: type of mixed use Type is a way we describe behabior. Certain type is always related to the specific place that it helps to shape. When the place changes, type varies, yet the core feature remains.The typical type of this historic area is studied to create type for mixed-use. The loft, yard, balcony,staircase, backward facade conveying certain behaviors is recomposed to fit into new function, meanwhile keeping the feature of this area.

yard

pulled back

index line1: SOHO line2: office-home line3: grouceryhome line4: office/civil 9

10

Place making: vegetation of homeland glass panel that reflects the green on the other side of the road

11

roof-garden

center of activities

bushes at the foot of walls

cove of green

green panel on the wall

12

Yard type - layered spread-out: path instead of staircase

Modular system A grid of 5.4m plus 5.4m modular system garentees the flexibility of different housing types that meet the spacial requirement of different groups of people.

Since the typical feature of a village is the path hooking up the houses, the regular way of separate vertial staircases in separate buildings is supposed to be changed. Rather than an enclosed vertical box for circulation, the stair should be perceiced more as a path leading home that is close to the living environment the yard.

4a 4a

4a

4a

4b

4b

So spread-out stairs is proposed, along with floors that is varified for different housing types. By intersion into each other, these unfolded groupes layered up, with semi-public yards inside, and grow naturally into a new village.

4a

4a

4b

4b

6a

6a

4c

4c

4c

4c

3a

3a

2a

2a

4a

4a

A trial of growing village

6b

6b 6c

4b

4b

4c

4c

4d

4d

2a

2a

6c

intersection: The composition of intersection of two buidings forms an independent yard shared by various groups of people.

The out-streched stairs also brings about better ventilation and light condition.

1 13

3a

2

3a

3

1. air circulation improved by the out stretched stairs in the yard 2. path filled with light and air 3. shared courtyard 14

02 Layered shelves interface of communication

community library

In this project of community library, the fuction of interface of communication is interpreted by the shelf wall with steel structure of same scale hidding in. The construction logic also mimic the regular form of a shelf, making the library a huge book shelf. Through variation in the composition of the shelf , the interface become a communication between people inside and outside, people and scenery, and the basic, people and books.

8 week studio work instructor: Hong Feng solo work

Spirit of the site: avenue of phonix trees On one side of the site stands two lines of phonix trees that form the spirit of the 70's worker's residence.

On the other side is the entrace of hotel. This situation calls for different program arragement and facades expression on both sides.

avenue of phonnix trees

site

hotel open reading

gallery

ages people's club

magzines

children's reading

book store

outdor platform

altrium

light well

Interface of communication The pre-exist social activities and landscape compose the scenery of this area. Books that stand between poeple and the scenery indicate the specificity of this place.

stairs

lecture hall

technology books

book-stack

reference room

leisure

Different room types provide unique spatial experience for specific activities and at the same time help different functional area easily distinguished.

a Semi-Transparent bookshelf [court yard]

b Transparent bookshelf c

c

17

Semi-Transparent bookshelf [reading]

b

a

18

Interaction defined by shelf-wall The order of book shelves and opennings on them define the possible interaction between people and bookshelves.

view set At the first stage of book arragement, the public get involved in the procedure in picking up the best scenery and make modification on the environmental design of the architectrue. (right): traverse section of the library (down): perspective on 3rd floor

view from distance

close view

The facade reflects the situcationof bookreading inside the library: more people, more openness.

19

20

moving picure and dynamic expression The facade of overlapped windows is supposed to provide moving pictures for residence walkingby; the openness of the inner wall reflects the amount of people inside the library, hence establishes the communication between inside and outside.

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22

04 Collected Individuals collage of identities design plaza on industial site The design plaza is located on the historic site that used to be the factory land of a bus company and also near the subway station, hence the site is gifted with several identies: design, industry and plaza.

Compared to landscape, architecture is much strong in presenting identities that evolve from generation to generation that carve memories on people's mind. When several identities meet and need to keep individuality, instead of merging, a collage is proposed.

8 week studio work instructor: Qun Zhao solo work

communicational space for various people on the plaza campus

residence

office

bussinessman

visitors

designers

local residents

teachers

students

office hotel line 10 design coporation

colledege of design

commercial

residence

office

residence

commercial street

space between culture buildings

platform for communication

platform of entertainment

exhibition space

direct passages

office residence

industrial ware house

residence

Collage of identities: elevated cloister The site of design plaza on the old industrial land is analyzed as the gathering centre for people living around, and holds the identity of industry, plaza and design.

The identities represented by the relevant types show the feature of large-span space and enclosure, according to which the elevated cloister is generated.

plaza

Type as plaza: seperation and collection

design studios communicational space for specific group of people communicational space for the public proxy type of industry, plaza and design cooporation 25

26

Generation of the location of different programs

office tower

OFFICE OFFICE OFFICE

hotel

axis: office tower lines up with the other of fice towers along the main traffic road ; hotel is axis selected to be slab type inheraing the fabric of axis axis residence.

HOTEL HOTEL HOTEL

The public space system is organized horizontally by plaza, corridor, roof garden and vertically by the public elevator.

design training institution

surrounding buidings

surounding buidings: surrounding buidings surrounding buidings Design training institution is located near Tongji Design Compony, educational office by the side of college of design.

educational office

public elevator

plaza design cooporations

gallery gallery gallery series of

roof-garden

STUDIO STUDIO STUDIO

corridor

exhibitions

circulation: people coming into the plaza from across the circulation, viewcompany, sight streets, underground station, design circulation, view circulation, view sight sight college... interweaving under the cloister

Public space sysem: divided squares for varied uses 5 commercial MUSEUM&LIBRARY

MUSEUM&LIBRARY MUSEUM&LIBRARY

2

library

museum multi-functional MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SPACE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SPACE halls MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SPACE

plaza: public buildings form various plazas for different kinds of uses.

27

1

4 3

1: entrance plaza 2: center plaza 3: lecture plaza 4: exhibition plaza 5: leisure plaza

28

circulation, view sight

STUDIO

MUSEUM&LIBRARY

MULTI-FUNCTIONAL SPACE Three plazas connected with each other guarantee the separation and gathering of different groups of people.

longitutional section

construction of roof-garden

A: entrance view

cofmmuncation of the public and designers

cofmmuncation of the public and designers

design studios

design studios

design studios galleries

office

exhibitions training institution

office office recreation commercial garage

education

garage

garage

29

30

B: view along slope

transverse section

C: view towards center plaza

cofmmuncation of the public and designers

cofmmuncation of the public and designers

exhibitions

exhibitions training institution

leisure museum

training institution

recreation

commercial

storage

garage

31

32

Research: Shanghai urbanism study

Survey and mapping: historical housing by Moon Lake in Ningbo PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Town of Xin Chang The urbanization of rural area Feature: Context of water town Modern housing Rudimental state of road system developed from former water system that is forming blocks.

An Shan Residence The first residence for workers in the 1970 Feature:Residence enclosed by walls Several blocks consist a community that share basic facilities.

Housing set in row Adequate percentage of greenery coverage

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Hua Mu Civil center Contemporary public center Feature: axis, large scale, no public activities plain landscape to be appreciated by government PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Hua Mu Residence' Contemporary high-rise residence Feature: Reisdence enclosed by wall and service buildings High percentage of greenery coverage Lack of automosphere of neighbourhood

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Study of urban phenomena that appears in the urbanization in Shanghai through history at different location.

Find the factors leading to the various development of different area and the coming problems. Through comparison we find common laws in Shanghai urbanism.

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Jian Qiao community International upper class community Feature: accumulated basic facilities pleasant environment public space for communication between different groups PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Professional, 2012,research assistant Research mentor: Yongjie Sha

PRODUCED BY AN AUTODESK EDUCATIONAL PRODUCT

Fine arts: drawings of ancient villages

by Nanxi River

village history: from Song Dynasty location: Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China material: pen time: summer vacaion, 2010