- LIGHT GALLERY -
A super high-rise for experiencing light and shadow
Competition Project
Date of Project: August. 2020 - September. 2020
Individual project
Light exists in every day and every moment, bright or dark, dazzling or soft. It is fresh and has vitality. It is the prerequisite for all things in the world to express themselves and reflect their relationship. In architecture, what creates spaces is not only light, but the shadow produced by light as well. The shadow records endless presence of light, and architects manipulate sapces basing on their understanding of light and shadow. Architectures guide experience of users and tell deep feelings through the interaction of light, colour, shadow and time, whlie light and shadow can always arouse people's sensibility. This high rise building, whose focus returns to people's feelings, is all about light and shadow, which is in order to providing people a dreamscape to experience the most simple and unadorned good vibrations.
A STUDY OF LIGHT
SCIENTIFIC - SPIRITUAL - ARCHITECTURAL
Direct light: what architects need to design is about direct light letting the light fall in what position at what time and in what form.
Expression
Reflection of light: light reflect s or transmits to the whole space or a certain position of the space through the arc roof, wall, water, surface and transparent materials, so that it can create a certain atmosphere.
The opening controls the shape and amount of light coming into the space. Opening includes small hole, deep hole, long window, longitudinal strip window, skylight and gap.
Refraction of light: it can decompose light into colors, for example, the use of prism. Also it can give light different appearances such as the projecting texture of water on a wall and mirage.
dark colorless colored
Transmisson of light through materials such as light colors, multiple colors and new materials.
Reflection of light through materials such as water, transparent or semi-transparent glass and thin stone materials.
Light and space can to be with the perception that architects want to give to people through designing light and shadow. Light space, dark space and the rhythm of them create different feelings, such as sacred, mysterious, private, or comfortable space atmospheres.
Roof Garden ( Star Observatory )
Light and space can to be with the perception that architects want to give to people through designing light and shadow.
Roof Garden
Outer Skin Detail
Light and space can to be with the perception that architects want to give to people through designing light and shadow.
Ramp
Central Lift
Inner Spaces
Light and space can to be with the perception that architects want to give to people through designing light and shadow.
Light spaces
Elevator Shaft
Light and space can to be with the perception that architects want to give to people through designing light and shadow.
Outer skin
Developments of space combination
After designing a series of cube showing different interactions between space and light, these cubes were placed in different layouts in horizontal direction firstly, which could generate various moments of light and shadow changes. There are basically three types of horizontal layouts and the belows are the plan drawings of these three floors, which is mainly a enclosure of space cluster and left the central space empty. These three floors become a unit and then copy to form a super high-rise building. Every cube listed previousely changed in terms of length, width and height so that there could be more changes of light and shadow. To connect these seperate spaces, two types of staircase are places which are straight staircase and spiral staircase so that generate multiple options of route. Especially the spiral staircase could generate changing perspective to experience light and shadow spaces. Besides these two types of staircase which provide a slow experiencing route for people, there are also two options for faster routes, whch are the outermost ramp and the lifts in the central space. The outermost ramp provide a clearer view of those light and shadow spaces from outside, and the lifts provide people a faster and more convenient way to get to the stargazing area.
Formation of outerskin
The form of outerskin basically comes from the shape of pleated curtain. The pleated curtain covers all these spaces and a hand open the curtain to let the light enter the inner spaces. The curtain is opened for several times and the original straight lines were seperated into several groups of curves which look smooth and random, and these random curves lead the light interact with them in different times. This outerskin is a barrier for people both inside and outside. people inside could experience the mutative light and shadow which go through the facade, and people outside could see that the light and shadow spaces inside are ooming under the partial occlusion of the outer skin.
Light is temporary. When it moves in space, it has the ability to transform space. When the surface is under light, they can alternately advance and retreat in the field of view, and the space through which the light passes can be highlighted and retreated along its path. The material can be changed as the texture changes, and when the proportions seem to be changed by light, the volume also seems to be distorted. In addition to feeling the changes in light and shadow and space, people can also feel the changes in the texture of building materials. The surface that the light casts not only becomes more layered than in the relative darkness, but also strengthens its sense of existence due to the shadow it casts. Textures can be revealed and exaggerated by exposure to light, just as they can be made smooth and flat. As more and more light is introduced, objects and surfaces are clearly expressedand this dialogue between light and the surface produces an extended spatial experience a kind of continuous transformation of form.
Form 1
Form 2
Floorplan 1
Floorplan 2
Pleated curtain Opening the curtain Forming curves
Excluding thickness
Form 3
Floorplan 3
Light andShadow
Concept of space combination
The concept of the combination of spaces is the change of light and shadow, so the layouts of spaces in terms of both horizontal and vertical directions would follow this concept. Light spaces and dark spaces are randomly in a staggered distribution in two dimensions to enrich people's spatial experience. Among the light and dark spaces, there are some prism cubes to refract light and decompose colorless light into colors, which could provide colors in colorless light and dark spaces to enrich visual experience.
Light has important spiritual significance related to angels and miracles, healing people's hearts. In this building, people could enjoy a series of slow activities which are different from their busy daily life, for example, at the daytime, people could enjoy exhibition, meditation, gathering for family, friendship or love time, or wandering for enjoy the beautiful and changeable light and shadow. At the nighttime, after visiting the light spaces, people can go to the top floor where is a star observatory. The star observatory is above the clouds and less affected by city light, so people can feel the starry sky that cannot be felt in city life. These light spaces provide people a sharing slow life and remind people to feel the healing power of nature apart from busy daily working life.
Functional Components
External skin
For provide an abundant variation of light and shadow
Lift shaft
The fastest way of circulation
Bright space
The container of light
Ramp
The route for walking orderly
Dark space
The container of shadow
Staircase
The route for walking randomly
Human Activities
During the daytime, the entire building is a sculptural container of light, and the changes of light and shadow are carried out in the building, and leisure activities are produced in it. At night, the artificial light in the building slightly overflows the pleated curtain facade, and the building is like luminous lantern with different slight colors, suggesting a dream world hidden above the clouds. In this building, light is the protagonist, contributing to the continuous integration and blurring in the architectural space. It is in the construction of these flexible volumes that people experience the magic of this architecture which is living in the light. It is all about light and shadow, which is in order to providing people a dreamscape to experience the most simple and unadorned good vibrations.
- AESTHETIC DETAILS -
A contemporary and mechanical culture center
"MUDA × Aesthetic " Workshop Project
Date of Project: November. 2020 - January. 2021
Site: Shanghai, China
Instructor: Hanning Liu
Group work
Group members: Yunxuan Xiao, Xinyue Cui
This project starts from the details and aesthetics of automobile design and robot design, and deeply explores the aesthetics of automobile and robot appearance and internal structure. A series of research and studies will put aside the inherent architectural design ideas and seek inspiration from a new perspective. This project will be a mechanical culture center, showing innovative architectural spatial relations and architectural expression.
Abdomen armor
Form Pattern, Layers
Materials Metal, Painting
Quality Hard, Flexible, Flat
Shoulder cuff
Form - Assembly, Large gap
Materials - Metal, Painting Quality - Hard, Curvature
The first step is to choose a object. In this case, Iron man was selected as typical symbol of anime, in order to exploring the robotic aesthetics through analyzing it. The selected object was transformed into 2D through being traced into graphic line drawings, which is helpful with understanding those lines.
The line drawing basically indicated six types of line's relationships, which are structural connection, branch from the structural seam, materials connection, upwards curves on a surface, groove on surface, and finally, the mechanical details. After finishing the tracing line drawing and undertanding the lines, the abdomen armor part and the shoulder cuff part were selected for a further analysis since they indicated quite interesting relationship among the lines in this object. These two parts were analyzed in terms of curvature analysis of curves, circumference of circles and their controlled way of combination. In addition, the adbomen and the shoulder cuff expressed totally different relationships in terms of form and quality when they are in same materials. Firstly, the abdomen armor shows clear pattern and layers which is in a hard, flexible and flat quality. For the shoulder cuff, it shows a assembly form with a bunch of large gaps. The quality of shoulder cuff, which is different from the abdomen's quality, is hard but curvature.
To create new object through using the elements from the abdomen armor and the shoulder cuff, the digital models of them were made in Maya and rendered in Keyshot. After finishing the render images, two images were combined together by changing scales and direction in collage. In the collage image, the new object indicates another forms which are assembly, volumetric, layers and nesting. This collage will be used in further research about combination of anime and supercar from groupmate.
Collage
Form - Assembly, Volumetric Layers, Nesting
Materials - Metal, Painting
Quality - Hard, Curvature
OBJECT RESEARCH
SUPERCAR | BUGATTI
Another object analyzed by the groupmate is supercar which is a totally different aethetics from the anime, and the selected supercar is Bugatti car. Through studying details in this specific Bugatti car, the photo of the car was shifted into the discipline and scale of the detail of architecture. analysis started with the detail of the finest surface and lines on automobile analysis and feel its representation in architecture, and finally a specific part of the car was modeled in Maya and rendered by keyshot as well.
The most important procedure in this project is using Ostagram to process the previous two renders. Ostagram is project from Russia to synthesize pictures based on the DeepDream algorithm. After a lot of attempts and adjustments, the final desicion is that the render of Iron man was used as a base image, and the render of Bugatti car was the style to fill the base image. Therefore, the bottom left image was produced by the renders through Ostagram. This Ostagram image itself is showing feeling of solid chunk which provide ainspiration to go further architectural design. Before translating the Ostagram into architecture, it was traced into a line drawing with three types of seams shown below. Through understanding the line analysis of the Ostagram image, relationship of layers and chunk was noticed and extracted out as the conceptual idea to develop further.
Ostagram
By following the brief of this project, the building is located in Shanghai, China, which is literally a international modern city, and the site is located at West Bund by the Huangpu River. This page is the ground floor plan drawing within the surrounding context. The plan arrangement followed the conceptual ideal which is the relationship of layers and chunk. what is different is the position of layers and chunk in the plan and the ostagram image. The relationship of layers and chunk in the plan drawing is that layers go around whole and transparent central space, while the ostagram image shows the relationship that the layers in the middle and surrouded by chunky pieces. Even though the building design idea came from mechanical, robotic and industrial element, it still consider human scale. As shown in the ground floor plan, the main entrance within a public plaza is facing the Huangpu River to encourage public engagement. People can enter the building from series of outdoor corridor with landscape, and firstly enter layer of spaces which are used as several exhibition space. After browsing the exhibition space, people can gather together in the central public lounge from different directions. In addition, three staircases are located around but not in the central lounge, which is also going towards the central full height space.
Ground floor plan
The section drawing is showing the vertical space arrangement which is also following the relationship of layers and chunk. As can be seen in the section below, layers of floors go around the central full height public lounge. Another important layer element shown is the series of balconies which is also significant feature in the ostagram image. Furthermore, several mechanical trusses are used to support the building, and a bunch of robotic engines are used to fill some gaps to supply energy for the building.
The perspective renders indicates that the architecture form actually restored the ostagram image to a great extent in three dimensions. The translation process is basically using the ostagram image as the top view of the building and giving height and depth, so the whole building is developed towards a Mat-building.The architecture appearance can express the features of supercar and anime which are hard and curvature while all the curves are well-controlled. This cultural center will be related to its significant and metallic appearanc, the spaces can be used to exhibit supercars, anime and robotic mechanics. The height of this culture center is not aggressive due to its sense of modernity and technology, also the landscape provides protection to the architecture which generates distance from the city life. Standing by the Huangpu River, this robotic arcihtecture express its contemporary aesthetic freely.
- LAKE VIEW -
A lakeside restaurant in Chinese garden style
Internship Project
Date of Project: June. 2020 - August. 2020
Site: Qionglai, Sichuan, China
Instructor: Yun Lu
Individual project
This projects is a restaurant in a distillery in Qionglai, Sichua, China. As an end of the landscape which is in Chinese garden style also the background of whole distillery, it indicates a kind of understated and naturalistic elegance. For its functionality, according to client's requirements, it contains some functions such as a spacious and transparent dinning area, a inner kitchen behind and an office which are in the harmony with each other. A charming lake view is beside this elegant shed, but also framed in it.
LOCATION ANALYSIS
QIONGLAI, SICHUAN IN CHINA
Qionglai is historical and cultural city in Sichuan, China with a history of more than 2000 years. The terrain situation is complecated in Qionglai. It contains mountains, hills and plains when the mountains are the major. Due to this various terrain and the microclimate caused by this terrain, Qionglai became a favorable place to brew liquor. Furthermore, there are lots of natural attractions also historical scenic spots in Qionglai, such as the Serdang Snow Mountain, large area of bamboo forest, and a great deal of ancient towns with many traditional buildings. Those retained traditional buildings are almost in pitched design and wooden structure which reflect strong Sichuan architecture style.
According to this historical meaning of the site, the distillery is designed as a traditional Chinese courtyard with Chinese garden landscape. The restaurant will be designed basing on a research on enclosure relationship of Chinese courtyard and a study about different types of Chinse pitched roof buildings.
PITCHED ROOF RESEARCH TYPOLOGY
The roof of ancient Chinese buildings is called the crown of Chinese architecture. The most notable feature is the smooth curve and eaves of the pitched roof. The original function is to quickly drain the water on the roof. As time goes by, it gradually developed into a symbolic hierarchy and formed the tradition of important building impression. The slope of the roof as a visual core of Chinese traditional building, it is also widely used in modern architectures, which becomes a way to inherit and develop Chinese traditional architectural culture. Therefore, this building utilized this simple but meaningful pitched roof to suit with the Chinese style layout
Northwest Elevation Section A-A `
Northeast Elevation Section B-B
Southwest Elevation Section C-C `
EXPLODING DRAWING
CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIRALITY
The materials of this building are mainly timber, brick, metal and glass. At the front of the building, there is a full glass curtain wall which contains several glass panels and a series of glass rib to support that glass curtain wall. Next to the outer side of the glass curtain wall, there is a barrier to block water. For the roof, there are two pieces of standing seam metal roof with glazed skylight in the middle for daylighting. The walls in this building are brick construction, and on the south western side, there are some glass brick placed on the brick wall to introduce lighting. For the interior, the partition wall and the suspended ceiling are made of wood, and some of partition wall are with white colour cladding.
According to the client's need, the restaurant space was designed as transparent space so that the dining area could be an whole and large space, and containing the beautiful lakeview. The interior was designed as two symmetric pitched roof house shape which are in different materials to create visual contrast. The wall and the suspended ceiling of the bar is in white color and the communal lounge is in wooden color with wooden grille which shows the sense of depth. The skylight in the middle of two pieces of roof introduce sunlight in the morning to light up the bar area. And it also works with the large glass curtain wall for high performance of daylighting. In addition, this large glass curtain wall in this long and deep space facing the lake and the enclosure of other buildings provide a beautiful view to the visitors in every public functional area.
- Art in DomestiCitya Live-Work accommodation for artists
Course Project
Date of Project: October. 2020 - January. 2021
Site: Liverpool, England, Unite Kingdom
Instructor: Richard Dod
Individual work
Live-Work accommodation is defined as somewhere which serves as both a home and a workplace. In this Live-Work accommodation a co-living lifestyle is provided for a community of artists through a series of sharing space, which is also an interesting and affordable lifestyle for artists to creative communication. The emphasis of this project will be placed on firstly investigating its connections with the city and surrounding environments and urban regeneration, also the creative process of the artist in order to inform the design of studio spaces, living space and sharing space.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Community engagement is one of focuses of regeneration project in Toxteth area in Liverpool. There are 2 significant points encouraging community engagement near the site, which are the plaza next to the Greel Orthodox Church and the Princes Avenue.
The common point between these two places is that it's pleasent for people to stay. The left image is a collage showing the delightful atmosphere of two places. Based on it, I classified 4 factors influencing people's willing of go to these two places and stay there.
These 4 influencing factors are basically notable elements like historical thing and landmarks, cyclist and pedestrian friendly facilities like pavings, parking and benches, and green feature to create a garden and park feeling. They are encourage people to come and gather.
Consistent element in the surroundings of site
MASSING PROCESS | Diagrams
To achieve the requirement of environmental-friendly architecture, the building is designed with a timber frame structure and its main material is timber as well. For the central accommodation part, there is layer of stucco cladding in grey colour on the facade, which could generate visual contrast with the colour of timber and highlight the timber feature pods on the facade. In addition, the form of pitch roof house is applied to the other functional area around, which built coherence and cohesion with the surrounding buildings. In terms of environmental strategies, firstly, north facing skyllights are used in studios and also there are skylight in the gallery, which provides natural light and passive ventilation. on the back of the building facing south, balconys allow sunlight to get into the room, and the courtyard introduce light to the deep ground floor. This courtyard also benefits the natural ventilation of the building.
The accommodation is trying to provide cozy atmosphere to the artists, which is coherent with the concept "DomestiCity". There are three floors for flats and each floor contains four flats, public lounge with kitchen, and sharing balcony which is called social knot as well. In their private flat, the room space could be used for resting and working according to the need of the artist. Different from the private room, the balcony is social knot in this building connecting each two flats and providing a space for communication between two artists to share ideas or relaxing chatting, which introduces interesting co-living lifestyle.
