ZHENG (ALAN) CONG selected works 2014 - 2016
DESIGN
DROP-LOT
P1
POROUS CITY
P7
SOCIAL ALGORITHM
P 13
LINEAR CITY
P 19
FLOATING FEATHERS
P 27
MODELS AND CREATIVITY
P 31
URBAN ECOLOGY RESEARCH
PARAMETRIC DESIGN ACADEMIC PROJECTS
REGIONAL PLANNING
TABLE OF CONTENTS
MINIMALISTIC DESIGN CREATIVE WORKS
SITE PLAN
DROP-LOT Spring 2015, Surface Ecologies Design Workshop Prof. Mary Pat McGuire Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhino, Grasshopper, Keyshot
Drop-lot is an economic and ecological sustainable de-paving plan designed to convert an asphalt paved parking lot into a new landscape. Nearly 1,096,352 acres of land1 in the United States is paved with the material known as asphalt. It has become the most commonly accepted ground surface material in our urban environments. However, asphalt has also formed a barrier between the urban environment and nature, resulting in severe ecological disturbance such as flooding, city drought and urban heat island effect. The design takes all factors of rainfall into account: evaporation, infiltration, and groundwater recharging. A new type of Droplet Containing Pavement (DCP) is proposed. This new pavement with small pockets can hold rainwater for evaporation. With the help of DCP, the moisture of the urban environment can be increased, and urban heat island effect can be decreased. Drilling holes in the existing asphalt is an economical and practical method to increase the site's permeability. In consideration of design aesthetics and design logic, a pattern algorithm is introduced, inspired by that applied by Michel Desvigne in his project Keio Roof Garden. A similar algorithm is created and sampled from an image of Mississippi Delta. The outcome is a delta pattern consisting of circles with four different sizes. This pattern defines a separated pedestrian line in the parking lot. And by drilling the asphalt according to the location of these circles, the urban flooding issue could be solved, and groundwater could also be recharged. Just as one drop of water becomes a creek, and then a river, and finally a ocean, the Drop-lot expresses the preciousness of one droplet and the potential it has to become a big sea.
1 Ben-Joseph, Eran. Rethinking a Lot: The Design and Culture of Parking. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2012.
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POROUS CITY Summer 2016, Chicago Geological Sub-surface Research Project Prof. Mary Pat McGuire Collaboration with David Zhang Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhino, Grasshopper, ArcGIS
Porous City aims to reorganize a series of the urban impervious surfaces to promote infiltration of rainwater and divert water from the over-used sewer system, thereby recharging groundwater and restoring water flow to Lake Michigan. It is a special summer research project, led by Professor McGuire. I was selected by Professor McGuire as one of two Research Assistants for this project. Twenty-five percent of Chicago1 is covered in paved surfaces. These impervious surfaces stop rain from reaching the sub-surface soil that has the potential to absorb the onslaught of water. Moreover, when facing the challenge of storm water, Chicago’s sewer is under capacity. It causes regular flooding and sewage discharge into nearby water bodies. However, there are 76,080 acres of the 612,636 acres of land (12.5%)2 in Cook County that were determined to have the highest potential for induced storm water infiltration. These areas contain a layer of natural porous sand deposits that are 20 to 50 feet thick under the urban surface and that could absorb storm water and recharge the nearby water bodies. We define these sub-surface deposits as the “Open Soil”. We worked in collaboration with quaternary and coastal geologists at the Illinois State Geologic Survey. In the current phase, we are engaging with valuable soil data from the 1920s and advanced programming visualization techniques to produce a dot density map of high impervious conditions overlying permeable soils. Coordinating that information with a flooding map, we are targeting a series of ideal urban spaces for future intervention. Our work was funded by the Wright Ingraham Institute and a matching grant from the UIUC College of Fine & Applied Arts. The project is continuing into test plot design research, based on our urban surface and geologic research mapping and modeling. 1 "Green Stormwater Infrastructure Strategy" U.S. City of Chicago, 2014. 2 Morrow, William S, and Jennifer B. Sharpe. "Preliminary Assessment of the Potential for Inducing Stormwater Infiltration in Cook County, Illinois." U.S. Department of the Interior Geological Survey, 2009.
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SOCIAL ALGORITHM Summer 2014, Architectural Association School of Architecture Prof. Soomeen Hahm Collaboration with Xiaoxiang Li, Xuan Hong, George Zhang, Dongxiao Cheng Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhino, Grasshopper, Keyshot, Processing, Maya
Social Algorithm contends a design strategy based on programming, parameter and distributed design intelligence. This design approach allows for creation of a highly differentiated myriad of outputs, rich in information and complexity. In our group, we use “processing” as a basic modeling program. The agent-based program in this software was made by professor Soomeen Hahm. The tool simulates the pattern of flocking. Using attractor and repeller agents built in the program, it is able to control the flow of flock and then generate multiple forms. By applying in grids of attractor and repeller agents, the outcome of flocking would form a new grid or shape on its own. Using the same code, producing a differential of results by playing with the parameters. In this case, the dominating factors are the position, force and radius. In addition to generating a 2D surface type, this program can also be applied to create 3D architecture prototypes. This project was important to me in two senses. On one hand, programming and parametric design are useful tools for us as designers, facilitating efficient 3-D modeling and complex visualization. On the other hand, however, we can’t rely on such tools alone and must also engage critical thinking in a design process. Thus, by combining technical approaches with conceptual ones, we can produce better spaces for human use. Access supplementary animation: http://www.czdesign.org/social-algorithm/2017/1/6/social-algorithm
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LINEAR CITY Fall 2015, Regional Planning Studio Prof. Jessica Marie Henson Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhino, ArcGIS, Keyshot, After Effect
Linear City presents a design concept that values the historical landscape. It reflects a value that humans are a part of the nature and the city should not be isolated from its natural system. Historically, the major landscapes of the mid-western region were the prairie, forest and wetland. However, urban sprawl and population growth deteriorated these valuable natural systems until it nearly disappeared because of deforestation, draining of the land, and manipulation of water bodies. Now we begin to realize that urbanization should not bring us away from nature. A new resurgent regional plan that can be developed throughout the next 50 years is necessary for the development of Will and Kankakee Counties. The proposed Linear City will serve as the new sustainable model for the area as it implements strategies for energy exchange, waste management, prairie, forest and wetland restoration as well as biodiversity protection. Seeing the great potential of the Center Point in Will County, a railroad based urban spatial development is proposed. There will be dense, multi-functional urban development concentrated along the railroad that will centralize and align urban areas, slow down urban sprawl and increase the energy flow among cities. Inspired by the historical land cover in this region, a new ecological framework defined by stream corridors, railway corridors, and drainage ditches can help this region over time. By restoring prairie, forest, and wetland along these corridors, a vegetated buffer will form to suppress urban sprawl and bring more ecological infrastructure through the urban area by 2065. This green corridor also helps to restore the habitat for local wildlife. By regarding the site's history, we see into the future through the lens of landscape architecture.
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FLOATING FEATHERS Spring 2016, Energy and New Landscape Design Workshop Prof. David Lyle Hays
Floating Feather illustrates a minimalist design strategy. In the process of building this installation, I tried to use the fewest and simplest of essentials to negotiate the relationship between human and nature with the practice of the idea “less is more.� Learning the truth that human is part of nature and not separate from it makes us rethink the relationship between human and nature. In the last century, we have built many barriers in attempt to isolate ourselves and to escape from nature. Therefore, in the 21st century, landscape is understood as the relationship between human and nature and landscape architecture is an interface to negotiate this relationship. The Floating Feather explores the relationship between humans and wind, one of the most common natural elements around us. In this project, an installation is constructed using the feather as sensors to detect the subtle flow of wind, which is hardly noticed by the human senses. Feathers have a unique characteristic that is very sensitive to wind but almost undetectable. In this case, a chain reaction happened: tracking the movement of the feather became mesmerizing and induced meditation. Thus, we saw that even wind, the most common natural element, could have a profound effect on one’s spiritual truth. Access supplementary animation: http://www.czdesign.org/ float-ing-feathers/2017/1/6/floating-feathers
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PROPOSED ACTIVITIES - INTERACTION AND MEDITATION
MOVEMENT COMPARISION
Feathers have a unique characteristic that is very sensitive to wind but almost undetectable. The two platforms work as references letting people notice the subtle movement of feathers.
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MODELS AND CREATIVITY
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1-5 Puddles Topography + Projection Workshop Materials and Tools: Foam board, LED PICO Pocket Projector, CNC router In this workshop, we use a projector to project animation onto the surface of the topography model in order to visualize how the topography manipulates water flow. Access animation: http://www.czdesign.org/creative-works/2017/1/6/puddles
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6-7 Droplet Containing Pavement model Surface Ecologies Design Workshop Materials and Tools: Acrylic board, Laser cut
8-10 Wood Joint model Landscape Construction Materials and Tools: Wood, Plaster, Handsaw, Sawing machine
11-12 What is a Region? Regional Planning Studio Materials: Screen Window, String, Paint The model contains five layers, which are agricultural, vegetation, major highways, river system and major cities. By mapping and overlapping these five layers we tried to find out different interpretations of the Mid-western region.
13-15 Colorful Shadow Energy and New Landscape Design Workshop Materials: Cello sheet Collaboration with Xiaoyin Kuang, Gordan Wu, Xiahan Dai, Amy Heff, Emma Camielle
16-20 Spider Webs in Box Energy and New Landscape Design Workshop Materials: Paper board, Plastic box Fauna: Spider This project aims to explore how spiders use their webs to dominate different spaces. The webs formed in different boxes could inspire the further design process of developing these paper models into real installations or structures.
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