INTUITIVE DRAWING Drawing is normally used as a communication and documentation tool in the design process. Conversely, the unintentional drawing creates spaces out of intuition, providing richness of readings in the expeiential level. During the drawing, space emerges through hands and eyes, from perspective to projective views. Drawing becomes the generator of forms. 2
Drawing is the preface of archiecture.
Right: Intuitive drawing, 2012 Fall Charcoal on arches paper, 12'Ă—12'
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Order and Perception Constructive drawing for Funeral Parlor project, Spring 2013, Hand/digital
PREFACE
Intellectual Practice
Architecture design is an intellectual process based on reality. Architecture is paradoxical. It claims the discipline by defining space, structure, material and light etc. The language of architecture - form, contains the meaning of itself. Form is autonomous. On the other hand, “people� live in architecture. They touch it, feel it and experience it. Architecture should be honest and brave to confront this relationship which depends on but is beyond forms. The latent humanistic function and its form/language make complete architecture. This portfolio contains the selected works of mine from 2005 until now. It reflects the trajectory of my learning of architecture. Always trying to challenge the older methodology is my constant pursuit. It could be seen that each project was influenced by certain software, especially in my early years, because I have been pushing myself work under different conditions - both digital technology and hands-on crafts. However, I believe that the essence of architecture should not be overwhelmed by any tools we use in the design process. It will always emerge from what we see, what we think and what we make. Zhexiong Chai
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Curtain wall detail study model, Spring 2011
CONTENTS 1 BETWEEN GRIEF AND RELIEF 2 IN SEARCH FOR ESSENCE 3 NETWORK OF ICONS 4 DIFFUSION 5 LAYERED CHAIR 6 NEW URBAN LIVING 7 EMOTION CONTAINER 8 DISSOLVING 9 DIGITAL LIBRARY OF BABEL PROFESSIONAL WORKS OTHER WORKS
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BETWEEN GRIEF AND RELIEF FUNERAL PARLOR AND CREMATORIUM DESIGN
Year: 2013 Spring Graduate degree project studio Critic: Kathryn Dean, Washington University in St. Louis Site Location: St. Louis, MO, US Curve…a soft geometry…picturesque…meandering…transitional…individual…experience. It is connected with paths of the cemetery. It is an intimate emotion. Grid…a hard geometry…monumental…relentless…repetitive…identical…experience. It is connected to the city grid, a familiar context. It is a respectful fear. In this project, I try to juxtapose these two architectural languages and respond to events and emotions. While walking from the grids to the curves, people experience the familiar and surreal, which is a process of confrontation and interpretation of death, loss and pain.
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The study above shows the possibilities of combinations of grids and curves. While a gird is intervened by curves, it has the potentials to create space and object. By choosing different irregularities of curves - for example curvatures and directions etc - and the way gird and curve overlays, it generates spaces with different characters, orders and hierarchies. The conceptual models below are studies of perspectives and perceptions. By playing with classical architectural elements, like stair, window and streets, they provide different readings if seeing from different views. The depth of view changes in certain moments, creating confusions and consciousness, so as to create engagements than generic spaces.
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Main entrance
Bellefontaine Cemetery in the city
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12 Site plan
conceptual sequence drawing
13 Through the courtyard
curve formation and rationalization
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axonometric view
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Entrance level plan
South elevation
inside the main chapel
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entrance of main chapel
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detail section of the main chapel
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IN SEARCH FOR ESSENCE REDESIGN OF A HISTORIC BUILDING
Year: 2012 Fall Graduate optional studio Critic: Behzad Nakhjavan, Auburn university Site Location: St. Louis, MO, US
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Essence is defined here as the unchanging quality of a thing. The studio develops the argument that certain conditions must exist in an artifact in order that an observer may Perceive, Appreciate, and perhaps ultimately Understand some portions of the essence therein. We will further posit that a sense of Essence is precipitated in the observer of artifacts which provide simultaneously the known presence of a priori (familiar) and a posteriori (un-familiar).
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Hand-made sectional model 1’=1/4�, basswood
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Observational drawing, color pencil drawing on arches paper, 22Ă—30 inch Finalist of the 38th annual Ken Roberts memorial delineation competition(2012)
The wall as definer of a spatial edge separating inside from outside is most essential to the composition of both interior space and urban space outside. A building, selected from a local historic St. Louis urban site, Central West End, is recorded as objectively as possible. To redesign this spatial facade, using a new language of construction while remaining the existing usage and program, it examines the unchanging quality of a building that engages people, which is often ignored in Modern Architecture.
“Essence� tracing and abstraction
Profile
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Proportion
Phenomenon
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Frontal drawing
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Axonometric drawing
26 Elevation, Color pencil drawing on arches paper, 22Ă—30 inch
Nightview rendering
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Poppy red pencil rendering, 11Ă—17 inch on Mylar
NETWORK OF ICONS
FOOD PANTRY AND URBAN FARM DESIGN
Year: 2011 Spring Graduate optional studio Critic: Andrew Meter, Illinois institute of Technology Site Location: Chicago, IL, US
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Given the fact that 1/8 of the population in Chicago has the need to be aided on food, this design is to propose a community food pantry, serving the food need of the poor neighborhoods. Based on the urban system of Chicago, which is the main channel for food delivery, this design also aims to create an urban network which means to solve the urban segregation problem simultaneously. Not merely does the network feed the Hungary, it also injects urban life to the “urban live desert� area. By proposing urban farm on site and along the boulevard system, it fulfills the needs for fresh and healthy food. The building is designed as a courtyard, along which all the public and private program alternatively distributed. The opening connected to the courtyard introduces the user to building and exposes all the activity inside the building, making the building an iconographical knot in the bigger network. Considering the use and climate, the building enclosure are made with solid and translucent. The double layer glass facade serves as private screen, providing both dignity for the user group and the icon for activity inside.
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Wall section detail drawing
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Wall section model, lasercut/hand, 1’=3/8”, basswood
Urban idea: connecting the urban life
city service system density of urban activity
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Architectural idea: event as icon
food desert
GCFD(Great Chicago Food Depository) City service system Food desert
Necklace Boulevard system
Context study
road/metro
parking
green space
plantation
connection
composition
Massing study
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Massing model
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Boulevard concept
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Ground floor plan
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Farmer’s market
View along boulevard
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Wall section detail rendering
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DIFFUSION
MEDIA SCHOOL DESIGN Year: 2010 Fall Graduate optional studio Critics: Mark Collins and Toru Hasegawa, Columbia University Site Location: St. Louis, MO, US Architectural design always lags behind the development of technology. This design was attempting to explore the potential influence of technology on both the architectural design process and the built environment. Beginning with parametric modeling, I built up a database of objects that incorporate information about the body and the building codes that support the body. Following this stage, these objects then were deployed in a computational environment. Thinking of a new way of segregating space, I used the space filling geometrical system, collaborating with the idea of diffusion on both energy and program radiation, conforming to and challenging the body - the physical body, the social body and the institutional body. The final goal is to build a space for both community and students, where active interaction of energy and human body could happen.
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Diffusion of programs
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Partition conditions
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According to the above analysis, considering both the partition condition of building body and the degree of enclosure based on program needs, the opening percentage of skin of each unites could be parametrically controlled to create privacy for specific space and communication among the related spaces.
Mapping of thermal(need) condition
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Energy diffusing through spaces
Substraction conditions
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After dividing the space into parametrically controlled cells, further manipulation could be used based on the need of program, in harmony with both the structures and enclosure systems. This grasshopper definition is designed to have the previous idea of creating specific space and connections by simply moving points (representing the programs) and curves (representing the connections).
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bird view
Atrium
Ground floor plan 30
Spatial connection
Lobby and multimedia gallery 31
Entrance view
LAYERED CHAIR
FURNITURE DESIGN
Furniture design studio Spring 2011 Tutor: Lindsey Stouffer, Washington University in St. Louis
The profile of the chair comes from the prototype of cantilevered chair. The way of fabrication is derived from the idea of continuity of form and the materiality of Baltic Birch . From two dimensional profile to three dimension manipulation, each iteration of design attempts to find a formal language that could be deployed on the whole body of the chair.
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34 inch
18 inch
22
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25
inc
h
h
inc
NEW URBAN LIVING
HOUSING DESIGN AT SUBWAY STATION Year: 2010 Spring Undergraduate degree project Critic: Gao Wei, Beijing Jiaotong University Site Location: Beijing, China
Metropolitan cities in China, like Beijing, are experiencing a rapid growth on size and population. Current residential development of Beijing is segregated from urban structure, inefficient and lacking the interaction with the city fabric. The high density sprawling of the city has caused severe traffic problems. Public transportation plays an important role in the daily commuting. The space around subway station is intensively used, however, the space above it is always not being noticed and is the place where residential and infrastructure space could happen at the same time. To be connected to the subway infrastructure also suggests a new way of life under the new situation of the city. This design aims to find the proper way of utilizing this space mentioned above, developing a structure which reconciles the relationship between residential and public infrastructure space. By embedding the residential building or we can say, the residential city into the urban transportation system, the former gains efficiency and the latter gets utilized and activated.
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view under the platform
View from 3th Ring Road
EMOTION CONTAINER
CAMPUS PERFORMING CENTER DESIGN Year: 2009 Spring Undergraduate studio Critic: Jiang Yinan, Beijing Jiaotong University Site Location: Beijing, China
This is a conceptual project base on the real site of BJTU campus. The main aim of this design is using the expressive geometry to represent the complex emotions in the new era campus life. The complex emotion of building is visually affecting people with an aesthetic expression which is defined by the contrary elements. Emotions are extracted and exaggerated by undulating lines and surfaces of different scales; the aesthetic is expressed by transformations between each component and behaviors of their arrangements. This design is also intervened by the context and time. Before the shape came out which is led by the feelings and emotions, I studied the space use and time efficiency. While the design is convincing and logical for its usage, this multi-perspectives intervening shows the initial theme - complexity in emotions.
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outdoor party
waiting information
bar
outdoor stage
reading
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twist
collapse
intertwine
DISSOLVING
HIGHRISE BUILDING DESIGN Year: 2009 Spring Undergraduate studio Critic: Dong Yuxiang, Beijing Jiaotong University Site Location: Beijing, China This design focuses on the spatial organization of the commercial building. Instead of rendering a powerful appearance as the traditional modern high-rise building, I am trying to deform it to a sequence of vertical layers in order to make the building “dissolve” in this location of the city. Not just rising up to the sky, the building is not isolated in its own block but animated and acted along with the change of city and time in horizontal direction. In addition, different functions are arranged between the “layers” as its exterior suggests. Thus, more vertical communication occurs which is seldom exists in the former “stacks-of-floors” building. Physical environment and human behavior are assembled to create a high quality space for commercial and office work.
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concept model showing the layering relationship
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working
void
working
3900mm
3900mm
3900mm
circulation
fabrication detail of facade
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DIGITAL LIBRARY OF BABEL
DATA CENTER DESIGN Year: 2012 Spring Evolo skyscraper competition Site Location: Metropolitan cities
It all begun back in the 2050s’, explosive civilization of big cities ended up reaching the peak. The population growth had slowed down and about to go negative. The global economy had a new record-breaking low point since 2012, finally leading to a revolutionary urban structure collapse. The traditional business oriented way of real-estate development did not work anymore and investment was seeking for new directions. In the meantime, an essential part of human activities had been executed through information production and exchange. The Internet companies begun to experience the physical information explosion. Thus, real-estate investment had transferred the capital to data centers. Considering the big amount of heat generated by the piles of data servers, they decided to build an integrated data town instead of individual data centers. Clean energy is effectively used and the vice-produced energy was recycled for the city use.
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Sptial growth curve
Energy efficiency
space data human time 2012 2050
20X0 out of control
Sptial occupancy
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human
centralized energy recycle system
data
data server 2012
data
human
20X0
Capital investment
$
real-estate capital
OFFICE BUSINESS RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL CULTURAL 2012
solar energy
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$
DATA CENTER
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20X0
Urban structure e
+ rain water collecting
e e e
Energy strategy
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windmill energy
passive ventilation
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PROFESSIONAL WORKS
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PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CENTER Year: 2009 Fall Professional (internship in Un-Forbidden Office, BIAD, China) Construction Document
INFORMATION PORTAL REBUILD
Year: 2011 Fall Professional work, Competition, 1st Prize (internship in Cebra A/S, Denmark) Schematic design (sketch, 3D modeling and rendering)
DANISH CASTLE CENTER Year: 2011 Fall Professional work (internship in Cebra A/S, Denmark) Schematic design (sketch, 3D modeling and rendering)
MIDDLE SCHOOL DESIGN Year: 2011 Fall Professional work (internship in Cebra A/S, Denmark) Schematic design (sketch, 3D modeling and rendering)
ADULT EDUCATIN CENTER VUC FYN Year: 2012 spring Professional work, Competition, 1st Prize (internship in Cebra A/S, Denmark) Schematic design (sketch, 3D modeling and rendering)
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OFFICE TOWER ZUIDAS AMSTERDAM Year: 2012 Spring Professional work (internship in UNStudio, Netherlands) Schematic design (sketch, 3D modeling and rendering)
LE TOISON D’OR
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Year: 2012 Spring Professional work (internship in UNStudio, Netherlands) Design Development (3D-print model making)
JIADING FACTORY RENOVATION Year: 2010 Spring Professional work (internship in Standardarchitecture, Beijing) Schematic design (Model making and Drawing)
OTHER WORKS (2005-present)
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MAYA modeling, 2012 fall
(SUN)LIGHT BULB
LIGHT INSTALLATION DESIGN
Year: 2012 Spring Velux light concept competition/individual Site Location: Aarhus, Denmark
SILENCE IN UNNOTICED
MATERIAL CONCEPT DESIGN
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Year: 2012 Spring Troltekt concept competition/individual
NATURE WANDERING
DUJIANGYAN EARTHQUAKE MUSEUM COMPETITION Year: 2008 Fall Competition/individual Site Location: Dujiangyan, Sichuan, China
YOUTH-SCAPE
STUDENT CENTER AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN Year: 2008 Summer Undergrad Studio Site Location: Beijing, China
DENSITY/EQUALITY
AFFORDABLE RESIDENCE DESIGN Year: 2008 Fall Undergrad Studio Site Location: Beijing, China
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INTROVERT PEACE
VILLA DESIGN
Year: 2007 Spring Undergrad Studio Site Location: Beijing, China
SPACE/OBJECT
INTERIOR DESIGN
Year: 2007 Spring Undergrad Studio Site Location: Beijing, China
ORNITHOLOGY OBSERVATORY
STUDENT CENTER AND LANDSCAPE DESIGN Year: 2010 Fall Graduate 9-day Orientation Workshop Collaborate: James struthers
DRAWING LANDSCAPE
LIGHTRAILWAY STATION DESIGN light-railway Station Year: 2007 Fall Undergraduate Studio Critic: Zhang Kaiyu
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STRUCTURE COMPETITION
STADIUM DESIGN Year: 2008 Spring undergraduate work Collaborate: Su Chong
DESIRED OBJECT
TONGUE STIMULATOR 3d print Year: 2012 fall graduate work critic: Christine Yogiaman
DIGITAL REPLICA Year: 2013 Spring Instructor: Andy Vanmater Reproducing of James Siena’s painting Digital drawing (Grasshopper/ C#scripting) Undergraduate work
PS1 INSTALLATION Year: 2013 Spring Revit BIM project graduate work instructor: Robert Booth, WUSTL
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ARCHITECTURE 101 Year: 2006 Spring Ink rendering Undergraduate work 15Ă—15 inch, on watercolor paper