Zhicheng Yang Portfolio 06.2023

Portfolio

Zhicheng YANG

2019~2023

HALOKINESIS Team

The Elemental & Salt

Within the contemporary condition new conceptual terrains emerge that raise questions of agency and intelligence within a deep ecology of our environment. The work explored examines environmental phenomenon in the service of sustaining life on this planet

HALOKINESIS is an architectural endeavor that utilizes salt, an universal element, to re-balance the coral bleaching environments within applicable locations on this planet. This project explores salt crystallization’s phenomenology by harnessing this power within our reality. Project HALOKINESIS relies on time coupled with a responsive scaffold, growing crystals to achieve strength and formations.

An embedding intelligent systems, we create a community of agents that receives data from the external environment and translates it into instructions to perform specific actions. The cyclical system we proposed would run endlessly in the ocean environment. This project was borned during the research on salt throughout the year, which didn't have any intention of certain functions in the begining. Coral regeneration is only one possible applications of the system, in genral, the project can be seen as utilizing salt, an element, to create architecture as infrastructure.

Tools : Unity 3D + C# coding, Rhino + grasshopper, Houdini + VEX coding, Cinema 4D, Ardunio, Twinmontion, Photoshop, Illustrator, premiere, Aftereffect

Original project booklet link: https://issuu.com/mayamashiach/docs/phase_02_booklet_final_issuu

Stephanie Di Gironimo Zhen Jia

Kay Mashiach

Maya Mashiach Zhicheng Yang

01.2022 ~ 01.2023

Salt Research _ Microscopic Level

Crystallization Process

We developed a mathematical approch for simulations And tried with water and salt crystals. The seeding point is essential for it to happen. Also the self binding property of salt crystal

The simulation conducted for the multipul seed point is to understand how the crystals interact with each other when growing.

Salt Research _ Macroscopic Level Physical Tests

Salt Tectonic

In macroscope level, the salt cryastallization is seen in forms of salt tectonics. These phenomenons are related to the pressure and density changes in the earth tectonics. This relationship provides a fundamental insight into the direction of a structural and contextual foundation for this thesis

Spicule as Scaffold

The spicules are small skeletal elements, by fusing together they form the structure sponges. When numerous spicules are entangled with each other, they form an interlocking structure that is robust. The spocules also provide a semi-random connection this property would lead to a system with lower intelligence therefore more reliable and couples better with the dynamic ocean envrionment

Spicule Optimization

We studied possible mutations and classifications. We separated them by number of axes and different ends mutations to provide diverse outcomes when aggregating them. Also the rate of salt harvest was considered, we run simulations on crystallizing different mutations of arms and found the most optimized one.

Physical Tests

Time _ 16weeks

Growth _ 145%

Crystal _ Sodium Chloride

Tank size _ 600mm × 1200mm × 400mm

Time _ 16 weeks

Growth _ 215%

Crystal _ Sodium Chloride

Tank size _ 600mm × 400mm × 400mm

Spicule as Agent & Iterations

Afte physical tests on materiality, original geometry and speed of crystallization. We then start to include curtain level of intelligence into the agent. The intelligent of binding and salt harvesting lies in salt itself, so agents are equipped with the ablity of sencing the envrionment and actuator for them to move in the ocean. In this case, 4 pneumatic arms

Crystaliization on 1/2 spicule

Time: 16 weeks Crystaliization on 3 spicules

Time: 16 weeks

Harvest

Agents changes phases according to the number of neighbours.

Agents are moving towards their neighbors in their own search radius to create clusters.

Agents are equipped with salinity sensors, which enable them to be aware of this value in a certain radius and move to where its higher.

Within the harvest stage of the cycle, we isolated behaviors of Cohesive steering, Buoyancy cauculation, and Salinity seeking Rules between agent behaviors and enverinmental datas were set for the agents to achieve the optimized harvesting formation.

System

Halokinesis relies on an Artificial Cycle coupled with natural processes, generated through necessity, and constantly responsive to environments. We identified three main stages within the cycle: Harvest, Migration, and Protection.

Migration

After harvesting, agents will migrate from high salinity locations to the coral reef area. Agents read environmental datas: depth of water and color of the sea floor make decisions on steering and moving toward their destinations.

Agent _ 3D model

Prototyping

We built a prototype as a control system for the interactions between agents. The agent shows different stages of inflation based on the detection of its neighbour. Based on those behavior we began to prototype interaction and response. Each agent is equipped with an ultrasonic sensor for it to sense the other agents when aggregated.

Agent _ Iteration 1

Agents will self-organize as an ever-changing formation that balance the salinity level temporally. We translate pressure and density in natural salt tectonic into Buoyancy and Cohesion force . With information from the neighbors and coral reefs agents would behave collectively and forming an autonomous cluster.

Agent _ Iteration 2

09.2019 ~ 12.2019

Total area : 25350 sqM

This is a fourth-year school project. Located in Baishan region, Beijing, the civic center contains a library, two indoor stadiums, a theater and a children's activity center. It's the first time that I design architecture in such a large scale, and with such complicated functions. In this project created a designing 'rule' and followed it strictly, which is to confirm the area of functional space first, which is the Module, and then focus on sculpturing the public space, in this case, the traffic core, and with the insertion of the cores, the rooms have to transform to maintain at the same area, and by this the room is being changed into unexpected shapes.

Using this method, I was able to create lots of interesting public or traffic space while not disturbing the function rooms. The inserted traffic core also connects different parts together, which is the Fusing process.

Tools: Rhino + Grasshopper, Keyshot, Photoshop,Illustrator

Project : Civic Center

Ground floor plan

A. Main entrance

B. Car entrance

C. Car exit

D. Minor entrance

E. Conference hall

F. Office

G. Function hall

H. Chorus hall

I. Theater

J. Standard basketball court

K. Practice basketball court

L. Traffic core

Second floor plan

A. Office

B. Restroom

C. Handcraft classroom

D. Exhibition hall

E. Digital class

F. Dance studio

G. Painting studio

H. Piano room

I. Conference hall

J. Multi-function hall

K. Digital reading room

L. General reading room

M. Children's reading room

N. Stack room

Third floor plan

A. Stack room

B. General reading room

C. Visual impaired reading room

D. Office

E. Laboratory

F. Conference hall

Placing 4 parts of the brief into the site by the shape of cubes. Make traffic connections between those sections.

Massing the brief into cubes, and arrange them in an order, create inner courtyard.

Fusing different sections, the library and children's hall were fused together and torn apart again in another way.

Inserting the cores to fuse different parts further, and meanwhile create interesting public spaces.

The function is arranged reasonably, a large atrium space is set aside, and a passage is connected to ensure the continuity and concentricity of traffic as well as public space.

The connection between the atrium is not strong enough. So, two sections which were originally arranged separately were fused together. Insert the traffic core to connect two pavilions.

The traffic core is deformed following the fire evacuation code (adjust the radian of the staircase). With the insertion, the original area of the rooms and corridors were invaded, Offset the edge of the core to form new corridors, then enlarge the room with the shape of the aisle, to keep the area as the brief required.

G. Teacher's office

H. 150 seated-classroom

I. Control room

J. Restroom

K. Cultural pavilion office

Perspective section A

Perspective section B

Perspective section C

Perspective section D

Exploded Axo

The public part of the building are 4 new layers of the city, which consist of three layers of 'buildings' and one for landscapes. The well-used wavy floor slab takes people away from their daily life for a whole new experience, the peaks and valley created atriums that indistinct the floors, also generate some natural split-levels for new green spaces.

The Next Layer

02. 2020 ~ 06. 2020

Project:

Total area 129000 sqM Hotel & Public building

This is a Fourth year school project with appointed site. I managed to find out the issues around the site and created the brief. This is a project with my caring for the society, and my appreciation to the upcoming international event - The winter Olympic Games 2022, in Beijing. It also shows my respect to the master plan made by the administration.

Meanwhile, I also focused on the creation of interesting space and elegant landscape. In this project looked at how to create artificial layers of the city and nature. The design reflects my thoughts on the development of the city, and the ways we should go next.

Video of the project : https://youtu.be/DIH8RaC13LQ

Tools : Rhino + Grasshopper, Lumion, Twinmotion, Photoshop,Illustrator, Premiere

Mass the project cubes. The function of the studio, theater and commercial uses were put on the ground floor.

Connect the Kaide mall with my project. Make holes on the floating structure, to provide adequate sunlight for the road below.

Divide the cube into three floors, and also add another layer to the connecting structure.

Adjust the form of structure. Create a wavy floor for the podium, and add atriums for a 'break' from the boring texture in this part of the city

residential part is mainly divided into two categories: serviced apartments and hotels, which are divided into ordinary, artistic, economic, youth and other styles for different users.

Productive Exuberance

This project was being designed under the proposition of Productive Exuberance, which is the studio proposition when was an exchange student at Central Saint Martin. I finished the 'first iteration' of the project in 06.2017 with the amazing guidance from my tutor Adam Furman and Julika Gittner. But I always think I can do better than that, cause the topic was extremely fascinating for me.

Two years later, am graduating from my university, and with a better understanding of architecture started to redo this project from zero. This time found that this project is very theoretical, it is also a conversation with the society. For a deeper understanding for Productive Exuberance read some books like 'Delirious New York' and 'Revisiting Postmodernism' etc., they gave me lots of inspiration. This project is a architecture design as well as a reading note. The name is The Depo', it's for Aldgate East, for London and for this era that we live in.

Tools Rhino + Grasshopper,Twinmotion,Photoshop,Illustrator

Total area: 57700 sqM

Project:Market & Workshop & Storage & Hotel

Basement Plan

Atrium

9.5th.

Climbout

15.5th.

Varieties of functions give the plan great richness and complexity. Markets that are 16 floors higher than it used to be, also crossing with the workshop provides convenient transportation for the sellers and makers.

Sunken plaza

The main entrance is in in the underground, connecting the ground floor by four big staircases. The structural solution is a double layered-core. There are four sections on this floor, hotel reception, storage, reception and two main entrance for the sellers and makers to the workshop.

& 10th. Floor Plan

The atrium is created at the cross point of the core, workshops and the storage. By using the height difference of the split-level arrangement of the workshops and storage, uncrossing paths were created. By this design cargo Lift only stops at the storage floor, which avoid the potential heavy traffic.

& 16th. floor plan

GuangYang Island Nature Reserve _ Architectural Design

This project is a real project worked on when was working at the China Architecture Design & Research Group It's located on Niutou mountain in Guangyang island nature reserve, Chongqing province. Chongqing is the biggest city in the west part of China, it is built in mountainous regions, and for construction there is a huge requirement for stone and soil, Niutou mountain is where they mine these materials. The appearance of the mountain now is terrifying, excavated body of the mountain is exposed under the daylight.

The project is to design a tourist center, since the excavation of the region has stopped, and it is now being transformed into a nature reserve. People should be able to see the damage they made and the beautiful scenery at the same time. Also, the architectures themselves should be harmonious with the nature.

Tools Rhino + Grasshopper, Lumion, Photoshop,Illustrator

Project A: Tourist center

Total area: 2210 sqM

Project B: Recreation club

Total area: 1860 sqM

AADRL _ Workshop 1

Team: Sera Su Abaç Le Lyu,Shreshtha Mathur , Zihan Xu, Zhicheng Yang

10.2021~ 11.2021

In this workshop we used piano wire to create a continuous sructure, which would be able to respond with certain parameter changed. We also pushed the test in digital simulations, with the help of computer we would be able to push the parameters to extrem and see results that are very hard to test in reality.

In this workshop acquired a deeper understand on parameters and responces. And understood the advantaged of a workflow with both physical and digital tests and design.

Tools: Rhino + Grasshopper Simulation_01 Row = 5; Size = 14×14; column = 17;

AADRL _ Workshop 2

Team: Stephanie Di Gironimo, Zhen Jia, Kay Mashiach, Maya Mashiach, Zhicheng Yang

11.2021 ~ 12.2021

During this workshop our team explored machine - environment and machine machine interaction. In this project, we developed robots with the ability to sence the difference in colours in the light, then translate and response with movement achieved by a pully system in side each robot. The intelligence of emergence lies inside the system between each robots. They move collectively and constantly exchange informations with the LED lights and sensors, which would create endless patterns and movements.

Tools: Rhino + Grasshopper, Ardunio, C coding.

Green House Design

My graduation project which was awarded with The Best Graduatuin Theses' of the year 2021. This project was to design a greenhouse for botanical research. designed a heat / humidity distribution system with series of biomimetic tube, and included these tubes with the traffic space as well as the greenhouses.

Tools: Rhino + Grasshopper, Lumion, Twinmotion, Adobe PhotoShop. Sketches

3D Modeling + Rendering Cinema 4D + Redshift + Photoshop

Water Colour Render

Water Colour Render

Zhicheng

2019~2023