MSAUD Portfolio

curran zhang

m.s. architecture and urban design 2022 columbia university gsapp

re-telling... re-defining... re-imagining...

narratives

As urban designers, we have a duty to understand our built environment at various scales and perspectives. Through my projects, I aim to create new narratives to further my role as an architectural designer and urban designer towards the betterment of our urban fabric.

CONTENTS

This portfolio is a collection of work developed throughout the three semesters of urban design studios at GSAPP. Each of the following project aims to critique the existing urban framework in order to gain new insights on how we, as designers, can re-tell, re-defi ne, and re-imagine our understand of the built environment.

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SUMMER

FALL

SPRING

Urban Design Studio I

Urban Design Studio II

Urban Design Studio III

Re-Defining Infrastructure

Right of Living

Reef/MAX

RE-DEFINING INFRASTRUCTURE Studio: Summer Urban Design Studio I Location: Flushing, New York City Partners: Daniela Deu, Howie Jiang, Achmad Maulana Instructor: Nans Voron, Sagi Golan, Tami Banh, Austin Sakong, Jae Shin, Galen Pardee, Sean Gallagher, Candelaria Mas Pohmajevic

The implementation of the highway system in urban areas “enhances the quality of life” of a privileged few, often bisecting minority neighborhoods and resulting in the concentration of pollution and poverty.

As these monolithic structures are reaching the end of their structural lifespan, as a nation we are faced with the critical decision of whether we should invest in their repair or consider a new approach. By re-imagining the potential for these structures to address the wrongs of the past and promote the growth of these communities in the future, we aim to re-mediate the urban, ecological, and social needs of the vibrant communities surrounding urban highways.

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FLUSHING

JACKSON HEIGHTS

LEAKAGE

CORONA

DETERIORATION

CRACKS

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY As the Van Wyck Expressway was built for the World’s Fair, it is part of the initial American captivation with the highway that grew out of the iconic Futurama exhibit.

Our project uses Flushing as an exploration for how we can once again look at our highway infrastructure as a place of opportunity and promise.

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POVERTY

RENT BURDEN

KEW GARDENS HILLS

VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY

FOREST HILLS

POLLUTION

DESTRUCTION

RUST

Race

Age

AGING INFRASTRUCTURE New York City’s urban highway infrastructure often bisected many minority neighborhoods without advocacy power, concentrating pollution and fomenting poverty within these communities.

28%

54%

18%

17% 26% 16%

Our initial study of the highway started with a catalogue of the aging conditions along the route.

30%

2%

7% 2%

ASIAN BLACK LATINO WHITE OTHER

0-17

18-24

25-44

44-64

65+

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ZONE 01 | COMMERCIAL SPACE This area is where the main local businesses are concentrated, but we realize that there is major disconnection and unsafe pathways between the neighborhood and the park that makes the potential expansion of the commercial area limited.

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ZONE 02 | P

This area focuses on the is between the Flushing Wo Queens Botanical Garden. W for these parks, there is limite and park activities tha

PUBLIC PARK

ssue of park disconnection rld’s Fair ground and the With huge number of visitors ed connection of pedestrian at happen in this area.

ZONE 03 | RESIDENTIAL AREA With a rapid increase in population, the area can potentially expand their housing market, which is currently in short supply. By decommissioning the highway, we can add more public housing components in this area.

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COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR

CREATING CONNECTIONS The main design strategy for our remediation project is the creation of new connections through the altering of the Van Wyck Expressway. Taking into account existing programs and various degree of deterioration, each zone would have specific strategies of altering the Van Wyck Expressway to enhance the existing urban fabric.

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RESIDENTIAL CORRIDOR

PARK CONNECTION

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REMEDIATION PROCESS With the Van Wyck decommissioned for remediation, each zone would implement new core buildings that align with structural modification. Depending on the severity of deterioration, the expressway can be retrofitted, removed, or retained.

STEP 01 _ DECOMMISSIONING EXPRESSWAY

STEP 02 _ RETROFITTING STRUCTURES

STEP 03 _ IMPLEMENTING CORE BUILDINGS

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RETROFIT The act of removing specific sections allows us to play with various elevations of the structure to create a more approachable site. With the core programs, we hope that the design intervention allows for the infrastructure to be the bridge and balance between future soft and hard commercial developments that occur on site.

REMNANT By removing the roadbed, a clear view towards Robert Moses’ globe can be re-revealed, in effort to create an unobstructed view of the surrounding.

New routes through the park are being introduced to promote access and an amphitheater was put in place as a public converging point and gathering space.

REMOVAL With the deconstruction of the entire Van Wyck in this zone, we are given a chance to reintroduce a green street and housing typologies into the area that was once occupied by the Van Wyck. By capitalizing on the reclaimed land, we hope that this remediation zone has the capability of strengthening and improving the existing residential fabric.

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COMMERCIAL SPACE

PUBLIC PARK

RESIDENTIAL AREA 15

RIGHT

OF

LIVING

Studio: Fall Urban Design Studio II Location: Reynoldstown, Atlanta Partners: Javier Ortiz, Achmad Maulana, Carmen Yu Instructor: Emanuel Admassu, Nina Cooke John, Chat Travieso, Lexi Tsien

Within the confines of Reynoldstown, the general lack of affordable housing is a direct result of the existence of the Atlanta BeltLine. Our project explores various spatial changes to the built environment to advocate for affordable multi-generational housing options.

Our design is articulated through the reinterpretation of “right of way” and the deconstruction of fences. These strategies are implemented within the BeltLine’s sphere of influence to ensure that the Atlanta BeltLine is held accountable to the local’s socioeconomical situation.

Our project is about equity. The BeltLine has made false promises and continues with the cycle of capitalist development.

However, by redistributing allocated funds, offering housing that is attainable to low income families, and not increasing property value, we can picture a world after property. A place, where neither income nor color determines where you live, nor does it define a boundary.

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ATLANTA BELTLINE Currently, the BeltLine is a linear green path with limited access, and this project has resulted in broken promises, increased property tax, and evicted low income families from the neighborhood. As a result, Reynoldstown lives in a skewed system of hierarchy that has displaced many low income families.

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P CK PI CKETT FEN ENCE CE C ES ES

WOOD WO OD FEN NCE CES

META ME AL FE ENC CES S

REYNOLDSTOWN Reynoldstown is currently a neighborhood of many identities; however, it is dictated by single ownership, which creates fences and barriers that restrict right of way. Our intent to form and cultivate local collectives stems from the fact that Reynoldstown was originally a collective of former slaves in the post civil war era; with an ability to pool resources together, and work off of the rail allowed for their community to flourish.

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STEP_01 - REINTERPRET RIGHT OF WAY Reynoldstown is a place where everyone has equal access to resources and opportunities.

Therefore, an important aspect of our project is the ability to allow locals to have access to public transit. By implementing new programs that can be attached to the BeltLine, the local communities can create new right of ways that facilitate their social and economical needs.

RIGHT OF TRANSIT

RIGHT OF PEDESTRIAN

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RIGHT OF HOUSING

RIGHT OF RECREATION

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STEP_02 - DECONSTRUCTION OF FENCES In the final step of our design, we address the existing single family home typology and how that can be integrated with our proposal.

This current typology creates boundaries with fences, promoting isolation and giving no opportunity for community engagement. By removing the physical boundaries, backyards become a shared commodity and households are able to define their space using elements such as plants and furniture rather than hard boundaries such as fences.

OPEN BACKYARD

CHILDREN PLAYGROUND

GREEN CORRIDORS

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REYNOLDSTOWN AFTER-PROPERTY

WINTER-GARDEN The winter-garden provides an opportunity of expansion, as well as creates a thermal corridor, that can be used to connect existing homes or to be used as a space for community gatherings.

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SHARED COMMUNAL SPACE The winter-garden can also be a space for neighbors to provide home services or resources for the community based on their hobbies or existing skills. The spaces can be transformed into a salon/ barber shop, space for clothing tailoring or selling home goods, etc.

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R E E F / M A X Studio: Spring Urban Design Studio III Location: Ambergris Caye, Belize Partners: Jiamin Huang, Shinan Liu, Hao Ma Instructor: Kate Orff, Geeta Mehta, Adriana Chavez, Thad Pawlowski, Lorena Bello Gomez, Tori Vuono.

To ensure Belizean livelihood on Ambergris Caye, the current Re/MAX model of development must stop. Our project provides an alternative streetbased urban design framework to the existing parcel-based development. We propose an urbanization that focuses on mangrove restoration and creates an urban patten using existing roads. By stopping the current model of extractive development and implementing a community land trust model, our design provides maximum protection to the reef through sustainable development and nature restoration.

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SECRET BEACH

NEWTOWN

SECRET BEACH RESORT

MANGROVE FOREST

SECRET BEACH

NEWTOWN

VACATION SWEET SPOT On a surface level, Ambergris Caye is a prime tourist location.

With beautiful landscape and relaxing resorts, locations like the Secret Beach and the Eastern Shoreline Resorts prosper and generate revenue from the visiting foreigners.

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DESTRUCTION

DREDGING

MINING

EASTERN SHORELINE RESORTS

NATURAL WETLANDS

IMPERILED LANDSCAPE Upon deeper investigation, we begin to realize that the result of the tourism is large scale destruction of the environment.

Dredging and mining eradicate the natural ecosystem to make room for foreign real estate projects.

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EXISTING: RE/MAX The current model of real estate development is one that is unsustainable.

By using Re/MAX as the broker, the Belizean government capitalizes on short term capital gain by selling depreciating lands.

In a future where sea levels would rise, Ambergris Caye needs a newer model of sustainable development.

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PROPOSED: REEF/MAX To capitalize on the existing ecosystem, our project propose a new community land trust model that uses mangrove as a source of livelihood. The newer model of development would ensure Reef/MAX would become the stewards of the land, thus having tighter regulations over the usage of the land.

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STREET BASED URBANISM Utilizing the existing streets, the new urbanism generated would be determined by sea level rise. By inverting the grid, the parcels would serve to support the Belizean that live on top of the grid.

ZONE_01 | HIGH DENSITY

ZONE_02 | LOW DENSITY

ZONE_03 | RE-NATURE

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HIGH DENSITY ZONE Located on the high land, the high-density zone focuses on densified communal co-housings and celebrates local communal life through programs like agriculture courtyard, local market, and on-site waste management. The ground level is open to create better accessibility to the landscape and provide shaded space for community gatherings and local markets.

MARKET PLACE

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

AGRICULTURE

LOW DENSITY ZONE The low density area consists of prefab co-housing, individual housing and an environment restoration courtyard. Each communal housing includes three living units, a shared kitchen and shared living room.

Inside the courtyard, the community could take advantage of the sea water to develop mangrovebased farming to support their livelihood.

COMMUNAL KITCHEN

CHARGING STATION

MODULE HOUSING

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RE-NATURE ZONE The re-nature area is located at lowland, which will suffer from sea-level rise in 20 years. The mangrove forests in this area have suffered from severe damage by Re/MAX. Therefore, we proposed mangrove restoration as the main priority.

Mangroves are preserved in certain areas while tourists would have access to the visitor center and explore mangrove forests with kayaks.

STORAGE SPACE

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MANGROVE NURSERY

EDUCATION

WILD NATURE ZONE The wild nature zone containing a large area of mangrove forests and wetland outside the grid. As a reserved area, activities related to Eco-tourism such as bird-watching and kayaking will occur. The limited development would be regulated by Reef/ Max.

ELEVATED PLATFORMS

KAYAKING

BIRD WATCHING

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curran zhang

m.s. architecture and urban design 2022 columbia university gsapp