Selected Works from 2020 - 2023
Chuhan (Franklin) Xu
Hi! This is Franklin. I am currently a graduate student specializing in architectural computational design with a passion for immersive technology. My interests range from AR, concept art to game design and environmental design. I love immersive media and technology, and I enjoy using art and computation as methods to create immersive experience.
Phone: (412)-889-3075 AR
Email: chuhanx@andrew.cmu.edu
HEXA-ATRIUM 01
AR-ASSISTED DIGITAL FABRICATION
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, HUAQIAO UNIVERSITY, FUJIAN, CHINA
GROUP WORK
Members: Chuhan Xu, Jianen Yao, Chen Li, Ximeng Fu
Contribution: Leading Designer, Algorithm Designer & Team Leader
Advisor: Yi Hong, Chengyang Lin
The traditional courtyard spaces in Southern Fujian symbolize community unity and mutual assistance, and the hexagonal roofs of Southern Fujian courtyards are a tangible symbol. After researching the roof structure, we deconstructed the hexagonal roof and decided to recreate it using light-weight tension membrane structure.
Immersive technology had played a significant role during the process. With the help of generative modeling, we were able to precisely control the detailed design with digital tools. And guided by AR projection, we proceeded precise on-site construction with zero form error.
I would like to express my gratitude to the Digital Lab of HQU as well as senior graduate students for their kind support.
Symbolic Roof Remaking
The hexagonal roof symbolizes community unity. Its structure can be broken down into tiles, joint tiles, and load-bearing beams. We recreated the roof form using new materials, including colored tension membranes and stage curtain rings from the Fashion Design School, as well as tension ropes and rods from the Civil Engineering School.
Generative Modeling
We selected the courtyard steps within the bustling architecture college as the location for our project, with a primary focus on two critical factors: Projection area and Height. This choice was made to ensure seamless interaction without causing any obstructions. The utilization of lightweight materials brought a fresh perspective to traditional architectural styles. From the outset, we considered the performance of these lightweight materials as a crucial element in our design process. To emulate the material characteristics of the tension membrane, we employed Rhino Grasshopper for structural modeling and opted for a form that evenly distributed forces.
Symbol of Community
Reshape of Material
AR-based Spatial Testing
By utilizing digital twinning and AR technology, we can proactively make modifications to tiles that may be structurally uneven or pose a risk of bumping into pedestrians.
BIM and Manufacturing Membrane
Every element is interconnected through parameters. Any change made in Rhino immediately updates the dimensions of all components. By assigning labels to the membranes, nodes, and angles within the digital modeling software, we greatly minimize assembly errors during construction.
The membrane is evenly subdivided into triangles with similar areas. Each corner is marked with its connected joint numbers.
The joints are identical, minimizing errors by marking membrane centers for various directions.
The tension wire consists of two layers: steel cable for tension and a plastic rod for connecting with the membrane.
Automatic Cutting
Membrane Assembling
Tension Wire Fabricating
1. Edge Control
The initial step in the construction process involves linking all the edges together. We use AR projection to compare the length and curvature of these load-bearing beams, allowing us to decide whether to extend or shorten the tension wire inside those beams accordingly.
2. Membrane Control
In the second phase of the construction process, we connect the membrane to the beams. We make subtle adjustments to the angles of connection between the membranes by comparing them to the membrane angles of AR model, ensuring that there is no deformation.
3. Form Control
Following the successful elevation of the structure, we fine-tuned the direction and tension of the six connection points with the existing structure to ensure a seamless alignment with the AR projection. (In the image, the projection has been offset for clearer comparison.)
HYDRO-ARCHAEOLOGIST 02
IMAGE-TRACKING AR PUZZLE GAME
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY, PA, USA
RESEARCH ON GUIYU, GUANGDONG, CHINA
INDIVIDUAL WORK
Advisor: Daragh Byrne
special thanks to The Frank-Ratchye Studio for Creative Inquiry
My project began with researching Guiyu, a Chinese town known as the "Town of eWaste." Guiyu gained notoriety due to its E-waste industry and Urban Mining practices. I explored various organizational modes of Urban Mining, both formal and informal, as detailed in O'Neill's "Waste" article. Informal organizations, despite fewer regulations, provided autonomy and higher wages.
However, my focus shifted to Guiyu's darker side, as revealed in the "Anthropological Investigation Report on the Electronic Waste Dismantling Industry in Guiyu, Shantou." This report unveiled the distressing pollution and complex social dynamics within Guiyu's electronic waste industry, showcasing the worst impacts of Urban Mining.
With the help of immersive technology like AR, I aimed to convey the destructive nature of the Urban Mining industry chain. The project is to enable people to trace back to historical scenes, emphasizing the need for unveiling these artificial alterations through AR scenarios, drawing inspiration from various innovative projects.
Town of eWaste and the Abandoned River
In the past century, Guiyu was primarily engaged in waterway trade, rice farming, and fishery, closely tied to the river. However, it shifted its focus to the e-waste dismantling industry, causing significant harm to the environment. Following remediation efforts, present-day Guiyu is on the path to recovery.
Industrial Chain and Landscape Devastation
Guiyu's informal eWaste industry, though unregulated, operates with a structured processing hierarchy. E-waste is methodically dismantled and sorted into four materials across various regions like towns and villages. The Lianjiang River connects these areas, aiding in rice cultivation and water-based transportation. However, this extensive processing has reshaped Guiyu's urban landscape and caused severe pollution in the Lianjiang River. If things continue as they are, a bold assumption could be made for Guiyu in 2075: the thriving river is gone, and everything would be replaced by eWaste.
1940
Rice Farming
1960
2015
2003
eWaste
Disassembling: The most notorious period of time
What's next in the future?
2075
"What if the river become dead, and everything transform into dumps of waste electronics?"
'Unmaking' of electronics
To create "Guiyu in 2075," I collected, dismantled, and categorized a range of eWaste following Guiyu's Urban Mining process.
Broken electronics are collected from...
Raw materials are collected from...
Materials are categorized into...
'Unveiling' the history
Imagine yourself as a hydro-archaeologist in the Town of eWaste in 2075, a place now transformed by artificial creations. This image-tracking game, accessed via QR code scanning, transports you to Guiyu's 2005 landscape. Some QR codes mislead, requiring manual digging for the right clues.
Juxtaposition of Reality & Virtuality
The project comprises landscape artworks and Unity-based AR software. The artworks represent Urban Mining in Guiyu, featuring plastics, metals, PCBs, and cables symbolizing varied processing locations. AR software reconstructs historical scenes from interviews, images, and 2003 research papers, offering an immersive historical experience.
and many more scenes...
and many more scenes...
Level Design
By continuously exploring, players will traverse the entire production chain, spanning plastic, metal, and PCB areas.
Game Play
This game highlights the irreparable environmental harm from Urban Mining in Guiyu. The transport-disassemble-landfill/incinerate process has reshaped conventional urban spaces, replacing ecosystems with electronic waste. As a hydro-archaeologist, your mission is to unveil Guiyu's hidden history and the lasting effects of Urban Mining on the environment.
The interactive logic written in Unity C# will inform the player about the era, function, and provide detailed information regarding the current scene.
Before this project...
Zine Design and Discursive Design
Before the work of AR game, focusing on Urban Miner's working condition, I made another project explores Urban Mining and the wellbeing of Guiyu workers. This project has drawn parallels between Guiyu and Chaoshan cuisine, metaphorically linking the intricate processes of individual urban mining to delicate cooking. It took the form of a cookbook to reveal the relationship between eWaste's crude processing and human toxin absorption. ‘What if people become accustomed to this way of life?’ Both of these projects have employed immersive approaches, aiming to transport the audience into a potential future.
Hand-Made Dish as Hand-Disassembling
Stew Dish as High Pressure Heating
Marinated Dish as Acid-Soaking
Stir-Fry Dish as Open-air Burning
some self practices
Kitchen Invaders
[VIDEO LINK]
Protect the Earth
Destroy meteors & UFOs
Meteors will deal damage to both the Earth and the player, and split when destroyed
UFO will pop out shooting laser beams. Destroy those UFOs to get yourself healed
THE ANSWER
EDUCATIONAL RPG GAME LEVEL DESIGN IN METAVERSE
INDIVIDUAL WORK
This project is based on my childhood experiences. I have undergone Adlerian psychology's positive psychology mindfulness therapy, and the ACT method has been an essential part of it.
"Embracing family trauma and living in the present doesn't entail confronting the trauma, seeking its origins, or evading it by denial. Rather, it involves acknowledging the trauma and cohabiting with it. The source of pain isn't the experience itself but the fear that has become ingrained, the fear of altering one's life after having used the experience as a justification. It's my approach to handling trauma that has shaped my current circumstances."
The above passage is from my psychotherapist, who has patiently guided me many times. In one of our conversations, we talked about the source of creativity, and she said, "Why not express this experience in the way you're best at and let more people experience it?" So, I chose to create it as a 15-minute metaverse game in Sandbox with a focus on level and spatial design, hoping to inspire more people who have had similar experiences to mine.
ACT for Psychosis and Trauma
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) is a therapy that helps people cope with distressing thoughts and feelings, find meaning in life, and improve their mental health. It's commonly used for conditions like anxiety, depression, and PTSD.
A = Accept your thoughts and feelings, and be present.
C = Choose a valued direction
T = Take action
Through game puzzles, I aim to utilize spatial design effectively, aligning with ACT's principles of acceptance over resistance to reflect my attitude towards trauma.
Strategically Conquering SelfReconciliating Directly Confronting
An Educational Game in Metaverse
By releasing the game on a metaverse platform, I aim to provide an immersive gaming experience that can potentially help more people who have gone through experiences similar to mine.
Storytelling and Game Puzzles
The main character is in therapy and recalls a troubled childhood. Their father was an abusive alcoholic gambler who lost the family's wealth in a bet. Discovering a disturbing truth in their mother's diary, the protagonist fled home, but their escape led to a cycle of difficulties.
Scene 1: Home Courtyard
Under hypnosis, the protagonist revisits their childhood home, helps their father borrow money from Mr. White and Mr. Black, and watches as their father loses everything in another gambling session.
Mission: Locate Mr. White and Mr. Black, collect the funds, and return to father.
Scene 2: Emotional Abyss
The protagonist falls into darkness, guided by a mysterious voice, and finds a diary revealing that his father had gambled away everything, including the protagonist and his mother –a painful memory he wanted to forget.
Mission: Following the mysterious voice, and searching for the diary.
Scene 3: Home in Ruins Scene 4: Source of Pain Scene 5: Good Memory
After recalling memories, the protagonist returns to a dilapidated home, confronts their troubled father, and escapes with guidance from a mysterious voice, but falls into another cycle of psychological trauma.
Mission: "Attract enemies elsewhere, escape the house following the original path, leading to Ending 1."
The protagonist finds hidden NPCs representing his subconscious and learns to let go by coexisting with pain. He decides to shatter totems symbolizing repression and free himiself from self-punishment."
Mission: Ignore enemy attacks and destroy eight totems.
After shattering the totems, the protagonist enters a pure white subconscious space, where he finally meets the mysterious voice - his own mother. The game ends.
Mission: Follow the mysterious voice, find the mother. This leads to Ending 2.
Level Design
I plan to maximize spatial design by reusing the main level space. Scene 1 involves the protagonist searching for memories, exploring from outside to inside. Scene 3 represents the protagonist escaping pain, moving from inside to outside. These scenes share the same space but differ in appearance, with the former being prosperous and the latter in ruins, and the flow is reversed.This is to symbolize a person's varying psychological journeys in dealing with trauma.
Environmental Art
Combining the spatial rendering effects of Sandbox 8.0, I drew inspiration from the scene art of 'Little Nightmares' and 'Hollow Knight' to create a scene that is opulent and decadent, yet conceals underlying pain, making it a space of mystery.
SNAIL ABOVE 04
PANTHER HOLLOW
Taking inspiration from research concerning the correlation between the ratios of native and non-native terrestrial snail species and the overall biodiversity health within urban parks, a concept for a snail observatory has been developed.
This observatory is intended to be situated near the lake in Panther Hollow, Schenley Park. Its purpose is threefold: first, to serve as a natural habitat for the existing snail species; second, to facilitate ongoing scientific investigations during annual events like BioBlitz, conducted year-round; and third, to offer an alternative means for researchers and local residents to observe snails in a setting where the snails thrive above and beyond their human visitors.
Through the use of Rhino Grasshopper C# and the Unreal Engine for design and demonstration, this project explores how local materials and non-human creatures can influence the design and utilization of architectural spaces.
Advisor: Sinan Goral, Matthew Huber
LAKE, SCHENLEY PARK, PA, USA
Snails as Indicatiors BioBlitz in Schenley Park Site Selection
Dr. Tim Pearce used snails as indicator species to assess park health. In his research, he ranked seven parks based on data collected from BioBlitz. He considered three aspects of mollusk results as potential indicators: diversity (total species count), proportion of native species, and abundance (individuals per liter of leaf litter). Snails in more pristine parks had greater species richness and a higher proportion of native snails.
A BioBlitz is a 24-hour survey of species by scientists, volunteers, and the public in specific areas like parks, promoting biodiversity awareness and education. Collaborations with local museums enhance participation and education for students. In June 2022, Phipps Conservatory organized the annual BioBlitz event in Schenley Park, near the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Dr. Tim Pearce and volunteer Katie Zawrotniak led a team that discovered 13 land snail species in the park, with just one being non-native.
The flatland where enough shade & plenty amount of leaf litter were made possible.
Shells are good references in identifying diverse species:
1. Persist for months or years after they die, easy to sample diversity and abundance in a suitable range.
2. Sensible to changes in moisture, temperature, and physical characteristics of the substrate. Individuals integrate local conditions over their lifetimes.
3. Lack of migration or metamorphosis allowing detection throughout the year.
In this space, researchers use a direct method to observe land snails. They count and record remaining shells in soil specimens to collect species data and assess the area.
Picture iron-wired cages filled with rocks and leaves, creating versatile snail habitats that can be adjusted for research needs.
The lower sections are for snail habitat samples, and the higher parts offer shelter. This project could serve as a prototype for snail observatories throughout the park.
Logarithmic Spiral
r(θ) = A * e Bθ (B = cot(α))
The shell keep always the same shape as it grows. A is the radius associated to θ=O. giving the distance of a curve point to origin O in terms of θ.
Morphogenesis
Based on the design boundary space, intercept the intersection curves segments from the spiral to form spatial prototypes/ reference lines.
Fractal Modulize
At a particular parameter, the intersection of the helix with the x-axis produces an array of a particular scale, allowing for cubic fractalization.
Native Material
The observatory is designed for the specific needs of land snails, with materials chosen to mimic the urban forest floor. Gabions, made from galvanized steel wire mesh filled with rock, are used for their porous and sometimes vegetated structure. Humans are considered temporary visitors in this natural construction.
Materialization
Floor 2: Research
AERO-LANTIS 05
XIANG'AN AIRPORT GROUND TRANSPORTAION CENTER
XIANG'AN AIRPORT, XIAMEN, FUJIAN, CHINA
Contribution: Team Leader, Leading Designer & Rendering GROUP WORK
Group Members: Chuhan Xu, Yichen Yang, Linglong Liang
Advisor: Minfeng Yao, Junjie Zhaizhi
Airport City, a concept initially proposed by the Koninklijke Schiphol Group in the 1990s, envisions the gradual expansion of international airports' functions beyond passenger transport to include logistics, leisure, business, residential, and office facilities. This transformation aims to attract more passengers, boost economic activity within and around the airport, and create distinctive economic zones.
The Xiamen Xiang'an New Airport, a vital transport hub linking Xiamen, JinMen, and Quanzhou, draws inspiration from the successful Jewel Changi concept. It not only serves the transportation needs of Xiang'an Airport T2 & T3 but also explores the business potential of the airport economic zone and the surrounding ecology of Aero-City. This project acts as an external showcase, highlighting the marine coastal theme and the city's unique characteristics. It establishes Xiamen's "city facade" through a futuristic rainforest immersive scene infused with metaverse technology.
Otherworks
Starfire of Shapowei
Scripting & Camera Setting based on UD project. Storyboards Presentation
Intro: On the Train
Chen is a Malaysian Chinese. He recalled the life story of his father, who used to live in Shapowei.
Chapter 1: First Step Home
Chapter 4: Homesickness Animation
When Chen set foot in his old hometown, he recalled his father's wish.
Chapter 2: An Encounter
Chen met Tang, the descendant of his father's friend, who is now a local boatman.
Chapter 3: Prosperity
Tang introduced the development of the harbour while taking him on a boat trip on the water. Intro: On the Train
Aerolantis: Metaverse Version
As dusk fell, Chen completed his root-seeking journey at the Water Lantern Festival.
Folding Manual for Bookroom Design
Python Game AIGC
LSP Bee Game: CMU 15-112 Final Project
[Video Link]
Basic Function
The core gameplay involves players assuming the role of a small bee, collecting pollen of various colors, and pollinating flowers of the same color to complete the objectives.
Randomized Weather System
Expanding on the base game, I've given it a hand-drawn look and introduced roguelike features. I've also incorporated a random weather system, including wind, rain, and volcanic eruptions, each with distinct effects.
Asset Making in Unity3D with AI
This is an indie game currently in development using Unity3D where I use AI to generate scenes, control the atmosphere, and rapidly create corresponding assets.
player if slow, bounces & pushes if fast, destroys all
Sprite Generation
[generated with Adobe Firefly]
Final Layout
Prompt: {pixelated spatious laboratory room 16bitscene top-down view 2d game art level low resolution}
Copyright © 2020-2023 Chuhan (Franklin) Xu. All Rights Reserved.