Cover image: Val di Sole, Malé, Autonomous Province of Trento, Italy
Martin Heidegger gave the title “Bauen, Wohnen, Denken” (“Building, Dwelling, Thinking”) to an essay with his reflections on what it means when men build homes and live in specific places. Building, dwelling, and thinking are activities which belong together and which men use as ways to learn about and be part of the world. Heidegger observed that our thinking, as abstract as it may seem, is closely connected with our experience of place. This has something to do with the fact that man exists in places, that it is from places that he forms his relationships with the world –or simply, that he lives in the world.
Peter Zumthor, Thinking Architecture
Light, Photography, Nanjing, 2019.11
GUANYU WANG
EDUCATION
Sep 2020 - August 2023
Sep 2023 - current
EXPERIENCE
Apr 2022 - May 2022
Sep 2022
Feb 2024
July 2024
Politecnico di Milano
Bachelor of science (B. Sc.) Architectural design
Average grade 27.17
University of Stuttgart
Institute for Computational Design and Construction
Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design
Institute of Building Construction
Erasmus exchange, M.Sc. Integrative Technologies and Architectural Design Research
Participated in the international master program Integrative Technologies and Architectural Design Research studio as well as several studio related semianrs: Computational Design; Form and Structure; Robotic Fabrication; Computational Exploration; Wood Physics and Engineered Wood Products; Mycelium Textile Hybrid In the Design Research studio worked on the investigation of the design, performance, and fabrication space of bioinspired responsive morphologies on 1:1 large-scale architectural applications.
Politecnico di Milano Mycelium mesh matters workshop
Scientific Director: Prof Ingrid Paoletti. Reference Teachers: Phd student Giorgio Castellano Phd candidate Olga Beatrice Carcassi
Camposaz 33:33 Riva del Garda Self construction workshop
University of Stuttgart Wood workshop
University of Stuttgart C# scripting and plugin development for grasshopper workshop
COMPUTER SKILLS
Ms office Word | PowerPoint
Adobe CC Photoshop | Indesign | Lightroom | Illustrator
2021 On Duality A Pavilion in an Alpine forest.......................................................................................................8
2022 On Continuity
A house in Montes.......................................................................................................................12
2022 Ecomuseo "Terre d'acqua fra Oglio e Po"
Adaptive reuse of Ecomuseo "Terre d'acqua fra Oglio e Po" and its surrounding river
Oglio, river Po area...................................................................................................................18
2022 Biblioteca Europea di Informazione e Cultura
An attempt to address the gentrification problem................................................................24 2023 City and Aging
Machine learning based optimizaion for thermal performance of a wall with complex infill geometry..............................................................................................................................40
On Duality
A Pavilion in an Alpine forest
Architectural Design Studio 2
Professors: Mauro Marinelli, Giulia Fava
Tutors: Stefano Banfi, Kevin Santus, Francesca Berni
Architecture need meanings. And these meanings are delivered trough the experience that people will have in our architecture. Experiences happen in places and need time (every experience has to do with a precise duration and location): that is why architecture is about time and space.
Inspired by the traditional Chinese TaiChi culture, the project takes a symbolic approach to express this idea of the unity of the opposites. In this case, light and darkness. The shape of the pavilions resemble each other in an opposite way, resulting two entirely different experience in each of the pavilions: embraced by light or darkness. The pavilions also interact with the shadows casted by the trees in the middle, exposing the philosophy of TaiChi
Roof plan 1:50
Plan 1:50
Elevation B
Elevation A 1:50
Elevation B 1:50
Elevation A
Section 1:50
On Continuity
A house in Montes
Architectural Design Studio 2
Professors: Mauro Marinelli, Giulia Fava
Tutors: Stefano Banfi, Kevin Santus, Francesca Berni
Students: Guanyu Wang, Fangxiao
Lyu, Weiting Liu
Contribution: Team leader, All presented works
Located in Montes, a small Village in Val di Sole, the project is an attempt to rediscover the potiental of building in an Alpine area. The delicate context has led to all the design choices.
The project resembles 2 strips of volume connected by a pergola in the middle, resulting a shaded garden. The garden works as an inbetween space so as to generate a continuity between the landscape and the village. The shape of the building and the material choice are the result of studying on the existing building, topography and local material. The heavy stone wall of the basement is constructed with a mixed technique between adobe and cyclopean wall, reusng the stone from the existing building. The extior will be chiped to let the stone resuface. The materiality of the wall creats a continuity with the village and mountain.
Topography study
Detail 1: 20
Maquette 1: 20
Ecomuseo "Terre d'acqua fra Oglio e Po"
Adaptive reuse of Ecomuseo "Terre d'acqua fra Oglio e Po" and its surrounding river Oglio, river Po area
Ecomuseum "Terre d'acqua fra Oglio e Po": it is an ecomuseum in the province of Mantua created with the aim of documenting, preserving and enhancing the historical memory and identity of the territory in its material and immaterial manifestations.
Interior Design Studio
Professors: Elena Montanari, Cristina Federica Colombo
Students: Guanyu Wang, Fangxiao
Lyu, Weiting Liu, Yusi Fu
Contribution: Team leader, All presented works
The architectural body of Ecomuseum "Terre d'acqua fra Oglio e Po" is the exthermoelectric power station of San Matteo delle Chiaviche.
The project was Inspired by the BMW guggenheim lab, Wenex center for art and many other modular systems, as well as the geometrical pattern of the Poplar. A floating ceiling was inserting into the central part of the venue. It contains all kinds of devices for events that could occurs inside the venue: projection system, sound diffusion system, lighting system etc. This Volumetric presence of the ceiling also emphasize the centrality of the space, creating a very strong three dimensionality.
The pavilion over the boatbridge area is gentle gesture responding to the local context. The lightweight modular structure follows the alignment of the poplar, framing the landscape. It defines space for people to stop by and to enjoy the nature. The frame interacts with the existing tree, thus creating an atmosphere that lays in between nature and artifacts
Ecomuseo "Terre d'acqua fra Oglio e Po"
Ecomuseo "Terre d'acqua fra Oglio e Po"
Boat bridge area plan 1:200
Section 1:200
Oglio e Po"
Oglio e Po"
Biblioteca Europea di Informazione e Cultura
An attempt to address the gentrification problem
Building Technology Studio
Professors: Ingrid Paoletti, Andrea Rebecchi
Tutors: M.Anishchenko, M. D’Alessandro, S.Mangili, V.Marsaglia, R.Postorino, T.Sun
Students: Guanyu Wang, Ruilin Dong
Contribution: Drawings, Collage
Gentrification in Milan's neighborhoods is a complex issue influenced by new developments led by the municipality. It's forseenable that the BEIC development would also cause such issues. While these developments promise to enhance the quality of life in the area, they also bring the risk of rising accommodation costs, potentially displacing long-standing residents. This phenomenon, known as gentrification, is an inevitable consequence of urban development. However, it often occurs discreetly, with few people fully aware of its impact. Addressing this unavoidable process, the project proposes a unique solution: the use of removable facade panels to evoke a sense of fragility. These panels will be systematically removed as original inhabitants leave the neighborhood, symbolizing the gradual transformation. Moreover, the recycled panels will contribute to the creation of urban furnishings and small pavilions, fostering sustainability and repurposing resources.
Politecnico di Milano - Scuola di Architettura, Urbanistica e Ingegneria delle Costruzioni
Professors: Ingrid Paoletti, Andrea Rebecchi; Teaching Assistants: M.Anishchenko, M. D’Alessandro, S.Mangili, V.Marsaglia, R.Postorino, T.Sun
Politecnico di Milano - Scuola di Architettura, Urbanistica e Ingegneria delle Costruzioni
Ruilin Dong matr.967106 Guanyu Wang matr.968098
Professors: Ingrid Paoletti, Andrea Rebecchi; Teaching Assistants: M.Anishchenko, M. D’Alessandro, S.Mangili, V.Marsaglia, R.Postorino, T.Sun
Politecnico di Milano - Scuola di Architettura, Urbanistica e Ingegneria delle Costruzioni
Ruilin Dong matr.967106 Guanyu Wang matr.968098
Professors: Ingrid Paoletti, Andrea Rebecchi; Teaching Assistants: M.Anishchenko, M. D’Alessandro, S.Mangili, V.Marsaglia, R.Postorino, T.Sun
Looking at the United Nations data, the percentage of individuals over 65 in the total population in 2019 amounted to 9%. This number is expected to increase to 16% by 2050. But if we look at these figures nationwide, what emerges is an even more radical picture. In fact, in countries such as Germany, Japan, Spain, North Korea, and Italy, the percentages over 65s will exceed 30%. Population aging has already been becoming a new urban question.
Employing an ethnographic methodology, our study delved deeply into the Milan Bicocca area, renowned for its juxtaposition of contemporary urban spaces with historical districts. Through meticulous observation, drawing, and interviewing, we gained a nuanced understanding of the area's context and heightened awareness of its inhabitants' needs. The resultant scenario, though seemingly simplistic, embodies a thoughtful response to the daily lives and requirements of the elderly populationa.
The 12 images on the left depict various moments of the life of the elderly. They were all from our personal archive, yet we are so unfamiliar with them. These photos describe elderly individuals engaged in activities such as working, socializing, playing chess, and dealing with illness. And they capture the remarkable combination of strength and fragility inherent in the elderly, both mentally and physically. The sequence of the images is chronological, representing the progression from the early stages of old age to the end of the human life cycle. Despite often being overlooked in society, the elderly play a vital role, particularly in their continued participation in the workforce. By working, the elderly are engaging themselves with the society relentlessly.
City and Aging | Bachelor 6. Semester | 2023
The services offered in the neighborhood directly impact the life quality of it’s
The need of a physical place in good conditions for social interaction
The clash and separation between the new part and old part offers challenges and opportunities for the neighborhood
The Human scale is an important factor when we design the city
Scenario: Bocciofila
Scenario: Auser facility
Computational exploration
exploration - a digital turn
Splat
Robot based remote material deposition
Computational design seminar
Professors: Achim. Menges
Tutors: M. Alvarez, M. Papadimitraki, L. Skoury, T. Schwinn
Students: guanyu wang, jack otto, jonas mertens, kaji kwang
Contribution: Concept development; Robot programming; Communication protocol
This project explores remote material deposition (RMD) and its impact on the spatial relationship between building and machine. A multifunctional end effector mounted on a 6-axis KUKA robot performs distance sensing, computer vision, and paper-water mix deployment ("spitballs"). The system ensures precise control and realtime adjustments via microcontroller and serial communication. Software handles data exchange, spitball location detection, and accuracy improvement through a linear regression model. Despite minor challenges with calibration and firing consistency, the prototype demonstrates significant potential for versatile, adaptable RMD applications.
formwork material (paper, plexiglass, plywood, fabric, cardboard, foam A, foam B, mesh, polystyrene) material system
base material paper adhesive (rice paste, flour paste, wheat starch paste, rice water, water)
remote material deposition, ETH, 2014
end effector design - anatomy
interactive robotic plastering, ETH, 2022
adhesion cohesion viscosity
drying time
structural integrity
surface finish
aggregate structure, ICD, 2014
“insert” insert cartridge
“recharge” move to next pos of cartridge
“shoot” execute shooting procedure
“state” send current state
“distance” send value of distance sensor
Influencing Parameters Pitch
send_string(“insert”)
send_string(“shoot”)
send_string(“recharge”)
Seminar: Computing in Architecture
Summer semester 2024
Integrative Technology and Architecture Design Research
Professor: Tenure-Track Prof. Dr. Thomas Wortmann
Tutor: Max Benjamin Zorn
Students: Samuel Slezak, Pouria Shahhoseini Nia, Guanyu Wang
This project examines the thermal performance of 3D printed walls, aiming to optimize wall geometry for heat transfer characteristics. The study uses 2D finite element method (FEM) simulations on three cross-sections of a 3D-printed wall sample. Variables in the optimization include grid density, panel thickness, and material layer thickness. The research applies Latin Hypercube Sampling and explores singleobjective and multiobjective optimization to balance thermal performance and resource efficiency. The project encountered challenges with software compatibility and resolution limitations during the simulation phase. Various optimization algorithms were compared, with RBFOPT showing faster convergence and higher hypervolume. Time constraints prevented the implementation of a Physics-Informed Neural Network approach. The study contributes to thermal analysis methods for complex 3D-printed architectural elements, though further research is needed to validate the findings.
This project stems from the first-year ITECH studio, focusing on designing a 3D-printed wall optimized for multiple parameters. One of the primary goal of it is to ensure thermal comfort while reducing energy consumption. However, the wall's complex geometry presents a challenge for thermal analysis, making it an ideal subject for our project.
File conversion & Optimization process
Optimization obejctive
We selected the above 4 parameters as the objectives of optimization process. For single objective optimization(SOO), we opt to optimize for the minimizing the U Value, so as to achieve the best the insulation value. For multi objective optimization (MOO), we choose to minimize the U Value and the PETG volume and to maximize the PCM volume and surface area.
Heat transfer simulation workflow
Rhino8
Rhino8
Rhino6
Slicing Grasshopper geometry
Resulting section Honeybee therm heat transfer simulation Averaging U Value
Single objective optimization | performance & clustering
Multi-objective optimization | performance
Supervised machine learning: surrogate model performance
Optimized result
Variables
Grid_X: 10
Grid_Y: 3
Grid_Z: 4
Panel thickness: 0.11 m
Print width: 0.003 m
Objectives
U Value: 0.208373 W/m²K
Variables
Grid_X: 11
Grid_Y: 2
Grid_Z: 4
Panel thickness: 0.40 m
Print width: 0.003
Objectives
U Value: 0.20774 W/m²K
Variables
Grid_X: 6
Grid_Y: 1
Grid_Z: 3
Panel thickness: 0.11 m
Print width: 0.003 m
Objectives
U Value: 0.208804 W/m²K
Variables
Grid_X: 20
Grid_Y: 4
Grid_Z: 4
Panel thickness: 0.11 m
Print width: 0.003 m
Objectives U
0.208373 W/m²K
Variables
Grid_X: 20
Grid_Y: 3
Grid_Z: 4
Panel thickness: 0.40 m
Print width: 0.003
Objectives
Variables
Grid_X: 19
Grid_Y: 4
Grid_Z: 4
Panel thickness: 0.40 m
Print width: 0.003 m
Objectives
Gemini coral growth
A computational exploration on differential line growth
Computational design seminar
Professors: Achim. Menges
Tutors: M. Alvarez, M. Papadimitraki, L. Skoury, T. Schwinn
Students: Yu-Lun Chiu, Farouk EL KIHAL, Jonas Klemm, GuanYu Wang
Contribution: Differential growth research, 3D mesh approach from C# conversion to python, concept development, report content, presentation compiling
Coral is an underwater creature that is highly sensitive to its exterior surroundings. While encountering force from ocean currents, it adjusts the growing form for better efficiency and stability. Furthermore, it avoids pollution and obstacles while cultivating, and tends to approach the area which contains more abundant nutrition. We are appealed by its thriving vitality and the organic growing form that is interactive with external conditions.
The coral’s dependance on the environment makes its whole growing process more diverse, creating a wide variety in its pattern and geometry. Thus, we would like to carry out our design with a pair of corals dependently growing along each other in this final project, developing an algorithm that imitates the corals’ growing behavior. Moreover, we would also like to include the interaction with the outer condition, such as nutrient area, boundaries, and obstacles, to complete our design. The final geometry would be the result of a pair of gemini coral growth that follows the manipulated outer conditions.
Algorithm - w workflow and system definition 2D differential line growth - 3D
Class Definition Functions Definition Outcome
Curve Generation Particle Class
Particle Movement
- Update particle velocities based on repulsion forces.
Define a class of Particle with attributes like position and velocity.
Algorithm - w workflow and system definition
Mesh subdivision
- Update particle positions based on their velocities.
- Insert new particles between existing ones if the distance between them exceeds a certain threshold
Nutrient Reaction, Obstacle Avoidance and Boundary
- Evaluate a nutrient reaction function based on the position of particles relative to nutrient spheres.
- Check the distance of the curves from a Brep (iBrep), and adjust the position of particles accordingly to avoid collisions.
- Generate curves from the updated positions of particles (curve_points_1 and curve_points_2).
Create a class of MeshGrowthSystem with an initial Rhino mesh.
Mesh Growth Update
- Set parameters such as Grow, MaxVertexCount, and others.
- Call SplitAllLongEdges() to split long edges if the vertex count is below the maximum.
- Initialize lists for weighted moves and weights for each vertex.
Edge Length Constraint
- Calculate and accumulate movements for each vertex based on edge length constraints.
- Adjust vertices to maintain desired edge lengths.
Collision Detection & Bending Resistance
- Use either pairwise checking or RTree for collision detection.
- Resolve collisions between vertices by adjusting their positions.
- Apply bending resistance to the mesh to maintain its quality.
Update Vertex Positions & Generate Final Mesh
- Update the positions of vertices based on accumulated movements and weights.
- Retrieve the resulting Rhino mesh using GetRhinoMesh().
growth and maximum vertex count, while the split edge function initiates mesh edge splitting. Subsequent steps involve the implementation of methods such as Process Edge Length Constraint, Collision Detection, and Process Bending Resistance, which collectively determine the differential forces exerted on mesh vertices and shape the growth pattern of the mesh. Ultimately, the Update Vertex Position method facilitates the adjustment of vertex positions based on the cumulative movements of each vertex, resulting in the generation of differentiated mesh geometry as the final output.
coral growth with one input point list
Single
Gemini coral growng dependantly without collision
Final geometry
Other Works
Mycelium textile hybrid exploration
Contributors: Muhamad Faiz; Hosung Jung; Guanyu Wang
Useless machine - Tony, the silly cyborg
Contributors: Jiuyuan Liu; shaqayeq tahavvori; Guanyu Wang
