xiwang34@upenn.edu (+1)2679014722 XJTLU B Eng Major in Architecture UPenn M Arch (In Progress)
My Hometown Summer 2017
For me, if an architect loses his curiosity about the world and life, losing his repeated observation and examination of his surroundings, he will not be able to express back his warmth and care to the people who use the building. I bielive in observation, I rely on observation, which gives me the understanding to this world and myself.
In my opnion, the most greatest meaning of architect is the better life which can provided with the users, and this physical or emotional experience can last even thounds of years. One of the big problems for designer in our generration is how to deal with an established city or the accumulation of history. Therefore the observation maybe more important in nowadays architecture than other times.
A good design is not only about its own inward tension, but also about how it build the dialogue with the others. The works I selected in my portfolio represented my observation on different elements of the world, the object of observation could be tangible, such as urban, the geography, it is also could be abstract, such as society, relationships.
This portfolio included my exploration in how to use the architectual language to response to components of my observation, and how to talk to this complicated world.
The Extension of ICA, The ICA
Independent Work Instructor: Ezio Blasetti
Type: Extension of Modern Art Mesuem 2023 Fall
In contemporary life, what does art truly signify for the masses?
Furthermore, what role should an art museum play in the daily lives of the public? In the context of a transformative architectural redevelopment project that holds a certain status in the history of contemporary art, the entire project is conceptualized by contemplating why there is a need to update museums and in what aspects these updates should be carried out.
The design strategy revolves around creating a close correlation between the new museum and the surrounding community, intertwining seamlessly with the lives of community residents through a responsive integration of form and function. The significance of this new contemporary art museum lies in offering a novel and distinct perspective on the appreciation and interpretation of art. As a modern art institution, ICA remains inherently ICA, signifying that ICA is also evolving in tandem with the changes of the times. The most intriguing aspect of this design lies in contemplating the future of art, the future of art museums, and the future of life. Pondering over these aspects adds depth and interest to the overall design of this project.
Transparencies/ Translucencies/ Surface Permeability qualities begin to express surface relationships (unfolding elevation/material diagram) and reveals the agency in the elements that make up the material system The
Drawing inspiration from a randomly picked stone, the project involved smashing the stone into three pieces and designing individualcontainersforeach,subsequentlyintegratingthemthrough a structural approach. This exploration delved into the natural geometric shapes, crystalline structures, and textures present on the stone. At this juncture, the distinction between the man-made and the naturalblurred,raisingquestionsaboutourcreation-whetherweare designing containers or adapting to nature itself. The project probes intohowwedefinearchitectureanddesign,examiningtheseconcepts through the lens of our interaction with a naturally occurring object
On approach the artifact projects the assembly of solid mass and volumes through the rendering of interlocked silhouettes and suggests the description of the generation of the artifact.
The Institute of Contemporary Art is located in the University City of Philadelphia, just a five-minute walk from the nearby two universities. It is surrounded by student apartments and transportation hubs. Interestingly, it is also close to areas of Philadelphia with high crime rates. Therefore, a key focus will be on how to express the inherent vitality and community relationships of this site through architecture
Based on Project One and Project Two, use AI to generate reference concept images, providing direction that includes aspects such as volume and material textures..
The building's volume seems to mirror Projects One and Two at different scales. It appears to demonstrate how a stone growing in nature defines man-made objects and spaces. The integration of hard lines with soft fabrics is also evident. Based on this, the architecture responds to the site and existing buildings in terms of space. The preserved old structures and outwardly opening volumes indicate that the new building will be open to the community, actively interacting with its surroundings...
The Volume Design
Starting from an initially randomly discovered stone, the process ultimately evolved into a complete architectural structure. This development leveraged the powerful imagination and computational capabilities of AI. However, the critical aspect lies in integrating the AI-generated, image-oriented chaotic forms into a streamlined, functional, and structurally sound architectural scheme. Throughout the design process, it is evident that site analysis played a role in every stage. Using AI-provided images as a source of inspiration, manual adjustments were repetitively made by human designers, culminating in the final design output.
Soft curvilinear volumes and sharp internal geometric lines intertwine and entwine, creating a richspatialexperiencewheretheinsideandoutsideflowintoeachother.Thisdiversespacemeets the varied demands of contemporary art for exhibition spaces and enhances the experience of the audience.
The collision between curves and straight lines, and their mutual embedding and separation, create a good lighting environment and a rich spatial experience for the interior spaces. The spatial embedding platforms between the facade and the corevolumemakethefacademorethanjustasurface. The gaps of varying scales allow the facade to freely transition between volume, walls, and flow lines
Crack a Block
Independent Work
I Instructor: Ben Krone
Type: Renovation work: Artsits Housing
2024Fall
Starting from an analog model, I attempt to explore what can happen between the different volumes formed by the splitting of a regular cube, connecting two seemingly independent volumes through streamline, vision, and function, which can always find ways to connect at different levels. This creates a tension between the interior and exterior of the whole.
I apply this exploration to the renovation project of three old buildings at 42-50 Hudson St. Despite various restrictions and considerations for compatibility with the surrounding environment, I still opt to create distinct spatial experiences within standard volumes. By assigning functions to streamline, utilizing the transparency of different materials, and integrating with the existing building system, the new construction blends yet stands independently above the old. The connection between these seemingly independent sides occurs not only between the two volumes of the new building but also between the new and old buildings, the interior and exterior of the building, and between public and private spaces, pedestrians and residents...
Using the same method of analogue model, trying to divide the block into three different part then using the inner lines to connect each other and make the things flow
Start to deal with facade and public space, arrange a roof garden and lecture hall in the new part, add a big stairs and glass facade face to street to attract passengers in the exsiting buildings
Setting a basic cube volume over the exsiting building, to avoid interupt the urban environment and follow the geometry of the site
Turning the line into variety of forms and programs, such as green balcony, fire stairs, shared gallery, shared studios and two elevators. Also using a huge sparow stairs as facade signature elements
From the Analogue Model to the building design, the essential logic and keyword is continue and went through each step of transfrom. For a passenger, the connection happened between inside and outside. For residents, the connection happened between different volumes and private and public space. For the building itself, the connection happened between old and new structure and functions.
The overall massing is controlled and restrained, all the architectual elements rooted in this small cubes but the stories and dialogues extended to the whole block, whole neighborhood. The steel mesh and glass are largely used in the facade to create a transparency and let the skylight in, which is important for a housing building in such a high density community. The transfrom between outdoor space and indoor space also bring a new version of street facade to the community and city
I try to place a variety of public Spaces in residential buildings, such as courtyards, and galleries, studios which are especially designed for different groups of artists to satisfied all kinds of residents. One important thing of these programs is to limit the area saving for housing, blend the circulation and functional volumes is the main strategy.
All creatrive work needs communication, atomsphere, inspiration, and also, a good environment. Public space and circulation gave residents space to work, chat, hang out. Garden and new building, old building gave chance to residents to feel the culture, the nature, the time. The new steel structure and old brick wall in the studio remind people the story of this building, this community. The openness of architecture allow people to observation, but the home let poeple thinking and enjoy their lives.
Permanent Peace Memorial
If the history of human society is seen as a house, then war and peace are undoubtedly the most important beams or pillars of the house. When we focus our attention on the present, since the end of the Second World War, human society has entered a period of relatively peaceful development. However, conflict do not and have not disappeared, and undercurrent collide fiercely beneath the surface of the peace. The spread of Covid-19 epidemic has brought some of this conflict into the spotlight, bringing the subject of peace back to people's mind.
In this project, I attempted to design architecture through the interperatation and translation of Kant's and Hobbes' writing about peace, expressing an understanding and reflection on permanent peace through the manipulation of space and form.War and peace, chaos and order, are expressed in function and form respectively. I hope the design can induce the thinking of theme of the era and expectation of the future.
The Site Plan
Thetwolinesrepresenthumanconflictandtheeffortstoresolveit.Theconflictispresented in three pavilions and the two conference halls represent the solutions to the conflict. The two lines collide and intersect, thus pointing to the direction of permanent peace
The Site Conference Hall Accessibility Courtyard
Theplacementofatwistedvolumewithinatiltedandrotatedblockandthe diagonal insertion of columns break the orthogonal Cartesian coordinate system to create a sense of chaos and strangeness in the space.
'Reason and conscience are the starting point for all.'
The twisted volumes are filled with regular cubes, metaphorically praying for order in the midst of chaos, and the conference hall is a huge conical volume, also deformed to fit the theme of chaos.
'The institutions of all countries should be republican and democratic.'
The clash of religions and cultures is expressed through the typology, the volumes are still rotated and tilted, and the space is designed through the typological superimposition of typical planes of Islam, Christianity and Buddhism.
'Any war justified on religious grounds should be opposed.'
The windmill-like layout of modern architecture, the traditional oriental courtyard layout and the layout of African Malian dwellings provide the prototypesforspacesthatreflecttheconflictbetweenculturesandclasses.
'All peoples, nations and classes should be equal.'
The space comes from the original text of the statements in Permanent Peace, during the process of translation, the methodlogy of typology, and some basic opreation to forms, using designs both in plan and section to implied the text.
The juxtaposition of the rotated and twisted blocks with functional volumes creates a different kind of light and shadow space, while the form of top light adds a sense of ritual.
At the end, the block is rotated in two planes to adjust the light according to the position of the sun.
Nature Light and Shadow
Although this is an exhibition hall design, I still wanted the majority of the light be provided by natural light, with only small areas of artificial lighting. The natural light and the space displays light and shadow itself is a kind of exhibit, at different times of the day, in different seasons of the year, natural light and shadow is the most immediate design that responds to changes in the environment, and when light and shadow are also part of the building, the building will never go out of fashion.
The Wall, The Boundary, The Memorial
On the periphery of the main building is a long circular wall and corridor made of smooth stone, the long wall is often monumental in some way, the circle is somehow philosophical and Zen-like, and at the same time it becomes the boundary of the building on such a nonurban site.
The Second floor Plan
Narrative metaphor is represented by circulation and programs, except the narrative, the public space and private space also be divided in the design. knowledge and rationality as the begining also the foundation, to conferences represent the discuss process. different paths integrate in one way fianlly. The overall circulation and program design display a way of chasing peace. The endlessly extended plane in the mirror is another layer of meaning. Circulation and Narrative
From The Site, Form The Site
Andrew Lucia
This is an architectural space and experience rooted in the site itself. Every design element of the building comes from the site and the feeling that the site can bring to visitors. When I first visit the site in a winter morning, the snow covered all the plants, field, construction of the site, only trees stood and strenched themselves to be a natural boundry. When visual is blinded, mind would be openede, I can feel the vitality and passion under the heavy snow, across the boundry I can hear the water flow, the train pass by, the brids singing, then the site can extend so far. This is original start point of design. Everything in dynamic and static were blended in one field, one site.
The function of Mapping is not only to analyze or state objective conditions, but also to guide the generation of space and form, I try to discover a metholology to translate the 2D drawings to 3D volumes. In the process of design, the site is not only a physical sense, but also a field from the spiritual level to the physiological level to surround the building and human. Every grass and tree on the site, the footsteps of every flying bird, and the direction of every drop of water are included in the design. I wanted the building to exist not to demonstrate the power of artificial power, but to direct attention to the land itself
Fairmount
Using ice cubes and watercolors, I began to conduct some interesting infiltration experiments on different elements on the site. The colors and ice cubes respectively represent different elements on the site. Under the melting temperature, these colors merge with each other and flow, which I think to some extent symbolizes the active vitality of the site. Based on the results of this experiment and the record of the history and current situation of the site, this mapping is drawn, which directly guides the generation of the architectural plan
Fairmount Park is such a complete site which has great histry, variety of plants, animals and remarkable relationship to Philadelphia. How to blend the new construction with the exsiting environment is very important, the massing avoid all trees of the site, using the original path as circulation and hide the volumes underground to not interupt the landscape of Fairmount park. Entrance of the buildings is a small path go through the trees to enjoy and feel the nature lives in Fairmount park, why this can not be a process of bathing?
The connection between bathing house and urban transportation and nature context is emphsised in this design. The Entrance of whole building were hided in the forest, visitors would go through a quiet, peaceful experience before they take bath, is more like a meditation in both physical and mental perception. The corridors and courtyard keep the character of park, and most of roof in the bathing house can walk and see the views of park and lake..
Thecontinuous section shows how the design transforms the spatial experience and function and how it relates to the site, with the meandering above ground and longer route allowing visitors to wander through the forest, and the more direct underground route ensuring more efficient access.The water is not only a functional element of the bathing house, but also one of the key landscape elements that surrounds the design in every detail.. At the same time, the vertical thin columns and the timber frame of the corridor allow the building to integrate and harmonize with the natural trees in the site.
The Ocean 'Fish'
Independent Work
Instructor: Antonio Berton
Type: Biotechnology Mesuem
2023 Spring
This is my second project in Allihies, Ireland. In my previous work, I focused on the uniquely distinctive yet beleaguered mining sites and the historical context of mining in Allihies. This time, I've turned to the vast Atlantic Ocean, which Allihies confronts directly, for inspiration. My aim is to draw more tourism, educational, and economic resources to the area through design. Thus, I've placed an emphasis on functionality in this project, aspiring to introduce new modes of transportation, lifestyle, and industrial revitalization to Allihies. The answer, I believe, lies in designing and constructing a Marine Biotechnology Museum. Why not? Allihies has a rich fishing history, yet it has experienced the decline of the fishing industry and marine resources.
I sought to derive the architectural concept from both its historical and current context, integrating computational algorithms in technology to inspire the design. The transitional relationships between geometric points, lines, and planes become ambiguous here, as does the boundary between nature and architecture. From a human perspective, we regard this as a Marine Biology Museum, but in the vast expanse of the ocean, what really differentiates us from these marine creatures? I also hope that the spatial and exhibition design of the building will provoke thought and evoke emotion. This design embodies two impactful aspects of architecture, as I see it: social functionality and the ability to resonate on an individual level.
Allihies Village
Cork, Ireland
The small port is set up at the furthest point from the beach and closest to the road, making it easier for visitors who do not aim to visit the museum to get in and out.
A small courtyard containing rocks and sea water is enclosed in the centre of the building, allowing natural light while avoiding the need for large sea-facing windows.
Business&Office Exhibition Watertank
The business and offices are close to the shore, near the most trafficked areas, the café has a view of the courtyard and the sea, and the shop is just at the end of the exhibition flow and where the campsite is located
The main exhibition space and flow shows the evolution of marine life, from underwater to land and to the beach, and gives the crowd a guide to the beach.
The water tank inserted like an insert is part of the exhibition and part of the landscape.
The lines obtained by determining the starting and ending points determine the overall orientation of the building
The isolated surfaces are linked together by twisting, joining and so on, while the courtyard enclosures appear in between.
It is also possible to determine the functions represented by each streamline thanks to the determination of the start and end points
Turning each line into a surface according to the geometry of the fish
Placement of water tanks in public spaces as both landscape and exhibition
Placing public spaces and waterfront spaces close to the sea
Courtyard
From Lines to Massing
The terraced platform, which floods part of the steps and pool at high tide, allows for interaction between architecture and nature, nature and people in this site
The water tanks are connected to the sea and also house some marine life, making it seem as if visitors are visiting an exhibition under the sea, while the relationshipbetweenthetanksandtheseaalsomakes the interaction between architecture and nature more interesting.
Theroof,whichcanbewalkedon,isalsoplanted with greenery and serves as the end of the flow of the documentary exhibition, as well as a viewing platform facing the sea. A flow that attracts visitors to the entire exhibition
The Museum in GuangDong
Internship Work
Instructor: Kengo Kuma & Associate
Type: Culture Museum
2024 Summer (On Going)
This is an culture museum in Dongguan, Guangdong, where I was responsible for the design of lobby, deciding the materials and geometry of ceiling, producting the construction drawings and diagrams. I learned a lot from the experience and theroy of Kuma's work and Kuma. Knowing the standard of a high-level design and work flow.
Museum of Shen's Garden
Internship Work
Instructor: Archi-Union
Type: Urban Renovation
2021 Summer (On Going)
This is an art museum in Fengxian District, where I was responsible for the later stage of design, the construction of the digital model, producting the construction drawings, the coordination with the structural department, etc. In this project I understood the huge gap between academic and practice in architecture.
08 Other Works
This is a collection of other works I have done at school, as well as projects I have done during my internship. These projects document the parts of my life that are related to architecture so far, but architecture is not a discipline that can be isolated from my personal life, paintings and photographs can also express my attitude and thoughts about the world and architecture.
Sui Yuan Housing
Acdaemic Work
Instructor: Mengcen Shen
Individual Work
2020 Autumun
Thisprojectfocusesonthetypologyofpensionhousingandtheintegration of the local culture with the layout, using a typological approach to study and develop a new paradigm for retirement housing in Suzhou through the analysis of Suzhou gardenssilence.
