2015-2019_Portfolio

PORTFOLIO

JUNRU XU

JUNRU XU jx2366@columbia.edu 3127312182

Work Samples 01 Voyage

GSAPP Spring studio, Spring 2019

02 MONTESSORI KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL IIT 3th Year Studio, Spring 2016

03 OBAMA PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY IIT 4th Year studio, Fall 2016

04 DIGITAL THERAPY GARDEN GSAPP Fall studio, Fall 2018

05 MILKWAY IN THE CITY

GSAPP Summer studio, Summer 2018

06 SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY IIT 5th Year studio, Fall 2017

07 CULTURE CRAFT CARRIER IIT 3th Year Studio, Fall 2015

08 LAND OF IDYLLIC BEAUTY GSAPP FALL, Fall 2018

09 The New Lever

GSAPP FALL, Fall 2018

10 INTERACTIVE CUBE

IIT Design Communication Class, Spring 2017

01 Voyage GSAPP Spring Studio, Floating New York, Spring 2019 Site: Anable Basin. New York Instructor: Laurie Hawkinson Group work. Partner: Shuang Zhao, Zheng Xiang Role in the project: concept development, section, plan and section design, program research and design.

The Voyage is an intelligent co-work campus based on an internal movement system with connections of urban circulation. “Space Decentralization” “Resource Distribution” and “Public Engagement”, the 3 main drivers lead us to design the flexible systems for all enterprises in the campus and the general public to share spaces and tools. In a larger urban context, the campus plays a role as a movement hub and distribution center.

The Voyage Public vs Private? Amazon, 2018, announced that a new headquarters at Anable Basin in Long island City is planned to be opened. The Amazon giant will bring huge population into this era, a Queens neighborhood, that is a mix of row houses, towers, and a slowly growing collection of local residential infrastructure and amenities. Conflicts, which are assumable, between the newly arrived individuals and the local public, the intensive cooperation and dispersed development, the private sector and the public, became the starting point of this project.

Moving space typologies

The Voyage The Voyage is an intelligent co-work campus based on an internal movement system with connections of urban circulation.

A-A section

Site section

Bird’s View Axon

Physical model / Transportation hub section Moving spaces

02 Montessori Kindergarten School IIT 3th Year Studio, Spring 2016 Site: Chinatown. Chicago Instructor: Rechard Nelson Individual work

According to the urban environment with the surrounding residential area, easy access to the community becomes my point. Architecture as an enclosed space is always about interior systems. On the contrary, facade as an outside constructon to face the urban environment becomes potential to make more connection between the building and the urban context. Stretched facade with programs becomes my idea to consider it as an attraction to the people.

Communication between the children from different classrooms is also important to think about. Sharing garden activity area between the classroons becomes an effective way to improve the interaction among all the students.

The site located at Chinatown residential area in Chicago. In this project, we are asked to design Montessori Kindergarten school with arcitecture orgarnization and system.

First floor plan axon

Buiding is created to be highly open to the community which provides eay access and interesting activities.

Second floor plan axon Second Floor Classroom is connected with first floor classrooms by stairs in functional facade. Roof garden and activity space are also considered to strengthen the communication between the students and teachers

Functional Elevation

Interior Perspective

Typical Classroom Activities Interaction Diagram

Interactive plan activities break the traditonal class space. Actvities are seperated in the classrooms but also connected with each other for communication and learning.

Typical Classroom Functional Facade Diagram

Stretched facade becomes a space with multiple functions.It is a protection construction, it is also a space area with urban context to connect environment.

03 Obama Presidential Library IIT 4th Year Studio, Fall 2016 Site: Jackson park. chicago Instructor: Donna V, Robertson Group work. Partner: Yechi Zhang Role in the project: concept development, structure design, plans and site plan design, program research and design.

I want to apply for justice and fair so I send this email to fix this information.

The project is about Obama Presidential Library, one of the Obama mission center. I hope this project not only shows the monumental, great intention as an identified presidential library about Obama’s policy and proposals but also provide more access to all ages residents for them to know about the policy of the government to improve the health of communities. Michelle Garden is one of our proposals to provide an educational space for protecting children from climate changing.

The other two buildings of the Obama center are the Museum and the Institute. I put the Library at the north of the jackson park to show the important statute of the archives. The museum at the south of the site to face the senior high school to show more about the energy and open to the public and welcome for students to visit and study. The institute is located in the middle of the park to connect the Museum and institute.

A

B

A Underground Floor Plan

First Floor Plan

B

Second Floor

A-Asection

Third Floor Plan

Forth Floor Plan

B-B section According to the south site location, jackson park in Chicago and the lake view, to show the important status as a presidential Library, a gradient glass facade is created to face the north chicago center The peculiar outside shell makes the library become a landmark to attract the people the views from the outside. To show collection of the Presidential Library, the big collection shelf is put in the center of the building . A big open road is to go through the building which make easy access for people going spontaneously use. This road also divides the building to two parts. One is more scholar and another one is more open to public and civic use. Two parts divide the main different program to protect the archival space privacy, at the same time , the central road also connect the two parts together. The garden in the sunken area which idea is from the Michelle Obama to teach people to have hearth life.

Material and wall section ETFE Shell material with the big atria make the library has its own special micro-climate system and automatic temperature control as a green building which does more to the climate change.

Program diagram Two systems are be provides to people with different purpose.

Two parts of the building are seperated by public and scholar use which

04 Digital Therapy Garden GSAPP Fall Studio, Fall 2018 Site: Governors Island. New York Instructor: Phu Hoang, Rachely Rotem Group work. Partner: Huiru Yang Role in the project: concept development, plans design, program research and design.

People have the tendency to present reality in social media in a brighter color than it is. This project takes a positive position to digital technology, and uses it as an enhancer of the physical world; to connect the physical and digital world. The therapy garden links these worlds and offers experiences for six senses to raise people’s awareness. We propose to add a sixth sense to the other five senses. Besides touch, hearing, smell, sight, and taste, the digital sense is integrated into all five senses, to enhance the five senses through digital mean. For example, people can experience the growth process with Augmented Reality, there will be screens projected and displayed on the meshes. Through using mesh moire to create playful space, we encourage people to experience and feel the texture of both the digital and the physical world.

Junru Xu

jx2366@columbia.edu

3127312182

Site Strategy Units are designed with different size responding to different visiting group scale. Multiple spaces of interior, exterior, semi-interior, semi-exterior are interacted each other to create plenty of experience. Rotated units in the center of site make the building without corridors but second layer public space.

Food Concourse + Playful Mesh

Public Space + Playful Mesh

Digital Garden + Playful Mesh

Living Area + Playful Mesh

A Therapy: Kitchen & Garden A Therapy: Kitchen & Garden

A Therapy: Kitchen & Garden

Meshes prototypes

Perspectives

05 Milkway in the City GSAPP Summer Studio, Here and after, Summer 2018 Site: Woodlawn, New York Instructor: Karla Rothstein Group work. Partner: Nanxi Su Role in the project: concept development, plans design, program research and design.

We propose to open Woodlawn’s boundaries, bringing the city to the cemetery, creating a luminous dialogue between the remembrance of the dead and the larger, adjacent community. Memorial space is created to provide a place for all New Yorkers – the housed and the homeless alike. A networked system connects mausoleum clusters. To preserve the limited land of the cemetery, multilevel morphologic spaces are created in response to exiting topography, vegetation, and memorials.

Multifunctional public spaces are provided to increase everyday access and se and services for everyone. The process of biomethanization transforms the deceased into energy materialized as light – a temporal ritual disposition to honor and cherish the deceased, and extend access to the larger public.

06 Sustainable Community IIT 5th Year Studio, fall 2017 Site: Festival Pier. Philadelphia Instructor: Travel Lee, Ron Henderson Individual work

A

A

The site locates at Philadelphia Festival Pier which besides the Delware River. The Project focuses on using renewable technology and habitat strategy to solve the environment and community problems.

According to the lakefront site location, meeting the challenges about the unhealthy habitat environment, I want to give the Festival Pier a new life by bring the sustainable habitat environmnet, renewable technology and people’s activities.

Project includes 4 main points: 1 Blue messuel harvesting and marketing with Water recycling, cleaning.

2 Renewable Technology about wind, fog and solar generator.

3 Green habitat about wet land and offshore forest.

4 Human Habitat with Mutiple activitites and Residential attractions.

Site plan

Girard

FOREST VIEW

43

Ave

SAIL ATTRACTION

Wetland and Blue Mussel havest

FRANKFORDAVE

LAKE VIEW

Plants forest on land HABITAT VIEW Entrance Grove GARDEN VIEW

Girard

Ave

BRIDGE VIEW

FRANKFORDAVE

15

43

SPRING GA

VIEWS& VISTA

BOTANY&BOTANY

RDEN ST

REET

15 Delaware River

AWA RE

AVE

Musem

SPRING GA

Swimming Pool

RDEN ST

REET

Blue Mussel Restaurant

DEL

Entrance Plaza Blue Mussel and wetland Blue Mussel cafe

Walk down habitat experience

Delaware River

“Sail”-------Innovative Technology Blue Mussel market

n Frankli

n Bridg

Water center Theatre

AVE

Benjami

DEL

AWA RE

e

SEQUENCE OF ATTRACTIONS

CIRCULATION Benjami

n Frankli

n Bridg

e

Renewable Technology Museum which introduce Technology about Wind&Solar&fog renewable techonology

CONNECTION NODE

Blue Mussel Restaurant which uses blue mussel harvested in the site

SITE LIGHT RAIL 15

Blue Mussel Market where people can buy seafood and drink cafe and but some crafts

SUBWAY MFL

“Sail” on the water which uses Solar&wind&fog generator innovative technology

BUS ROUTE

Residential building where there are 3 individual buildings connect together for more wind ciculation

BUS LINE WATER TAXI STOPS

CONNECTION NODE

BUFFERED BIKE LANE

SITE

Site Information

LIGHT RAIL 15

MAIN BUIDING

SUBWAY MFL BUS ROUTE 43

BUS LINE WATER TAXI STOPS

Site Information

BUFFERED BIKE LANE

Water convertered

Electricity for building use

Oyster for Restaurant

Recycling water for Swimming Pool

River water cleaned by Oysters

Bridge view Platform

Lake Center Oyster Bar

Oyster Cultivation wetland

Swimming Pool

“Sail”------Energe Converter

Oyster recycling water for building use

Renewable Technology Museum

43

RENEWABLE ENERGY

07 CULTURE CRAFT CARRIER IIT 3th Year Studio, Fall 2015 Site: Lake shore park. chicago Instructor: Martin Klaschen Individual work

Lakeshore park is located at the center of downtown chicago. We are asked to decide the characteristic of the building category and design the building in the topic of Hybrid.

Considering the high density of the downtown chicago with the progress of rapid urbanization development, It is very hard to find a vacant area at the center of the city. Therefore, I thinnk it is a potential to use the roof area as a urban space for people utilizing. For easier access, roof ramp is created to introduce people to walk from ground level to the roof level.

With the concerning of the environment programs, high density leads to the lack of the gathering space and communication area, so I think about the building could be like a hybrid carrier to contain not only cuture, commerce programs but also landscape and views for people to gather, relax, communicate and enjoy the wonderful time.

Culture craft carrier is not only a building but a urban design space to consider the architecture operation and systems with the urban contect.

Site Analysis With the consideration of the special site location, Lake shore park has a very close location to the main commerce area and easy access to enjoy the lake view. Main environment program are consist of the market and culture activities, therefore, the building with the culture service space and gathering space is to be considered.

Free plan with Multi-function space The Building with cafe, retails, restaurants, library and center service area under the stairs is a friendly open space to welcome the people to get together, communicate and make friends.

A-A Section Huge stairs are transportation tools to connect roof level with ground level in the building. At the same time, it is also a multiple function space to make activities happen. Under the stairs, these are restrooms, kitchen, private research room and quiet relax space.

Urban Design Proposal Roof staris as a urban design space has easy access to the people and introduce visitors to up to the end of the building to enjoy the nice lake view. At the same time. It is also a great space to gather and relax.

08 Land of Idyllic Beauty GSAPP Fall_ Ultra Real, Fall 2018 Instructor: Joseph Brennan Phillip Crupi Group work. Partner: Zhangzheng Yang, Mengxi Liang, Ruxiao Liu

We not only think of rendering as a method of presentation but also a tool for design. In addition to learning techniques for creating ultrarealistic images, We focus on color, light, material, context, reflection, and opacity throughout the entire design project.

We use V-Ray for 3D Studio Max as the main engine for exploration. We use Rhino and 3DS Max as modeling tools.

The land of Idyllic beauty is the project we practice. The Idyllic place in our dream is the place far away from the urban noise, it is the place where we can meditate and find the inside peace. The traditional Chinese temple becomes the archeprototype which we develop our main pavilion from. It is in the deep forest and located at the waterfront.

Front View

Inside Perspective

Environment Context

09 The New Lever GSAPP Fall_ Rethinking-Bim, Fall 2018 Instructor: Gui Talarico, Jared Friedman Group work. Partner: Huiru Yang

Luxury Residential

Responsive facades movement Based on the financial crisis of the Level House and fewer developments of building programs.

We propose to retrofit the building to give the Level House a new life from 3 perspectives, reprogramming, facade conversion and engaging the public.

Responsive Facade

Movable facade responding to the different sunlight radiance

Office

First, Reprogramming Compared to the traditional office, we give new programs of the sky gardens, luxury residential, commercial area and rental area to improve the value of the building to attract the tenants.

Second, Facade Conversion Consider the sunlight radiant problem; we give another layer of the responsive facade which can open or close depending on the different sunlight radiant. In this way, the building will not only be sustainable but also reduce sun pollution.

Third, Engaging the Public To engage the environment and provide more access, the lower levels are redesigned to create three levels of the green plaza with terrace stairs to welcome the people. New rentals and shops are introduced to the ground level area to interact with the public based on the sunlight radiance.

Sky Gardens

Providing more green space in the building

Open Garden/Terrace

Engaging the environment to give more access for the building to attract people stay

Urban Multi-level Plaza

Engaging the environment to sharing the plaza with public

Program Diagram

Lady bug__radiance analysis in winter Responsive Facade__Open more in winter to get sunlight

Lady bug__radiance analysis in summer Responsive Facade__Close more in summer to reduce radiance

Perspective

10 INTERACTIVE PUPPY CUBE IIT Design Communication Instructor: Joel Putnam Group work Partners: Shichen Li Jingyun Liu

Force sensor

Control panel

Using simulation engines and virtual reality tools, We develop immersive, interactive environments in 4 dimensions while continuing development of skills in object oriented thinking. Using basic electronics and small programmable computers called Microcontroller’s students will create responsive or interactive physical spaces with light or motion. Using a combination of thesenew technologies students will explore the entanglement, computation has enabled, between media and the built environment.

Power

Temperature sensor

Foot

In this project, we were asked to physical computing exercises with photon chip microcontrollers studies in simulation engine work flows and basic scripting for interaction and responsive systems. The concept of the Puppy Cube is providing a virtual Puppy experience to the people who do not have a real puppy. With different trigger condition, the cube will response to the master by sound, color, and motion with physically interactive systems.

Program/Software: Particle Platform Hardware/Chip: Photon chips Code: C#

Puppy Cube

Design Prototype

Photon Chips Force sensor

Vibrate Chip

Interior cable management

11 Other Works

Sketch drawings

Architecture hand drawing

14 JUNE 2019

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION JUNRU XU

Dear Colleagues, It is an honor to write on behalf of XU Junru. Junru was my student in a studio course that I led at Illinois Institute of Technology that included Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Architecture, and Master of Landscape Architecture students investigating the littoral realm of piers in Philadelphia and Chicago as sites for riverine and lacustrine ecologies and twenty-first century urban residences. The confluence of human and non-human agency is central to the problem this studio pursued. Junru emerged with the strongest design voice among a group of 13 and her project was a nuanced and comprehensive study. She is engaged, skillful, and ambitious.

I also know that she was among the leaders in her graduating class and graduated magna cum laude. This is an exceedingly difficult profession in which to achieve such distinction and is testament to her intelligence and focus. I was also nominator for her for the Chicago Women in Architecture's Gertrude Lempp Kerbis Scholarship - a highly competitive and distinguished recognition for which she was selected. In my letter to the scholarship committee, I noted her design leadership and clarity of thinking in addition to her personal qualities which are open, collaborative, and principled.

Given the level of commitment she continues to exercise in her work and her successful graduate work at Columbia University, I anticipate she will practice with distinction and continue to lead as a designer and scholar in her career.

Respectfully,

Ron Henderson, FASLA Professor and Director, Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism Program Senior Fellow of Garden and Landscape Studies, Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Museum Creative Artist Fellow, Japan-US Friendship Commission Artist-in-Residence, United States National Park Service