Portfolio of KANG 2022

PROLOGUE

I am interested in striking a balance between technology advancement and humanism, focusing on designs that are humancentric instead of machine centric. Mobility is a major subject of my concern. My graduation project dentified the problems of urban mobility, and finding architectural solutions. Similarly, a futuristic imagination of human’s exile in the space tried to convey the disillusioned state of exile. My experiences also influenced my perception of virtuality. Two projects focused on filling the gaps created in the virtual world I try to strike a balance by visualising love and affectivity or constructing a lens to look inward to search for a peaceful mind and body.

CONTENTS

An Infinite Alley

Architectural Design

Feb.- Jun. 2020

Ⅱ

Nomad settlement

Architectural Design

Nov. 2021 Ⅲ

Seasonal Bibione

Environmental Planning

Mar.- Jun. 2019

Ⅳ

Virtual Hug

Computational Design

Jan. 2020

Mapping Breath

Sound Visualization

Sep. 2020

AN INFINITE ALLEY

Feb. -May. 2020

Location: Chengdu, China

Instructor: Yufang Zhou, Huanyu Wang, Wendong Wang

Individual Work

My graduation project is a bionic reimagination for Chengdu’s “Kuanzhai Alleys”- the infamous touristy commercial street- by creating a network of logistics & delivery routes resembling cell-like structures and an expandable vertical “alley” building. Building a drones’ network for logistics to mimic a mitochondrial platform on the urban scale, this project hopes to strengthen the social and economic functionalities of urban infrastructure. It now exists virtually on cloud. (online exhibition link)

Just as Covid-19 forced the lockdown of commercial areas such as Kuanzhai Alleys and hurt many businesses, it also prospered the logistics and food delivery industry enormously. Social and economic activities are constantly breaking through traditional boundaries and creating new norms and orders. What are the life-like self-organization capabilities that urban design can adapt to solve the predicament of Kuanzhai Alleys?

Entropy in Physical

Inverse

in Society

Social entropy is defined as the correlation of population distribution among subcategories of social variables such as wealth, technology, space area, culture, and information. When the correlation between variables reaches the maximum, the social entropy will reach the minimum value.

Entropy in Urban

Our bio-life is anti-entropic and orderly. Organs and cells form an orderly network through systematic organization and efficient operation of various departments. Using bionic analogy, a city is like our body which is also anti-entropic, intraconnected, departmentalized and functions in an efficient manner, while buildings in the city are like cells in our body.

Inside the cells, mitochondria are the key energy producers. Chemical energy produced by the mitochondria is stored in a small molecule called ATP.

To mimic the constantly wandering, ready-totrigger ATP, my project is dedicated to building a mitochondrial platform on the urban scale. Drones for intra-city deliveries are like ATP to a mitochondrial platform. Combined with road infrastructure, aim to strengthen the transport capacity and flexibility.

Using drones as touch points to build a mitochondrial platform on the city scale, in order to further strengthen the social and economic functions of urban infrastructure.

Master Plan

This project re-constructs the energy network in an urban area from a two-dimensional plane (urban fabric) to a threedimensional vertical building. Such dimensional upgrade creates order, rapid turnovers, and a more efficient organizational structure. he three-dimensional plane

Site Selection

In the process of upgrading, I did research and experiment on the upward growth away from the equilibrium state, the purpose is to make the system under the external force continue to move toward a highspeed rapid change, macro-orderly dynamic balance.

UDF-simulation

I simulated the upward trend using the boiling phenomenon- a process in which gaps are constantly created to give the possibility of energy entering the space from multiple angles.

Metaball-simulation

The new energy network is no longer limited by the two-dimensional plane of the street, on the contrary, it is now allowed to expand vertically. The drones enter the terminal of the energy network by the interstitial spaces, bringing a continuous energy supply to the Kuanzhai Alleys neighborhood.

The new energy network contains numerous subunits that move from the ground to the sky like an evolving cytosol. This process reflects the anti-entropic nature of living organisms.

The void space created during the growth process is not only a subterminal of the energy network, but also an opening and continuation of the traditional courtyard space, forming a three-dimensional courtyard in the vertical dimension and breaking the limit of the traditional facade.

At the same time, the intervention and connection of drones have formed new channels between all terminals, further adding fractal dimensions to wide and narrow alleys, showing a 3.n-dimensional growth state from three to four dimensions.

Assuming that the epidemic reappeared in 2037, lockdowns and online studies are re-implemented to combat the pandemic. This time, however, the new urban infrastructure actively meets the needs for efficient material flows. Yet, people would still yearn for free movement. How to better cater to the needs of people in a world with endless dangers and challenges might become the main theme of architecture design in the future.

NOMADIC SHELTER

Nov. 2021

Location: An Untitled Planet Independent Work

The earth is desirable, but difficult to reach. Not only because of the far-flung distance, but the hospitality of Earth is also long gone.

Humans have wandered in space for decades; they are tired of nomadism and long for settlement. The Earth is faraway in the past, people’s nostalgia could only be relocated to new temporary stations until the most suitable home is found.

Perpetual Nomad

In fact, the nomadism of humans had never ceased, physiologically or subjectively speaking…

Reconstruction Phases

Phase 1: Creating atmospheric environment

Phase 2: Utilizing renewable energy

Phase 3: Building settlement & living

I try to imagine a sustainable living in extreme environments as a way to envision architectures under extreme weathers. Imagine our migration to other planets, all resources, including air, water, food and waste, must be recycled.

Therefore, self-sustainable circulation of heat supply, moisture, air, electronic equipment will be the key to human survival in the future.

This project provides a new model by combining the variable living environment with the adaptability of the human body.

Conceptual Model

Inflatable membrane

Compressed and squeezed, folded into the unit body. After being inflated, a flexible space is created to construct a living environment that meets the necessary needs.

Single Unit Exploration

Nodes

Membrane structure: a shape memory material. Using aluminium to reduce the weight of the structural nodes.

Fabric

Organic fabric is the perfect way to fuse two single balls. The assemblable structure allows the monomer to extend indefinitely.

The building units are not in direct contact with the ground. On the one hand, it provides multiple access channels to the Square, and on the other hand, it prevents risks from the ground and reduces possible environmental damage

The freely assembled settlements take a ring shape. The semienclosed space points to the center - the Square of Future, where more interesting exchanges and interactions will take place.

Arrayed or randomly located artificial metal plant landscapes grow wildly, thanks to more efficient reproduction technology (based on 3D additive manufacturing).

Further Thinking

IS IT IDEAL AS WE IMAGINE?

At this time, the shelters being constructed have begun to take shape. People mine, farm, construct man-made landscapes to express their nostalgia for nature and greenness.

Despite meeting the visual needs of human beings, they cannot participate in the ecological cycle. Residents at this time no longer prefer a cyberpunk-like mechanical leaf, as they now wish for the forces of life described by their ancestors. There are carefully cultivated seedlings in the exhibition hall above. Its survival determines whether there will be natural vegetation outdoors in the future.

The circular billboard on the originally deserted land ironically writes people’s common goal: “Rebuilding Earth: Our Homeland”

The beautiful future envisaged for human beings now depends entirely on the functionality of the Nomadic Shelter.

A self-organisable, re-assemblable form of building units with self-circulating maintenance tools is designed to accommodate the new nomadic lifestyle.

Where to go next? No one knows......

SEASONAL BIBIONE

Studio Work, Universita IUAV di Venezia Mar.2019-Jun.2020

Environmental Planning Site Location: Bibione, Veneto, Italy

Instructor: Francesco Musco

Group work with Selena Garbo, Xiaodong Yang

My responsibility: layout design, diagram drawing, strategy analysis, visualizing ideas

Bibione is a seaside tourist town along the Adriatic coast of Italy. Its high season is characterized by the influx of tourists between May and September, while in the low season the town is lifeless with a few inhabitants. The mobility of tourists defines the lives of the local inhabitants and brings extreme turbulence to the social equilibrium of local communities. This project aims to strategize the stimulation of events to adjust Bibione’s imbalance.

Background Information

Road Friendliness & Public Space & Residence

Road Friendliness + Residence

Residence + Public Space

Areas which includes hotels with unfrendly roads. Due to the influx of tourists, traffic jams are ubiquitous during high seasons.

Events Map + Public Space

When people walk along the streets, their experience is not only depends on if the street is friendly or safe, but also the feeling of public spaces they view.

The most comfortable walking distance

Analysis by Each 400M

Events are concentrated along the beach. While nland public spaces are lack of use by events.

The darker red circles show the more convenient accessibility to public space.

Strategies & Actions

Strategy 1

Making the existing public space suitable for public activities and sociality

ACTION1

Adding different facilities in public spaces

Strategy 3

Improving the accessibility of public spaces

ACTION7

Weakening the boundaries between public spaces

ACTION2

Adding the necessary facilities in the new public spaces

ACTION3

Establishing boating parks for sightseeing and fishing

Strategy 2

Creating new public spaces that strengthen area connections

ACTION4

Establishing observation points and galleries for wildlife

Strategy 4

Making the public spaces more resilient and eco-sustainable

ACTION5

Establishing seasonal market as an economic connection

Masterplan

ACTION6

Establishing recreational centers for sports activities

ACTION8

Transforming roads to facilitate pedestrian interconnectivity between public spaces

ACTION9

Renovating floor tiles to enhance water penetration

ACTION10

Using solar energy to provide lighting

ACTION11

Increasing plant diversity

Strategy 2, ACTION 5 : Establishment of the Seasonal Market

The Seasonal Market is a mixed-use space of the parking lot, event venue and the seasonal agriculture market. Its seasonality and the proportion of functionality is defined by the mobility of tourists to suit the diversified needs of different people (tourists, people of the service sector and the local residents) throughout the year.

Problems & Solutions

While some of the parking spaces are kept open, the rest of the parking spaces can be replaced with mobile vendors made of modified shipping containers.

Technological progress revolutionizes our expressions of affection, from carrier pigeons to smartphones, from letters to emojis…

VIRTUAL HUG

Jan.2020

Computational Design

Tools: C# & Grasshopper in Rhino

Device: HTC Vive

Independent Work

Hugging is a simple act of endearment, yet it is easily hindered by distance, space, borders, and time. A hug delivers love and affection through warmth and sensation –feelings that the current technology fails to capture. My project, “Virtual Hug”, visualizes the hugging sensations with glossy colours and patterns when a real hug is unattainable.

The project started when I was deeply saddened and moved by the scenes of medical staffs unable to embrace their families during the pandemic. I try to find a solution that retains enough warmth and sensations.

Cases of Limited Hug

Nuclear Radiation Isolation

Public health isolation

Border Wall

Congenital Disease

Technology

Voice

Video

VR

Project Goals

Visual installation as a hug

Overall Logic

The project is focused on motion and emotion, noising and visualization through the design of "Virtual Hug".

input output (x,y,z) C# Grasshopper space

Motion / Emotion

1. Analysis

Breaking down and analyzing hug motion.

2. Collection

Transferring motion into coordinate data by HTC vive and outputting as CSV file.

3. Visualization

Transforming them by computational design

4. Iteration & classification

According to the path of motion and user's emotion.

5. User Scenario

Connect each other by a virtual hug.

congenital diseases quarantine border wall

Workflow

3.1 read the csv file with C#

Aquisition

3.2 build curves from recorded points

3.3 noising the curve

Transformation

Post-processing

3.4 noising the points on the mesh 3.5 color control by points' deepth

Further Thinking

Although there is no tactile feedback on the skin for the time being (limited by imperfect science and technology), virtual hugging can still address emotional deficiencies across physical boundaries, providing comfort and encouragement

Through glossy, personalized colors and motion patterns, a virtual hug can convey messages of familiarity, love, affection, friendship, brother/sisterhood, and sympathy. It delivers support, comfort, and consolation, particularly where words are insufficient or when people are bounded by the physical world.

The paradoxicality of the Internet – which embraces both compartmentalization and interconnectivity simultaneously – paints an ambiguous trajectory for the future of humanity. Virtualization has already taken off for various futuristic scenarios, what puzzles me is whether tactility, sensations, body language, micro facial expressions, and such will be retained in our future, in addition to an ambience of fragrance, breeze and warmth. They are the essential media of communication and feedback to fulfil people’s basic emotional needs.

This project seeks to strike a balanced cohabitation between virtualization and human sensation through visualization. Users could feel the warmth and emotions conveyed by their friends through colors, motions, and patterns.

Motion Data & Output

MAPPING BREATH

Sep.2020

Computational Design

Tools: TouchDesigner

Device: Projecter, TPU Fabric Independent Work

Huffing and puffing, inspiring and expiring – the indispensable biological processes often neglected by people. This installation is an interactive photographic project enabling users to scrutinize their breathings and look inward to examine their mental and physical conditions.

Mapping, a commonly used analytical methodology in architecture and landscape design, is used in this project to translate breaths into visualizable data that is then projected into an artistic and reflective space.

How it began

The project began with a bus-riding experience during the Covid Pandemic. The discomfort wearing a mask prompted me to pay close attention to my breaths and reflect on its relations with emotional upheavals. started mapping breaths- how is breathing valued, neglected, examined, measured, affected …

Consciousness & Culture

For thousands of years, breathing is seen as a gateway to communication with our metaphysical selves – souls, minds, consciousness. People in different cultures try to tame their breaths in search for inner peace.

rûah

Chinese Qi the body’s vital “airs”

Prana

Indian philosophy Key of yoga

Physical explantation

Hebrew wind Taoism Yinyang balance Greek Be with god

Pneuma

Breathing is not only related to the lungs, but is also controlled by other factors physically. Breathing is systematically and structurally studied by modern medical science and is found to be affected by a plethora of physical and neural factors.

Pontine Respiratory Center

The basal rate of breathing can also be adjusted in response to increased activity or metabolism) through electrical impulses sent by the pontine respiratory center.

Recording and Transferring

Pulmonary Circulation

These respond to levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and regulate the breathing rate accordingly to maintain constant levels.

Neurons Muscles Diaphragm

Neurons in the brainstem send signals to the intercosal muscles and diaphragm, setting their rates of contraction and relaxation.

In searching of our breaths, I created a new feedback mechanism with technology and art. It captures the sound and rhythms of breathing and visualizes breaths by converting them into sonograms.

Diagram of Interaction System

1. Cerebrospinal fluid

2. Breathing control centers

3. Pons

4. Medulla oblongata

5. Nerve impulses relay changes in CO2 and O2 concentrations

6. Carotid arteries

7. Aorta

8. Nerve impulses trigger contraction of muscles

9. Diaphragm

10. Rib muscles

11. Pons

12. Medulla

13. Pontine respiratory center

14. Ventral respiratory group

15. Dorsal respiratory group

The dynamically changing sonogram will be projected in a secluded space in combination with materials and light to enhance user’s over experience. Contraction and expansion, exhale and inhale. The relatively closed state responds to the shortness of breath, while on the contrary, the relaxed open state reflects peace.

Users' Audio Data & Visual Feedback

1.Sewing up courtains

4.Angular adjustment

Correspondence between user data and visual feedback, output image and sonogram

2.Semitransparent material

3.Installing

5.Dynamic interactive debugging

6.Equipment Adjustment

I hope users can confront their enlarged, digitalized and artistically edited breaths in this secluded space.

Contemporary urban life requires a closer attention to self. This is an unprecedented attempt that is distinct from traditional sports or healing processes.

In this experience, perturbed breathing will be chaotically and bumpily reflected, while calm breathing is depicted in a smooth and silky manner.

This experience is expected to be a visualizable meditation, in which the user sets on his or her path in search for causes of turbulence and unrest.

Other Works

1. Polypropylene Dome

Tongji University International Construction Festival

Jun. 2016, Shanghai

Tutor: Yu Dapeng

Team: Na Mila, Cao Xinwen, Cui Kuangxi

2. "Vagina Saying"

Dec. 2016 Stage Design

Modern drama for the rights of female and gender minorities

Venue: Gap Year Theater, 798 Art District

3. Po Lao Village Film Festival

April 2018

Micro Flim

Team: Jiamin Huang, Minglu Gao, Dijin Li

4. Research： History of Gaokao

- The National College Entrance Examination in China

Nov. 2020 - Jan.2021

Data visualization, Graphic Design

Group work with Chengyuan Zheng

Other Works

THANKS FOR WATCHING

1. Viewing 2016 Graphite on paper 12 x 42 cm

2. Fields in April 2016 Conté sticks 29.7 x 42 cm

3. Herding sheep 2016 Conté sticks 29.7 x 42 cm

4. Shell 2016 Graphite on paper 44 x 118cm

5. Waiting 2018 Clay figurine of the human body 22 x 35 x 82cm

6. Waiting 2018 Clay figurine of the human body 22 x 35 x 82cm