Rugui Xie | The Profound Vitality

MASTER OF ARCHITECTURE THESIS BY RUGUI XIE

Content ABSTRACT

02

URBAN CONTEXT

04

DESIGN STRATEGY

16

DESIGN PROPOSAL

21

ILLUSTRATIONS

34

Abstract Rapid urbanization has been going on since China started economic reforms in 1978. The economic and urban architecture development increased imbalance in the distribution of wealth causing economic inequality, while it had some positive socioeconomic impacts across Chinese society.

This thesis argues for the value of urban villages as places from an urban design perspective, meanwhile, seeks to understand the causes of these inequalities in the housing system and the negative impact of the reformation in rapid urbanization by learning from political, social, economic, and cultural influences and developing a new rational solution to address the current issues.

During the years, the government, developers, and architects invest money and efforts in the city’s massive development. Still, the potentials of these marginalized urban villages as part of the urban fabric are rarely studied.

This thesis will be analyzing a typical urbanized village neighborhoods in Shenzhen. Based on the analysis, it will be used to compare the new urban renewal approach for upgrading the living condition of marginalized communities and as an opportunity to incorporate a greater variety of socioeconomic groups into the same neighborhood. In the proposal, a series of interventions for the public space of the urban village that benefit both side of government and residents will be delivered through research and design iterations.

URBAN CONTEXT

1980

Introduction/Redefination: A Fishing Village to A Megacity 2018

URBANIZATION GROWTH 1980 - 2018 China’s population ballooned rapidly from 1980 to 2018 - the equivalent of building a new Chicago every 2 months.

Dense urban construction

Source: South China Morning Post

What Is a Urban Village ?

Farmland

Urban land

Rural Village

Urban Village

Top cities by GDP in 2014

Migrant worker

Locally residents

Note: Under China’s household registration (hukou)system, migrant workers have little access to healthcare, education and other benefits outside their registered hometowns.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics via CEIC

304 ‘URBANIZED VILLAGES’ Occupy 5% of city’s acreage, but more than 50% of the city’s total population live in ‘urbanized villages’.

Countless urban villages have been engulfed by modern cities. The towers create dark, claustrophobic alleys topped with strips of daylight and jammed with dripping AC, hanging clothes,caged balconies and bundles of buzzing electric wires.

VILLAGES IN THE CITY

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During the years, the government, developers, and architects invest money and efforts in the city’s massive development. Still, the potentials of these marginalized urban villages as part of the urban fabric are rarely studied.

In this proposal, the goal is to develop a series of interventions for the public space that benefit both sides of government and residents,and the meantime, revitalize urban villages’ public space through building a better-built environment for all different communities who live here.

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SITE LOCATION Gangsha Village, Shenzhen, China 岗夏村

Total population: ~ 40,000 Area: 86 acres Area/person: 23 sq ft/person Building height: 6 - 12 stories

Located in the Futian District, Shenzhen, Gangsha Village is the only urban village within the CBD of Shenzhen. Because of its location and the need for afforable housing, Gangsha Village has extremely high density.

Main streets width: 16 - 22 ft Lane width: 10 - 16 ft Alleyway width: 3 - 6 ft

Surrounded by several office skyscrapers, many white-collar workers choose to live in Gangsha Village, which sets the village apart from the others.

SHENZHEN

GANGSHA VILLAGE

IN URBAN VILLAGE, MANY INHABITANTS CAN FIND EMPLOYMENT AND WHERE LIFE STILL HAPPENS ON A ‘NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE’ WITH AN ANONYMITY THAT IS MUCH LOWER THAN IN THE URBAN SURROUNDING.

BUILDINGS IN GANGSHA VILLAGE

RETAIL BUSINESS IN GANGSHA VILLAGE REPRESENTS A DENSE AGGLOMERATION. IN CASE OF A DEMOLITION, THOUSANDS OF INHABITANTS WOULD LOOSE THEIR HOME AND JOBS.

FLOOR SHOPS IN GANGSHA VILLAGE

Shops on alleyway

6 ft

10 ft

27

ft

19

COMMON MIX-USE UNITS

ft

For Residential

commercial & residential 1 - 2 person unit 1076 sq ft (incl. retail shop)

For Business 600 USD / month

Mix-use building section

Building interstitial space

DESIGN STRATEGY

05 Great China International Financial Center

A commercial complex with five major business use including: office headquarter, luxury hotel, luxury apartment, enterprise park, and financial center located in the center of Shenzhen CBD.

Sub entrance

04 Rainbow high-rise residential tower Gated residential community with 30 stories. All registered residents applicable for the supporting security and property management.

site boundary

03 Gangsha Street Market

The biggest food market in Gangsha Village

central commercial area

02 Gangsha community center Community administration center with an exclusive communal public square

Main entrance

06 Shenzhen University Teacher Apartment A typical work unit community with 30 blocks of 6 stories building.

These apartments exclusively provide for the faculty of Shenzhen University.

01 Gangsha elementary school An historical institution in Gangsha Village

Site Analysis

Sub entrance

Existing Public Space Structures

ALLEYWAY

ROOFTOPS

BOUNDARY

Site Condition

CROSS & CORNER

VERTICAL INTERVENTIONS: Built-Up Commercial (ROOF ADDITION) Communal Recreations (INTERSTITIAL SPACE) Communal Recreations (ROOF)

HORIZONTAL INTERVENTIONS:

Public Space Intervention Strategy

Pop-Up Installation (ALLEYWAY)

Greenspace & Sculpture (CROSS&CORNER)

De-fencing (BOUNDARY)

DESIGN PROPOSAL

GREEN SPACE

GREEN SPACE

SITTING SPACE SITTING SPACE

BOUNDARY

CROSS & CORNER

STAGE / OUTDOOR CINIMA

BOUNDARY BOUNDARY

& CORNER CROSSCROSS & CORNER

STAGE / OUTDOOR CINIMA

SCULPTURE

PUBLIC ART

SCULPTURE

PUBLIC ART

POP-UP INSTALLATION DIVERSE ROOF (URBAN FARMING, PLAYGROUND, OPEN MARKET)

POP-UP INSTALLATION

DIVERSE ROOF (URBAN FARMING, PLAYGROUND, OPEN MARKET) DIVERSE ROOF (URBAN FARMING, PLAYGROUND, OPEN MARKET)

ALLEYWAY ALLEYWAY

ROOFTOPS

ROOFTOPS GREEN SPACE ALLEYWAY

GREEN SPACE

ROOFTOPS ROOFTOPS

Public Space Intervention Proposal ROOF ADDITION & VERTICAL CIRCULATION

POP-UP INSTALLATION

POP-UP INSTALLATION

ROOF ADDITION & VERTICAL CIRCULATION

ROOF ADDITION & VERTICAL CIRCULATION

SITTING SPACE

CROSS & CORNER

SCULPTURE

Detail of Cross & Corner Interventions

POP-UP INSTALLATION

ALLEYWAY

GREEN SPACE

POP-UP INSTALLATION

Detail of Alleyway Interventions

GREEN SPACE

BOUNDARY STAGE / OUTDOOR CINIMA

PUBLIC ART

Created by b farias from the Noun Project

Detail of Boundary Interventions

Created by HAMEL KHALED from the Noun Project

Green Wall

Gallery Wall

Projection Wall

DIVERSE ROOF (URBAN FARMING, PLAYGROUND, OPEN MARKET)

ROOFTOPS

ROOF ADDITION & VERTICAL CIRCULATION

Created by Mello from the Noun Project

Created by Adrien Coquet from the Noun Project

Created by shashank singh from the Noun Project

Details of the Rooftop Interventions

Mix-use building section with new interventions

Sub entrance

03 Gangsha Street Market

The biggest food market in Gangsha Village

Main entrance

1

01 Gangsha elementary school An historical institution in Gangsha Village

2

1. Alleyway

2. Cross & Corner

Site Axon