RuiqiSHEN_Portfolio_UD

Portfolio

Urban Designer I Landscape Architect

Shen Ruiqi

Project List of Urban Design

● Nov. - 2022, Urban Design (on-going), Sydeny Metro West (Burwood Precinct/North Strathfield/Clyde), Sydney, Australia.

● Nov. - 2022, Public Space Renewal (on-going), Druit Street in Sydney CBD, Sydney, Australia.

● Sep. - 2022, Public Space Renewal (on-going), Redfern Station Precinct, Sydney, Australia.

● Sep. - 2022, Design Application (on-going), Iglu UNSW , Sydney, Australia.

● May. - Aug 2022, Design Application (on-going), Eastern Creek Quarter Stage 3, Sydney, Australia.

● May. -Jun 2022, Urban Design Concept Design of Lindfield Town Centre, Sydney, Australia.

● Nov. -Dec. 2021, Re-imagining the Rozelle Bay (BID), Sydney, Australia.

● Apr. -May. 2021, Competition for conceptual urban and architectural design for Golootockih Zrtava Square in Podgorica.

● Nov. -Jan. 2021, Grand Crossing in South Side, Chicago - urban renewal in several key station precincts (working with Chicago SOM online).

● Oct. -Nov. 2019, Rural revitalization along the Grand Canal in Tongzhou, Beijing (working with Peking University).

● Oct. -Dec. 2019, Urban design of Yunhe New Town in North Side of Hangzhou (working with Zhejiang University).

● Jun. -Sep. 2019, 'Unfreeway' City - transit-oriented North Sydney activation.

● Feb. -May. 2019, The extension of 'Contextualism' - transit-oriented urban design of Arncliffe station precinct, Sydney.

● Nov. 2017-Jan. 2018, A new gateway of historical rural revitalization of Yunxiao, Fujian, China (redesign).

● Nov. 2016-Jan. 2017, Prince Mountain resort concept design, Guangzhou, China.

● Nov. 2014-Mar. 2016, Urban design of Changlong coastal tourist resort, Fujian, China; Rural revitalization of Neidong, Xikou in Yunxiao, Fujian, China; Historic village protection planning of Yangjiazhai, Guizhou, China; Urban design of Huangsi riverside resort, Guizhou, China.

● Jul. -Sep. 2014, Urban design of Wanjiahuan pastoral complex in Kunming, Yunnan, China.

● Apr. -Jun. 2013, Yugu agricultural park planning and design in Shaoshan, Hunan, China.

'Unfreeway' City- Transit-oriented North Sydney Activation

Transit-oriented urban design I Air right development I Public realm

Site: Sydney, Australia.

Study Area: 68 Hectare.

Completion Time: June to Sep. 2019.

Team members: Ruiqi SHEN, Lu Yan, Ying, Trina (The following work are done by myself, except for the few sourced contents).

Background

In 2018, the NSW State Government aimed to address the growth of the Sydney Metropolitan Area. It identifies that North Sydney forms part of the Harbour CBD along with the Sydney CBD and is located within the Global Economic Corridor (GEC), which is a key economic zone in the Sydney Metropolitan Area. Interestingly, the GEC will also be the corridor that will generally accommodate the future Sydney Metro. The first stage of the Metro has been completed in 2019. A future Metro line currently under construction will connect Chatswood to Sydenham. Our site is one of the stations.

This studio investigated the role of major infrastructure on the North Sydney CBD and how Transit Orientated Development (TOD) principles define the CBD and are applied and could be applied in the CBD of North Sydney.

The existing main proposal is to build a new tower of North Sydney over the station, but can it truly bring a turn for the long-maligned urban problems in North Sydney?

Aerial View of North Sydney towards South

Proposed New Tower of North Sydney

Understanding Site

City Issues

• Existing major road network constraints CBD.

• Limited open/public space in the CBD core.

• Boundary of the CBD is not clearly defined.

• Lack of community/cultural facilities/mix of uses.

Development Proposal Issues

• An excessive scale with no additional public benefit to the street.

• Overshadowing streets and open/public space.

• Inadequate open/public space.

• Block the view to the surrounding buildings.

Chanllenges of Our Proposal

• Topographic difference from 10 to 30 metres.

• Engineering challenge to build construction on the top of 7 roads.

• The challenge to connect eastern area with not only physical environment constraint but also resident resistance.

City Issues, Graphics by Lu YAN. Development Proposal Analysis, Graphics by Lu YAN. Our Proposal Compared with Other Options, Graphics by Lu YAN.

Freeway Issues, Graphics by Lu YAN.

Case Study

Hudson Yard, New York

Analysis Findings:

• High-density development over complex transport infrastructure;

• Includes mixed-uses;

• Includes cultural/exhibition spaces;

• Plugs into the existing urban fabric.

Freeway Park, Seattle Federation Square, Melbourne

• System of bridges and platforms over the freeway;

• Important large civic uses;

• Significant landscaping integrated into development.

• Platform system over a complex transport infrastructure;

• Lightweight buildings defining public spaces;

• Wide mix of entertainment and cultural uses.

Hudson Yard, New York

Freeway Park, Seattle Federation Square, Melbourne

Vision & Structure Plan

Our vision is to create a bold new extension of the existing urban fabric of North Sydney CBD over the Warringah Freeway. The project seeks to develop a new civic and cultural heart for North Sydney augmented by green parkland, open plazas, observation areas and public squares. The transfer of development rights from the future Victoria Cross Metro Station OSD will be the trigger mechanism for realising the project. The project delivers new opportunities for the continued growth of the CBD, reinforcing North Sydney’s position in the Global Economic Corridor while emerging as a vital, diverse, exciting and dynamic CBD in its own right.

Shaping Urban Form on Three-dimensional.

Structure Plan

Urban Framework

• Three cultural hubs. South Gateway - new Modern Art Gallery overlooking the Harbour Bridge approaches; Central - civic complex housing a small concert hall, a museum, retail, restaurants and public squares; Northern Gateway - sports facility and a community centre.

• Buildings vary in height & scale to ensure the transparency of sight and as much sunlight as possible for open space.

• A continuous linear park combined with three key public nodes will shape an attractive destination with excellent city views for visitors and local workers, and residents, creating a permeable transition between the freeway and the residential areas to the east.

Before, Source: co-working with Ying.

After, Source: co-working with Ying.

Urban Design Framework

Source: Designing by Author, Graphics by Ying (teamate)

Spatial Design Principle and Strategy

Street Interface

• New pedestrians should keep a minimum of 7 metres wide including the planting area, outdoor dining area, and sidewalk.

• Keep transparent of sight between the street and building; setting podium with a width of at least 3 metres on the street side of buildings.

• Creating a shared lane between buildings that meet basic emergency traffic requirements while still providing a pedestrian-friendly commercial and recreational environment.

North to South Section.

Civic Complex (left), Southern Arthur St (right), Draw by Trina.

South Entrance (left), Linear Park (right), Draw by Trina.

Spatial Design Principle and Strategy

Height Difference above Hightways

• Comprehensive consideration is given to the location of the building combined with the supporting foundation that can be footed.

• Ensuring continuity of the pedestrian-friendly linear park, some roof space of the cultural facilities could be used as an aisle, and the combination of stairs and retails could be used as a way to ease the height difference and attract people.

• Several open space strategies could be considered, such as waterscapes utilized by collected water and terrace gardens applied to the steep northeast area.

Strategies of Open Spaces to Transition between Various Levels.

Arthur - Alfred St. Middle Perspective Section (left), Arthur - Alfred St. South Perspective Section (right). Source: Designing by Author, Graphic by Ying.

Source: Designing by Author, Graphic by Ying (teammate).

Project Reflection

• A Common Urban Constraint- Arterial Road: It is one of the biggest obstacles to shaping a walkable city. It is often difficult to detect in the large and medium scale analysis, affecting actual development decisions and evaluations. Therefore, the field survey by urban designers is critical.

• Edge effects: The urban edge is an easily overlooked but crucial element, especially in TOD. It is not only a medium for building connections with surrounding areas, but also the key to expanding the scope of TOD walking and development.

• Urban Vitality and Interface: The urban interface is an essential and complex concept, which is affected by many factors, such as publicness, height difference, sunlight, safety, sky view, and so on. Therefore, ignoring any of these potential factors may lead to a depressed urban environment.

Aerial View towards Northwest.

A New Gateway to the Estuary - Historic Village Revitalization

Rural revitalization I Landscape heritage I Coastal ecological landscape

Site: Yunxiao City, China.

Design Team: Land Studio.

Completion Time: 2015.

Redesign (personal work): 2017 (The following work are done by myself, except for the few sourced contents).

Location Analysis

Population:400,000+

Area:2821.0 ha

Secondary Industry:60.74%

Population:1,500

Area:200.6 ha

Tourism:35.74%

Population:140,000

Area:1025.6 ha

Agriculture:85.74%

Population:65,000

Area:821.0 ha

Secondary Industry:85.74%

China

Population:213,000

Area:1563.6 ha

Agriculture:80.74%

This fishing village is located on the southeast coast of China. Due to the rich seafood and tourism resources, the area's development potential is gradually being valued. What is more, a coastal expressway spanning the entire southeastern coast of China is built next to the village and completed in 2019. This is expected to bring more people and jobs to the village and surrounding cities.

Another essential feature is that the village is adjacent to the estuary of the Zhangjiang River, which has not only diverse ecological environment and resources, such as tidal flats, deltas, mangroves and reef beaches but also has several well-preserved cultural heritages, such as the 400-yearold pagoda and fort standing in the middle of the water.

Site Analysis

Population Increase Water Ecological Problem Unstable Economy Neglected Resource

Convenient transportation and location will bring more migrant population.

A growing development and tourist pose a serious burden on ecological environment.

Single agroforestry industry cannot provide stable economic income and infrastructure upgrade.

Cultural and natural resources without special protection, their values is being lost.

Culture pond

Ancient Pagoda

Reef Beach

Ancient Fort

Ancient Temple

Ancient Trees

Coast Expressway

Fishing Village

Fruit Forest

Farmland

Canal

The village domain range

Central village range

Master Plan

Culture Pond

Village Renovation

Respect the village fabric, as well as the pattern of the surrounding ecological environment to add new residences, commerce and public service facilities in suitable development areas to meet the needs of population growth.

Mangrove

Big Step

Holiday Bungalow

Ecological Swimming Pool

Marina Square

Dock

Holiday Hotel

Big Lawn

Leisure Street Market

Duck Shed

Water Ecosystem

The water treatment system of the village is coordinated with the ecological water system, so as to maximize the use of water resources while avoiding water pollution.

Diversified Industry

Sort out all the industrial programmes and re-plan the integration of time and space among various industries , more programmes will be combined with the tourism industry.

Organic Connection

Fishing Port [long term]

Reception Center [long term]

Reorganize the potential scenic spots and routes, and plan corresponding activity contents and travel routes according to potential service groups. Aim to design a sustainable, diverse, selfsufficient organisms.

Fisheries Research Centre

Ecological Pool

Architectural planning

New residential and commerical areas follow the pattern of existing village, controlled the development height and intensity based on the surrounding environment. Moreover, a new public service belt serves as a shared space for tourists and residents, meeting the needs of leisure, economy, infrastructure and so on. Holiday

Village Renovation

Folk Leisure Street Perspective

Architectural planning

Following the rule of the existing buildings, reusing these spaces which have great value and wisdom.

Leisure Street

Multifunctional, transferable, casual, and shared.

Village priority streets

Access to several major nodes of the village,create a convenient, friendly and composite street environment

Bio-swales

Vegetation,soil and oraganic matter filters sedment and pollutants from runoff,and promototes infiltration

Overflow to ecological pool

Perforated pipe

Water folw path

Alley

Alley Courtyard

Courtyard Backyard

Culture Pond

Mangrove

Intertidal Zone

Sea Hot Springs

Swimming Pool

Ecological Pool

Reef Beach

Water environment optimization

Present situation Improve blue infrastructure Optimization of green infrastructure Integration with marine ecology

Farmland-Water

Farmland Canal Filter strip Filter strip Ecological Pool

Village-Water

Canal

Reservoir Teahouse

Intertidal Zone-Water

Folk Leisure Street Perspective

Maximum tidal level

Ancient stone tower

Built over four hundred years ago, the stone pagoda is a local cultural imprint.

Mangrove forest

The brackish water and the intertidal zone are suitable for the growth of mangroves, it can restore the ecological system of the beach and provide an opportunity for ecological recreation.

Big step

The big steps are made up of abandoned building stones and silt, which provide more open space and a better view, and as the sea level rises, it can become a habitat for beach-coated creatures

Integrating

Industry Promotion

Farmland lanscape Perspective

Duck shed

The inspiration comes from local bamboo weaving, this duck shed is also a leisure platform for people, and setting up noninterference channels.

Canal

Ecoditches can act as natural barriers to filter residual crop or net stream pollution, as well providing a favorable living environment for many creatures such as ducks and fish.

Reorganize the potential scenic spots and routes, and plan corresponding activity contents and travel routes according to potential service groups. Aim to design a sustainable, diverse, self-sufficient organisms.

Case Study-Chatswood Transport Interchange & Associated Development,

Sydney, Australia

Case Study I Transit-oriented Urban Design

Site: Chatswood, Sydney.

Completion Time: 2019.

Personal Work.

Transit-oriented Urban Design for Walkable Sydney Strategic Centres

Design Research I Transit-oriented urban development and design

Site: Sydney, Australia.

Tutor: Michael Gheorghiu, James Weirick (UNSW).

Completion Time: June. 2019- Sep. 2020.

Topic

Research Title: Transit-oriented urban design for walkable Sydney strategic centresan analysis of the key sites on the proposed Northern Beaches’ metro.

Key words: Transit-oriented development, urban design, walkability, Sydney strategic centre, Northern Beaches.

Sydney began the construction of a metro network with the completion of the first segment of the Northwest Metro between Rouse Hill and Chatswood. This will be extended under the harbour and through the city and connected to the existing Sydenham-Bankstown which would be converted from Heavy rail to metro standard. Further metro lines were planned to include one west to Parramatta and one southeast to Maroubra. A line northeast to the northern beach has been advocated. In any future network, the location of stations will be critical. It is important not to repeat the same mistakes in station locations. Sydney has the experience, for example, Green Square railway station on the Sydney Airport heavy rail line located in the early 1990s on the basis of development potential in that part of South Sydney. Has been problematic in terms of walkability as it is located at the intersection of five major arterial roads?

The thesis will explore the implementation of sound transit-oriented development and design around metro stations on the basis of five success TOD criteria: market, density, mix, access, and design. Specifically, it aims to evaluate the development potential of strategic centres in Northern Beaches before setting up metro stations through a multi-scale analysis. The relevant urban design principles will be summarised and applied in the design scenario for testing and finally compared with the yield of the bus-oriented scenario. The research finding shows that Frenchs Forest has the best development value, followed by Brookvale and Mona Vale, which should be included in the proposed metro line. The final testing of the urban design scenario of Frenchs Forest shows that the over 1 million sqm generated floor space is more than double the yield of the current bus-oriented plan. This also implies the metro-based development could create a huge catalytic effect and walkable environment for future Northern Beaches.

Research Questions and Objectives

Research Questions and Objectives

• Why the new metro line is the key to local development?

Review the key planning documents of the Greater Sydney, such as Great Sydney Regional Plan and Future Transport 2056.

Review the historical transit plans and proposals in Greater Sydney.

Analyse TOD factors within Greater Sydney.

• Where the transit-oriented development precincts should be set?

Review key local planning documents to understand the regional context.

Analyse TOD factors within the Northern Beaches area.

Explore the criteria of public transit selection to support walkable transit-oriented development.

•

How to design a transit-oriented precinct?

Review structure plan of Frenchs Forest to understand regional context.

Analyse TOD factors within Frenchs Forest Precinct.

Summarizing applicable urban design principles. Designing urban design scenario and testing it.

Theory

• TOD

Concept (Peter Calthorpe, 1993).

Australia TOD (Peter Newman).

TOD Guide in Queensland.

• Walkability

5’D’s (Robert Cervero, 2009).

5’P’s and Market Strength (CTOD, 2011).

Urban ‘DMA’ (Kim Dovey, 2020).

• Spatial Morphology

Development scale, urban design of TOD (Robert Cervero, 2002, 2012).

Urban design and walkability (Reid Ewing, 2009, 2016).

Building scale and street (Yoshinobu Ashihara, 1979).

Conceptual Context

Source: by Ruiqi SHEN

Research Methods

• Literature Review

Transit-oriented urban design theory. Local planning documents.

• Multi-scale Spatial Analysis

Measuring index of identified indicators by QGIS. Quantitative comparative analysis.

• Case Study and Filed Survey

Successful cases in America.

Local TOD cases of Sydney.

TOD experience from Queensland and Western Australia.

• Expert Interview

Local transport engineers. Local Council.

Research Framework

Source: by Ruiqi SHEN

For the Purposes of This Project Focused on Multi-scale Analysis

Source: Improved on the Kim Dovey (2016)

Research Finding

Understanding TOD in Greater Sydney - Why the new metro line should be planned?

Based on the analysis of the TOD factors, there are enough reasons to support the metro proposal and transitoriented development:

• Unmatched public transport network plan- The only area without rail connections.

• Superior urban resources and attractions, which need critical infrastructure to support further development.

• Lower property prices in the central, and northern areas are a significant opportunity for redevelopment,

• The current transport mode, relying on private cars and buses, has shown inefficient performance seriously. This situation will be worse, inferred from the local high socio-economic index. If there is no substantial change, the vision of the 30-min city will be far from the Northern Beaches and even threatening the proud living environment.

by Ruiqi SHEN and Lu YAN, (Data from ABS, Corelogic, NSW government, Travel time)

Research Finding

Identifying key development precincts in Northern Beaches - Where the transit-oriented development

precincts should be set?

According to the latest planning documents, three development corridors have been identified, which are the reference for metro line selection. In order to select the best one, the decision-making is still based on the TOD analysis of five strategic centres. The final scores of five factors were calculated by each indicator and consequently divided into three development types. Frenchs Forest, Brookvale, and Mona Vale are classified as a type of catalyse and connect, which have greater development potential, compared to the type of infill and enhance that is Manly and Dee Why. The final transit scenario, therefore, should be considered the middle corridor across Frenchs Forest. Compared to Wolski's proposal, it adds the station of Brookvale and extends the terminal to Mona Vale.

TOD Analysis Categories Scores of Five Strategic Centres.

TOD Factors Analysis of Northern Beaches Area. Sources: by Ruiqi SHEN and Lu YAN, (Data from ABS, Corelogic, NSW government, Travel time)

Development Potential Evaluation.

Research Finding

Designing a transit-oriented Frenchs Forest - How to design a transit-oriented precinct?

The TOD analysis will be focused on the 1.5km radius around it. Due to design indicators, such as green and blue infrastructure, streets and building form, have a great influence on the development potential of different plots, this sector will be considered more influences of them, which could also help to derive a more reasonable urban design scenario.

The Indicators of Design Analysis Sources: by Ruiqi SHEN and Lu YAN, (Data from ABS, Corelogic, Real Estate, Domain, NSW government, Travel time, Heritage NSW)

The Indicators of Market Analysis of Frenchs Forest.

The Indicators of Density, Mix and Access Analysis.

The Indicators of Design Analysis.

Research Finding

Designing a transit-oriented Frenchs Forest - How to design a transit-oriented precinct?

The following table presents the evaluation of the development potential in the transit-oriented precinct, which quantified the results of each indicator to calculate the final score for each plot. This result is a critical reference for the structure plan and the decision of potential metro location. Then, based on the summarised urban design principles, the final design scenario could be deducted, presented as six steps concisely.

Compared with the current structure plan, the new scenario shows a higher yield of floor space and a more significant development boundary and can provide better urban form and infrastructure improvement through overall design, such as green network and urban grain. This also indicates that the entire TOD corridor in Northern Beaches will have more development potential to be activated and the nonmotor vehicle environment improved.

Evaluation Criteria and Principles of Development Potential.

Development Potential Evaluation. Sources: by Ruiqi SHEN

The Design Deduction of Urban Design Scenario.

Urban Design Scenario of Frenchs Forest.

Discussion

The above findings not only prove the importance of metro extension and metrooriented development and design to Northern Beaches, but more importantly, provide a multi-dimensional urban design method and framework to think about urban transit, development potential, and urban morphology. In addition to this, it also expects to generate substantial contributions to the current development of Greater Sydney in the field of transit-oriented development and design, including those sites that have been planned or have planning potential.

However, there are still some limitations that need to be improved in future research, which has been listed as follows:

• The weight distribution of indicator scores needs further arguments in development evaluation.

• The number of statistics objects should also be included more, such as comparing of all strategic centres in Greater Sydney, which will provide more accurate standard values.

• The opinions of the government and the community should also be added as the necessary analysis factors for the site.

• In the testing urban design scenarios, the performance of walkability should be considered.

• Some methods of indicators mapping need to be tested for their suitability and accuracy.

Proposed Transit Scenario Based on the Comparison of TOD Factors Analysis Sources: by Ruiqi SHEN

Urban Cohesion - Urban Design for Golootočkih Žrtava Square in Podgorica

Urban transformation I Transit-oriented urban design

Site: Podgorica, Montenegro;

Design Area: 2.09 Hectare;

Completion Time: Apr. -May. 2021;

Team member: Ruiqi SHEN; Lu YAN.

Growing the "Understory" - Urban Design OF PAPUSHEVO PARK

Village Complex I Holiday resort I Ecological park

Site: Moscow, Russia.

Study Area: 3.7 Hectare.

Completion Time: June to July. 2021.

Team members: Ruiqi SHEN, Lu YAN.

Vision

It aims to create a multi-functional and sustainable community centre featuring the local natural environment. Specifically, it is expected to be a mixed-use community centre, providing multi-functional open space and essential facilities, such as a library, recreation areas, retails, social space and jogging path, while maintaining a peaceful and comfortable environment. Secondly, this design scheme emphasizes the integration and interaction between the community and nature, minimally disturbing the current ecological environment, instead of introducing the natural features, such as skyline, colour, air and understory space, to shape new open space.

Furthermore, it considers integrating the four subdivisions separated by the roadway, promoting vitality, connectivity and safety through the functional organization, penetrable view and accessible waling network and attractive destinations.

Last but not least, some creative design elements will be designed in some key nodes, forming a distinct reminder and impression for the village, such as a shiny metal structure that reflects the forest and the sky, and the flower garden with the featured wooden houses that are integrated into the forest.

Urban Design Framework

Forest morphology: Identify current crown cover and growth trends, look for a design language that echoes it.

Nodes and Axis: establish a spatial axis between the identified north and east entry nodes while connecting the potential nodes between them.

Building Morphology: new buildings will respond to the identified canopy line and axis. It will also be considered to integrate into the surrounding built environment.

Blue and Green Infrastructure: the new BI and GI network will be a transition between the natural environment and new building area to shape an organic boundary, providing a vibrant public space while sharing natural views.

Shared Streets: it will meet the basic motoring, parking and firefighting demands while considering the possibility of sharing as much as possible, including humanized design, non-motorized lanes, penetrable views and integration of indoor and outdoor functions, to promote mixed-use, safety and comfort of the street.

Key Nodes Design

Entrance Group: After passing through a forest road, a set of distinctive entry landscapes will appear. It includes clear signage, a bright metal structure reflecting the sky and forest landscape, a leaky slope roof and featured trees.

Key Nodes Design

Library Square: the library will be a landmark in the street intersection. The building will open all around, providing as many accesses and views as possible to the street, community and outdoor spaces, and setting up various shared spaces and facilities, such as outdoor steps for reading, leisure, viewing, and outdoor cinema.

Walking Corridor: this multifunctional corridor connects two important nodes adjacent to the ecological woodland to the east. The design concept integrates the natural landscape into the new building area, setting various functions such as sunken greenbelt, jogging belts, dining spaces, outdoor fitness areas to keep the axis alive and attractive.

Key Nodes Design

North Entrance Node: this is another significant node connecting the east and forest recreation areas. The idea is to create a combination of colourful and rich flower borders and several featured log cabins with the natural forest as the background. These artificial planting and water pools also serve as rainwater collection points to purify and recycle the rainwater on the site.

Kindergarten & Playground: The design of educational facilities will adhere to the principle of openness and permeability. It aims to create a better integration in the functions and views between indoor and outdoor spaces. Besides, it will increase the opportunity to interact with the street, make it a part of the street landscape, and be protected from the view of the street.

Rehabilitation Resort: it is expected to design a high-quality and intimate architectural space, include forest yoga, sauna, spa, recuperation, hotel and so on. The new building morphology shapes a zigzag belt of space, echoing the natural woodland and creating a quiet and harmonious semi-artificial landscape.