Liu ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO SELECTED WORKS 2019 - 2024
Cultrural & Industrial| Historical Renovation
Residential| Re-activating Community
Cultrural| Sturctural Integration
Scientific | Building Renovation
Cultrural | Sustainable and resilient design
Landscape & Commercial | Urban Farming
Mixed-use | Factory-restaurant Hybrid
Residential| Housing Renovation
Historical Site Re-development | Grosseto, Italy
Partner: Yaxin Xu, Peiyu Luo
Studio: ARC 308
Instructor: Daniele Profeta
Design & Production: Design, all project aesthetics were done collaboratively. I was primarily focused on designing the area of the geothermal power plant, soil laboratory and soil study field. I was the lead contributor to the production of the map, renderings, and zoom-in plans.
The site is located at Maremma, Italy. Because of local industries, this land has been transformed over time by multiple hydraulic engineering projects. Ponte Tura has an abandoned historical building used for regulating water and reclamation, and its existence on the site provides a connection between architecture and ground transformation.
To celebrate this history and re-develop its scientific and cultural value, this project focuses on land, proposing programs including infrastructure, research, education, and artistic creation. The project was developed with the hope that the public can appreciate the value of integrating existing architecture with new development, and encourage the appreciation of neglected spaces and the communities connected to them.
The research process delves into the history of Maremma, which used to be a marshland abandoned by humans. By launching the Bonifica hydraulic project, the Italian government gradually transformed the land into productive agricultural farmland and a tourist resort destination. The area is also involved in mining and wine production, influencing the soil through physical deformation and chemical input.
The project is developed by exploring figures and forms representing the ground transformation process. The graphic uses circles and loops to express the content movement under and above ground.
The programs include geothermal power plants combined with a soil museum, research laboratory, soil education center, and artist residency.
The ground transformation starts with soil extraction through an underground geothermal power plant and a soil sample machine on the surface. Some of the collected soil will be sent to labs for scientific research. Others are applied for an artist residency, museums, and education centers, converting soil into artifacts, exhibits, and fertile soil for agriculture.
The vertical spatial layering is delivered by series transformation from top to the bottom. One is different accesibility of visitor and scientiest, and the other is the roughness of the interior wall. While the upper zone is smooth and fine, with openness and accessible stairs to visit the plant, the lower zone is covered by rasterized rocks and soils and has no human access.
Partner: Linxi Zhang
Studio: ARC 307
Instructor: Lawrence Davis
Design & Production: Design, all project aesthetics were done collaboratively. I was primarily focused on designing, producing axonometric drawings, diagrams, and part of the plans.
This project is a renovative exploration of a vernacular block in Mattydale, NY. Considering the existing challenges of the aging population and the high unemployment rate in this suburban community, this project aims to energize the environment by attracting young generations and stimulating the local economy
This project increased commercial and residential density by adding units on the re-zoned block. To provide more public services and increase the residents' income, it also introduced new programs such as basketball bars, family restaurants, and individual offices. The three main public spaces along the central spine are embedded into the building volume and are flexible for night markets and dances after dark.
The relocation and re-zoning process invites more programs to plant in this block. The project inverses the back and front yards by pushing the houses to the edges and adding apartment modules facing the street While it uses the original backyard space and transforms it into a public, commercial street along with new retail units, the project creates a private and quiet residential zone on the two sides of the block.
Multi-functional Modules Unit Component
The public space integrates various public services, including supporting the entertainment areas designed for
Three public spaces are integrated into among neighbors
the urban fabric to foster interaction
King + King Architects Integrated Design Studio Jury - First Prize
Partner: Rui Cao
Studio: ARC 409
Instructor: Richard Rosa
Design & Production: All the works are developed collaboratively. I mainly focused on master planning and design and development of the library and church, and final productions of library.
Based on thorough research and analysis of architectural precedences, this project experiments and explores Renaissance and Baroque architectural languages, trying to depict epic imagery of a convent for twelve nuns and potential visitors.
Derived from the concept of translating classical church footprints into separate elements on the landscape, the buildings in the complex represent the Narthex, Nave, and Chapel in sequence. While the master planning includes a complete set of programs, the duality between the library and church is underscored both conceptually and formally, which tells the stories of profane versus divine, knowledge versus spirit, ground versus air, and perfection versus distortion.
from knowledge to nature.
The library emerged from the concept of symbolic geometries and spatial layering Two staircases and a book collection area present the geometric transformation from rectangle to circle, expressing the force of distortion.
a marble “solid” in a steel “mesh”
disformation and distortion
Building Renovation | London, UK
Partner: Yixing Liu, Greta Grace Ulatowski
Studio: ARC 408
Instructor: Amber Bartosh & Vanessa Lastrucci
Design & Production:Design and all project aesthetics were done collaboratively. I was primarily focused on designing and producing sections, plans, and part of the detail sections of the project and the representation of Phase III.
This project imagines an alternative future for the building and our built environment, which stretches from our living society today to the post-human and dystopian tomorrow three hundred years later.
The renovation of the Baynard House starts from a prospective green energy research center to respond to the problem of air and water pollution. Later, it will be abandoned by humans and occupied by non-human species, including plants and machines. The lack of human presence allows greenery to flourish and thrive in the building and finally form a symbiosis between the organic and inorganic materials. In the face of urban decay and death, machines can use buildings for their functions. These possibly include Energy, Fuel, and Data.
Renovated as a green energy research center, the Baynard House is designed to be sustainable and energy-efficient. The tidal power plant powers the buildings and the city, and the biomaterials absorb pollution from the air and water bodies. The building has become a perfect destination for scientific research and education.
Through the acceleration of environmental problems and the pollution stored in biomaterials and plants, the building gradually becomes a hazard zone and is abandoned by its users. The Baynard House is a place for exploration and night adventures.
Humans leave the place, and plants thrive in the building, creating a symbiosis state with the machines
Partner: Jianlin Chen
Studio::ARC 208
Instructor: Yutaka Sho
This project addresses the challenges of extreme weather in rural Madagascar, where poor road conditions during floods and cyclones limit access to resources and activities. In response, it proposes resilient floating and fixed-to-ground structures in Meastamena. Using hexagonal modules made from local materials and techniques, the design allows villagers to build, adapt, and expand without professional assistance, ensuring long-term sustainability and accessibility
Individual Project
Studio: ARC 207
Instructor: Theodore L Brown
The rapid urban development in China has led to overcrowded cities and a lack of green space, particularly in urban villages like those in Shenzhen. This project aims to address this issue by introducing vertical and three-dimensional green spaces in place of traditional expansive parks. By transforming an old concrete factory into an urban farming hub with public services such as markets and teaching kitchens, the project creates an environmentally friendly space that benefits the entire community despite limited land availability.
Brewery | Kigali, Rwanda
Mentor: Yutaka Sho
Company: General Architecture Collaborative
This project, aligned with the Green City Kigali Program, combines residential, commercial, and public spaces to create a sustainable neighborhood. The brewery functions both as a beer production facility and a visitor-friendly space, with parks and gardens connecting it to the urban environment.
Residential Renovation | Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Mentor: Aniket Shahane
Company: OA (Office of Architecture)
This house renovation improved circulation and living spaces, featuring a redesigned kitchen with a functional and aesthetic ceiling. The basement entertainment room was revamped with custom furniture, creating a versatile space. A concrete deck with embedded glass blocks enhances natural light for the basement loggia.
