UCL-MArch-UrbanDesign-XiaotongDai by Xiaotong Dai

PORTFOLIO

Xiaotong Dai

Echoes of Honggang

Individual Work

2023

This project focus on the reconstruction of Honggang City Block 8, which was built in the 1980s for workers from the Wuhan Steel Corporation. It was a reflection of the rapid industrial growth of that era. However, as the steel industry declined, many residents departed, leading to a loss of community and cultural vibrancy. Nowadays, Honggang City is facing to be demolished and transformed into a commercial district.

My family used to live here. This place holds countless personal cherished memories. We deeply miss the closeknit bonds formed during those shared moments of daily life with our neighbors. This project is inspired by those memories about communal life.

The design will evoke nostalgia for the past, celebrating the spirit of community that once thrived here.

Hankou the central area of Wuhan

City Central Area

Analysis of Urban Planning in Wuhan

Wuhan is a major industrial city in China. It is divided by the Yangtze River into three towns: Wuchang, Hankou and Hanyang. Since the Republic of China, Hankou has been the busiest area of Wuhan and the centre of the city. Wuchang is an important industrial area. The famous steel company Wuhan Iron and Steel was founded here. 70 years ago, 100,000 soldiers came to WISCO. To solve the housing problem, the Honggang City was built as a model for the good life of socialism in new China. However, with the industrial transformation, the industrial area gradually began to shrink. Honggang City is facing demolition and redevelopment now.

Honggang City

Yangtze River

Yangtze River Bridge N

From present to past -Analysis of past life from communal perspective and personal memory

There are ten blocks in Honggang City. Most of them have been demolished due to industrial transformation and urban renewal. The seventh, eighth and ninth blocks are shown in the picture. The seventh neighbourhood has been reconstructed into modern housing. The buildings in the eighth and ninth blocks will be transformed into commercial areas.

At the beginning of Honggang City, French sycamores were planted all along both sides of the road. The shaded paulownia roads are places for residents to relax and chat.

The red houses enclosed some large courtyards, which hold the leisure of all the residents. In the morning, workers often rode their bicycles to the factory. After work, people gathered for recreation and relaxation.

Album of my Personal Memory in Honggang City

Diagram of Activities in Past Collective Life

In the centre of the courtyard was a playground.

1. Red house (1960) 2. Ladder (1958) 3. Street lights and clothes drying (1970)

4. Poster Wall (1970)

5. Mahjong table (1960)

6. Chair (1970)

7. Paulownia road (1960)

8. Scaffold (1958)

Bench (1970)

Table tennis (1970)

Open-air

Neighbors

Hang a screen to bring back the past when people used to watch films

It evokes cherished memories of evenings spent together in the 1980s, when families gathered for entertainment before televisions became common. This space will celebrate that sense of community.

Add structures and use corridors to recreate people watching films from the building. Use a mechanically canvas roof system which can be adjusted based on light and activity.

Scene 2 Gateball Court

It recalls the vibrant afternoons of the past, when residents gathered on the lawn in the center of the courtyard. Surrounded by clotheslines filled with freshly laundered garments, the scene was lively with laughter as neighbors played gateball.

Plan of Open-air Cinema

Plan of Gateball Court

Axonometric Diagram of Gateball Court

Neighbors

Scene 1.1- Watch movie together in the evening

Scene 2.1- Play gateball in the court

Scene 1.2- Gather in the open-air cinema in the daytime

Scene 2.2- Watch gateball aound the court

Axonometric Diagram of Badminton and Table Tennis Room

Scene 3

Badminton and Table Tennis Room

It celebrates the spontaneous spirit of residents who played in hallways and on sidewalks, transforming any available space into a court.

Scene 4 Mahjong Room

The mahjong room captures the essence of a beloved pastime that once filled hallways and balconies with laughter. With just a table, residents would gather to play from day until night.

People

in the past.

Plan of Ball Game Room

Plan of Mahjong Room

Axonometric Diagram of Mahjong Room

Scene 3.1- Playing badminton

Scene 3.2- Playing table tennis

Scene 4.1- Playing Mahjong

The playground represents a community life, where residents gathered after meals to exercise, chat, and play. This revitalized space will encourage social interaction and physical activity.

Scene 6

Auditorium

The auditorium serves as a historical gathering place where residents once came together for meetings and performances. This revitalized space will foster community engagement.

Residents often played together and do some exercise in the yard before.

Axonometric Diagram of Auditorium

Scene 5.1- Neighbours play on the playground

Scene 5.2- Runway crosses the buildings

Recreating ball games residents used to play in the yard

Recreating residents playing goalball on the lawn in the compound

Walking alone the roof corridor to see the whole scene

Recreating residents' past exercise in the courtyard

Recreating central corridor with sycamore tree planted along

Recreating mahjong game that residents used to play in the hallway

Recreating night markets setting up by residents along the street

Recreating residents gathering for an outdoor film

Green Huyton

Academic Work 2024

Instructor: Sandy Britton

This project aims to create a self-sufficient community organic food factory considering to the food poverty problem in Huyton. It is located on 1-8 Cavendish Walks, refreshing the existing vacant building. It contains the whole production line from planting to processing to marketing. It not only improves production efficiency, but also effectively mitigates the problem of difficult access to food in huyton.

Analysis of Food Access in

is a small town in Merseyside, England, which faces significant food supply shortages, leading to increasing food poverty. It was a industrial-led town. 96% of Knowsley neighbourhoods here are unable to easily access affordable or healthy food shops The town relies heavily on food transported from Liverpool.The

supermarkets only provide cold-chain products.

Huyton

Hale

Tarbock Green

Knowsley

Siding Lane Nature Reserve

Liverpool

SITE

Huyton

large

See Huyton

-Analysis of Huyton Food Poverty and Public Space Commercialisation

Since Brexit, the UK has faced rising food prices due to a heavy reliance on imports. At the same time, demand for organic food is increasing. But it is mainly available in larger cities, leaving small towns with limited access. In these towns, food maily comes from cold-chain transportation, restricting fresh organic options. In response, communities are establishing initiatives like community kitchens, local urban farms, and local markets to improve access to fresh produce. Most spaces in Huyton highstreet are privately owned and could develop psychological barriers for those wanting to visit without spending money. The street itself is the only space for uncommercialised activity.

Restautants and pubs

Cafe and Bakery

Huyton highstreet

Analysis of Status in Huyton Highstreet

Restaurants in Huyton high street

Food bank and cold chain stores

Highly food commercialization in high street leads to people have to pay for rest.

96% of Knowsley neighbourhoods are unable to easily access affordable or healthy food. Food brings community together.

The working mode of a self-sufficient community organic food factory

The existing building lies on the top of the high street, 1-8 Cavendish walks and surrounding public realm.

Divide it into three main steps based on the selfsufficient model: planting, processing, and marketing.

Insert two buffer zones for different functions. One is to sterilisation before entering the factory, and the other is to distribute the products.

Daily scene in Huyton high street

Foodie Friday in Huyton

1. Botanical Plantation

2. Reception garden

3. Sterilizing and preparation room

4. Factory process

5. Distribution Zone

6. Conveyor belt market

7. Food cooking (Organic canteen)

8. Food pantry

9. Core

10. Lift

Section of the Working Mode of the Food Factory

Facade of the Canteen

Facade of the Factory

Facade of the Sterilisation Zone

Facade of the Plantation

Phase 1: Botanical Plantation

Community plant and harvest vegetables here. Staff will pick vegetables transport to the factory for processing on the conveyor belt. This area also serves as an ecological garden, providing more green space for Huyton.

Plan of the Botanical Plantation

Main Entrance to the Factory

Phase 2: Food Factory process

The organic food is transported to here, getting washed, sanitized, and packaged. After that it is distributed to different channels such as markets, restaurants, and warehouses.

Plan of the Factory Distribution System

Phase 3: Organic canteen and market

Community can purchase fresh organic ingredients here. They can also enjoy meals made from freshly harvested ingredients in the canteen.

Plan of the Canteen and Market

Conveyor Belt Market

Railway Carnival

Academic Work 2023

Instructor: Sandy Britton

This project aims to design a demountable carnival and incubator hub celebrating the bicentennial of Huyton Train Station, one of the world's first passenger railway stations. The demountable building aims to serves as a tribute to the 200-year legacy of Huyton Train Station, emphasizing its importance in the evolution of rail travel. It will host a series of events here, including carnival performances and exhibitions that showcase the station's rich history, engaging local residents and visitors alike. This temporary memorial installation not only commemorates a significant milestone in railway history but also aims to revitalize the community's connection to its heritage while fostering a sense of belonging and innovation for the future.

History

of the Railway and Entertainment Development

Passenger train travel, a revolutionary creation in mass mobility, began will host some celebrations throughout the year and will mark this occasion bicentenary carnival party will arrive and depart via stations along the beginning and culminating with station arrivals and departures via a

In the early 1820's, as the Industrial Revolution progressed, the demand for transporting goods between Manchester and Liverpool increased dramatically. Local merchants and industrialists realised the need for a more efficient mode of transport.

The

Liverpool

Huyton SITE

Lea Green Newton

began 200 hundred years ago, between stations of the Liverpool Manchester Railway. In 2030, each of these train stations occasion with bespoke exhibitions and events which will welcome new visitors and existing commuters alike. A nomadic the Liverpool Manchester route. Huyton (formerly Huyton Gate), as one of these stations, is going to host some events Carnival hub.

HUYTON CARNIVAL

Analysis of the Entertainment in Different Periods

Scene 1. Carriage Period: Pageant Wagon Parade

Scene 2. The Age of Steam: Entertainment on the Train

Scene 3. The Age of Electricity: Cinematic Experience

Scene 4. Modernisation: Immersive Engagement

Oblique View of the Whole Carnival

CHAPTER 1

It includes a circular parade route, two workshop tower, and a plaza. The pageant wagons depart from the workshop near the station, parade around the plaza, and then return to the workshop at the opposite end.

The workshops are used to manufacturing, maintenance, and parking of the floats, as well as the creation of performance props.

The plaza consists of three audience seating areas and an activity zone.

Plan of Float Parade

Railway Recreation Hub consists of a club carriage, a backstage and rehearsal carriage, a dining and performance carriage, and a workshop carriage.

At that time, the working class would choose entertainment activities such as singing, and playing cards in the train. In contrast, the middle and upper classes would choose more comfortable, upscale carriages, where activities focused on leisure and socializing. The club carriage recreate the scenes of that era.

The dining and performance carriage is inspired by the bar carriages of orient express, where visitors can relax, and watch performances. The typology of workshop carriage is Compiègne carriage which is train carriages converted for office use. Visitors can participate in prop-making activities and take lectures about the history of railways.

Plan of Railway Recreation

CHAPTER

Carnival Arena is inspired by the arrival of the cinematic era. It features a large central stage and two audience seating areas. The design of the stage and seating is based on an analysis of the relationship between viewing and being viewed, as well as a typology analysis of various stage types.

The stage serves as the central performance area for the carnival, with a control zone underneath. The control zone includes the stage control room, audio room, and lighting room. The audience seating includes circular and rectangular configurations. A production area is located beneath the rectangular seating area. It comprises the stage production room, lighting design room, and model-making room.

Plan of Carnival Arena

The fourth part includes an outdoor refreshment area, serving as the carnival's marketplace. This area primarily provides food, souvenirs, and a place for visitors to relax.

Upon entering the indoor space, guests are greeted by an immersive exhibition area that showcases the history of railway development through projections. On the second floor, there is an immersive hall. In this space, visitors can sit down and watch screens displaying films, images, and special exhibitions about railways from all the directions.

Off the land

Individual Work 2023

This project focus on the emotion issues about people in HongKong. The space design is filled with a variety of emotions. As you step into the lobby, you'll be embraced by a warm and cozy ambiance, as if returning to the sanctuary of home. The interior features soft colors and natural materials, creating a sense of tranquility and relaxation.

This architectural project is more than just a simple space; it encompasses various emotions and experiences, ranging from tranquility and enthusiasm to contemplation and delight, providing each visitor with a unique and unforgettable sensation.

Hong Kong is a multicultural city with diverse districts, each offering unique characteristics. The Central and Western District serves as the commercial and political hub, featuring bustling business streets and government institutions. In contrast, the Eastern District is known for its beautiful beaches and laid-back atmosphere, attracting residents and tourists alike. The Southern District, with its mountainous landscapes and upscale communities, appeals to affluent individuals seeking a quieter lifestyle. The Northern District is a newer residential area experiencing continuous growth, offering a mix of affordable housing options. Meanwhile, the northeastern parts of the New Territories boast a lower population density, characterized by rural landscapes and small villages, providing a tranquil environment.