Xiaozhen Xu - Portfolio

Università della Svizzera italiana ACCADEMIA DI ARCHITETTURA DI MENDRISIO

Xiaozhen Xu Via Beroldingen 12

+41 766500096

xiaozhen.xu@usi.ch

PORTFOLIO

2015-2023

Curriculum Vitae Name: Date of birth: Tel: Email: Address:

Xiaozhen Xu 16.12.1996 +41 766500096 xiaozhen.xu@usi.ch Via Beroldingen 12, 6850 Mendrisio

Education 09.2021-

Accademia di Architecture Mendrisio Master of Architecture

09.2015-06.2020

Guangzhou University Bachelor in Architecture

Work Experience 03.2023-09.202

Ilg Santer Architekten Intern · Zürich

09.2022-03.2023

Studio Anne Holtrop Intern · Bahrain

02-06. 2021

Trace Architecture Office Assistant architect · Beijing

09-12. 2019

O-Office Architects Intern· Guangzhou

12.2018-06.2020

Muchen Café Barista and waiter · Guangzhou

10.2015-06.2018

Student Service Station in Guangzhou University Student service provider · Guangzhou

Academic Experience 07.2023

Workshop with Kollektiv Erdikal - Earth Construction, Switzerland Built a Pizza Oven in earth and naturail materials for a familiy in Appenzel with people with people from different backgrounds

02.2022

Workshop with Ila Bêka- Film Architecture, Switzerland Shoot and edited a film about perception of space in Mendrisio in a week - 噩 Startling

12.2018

Design Workshop with Yasui Architects, Japan Designed a hotel and commercial rest station for tourists in a beautiful village in Shaoguan with 8 partners

07-08.2018

Urban Design, Summer Program in the University of British Columbia, Canada Had lectures about Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities and urban changes in Vancouver; Visited the whole cit of Vancouver with Professor; Conducted different urban design and summary with partners from all over the world

06.2017

Workshop in Southwest Jiaotong University, China Had Lectures about Chengdu; Visited some ancient place in Chengdu and wrote a research report about the history, city and architectural changes of Huanglongxi Ancient Town

02.2017

Bamboo- Structure Studio, Guangzhou Designed a bamboo structure and finish Construction with 5 partners

Other Experience 09.2015-09. 2018 09. 2015-09. 2018 07. 2017 02. 2017 04. 2016 01. 2016 09-12 2016

Regular visit our local nursing house Organized to carry out academic exchange activities with other 4 schools in South China, such as competitions, lectures, etc.

Studied German at Heidelberg University, German Volunteer in Wuyuan Anba International Youth Hostel Volunteer of Guangdong Historical Relics Conservation Train volunteer Participant of interesting human experiments conducted by Polaris-youth Development

Honor 2022 02. 2022 09. 2019 11.2015-2019 10.2016-2017 09. 2016 05. 2016 04.2016 11. 2015 12.2015

Microfilm screened at Locarno Film Festival and Luzern Film Festival Almost the best film maker Outstanding Knowledge Award National Inspirational Scholarship Outstanding Student Outstanding Student Leader Third Prize of Microspace Renovation Outstanding Charitable Organization Member Best debater First Prize of Construction Paper Art Competition

Language Native Speaker: Fluent:

Mandarin, Cantonese,Jiangxi Dialect English

Skill Rhinoceros, AutoCAD, ArchiCAD, V-ray, Enscape, Vectorworks, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Premiere, Sketch Up, Grasshopper, Revit, Microsoft Windows, Model making, photography

Interest Avid traveler with a strong curiosity about the world, Nature, Outdoor Sports ,Music Lovers, Homemade craft and Positive mood

Contents Individual Works A private garden in the suburb of Tokyo

1

A Floating Boundary

5

Apartment surrounded by plants

8

Museum in high-density neighborhoods

12

A house for two people

17

Other Works Earth Oven ∞O Pavillian Bamboo Chair Internship 噩 Startling

22 24 25 26 29

A private garden in the suburb of Tokyo Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan Master 1 - Second Semester - 02/2022-05/2022 Instructor: Valerio Olgiati mail@olgiati.net

This private garden is located in a suburb of Tokyo. In order to emphasize the boundaries of the neighboring houses in the suburb and to keep the garden private, the garden is enclosed by a high wall, while the interior is the owner's own paradise.

From outside, you can only see a big and welcome opening. As you get closer to the opening, you will find a smaller entrance with a through height door. The 6m high door takes you to a compressed corridor with skylight on the top that connects all room and divides the big garden into 6 different gardens and each garden corresponds to a different room for living. You cannot see the garden except you open the 'figure' door of the room. All roofs are support by the corridor. The curved roof of room controls your view and pushes you out to the garden, but you cannot see the wall nor the end of the wall because plants are planted from short to upland with infinite view. Except the bedroom which is protected totally by wall with a quiet and colorful flower garden.

The further you go into the corridor, the more intimate it becomes. At the end of the corridor, you will find the material becomes from concrete to marble. The blue marble starts where the corridor becomes open. At the end, there is a swimming pool with multiple small skylights enclosed by blue marble. When you look up, they seem like stars on the sky. This in the most private space of the garden.

1

How to perceive movement in nature? — A Floating Boundary Genova, Italy Master 1 - First Semester - 09/2021-12/2021 Instructor: M. Aires Mateus,F. Aires Mateus

The project trys to create another way to perceive nature. I make a floating boundary which allows us to feel the movement of nature.

The site is in the harbor of Genoa. I image my building is in the sea. It’s a floating boat but fixed by adjustable steel cable.

It is supported by the water force. When the water goes up, the building goes up. When the water goes down, it goes down. When there is wave, people can feel the movement from the water.

People can arrive the building from the floating path and boat from a small door. And arrived a new boundary which distinctive the space for human and the nature. Where you can enjoy the sea and the sun, like a new beach. Then, you can find a stair which leading you to downstairs, the atmosphere changes. Contrary to light and openness, it’s dark and narrow with inclined wall. Along the way, you will arrive the light space where light comes from the top.

5

Apartment surrounded by plants Zhujiang New Town, Guangzhou, China Bachelor 5 - Second Semester - 03/2020-05/2020 Instructor: Hui Pan hui.pan@qq.com

Each apartment consists of two layers of approximately circular planes. During the day, people are living in the open living room, dining room, and kitchen, and the completely open space facing to the city makes people experience the feeling of floating in the sky. The opening on the upper side allows people to peep into the space on the lower side, inspiring people's desire to explore. The freely distributed columns on the upper side become part of the family.

At night, people walked to the lower bedroom, surrounded by colorful plants, as if sleeping in a mysterious garden.

In the structure, the vertical and horizontal force support systems are distinguished. The freely distributed steel columns and elevator shafts offset the vertical gravity; the steel cables around the diagonal are used to offset the horizontal side thrust. The use of different storey heights, free columns, and steel cables make the "light" and "heavy" of the building a strong contrast, and also allow residents to restore the ability to perceive nature in the city.

8

B

A

Upper Floor

Lower Floor

Section A

Section B

Museum in high-density neighborhoods Liwan Historical Street, Guang Zhou, China Bachelor 3 - Second Semester - 03/2018 - 05/2018 Instructor: Filipe Afonso, Fang Shujun filipe.afonso@gzhu.edu.cn

Du o

Ba o

Ro

ad

This project is located in a crowded city, by the river in a historic district. The museum itself is like a bridge, connecting people on both sides of the strait and introducing them into the museum. Two openings facing in different directions, one facing the city street and the other facing the river, to welcome people on both sides. People on both sides of the river can freely walk through the museum.

Duo Bao Playground

ar

e eP

th

The main entrance of the museum is located on the first floor, at the end of the city street, like a pocket, attracting people from the city to visit. Then, visitors will go through the stairs to the underground exhibition hall. The exhibition hall has two floors and people visit the courtyard in the middle. Each exhibition hall is separated by a rest space with a view of the garden. After visiting the museum, people can reach the courtyard located in the middle of the building, and at the same time, people on the river side can also enter the museum through the big stairs.

Yong Qing Playground

In order to have a closer scale when people enter the building, the height of the building is relatively low at the opening of the courtyard, and then gradually increases, so the height of the two buildings is in an opposite relationship.

12

er

Riv

En Ning Road

Hall

Exhibition

Overhead

Traffic

Multi-funtional Room

Communication Room

Rest Space

Collection Library

Cafe

Office

Secdornary Funtion

17 12

5

18

16

11 5

8

19

5 10

Courtyard facing to the opposite side of the river

5

Courtyard facing to the city

6 9

3

20

8 21 8

8

9

2

4 7

5 10

8

8

14 15

12. Duo Bao Playground 1. Parking 13. Gift Shop 2. Yong Qing Playground 14. Copy Room 3. Lobby 15. Courtyard 4. Hall 16. Cafe 5. Toliet 17. Kitchen 6. Central Control Room 18. Mult-function Room 7. Luggage Storage Room 19.Communication Room 8. Exhibition 20. Office 9. Rest Area 21.Air-conditioned Room 10.Collection Room 11.Collection Registration Room

8 1

01

5

10

13

5

20 m

Ground Floor

Underground Floor

Northeast Facade

2

3

4

5

7

8

9

6

1

1

1. River 2. Office 3. Meeting Room 4. Central Control Room 5. Hall

Section

6. Connection Channel 7. Rest Area 8. Inner Courtyard 9. Exhibition

A house for two people Fengyuan Community, Guangzhou, China Bachelor 4 - Second Semester - 03/2019-06/2019 Instructor: Pan Hui hui.pan@qq.com

This project is located in a historical district of Guangzhou, with long strip raditional house on both sides of the site. This is a house that can accommodate two people, which entrances are located on two different streets.

From the outside, the building is a simple cube box. On one facade, you can see the living room space of one people and the entrance of another one. 18-millimeter veneered walls divide up the space inside the building. These walls acts as the main structure of the building but also create diverse spatial division. After entering the house, you can only experience the linear space that is constantly rotating, which is the result of entanglement of the two spaces. The two people can feel each other's existance, but they cannot directly interfere with each other. As a whole, they can get a curious sense of distance - near but far.

The living room and dining room open windows facing the street, and the bedroom is lit by facing the inner courtyard.

The internal walls are also part of the roof. From the living room to the bedroom, through irregular divisions, the space changes from straight to curved, from bright to quiet, just like exploring a mysterious cave.

17

South Facade

Section A

Section B

Section C

0

1

2

5m

Section D

Earth Oven 07/2023

22

Built a Pizza Oven in earth and naturail materials for a familiy in Appenzel

28

∞O Pavillian

10/2021- 02/2021

24

Initial Design, Program Development and Constrcution

Bamboo Chair 11/2016- 02/2017

25

Desinging and Construction

36

Internship Works in O-Office

09/2019-11/2019 Ideas, detailing in Tea hactory renovation

26

Internship Works in O-Office

09/2019-11/2019 Ideas, graphic and modelling in Hongling High school

26

Internship in Studio Anne Holtrop

09/2022-03/2023 Ideas and models in different space and materials

29