PORTFOLIO
Xuhan Zhao
Providence, RI | (401) 241-4091
xzhao04@risd.edu | xuhanzhao101@gmail.com
CONTENTS 01_ RESUME 02_KINETIC CULTURE CENTER FOR THE BOAVISTA URBAN AREA 03_ META-SURFING HOUSE 04_ MACHINE LEARNING AND TEXT ANALYSIS OF CHANG'AN
EDUCATION
BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE, RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN (RISD)
Sep 2019 - May 2024 | Providence, RI
• Major: Architecture (GPA: 3.789 / 4.0)
• Interdisciplinary concentrations: Nature, Culture, Sustainability Study; Computation, Technology and Culture (in progress)
HONOR/AWARD
HONOR STUDENT
2019 Fall, 2020 Fall, 2022 Fall | RISD
• Top tier academic performance
HONORABLE MENTION | ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION, VIRTUAL HOME EDITION #1
Jul 2022 | U.S.
• Collaborative project: Meta-surfing House
EXPERIMENTAL AND FOUNDATION STUDY TRIENNIAL, WOODS-GERRY GALLERY
Jan - Feb, 2020 | Providence, RI
• Artworks of drawing, design, and stop-motion animation on display
SKILLS
• SOFTWARE: Microsoft Office, PS, AI, ID, AutoCAD, Rhino, Sketch up, V-Ray, Enscape
• CRAFT SKILLS: Physical Model Making, Laser Cut
• LANGUAGE: English fluent (TOEFL 105/120); Mandarin native
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
TEACHING ASSISTANT | RISD ARCHITECTURE, ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN I
Sep - Dec, 2022 | Providence, RI
• Supported the instruction of architectural technology courses
• Organized outside of class help sessions, workshops and office hours to support students
• Assisted with homework and project grading
• Other teaching related tasks such as material preparation
DESIGN AND RESEARCH PROGRAM “THE AZORES - DESIGN WITH AND FOR NATURE”
Jun - Jul, 2022 | Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
• Site visits to learn about the island ecologies and approach to sustainable wood forestry management
• Participated in workshops with University of Azores plant scientists about innovative use of invasive plant materials and biofibers
• Proposed a biofiber butterfly pavilion design for BIO KAIROS farm
ACHITECT ASSISTANT INTERN | EAST CHINA ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN & RESEARCH INST.
Jun - Aug, 2021 | Shanghai, China
• Participated in projects including Pacific Insurance Technology Ecological Park, Huzhou Taihu Sail Hotel, Putuo Mountain Lianhuayang Pier
• Coordinated with architects to complete preliminary data collection, relevant case analysis, drawing plan, elevation, section and other related design drawings, physical 3D modeling, design text arrangement, etc.
KINETIC CULTURE CENTER FOR THE BOAVISTA URBAN AREA
Saint-Gobain Architecture Student Contest Edition 2023 Lisbon
Instructuctor: Jonathan Knowles
By utilising different kinds of kinetic mechanisms, like sliding and rotating walls, foldable furniture, this project maximises the efficiency of space utilisation while also realising the diverse functional use of shared spaces. Kinetic louver system is used in the facade design to meet the needs of shading.
The whole life cycle of this project is also concidered as a kinetic system. The main body of the building will be composed of prefabricated CLT panels from local cryptomeria wood, taking into account the convenience of on site assembly and the recycling of materials in the future.
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2024 2025 2055 2100
Kinetic
Lisbon Fine Ar School The Nationa Museum o Contemporary Art School o nnovation and Creat on Techno ogies (ETIC IADECreative Universi y LIVINGROOM KITCHEN WASHROOM BEDROOM TYPICAL ONE BEDROOM UNIT FLOOR AREA: 50 M² 1100M² LIVINGROOMKITCHEN WASHROOM BEDROOM KINETIC ONE BEDROOM UNIT FLOOR AREA: 25 M LIFTED PLATFORM FOR GROUND FLOOR CIRCULATION AND CONNECTION OF HREE BUILDINGS UP TO HALF OF THE BUILDING GROSS CONSTRUCTION AREA CAN BE SAVED 550M² OCCUPIABLE COMMERTIAL ROOF TOP CONNECT TO THE LIBRARY WITH BRIDGE REDUCE BUILDING VOLUME AVOID OVERSHADOW OF ADJACENT LIBRARY MORE SPACES FOR EXTERIOR SHARED TERRACE
Sliding Wall Rotational Wall Multifunctional Exhibition Space Foldable Furniture Moveable Louver Facade
THE SITE
Components in APARTMENT
APARTMENT SUNLIGHT ANALYSIS AT 12 PM Equinox Summer Solstice Winter Solstice
WITH KINETIC COMPONENTS
Components in PUBLIC SPACE
TRADITIONAL
APARTMENT
Kinetic
LOCAL MATERIAL & ON SITE ASSEMBLY BUILDING PERFORMANCE & CLEAN ENERGY DECONSTRUCTION & MATERIAL RECYCLE 2025 2055 2100
0 5 10 15M
-1 FLOOR PARKING -2 FLOOR PARKING
STREET VIEW FROM SOUTH ENTRANCE
ENTRANCE VIEW
WEST
1st Floor Library
a. Reception area
b. Exhibition area
c. Cafeteria
d. Shop
e. Public bathrooms
f. Auditory
g. Network servers and backstage
h. Filming equipment storage
Ground floor Commertial Area
1. Bookshop
2. Flower store
3. Art supply store
4. Ceramic workshop
0 5 10 15M 1 2 3 4 e b b f g h c a d 5
5. Sport center
2nd Floor Library
a. Deposite and archive room
b. Film and video description room
c. Video digitalization room
d. Cyclorama studio
e. Secretary and administration support room
f. Collective visioning room
g. Working room h. Coordinator room i. Meeting room j. Workers bathroom
Co-living units & Exterior platform
SECOND FLOOR COLLECTIVE VISIONING ROOM
FIRST FLOOR AUDITORY AND EXHIBITION SPACE
0 5 10 15M e b f g h i j c a d
MULTIFUNCTIONAL VISION ROOM AND GALLERY SPACE IN THE LIBRARY
SEPARATED VISION ROOMS
VISION ROOM AND GALLERY SPACE
3rd Floor Library
a. Individual visioning room
b. Technical support to individual visionning room
c. Video edition room
d. Sound studioo
e. Reading space
f. Workers eating area
CONNECTED VISION ROOM WITH SHARED STAGE
g. Executive project production room
h. Coordinator room
i. Meeting room
j. Workers bathroom
Co-living units & Exterior platform
0 5 10 15M
e b f g h i j c a a a d
3rd Floor
One Bedroom Unit
UNIT TYPES
One Bedroom Co-Living Unit (3 operation methods)
Position 3: Entertainment
Position 2: Working & Studying
Position 1: Sleeping & Eating
Two Bedroom Unit with Shared Kitchen 4th Floor
Double
height two bedroom loft
Residential Building Long Section East Facade Elevation
EUI=492,179 kwh per year / 58161 sf =1679708.4912 kbtu per year/58161 sf = 28.88
Heating Energy
Net living space=5403 m2 5403m2 * 15 kWh/ m2/ year=81045 kWh/ year < 65,267 kWh of heating demand
Heating and Ventilation Diagram
RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION DETAIL
META-SURFING HOUSE
Collaborative project with Jiayi Cai and Bochuan Zheng
July 2022
Architecture Competition, Virtual Home Edition #1 Honorable Mention
The fast-paced and high-intensity working life in the future puts a lot of pressure on people in the physical world, while the metaverse gives people the opportunity to create their own unique, wonderful and interesting working and living station. VR technology allows virtual avatars to travel in time and space, and combined with optoelectronics and architectural space to construct a deep, immersive wonderland.
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There are two main functions of the house: entertainment mode and working mode, which can be simply switched in the virtual world according to the user's need. In the working mode, the futuristic working space populated with dynamic digital surfaces creates an efficient and comfortable working environment for virtual avatars.
In the entertainment mode, living space innovatively replicates the beauty of nature. The whole room is covered by grass and flowers, which is inspired by the basic human need for warmth and coziness.
The multi-functional conference hall integrates the functions of display, meeting, social interaction and sports. The semi-circular transparent swimming pool is connected to the multi-functional conference hall, whose large glass wall can also be used as an LED projection screen.
Transparent glass waterways reflect light and color from the LED walls below, evoking an ethereal atmosphere that connects the digital and physical environments, making different spaces visible to each other and visually connecting the participants of different activities.
As a versatile and flexible platform in metaverse, this project actively engages virtual avatars, providing a multifunctional space for working, entertainment, leisure and excitement.
Site Plan
The site of the virtual house is located on an isolated island in the middle of the ocean, where the virtual avatar can be completely undisturbed by the outside world and emerge in the world of nature.
The virtual world is free from physical space constraints and is a place full of possibilities. In the past, the communication between people and community mainly relied on the real architectural space, but now it has been moved to the digital space. The design adopts an aesthetic that captures the integration of virtual experience into real-world social activities. Working here does not require long commutes, instead teleportation points allow people to easily get anywhere they want to go.
Concept Diagram Axonometric Bird View
The virtual word is infinite. People travel through teleporation points to each destination in the virtual world. People create their own 'world' (room) on their land.
Circulation Diagram
Working Circulation
Entertainment Circulation
There are two circulations in the building for users to choose freely.
In terms of the entertainment circulation, outdoor waterways meander around the entire house. Users can reach the very top of the waterway through stairs or the teletransportation elevator, then travel from the semicircular pool, which is a recreational space for swimming, surfing and boating and end to the waterfall. The waterfall merges into the sea, and after a single leapr, people jump in the sea of virtual world.
For the working circulation, users arrive at the teleportation point and entered the working space on the first floor. If they would like to enjoy the entertainment mode of this building, they can take the elevator towards to the second floor or the third floor, diving into the waterfall.
8 1 2 3 4 8 4 5 6 7
1. VR Sports Room
2. Living Room
3. Garden
4. Swimming Pool 8. Teleportation Elevator 1st Floor Plan (Entertainment) 4. Swimming Pool 5. Multifunction Meeting Room 6. Working Space 7. Cafe 8. Teleportation Elevator 1st Floor Plan (Working)
Entertainment & Working Space (Perspective a)
Garden (Perspective c)
9 9
9. Waterway
2nd Floor Plan
9. Waterway
3rd Floor Plan
Exterior and Interior View of Display Space (Perspective b)