Application Portfolio for UCL - March Urban Design, YUE DAI

portfolio

Yue DAI University of Liverpool 2018-2021

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01 Project Type: Site: Duration:

St. James dwelling design for birds St James Cemetery behind Liverpool Anglican Cathedral 7 Weeks

Is here place to collect souls?

When I looked at the St James Cemetery with this question, the wild bird sanctuary building that has already stood on the site for a long time seemed to be the dividing line between the real and the souls' world. People walk around this 'TORII' on the ground and enter this site, which seems to be a gap between life and death. While remembering the loved ones and dear friends, the lightsome feathers of birds carry people's prayer and goodwill to the space beyond density…

The ‘upper world’ is an aggregation of people’s wish and soul. Bird is seen as a carrier towards this wonderland. This idea was formed because of man’s good wishes and conservation intentions for birds.Though nobody knows how the upper world looks like and is good or bad, this is not another cage for birds. They could fly freely in and out, and carry people’s soul to the real freedom.

The initial idea of the designed unit shape is inspired by the steeples of the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral.

steeple-top units launched into the air: movement 01

steeple-top units launched into the air: movement 02

Inspired by the large amount of church spires used on the Liverpool church, many steeple-top objects are arranged on the would form a huge skyscraper for birds.

As could be seen from the 3 step drawings, the ground sunk down according to the shape of the shadow created by the floa the sinking down area becomes deeper.

steeple-top units launched into the air: movement 03

site. They would be launched into the air group by group, and later, all the small units

ating objects. Wherever the number and density of the steeple-top objects are larger,

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1. storage for materials 2. stairs & lift 3. exhibition area 4. circulation zone 5. workshop to make & repair bird houses 6. toilet (male) 7. toilet (female) 8. staff office 9. cafe 10. kitchen for the cafe axonometric plan of the underground zone

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detail section of the bird houses The interior space of all the units is knitted by soft materials and bamboo canes. The bamboo canes on the interior surfaces help to create a structure of a cross network, which makes it more convenient for birds to interest branches and make their nests more stable.

The bird houses could be divided into three types with different functions: feeding & material block, living & nesting block, and playing & communicating block.

feeding & material block (middle)

living & nesting block (left)

playing & communicating block (right)

upward view of the bird house with potential flying route of birds

plan drawing cutting the bird house to show the potential flying route of birds When people on the site look up to the sky, they could see many kinds of birds flying in and out and playing in the semi-open bird house.

Because of the height of the bird houses, they are unreachable to human beings and many other terricolous animals. Therefore, this wonderland for birds provides them with real freedom. At the same moment, their wings also carry the souls of the lost beloves of human being, and bring them to a place where no sorrows could reach.

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02 Project Type: Site: Duration:

Laboratory diving tank under the sea 11 weeks

ARRANGEMENT POSSIBILITY -- IN AN OPEN OCEAN

In the 21st century, water pollution has become an increasingly severe ecological problem. Such as oil spills, sewage discharges, and garbage dumps. The pollutants produced by them are monsters hidden in the sea that, if left untreated, will one day expose their sharp claws to all man.

This project seeks to build an underwater laboratory that can expand and assemble at will. The lab aims to purify water resources and improve the water oxygen content through the transformation and research of new plants. Therefore, the whole underwater environment could be optimized without using chemicals whose environmental side effects are still debated.

hamburger-shaped unit

skeletonize part of the unit

bottom volume reduction.

unevend ellipsoid with openings

An ellipsoid with uneven upper and lower volumes.The number of openings on the bottom are reduced while the openings on the facade are enlarged.

new plant research and cultivation (block type 1)

mass production and further study (block type 2)

public café zone with cultivated varieties (block type 3)

The architecture has many arrangement possibilities, the left rendering shows the arrangement in a narrow underwater city space.

The image on the right is an indoor view when standing in the connection tubes. The glass enclosure broadens the visitors’ horizon, therefore it feels as if is embraced gently by water and plants.

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03 Project Type: Site: Duration:

Bionical space design Suzhou, Jiangsu 9 weeks

Rime is a unique scene in the northern areas. The project is inspired by this wonder.

Itaims to create a space that is hidden behind layers of shelter, but still could still be flexible to use.

sketch of the facade idea

function div

The inspiration of the project comes from the willow tree covered with frost in the winter. It looks like a root silver hanging in the trees and is especially spectacular.

The organization of space follows the rule of the willow tree, blocks for people to use are set in the middle and are obscured by layers of suspensions on the outer facade.

subtract

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creating walkway

subtraction

protective outer shell

create openings

walls added for stabilization

subtraction for better fit

circulation arrangement

overall

design drafts of the facade Three attempts are made In order to show the rime features. Started by using triangular blocks to decorate the facade, it gradually changed into vertical rectangular blocks that stack up with each other.

explosive view There are two types of hanging methods applied in this building.

The first is the use of three-layers suspensions on the external façade, and the second is hanging in the indoor area between function blocks. The second method is arranging the rectangular units into a combination of clusters and extend from the ceiling.

The image on the top is viewing the indoor clusters on the first floor. They are interesting and seem to cut the sky into many pieces when looking at it.

The hollows on the boards are reflecting lights and seem to become the stars in the pieces of sky they cut.

The three layers of elements are metaphors for the willow branches covered with snow.

Each one of they look heavier in the bottom to create a sense of trickling down.

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04 RE Project Type: Site: Duration:

Futuristic space gallery Hilbre island, Liverpool 8 weeks

The concept ‘reincarnation’ was based on the concept sketch of the composer’s personality. Being an artist, the dart she threw not only hit the dartboard but also flew into her spirit world. It intertwined with her inspiration. They dance over and over again and weave a beautiful song.

The architecture of this project is designed in a multiple-layered shape and is placed beside a small island called Hilbre. The island can only be accessed by boat at flood tide. Therefore, it helps create a mysterious atmosphere and leads people in.

mask & sleeve sketches modeling material: 1mm card board 5mm timber stick

These elements are simplified into a more geometrical way and used in the mask as special decorations like the earrings and the hollows.

They are added because the composer is an artist, and artists usually has their own dress up style to show strong personality.

story outline

The dart took the film composer to the film world which the composer needed to score, and broke an air-dried insects on the wall. The composer met the old lady who likes to embroider and the beetle collector. The collector requested the bronze sculptor to make sculptors to help the old lady recall things from her memory. However, the sculptor refused. Since the composer is feeling guilty because of the broken of the beetle, she came to the sculptor’s to told the story happened between the old lady and the collector and requested again. The sculptor got moved and helped them. On the birthday of the old lady, the four had a picnic. On the picnic, the old lady felt very happy because of the gift. When she was embroidering, she remembered the song she liked and hummed it. The composer fell into sleep with the music and went back to the real world.

The song is all around in her mind and never goes away...

concept sketch of the 3-D projection in the exhibition area It's hard to tell the difference between the human-used transportation sphere and the projected abstract ones. Therefore, it creates a sense of participation.

This is a creature that once lived on earth, they were a large family tens of millions of years ago.

But because of the ice Age, they were all frozen in ice and the species died out.

This art gallery aims to perform 3-D projection in between the staggered flake.

Therefore, many extinct species and fantasy creaturescould be presented to visitors as real as possible.

A wind power system is altered and integrated into the vertical flake. Potentially, the five pieces at the back of one vertical unit could spin to generate electricity for building use.

The vertical block bending up and down during one day in order to maximize solar generation.

section of the top gallery block

detail section showing people’s movement in the exhibition & bungee jumping zone

moving line analysis of people in the architecture & detail drawings

sketches showing how the small sphere enter and leave the larger sphere & physical model

The architecture is much larger than the Hilbre island and use wax as a semi-transparent material. It provide people with a sense of mystery and movement.

Some of the vertical pannels are installed with an air fan system. They could spin and generate electricity through the wind.

top view of a man in the swinging system The visitor is shifting from one block to another.

S ER O TH Student works during my university study.

Including both school works and individual paintings.

physical model photo

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physical timber & foam models for structure analysis

LEFT: section model for interior circulation analysis RIGHT: wax model for spatial experiment

pencil sketches - famous architectures worldwide

watercolor architectural drawings

watercolor analysis drawings -- 24 hour narrative

watercolor ergonomic drawings

site drawing for better analysis

site historical background -- ipad drawing on procreate

THANK YOU !