Portfolio 2024_Selected Works

ARCHITECTURE PORTFOLIO ZHI FEI LI 2024 SELECTED WORKS

CONTENTS

01 02 03

SAGANO

The Lost Pavilion Full Scale - Ritual Space Construction

WATER NETWORK Floating Pavilions at Buffalo’s Outer Harbor Model Exhibition - UB Hayes Hall Atrium

CANTILEVER

Resilience Community Hub in the Black Rock Neighborhood of Buffalo

04

ENTWINED STORIES

05

RETREAT & ADAPT

06

TINY TIMBER

07

Creative Transitional Residency 3rd Place - Senior Studio Housing Competition

Envision Resilience Narragansett Bay Challenge Work Exhibition - WaterFire Arts Center

Agritourism Center Finalist - King + King Integrated Design Studio Competition

OTHER WORKS

01

SAGANO Studio Coordinators: Matthew Hume & Karen Tashjian TA: Justina Dziama Partners: Deron Charlery, Mikayla Gagliardi, Marietta Koeberle, Bruno Pacheco, Michael Payne, Justin Stafford, Rosanna Valencia, Ben Wemesfelder Site: Artpark - Lewiston, NY Term: Spring 2018 Role: 3D Modeling, Construction, Construction Documentation (Assembly Detail and Progress), and Design-Thinking Software: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, and Rhino Recognition: Full Scale - Site Construction A team of ten individuals collaborated on crafting one of five pavilions that would collectively form a cohesive “house” structure. Starting with an interlocking system inherited from the previous semester, our group embarked on a journey of exploration to enhance the human experience within the space.

SAGANO, inspired by the tranquil Sagano Bamboo Forest in Kyoto, Japan, serves as a focal point within our project. The pavilion revolves around the ritual of eating, enveloping occupants in an environment reminiscent of a bamboo grove.

Our design concept aims to induce a sense of disorientation while simultaneously guiding individuals through the space. By situating occupants amidst columns, our goal was to create an immersive experience where they seamlessly meld with their surroundings.

Tectonic Connection

Joint Study 1

Final Model 1

Joint Study 2

Concept Model 1

Concept Model 2

Concept Model 3

Concept Model 3

Joint Study 3

Joint Final

Final Model 2

Floor Plan

Roof Plan

North Elevation

East Elevation

Floor Assembly

Lateral Floor Assembly

Roof Assembly

Assembly Sequences

On Site Photos

02

WATER NETWORK Studio Coordinators: Christopher Romano Instructor: Elaine Y. Chow Partner (Water Web): Rosanna Valencia, Samuel Marsh, Serena Minix Partner (Water Network): Rosanna Valencia Site: Buffalo’s Outer Harbor Term: Fall 2019 Role: 3D Digital/Physcial Modeling, Design-Thinking, and Rendering Software: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Rhino, and Vray Recognition: Model Exhibition - UB Hayes Hall Atrium With a team of four to five people , we were tasked to collaborate on a buoyant vessel that is capable of transporting heavy cargo. Water Web deriving from the formal qualities that allow a water strider and the water lettuce to float. With that in mind, we focused on having a shape whose form serves as a stabilizing agent.

Formal shapes were broken down into rounder forms to establish more than one point of contact with the water.

Water Network is a series of individual pod-like pavilions joined by short bridges that inspire circulation and connectedness throughout different programs. The shape of the pavilion is determined through the use of the Delaunay triangulation and Voronoi partition. Each pavilion has a rope system work as a stabilizing force, keeping the floorboards in tension with outside members as pressure is added to them.

Both the density and transparency of the ropes create semi-private thresholds that obscure or illuminate your view. The relationship between the user and the lake occurs at the threshold between the bridges, where one is able to access the water depending on the density and the placement of it.

WATER WEB

Diagrams

Axona

Axon

Study Model 1

Study Model 2

WATER NETWORK

Roof

Level 1

Section AA

Section Perspective

03

CANTILEVER Studio Coordinators: Nicholas Rajkovich Instructor: Kenneth Mackay Partner (Catastrophe): Andrew Griffin, Nicole Henriquez, Jingyu Lu, Michael Marun, Michael Vigliotti Site: Black Rock, Neighborhood of South Buffalo, NY Term: Spring 2020 Software: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Lumion, and Rhino The semester started with the design of a laufmaschine. a wooden vehicle with no paddles, with a team consist of five to six people. As a team, we decided to divide the laufmaschine into two pieces and connect through the use of a metal plate.

This way, we are able to use as least materials as possible.

The design of Catastrophe was inspired by The Seduction of Curves, a book that parallels art and math. The catastrophe theory was to test changes in the behavior of a system when one or more of the variables are changed continuously. Our goal is to test the point of catastrophe of wood through laminating and bending.

Cantilever pursued the idea of having two buildings with an open plaza, diagonal path through the site, and bridge-like structure to connect the two buildings starting on the second level. The design of the diagonal path was to encourage indoor/outdoor activities during different seasons. The path also served as a bikeway that connects to the Erie Canal Bike Trail.

CATASTROPHE

Plan

Exploded Axon

Construction Process

Elevation

CANTILEVER

Ground Level

Massing Sequence

Massing Process

Second Level

Third Level

Exploded Axon

Fourth Level

Section AA

Section BB

04

ENTWINED STORIES Studio Coordinators: Annette Lecuyer, Erkin Ozay Instructor: Nicholas Brusica Partner: Anita Lin Site: 865 Kent Ave Brooklyn, NY Term: Fall 2020 Role: 3D Modeling, Design-Thinking, and Rendering Software: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, Rhino, and Vray Recognition: 3rd Place - Senior Studio Housing Competition Entwined Stories is a transformative endeavor dedicated to fostering connections between former inmates and the creative industry through an innovative artist residence. Our aim is to support their transition and contribute to lowering recidivism rates. The project offers temporary housing for traveling creatives and emerging young professionals spanning fields like film, industrial design, sculpture, photography, and other hands-on arts.

Through the integration of public workshops and open studios, Entwined Stories provides a platform for personal growth and the cultivation of social networks, empowering individuals to discover and amplify their creative voices. Moreover, our co-living spaces serve as spaces for support groups and foster conversations on pressing issues like justice reform.

Circulation - Mechanical - Structure

Massing Sequence

Unit Layout

Ground Level

Lower Level

Loft Unit Floor Plan

North Elevation

Dormitory Unit Floor Plan

Unit Section Perspective

Section Perspective

Section AA

Section BB

Exploded Axon

05

RETREAT & ADAPT Studio Coordinators: Theodore Brown, Julia Czerniak Partner: Kaylee Holmes, Raquel Rojas Site: Wickford, RI Term: Spring 2022 Role: 3D Modeling, Design-Thinking, and Rendering Software: Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS, Rhino, and Twinmotion Recognition: Work Exhibition - WaterFire Arts Center Retreat & Adapt in Wickford, RI, is a project that participated in the Envision Resilience Narragansett Bay Challenge that proposed on re-imagining of what Wickford will be like if the community retreat to inland and adapt to new form of live-style that is resilient to sea level rising due to climate change.

The project explored on several interventions that followed the concept of “IF we retreat from lower ground, rethink how people move across land, and encourage inter-generational living; THEN we can, on higher ground, envision ecologically rich social spaces for human, and non-human species; live in sustainable dense collective housing, and encourage new routes of transpiration and its connectivity to its users.” Among the interventions, one was chosen as the potential developing site.

Sea Level Rise - 2 feet - 2035

Sea Level Rise - 3 feet - 2050

Sea Level Rise - 9 feet - 2100

Property Value Loss - Phase 1 - 2035

Property Value Loss - Phase 2 - 2050

Property Value Loss - Phase 3 - 2100

Areas of Possible Intervention

Intervention Options

Building Programming

Site Section - Paths of Travel

Community Gathering

Boardwalk View

Coastal Living

06

TINY TIMBER Studio Coordinators: Hannibal Newsom, David Shanks Partner: Kaylee Holmes, Troy Schleich Site: Brady Farm, Syracuse, NY Term: Fall 2022 Role: 3D Modeling, Design-Thinking, and Model Making Software: Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS, ClimateStudio, Revit and Rhino Recognition: Finalist - King + King Integrated Design Studio Competition Brady Farm, situated in souther Syracuse, NY, occupies 5 acres of rehabilitated land, dedicated to bolstering the local community through local food cultivation.

The area is classified as a “food desert,” with the nearest grocery store at least a 15-minute bike ride away. Compounded by poverty and limited public transportation, accessing fresh produce remains a challenge for residents. To address these issues, Brady Farm seeks to enhance its impact by incorporating an agritourism center into its operations.

Tiny Timber comprises two to three-story buildings forming the core of the agritourism center, seamlessly integrating with a greenhouse structure that unifies the divided Brady Farm site. This design not only facilitates year-round cultivation but also ensures that any displaced cultivation spaces are incorporated back into the project. The strategic placement of buildings also maximizes cultivation space within the site, optimizing its agricultural potential.

Site Concept

Design Strategies

Concept Diagram

Model - Interior

Ground Level

Axon

0

5

10

20’

N

Ground Level - Demo Kitchen

0

5

10

5

10

Level 3 - Demo Kitchen

5

10

20’

N

Ground Level - Hotel

20’

N

Level 2 - Demo Kitchen

0

0

0

5

10

20’

N

0

5

10

20’

N

Level 2 - Hotel

20’

N

Level 3 - Hotel

Model - Section

0

10

20

40

80’

A

A

Site Section AA

5

10

20’

A

0

0

10

20’

5

10

20’

A

A

A

5

Section AA - Demo Kitchen

Section AA - Hotel

B

0

5

10

0

20’

B

B

Section BB - Demo Kitchen

B

Section BB - Hotel

07

OTHER WORKS Course Work | Internship | Research Intern

CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY DRAWINGS Professor: Annette Lecuyer Building: Kitsap County Administration Building, Miller Hull Term: Spring 2020 Software: Adobe Creative Suite, and AutoCAD

1

2

4’

1

2

4’

1

2

4’

Section C

Section B

Section A

Section

PRO-H DEVELOPMENT INC. Boss: Burton Hung Supervisor: Annie Xu Position: Construction Assistant Intern Term: Jun 2019 - Aug 2019 Software: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, and Rhino

Before Renovation

561 Quincy St. Residential Design Proposal

After Renovation

Roof Protection Plan Proposal 1

Roof Protection Plan Proposal 2

Possible Storefront Designs

SELLDORF ARCHITECTS Boss: Annabelle Selldorf Supervisor: Kevin Keating and Sara Lopergolo Position: Architectural Intern Term: Jun 2022 - Aug 2022 Software: Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCAD, and Rhino

Art Gallery of Ontario Massing Model

Massing Model 1

1/4” Scale Staircase Model

Massing Model 2

Massing Model 3

Massing Model 4

1/4” Scale Staircase Model - Detail

Jewish Museum Interior East Elevation

Jewish Museum Interior West Elevation

Jewish Museum Interior North Elevation

NYSERDA NET ZERO RETROFIT LIVING LAB Professor: Bess Krietemeyer Position: Research Assistant Term: May 2023 - Dec 2023 Software: Adobe Creative Suite, ArcGIS, and Rhino

Monitor Case Prototype 1

Monitor Case Prototype 2

Exploded Axon

Monitor Case Final

Assembly Sequences

Base Model

Base and Landscape Model Final

Construction Process

Exhibition