Weishun XuSelected Works

2009 - 2011

Univerisyt of Virginia

B. S in Architecture | Class 2012

xuweishun@gmail.com

Dual Degree - MArch / MLA Applicant | Fall 2012

It contributes huge amounts of evidence for and - in even more impressive quan es - against each hypothesis. In A tower blocks lead to suicide, in B to happiness ever a er. In C they are seen as a fi rst stepping stone toward emancipa on, ...in D simply a passé.

- Koolhaas, The Generic City

This por olio records the beginning of my architectural explora on from A (or any other le er from the alphabet) to Z, and beyond.

Contents

Studio Projects

Opportunistic Urbanism The Future of Fermilab beyond an Archaeological Site

[auto]Dependence Environmental Conservation Center

Internal Street Re-Claiming Abandoned Construction Site

Maker’s Stories 1. Physical Speech marionette artisan trailer

2. Urban Ruins mechanic sculpture studio

Supplementary Exploration

Proxy - 10 Flocking Movement Test

Lines Art Works

Resume

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13

23

33

37

47

49

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Arch 4010 | Instructor: Nana Last | Team Project with Tamrat Gebremichael

Arch 3020 | Instructor: Michael Beaman | Individual Work

Arch 2020 | Instructor: CThomas Hogge | Individual Work

Arch 3010 | Instructor: Alexander Kitchin | Individual Work

Research Assistant for Michael Beaman | Role: en re scrip ng process; physical assemly test

This project views the future of Fermilab beyond the scope of its immediate programma c needs as a suburban laboratory. It addresses two confl icts on the site: a global one between the programma c shi s dictated by socioeconomic prac ces (including CERN as a replacement of Fermilab) and the physicality shaped solely by the need for scien fi c researches; a regional one between the required expansions of facili es constrained by the poli cal boundary and the tendency of physical sprawl and popula on explosion of surrounding urban centers. Thus the simple func on of the lab will collapse internally, if such program monotony is maintained ll the cessa on of the lab’s procedures.

Hence, the project approaches the future development of the site through qualita ve changes of it social role rather than a linear extension of its current func onality. The ques on for the future then becomes a retrospec ve one: how to register the lab’s history without compromising the development of both Fermilab and surrounding ci es? The proposal transforms the site as a new urban center generated by a formal language of folding and ground manipula on based on the site’s infrastructures for its scien fi c past. This new center discovers and re-defi nes Fermilab’s historical layers, and introduces a complexity of urban spaces and programs which triggers further opportunis c urban growth and densifi ca on. The history of Fermilab then is not a sta c image like the Stone-henge, but a dynamic one that always generates new ac vi es and forms for the future.

Opportunistic Urbanism The Future of Fermilab beyond an Archaeological Site

1 2

The nature of a scien fi c research facility is to obsolete itself. Opportunis c urbanism seeks possible inser on of social events into the normal development (and obsole ng) pa ern of a top-down regulated laboratory. These programs then diverge into urban ac vi es and re-generate social demands for fully u lizing the site’s infrastructures (accelera on tunnels, power sta ons, etc.).

The long-term placement of new programs considers both current and future development of research facili es, and converges exist-ing ac vity centers and spaces as infrastructures for social events to a ach to.

Origin

ArchaeologySocial Value / Memory

Time

2400 - 2200 B.C Stonehenge

2011 A.D 7011 A.D?

Social Value / MemoryArchaeology

Origin

Archaeology

Time

2400 - 2200 B.C Stonehenge

2011 A.D 7011 A.D?

Activity Centers

Static History

Dynamic Urbanism

Direct Connection 2015 Development Plan

Social Value / Memory

Time

2011 A.D

2015 2025Muon Shut Down

2050 20?? 30??Urban Growth

2011Tevatron Shut Down

7011 A.D

?

...Tourism

... ...

?? ?? ??

Activity Convergence before Muon Activity Convergence After Muon

3 4

The ac vity convergence simula- on provides three prototypical condi ons

for formal interven on when ac vity connec- ons parallel, run across or mesh with the

exis ng infrastructures. This generates three stages of opportunis c urban development with diff erent programs and a tudes towards the exis ng site and its surroundings.

Events

Events

Events

Excavating Folding Connecting

Stage 1: Exposure

Site Section Concepts

Stage 2: Regeneration

Stage 3: FusionIntervention vs. Infrastructure

Synthesizing

2

31

TargetargTaTTT rgettgettet

The axes of ground manipula on and volume inser- on are generated by both the physical connec ons between

exis ng infrastructures such as accelera on tunnels and build-ings, and the possible future convergence of civic and research ac vity centers.

Stage 1: Exposure

Stage 2: Regeneration

Stage 3: Fusion

5 6

Existing Conditions Site Transformation

2025Muon Shut Down

2011Tevatron Shut Down

Conference...

New ResearchesIndustry...

Opportunis c urbanism starts as the Tevatron Accelerator is shut down. While oth-er parts of the lab are s ll func oning, the ex-posure of exis ng infrastructures and inser on of interac ve programs generate dialogues between the public and the lab. The fi rst stage allows the society to re-posi on science to prepare the site for later developments.

Stage 1: Exposure

7 8

Existing Conditions Site Transformation

The second stage seeks to intensive-ly re-claim the rich infrastructures and gen-erate urban programs while preserving the physicality of the site a er the cessa on of par cle collisions caused by social-economic prac ces. It results in contextualized urbaniza- on processes that are ini ated by opportuni- es provided by the history of the site. Such

processes in turn allow the history to con n-ue developing and formally addressing itself.

Stage 2: Regeneration

New Researches

... ...2015...

20??2025

9 10

Existing Conditions Site Transformation

The third stage is a response to the sprawling of surrounding developments. It integrates the fabric of the new urban center with adjacent suburbs. Programs are gener-ated by considering the social demands from both sides. The result is a mixture of both spaces and social ac vi es centered around the core culture of Fermilab.

Stage 3: Fusion

...

...20?? 30??

Proposed Detector Connec on

Research Center

Research Center

Transi on ZoneParkStadium

Data Processing Infrastructure

Entertainment Connec on

Entertainment Connec on

11 12

The concept of environmental conserva on challenges the necessity of a normal architectural interven on due to the confl ict between the self-regula on of the nature and the super-imposed design strategies. This ever-changing ecology in Washing-ton DC further magnifi es the eff ect of ar fi cial disturbance on the natural systems and its poli cal implica on.

In response to the bo om-up nature of the conserva on program, this project proposes architecture as a process of self-regula on and adapta on that results in strategies in spa al orga-niza on. U lizing Roosevelt Memorial Bridge as a superstructure of grid regula on for minimal footprint, the building is interpreted from a program automata process dependent on both the inter-nal rela onship among its programs and the possible changes in the landscape. The light-weight carbon fi ber construc on allows varia ons of the built form throughout me, so that at any given moment the building is able to re-confi gure itself to trace the evo-lu on of the ecosystem. Meanwhile, the evolving forms manifest the changing nature of the ecosystems as an a tude of bo om-up environmental conserva on against the poli cally superimposed sta c plan of the Na onal Mall.

[auto]Dependence Environmental Conservation Center

13 14

Bottom-Up | Relationship > ProgramTop-down | Program > Relationship

Programs connected by the site are generated under dynamic rela onships between the grids, forming a self-sustaining urban ecology juxta-posed against the top-down planned na onal mall. It is the designer’s responsibility to manifest the monumentality of the spontaneity of this natural ar fi ciality.

The Na onal Mall and the Arlington Na onal Cem-etery area provide planned landscapes as fi gures highlighted by top-down regula ons. Every niche is evaluated at a sta c moment and maintains this status. It is an ar fi cial nature manifested and lim-ited by imposed forms.

Precondi on: The current earth-fi lling strategy polarizes the ecosystem into two modes of life cycles determined by fl ood planes. The annually fl ooded land is separated from the one elevated by the original bedrock.

Conserva on as Diversifi ca on: Proposed earth-fi lling connects both ecosystems to generate a new system of annual migra on. The fl ow of organic ma ers promotes the long-term health of the nature in the city.

The placement of architecture is ini -ated by landscape manipula on, and the growth of the building must parallel the changes of the ecosystems.

Re-distribu on as Stabiliza on: A second step of land re-distribu on is proposed a er the new ecosystem is formulated to balance the patch areas, so that the three ecosystems can stand environmental disturbance.

AB

B

B

CA

B

CA

15 16

12 3 4 56 7

81

1

1

1

1

11

Urban Ecology Dependence

Ecological Change

PROGRAM AUTOMATA

Dependence

Internal Program LogicFlooding

Other Disturbance

Material Flows

Planning Principles

I+N

I+A

P+N

N/A

P+A

Surrounding Programs

+ +

+ +

+

+ +

+

+

+

-

/

--

--

/

/ -

/

Design Concept Mapping

Entrance Outdoor Woody Plant

City Program Educa on Migra on

Administra on Water Covered Annual Flood

Research Herbaceous Annual Growth

1 5

2 6

3 7

4 8

Evolu on, G7 Evolu on, G11Secondary Evalua on, G4 Evolu on, G5

Evolu on, G15 Evolu on, G30Evolu on, G19 Evolu on, G26

Generic Distribu on, G0 Primi ve Organiza on, G1 Primi ve Evalua on, G2 Secondary Distribu on, G3

A simula on process is used to evaluate the rela onship between the programs and the nature as well as among programs. The cube system responds to the grided structure of the bridge, to which the building is structurally a ached.

17 18

Public Patch Education Patch

Research Patch

Administration Patch

19 20

Individual Behavior - NichesStudy of sample unit clusters from the simula on informs typical program groups that func on as a room. The size of each unit cube is determined by the grid of the bridge.

Group Behavior - PatchesThe general pa ern of the simula on determines the chance of distribu on in rela on to other clusters and boundary for each unit type.

Non-Structural Skin

Secondary Structure - Ribs

Primary Structure - Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber System

The construc on method serves the need of renewing the light-weight cells as moveable units that trace the life-cycles in the eco-system.

Insulated Glazing

Aluminum Waterproof Mullion with Bolted Skin

Self-Cleaning Plas c Fabric with Polymer Film

Bracket Bolted into Founda on

Cast Concrete Founda on

Exis ng Structure of Roosevelt Memorial Bridge

Self-Cleaning Plas c Fabric with Polymer Film

Carbon Fiber

Carbon Fiber

FoamAluminum RibSteel Reinforcing Bar

Steel Reinforcing Bar

Foam Insula on

21 22

Internal Street Re-Claiming Abandoned Construction Site

The site is a 11 story hotel abandoned a er the construc on of reinforced concrete structure in

Historic Downtown, Charlo esville, VA. It stands as the tallest structure in the city, symbolizing a failure of

the development mode ini ated by blind funding for grand businesses, while the surrounding small shops

maintain a high level of commercial ac vi es in the same area. The proposal seeks to gradually re-inte-

grate the structure into Downtown’s public actvi es with an emphasis on street life and social interac on.

23 24

Driving Speed Zone

Walking Speed Zone

Main St. Main St.2nd St.

Site

Commercial

Commercial

Activity Lv.1

Activity Lv.2

Activity Lv.3

Public Activity

Pathway

OfficeProduction

Site

Commercial

Pathway

Office

Production

Program Rupture

The lack of program along the site and the diff erent ty-pology of programs on parallel streets break the con n-uous experience of Downtown as the core of the city.

Circulation Disconnectivity

An abrupt shi of circula on mode from automobile to walking segregates the experience of the street’s uni-fi ed facades and programs.

Commercial Walking Street

Entry from Rivanna Trail

Offices/Production/Parking

25 26

Program Expansion

The proposal extends interac ve programs from Downtown to the site to expand the social iden- ty of the city center.

Internal Street

To provide an enclosed mode of communica- on that matches the atmosphere of Downtown,

the street access is shi ed into the exis ng structure.

Mechanical

Storage

Art Shops Art ShopsIndividual

Performing

Entrance/Street Performance

CourtyardCafe

GalleryPathway

Collec veStudio

Mechanical

StoS rage

AArtAAAAA ShShShSSShSShSShShShSSS opsopopsppsopsoopsopsopppopspppp AAAArtAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ShSShShShShShhShShShShSShShhShShShhShShhhhShSSSShShhopsopsopsopopsopsopsopsopsopsopsoopoppsopspssopsopsooopsoopoopsooppspInddnnnnnndndnnndnnnnndndndnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ividduadduaddual

Pereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee forminnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng

Entrance/Street Performance

CourtyardCafe

GalleryPathwayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Collec vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveStudiooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Motel Cell

GalleryIndividual Studio

ShopsShops

ShopsShops

Cafe

Open TheatreMechanical

Storage

Motel Cell

Motel Cell

Motel Cell

Collec veStudio

Collec veStudio

PerformancePrepara on

Communica onPla orm

Communica onPla orm

Collec veStudio

Collec veStudio

27 28

$

Organization Progress

Expansion of City Square

Vertical Street

Topographic Adjustment

Social Interaction Promotion

Longitudinal Access

Future Reclaimation of Upper Levels

Resulting Program: theatre

Resulting Program: studio, motel

Resulting Program: street shops

Resulting Program: gallery, conference

Resulting Program: cafe, gathering space

Resulting Program: housing

29 30

Room Pototypes

The organiza on of pub-lic programs is based on a ver cal re-distribu on of prototypical interac on spaces in Downtown to maintain a coherent spa- al atmosphere.

31 32

Maker’s Story 1: Physical Speech marionette artisan trailer

We rely on language as our main source of information and the most ef icient way of ex-

pression. However, language itself is so precise and programmed that it begins to constrain us. The

intention of this travelling Airstream trailer is to construct a boundless way of storytelling through

the making and theatrics of marionettes, which is a physical expression of ideas through light, sound,

movement and other scenes. Although less precise, physical communication is more genuine and infor-

mative.

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Object to Experience

As the trailer travels within and between ci es, the maker’s tran-scendental experience of the city is conveyed not only through the mari-one es, but also through the maker’s physical ac vi es. Linked by a central chain loop, the shi ing of the pro-grams is juxtaposed with the mov-ing fi gure of the maker opera ng the en re system. The furniture responds to the way the space is used, which is another physical manifesta on of the stories.

Fabrication Mode Story Design Mode Living Mode

Story & Feedback Loop

35 36

Maker’s Story 2: Urban Ruins mechanic sculpture studio

This site in Philadelphia is located at the intersec-

on of urban fabrics, where an elevated railway brutally cuts

through a 300 year old worker class community. This railway

eliminates the mixed-use buff ering zone between Fishtown

community on the east and the abandoned industrial area on

the west, where people from the community used to make

their contribu ons to the city. The proposal a empts to re-con-

nect the workers to their industrial past, taking the form from

a generator in loosely constructed ruins, to synthesize the two

zones via programma c and physical connec on. The project

is a deliberate explora on in the phenomenological transla on

of architectural metaphors into spaces via physical modeling

processes that resemble in working style the community cra s-

people’s physical touch.

37 38

City Scale

The site is located at the convergence point of urban axes that defi ne the boundary of Fishtown. The view from the site should be extended to the edge of this community and beyond to posi on the community in a larger context both physically and socially.

Site Analysis

Community Scale

By nega vely aff ec ng the street life, an elevated light rail islolates the working class commu-nity from the abandoned indus-tries where people used to work. It builds up a segrega on be-tween a community and its phys-ical memory. The proposal re-ac vates both material fl ows and human resources to rediscover the community’s cultural iden y with both programs and physi-cal access.

Block Scale

The spa al organiza on seeks for maximum porosity in order to coverge the movement of recycled industrial materials and the movement of cra speople from the community. It also seeks to rejuvenate the dilapidated bike shop by direc ng circula- on around the exis ng build-

ing.

Disturbed Gound

The ground surface is both lifetd and sunken throughout the spa al sequence. It is a metaphor of eleva ng the community members’ earthy cra s to high-fi gure mechanical art, and also directly responds to the displacement of social iden ty brought by the programma c changes depending on their rela ve height to the elevated raiway.

Material Flow

Material Processing Zone

Exhibition / Interaction Zone

Activity Flow

39 40

Evolution of Models

The modeling explora on a empts to interpret the form of metaphors by taking on the senses of mechanical ar sts during hand cra pro-cesses. It starts with expression via materials and ends with phenomenological experience during manipula ng the same material.

41 42

Progression of a Place

The design is supposed to generate the sense of a place, a fi eld where no specifi c constructed object other than the central corridor is defi ned. It a empts to achieve so by de-emphasizing the thresholds between the interior and exterior.

1

1

1

2

2

3

2 3

4

4 5

5

6

6

7

7

1. Joining / Welding Sta on2. Cu ng Sta on

3. Tools / Prepara on

1. Assembly Stage2. Sculpture Chamber3. Exhibi on Corridor

4. Design Studio5. Bedroom

6. Balcony7. Exis ng Bike Shop

1. Outdoor Gathering2. Sculpture Chamber

3. Material Exhibit4. Cooking Area

5. Living Room6. Bathroom

7. Exis ng Bike Shop

2

3

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Existing Condition

Perspective Looking into Fishtown

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Proxy - 10 Flocking Movement Test [in progress]

Proxies are construc ons that examine the nature of

generic architectural problems within: programming, process,

procedures, manufacturing and assembly. This tenth version

is generated around a fl ocking model that extracts an overall

spa al distribu on and movement of a group based on generic

individual choices. Each individual has exactly the same deci-

sion making mode, and this model is used to test how a general

group with unconsciousness of interest in movement can pos-

sibly be encouraged to interact with constructed objects placed

according to the group’s movement pa ern.

Accumulation of Built Units (Processing - Grasshopper)

Intensity Calculation (Grasshopper)

Cluster Generation (Processing)

Possible Unit 1

Accumulated Units Node Connection

Assemby Test (Part from Proxy 8)

Possible Unit 2

General Flocking Model (Processing)

Mechanism of Individual Movement

Boundary Condition

Acceleration

Velocity

Attraction

Cluster

Distance

Speed

47 48

The Lines Art Works

A line is the simplest geometry that depicts the space of its own. My sketches are an ex-

ploration on the capability of lines in de ining its own spaces with a certain line type logic while

depicting actual concrete objects.

The Tangental The Diagonal49 50

WEISHUN XU434-466-6368 | xuweishun@gmail.com

2021 Ivy Road, Apt B2 | Charlottesville, VA 22903EDUCATIONUniversity of Virginia - Charlottesville,VA B. S. Architecture Candidate | August 2009 – May 2012(Expected) Overall GPA: 3.83/4.0 | Major GPA: 3.85/4.0Zhejiang University of Technology - Hangzhou,China B. Arch Candidate | September 2007 – June 2009 Overall GPA: 3.84/5.0

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTSTeaching Assistant - U.Va • January - May 2012 for ARCH 3020 Architectural Design II (Appointed); • August - December 2011 for ARCH 1010 Lessons of the Lawn. Research Assistant - U.Va • August 2011 - May 2012 with Virginia Teaching Fellow Michael Beaman.Dean’s List - U.Va • Spring 2010; • Fall 2010; • Spring 2011.Second Class Scholarship - ZJUT • 2007-2008; • 2008-2009.

COMPETITIONS / EXHIBITIONSDesCours 2011 Exhibition (Withdraw from fabrication) • December 2011;

• Team project with Michael Beaman and Zaneta Hong.

SLANT Garden Competition (Long List Garden Design Award) • August 2011; •Team project with Patrick Bradley and Jinhui Huang.

Spain-China 2011 Competition • August 2011; • Team project with Fang Qiu and Jing Wang.

2011 Washington Unbuilt Competition (Entry to 2011 Design DC Exhibition) • June 2011;

• Entry to 2011 Design DC exhibi on.

U. Va Car of the Future / Future of the Car • November 2010; • Team project with Jinhui Huang and Yi Li.

2010 U. Va SARC Graduation Exhibition • May - June 2010; • Project 3 from ARCH 3010 selected on behalf of Kitchin studio.

2009 U. Va End of the Year Exhibition • December 2009; • Project 3 from ARCH 2020 selected on behalf of Hogge studio.

Sustainable Design Competition at ZJUT (Professional Level Second Prize) • October 2008; • Team project with Zheng Lv.

CAREER EXPERIENCEExternship|NADAAA - Boston,MA(Scheduled) • January . 2 – January . 13, 2011.

Internship|H+D Studio - New York City,NY • June 2011 – August 2011.

Internship|Christopher Counts Studio - Charlottesville,VA • March 2010 – April 2010; July 2010 – January 2011.

Externship|Architecture Design and Research Institute of Zhejiang University - Hangzhou,China • January 2010.

Program Coordinator|UK Education Advisory Services - Hangzhou,China • October 2008.

LEADERSHIP / ACTIVITIESWebmaster & Exec Board|American Institute for Architecture Students - U.Va • August 2010 – Present.

Advocacy Officer|Habitat for Humanity - U.Va • September 2011 – Present.

Copy Editor|Lunch vol. 7, Student Journal of School of Architecture - U.Va • November 2010 – Present.

Project Assistant|Fallow City Project - U.Va • January 2010 – April 2010.

Advocacy Officer|Chinese Student and Scholar Society - U.Va • August 2009 – March 2010.

Vice Minister|Student Council in School of Architecture and Engineering - ZJUT • October 2007 – June 2009.

Member|Chinese Young Volunteers Association - ZJUT • September 2007 – August 2009.

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