CLIMATE SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN

Time Frame: Three weeks, January 2007

This project used a standard shipping container (12m*2.4m*2.4m) to build an information pavilion, which was designed to be adjustable to all four climatic seasons. A variety of renewable energy options such as wind and solar were used, and related energy-saving techniques were explored.

COMUPTER AIDED DESIGN

Time Frame: Two weeks, January 2007

This project described a particular design object by means of 2D-drafting, 3D modeling and rendering techniques. Different software packages were compared, and their pros and cons were assessed. I chose the Y-House by Steven Holl and used 3D MAX, SketchUP, AutoCAD, Vectorworks, Piranesi, Photoshop, Ecotect and ArchiCAD software programs and described in detail the advantages of using digital techniques over more conventional methods of presentation.

Aerolatte™

Time Frame: Two days, January 2007

This is a poster design to introduce a battery operated portable milk frother - the Aerolatte. The first poster is for a magazine, and gives the product characteristics quickly and clearly. It was designed to run in the Sunday Telegraph’s weekend color magazine. This magazine makes heavy use of information-packed adverts and so my advert takes an opposite approach – by using fewer colors and a more simple layout, the advert stands out much more strongly. In this case ‘less is more.’

The second poster is a silhouette showing two people sharing one beverage, and gives the viewer more imaginative space, prolonging the joyful moment. The four containers are respectively full of coffee beans, coins, milk and hearts implying that the Aerolatte mixes them together to create a perfect beverage. This points out its function as well as its speciality. The whole image means to illustrate a joyful and light-hearted atmosphere.

APPLIED DESIGN

Time Frame: Two weeks, January 2007

This work aimed to convert the elderly Arts Tower, the highest building in Sheffield, into sustainable student accommodation. Since a small scale community is more efficient and uses less energy than a larger one, I proposed a self-managed ‘Compact Community.’ This is a sustainable unit with suitable facilities for a student lifestyle, and is inspired by Sheffield’s Winter Garden, which houses tropical plants from across the globe. Another key design idea in this project was providing various sun spaces arranged in different places as well as different sizes and heights at different floors. This not only improved the ventilation of the whole building but also provided various views. Plants from different climates in distinct sun spaces allow students to enjoy different climate zones comfortably, even in harsh weather.

MEIZHOU HOTEL

Client: Meizhou Development Ltd. / Time Frame: November 2005 - August 2006

Situated at the border of the River Mei, the Meizhou Hotel has an excellent location. The design brief here was to embrace the fantastic view of the river. The stories of the building are arranged in a receding manner from the bottom to the top of the building. The design ensured that the beauty of the natural scenery outside was brought into most hotel rooms. Owing to the skillfully arranged receding plan, the façade is full of lines and blocks in different directions. As a result, the building not only represents a variety of images from various angles, but also becomes a landmark in the surrounding area. I was responsible for hotel functionality design as well as building outlook design and 3D modelling presentation.

BEIJING ELECTRIC SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Client: Beijing Electric Company / Time Frame: November 2005 – January 2006

This project is composed of two districts respectively - a teaching district and a learning district. According to different functions, the main rooms and service rooms were effectively organized to fulfill different needs. A transparent bridge connecting south and north is the highlight in this design. The teaching area resembles the traditional Chinese pattern of the nine-squares-courtyard in geometrical form. I was involved in design concept development, 3D modeling and final presentation.

BAO’AN CULTURAL CENTER COMPETITION

Client: Bao’an Local Government / Time Frame: April - October 2003

This was a competition I took part in at Shenzhen University, for which my team won the second prize. The spaces in this building are organised in such a way as to connect the starting point with various turning points, and all are assembled to create a sense of fluency. Starting from the city plaza, an open space, we employed light to signify directions as well as soften the somewhat too sharp boundaries between inside and outside. The interplay between light and space also provided visitors a journey full of inspiration. Other than light, different kinds of architectural elements were used so that visitors could enjoy a richer experience. These elements included bridges, corridors, staircases and an entrance ramp, and all of them worked together to serve as the links in the building.