Portfolio_Shitong_Yu

SHITONG YU

PORTFOLIO SHITONG YU

The portfolio is a selection of works from Master level studios at the University of Toronto. Professional work includes two competitions. Works include architectural and technological orientations.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HOUSING PROJECTS:

Project 1.

SUNNY HOUSING / ARC381 / 2024 Winter

Project 2.

THE DOME / ARC1011 / 2025 Fall

Project 3.

HILLSIDE SHELTER / ARC381 / 2024 Winter

Project 4.

LITTORINA / Competition / 2022 Summer

LANDSCAPE PROJECTS:

Project 5.

SOTTOPONTE / Competition / 2024 Summer

Project 6.

BUILDINGS FOR FALLING DOWN / ARC1012 / 2026 Winter

FABRICATION PROJECTS:

Project 7.

ARACHNE / ARC384 / 2024 Winter

Project 8.

MODULAR WALL / ARC380 / 2023 Fall

NATURAL MATERIALS:

Project 9.

MYCELIUM

HOUSING PROJECTS:

Missing-middle Infill Parametric Modular AI-Driven

PROJECT 1 SUNNY HOUSING

MACHINE LEARNING FROM LAS VEGAS

The project addresses Toronto's "missing middle" housing issue through a parameterized and bottom-up design approach, offering an 11-bed solution for two families on a narrow downtown site.

The site analysis highlights two primary challenges of laneway housing: limited sunlight and constrained garden space. To tackle these issues, the project employs a systematic approach:

Sunlight Analysis: Using the Ladybug plug-in in Grasshopper, the site is analyzed to optimize sunlight exposure. This process identifies the best location for a garden and defines the Building boundary.

Modular Design: Two module layouts are designed to accommodate varying family needs. These include a single-bedroom and a multi-bed (with 2-3 beds). To further maximize sunlight, the modules are configured with split levels, enhancing natural light penetration throughout the space.

Machine Learning Optimization Machine learning algorithms are applied to optimize the spatial arrangement of the modules, ensuring efficient stacking and utilization of the available space. The result is a massing scheme that balances functionality and sunlight access.

Roof Garden Integration: The final design incorporates a roof garden, reusing roof space to create an additional amenity while aligning with the principles of maximizing usable outdoor space.

*Since the area in June does not overlap with any other area, this area will be excluded

BUILDING AREA & GARDEN AREA

Offers two options that can provide housing options for both parents and children Split

room type with two bedrooms to provide a shared social space for two separate young people Deal with

By cutting some areas of the module, sunlight can better penetrate through and get maximum sunlight Module A

STEP 1

Set the building massing boundary and two modules

STEP 2

Stacking modules within the building boundary and allowing the system to find the solution with the least stacking area

*At the beginning of the machine learning process all the modules are stacked together

STEP 3

The system finds the optimal solution

*However, parts of many modules are not within the set building boundary

STEP 4

Rotate modules to meet building boundary limits

STEP 5

Rotate and move the modules so that they no longer have overlapping parts and are aesthetically pleasing

PROJECT 2 THE DOME

IN-BETWEEN JOBS

This project proposes a multi-level, mixed-use building on a real urban infill site in Toronto, located between 289–295 College Street. The existing condition—a U-Haul rental lot— typifies the underutilized “fill-in” parcels common across the city. The program includes a ground-floor public gallery, a ground-floor workspace for an architectural firm, at least two levels of shared offices for students and young professionals (open work areas plus meeting rooms of multiple sizes), and a public rooftop terrace on the fifth floor.

Conceptually, I developed the building from a modular language of curved walls, extending the curvature into the rear landscape and carrying it through the floor plan and section. A second generative element—the cone—responds to solar analysis indicating that light penetrates the site primarily from the rear toward the street. By projecting the cone toward the back of the site, the form acts as a daylight-capturing device that draws natural light deeper into the interior.

Rather than extruding the plan upward, the façade is shaped by hyperbolic surfaces that bridge vertical planes to create a dome-like spatial continuity. At the entrance, the arched canopy culminates where it meets the building edge, while one side remains open to admit sunlight into a semi-covered threshold space.

291 College St, Toronto, ON

geometric shape Cone

Divide the site shape based on these two geometric shapes

Modify the entrance using the "Curved geometric shape" option

Extend the same shape to the rear Add another design element called "cone"

Extend the design inspiration from the plane to the building facade Final result and circulation criteria

PROJECT 3 HILLSIDE SHELTER

PRODUCTIVE MISUNDERSTANDINGS

In this project, I investigate how typology can inform architectural design through AI-assisted precedent analysis. Using eden.art, I will study a large corpus of existing affordable-housing floor plans and evaluate the diagrams the model generates in response. Rather than treating these outputs as solutions, I read the AI’s misinterpretations and deviations as productive prompts. By comparing generated schemes with their precedents, I will extract repeatable organizational rules—unit aggregation, circulation, daylighting strategies, and shared amenities—then translate them into a clear set of design principles for a new proposal.

The site can be read as a microcosm of Toronto: it sits between a ravine valley system and a commercial corridor served by streetcar lines, and it is surrounded by a dense mix of multi-family and single-family housing. This context can accommodate multiple residential typologies. In response to Toronto’s housing crisis, the project uses AI to compress early-stage iteration and shift effort toward critical synthesis—

PROJECT 4 LITTORINA

ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION

SUMMER 2022 INDIVIDUAL WORK

The architectural style of lceland stems from the traditional influence of the island's lack of native trees. The style varies widely across the country.

Structurally integrated with the reinforced concrete system, the top has a thin roof constructed entirely of steel trusses. The first floor consists of a main electromechanical storage and an indoor rural area. The first floor has a dining area with seating for steps lead up from the exterior, surrounded by the entrance foyer, guest reception and lobby support facilities, and through to the ground floor. The multi-purpose space is located directly below the circular staircase.

Situated on a volcanic hill with distant views of the lake below and the adjacent peninsula-shaped hill, the building's surroundings inspired the orientation of the building's restaurant, its design features the circular plan opens up to a distant view, and the glass facade faces the lake and the surrounding volcanic landscape, emphasizing a comfortable and pleasing environment. The green light coming from beneath the wide disc-shaped transparent glass deck is a reflection of the indoor greenhouse plants underground, giving visitors the unique experience of Iceland's green sea and adding a bold twist to the building's personality. The meter-long length of the glass surface ensures that the interior space is constantly protected from direct sunlight.

The cleanest and most efficient arrangement, while still respecting the beauty of the circular planes.

LANDSCAPE PROJECTS: Urban Connectivity Material Transformation Public Activation Adaptive Reuse

PROJECT 5 SOTTOPONTE

ARCHITECTURE COMPETITION

SUMMER 2024 INDIVIDUAL WORK

As a popular city in western Canada, Vancouver attracts numerous tourists every year. Among its many attractions, Granville Island stands out as a favorite destination. The island combines dining, shopping, and entertainment facilities, offering visitors a vibrant and enjoyable holiday experience.

As a key hub connecting the northern and southern areas, the island draws both tourists and locals, fostering urban vitality through the convergence of people. However, accessibility is a significant challenge. The island lies beyond a comfortable 15-minute walking distance and can only be reached by car via the Granville bridge or by ferry, both of which are inconvenient.

To address this issue, my project focuses on transforming the unused space beneath the bridge into a pedestrian promenade. This redesigned area would feature various facilities such as a popup market, art galleries, observation decks, and coffee shops. The promenade would not only enhance the experience for tourists but also create a pedestrian-friendly connection between the north and south banks, encouraging foot traffic and interaction across the two areas.

This transformation revitalizes the abandoned space, effectively "bridging" the banks once again. It also aligns with the principles of Vancouverism, emphasizing a pedestrian-centered urban design that connects the city through walking rather than relying on public transit or private vehicles.

CLUSTER A

Serving UCW, students are offered a cafe and a small outdoor library

CLUSTER B

Serves tourists, provides viewing platform

Unwalkable

CLUSTER C & D

Serving visitors and residents, it offers a gallery and many pop-up markets. It echoes Granville Island

The most suitable circulation is obtained through analysis

A spatial algorithm is used to impose rules under the bridge based on the circulation of people at the entrance

PROJECT 6 BUILDINGS FOR FALLING DOWN

MATTER MATTERS

WINTER 2026 GROUP WORK

Building for Falling Down explores architecture not as a stable or permanent object, but as a temporal condition shaped by relationships, duration, and material transformation. Rather than pursuing structural permanence or formal control, the project embraces instability as an inherent state of existence. It is composed of three pavilions, each examining a different dimension of falling: the relationship between human and human, human and sky, and human and ground. These pavilions do not resist imbalance; instead, they acknowledge fragility, vulnerability, and decay as intrinsic aspects of both architecture and life.

LIFE CYCLE

The project uses mycelium as its primary material because its life cycle mirrors the conceptual framework of the pavilions. Mycelium is not a fixed substance but a living organism that grows, stabilizes, weakens, and ultimately decomposes. Similarly, each pavilion is conceived as a structure that emerges through growth, temporarily holds form, and eventually falls or dissolves. Their existence is defined not by permanence but by process. As the mycelium expands and binds its substrate, the architecture takes shape; as it dries, erodes, or breaks down, the architecture follows the same trajectory of decline and return.

Rather than imposing rigid form, we establish environmental conditions—time, moisture, gravity, and boundaries—allowing material behavior to shape spatial outcomes. The architecture becomes a living process rather than a finished object. Growth and collapse are not opposites but phases within the same cycle. In this way, Building for Falling Down repositions architecture as something that participates in natural rhythms of emergence and decay, where falling is not failure, but completion.

STRUCTURAL DIAGRAM

The holes at the bottom of the brick can serve as a space for mushrooms or other plants to grow

The foundation of the mycelium can continue to grow within the soil, integrating itself with the mycelium present in the soil

The bricks are connected through holes, and the mycelium will continue to grow in the area where the two bricks intersect, making the structure more sturdy

The circular connection structure enables the bricks to be arranged in a more curved way

FABRICATION PROJECTS: Rule-Based Parametric Modular Robotic Fabrication Digital-to-Physical

PROJECT 7 ARACHNE

EXPLORING THE DIGITAL ANALOG

WINTER 2024 GROUP WORK

This project is an attempt to establish a basic rule in space, and then generate a series of chaotic but regular three-dimensional structures according to this rule.

By observing the process of spider web construction in nature, we notice a distinct pattern: while the final structure appears chaotic, with silk threads crisscrossing in seemingly unpredictable ways, the web’s creation follows a clear and systematic progression. A spider begins at a single point, constructs the outer framework, and then extends inward, ultimately completing the intricate spatial structure of the web.

Inspired by this natural process, we simulate the generative rules of spider web construction using Grasshopper. By digitally replicating the spider web’s shape and its complex internal spaces, we produce iterative models through variations in control points, exploring how these rules influence the resulting forms.

To materialize these structures, we employ CNC fabrication methods, starting with a 3-axis CNC machine and gradually advancing to a 4-axis system. Each machine and material introduces physical constraints, requiring us to break down our models into feasible components for processing. This iterative disassembly process allows us to relearn and adapt to the mechanics of fabrication.

Through this exploration, we aim to push the boundaries of digitalto-physical translation, testing how models governed by the same fundamental principle interact with different machines, materials, and fabrication techniques—from basic machinery to more advanced systems.

Step 1

Vector exerted by the interference point to other control points

TARGET 1 (Control point)

Step 2

SPIDER (Interference point)

TARGET 2 (Control point)

Generate a point closest to the interference point and the other two points, and randomly delete a line segment from the interference point to the other two control points newly generated line closest point

Step 3

Then connect all the interference points, control points, and closest points, and repeat the second step

Find six control points in the box Pick two interference points on opposite sides

THE LIMITATIONS OF MATERIAL AND MACHINE

1: Due to the strength of the MDF material, horizontal roughing may cause the sharp top horns of some small pieces to break off (red ones are the missing pieces)

2: The assembly process used 3d printing and clay to replace some parts and missing pieces

3: Since the threeaxis CNC machine cannot mill concave down surfaces, some undetectable concave areas become visible during assembly, resulting in protrusions surfaces in the model

STEP 1: HORIZONTAL ROUGHING

Isometric view

Rotate 180° counterclockwise

Mill the lower stock

STEP 3: PARALLEL FINISHING

angle milling

Parallel Finishing 1 Initial position 0°

Milling the upper part of the Horizontal Roughing

STEP 2: PARALLEL FINISHING

The human perspective view in front of the machine

Parallel Finishing 2 Rotate 90° counterclockwise

Milling the remaining stock that was not processed during Horizontal Roughing

Parallel Finishing 3 Rotate 180° counterclockwise

Milling the lower part of the Horizontal Roughing

Parallel Finishing 4 Rotate 270° counterclockwise

Milling the remaining stock that was not processed during Horizontal Roughing

PROJECT 8 MODULAR WALL

AUTOMATA - RELATIVELY SELF OPERATING

FALL 2023 GROUP WORK

This project explores how robotic systems can assist in the production of modular walls, particularly through robotic cutting to create molds for casting.

Modular wall systems provide exceptional flexibility, allowing individual modules to be combined and arranged in various configurations to adapt to diverse spaces. By repeating elements, the production process can be simplified, a technique that has historically been employed to create continuous patterns in modular design.

The wall design incorporates features such as porosity, lighting integration, and vertical and horizontal overlaps. With robotic assistance, the construction process is streamlined to accommodate the dynamic nature of these designs.

The mechanical arm was programmed using Grasshopper and was combined with a self-made rotatable fixture at the bottom to meet the requirements for cutting angles of different wall positions. Fabrication is organized around robotic foam cutting as a mold-making technique for concrete casting. After comparing materials, foam was selected for its stability under robotic cutting and its suitability for casting workflows; importantly, the process reuses the negative spaces generated by the robot as the mold geometry, allowing the foam’s texture and cutting traces to be directly transferred into the concrete surface. To keep the geometry producible with the hot-wire cutting method, the module surfaces are rationalized into ruled surfaces where necessary, aligning design ambition with tool constraints.

UR10E

Foam cutting / Mould making process

How does a Robotic System assist in a production of modular wall?

5 Variations FORM Manual testing on Form variations from TPMS by exploring the limitations of tools

MATERIAL

Concrete Mycelium

FUNCTION

Sculptural Light diffusing device

Non-Site specific

VARIATION Straight wall

Curvature Degree - 5 Variations

With too many control lines in the robot program, the robot will run into error, therefore the surface cannot be too curved to avoid the overlapping of isocurves.

SHITONG YU . SELECTED WORKS . DANIELS MARCH STUDIO . 2021-PRESENT