I am a recent graduate with a Master of Science in Design, specializing in Robotics and Autonomous Systems from the University of Pennsylvania. My academic journey began with a Bachelor's degree in Architecture, where I developed a strong foundation in architectural design and cultivated a passion for integrating computational design and AI technologies into the field.
During my six years of architectural studies, I was deeply involved in various design projects that required innovative solutions and creative thinking. This experience sparked my interest in how new technologies can transform traditional architectural practices. I have since focused on enhancing my skills in Rhino, Grasshopper, Keyshot, Lumion, Revit, and visualization, leveraging these tools to present complex materials clearly and persuasively. My aspiration is to continue exploring the intersection of architecture, technology, and sustainability. I aim to contribute to the development of intelligent design solutions that push the boundaries of traditional architecture and create innovative, eco-friendly structures.
Ski Cabin design: 3D Spatial Structures Through Graded Timber Laminas
Revolving
People’s identity transformation and self-reflection in the development of productive forces
Encounter
A Boutique Hotel Design. A Confluence of Time and Space
Co-living Artistic Village
A means of revitalizing the countryside based on the sharing economy
Memo - Portugal Elderly Home Design
Material Agencies: Maze of Imagination
Professional Work and Other Projects
Yang(Kristen) Meng
01
DE-LAMINAS
3D Spatial Structures Through Graded Timber Laminas
Abstract: As architectural designs increasingly embrace complex, curved forms, traditional wood construction methods often prove inadequate. This project explores creating 3D spatial structures through graded timber laminas, focusing on lamination, treelike structures, and wood bending, while also investigating the application of robotics in fabrication. The main challenge was achieving 3D curvature by dividing the process into two planar bendings. We designed and validated a prototype, demonstrating the potential for sustainable and customizable wood structures in future architectural applications.
Group Work with Kjo Zhuang, Andres Feng Academic project, 2023
Hyphothetical location
5-
1- Left: Wooden Boat Construction / Right: Mudhif Houses. Almusaed, et.al (2015). “Building Materials in Eco-Energy Houses from Iraq and Iran."
2- Georges Candilis and Anja Blomstedt: Habitable Module (1972).
3- Cellules standard en polyester stratifié. Chanéac. Collection Frac Centre (1960-1971)
4- Tree-inspired dendriforms and fractal-like branching structures in architecture
Test of Bending wood
Fabricated Prototype Connections
3D Curvature
2D Curvature
Lamination
Combined different wood types based on their properties, then laminated, bent, sliced, and soaked them for a second bending, using molds and clamps for fixation.
Connection design
Bending wood
Wooden block
Prefabricated connections
3D printed base
Steel rod (connected to the base)
Fabrication Process
3D TWISTING 2D BENDING
Outside: O (Oak) Middle : M (Maple) Loops : P (Pine)
Stable Diffusion with Control Net
Revolving
People's identity transformation and self-reflection in the development of productive forces
After 1949, rural China underwent earth-shaking changes. In the 50 years from 1950 to 2000, the development of science and technology and the times brought about changes in productivity. When people face such changes, they have various emotions such as blindness, fanaticism, and hesitation. Mo Yan's novel "Life and Death Fatigue" observes and records the impact of this history on people's lives through the perspective of animals.
Starting from the translation of the novel scenario, the design attempts to look at people's situation and self-perception in the process of productivity change from the history of China from 1950 to 2000, and reproduce people's inner entanglements in a reflective way, so as to provide selfreflection methods for the changes to be faced in the future.
Individual Work Academic project, 2022 Hyphothetical location
<Life and Death Fatigue> is a novel written by Mo Yan. The title comes from the Buddhist scriptures.
"Life and death fatigue, starting from greed, less desire and inaction, body and mind are at ease."
Summary
A landlord who is industrious and kind in nature, but was wrongly killed, went through six reincarnations, became a donkey, cow, pig, dog, monkey, and finally reborn as a big-headed baby with a congenital incurable disease.
This book describes the reduction and reconciliation of hatred in rural Chinese society over the 50 years from 1950 to 2000
Five reincarnations
(1) Ximen donkey(1950-1960)
Ximon Donkey pulled a mine cart for the Great Steelmaking and eventually died of famine.
(2) Ximen ox (1960-1970)
Ximen ox worked together on private land with a single family Lan Lian, and was ostracized by the people of the cooperative.
(3) Ximen pig (1970-1980)
"Although history is not a complete and closed cycle, there is also a certain sense of repetition." Mo Yan
The book
the six
Before writting,
murals on the temple wall, and immediately thought of the structure of the novel: looking at human society through the eyes of animals.
New way in Architecture
ARCHITECTURE
PEOPLE SPECTATOR CHARACTER STAGE
Theme
Ximen Tun bought a large number of pigs, wanted to become a pig breeding demonstration village, people joined in raising pigs together.
(4) Ximen dog (1980-1990)
With the reform and opening up, Ximen Gou moved from the countryside to the city with the people of Ximentun.
(5)Ximen monkey(1960-1970)
Ximen Monkey followed Ximen Jinlong's son to sell art along the street, witnessing the end of Ximentun's generation.
Mechanical and situational representations in other works of art
‘Three lessons in architecture' x Daniel Libeskind
The three lessons are intended to reflect on the transformation of architecture in different social, cultural, and historical contexts. This group of works goes out of the shape of buildings and houses, incarnates as machinery.
Deus ex machina
Using the mechanism, the time dimension is artificially controlled, which is the omen and occurrence of the plot and events.
Let's think of architecture as a stage, and the events and scenes that existed in the past, these fragmented spaces constitutethe characters in the stage .Architecture is no longer a vessel for man, but time and memory itself, and man becomes a bystander, reading and observing architecture.
Temporal images are inserted in each present corner, placing fragments of the past, present and future in the same space, transporting the reader to the fourth dimension.
Mo Yan visited
reincarnation
Domino system
Here, 2015, Richard McGuire
Time section
The mechanism
After the block rotates once, the staircase meets the space at the top. When returning to the bottom of the entire tower, people will be able to see through the prism from the bottom up, seeing the space coming from.
The people involved, the sunlight at different moments, and the rotating staircase make the final kaleidoscope picture unique in each moment.
1. The beginning of the turn
Seems to be a choice, but it is uncontrollable to enter it, and eventually it will go up from the same step, and everyone faces the same situation.
4. Monotonous Labyrinth
Partially liberates productivity , develops breeding, and people who are domesticated pigs actually become captive pigs under the rules laid down.
6. The introverted stage
Due to the development of technology, the Internet has brought new production methods, and people have become productive forces independently.
2. The blind destination
In large-scale steelmaking, the development direction of the collective and the productive forces is wrong, and people are moving towards the wrong goal under the leadership of the collective, wasting a lot of manpower and material resources.
3. Difficult choice
Reflection, collective and individual, controlled, and productivity slowly developing.
5. The mobile hometown
Liberate the productive forces (reform and opening up). People flow from the countryside to the towns, opportunities, loneliness, and productivity grow rapidly.
The characteristics contained in the rotation of the kaleidoscope connect the above spatial sequences and the similarity of the development paths.
The building is no longer a living machine, but a stage composed of scene fragments...
The complicated staircase and decoration symbolize the meaningless consumption of energy, and people blindly walk up the stairs without seeing the end....
Walking through a labyrinth of concrete walls, overhead are stones that slowly slide along the track, recording the history of pig farming for all...
The beginning of the turn
Blind destiionation
Difficult choice
Monotonous labyrinth
Flowing hometown
The introverted stage
Encounter
A Boutique Hotel Design on Wangfujing Street
A Confluence of Time and Space in the Urban Landscape
The design aims to create a four-star business hotel that prioritizes guest comfort while offering unique leisure amenities and communal spaces for interaction. The title "Encounter" is inspired by the concept of meaningful connections and shared experiences. Situated on Wangfujing Street, this hotel serves as a contemporary landmark, blending seamlessly into its urban surroundings.
Group Work with Jiexing Wang, Haolei Qiu Academic project, 2021
Location: Beijing, China
Form generation
形体生成 Form generation
形体生成
The site, near an intersection, features stunning views of the Wangfujing block and the Forbidden City to the west. To enhance these vistas, the high-rise is strategically recessed on its western side, with shared atriums and rest areas, emphasizing landscape inclusivity and sharing through refined structures and panoramic spaces.
Within these categories, there are three variations of Standard Double Rooms, two types of Business Suites, and two types of Deluxe Suites.
Section I-I
(a) Double Rooms
Rooms (d) Deluxe Suites (c) Business Suites
Section II-II
Space function analysis
The design intends to soften the boundary between public and private, while ensuring the privacy of guest rooms, creating more public spaces with transparent sightlines and communication.
The design intends to soften the boundary between public and private, while ensuring the privacy of guest rooms, creating more public spaces with transparent sightlines and communication.
康乐 行政后勤
设备用房 地下车库
Visitor Leisure
Co-living Artistic Village
A means of revitalizing the countryside based on the sharing economy
New village construction in China aims to integrate natural villages into cohesive residential areas. However, many projects face challenges, such as excessive reliance on rental income. Our three-stage design approach seeks to address these issues by fostering collaboration between villagers and artists, promoting sustainable development, and reducing dependence on rental housing.
Group Work with Yuanzhen Gu Academic project, 2021 Location: Wuhan, Hubei, China
Three-stage design Ground floor plan
Creative industries are inserted, allowing villagers to gradually break away from the original single economic dependence.
STEP0
Current industry
STEP1
Renovate part of the house
STEP2
Place in the gallery
STEP3
Extended industry
Building renovation
Provide customized modification plans to allow artists and villagers to rebuild their houses according to the type of art industry they want to participate in.
Original plan
Street space effect
Traffic space construction
The external space uses a steel structure as the skeleton, and the outdoor connecting platform is constructed in the simplest and quickest way, so that the street space is minimally affected during the single reconstruction process.
Industry streamline
The type of industry derived from the art industry extends a new industry streamline through the tour streamline.
Optimizing street space
Optimize existing street spaces based on six street renovation types. The transformed street space will be suitable for the generation and conduct of various artistic activities, and the streets full of artistic atmosphere will also attract villagers, artists and tourists, bringing vitality to the village.
Through a three-stage gradual design to form a sustainable economic model, the development prospects of the art village will also attract young people to return to rural construction.
Memo - The Final Recollections
Portugal Elderly Home Design
Individual Work, Academic project, 2023, Location: Leiria, Portugal
Floor Plans Site Plan
Functional Circulation Analysis
Thermomorph
Localized Multi-Pass Robotic Thermoforming Group Work with
Prototype fabrication
Time and energy consumption of each panel of the prototype
Claudia, Sizhe Wang, Academic project, 2024
Multi-part assembled prototype design
We applied the developed localized heating and robotic manipulation thermoforming process to a multipart prototype measuring 1.6m in height and 0.8m in width, consisting of five custom-shaped and formed PETG sheets. Each panel underwent between 5 and 7 local robotic thermoforming operations.
Augmented reality (AR) in assembly
AR was explored as a means to support human assembly operations. We imported our simulation 3D models into Unity with a series of joints. This Unity model was exported to the Touch Base AR software which uses ARKit and Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for 3D cartesian position tracking.
Micro-factory application
Material Agencies: Maze of Imagination
Robotic 3D Clay Printing - Crafting Fused Polyhedra
Group Work with Sizhe Wang, Riddharth, Shenaia, Academic project, 2023
Individual Work
My initial model features a layered growth effect on the facade, resembling ascending pyramids. I learned to 3D print simple polygons. During block segmentation and micro-relief design, I encountered the challenge of single slopes failing to support the structure of the second layer.
Micro-relief design
Through the integration of deep learning, we explore AI-generated textile patterns for micro-relief design, offering alternative interpretations to the conventional geometric logic. These designs challenge the rigidity of ceramic bricks, potentially transitioning into a realm of expressive textile lightness.
Selected works 2018-2021
Location:
Date: Jun. 2019
3.4.Creative sketching. Date: Mar. 2019
5.Photography.
Location: Apple store.
Date: May. 2019
1.2. Sketches: The current situation of the houses in Shuiyu Village.
