Shuangjian Zhang architecture portfolio for UCL health, wellbeing and sustainable buildings
Shuangjian Zhang
Architecture Portfolio
Apply to Health, Wellbeing and Sustainable Buildings MSc
University College London
Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Architecture
Xi'an-Jiaotong Liverpool University
Selected Works 2020-2024
From an early age, I have been deeply passionate about design. I vividly remember my childhood fascination with building models using materials like cardboard to construct my ideal structures. Through this creative exploration, I came to realize that architecture is not just about cold steel and concrete; it is a powerful art form that embodies the thoughts and emotions of its designer.
A highlight of my academic experience was a sustainable building facade project in my junior year. My team and I developed an adaptable facade system, designed through parametric modelling using Grasshopper, that automatically adjusted to weather conditions, enhancing indoor comfort and energy efficiency.
For my final project as an undergraduate, I designed a bicycle-themed activity centre in Shanghai, inspired by local residents and cyclists. The design featured a sloped pathway that allowed cyclists to ride to the rooftop, offering scenic views and an interactive experience. The centre also included spaces for kayaking and areas for local villagers to sell goods, fostering community interaction and creating a multifunctional recreational hub.
These experiences have solidified my passion for architecture and its power to transform spaces and lives. As I continue my journey, I am eager to explore innovative and sustainable design solutions that enhance the way people interact with their environments.
Contents
2024 UIA International Competition
Spatial Reconstructing-Reconstructing Urban Density
Group work Mar 2024 - Aug 2024
Community center design
Individual work March 2024 - July 2024
Building watchtower based on helicopter structure
Group work Jun 2023 - Jan 2024
Adaptive Facade Design
Energy saving building facade design
Group work Sep 2023 - Dec 2023
Other Works
Block renovation
Individual work Sep 2022 - Dec 2022
Suzhou Old Street Transformation A Poetic
Endeavor Pedestrain Bridge
Bionic streamlined bridge
Group work Mar 2023 - Jun 2023
Creation Of Structure
Use infrastructure to create a supportive shelf
Individual work Sep 2021 - Nov 2021
Dragon Boulevard
This project is mainly a block transformation. At first, there were many high-rises building and vehicles, and little space for pedestrians and residents. We chose a few important areas in the neighborhood, using the corridor to connect the main points of the street, convenient for residents to travel activities. The renovation of each major site is different, improving the activity space and living conditions of residents, and restoring the local ecological environment.These jobs facilitate the travel and activities of community residents.
2024 UIA International Competition
Spatial Reconstructing-Reconstructing Urban Density
Instructor - Chi.Y Group work
Contribution：Site selection work, development progress drawings, renderings and sections Mar 2024 - Aug 2024
We translated the traditional shophouses in Dongguan and came up with a general modular form, which was used as the main formal language for our design.
The area of the renovation is spread out along main street and the general direction of main street can be seen in the image.
The image shows the locations of the six areas we need to reconstruction.
The image shows how these six areas are connected to the main road.
The image shows the scene after the reconstruction of six areas.
R: Mr. Architect, you know. The main problem with the site is the lack of traffic, with only one main road.·
R: It's great to be able to rest more easily, but we also want to shop more easily.
A:Yes,Mr.Resident.So we replanned the traffic, equipping it with enough parking to contain the new traffic.
R: It's great to have such interesting planning, but how do you generate an equally interesting building?
A: We take the aerial corridor as the main architectural form to connect the site, while placing stairs in it to ensure the richness of space and perspective.
R: It's great to be able to rest more easily, but we also want to shop more easily.
A: So, we use the corridor as the main architectural form to enrich the traffic. We also set up public space at the turning points of the corridor.
A: We also took this into account. But unlike the public space, the commercial space is divided into several small units.
A: We created a number of parallel corridors to create activity Spaces on the ground floor for residents to use for recreation and parking.
R: The design is really good, but we still have some traditional culture here that is about to be lost...
A: We also let the main corridor bypass a public stage to make it more convenient for people to watch traditional Chinese culture performances during holidays!
R: With so many tall buildings, how do you make people's lives better?
Near plaza area
Same with the plaza area, a viewing platform is also made on the corridor to expand the activity space.
Near residential area
Plaza area
Originally, this area was a tall building, which made the street very depressing. The renovation demolished part of the building and turned it into a viewing platform and event space.
Near market area
Through multiple directions of the corridor to make residents more convenient travel.
The level of corridors near the business district changes to form a variety of spaces to attract customers.
Market area
In this area, the original houses close to the railway were removed, and the low-rise shops were turned into a two-story commercial street. The first floor could also leave enough space and add vegetation to improve the environment.
Residential area
In this area, the original house in the middle was removed, the light and activity space were increased, and a multi-function house was built for residents to facilitate their travel.
Dianshan Lake Sports Community Center
Sports community center design
Provide visitors and villagers with sports experience and leisure space
March 2024 - July 2024
Instructor - Dong Chen, Teo Nacher
Individual work
The project is located in the suburbs of Shanghai, with a good environment. Based on the surrounding cities, it is also a good sports tourism area. The project mainly serves the sports people, as a rest station for cyclists, as an experience place for kayakers, and also meets the needs of villagers for gathering and selling. After completion, it can attract people who experience in the city, facilitate the passing of the movement, and provide additional income for the villagers.
Site map Location choose
land travel route
Located off the village's main road, the villagers of all three villages are easily accessible
water travel route
It can also be reached by boat, connecting more areas
route
Close to the road, can attract more cyclists, provide cycling services
route
Close to the river, providing a place for kayaker to rest, but also easy for kayaker to go to carry out sports
Village
Villagers
Rider
Kayaker
There are two ramps connecting the building, people and bicycles can pass through, but the ramp turns are not smooth.
The shape of the building has been improved, with better zoning and a ramp that allows bicycles to ride to the top of the building, but it is the same lane up and down the building.
The cycling route has been improved, with an entire road running through each building.
The left side shows the floor plan of the first floor of the building, with hotel areas, areas for bicycles and kayaks, and areas for local residents to sell.
Cycling routes Viewpoints on the ride Cycling space Kayak space
Cycling lanes will circle the building, connecting to each themed area.
Main activity space for tourists Main space use by villagers
Tourists will go to the bike or kayak space, and on the first floor of the villagers' space they will go to buy food items for the villagers, etc. Terrace space Sale space
Villagers are mainly active in the sales area on the first floor and the meeting area on the second floor, and they also dry their goods on the terrace.
The top image shows what the back of the building looks like, the left image shows the interior of the building's atrium, and the right image shows the connection and interior Spaces of the buildings on both sides of the river bank.
South elevation
Building structure and material
The
and construction process
The quality is very light and easy to support, the use of waste plastic recycling made of environmental protection and low price, can be recycled many times.
Concrete
Mechanical Watchtower
Building watchtower based on helicopter structure
Observational tower design
Translation of helicopter mechanical system into building structure
The building focuses on the propeller structure of the helicopter, combining the propeller structure with the existing watchtower structure to form a new structural form.Concrete is used as the wall material and steel structure is used as the support to ensure the stability of the building.
Composition of rotor system
Steering system
Translated building for diagram 1
Conprehensive diagram 1
Graphical Scale 1:50
Architectural translation diagram based on rotor
Motion: Both sides of the propeller twist in the opposite direction to control the helicopter movement
Translated: According to the Angle generated by the rotation of the propeller on both sides of the evolution, the formation of the building with the Angle
Rotating system
Conprehensive diagram 2
Graphical Scale 1:50
Translated building for diagram 2
Linkage system
Translated building for diagram 3
Motion: The parts and propellers rotate with the central shaft, providing the helicopter with lifting force
Translated: According to the evolution of multi-layer circular parts, the formation of a multi-layer circular building
Conprehensive diagram 3
Graphical Scale 1:50
Motion: The rotation of the parallel rod drives the upper part to control the motion of the helicopter
Translated: According to the parallel evolution of the bar, the formation of a number of parallel planes of the building
Tower typology
Supporting fram and top building consitute the tower. Most of the tower is build for watching.The image below shows the basic types of watchtowers and some of the more famous towers. The type of the staircase，structure and the top building are extracted and preliminarily combined.
The two propeller rotation systems are crossconnected together to combine the steering system and interlocking system respectively to form the main structure.
Steering system
Rotating system
Linkage system
Two four-story watchtowers are propped up and connected by corridors
Structure and space
The roof space is open and the two main structures are joined together, with a transparent lookout space at the very top.
Not only can the surrounding observation deck enjoy the view, but the interior space can also be enjoyed, and multiple internal openings allow people to feel the experience on the way up the stairs.
The central part is the main support structure, and the steel structure is used to pull the lookout platformto ensure the stability of the lookout platform.
[Top space]
[Viewing space]
[Main support]
Mechanical system observation tower
The two watchtowers are connected together to form the entire building, which can be viewed from every Angle, from the inside of the building to the outside, from the bottom to the top to give visitors a different experience.The orange and white styles blend in with the surroundings.Stand in the middle of the wilderness and experience the special experience of looking far away .
Adaptive Facade Design
The project uses parametric calculation to design the outer surface of the building, to achieve the control of the amount of light and air intake, to achieve the energy-saving effect of the building. The project does this by changing the shape of the structure by calculating light and wind direction to create an adjustable mechanical structure.
Building facade design
Focus on structure
Sep 2023 - Dec 2023
Instructor - Giancarlo Di Marco
Group work
Contribution：Structure design, solid model production
Light and wind
conditions
Location
East of China, located on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean.
Climate characteristics
Subtropical monsoon climate
Annual Radiation
There is sufficient sunshine throughout the year, and the solar radiation intensity of the south and east sides of the building is high, requiring the construction of a sun-shading facade.
Wind analysis
Annual Sun Path
According to the wind rose diagram and the architectural wind direction diagram, the site is dominated by northeast winds in spring and winter, with occasional west winds. Southeast and southwest winds prevail in summer and autumn.
Shanghai
Entity model process
Plan open
Plan shrinkage
Axonometric open
Axonometric shrinkage
Axonometric tape open
Axonometric tape shrinkage
Four rods around the axis of the rotating member needs to be connected to the rod load-bearing rod, can not be hollow, and by the thickness of the rod constraints contraction arc is limited.
It is possible to shrink the canopy but the components are too heavy and the folding trajectory is different from the GH model.
Simplified skeleton, by utilising the rigidity of the surface support material however, the volume of the intermediate components was not taken into account, resulting in a gap between the canopy and the skeleton.
The final version, lightweight and able to match the movement of the origami itself.
Exploded drawing and material
Assumed building and facade layer
3. Inter level mechanical drive system
2.
The folding fan transmission system is not uniformly controlled by the motor, but by the inhabitants or building users themselves, giving sufficient freedom of adjustment.
The transmission of the origami model adopts the unified deployment of roof motors, and the opening and closing is controlled by solar radiation and other procedures, so that users do not need to worry about additional lighting problems.
1. Concrete floor slabs
Inter level mechanical drive system
Mechanical Drive Shafts
Suzhou Old Street Transformation
Sep 2022 - Dec 2022
Instructor - Adam Brillhart
Individual work
The project is mainly about the renovation of the old city, the site is close to the river and the houses are dense, dark and damp and lack of activity space. The renovation of houses in the old city of Suzhou included a platform on the second floor to connect the surrounding houses to provide greater public space and light areas.The design introduces the river into the community, which can beautify the environment and facilitate people's use.
A Poetic Endeavor Pedestrain Bridge
Bionic streamlined bridge
Transform the form of plant roots into Bridges
Mar 2023 - Jun 2023
Instructor - Li-An Tsien
Group work
Contribution: Model printing, concept generation
Creation Of Structure
Use the infrastructure to create a supportive shelf
Sep 2021 - Nov 2021
Instructor - Sandro Rolla
Individual work
This page is the first model, connected by an irregular square frame on a central support column. The column pulls each frame separately, and each frame is reinforced with the triangle shape.The joints are more securely connected by mortise and tenon joints.
On the next page is the second model, using triangles as the main element of the model to ensure the stability of the model under the shape.The support rods at each direction of the node are connected at the same position.
