portfolio work by xuran yuan

ARCHITECTURE-PORTFOLIO 2013-2016

XURAN YUAN

X U R A N Y U A N

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T

TABLE OF CONTENT

01. WRAP VS UNWRAPLondon Public Library(Individual Project)

02. JOURNEY INTO SILENCE Architectonics of Silence(Individual Project)

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20-23

24-27

28-31

04-11

03. NEW JESSES OWENS RECREATION CENTER(Individual Project)

04. GATEWAY(Individual Project)

05. CHAMBER(Group Project)

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W R A P V S U N W R A P

01 WRAP VS UNWRAP

DURATION: August -December 2015INSTRUCTOR: Pendleton-Jullian AnnLOCATION: London, United Kingdom

London Public Library

The City of London Public Library project is a testa-ment to the seamless co-existence of old and new. Situated near the River Thames in the city’s bustling financial district, the proposed building adds to the profile of the area by blending with and even repli-cating features of storied landmarks. For instance, it offers the same “wrap” effect of City Hall, the ar-ea’s most arresting building because of its bulbous shape. A glimpse at the City Hall and the library re-affirms the idea that inspired architecture can actu-ally help buildings communicate visually with each other, despite their differences.

A closer look at the library reveals a unique design well suited to the individual needs of its users and reflective of the site. The space inside unwraps around a central garden that faces both the city and river. Because the design’s pathways or wrappers allow for easy public access, they also make the building more attractive to a broader population in terms of age, educational background and eco-nomic status. In other words, I hope this structure will invite people of all stripes from pre-schoolers to researchers and everyone in between to come in, utilize and enjoy.

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Paths to the site

The scope of view

Location of project site


The bulbous shape separates City Hall from so many other cube-like buildings surrounding it, espe-cially along Tooley Street.

The main entrance on the City’s side. The main entrance on the Thames’ side.

The City’s side main entrance offers typical street surface access while the Thames’ side entrance incorporates beautiful landscaping that extends through the lifted first-floor of the building.

OPPOSITE PAGESite plan

THIS PAGE-TOPSurrounding building analysis diagram

THIS PAGE-MIDDLEPaths to the site analysis diagram

THIS PAGE-BOTTOMLandscape analysis diagram

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Through the city side entrance, visi-tors can gain quick entry to a second floor gallery and restaurant.

Through the circulating pathways spiraling upwards, visitors can reach floors of book stacks, features and other services.

On the Thames’ side of the building, circulation wraps around the central garden, offering access to the com-puter lab, video rooms and working areas on various floors.


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The Ground Floor

The Second Floor

The Third Floor

The Fourth Floor

The Fifth Floor

The Sixth Floor

The Seventh Floor

1. Gathering Hall2. Administration Offic-es

3. Restaurant4. Exhibition Space5. Working Area

6. Book Stacks Area7. Computer Rooms

6. Book Stacks Area8. Video Library Rooms

9.Stage for Shows and Musical Performances

6. Book Stacks Area8. Video Library Rooms

12. Children’s Center10. Auditorium11. Leisure Center

OPPOSITE PAGE-TOPCirculation diagram

OPPOSITE PAGE-BOTTOMSection A-A

THIS PAGEPlans

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OPPOSITE PAGE-BOTTOMSection B-B

THIS PAGE-TOPSouth elevation

THIS PAGE-MIDDLEEast elevation

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02 JOURNEY INTO SILENCEDURATION: Janurary-April 2015INSTRUCTOR: Isabella GouldLOCATION: Southwest corner Neil and Vine Street, Downtown,Columbus

ARCHITECTONICS OF SILENCE

J O U R N E Y I N T O S I L E N C E

This project proposes an exploration of the notion of “silence”, its tectonic expression and translation into architectural space through a new Contemplative Hub in Columbus, Ohio. People who navigate Journey into Silence do so by entering its signature Meditation Center, a gathering hall designed to lessen the stress of a high-density urban environment via its interior space. Curving, gently choppy corridors and paths unite a meditation hall with courtyards that offer visitors ample opportunities for quiet meditation and collaboration. A pass-through walkway, extending through the entire center, and its branch paths, a defining feature, connect all interior and exterior nature landscaping and urban texture. The design promotes quiet reflection while respecting the context and the constraints of the site.

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Railways in the history: bond together at one end, seperate at the other end.

Roads in the present: at the different heights, go throuth into each other.

The form of the building influenced by railways in the history and the roads in the present. At the 1-1part, all branches are bonded together. From 1-1 to 3-3, the branches seperate gradually.

Section 1-1, all branches are bonded into one big space. The space is tight, like the urban texture.

Section 2-2, branches begin to sperate according to different functions.

Section 3-3, branches totally seperate and the court-yards at the in between space.


Function Diagram:

OutsideCirculation

Residen-tial Room

FoodBar

MeditationRoom

Office Terrace

Circulation Diagram:

Exterior Space

Interior Space

Public Private Most Private

Courtyard Analysis:

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1. Lobby2. Front Desk3. Kitchen4. Dinning Room5. Tea Ceremony6. Living and Gathering Space 7. Administration8. Classrooms9. Meeting Rooms10. Meditation Hall11. Art Gallery12. Children’s Center13. Meditation Hall14. Locker Room15. Shower16. Restrooms17. Residential Units18. Private Meditation Rooms19. Temporary Retreat Rooms20. Gathering Space

OPPOSITE PAGEFirst floor plan

THIS PAGESecond floor plan

THIS PAGE-BOTTOMAxonometric section

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OPPOSITE PAGE-TOPSection B-B

OPPOSITE PAGE-BOTTOMSection A-A

THIS PAGEPerspective views

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03NEW JESSES OWENS RECREATIONCENTER DURATION: August-October 2014INSTRUCTOR: Kristy BallietLOCATION: Columbus OH, United State

N E W J E S S E S O W E N S R E C R E AT I O N C E N T E R

The new Jesse Owens Recreational Center is designed to strengthen the architectural profile of the north campus perimeter while giving dormitory students in that area an updated amenity for exercise and play. In replacing a building that already bears the name of the famed Ohio State University grad-uate and world-class athlete, the center will create a stronger presence and “urban edge” specifically along Lane Avenue. To facilitate a protective barrier to the property, the design utilizes both a vertically tapered bar from the avenue to the campus and a horizontally tapered bar to address the different di-mensional space needs of the recreational facilities and courts.

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NEIL AVENUE

LANE AVENUE

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Pedestrian walkways thread from the garage to the dormitories and academic buildings.

Vehicular traffic paths surround the site.

A footpath cuts through the building for quicker and easier access.

The building follows the curved edge of the site. A vertically tapered bar and sloped roof arrange-ment emphasize the bar and break down the scale. It also acts as a sound barrier to Lane Av-enue noise.

First floor view analysis:The courts are arranged at the first floor, views from outside courtyards to interior courts.

Second floor view analysis:The offices, exercise equipment area, running track are arranged at the second floor, views from inside to outside space.

Sundeck and overhang outside space.

Single high and double high courtyard out-side space.

N E W J E S S E S O W E N S R E C R E AT I O N C E N T E R

OPPOSITE PAGE-LEFT TOPSite plan

OPPOSITE PAGE-RIGHT TOPSite analysis diagrams

OPPOSITE PAGE-MIDDLE&BOTTOMForm and massing strategies diagrams

THIS PAGE-TOPPerspective section

THIS PAGE-BOTTOM LEFTFirst floor plan

THIS PAGE-BOTTOM RIGHTSecond floor plan

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1. Lobby2. Volleyball Court3. Juice Bar4. Basketball Court5. Locker Room6. Racquet Ball Court 7. Service Space8. Outdoor Badminton9. Equipment10. Running Track11. Outdoor Ping Pong12. Classroom

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04 GATEWAYDURATION: Feburary-March 2014INSTRUCTOR: Sandhya KocharLOCATION: Las Vegas, NV, United State

The site of this project is located at the north crossing of Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Strip. The gateway presents in illusory architecture for this prosperous business block. At the same time, it needs to meet the need of the gateway to let maximum 16 feet high traffic going through the gateway and connecting two sidewalks, a parklet and an entrance of tram station, 20 feet above the ground.

I use two ways to create illusory experience in this gateway project. On the one hand, I use the icon of Robie House as the facade which can be read at both sides of sidewalks, and use the icon of Hill House as the central structure and organize the spiral circulation. On the other hand, I create the exchange of space experience both inside and outside.

G AT E W AY

THIS PAGE-TOP Site plan and site section

THIS PAGE-BOTTOMPanorama view

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The icon of Robie House derived from the facade of Robie House.The icon of Hill House derived from the perspec-tive of the Hill House.

Hill House becomes the object & volume of the Gateway.

Robie House becomes the structure & circulation system of the Gateway.

The circulation system extends from the sidewalk to the interior.

Interior circulation of the Gateway spiral up and the destination is a roof terrace.

Enclosed circulation

Semi-open circulation

I create the exchange of space experience both inside and outside.

G AT E W AY

THIS PAGE-LEFTAxonometric drawing

THIS PAGE-RIGHTPerspective views

OPPOSITE PAGE-TOPForm strategies diagrams

OPPOSITE PAGE-MIDDLECirculation diagrams

OPPOSITE PAGE-BOTTOMPhysical models

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05 CHAMBERDURATION: March-April 2014INSTRUCTOR: Sandhya KocharGROUP MEMBERS: Xuran Yuan,Ryan Detroit, Breanna Geiser

A C A D E M I C W O R K

Chamber is a group project culminating of hanging models, exhi-bition-style review. The model represents a spatial relationship be-tween an open viewing zoon and semi-enclosed display zone.

A garden becomes the central room in a project that pushes the chamber design envelope by inverting or turning exterior spaces into interior living environments and vice versa. In this case, the new interior garden room becomes a viewing gallery for nature while the new exterior room serves as home for display cabinets, shelves, and other systems usually relegated to traditional quarters. To blur the line between interior and exterior, parts of the exterior shelves structure have been removed to expose the structure of interior. In addition, green space has been introduced inside to facilitate the notion of a real garden. All the display areas are exposed to the central point of the garden chamber, and the view angles radiate to all direction from the central point.

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All display areas can be seen from the central garden space.

A small exhibit niche is tucked inside the interior space.

A small exhibit niche can be viewed from outside the chamber.

By Xuran Yuan, Ryan Detroit, Breanna Geiser

C H A M B E R

By removing the planes from the shell geometry, light wells are created to flood the interior with daylight.

Visitors not only can see the inside garden, but also other features such as the exterior shelves via illumination through those wells.

The mask of the structure from the entry side cre-ates a dramatic reveal of the display. The interi-or and the structures are covered from the entry side so they cannot be fully seen from outside the chamber.

The central display space is a double surface system with the interior surface comprised of the central garden, which is also the central view-point. The architectural poche between interior and exterior surfaces creates both display and storage areas.

Title cubed-shelves surrounding the central dis-play space form a structural system that can also house displays. Some shelf areas curve outward-ly to flood the area with light.

OPPOSITE PAGE-TOPPerspective section

OPPOSITE PAGE-BOTTOMView from interior garden space

THIS PAGE-MIDDLEForm strategy diagram

THIS PAGE-BOTTOMView from interior garden space

By Xuran Yuan

Portfolio. Xuran YuanStudent Individual & Group Projects

This portfolio is written & designed by Xuran Yuan

portfolio work by xuran yuan

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