NOTE: The final renderings shown were not done by me but through a
privately contracted company based in Beijing, China.
privately contracted company based in Beijing, China.
While I interned at the China Academy for Urban Planning and Design in Beijing, I was fortunate enough to be on a team of urban planners, designers and architects who put together a proposal for a brand-new industrial park in Dachang County, a city with high hopes of being a "Silicon Valley" in China. In addition to being involved in the design process for the site and its buildings, I was responsible for researching and developing the sustainability initiatives and best management practices that would be implemented on our site.
It was very important that we limit the amount of stormwater runoff as much as possible, which can be done by decreasing the amount of impervious surfaces. So, part of our strategy was to leave as much undeveloped land as possible. This would not only add to the natural appeal of our development, but also provide the means for water to naturally percolate into the ground. Another feature would be green roofs, which can be seen in those sections that connect the major wings of the building together.
These diagrams illustrate how the final design and layout came to be. Our team leader started the concept of a honeycomb, or the hexagon. Collectively, however, we began experimenting with different configurations and arrangements of this shape to see which one would give us what we were looking for. One of the driving design factors was the river to the south of our site. We wanted to establish a strong vertical axis to this water feature both visually and functionally.
Using the hexagon as a template, we visualized different forms the building could take. Each one created different types of open spaces. Vertical movement through the site was just as important as horizontal movement. Furthermore, the size of these spaces would be an important factor: too small, and nobody would use it; too big and it would be overwhelming. We had to find the right balance.
