xiaowei wang work samples

8/22/2019 Xiaowei Wang Work Samples

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http://vimeo.com/68771160


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This thesis is posed as a projective fable and a design strategy where a countrys political economy becomecatalyzed through leveraging sectors that have been traditionally seen as anti-modern and challenges towardsdevelopment. As a strategy proposal, it understands the Steppes ecology as one of time and cycles of economicsectors, with portions to be amplified and dialed back depending on seasonality. By capitalizing on nomadic pas-toralists movements across vast territory and modes of transport that are able to go farther than areas of roadsor bridges, through rerouting and coordinating existing economic processes, Mongolia can capitalize on one ofits inherent strengths: an economy of logistics. The proposal is for a set of nomadic free trade zones that changelocation depending on the seasonal economies, leveraging pastoralists as a logistics company in themselves.

Rather than approaching the issues facing Mongolia as isolated problems or positioned in binaries to each other,this proposal takes a systems view to Mongolias current political economy understanding that the veneer ofmineral riches that Mongolia possesses are actually unable to leave the country due to lack of infrastructure, that

its status as underdeveloped is tied to a lack of data on its territory and the condition of being unmapped at highresolutions. The proposal pushes on the idea that economic plans must be rigid or persistent throughout an entireyear, and instead its strategy takes cues from local knowledge and local economies; understanding the carefuleconomic events of each season and the importance of timing (going to market, a proliferation of mining duringwarmer seasons). Using coincident timing, it allows the overlaps such as increased nomadic movement in springand summer, along with increased mineral ore production, to spur a spring-summer increase in free trade zones.In fall and winter, free trade zones are decreased and used for sites of data processing (from grassroots mappingfor increased economic and political visibility in a global context) to educational facilities. The strategy recyclesand reuses spatial structures that serve as the foundation of this proposal.

Video Description:

Somewhere from 2030, a woman recounts how Mongolia became the center of the Asia n economy. Unearthing anarc of history from a single point in 1990, a land of nomads, deep ecology and open pastureland seems diametri-cally opposed to emerging resource extraction, urbanization and infrastructure building. While Mongolia remains

poised to shed its communist past, by the early 2000s it remains indexed as a developing country, full of mineralriches that seem unable to leave its borders.

What have the men of science and technology overlooked? To answer this, an ambitious young geographer pro-poses an economy of time that so carefully aligns with the Steppes ecology of time. His Ten Year Plan identifies133 free trade zones that exist seasonally, dependent on a sites water availability, location to seasonally appropri-ate pasture, wind direction and topography. Within these free trade zones, a careful circuitry of ecological infra-structure propels temporary airfields and ice shields for water storage, bathhouses and agile infrastructures ofhangars.

As the Ten Year Plan nears completion, the young geographer discovers that his plan has cycled through Mon-golia has turned its story around, becoming the key logistics corridor between Russia and China, a stronghold ofinland trade. The model of Steppe urbanization spreads to other countries in Central Asia, a model predicated oncareful timing, mobility and restraint of trade events with meteorological ones. Chinas own infrastructure build-ing has slowed down, and its economy begins to lag in contrast to its nomadic neighbor, a neighbor unconvinced

of patriarchal utopias and the sheer poetry of data and parameters. To fend off economic threat, China launches acampaign against the Steppe itself, to attack this ecology that remains fertile for flexible accumulation, of nomad-ic capitalism, by beginning a Great Green Wall project to prevent desertification.

In all cycles, the young geographer realizes, time becomes distanced from the linear. As his plane takes off fromone of the temporary airfields he has designed, he begins to write his letter to the woman, a woman who will re-count the events that have unfolded. His letter is nothing else but a resignation to the impermanence of things.


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The Proposal: 133 Nomadic Free Trade Zones

across the Mongolian Steppe

Mappings for 133 sites + automated zoning diagrams made using Processing

Processing sketches available online at http://xiaoweiwang.com/steppeurbanism


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OverallGeographicalC

ontextandadjacenciesforFreeTradeZones


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RegionalContext


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Indexical Model showing abstraction of DEM + additional layering in preparation modeling stochastic movement through a compiled suitabilitymodel. If the old model for urban planning (an industrial based one) was points/lines as function of cost and suitability boundaries, vivid plansfor an advanced capitalism use a Markov chain for calculating probability and eventual steady state.Grasshopper scripts + Processing code available on xiaoweiwang.com/steppeurbanism


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Sensor valuesA 36.639582848474B 222.80287495945C 578.88868710906D 59.215234117217




This layered model shows the topography of site 35 (Sayan Ovoo), its hardware (logistics corridor), but most importantly serves as a study modelfor real time data of soil moisture to live update the Rhino model. As sensor points increased or decreased in moisture levels, it changed the set-tlement grid in Rhino, either decreasing or increasing in density based on subdivision rules established through precendent study of nomadiccamp sites. A second level of processing occurred after the distorted grid was gathered in order to make this approach abide by the overall rulesof the stochastic matrix/nomadic capitalist index.Scripts available on xiaoweiwang.com/steppeurbanism, use of Grasshopper, Arduino + Firefly components


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Jan

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

Beginning of Grazing Season

Industrial +

informal mining merge

Shipping +

transport

increase withclimatic advantage

Increased movementto market doubles for

logistics routes

ICT+

Mining intertwine

in nomadic mapping

Calves + Foals born

Peak of Field Exploration Season and Mining Season

Naadam+ travel to soums for events

Mining slows due to permafrost

Flashfloods + temperatures decline

Preparations for Winter season,

Forage stock piling

Sedentary months begin

Localized manure increases

Beginning of Dairy Sale

Cashmere + Wool Harvest

Travel Towards Markets, Cashmere + wool sale

Height of traveling season for small time traders begin

fodderharv

est+sow

ing

ice/water

availability

shipping

+tr

ansport

vetin

ary

services nom

adicpastoralistm

ovement

settlementd

ensity

pastureland

fodderneeds

cu+fem

ining

coalm

ining

min

ingexp

lora

tion

nom

adicg

oldmining

localized

animalw

aste

ca

ttle+h

orse

goats+sheep

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

June

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

MongoliasEco

nomyofTime
http://xiaoweiwang.com/index.php?/projectsplans/graze-city/


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http://xiaoweiwang.com/index.php?/projectsplans/graze-city/


11/29

Notions of food scarcity and urban agricul-ture have become pervasive in contemporarydialogues on urbanism today, alongside thepotentials for programmatic layering fortransportation infrastructure. This projectpushes these notions and hypotheses to theextreme, proposing a strategy that exploitsthe future expansion of LaGuardia Airport asan opportunity to integrate the airport intothe urban fabric, acknowledging its vital rolein New York Citys city and regional economy.Through using the site as anticipated ex-

pansion of LaGuardias cargo handling andwarehouse storage capacity, new systems ofurban agriculture employing livestock andphytoremediative plant fodder are imple-mented to activate existing and anticipatorysocial networks of the city. Instead of assum-ing a decrease in land adjacent to LaGuardia,existing dredge along the site is reused forland reclamation, forming this new logisticspark-grazing ranch.

While many strategies employ a range ofscales from backyard plots to communitygardens, this project investigates a set ofphytoremediative strategies that also serve

as the fodder for urban livestock: cows,sheep and goats that generate new econo-mies for New York City ranging from manuresale for fertilizer production to educationprograms for New York public schools. Onsite, the area closest to the airport is usedfor warehouse space. Building typologies ina combination of commercial/warehouse/residential were generated which allow forincreased fodder needs in fall and springalong with a gradient from logistics/indus-trial close to the airport and residential onthe existing site of Willets Point tying backinto the neighborhood. A central corridor iscut through the site making way for efficient

logistics use and simultaneously connectingthe existing edge of residential housing tonew housing units that offer accommodationfor urban livestock and urbanites alike, andconnecting into the existing MTA infrastruc-ture of the 7 train.


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Massach

ussettsMilitar

yReserv

ation

Harv

ard

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Fiber Optic Networks linking US Research Bases,Budget and funding for military research in the US DOD


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As the national defense agenda changes and the top-down reforms within the DOD affect bases, military workers and civilians at the MMR must copewith emerging ecological and defense agenda changes.

Drawing upon a legacy of the DOD as the preeminent source of technological innovation and research along with projecting an increased concern ofinformation war as defense agenda, this project proposes the draw down of the MMR as part of BRAC (Defense Base Closure and Realignment) into aresearch unit.

Through an opportunistic move of inserting telecommunications infrastructure, the Cape Cod region becomes host to a research urbanism with theMMR as the initial site of deployment. This networked urbanism amplifies and accelerates existing processes and conditions ranging from marine re-sources to explosive potentials of UXOs.

Rather than a master plan or a set of fixities, the design seeks to implement a conduit for possibilities, fragmentations, and continuing insertions, giving

new kinds of permeability to the MMR and Cape Cod.

Ecological intelligence is seen on the UXO site, where existing unexploded mines render it currently as an area off limits. Through the mapping of unex-ploded artillery types on site and their depths, combined with modelings of crater morphologies, the intentional detonations of these ordinances allowfor opportunistic insertion of infrastructure (fiber optic, cabcle car) and to provide a unique tourist experience.

Rhizosphere remediation is employed as opposed to phytoremediation, as part of ecological intelligence.

The cantonment area uses linearity of a new ecological research campus, functioning as a major point of transportation access and emergency shelter for expanded underground shelters as well as cable car and passenger rail access.


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11. Concrete foundation

1m

2. 12cm plank anchor

1. Steel IPE 240

support beam

4.5m

210

11

1 85

3

4

7 69

1.7m

3m

20cm

.75m

.75m

8m

4. Blast resistant

fiberglass protective screen

7. HE-B 100

Hi flange steel cross

beam

6. Cut, dyed concrete

paver (see plan for pattern)

5. Steel rebar for reinforced

concrete slab

8. 20cm

Reinforced concrete slab

9. End plate 100/140mm

3. Cantilevered

viewing platform

2m

10. Elevated poured in place

concrete columns

Detail board walk, section


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25m1m

1.2m

max 100m

.1m

explosives prope llant ignitioncartridge

fuze

.7m

.1m

explosives propel lan t ignition

cartridgefuze

.7m

2

6

17

3

4

58

2. MICLIC #1

1. Electronically

detonated charge

8. interior inert fuse

3. MICLIC #2

6. MICLIC #3

4. 120mm shell

5. 120mm shell

7. Min. 25m

distance from

mine clearing

vehicle

4.5m

1.2m

1. Steel IPE 240

support beam

3. Paver type A

(cut,dyed C12 concrete)

2. Step to

cantilevered

viewing platform

4. Paver type B


5. Paver type C


6. Blast resistant

fiberglass protective screen

0m

1:50

3m2m

2m

1 2 3 64 5

Detail: Boardwalk over UXO site for civilian access

Detail detonation scheme for uxos on site


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Through the playful act of kite flying FLOAT_Beijing has empowered hundreds

of citizens to take action and protest current air quality standards, leading topeople-driven improved policies for healthier lives. FLOAT is a tool to collectair quality data and circumvent state controlled channels of information. Atcommunity workshops participants learn about the health hazards of air pol-lutants and their detection through DIY sensors, which they learn to build andattach to kites. FLOAT modules are designed to be transparent and reconfig-ured by users. Residents challenge the invisibility of official data by flying theirair quality sensing kites in highly visible public spaces. Kites have a strong cul-tural history in China which draws in diverse participants connecting them tonew technologies. Participants are empowered by the ability to sense air qual-

ity. More importantly, through FLOAT_Beijing, citizens become active agents inmonitoring, and eventually transforming their own environments.

For more visualizations and images please head to: f-l-o-a-t.comFor video documentary see: chinafile.com/stars-haze

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Beijing air quality levels, sources of anomalies (grasshopper[ghowl], processing, GIS)

Calculated average air currents over Beijing from select weather stationsshowing topographic correlations (gis + processing)


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http://xiaoweiwang.com/mapex/2013/07/06/float-beijing/


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http://xiaoweiwang.com/mapex/2013/07/06/float-beijing/http://xiaoweiwang.com/ourcity/index2.php?user=xiaowei


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A proposal for Chicagos Fire Festival 2014: a mixed reality game

combining online and offline players to allow for collaboration in an

urban scavenger hunt. Teams are formed by neighborhood and ex-

change is facilitated via SMS and a web platform utilizing locative

media and real life spectacle.

The winning team sets the Chicago river ablaze, restaging Chicagos

Great Fire. Cow carts are used, harkening back to Chicagos legacy

of stockyards, and Mrs. OLearys cow, the fabled cow that started

the fire.

(g)razeChicago
http://xiaoweiwang.com/ourcity/index2.php?user=xiaoweihttp://xiaoweiwang.com/ourcity/index2.php?user=xiaowei


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xiaowei wang work samples

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