Yifei Yuan

1. Core I: Times Square Billboard Garden
2. Core II: W • A • L • L - More Highschool
3. Core III: Courtyard House
4. Advance IV: A City Run By The Youth
5. Advance V: New York Industrial Dairy Farm Tower
6. Advance VI: Olkaria Geothermal Steam Pipe Hacking Train
7. 2GB: University of Curiosity
   
8. 1GB: The Diptych kindergarden
   
9. The Room As ...
10. Vertical Transportation & Structure
11. Desert Oasis
12. /æ/
    

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A City Run By The Youth Course: ADVANCE IV STUDIO Year: SPRING 2022 Instructor: BRYONY ROBERTS Partners: ZIXIAO ZHU
A City Run by the Youth looks at resolving the current shortage of youth services in Poughkeepsie, NY due to the YMCA shut down in 2009. This project starts with a case study of how nature and architecture affects children and young people’s mental development. The Forest Kindergarten, a work by the Japanese architect Junya Ishigami, intends to create an architecture like a forest that will connect children with their surrounding natural environment, offering the possibility of outdoor education. Using nature and landscape as a key component, we tie mental health programs, primary cares, and youth programs (YMCA, Recreation, Youth Program, and Community Center) all together. We aim for a utopia playground by the youth, with the youth, and for the youth. The youth group in Poughkeepsie has been mentally suffering from low income and drug culture. In promoting beneficial activities and social value among the young people, the program not only includes primary care facilities and mental health facilities but also youth-promoting programs that provide safe and interactive spaces for the teenagers of Poughkeepsie. 



This design focuses on the relationships of architecture and the city with a close look at the dynamic and interdependent forces of mental health, education, community services, and landscape. We look at existing health care centres, community centres, and clinics around the site context and try to summarise them into fondamental shapes. Four different types of forms are identified: Circle, Square, Pitched roof, and Arch roof. Then, these 4 major forms are subdivided into more complicated geometry by methods such as extrusion, addition, and division. All the forms are further classified according to how they can relate to a certain type of activities and programs. There are six program categories: the mental health related programs are mental health clinic and primary care; the YMCA related programs are recreation centre, library, auditorium, cafeteria, community kitchen, workshops and classrooms. 

The site is too small. The program area far exceeds the site allowance. We split the site into many strips to give a sense of order. The small objects are placed in a grid system along the strips. Two types of circulation divide the site into upper and lower levels. The boulevard links all major architectural elements. It runs the same direction with the strips.  The promenade runs across and creates a staircase, ramp, and meandering path. It could give the feeling of a park. The program forms loosely fit into the site and swallows some small objects as skylight courtyards. All the layers of strategies and systems are collapsed into a superimposed mashup. Systematically positioned small objects and randomly placed big forms are weaving into each other. It gives a diptych of order and chao. 

(Text written by Zixiao and Yifei)

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