Shanghai CHANGE Science Community Landscape Revitalization

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Positioned as faculty and researcher housing for Shanghai’s most prestigious science and technology universities, the landscape design is intended to explore the iconography of Chinese historical scientific wisdom and contemporary earth science. China’s cycle of lunar phases is translated into a central “Super Moon” landscape and subterranean energy flows are evoked through luminescent ‘earth core’ paving. At the intersection of Eastern and Western scientific perspectives, the landscape provides not only cultural iconography but also provides symbiotic social spaces such as a pet’s garden.

Located near Jiaotong University in Shanghai, this affordable rental housing community required a sensitive, high impact landscape renewal. Confronted with "limited budget" and "minimal site intervention, employing creative thinking to overcome constraints and craft a living environment that combines technological depth with natural experience for young researchers.

The original site featured a spacious yet lifeless central lawn with disconnected peripheral spaces. The design introduces a “non-linear scientific promenade”—a network of exploratory and interactive scenes that foster discovery and social exchange.

The "Super Moon" Landmark: A 26-meter diameter hemispherical steel structure anchors the central green. Its gradient yellow shell appears as a suspended moon by day, while integrated UV lighting creates a celestial interplay of moon and starlight at night. A surrounding pathway features lunar cycle paving patterns, translating traditional Chinese astronomy into a contemporary design narrative.

The "Core Oasis": With fissured paving, inlaid lighting, and ginkgo trees, this node evokes subterranean energy flows and diurnal change, creating a shifting day-night experience that embodies a nature-science dialogue.

Peripheral “Six Scenes ”: The street is articulated into six distinct scenes—including a sports field, night market park, tranquil corner, and dynamic installations—that fuse local character with youthful energy, forming a 24-hour community loop.

This project represents a "creative response under constrained conditions," replacing high-cost construction with design intelligence to maximize spatial value through precise landscape intervention. It not only addresses the lack of community functionality but also, through composite programming, cultural translation, and technological integration, fosters community identity and sustained vitality, providing an environment that stimulates innovation and exchange for young research talents.

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