This document summarizes the education and experience of Shi-Yuan Yao. It includes degrees earned from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, as well as internships in Shanghai. The document also provides a brief overview of three urban design projects focused on canal recovery in Suzhou, China, redevelopment in Wilmington, California, and block vitalization in Philadelphia.

1. 2016: Master of City Planning, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
2014: Baelor of Urban & Regional Planning, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT
CHAMPAIGN-URBANA
2015: Summer intern at HMA Architects & Designers, Shanghai
2013: Summer intern at Llewelyn-Davies Hong Kong Ltd. Shanghai
Language: Fluent in English, Japanese and Chinese Mandarin (native)
SHI- Y UA N YA O / 姚 詩遠
URBAN DESIGN
PO RT FO LIO 2016
都市デザイン作品選

2. Reform Public Realm through Canal Recovey
Enhance Education + Recreation for Community Connection
Inherit Classical Suzhou Garden Aesthetics
HIGHLIGHTS:
RECLAIMING SUZHOU CANALFRONTS
A URBAN DE S IGN P ROJE C T
This project, taking canal recovery as
a great opportunity for public realm
reformation, offers a chance to improve
local residents’ low-level awareness of
public space utilization. The residential
neighborhood today is saturated with
housing and retail developments from
mid-late 20th century. Redevelopment
is considered essential for public life
reformation and community connection
rebuilding. The introduction of educa-
tional, recreational and cultural facilities
will faciliate people to embrace their
new community life.
0 1
Concept in Context
Soochow UniversityHospital
Affliated to
Soochow
University
Ping
Jiang
Historical
Street
Metro
Station
Citywall
Museum
WAI
CHENG
RIVER
Site
Soochow University
Danwei Housing
Danwei Housing
Existing CanalFORMAL GATHERINGS
TRANSITIONS TO UNIVERSITY
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
3 MAIN AREAS:
The proposal envisions the site to
be the ANCHOR that connects the
different groups in the local com-
munity. The site will be divided
into 3 areas.
0 2

3. LOUNGE
社交舫
INSTITUTIONAL
教室/公共设施
RESIDENTIAL
集合住宅
RESIDENTIAL
集合住宅
DORMITORY
学生宿舍
RETAIL
商店
GROUND
FLOOR
RETAIL
底层商店
BUILDING OF ELECTRONICAL &
INFORMATION SCIENCE
电子信息楼
SENIOR ACTIVITY
老年活动室
LIBRARY ROOM
社区阅览室
GARDEN
小花园
EXERCISE MACHINES
健身园
DORMITORY
学生宿舍
DANWEI RESIDENTIAL集合住宅
ACTIVITY SPACE FOR ALL CAFE/TEA ROOM
COURTYARD
INSTITUTIONAL
PLAYGROUND
RESIDENTIAL
SEMI-COURTYARD
CANAL TRAIL
SENIOR
HOUSE
老年公寓
Five types of public realms are proposed in the redevelopment to accomodate residents and
visitors’ educational, recreational and cultural activities that celebrate the new community life.
SUZHOU CANALFRONTS: A SEQUENCE OF PUBLIC REALMS
CAFETERIA
社区食堂
INSTITUTIONAL
教室/公共设施
RESIDENTIAL
集合住宅
CAFE/TEA ROOM
咖啡厅/茶室
RETAIL+
INFORMATION ROOM
商店+情报交流室
GALLERY
美术馆
CANAL MARKET
河浜集市
MAIN ENTRANCE
入口处
CENTRAL
PLAZA
中央广场
DECK
PLAZA
码头广场
RETAIL
商店
RETAIL
商店
DANWEI RESIDENTIAL
集合住宅
0 3 0 4

4. PUBLIC REALMS FOR LEARNING AND RECREATION
1)Waterfront Colonnade for both
passing and staying+ Stepping stones
for recreation.
2)Cafe/Tea Room Courtyard provid-
ing an informal gathering space for
studying, business and recreation.
3)Playground Semi-courtyard adjacent
to institutional buildings, providing
sports and game space for both chil-
dren and residents.
Waterfront can be accessed to the
residents and community facilities
through the three types of public realms
in sequence.
3
3
2
2
21
1
VIEW IN CENTRAL PLAZA
Community connections will be rebuilt through educational and recreational activities.
0 5 0 6
elderly/
hobby
resident/
read
teenager/
observe
children/
game people of skill/
teach
resident/
sports
residents/
relax
college
students/
chat & study

5. Wide setbacks allow the main entrance to have an open view of the winding new canal and the
redevelopment. The blurred boundaries of the cafeteria, information room and gallery enables
interior activities to extend into outerior space, creating a busy scene of community life.
Apply traditional roofline, waterfront rocks and columns into the design to
inherit the classical Suzhou aesthetics
INHERITING SUZHOU GARDEN ELEMENTSBUILDING MAIN ENTRANCE & RESIDENTIAL EDGE
Blurred Boundary 1) Applying columns to large-scale public
buildings to blur the boundary between inside and outside. 2)
Minimum setback: 9m; various setbacks for various spatial forms.
Residential Edge 1) Retail and green podium (as semi-ground
parking structure) on ground level. 2) South-facing semi-private
courtyard on podium. 3) A canal trail connecting the citywide trail.
2
1
3
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
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6. Three planning and urban design strategies are
proposed to make Wilmington more economically
vibrant and physically accessible so as to build a
stronger Wilmington:
HIGHLIGHTS:
Create a series of green space and waterfeatures
Build a economically diverse and vibrant Wilmington
Improve Community Identity
1. Red Car Light Rail & TODs
To Downtown LA
Wilmington’s
only waterfront
Avalon TOD
To San Pedro
2. Rails to Swales
3. Neo-Industrial Zones
Wilmington,CA
1
1
2
2
2
3
AVALON WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT
A PLANNING & DE S IGN P ROJE CT
The proposed waterfront development in the community of Wilmington will
transform a currently abandoned railyard and heavy-industrial waterfront site
into a vibrant destination and improve the community’s only access to water.
0 9 1 0

7. RAILS-TO-SWALES FOR MORE WATER AND GREEN
Rails-to-Swales will transform abandoned rail tracks into
bioswales and connect Wilmington waterfront (Ava-
lon Waterfront Park) to the local community through
neo-industrial zones. Rain management system will allow
rainwater to be recylcled for community water use.
Wet Condition
Dry Condition
SITE: DIVISION, ACCESS & FEATURE
Waterfront access to local community is improved
through Rails-to-Swales, Wilmington Park, enhanced
Commercial Corridor and Red-car Light Rail.
4 into 1: from abandoned rai-
lyard & industrial site to TOD
& recreational waterfront park
Sea Pond:
Normal Condition
Sea Pond:
Flooding Condition
Use Sea Pond as an effective
flood-protection strategy.
1 1 1 2

8. 2F Plan 4F & 5F Plan3F Plan 6F & 7F Plan
Vitalize the Block with Rich Programming
Transition from Chaos to Tranquity
HIGHLIGHTS:
Open Space for
Art & Community
Activities
Residential
Commerce
Corner Store
Pedestrian Plaza
enhancing Spring Garden
St’s new brand as a vibrant
urban corridor
Mixed-use Complex +
Building Use by Floor
+111 housing units/+222 residents (2 people/household)
+108 parking spaces
+103,650 sq ft for commercial use multi-family rowhouse
apartment
mixed-use apartment
commercial
parking
office
green space
Programming Concept: Fitting into the Context
Programs
2.Open Space for Art &
Community Activities
BLOCK VITALIZATION ON SPRING GARDEN ST
A SITE P L ANNING P ROJE C T
Currently the site is an industrial superblock and is surrounded by traditional town-
houses, civic buildings and large-box industrial structures. The task of the project is to
catch the trend of housing booms and commercial development in this area and to
vitalize the block on Spring Garden St.
1.Mixed-use Complex +Pedestrian Plaza,
Celebrating the New Commercial Corridor
1
2
Ground Level UsesIllustrated Plan
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9. 2&3. Route operation fixation and street redesign for Boston Silver Line BRT
Washington Street Portion Improvement Plan./ ArcMap & AdobeIllustrator
TRANSPORTATION PROPOSAL
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2
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1. Conduct geospatial and socioeconomical analysis with shapefile data from NYC govern-
ment to choose suitable sites for urban roof farms in Brooklyn, NYC./ ArcMap & ArcScene
° 6
Kilometers
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° 5
Kilometers
Legend
! BrooklynFarmersMarket
Brooklyn
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° 5
Kilometers
Legend
( BrooklynFarmersMarket
DTFM
<all other values>
TotalScore
1
2
3
4
5
Legend
( BrooklynFarmersMarket
° 5
Kilometers
Legend
KernelDensity_School
Value
High : 61.9959
Low : 0
)
BrooklynSchool
° 5
Kilometers
Legend
KernelDensity_CommunityFacility
Value
High : 18.3523
Low : 0
* BrooklynCommFacility
° 5
Kilometers
Legend
Buffer_of_BrooklynSubwayStation
Buffer Distance
0.00 - 0.25
0.25 - 0.50
0.50 - 0.75
, BrooklynSubwayStation
Urban Roof Farm
applying gis to select sites for
in brooklyn
2.suitability test1. indicators
healthy: access to farmer’s markets
social: school & community facility density
economic: proximity to subway stations
The denser the facilities, the more likely the
community is to support the urban roof farm.
Score: 0~5, according to Kernel Density
The closer to subway station, the more likely
the community is to gain economic success.
Score: 0~3, according to buffers.
The closer to farmer’s markets, the better
access to healthy farm food.
Score: 0~5, according to spatial join
(closest)
on blocks
Tools: Georeferencing, Create New Shapefile, Spatial Join (Closest),
Calcuate Field, Dissolve, etc.
Tools: Kernel Density, INT, Raster to Polyngon, Calculate Field,
Merge, Erase, Union, etc.
Tools: Buffer Wizard, Select by Location, Select by Attribute,
Calculate Field, Dissolve, Union, etc.
-
=result score
healthy score
social score
economic score
*(-.3)
*.4
*.6
+
+
+
Tools: Calculate Field, Select by Attribute, Select by Location, etc.
The result scores
vary from -2.5 to
3.3. Sort them into
5 categories. Blocks
of a score of 1 or
more are selected
as sites that area
suitable for urban
roof farm develop-
ment.
Scores that
qualifies: 1+
3. finding the roof
Import building footprint layers, select the buildings in the blocks that are rated over
score 1, and choose the buildings that are: 1) constructed no earlier than 1985, 2) of
a footprint larger than 40,000 sq ft, and 3) no taller than 8 floors. The buildings in
GREEN shows potential sites for urban roof farm in Brooklyn.
Tools: Select by Attribute, Select by Location, Extrude, etc.
GIS APPLICATION
1 5 1 6

10. TECTONICS ANALYSIS
Analysis drawing and model (east elevation, east section and interior
section), representing the tectonics of Kiyonori Kikutake’s Great
Izumo Shrine, Shimane, Japan/ AutoCAD
3
4
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
A kindergarten in a wood. The elevated structure provides a ground-level
playground that blends into the surrounding wood. Views from rooms are
directly towards tree canopies./ AutoRevit
1
2
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11. 2
4
6
3&4. Pedestrian and bike greenways flying over MFL station and I-95 highway &
connecting Center City to Delaware River waterfront. The roof of the station will be
blended into an elevated landscape plaza./ AdobeIllustrator
1
3
1. San Pedro Affordable Housing Development/ SketchUp & AdobePhotoshop
2. Bike boulevard and mixed-use affordable housing on Queens Blvd, Queens, NYC.
Woodside 20-year Neighborhood Plan/ SketchUp & AdebePhotoshop
OTHER DESIGN PRODUCTS
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12. Plea s e emai l to yao9@design.upenn.edu or call 217-607-4000
fo r fu r ther contacts. Thank you for your interest.