Assistant Architect

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

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The biggest project Zhang Siyi has ever been connected towas a ten-thousand square meter commercial office building. All he has done onthese projects is draw core functions and now suddenly, in front of him appearsa hectare unit planning project. He was scared silly.

Tong Heyi said: “From tonight onwards for a total oftwo and a half days, the two groups need to compete to develop early plotanalysis, and planning function positions. After seven days, the Board ofDirectors will evaluate the work and select a plan to move forward with.

Zhang Siyi was hit by a lightning. Time was already sotight. Why did they have to come out with two sets of plans? Can’t everyonework together to make one set? Everyone did not hear his inner roar and Insteadwere all eager to try. Thus, for the next 20 days Zhang Siyi witnessed twistedfaces that were happy.

Gu Yu said: “The upcoming days will be very hard.Prepare yourself mentally for many hours of overtime."

After explaining the basic situation of the project, GuYu and Tong Heyi respectively designated their respective project team leaders.

Gu Yu points to Ji Feiyu. He is only one year youngerthan Gu Yu. Although he is not a “one note”, he has relatively richwork experience.

Tong Heyi also chose a young man who looks more mature,called Peng Shuang.

The two groups are waiting for their respective divisionof labor. Tong Heyi suddenly looked at Zhang Siyi: “Hey, wait, the littleguy, he is the British C graduate?”

Zhang Siyi stunned and hurriedly bowed. Tong Heyiextended her index finger and pointed for Zhang Siyi to join his team. Hesmiled and asked: “Since the analysis of the previous period is two groupsof cooperation, do you want to work with Tom in our group? I think you will getalong great.”

She was referring to a short foreigner with golden brownhair and grey blue eyes named Tom. Although he is a foreigner, he doesn't standout when mixed with a group of Chinese people.

Just listening to Tong Heyi and Gu Yu's whole projectZhang Siyi wasn't scared. Tom was just as arrogant as Zhang Siyi, but he didnot understand Chinese, so he was sitting there silly and waiting for someoneto translate. Zhang Siyi looked to Tom, forced on the enemy, and felt empathy……

Zhang Siyi was flattered and was trying to take up theolive branch that Tong Heyi had thrown, but he heard a voice saying,“No,” Gu Yu held his arm and refused for him without expression.“He is in my department, if he goes to group B, he will be lazy.”

Tong Heyi chuckled with asmile: “Hey, ok. Since it won't work out.”

Zhang Siyi had a moment tofly freely but was brutally swatted to the group by Gu Yu.

Then, Gu Yu and Tong Heyidiscussed some details about the project background with the two thanimmediately began to distribute the work.

Zhang Siyi is a newcomer. JiFeiyu does not know what work Gu Yu's has in mind for him. After all thismatter is urgent and everyone needs to use the time more efficiently. For thisreason, he specially asked Gu Yu: "Boss Gu, what will Zhang Siyi be doing?"

Gu Yu: “Patch.”

Ji Feiyu: “uh…”

Zhang Siyi A littleconfused, patch? What the hell is that?

Gu Yu did not explain it andtold everyone to get to work immediately. They will meet again at 9 o’clockthat night.

Zhang Siyi didn’t think he wasgoing to work overtime this evening! Out of the conference room, he whisperedto Zhu Hongzhen: “What is the patch?”

Zhu Hongzhen looked at himsympathetically, whispered: "Miscellaneous work. You help where it is needed.”"

Zhang Siyi: “…”status is so low, it’s better to do an analysis with Tom brother!

The task assignment sooncame down, and Zhang Siyi was asked to find a map of the location of theproject, from a wide range to a small range of progression, and to do basicgray processing, and then collect local historical and cultural information,summed up into the main points … Sure enough, it was all the chores that somejunior high school students were capable of.

Once this information iscollected, Zhang Siyi only needs to upload the information to the project teamwithin the company. With the shared network, people who need information canaccess it for their own reference.

Since the job of the 'Patch'person is so fragmented, there isn't much connection with each assigned task.Seeing everyone so busy, Zhang Siyi is curious about what the others are doing.

Taking advantage of a break,Zhang Siyi slid the chair over and looked at Zhu Hongzhen’s screen. He saw theother party building a base model. Drawing the model isn't anything special buthe only looked at the work for a minute and Zhang Siyi felt stupid.

Because the rate at which ZhuHongzhen is building the model is so fast, Zhang Siyi is surprised. His fathands move the mouse on the right and his left on the keyboard to create themodel. In a blink of an eye, the blocks have risen as if growing on their ownand establishing a forest. Zhang Siyi secretly admires the ability of his honest,fat desk-mate.

He watched for a while, thenwent around to see what Bi Lele and Yuan Zhicheng were doing. Bi Lele wasquickly browsing a set of color matching tables. In the background her programwas opened, and she was mumbling to herself “waterfront, riverside,coastal, water, water, water… light blue… …grey blue…”

"#…" She reported a set ofcolor codes, repeatedly stressed, "blue, gray blue…"

On the side, Yuan Zhicheng,who was picking up an aqua, green color, looked up and glanced at the colorchart on Bi Lele's screen then scoffed, "tell me earlier", threw the pen to hispencil case in order to find a few gradient blues, then continued to draw.

The project planned is forthe "Riverside Special Economic Zone". Zhang Siyi understands the main theme ofthis project is water and Bi Lele is currently working on color concepts.

The architectural design isthe building itself. The finished product should represent the harmonious shapeand function for the area. Just like a natural beautiful woman who has no need formakeup and costume to capture the eye. Therefore, its considered taboo for professionalsto use fancy displays, and high-force text design. Its main color tone willnever be more than a few. This kind of monochromatic aesthetic of black, whiteand grey is what many architects use. Also, presetting the main base color cansignificantly unify the pre-analysis charts and sketch tones to reduceduplication.

The simultaneous cooperationwith Bi Lele and Yuan Zhicheng has been quite amazing. Zhang Siyi was mesmerizedby Yuan Zhicheng ability to draw.

By only looking at thescenic photos Zhang Siyi found for reference, Yuan Zhicheng is quickly able tocapture the essence of the images and incorporate it into the design plans.With a few pens' lines and sweeping motions, a scene unfolds like magic. Lightblue clouds floating in the sky with architectural perspective, shadows andhighlights all give rise to a life-like interpretation of the project. There isno question the talent of the colleague who graduated from a fine arts school.

It is no wonder that Du Ruisaid his drawings were beautiful. Yuan Zhicheng's picture were works of art toenjoy in a museum. Looking at them motivated Zhang Siyi to practice drawing.

Zhang Siyi asked, “Youare drawing so many pictures at once. Are you going to use them all?"

Yuan Zhicheng didn’t havetime to lift head, and he quickly said: “The more you draw the more youwill have to pick."

Zhang Siyi: “Isn’t thatwasteful?”

Yuan Zhicheng: “Which drawingis a waste? The process of drawing itself is the creative aspect thatstimulates us. Maybe the next picture will lead to more inspiration, right?"

Like the sun shining throughdark clouds on a rainy day, Zhang Siyi is reminded of his college professorsteaching. The soul of creativity is to just do. Design, work, draw, write,think… inspiration will follow.

As he spoke, Tom in Group Bcame over, and he smiled at Zhang Siyi, then said to Bi Lele in broken Chinese:“This, the picture, diagram.”

Zhang Siyi helped translate andTom was very grateful. He immediately explained in English the drawing hecompleted was the green analysis map and the main street analysis map of theplot.

“Oh! I understand! AuntFour, you are free? Can you help me scan Tom’s drawings?” Bi Lele handedthe drawings to Zhang Siyi.

Zhang Siyi took the papersto the copier. Standing there while waiting, he flipped through the analysischart of Tom's drawing. After reading it, the only capital he was proud of wasburned and beaten. Zhang Siyi felt woefully inadequate.

At 6: 30 p.m., the teamleaders called the members of the project to the dining area to have dinner. ZhangSiyi put down the work at hand and went over to eat. Since most everyone feltpressured and rushed, they took their meals back to their desks to work whileeating dinner.

Feeling like a small fry, ZhangSiyi’s isn't in a hurry. Ji Feiyu passed him, nodded, then let him continueeating slowly.

After Zhang Siyi sat down,he saw Gu Yu and Tong Heyi together not far away. They were discussing theproject while eating. The words “land and resources administration”and “government planning instructions” were all words that Zhang Siyihad never heard of.

Zhang Siyi was very upset.He felt like a small boat floating in the sea and the breeze takes him whereverit goes without purpose and meaning of existence.

Feeling dispirited, ZhangSiyi with his head down walked up to the bin to throw his trash away. When helooked up, he saw Gu Yu looking at him thoughtfully as if he had been observinghim for a long time. His eyes were straightforward, examining. When the twomen's eyes met, Zhang Siyi was a little embarrassed, but Gu Yu calmly turnedaway.

Zhang Siyi felt like he hadto sneak back to work. He knew that Gu Yu kept track of all his subordinates,but this was the first time he discovered that he was being watched. It madehim feel very nervous.

… Is there something thatI have not done yet? Is Gu Yu dissatisfied with his performance? Should he havetaken his meal to his desk too? Zhang Siyi shook his head, and immediately tookthe initiative to find Ji Feiyu for more patch work.

At 9 o’clock in the evening,everyone gathered in the conference room for the meeting. Ji Feiyu and PengShuang led the discussion and reported to the group.

Zhang Siyi looked at theanalysis of both the background and current situation of the project, as wellas the city development of the current plot in just a few hours. Not only has ten people almost completed halfof the preliminary analysis work, but also made a power-point presentationthanks to Bi Lele. Zhang Siyi is so stunned!

At this moment, Zhang Siyidiscovered that he was not on a small boat but a huge battleship lead by Gu Yuand Tong Heyi. All the talented people here were together for a common goal andready to set sail.

Gu Yu continued somecomments: “There is another problem. The city of Z is currently in a stateof high construction. The photos that can be found online aren't necessarily accurate.Since there are likely changes to the area, we need to go to the scene as soonas possible to conduct site inspections and document the area.” The crowdlooked at each other, and everyone’s workload was so much currently, that theycouldn’t spare any time at all.

Gu Yu frowned, looked at everyonein the group, then looked at the most idle person, Zhang Siyi and asked:“Do you have a camera?”

Zhang Siyi: “uhm yes…”

Gu Yu: “What brand?

Zhang Siyi thought that GuYu wanted to borrow a camera and immediately reported the model and lens:“Canon 5d2, ef24-105, ef70-200.”

A boy who understandsphotography exclaimed: “nouveau riche!"

Gu Yu nodded and said:“Go back home and prepare your camera and bag. You will come with me tomorrowmorning and fly to the city. I'll make a reservation for the ticket at nightand tell you the time later.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

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