Daniel Liang Xu
徐亮
Architect.Designer.Researcher.
Biography
Daniel Xu is a masters in sustainable cities student at the Norman Foster Institute in Spain. He is an out-going director at Stewart & Partners and a consultant for the African Centre for Cities. His interests are centred around an architecture of inflection and dialogue - an architecture formed of the landscape and a landscape formed of architecture. It focuses on the boundaries between the natural and artificial and explores the kinship between the landscape and urban fabrics through various technologies. Daniel graduated from the University of Cape Town with distinction and as the top postgraduate student of his cohort. His curiosity has led him to work on a wide range of projects across multiple continents in different sectors. His latest projects include an urban park in Spain, water infrastructure for the City of Cape Town and the development of VR skills training programmes for Naspers Labs. He teaches at the School of Explorative Architecture and University of Cape Town where he is also a member of the Futures’ Planning Unit.
Education
NFI Programme on Sustainable Cities
(Masters)
Norman Foster Institute (NFI)
Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (UAM)
2023 - Present
(Master of Architecture Professional)
with Distinction
University of Cape Town
School of Architecture, Planning & Geomatics,
Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment
2018
(Bachelor of Architectural Studies Honours)
University of Cape Town
School of Architecture, Planning & Geomatics,
Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment
2017
(Bachelor of Architectural Studies)
University of the Free State
Department of Architecture
Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences
2015
Professional Experience
Stewart & Partners
Full Time - Director
February 2022 – Present
Full Time - Candidate Architect
January 2019 - January 2022
School of Explorative Architecture
Part Time - Design Tutor
March 2022 – Present
African Centre for Cities
Contract - Design Consultant
July 2021 – April 2022
University of Cape Town
Part Time - Technology Tutor
February 2019 – Present
Naspers Labs
Contract - Virtual Reality Engineer
July 2019 – December 2019
Norman Foster Foundation
Workshop - Digital X Alumni
January 2018
SAOTA
Full Time - Architectural Designer
January 2016 – February 2017
Projects
[Benahavís, Spain | 2020 – present | Client: Real de La Quinta]
Competition winning entry for a masterplan and architectural design for a new mixed-used leisure precinct in the south of Spain. Responsible for concept design, 3D modelling, BIM360 management, service coordination and client relationship management.
Zandvliet Wastewater Treatment Works
[Western Cape, South Africa | 2019 – present | Client: City of Cape Town]
Construction of an MBR plant and bottleneck alleviation of water infrastructure facility with focus on new administration and control building. Responsible for construction documentation for the control and administration building, service coordination, design development and site supervision. Coordination of local authority submission for overall facility.
VW Family Estate
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2022 – present | Client: Private]
Multi-residential complex for private family across multiple erven. Five bespoke homes with a shared communal facility with option to conver to sixth. Involved from project acquisition to construction with complex local authority challenges. Responsibie for design, client relations, visualisation, service and BIM coordination, detail design and tender documentation.
Dubai One
[Dubai, UAE | 2022 | Client: Digital Media Technologies]
Flagship LED displays installation concepts for development partner. Responsible for concept design, visualization, urban analysis and locality.
Royal Ascot
[Ascot, UK | 2022 | Client: Digital Media Technologies]
Flagship LED displays installation concepts for development partner. Responsible for concept design, visualization, racecourse analysis and locality.
Atlantis Special Economic Zone
[Atlantis, South Africa | 2022 | Client: Zutari]
Architectural subconsultant for consulting engineers. Design concept proposal for guardhouse and surrounding landscape architecture. Responsibie for concept design and visualisation.
Commonwealth War Graves Memorial
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2022 | Client: CWWG Memorial Commission]
Top 10 competition entry for memorial for those lost in the First and Second World Wars. Responsible for concept design, visualisation and competition submission.
194 C Framework Tender
[Western Cape, South Africa | 2022- present | Client: City of Cape Town]
Architectural subconsultant commissioned to develop and improve City of Cape Town’s water resilience through key infrastructure development projects for 5 year period. Responsible for studio’s project branding and communication, concept design, visualisation, project documentation.
[Bilbao, Spain | 2022 | Client: African Centre for Cities]
Design consultant for the submission of full scale artefact for the Art of Motion curated by the Norman Foster Foundation at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao for their 50th anniversary.
# 3 A
[Benahavís, Spain | 2021 – present | Client: Private]
Single residential home for private family. Responsible for project acquisition, concept design, client relations and project documentation.
Halo
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2021 | Client: Boo! Media]
Public space LED installation design proposal at the V&A waterfront. Responsible for urban analysis, concept design, visualisation and detail design.
References
Professor Edgar Pieterse
Founding Director
African Centre for Cities
Associate Professor Philippa Tumubweinee
Outgoing Head of Department
School of Architecture, Planning & Geomatics, University of Cape Town
Associate Professor Nicholas Coetzer
Director
School of Explorative Architecture
Alex Stewart
Principal & Founder
Stewart & Partners
Phillippe Fouché
Principal
SAOTA
Spatial Web
[Bath, UK | 2021 | Client: Tenacity Works]
UX design for digital web-based interactive office design. Responsible for project lifestyle.
[Benahavís, Spain | 2021 | Client: Private]
Design concept and local authority submission coordination for a new single residence in the south of Spain. Responsible for concept design and visualisation.
# 38.2
[Benahavís, Spain | 2020 – 2021 | Client: Private]
Multi-residential units for development in the south of Spain. Responsible for concept design and visualisation
Oltingerstrasse
[Binningen, Switzerland | 2020 – 2021 | Client: Moser Gmbh Architects]
Facade studies and design development of existing proposal in collaboration with local architect. Responsible for design development and visualisation.
[Binningen, Switzerland | 2020 – 2021 | Client: Private]
New design concept for a new single residence in Switzerland. Responsible for client acquisition, concept development, 3D modelling, visualization, client, and
consultant coordination.
# 5 A
[Benahavís, Spain | 2019 – 2021 | Client: Private]
Design concept and local authority submission for a new single residence in the south of Spain. Responsible for concept design, structural and service coordination, detail design and client relations.
[Western Cape, South Africa | 2019 | Client: Naspers]
Development of VR work readiness programme through gaming engine, VR integration and deployment across multiple labs. Responsible for software engineering, hardware integration, content generation, 3D modelling and client presentation.
Ministerial Programme
[Barcelona, Spain | 2019 | Client: Tenacity Works]
Event and product activation design for Mobile World Congress. Responsible for concept design, visualisation & team coordination.
Stikland
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2019 | Client: Private]
Project proposal and financial modelling for storage facility development. Responsible for high-level area configurations and financial modelling based on rates coordinated with quantity surveyor.
Dunluce
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2019 | Client: Private]
Project feasibility study for additions and alterations to single residence. Responsible for concept design and coordination with quantity surveyor.
House Traverso
[Plettenberg Bay, South Africa | 2019 | Client: Private]
Coastal single residential home for private family. Responsible for visualisation.
Mobile World Congress
[Barcelona, Spain | 2019 | Client: Tenacity Works]
Installation design at global conference. Responsible for concept design and visualisation.
House Sammeli
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2019-2021 | Client: Private]
Coastal single residential home for private family. Responsible for concept design and visualisation.
House Van Baal
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2018-2019 | Client: Private]
New single residential home for private family. Responsible for design development, project coordination and visualisation.
Contact
Email
daniel@danielxu.co.za
Gilmour Hill
[Cape Town, South Africa| 2018-2019 | Client: Tenacity Works]
Outdoor entertainment extension to existing single residential home. Responsible for detail design, tender documentation and construction contract adminstration.
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2019- present | Client: City of Cape Town]
New wastewater treatment facility. Responsible for tender documentation and visualisation.
# 16
[Cape Town, South Africa | 2019-2021 | Client: Private]
Additions and alterations to heritage home. Responsible for detail design, tender documentation, construction contract administration.
[Gqeberha, South Africa | 2019 – present | Client: NMB Municipality]
Water Treatment Facility. Responsible for construction documentation and visualisation.
House Cilliers
[Cape Town, South Africa| 2019 – 2020 | Client: Private]
Additions and alterations to single residential home. Responsible for detail design, tender documentation, construction contract administration.
# 13 E
[Lagos, Nigeria | 2016 | Client: Private]
Design concept for a multi-residential complex in Lagos, Nigeria. Responsible for client coordination and concept development, 3D modelling and visualization.
[Ahmedabad, India | 2016 | Client: Private]
Design concept for a new single residence. Responsible for concept design, 3D modelling, visualization, and development.
Villa Bellefontaine
[Geneva, Switzerland | 2016 – present | Client: Private]
Design concept for a new single residence. Responsible for concept design, 3D modelling, visualization, and development.
Villa Lakeview
[Lucerne, Switzerland | 2016 | Client: Private]
Design Concept for a new single residence in Geneva, Switzerland. Responsible for coordination and design development to conform to local planning bylaws.
Longcheer Yacht Club and Hotel
[Shenzhen, China | 2016 | Client: Private]
Competition winning entry for a new flagship yacht club and hotel in the Dapeng Peninsula. Responsible for design development, client communication and interpretation, client coordination, 3D modelling and visualization.