This research focuses on issues related to the unprecedented extent and rate of urbanization in China, and more specifically, on Shanghai, as a laboratory of one of the preeminent twenty-first-century cities. Given the legacy of twentieth-century models of assembly-based repetitive production, the effects of standardization on cities today include their universal monotonous, generic similitude. Balancing an agenda concurrently pursuant of spatial coherence and heterogeneity, and hence the distinctiveness of cities, this visiting school program aims to investigate a toolbox with which to confront the prevalence of default spatial and material modes of production. As an intensive nine-day studio-based course, clusters of tutors and students engaged experimentally with advanced computational design and, and the materialization of differentiated serial prototypes.

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Shanghai landmarks were located on the map with the help of  GIS systems. After that, a basic map was created which defined distances of  3min, 5 min, 10 min. Furthermore, unlinked areas were selected so that further analyses can be done on a micro level to get the best possible urban connections and future proposals.