RS1: The Lithium Triangle
Youlin Cao
Youlin was a designer and material engineer before entering the Royal College of Art in 2019. She got her Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering in Beijing Forestry University in China from 2011-2019. Her background major was Wood Science and Technology – Furniture Design and Material Engineering, focused on low carbon and sustainable design in the field of Chinese traditional mortise and tenon joint structure furniture design.
Publications:
Books: Chinese Traditional Stool Model Tutorial, 2018 and Chinese Traditional Chair Model Tutorial, 2016
Journal Article: Cao Youlin, Wang Tianlong, Poplar LVL strengthen and furniture joint size optimization based on Finite Element Analysis, Journal of Northwest Forestry University, 34.01(2019), p218-223.
Patent：Youlin Cao, A furniture point structure based on optimized Luban mortise and tenon joint, 2018
She was in the MA Environmental Architecture Studio – Lithium Triangle Group during her RCA study in 2019-2021. She researched environmental impacts from mining extraction in Huatacondo and Tulor-Beter in the north of Chile. She participated in a field trip in Salar de Atacama to document negative impacts evidenced through interview and landscape recording. In her individual project, she researched reeds in Baiyangdian wetland in the northeast of China. She directed a film called ‘Hello, Mr. Reed!’ and proposed a new reed-centred life mode for local future sustainable development.
Other Works:
Booklets of environmental impacts based on GIS changing analysis in Huatacondo and Tulor-Beter
Phyto water treatment infrastructure in San Pedro de Atacama
Environmental research film: Hello, Mr. Reed!
New reed-centred life mode design in Baiyangdian wetland in China
Contact
It is a conflict between human, social and science development and natural environment. As a designer, it is responsible for me finding a way in which humans could coexist with nature. I would like to intervene by material research, product design, architectural design and new media to address environmental issues. During my study at the RCA, I used GIS mapping to analyse environmental changes; I used video to show the environmental impacts from a subtle perspective, I focused on vegetation purification in water treatment projects. I developed my individual project through interviews, questionnaires, and video platform feedback. Then I proposed a new life mode that helps restore ecological environments and locals could live in a self-sustainable society.
