I just graduated from Columbia University’s Master of Science in Advanced Architectural Design (MSAAD) Program.

My substantial research and communication abilities enable me to find out essential demands in each project. In the “Open Work” project which required much detailed research, before we do the expansion design of one of Kurokawa’s building, my teammates and I redrew all the construction process of projects related to Kurokawa’s metabolism theories after visiting Japan. This process helped us to deeply understand metabolism and find out the limitation and weakness of materials and construction of the chosen building which gave us a chance to make improvements. In the “Hamilton Grange” project, after knowing the overall background, I used my communication skills to dig out the real problems in this community. I went to the site in different periods to interview people and find out that the government wiped out a significant history of the Grange by isolating it from the community, which unsatisfied the neighborhood. And then this became my focus and starting point of designing.  

I have been developing my interest and proficiency in sustainable design in GSAPP. It helped me to find out ecological problems accurately and solve them practically. In the “Vertical Garden” project, two students from Engineering School and I worked out the area of living machines, the exact plant type, and treatment steps,   and then we designed a building which can provide greenery spaces for public and treat a significant amount of greywater from the neighborhood. In elective courses, I developed the proficiency in various sustainable tools. For example, in the Sustainable Design class, I used Andrew Marsh’s SunMask Tools in selecting a site with better exposure to sunlight, and I used Use CC6 wind wheel tool to map wind vectors and velocities in different period for thoughtful site planning. Finally, I applied Sefaira to do preliminary energy performance analysis for architectural design. In BIM class, I designed a dynamic wavy facade with extruded openings through Rhino. And the scale and direction of the openings change according to sunlight radiation which is analyzed by Grasshopper. Also, now I have registered LEED exams, and I will continue to pursue more professional sustainable design knowledge and guidance in my future career.