PORTFOLIO LEI WU University of Virginia School of Architecture Master of Landscape Architecture '21 Path 2 lw4ez@virginia.edu +1-434-906-6360
01 "FREDDIE GRAY PARK"
Materializing the Black Spatial Imaginary Baltimore is remarkable for the size and achievements of its African-American community. However, racial segregation is widespread and pervasive and getting worse because of police brutality, poverty, low education, and disfranchisement. The project named “Freddie Gray Park” aims to create a social- shared and environment-friendly space in terms of the inequality challenge. Due to its central location and density of commerce and tourism, downtown is a significant place in both locals' and visitors’ spatial imaginary of Baltimore. In this project, there are three strategies: spatial organization, economic empowerment, and historic reference to fulfill a strengthened black spatial imaginary. This project aims to create a welcoming place for the marginalized, treating the site as a fulcrum to connect two separated AfricanAmerican communities, changing the racial segregation into the congregation, and making the rush field become a place of humanity. Further, the “Freddie Gray Park” could even become a prototype for other similar communities in Baltimore.
Location: Inner harbor, Baltimore, Maryland Type: LAR6020/ Academic / Individual Work Year: 2020 Instructor: Matthew Seibert
02 YANGZHOU SHIPYARD ECOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION The lower reaches of the Yangtze River are seriously polluted; the ecological environment is extremely declining; the survival of fish is threatened, and the industry and the environment are always contradictory. The project is ecological design, which considers the multispecies, exploring the relationship between humans and others. Location: Yangzhou Type: Academic / Individual Work Year: 2017 Instructor: Wang Hengbo
03 OUTDOOR CLASSROOM IN DOWNTOWN Edutainment in central place
Racial topography is a crucial problem in Charlottesville. Along the Second Street, the higher terrain is in a white residential area, in which there is less plantable space but more tree canopy, however, the African American community is the opposite. Also, the central place, Historical Society, and Jefferson Madison Regional Library are on an axis which is appropriate to be an outdoor classroom. However, there's no outdoor space for children based on their different ages. The framework is inspired by the building cubes and also the Tetris game. Four layers are designed as different lingering spaces. The first layer creates more open and green spaces on the roof garden. The sunlight could go through into the second layer, the colorful pavilion, where children can enjoy the colorful pattern. The third layer, colorful playground creates different sizes of tetrominoes for various functions, including reading corners, teaching spaces, gaming areas, working sessions, and the botanical rich space. Accordingly, children could learn and read as well as have fun in the third layer. Meanwhile, adults could have places to work and relax as well as care for their children. The last layer is a sunken plaza where children can play soft sands there. Location: Downtown, Charlottesville, Virginia Type: LAR7010/ Academic / Individual Work Year: 2020 Instructor: Scott Mitchell
04 GAOYOU LAKE BIRDS OVERWINTERING HABITAT PROTECTION The green belt along the Gaoyou Lake is an important wintering habitat for birds, especially the oriental white storks, red-crowned cranes and egrets. However, the current situation is not rich in vegetation, and it is difficult to provide sufficient food for these birds. At the same time, there are many surrounding villages, and high-voltage power poles are also a potential threat to bird nesting.
Location: Gaoyou Type: Academic / Individual Work Year: 2017 Instructor: Tangmeng
05 FOREST PHAPSODY O-hill is an excellent place for birding outing with its close connection to both the city and the University of Virginia. There are eight species of warblers which are migratory birds and also the most common visitors in O-hill. In this project, I aim to create a more biodiverse environment so that it can provide a sanctuary for those birds. I rearrange the tree from coniferous to deciduous and choose the mixed one as a prototype to design. Noting O-hill as an oak dominant area, this project cuts down some baby oak trees to make spaces for new species to attract more birds. By creating landform-convey and retain- will appear two wet and dry environments. After a few years, plant communities shall also change, enabling birds to stay at different layers - both Canopy layers and understory layers offer birds habitats. Especially, the understory layer provides more activities for birds. Birds can enjoy birdbaths in such a landform. At the same time, a trail provides more spaces for interaction between people and birds. The participation of humans in these biophysical environments not only brings vitality to the site but also makes the site a pivotal educational place.
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia Type: Academic / Individual Work Year: 2019 Instructor: Zihao Zhang
06 THE ELDERLY AND THE HEALING LANDSCAPE The phenomenon of aging in China is very serious. As the first large-scale living community in China, Nanhu Community has become a typical elderly community. But the environment is messy and traffic is disorderly. The purpose of this design is to provide a comfortable and safe outdoor environment for the elderly to meet the physical and mental health of the elderly. Location: Nanjing Type: Academic / Individual Work Year: 2017 Instructor: Xu Zhen
07 DAXINGGONG PLAZA Shared urban space = Use of idle resources + Provide platform + Everyone participation. The Daxing Palace is this platform, which is surrounded by the city CBD, the library, the art museum, and the presidential palace. If we are able to make rational use of the surrounding resources, more urban spaces can be achieved.
Location: Nanjing Type: Academic / Individual Work Year: 2016 Instructor: Chen Yunshan
08 Stormwater Project Location: Fletcher Studio, San Francisco Type: Externship Year: 2021.01
CIMC Qianhai LA Dongping Town LA HZ Asian Games Canal Park Nanjing Football Town Sports Park Location: AECOM, Shanghai Type: Internship Year: 2019.04-2019.07