Engraving serves as a fundamental method in the realm of fine arts, where painters meticulously etch graphics before transferring them into drawings. In my perception, landscape design mirrors this intricate process of engraving within communities. I firmly believe that enriching the cultural significance of landscape architecture through refined design is paramount. Central to my approach is the pursuit of space identity—an endeavor that transcends mere physical form, delving into the essence of a space’s character.
For me, design is more than just shaping environments; it’s about seamlessly integrating cultural and social narratives into the fabric of our surroundings. Each design is an opportunity to inscribe layers of meaning and memory, weaving a subtle tapestry of experiences that resonate with the community. By embedding identity into our designs, we catalyze social interactions and foster a sense of belonging that endures through time.
Reflecting on the cultural and social influences that have shaped my perspective, I continually strive to discern the essential needs of civic society. This engraving process, rooted in thoughtful consideration and meticulous attention to detail, lies at the heart of my design philosophy. It is through this deliberate act of engraving that spaces become more than physical entities—they become vessels of shared experiences, enriching the lives of all who inhabit them.
PROJECTS
Selected Work from PGA, KWLA & MPA
KAISER CENTER
OAKLAND, CA
WEST OAKLAND BART STATION
OAKLAND, CA
YMCA MISSION HEAD START EARLY LEARNING CENTER
HAYWARD, CA
TREAT TOWERS
WALNUT CREEK, CA
CRISSY FIELD
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
TRANSAMERICA
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
GARDEN OF SCULPTURES
ATHERTON, CA
MEDITATION GARDEN
ATHERTON, CA
VIEW TO THE MOUNTAIN
WOODSIDE, CA
GENENTECH EMPLOYEE CENTER ROOF GARDEN
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA
WORK SAMPLES
CA
Competition Work
UNFOLD
INSPIRATIONAL HOSTEL DESIGN
ESTEE LAUDER INSTALLATION & RETAIL DESIGN
PRODUCT DESIGN
Academic Work
ECO-CELL PARK
WATERFRONT
WORK SAMPLES
KAISER CENTER, OAKLAND
URBAN SPACE DESIGN
Role: Designer & Graphic Creator
Collaborated with One Project Manager & One Principal
Final Site Plan
Elevations for Entrances
Responsibilities: Conducted precedent studies to inform design concepts and strategies. Developed schematic designs and finalized FDP (Final Development Plan) sets.
Created detailed models and generated renderings to visualize elevations and communicate design intent effectively.
URBAN DESIGN
Project Information: The developer of the Kaiser Center is embarking on a project to expand the existing buildings while preserving the integrity of the original roof garden. The design approach entails seamlessly integrating new expansions adjacent to the existing structures, with a keen focus on retaining the essence of the rooftop oasis. Furthermore, the project aims to enhance connectivity by re-purposing the staircase space as an additional urban gathering area, effectively bridging the rooftop garden with the ground level.
Material Palette
Planting Selection
WEST OAKLAND BART STATION, OAKLAND
URBAN SPACE DESIGN
Role: Designer & Graphic Creator
Collaborated with One Principal
Renderings of Perspectives
Proposed Programs
Project Information: The Mandela BART Station, also recognized as the West Oakland Station, is undergoing a transformative renovation project featuring the construction of three new mixed-use buildings and a vibrant plaza. The comprehensive design encompasses the creation of an inviting plaza space and innovative rooftop designs for the mixed-use buildings, aiming to revitalize the station area and enhance its functionality and aesthetic appeal.
Responsibilities: Developed schematic designs and finalized the Final Development Plan (FDP) for city review. Coordinated with architects to address and incorporate City’s comments and feedback. Created various graphics including site plans, material boards, and renderings of perspectives and sections to support the design process and presentation.
Final Site Plan
YMCA MISSION HEAD START EARLY LEARNING CENTER, HAYWARD
PRESCHOOL PLAYGROUND
Role: Designer & Graphic Creator
Collaborated with One Principal
Existing Condition
Responsibilities: Serve as project manager, overseeing all aspects from conceptual design to schematic design (SD) submittal to design development (DD) submittal, encompassing layout and materials plans, planting plans, and detailed specifications. Coordinate closely with architects and clients to ensure alignment with project goals and requirements. Responsively address city comments and incorporate revisions as necessary to meet regulatory standards and project objectives.
Final Schematic Plan
Project Information: Collaborating with the YMCA, this project entails designing a preschool playground that caters to the diverse needs of infancy, toddlers, and preschool children. The site will be segmented into different play zones, ensuring age-appropriate activities and fostering a safe environment for all age groups. Despite budget constraints, the design prioritizes maximizing play features to enrich the children’s experience and promote physical and cognitive development.
Design Development
TREAT TOWERS, WALNUT CREEK
SPACE REVITALIZATION
Role: Designer & Graphic Creator
Collaborated with One Project Manager & One Principal
Site Analysis
Site Plan
Project Information: The renovation project entails upgrading the landscape of a corporate site situated adjacent to a highway. The primary focus of the upgrade and final design is to address the intricate microclimate conditions created by the surrounding buildings. This includes developing a planting design tailored to mitigate and thrive within these complex environmental factors, ensuring the landscape’s resilience and aesthetic enhancement.
Enlargement
Responsibilities: Conduct on-site observations in collaboration with other consulting teams to assess environmental conditions. Develop diagrams delineating different climate zones to inform subsequent planting design. Execute planting selections and create detailed planting designs tailored to the site’s specific microclimates and environmental considerations.
CRISSY FIELD, SAN FRANCISCO
HISTORICAL PRESERVATION INVENTORY
Role: Researcher & Graphic Creator
Collaborated with One Principal
Project Information: Conducting an inventory of historical and archaeological features within the existing site to inform future
HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
| INVENTORY @ PGA Design
Responsibilities: Develop an inventory map incorporating acquired information, including historical data and proposed designs, for reference and planning purposes.
TRANSAMERICA, SAN FRANCISCO
SPACE REVITALIZATION
Role: Designer & Graphic Creator
Collaborated with One Principal
URBAN INFILL | CONCEPT AND PROGRAMING
Project Information: Revitalizing an alley space by introducing new furniture and redefining programs to enhance functionality and community appeal. Responsibilities: Conduct site observations, Generate conceptual alternatives and graphics.
Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
GARDEN OF SCULPTURES, ATHERTON
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN
Role: Project Manager
Collaborated with One Principal
Project Information: The renovation project involves a landscape design aimed at creating the perfect setting for the owner’s sculpture collection. This includes revamping the existing planting palette to create a flowing context that seamlessly integrates the sculptures. The overarching goal of this design is to establish a private art museum that fulfills both the functional requirements of the owners and enhances the aesthetic appeal of the entire property, from the interior to the outdoor space.
Post-Construction Conditions Construction Documentation
Responsibilities:
I completed the full scope of services for this project, which included conceptual design, design development with renderings, construction documentation, bid coordination among selected contractors, and overseeing construction administration until the project’s completion.
MEDITATION GARDEN, ATHERTON
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN
Role: Project Manager
Collaborated with One Principal
Existing Conditions
Conceptual Renderings
Design Development
Construction Details
Project Information:
The monumental landscape design seamlessly complements the modern house design by providing a clean, neat, and sublime environment where the owner can rest, wander, or simply enjoy the landscape. While incorporating the design language of straight lines prevalent in most areas, the design also features meandering paths and a zen garden, introducing organic natural shapes for the owner to appreciate and engage with. This integration of elements creates a harmonious balance between the structured and the organic, enhancing the overall aesthetic appeal of the property and inviting moments of tranquility and contemplation amidst the surroundings.
Responsibilities:
Created conceptual design, design development with renderings, and produced construction documentation.
VIEW TO THE MOUNTAIN, WOODSIDE
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN
Role: Project Manager Collaborated with One Principal
Design Development
Conceptual Design
Project Information:
The landscape design encompasses the entire one-acre backyard, including a remodel of the existing pool to complement the new style of the house exterior. Special consideration is given to the hilltop location to optimize views of the bay, ensuring a seamless integration of the landscape with the surrounding environment.
Responsibilities:
Created conceptual design, design development with renderings, construction documentation, bid coordination among selected contractors, and permit preparations. This encompassed the entire process from conceptualization to permit acquisition, ensuring a seamless transition from idea to implementation.
GENENTECH
SPACE DESIGN
Role: Project Manager
EMPLOYEE CENTER, SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
Collaborated with One Principal
Project Information: My inaugural project, the roof garden, saw me through from its inception at the kick-off meeting to its completion in the post-construction phase. The concept aimed to craft a verdant “lunch space” featuring multilayered plants within budget constraints. The project’s primary challenge lay in ensuring the planters’ weight remained within limits to support the basketball court beneath while meeting the required green space size. Collaborating with manufacturers for customized planters honed my communication skills and enriched my professional experience.
Throughout the project, I initiated the schematic design phase with guidance from my supervisor. After several rounds of coordination, we adapted our design while preserving the original concept, navigating budget constraints and structural considerations. Using AutoCAD, I developed detailed design (DD) sets, construction drawing (CD) sets, and responded to submittal. I actively participated in the punch list during the postconstruction phase.
Responsibilities: Coordinated with consulting teams and clients throughout the project lifecycle, led schematic design through to construction administration phases and prepared and submit application for ASLA award.
Post-construction Photos
Renderings
COMPETITION WORK
2016-2017
UNFOLD (HONORABLE MENTION)
INSPIRATIONAL HOSTEL (Group of 2)
Deemed solely as a flood channel, the LA River is negligible to many Angelenos, regardless of its frequent appearance in popular culture and its past. Running nearly 77 km but mostly inaccessible, the River has not been given a proper opportunity to reveal itself beyond its function and its human-fabricated concrete shell.
After a series of disastrous floods in the 20th century, the River was almost completely encased in concrete as a purely engineered solution. Following the trend of post-industrial urbanism, environmentalists and activists have been advocating for the restoration of its habitat and wildlife, hoping for the revitalization of the river life and recreation. A thorough transformation would come at a price, and will it be another reckless dictation of the river’s future?
Unfold challenges the existence of itself and the nature of the LA River by turning inward. Embedded into the river embankment, the building has no openings to the surroundings besides the lobby entrances and disguises itself as part of the LA River channelization. By repeating the indoor spaces on a monolithic
super grid, five curated courtyards are formed to stimulate visitors‘ and artists’ discussions about the past, the present, and the future of the river, and trigger diverse art inspirations. From the post-industrial settings of the courtyard at the two ends, to the ultimate river utopia situated in the middle, Unfold offers a gradient of the river’s possible natures, creating a series of secluded but connected spaces.
Courtyard observe attempts to accept and appreciate the space brought by concrete channelization. Broad and flat like aircraft runways, the concrete bottom of the river offers a unique apocalypse emptiness for artists to roam, think, and observe. Platforms of varying heights are erected to exhibit artworks, even under flooding situations. They also amplify the changing water levels and are simply elegant to watch on an extremely rainy day.
Courtyard stray reveals the original river bottom, which still could be seen along part of the LA River. Rather than repopulating the space with the natural riparian landscape setting, the courtyard is curated like a theme park labyrinth, with concrete walls and native plants blocking your ways. The meandering walking experience is a great way of meditating. In a way, the courtyard tries to examine similar subjects like cyborg and synthetic humans: how natural is nature?
Courtyard immerse is an exact reconstruction of the LA River riparian habitat. Situated in the center of the project, the courtyard is the Garden of Eden. Surrounded by many collective programs of the hostel, it is meant to be shared and immersed by all guests and visitors. Ironically, the very original nature has to be recreated in the “nature” - the one that every single one of us is in our entire life.
Courtyard liberate is a choreographed imitation of the current trends in the architectural field when dealing with flooding, sea level rise, and post-industrial sites, and these trends are also reflected in numerous competitions regarding the LA River revitalization. These ideas of terraced planting areas and post-industrial fusion provide as much usefulness as playfulness, and many of them would fail. Regardless, it is a great place to dance, act, and perform.
Courtyard permeate is a floated and layered space. What Bladerunner illustrates about the future of LA could become true one day: what would the River be looking like? Filtered and contained by a layer of material, music generated in this space might distort and inspire something new. Structured by high performance glass and steel, the floated space could become an exciting outdoor music performance venue for visitors roaming around the ground level open galleries.
THE MAKING OF “THE NIGHT” (Group of 2)
ceiling-installed / brand-owned boutiques
ground-installed / department stores & perfumeries
e new Estee Lauder experience celebrates the Advanced Night Repair serum by reinventing “the Night” in-store. A simple, yet sophisticate lighting system composed of LED light spheres and supporting cables / rods resembles the starry night and illuminates the stores with programmable colors and patterns. As a scalable lighting matrix, “the Night” can be installed for various store settings and delivers an immersive shopping experience. When installed over the ceiling, “the Night” deploys retractable light
with customers’ movement.
Brand-owned boutiques will feature a floor-to-ceiling space dedicated to the Advanced Night Repair serum. Installed over the ceiling with retractable cables, the light spheres can detect and respond to customers’ movement and guide them into the space. “The Night” will become the focal point of the boutiques and deliver three-dimensional sensorial experience to customers. The lighting matrix and full-size floor display also offer opportunities to exhibit product information and commercials.
Department stores and perfumeries will feature smaller versions of “the Night”. The adequate height allows customers to touch, experience, and approach the product from multiple directions. The museum-like setting emphasizes the precious nightly moments and the premium quality of the serum. “The Night” can be easily customized to fit different store sizes and shapes while maintaining the same visual and sensorial impact.
The interactive display, the floor display and the light spheres all work consistently to deliver an immersive experience for customers. When customers approach and interact with the serum sample and the interactive display, the floor display and the light spheres will illuminate and reflect relevant imagery and patterns of each step, abstractly yet effectively providing a sense of context. Both the floor display and the lighting matrix offer the greatest flexibility and countless possibilities of how the product can be presented.
As customers enter “the Night” and approach the interactive display, their digital experience begins. The display can provide exhaustive information about the Advanced Night Repair and other products, guide customers through a virtual skincare experience, and call for store staff when needed. At the same time, the floor display and the light spheres will be presenting relevant information and ambient light that corresponds customers’ digital journey.
ACADEMIC WORK
2013-2015
ECO-CELL WATERFRONT PARK
Design for Waterfront of Mississippi River
This case aims to deal with the riverside issues with a more resilient answer. As the response to the problem of excess stormwater in summer time and pollution contributed to Mississippi River, a new eco-corridor is introduced here to relink the parkway with the abandoned area. The goal for this case is to combine the concept of ecosystem, community needs and education together to meet more needs of the city. The project is trying to rekindle the potential function as a recreational park for neighboring community.
Sediments Levels in this reach of river frequently exceed the state standard of 32 parts per million
The metropolitan portion of the Mississippi river sends too much phosphorus. Nitrate Concentration increased 47% River Flow increased by 25% due to the loss of native prairies, forests and wetlands
Reduction of fish species is an indicator for quality of water. Mussel habitat is degraded along with the Mississippi river. Eagle nests locate along with the river, being as an indicator to express the health of river.
History & Present
The proposal site is used as an industrial site with railroads going through from east to west. At present, with the abandoned industrial elements and restoration in front of the river, the site is an open question to more opportunities.
Upper Mississippi River St. Croix River
Minnesota River
Design Philosophy
Having teased out the discontinuous components in the original site, the proposal philosophy is built based on the inspiration from industrial leftover spaces, dumped rail roads and unaccessible way to the Mississippi river. The Original site is long neglected and void of activities even though it is connected to the Campus and neighborhood, may serve people by thousands. The philosophy is trying to firstly bring the people to the riverside while dealing with the issues rain water may bring to the river and river
restoration.
Resilience for Overwhelming Storm
During the rainy season, the Mississippi river will have a higher tide level because of the increasing storm these years. The proposal aims to give a more resilient environment to face the situation.
Marsh Deep Swamp
Raingarden
Upland Forest
Wet Prairie
Raingarden Raingarden
Marsh
Raining Season
Deep Swamp
Raingarden
Upland Forest
Wet Prairie
Raingarden Raingarden
Tall Short
The series of wetlands and bioswales are used to capture the overwhelming rain water during the raining season so that it would prevent the flooding. These wetlands would work as ecocells to make the space more resilient.
PHYSICAL MODEL & SKETCHES
Residential Park
Completed during my junior year as a design exercise without digital tools, this project focused on creating innovative designs using traditional methods.
The site, situated within Minneapolis’s Victory Parkway, serves as a memorial green belt commemorating the First World War I. Lined with pedestrian and bike lanes, the park acts as a community hub, bordered by single houses on either side. In the summer months, the linear parkway transforms into a spacious resting area.
Concept:
My concept aimed to create “bridges” on each side of the parkway, connecting the east and west sides. These “bridges” would serve as focal points for social activities, enhancing the park’s existing space.
Design Method:
Using mock-up models and color pencils, I executed the design, emphasizing tangible and tactile approaches to conceptualization and presentation.
FABRICATION
Movable Mapping Boards
This project introduces a unique approach to urban exploration by introducing movable mapping boards within a fixed frame. Utilizing engraved maps on wooden boards, the project aims to revolutionize the process of discovering urban textures.
Concept:
The concept focuses on providing an alternative method for navigating and understanding urban environments. By incorporating movable mapping boards, users can interactively explore various areas and textures within the cityscape.
Design Innovation:
The project’s innovation lies in its integration of traditional mapping techniques with modern mobility. Through engraved wooden boards, users are offered a tactile and visually engaging way to visualize urban landscapes, encouraging them to explore and interpret their surroundings in novel ways.
SPARE-TIME DOODLES
My passion lies in exploring doodles through experimentation with various tools, including watercolors, color pencils, and iPad apps. I enjoy using different programs to capture any creative ideas that come to mind in my daily life. This exploration allows me to express myself artistically and continuously evolve my artistic style
