W a n t i n g Z h o u University Of Sheffield + USC I LOVE LANDSCAPE. I LOVE ART. I LOVE TRAVEL. I LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY THINKING / OBSERVING/ COMMUNICATING Creative Thinker / Hard worker / Good leader Problem Solver / Ideal group work partner
PORTFOLIO
“In my point of view, Landscape Designer is not a “career”. It’s a life choice. It’s my choice and always be.” --- Wanting Zhou
CONTENT About Me P1
Experience Timeline P2
Student Projects P3-P8
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2
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Work Projects 2015-2019 P9-P16
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Appendix P17-P18
WANTING ZHOU A: 936 S Olive Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015 T: (+1））) 323 397 3805 E: zhouwant@usc.edu
Wanting Zhou is a Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism candidate(21’) at University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA and hold an Bachelar degree of Landscape Architecture with planning at University of Sheffield (15’) in UK. With over 4 years of global professoinal work expeience, my highest motivation is to have an inclusive, and equitable impact in our urban realm development through community driven, climate-responsive, and collaborative designs that emply research and engagement strategies to advocate the new futures, building social and environmental resiliency. My aesthetic sense and design sensitivity were cultivated under this influence of my life and study experience in different countries. In my point of view, Landscape Designer is not a “career”. It’s a life choice. It’s my choice and always be.
RECENT AWARDED PROJETS
E D U C AT I O N
2020 + Guild Choice Award, USC Annual Charrette “Cloud Valley”, LA Future Urban Renewal
2019-2021
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, USA Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism Online publication by SOA, 2019
2019 + Online Publication of standout student project by SOA 2019 + Chengdu Dong’an Lake Sports Center Landscape Design, 1st Place in International Competetion 2018 + Xi’An Happy Forest Belt International Competation, 1st Place + Ningbo Fenghua Riveride Park Planning Masterplan. 1st Place
YEARS EXPERIENCE
4 years professional work experience 10 years academic journey
LANGUAGES
English - frequent Chinese - frequent
SOFTWARE Adobe Indesign Adobe Illustrator Photoshop Rhino Auto CAD Sketch Up Grasshopper Lumion
2011-2015
UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD, UK Bachelor of Landscape Architecture + Planning Exchange Studio, Berlin, 2014 Autism Children Project, honor prize, 2013
EXPERIENCE ATKINS 2017-2019 F/T Project Landscape Architect Participating in various projects from large scale urban masterplan to small scale. Most of them are international competitions, bid projects and cooperate with urban planning, architecture and enviornment engineering department. Responsible for the idea sketching, concept design in masterplan stage and detail design development in focus site. Also, I worked as PM in some of the project, working with teams to produce bid document, communicate with clients and attending conference with multi-professional companies.
S.P.I. STUDIO 2016-2017 F/T Landscape Designer & PM Participating in commercial and residential projects which cooperate with real estate cloents. As the PM to manage the whole spectrum of the design process from idea sketching to construction phase. Communicate with clients and participate each meeting with different teams.
AECOM
2015-2016 F/T Assistant Landscape Designer
Assistant Designer to develop the design and other detailed design stuff. Participate in several ecological parks, helping designer drawing masterplan and other works by using PS, Indesign and Illustrator.
To whom it may concern My name is Wanting Zhou. I wish to apply for the position of Landscape Designer. I am a Master of Landscape Architecture + Urbanism candidate (21’) at University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA and hold a bachelor’s degree of Landscape Architecture with Planning in University of Sheffield, UK. As you can see from my CV, I have over 10 years experience in the landscape architecture field, with 4 years working experience and 6 years academic studies. I believe the knowledge and skills built up during this time make me the right candidate for the role, because: I am very enthusiastic about landscape architecture. To me, landscape no longer plays a support role to architecture as it did before, the latent powers of landscape are much more than this. It has become a meta-discipline that guides other disciplines, to solve different levels of environment, social and economic issues according to the need for the development of society. During my academic studies in USC and University of Sheffield, I was awarded an academic excellence scholarship and selected to the school exhibition and won the 2021 USC Guild Charrette Competition. My research work ranges from global scale to small scales, like protecting world environment resources and sets strategies to curtail global warming, to augment habitats for endangered species, strategies of green technology and sustainable development, and cultural diversity under the urban system, exploring the value and possibilities of public and private spaces. My professional skills improved a lot during the employment in AECOM, ATKINS, and S.P.I, Studio. I enjoyed these 4-year working experience in different types of firms from large design consultants to small studios. I did many kinds of projects such as riverside ecological park, forest park, city regeneration project, commercial landscape, and residential designs. I participated as main designer in three International bid projects and fortunately won at the end. I also worked as PM in some of the projects, working with teams to produce bid documents, communicate with clients and attend conferences with multi-professional companies. These jobs helped me gain more practical understanding and experience in this field. Based on self-assessment, I am good at pop up creative conceptual ideas in the early design stage and have enough knowledge and experience to lead the project to implement into the ground. And I love working with teams to brainstorm and communicate with multi-professional apartment either construction teams or clients. I am so interested in your firm and I am sure my expertise and knowledge are in perfect line with your job requirement and I look forward to meeting with you to discuss my application further.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely, Wanting Zhou
1.
TIMELINE
2017
2019 ATKINS
ATKINS
Chengdu Dong’an Lake Sports Center International Competetion 1st Place in International Competition Assistant PM & Principle Designer
Ningbo Feng 1st Place in Int Designer
Xi’an Happy Forest Belt International Competition 1st Place in International Competition Assistant PM & Principle Designer
Qingdao Jiao Project Commi Designer
Guangzhou Zhongjiao Commercial Landscape Design Project Commission Project Manager
Chengdu Xiji 3rd Place in Int Designer
2019-2021
2018
USC ML A, USA
ATKINS
Y1S1 Urban Design Studio Pacoima Planning and Development Design “Educatioanal Village” Y1S2 Design Studio Landscape at the Intersection of Life and Death of Soil “Memorial extremes: designing with fire and water” Y2S1 Research Design Studio Labor + Land “Life cycle: Reintroducing biodynamics into landcare” Y2S2 Design Thesis Studio Spatial Politics of Homelessness “Mental health issue of homeless children”
Shenzhen Luohu Urbsn Streetscape Renovation Competetion 2st Place in International Competition Designer Rui’an Northern Riverside Park Project Commission Main Designer Pingsha Riverside Park Project Commission Main Designer Fuzhou Coastal New Town Planning Design Project Commission Designer
2015 AECOM
ghua Riverside Park Competetion ternational Competition
ozhou Airport ission
iang Riverside Ecological Restoration ternational Competition
2016
Heshan Ecological Park Project Commission Assistant Landscape Designer Ningbo Yong River Waterfront Park Project Commission Assistant Landscape Designer Weishan Lake National Westlake Park Project Commission Assistant Landscape Designer
2011-2015
S.P.I. STUDIO
UNIVRSIT Y OF SHEFFIELD, UK
Xincheng Residential Landscape Design Built in 2016 and open to public to visit in 2017 PM & Principle Designer
Sheffield Sustainable Communities Pocket Garden designed for Autisum "Ecological Outdoor Classroom"
Longhu tianpu Exhibition landscape design Project Commission Designer
Sustainable Housing Sheffield Kelham Island Community Urban Design and Planning "Living in neibourhood garden"
Dongyuan Technical CityResidential Competition Project Commission Designer Vanke Inside Park Landscape Design Project Commission Designer
Emotional Landscape Design Sheffield castlegate project "Seek the memories of little red riding hood"
2.
STUDENT PROJECT_MLA
01
INTERSECTION OF LIFE AND DEATH OF SOIL
MEMORIAL EXTREMES: DESIGNING WITH FIRE AND WATER Date: Spring, 2020 Course: Arch542b_Landscape Architecture Studio Instructor: Aroussiak Gabrielian In this design-research studio, we turn our attention downward to the literal foundation of landscape- the soil. Situating varied and layered dimensions of soil, as physical material, as an environmental system, as living matter– a symbiotic collective known as the soil biota. The biota plays a vital role in determining how well the ecosystems and the life that it supports function above grade. Spatially, soil is where “we have long placed that which we fear and wish to lose, and that which we love and wish to save. This studio is focus on Soil Building Processes by rethinking the future of burial landscapes through mortuary composting procedures. Interrogating our position in our environmental future, we considered the types of future relationships that we might form with soil, putting in place acts of care that go beyond the exploitative and instrumentally regimented stewardship. We considered how our bodies could facilitate this new form of co-existence, and how design could enable and accomodate this necessary exchange. Base one the research of the relationship between our earth and climate change, Many areas around the world are experiencing soil erosion issue after fires due to climate warming, especially near the Los Angeles Mountains in the western United States. The planning scope of the project is in Malibu, near the Santa Monica mountain. The research mapping out the areas where the wildfire, flooding and soil erosion the most severe. At the same time, the soil serves as a medium to carry the meaning of life and death. The vision of this project is to transform the area where the most serious soil erosion and flooding occur after the wildfire in into a new experimental site, which as an innovative memorial recreational park. The strategy is tried to build a series of resilient infrastructure in reaction to local disasters as while as achieving the cultural value – providing varied burial practice and memorial events and space not only for residents but also for wildlife. The design implemented into 3 stages and would be continued. It is a growing, resilient, and recreational memorial park.
a b
c d
e
a: Soil as climate system- Water erosion with climate change b: Researches of different types of water erosion c: Site analysis on water erosion and wildfire d: Burial Practise - Relationships between fire,water,earth, air and burial process e: Research of soil erosion process through sections analysis
3.
4.
5.
STUDENT PROJECT_MLA
02 PACOIMA URBAN DESIGN Eco-Educational Village in Pacoima
Award: Online Publication of standout student project by SOA 2019 Date: Fall, 2019 Course: Arch542a_Landscape Architecture Studio Instructor: Kate
This studio will delve into urban conditions at the periphery of Los Angeles County in the east San Fernando Valley, focusing on Pacoima. We looked at the neglected edges of the city, looking into how consistent lack of land-use and planning has led to a gragmented urbanism, overlaid with industrial infrastructure and controlled ecological regimes. The challenge of this studio is to develop new typologies and vernaculars for urbanism. A place where climate resilience, native landscape, economic and social equity need integration. We are moved through increasingly granular scale to propose new urban framework that address these issue and guide urban propositions. The vision of this project is to build an eco-educational village for both ecological and social value base on the analysis pf the high population of children in Pacoima. My idea is that live, teach and play can occur at the same time in the city and education does not just happen in the school. The boundaries of different functions and people no longer exist, and every activity can be connected. The workshops in the plaza are also the school’s outdoor classrooms, making the city part of the education experience. A good education includes an authentic sense of community, and this project allows Pacoima to catalyze a real urban renaissance in the future.
6.
7.
STUDENT PROJECT_MLA
03
2021 Guild Charrette Competition "Cloud Valley" --- DTLA Renewal
Award: USC Guild Charrette choice Award Topic: Imagining New Futures for DTLA Vision: Cloud Valley Date: 2021 (five days)
In the early 2000s Downtown Los Angeles began transforming from a business district that became a ghost town at 5 o’clock into a vibrant community and bustling cultural scene. Driven initially by the LA Live complex and adaptive reuse residential projects, DTLA started to gradually attract new residents and, in turn, businesses. Heading into 2021, everything has changed. It is time to imagine a new future for DTLA in 2021. Each team is to imagine a new future for Downtown Los Angeles by preparing a design proposal for a two-block area of DTLA. Proposals are to focus on the urban realm to reimagine the relationship between the street and the buildings to support a vibrant and active DT community. We imagine our future cities as the “cloud valley”. The word cloud has two meanings here: one describes an eco-city with sky bridges that connect the city both horizontally and vertically. The other, more modern meaning of a “cloud” is associated with sharing space and resources between people. Our design alos provide a shared outdoor space to everyone. The design works with nature and uses landscape resilience to combat the challenges of climate change.
d a b
e c
f
g
a: Concept Diagram - before: isolated blocks vs. after: Green insert into gabric vertically b: Concept Section - Future Growing-up cities - “meandering on the cloud” c: Masterplan d: Bird eye view e: Perspectives from the view on the roof garden f: Perspectives from the balcony of the buidling g: Bird eye view
8.
WORK PROJECT
01
CHENGDU SPORTS CENTER LANDSCAPE MASTERPLAN U+ Universal/Uprising/United/Ueser-frendly
Award:
DESIGN PROCESS
Date:
1.
1st place in competetion & sign a contract Construction Compelete in June, 2021 Designed in 2019
Current condition sit with three square buildings and one large round building, how to unified the design language through landscape involoved?
2.
Find out the the orthogonal relation of square and round and continue the linear language from square buildings.
4.
Gradually evolved into a u-shaped landscape design framework, which perfectly unified the different design language.
Role:
Main designer, Assistant PM
Responsibility:
Concept idea development, Masterplan and focus site design development
?
3. As the main designer help the PM to win the first place in the international competition, this project as the 2021 Universiade opening and closing ceremony venue, the collection of multi-professional international companies involved in construction, transportation, indoor, operation and other professional cooperation, chengdu is to build the international event city's new business card in the future.
Press down the middle of the line and try to wrap the round building
U
MASTERPLAN
9.
RENDERING
Construction Photoes in 2020 Complete in June, 2021
10.
WORK PROJECT_ COMPETETION
02
XIAN XINGFU FOREST BELT LANDSCAPE DESIGN CREAT A GREEN VALLEY
DESIGN PROCESS
Award:
1st place in competetion & sign a contract
Date:
Construction in process Designed in 2019
Role:
Main designer
Responsibility:
Concept idea development, Masterplan and focus site design development
The main body of the happiness forest belt is located between Xingfu Road and Wanshou Road, with a width of 200 meters from east to west, of which the forest belt landscape is 140 meters wide and the municipal roads on both sides are 60 meters wide. Upon completion, it will add 1,025 acres of green space to Xi'an citizens. At the same time, it will integrate cultural and ecological resources In the future, it will promote the development and change of the regional environment and become the new city card of Xi'an.
CURRENT CONDITION
OPEN UP SPACE
CREATING A GREEN
VERTICAL GREEN APPLIED
N VALLEY
11.
DESIGN DRAFT OF FOCUS SITE
RENDERING
12.
WORK PROJECT_ COMPETETION
03 NINGBO RIVERSIDE PARK
CONNECTIION BETWEEN PEOPLE AND NATURE CITY AND WATERFRONT, HISTORY AND FUTURE
Award:
1st place in competetion & sign a contract
Date:
Construction Compelete in June, 2021 Designed in 2019
Role:
Main designer
Responsibility:
brainstorm, focus site design development
Our vision is to build a eco riverside park, which is the portal area of urban transformatin demostration project, including urban landscape ecological environment, carrying the display and function of protection. This park design as an open leisure ecological park, recreational, sports, entertainment, culture and other functions into an whole environment.
13.
WORK PROJECT_ COMMISSIONED PROJECT
04
NORTHERN RUI'AN RIVERSIDE MASTERPLAN TRABSFORM INDUSTRIAL-BASED SITE TO CIVIC PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
Stage:
Commissioned project Masterplan proposal
Date:
2018, ATKINS
Role:
Main designer
Responsibility:
Concept masterplan design, modeling, rendering and layout This riverside project is a commission project that designed by one of my collegue in ATKINS and me. Our vision is transform this industiral site into public open space. Maximumly remain the structure and history of the site and bring new programs and activities into it. We mainly focus on design stuff, producing the plan, model and rendering perspectives.
14.
WORK PROJECT_ COMMISSIONED PROJECT
06
XINCHENG WEST PARK RESIDENTIAL EXHIBITION CALIFORNIA GARDEN
Date:
Designed in 2016 in S.P.I. Studio Built in 2018
Stage:
Design Proposal, Design Development, Construction Stage
Role:
PM, designer
Responsibility:
Conceptual design, design development As the PM and main designer, I mainly focus on producing new ideas and concept of this small resitendial exhibition zone, cooperating with real estate clients and sales team. This project express the idea of “california garden” , which inspired by the analysis of history of the modern design. This new style gives people a certain life style like home is where is the holiday starts. This project win 2 awards in last 2 years and regarded as the excellent case study for local real estate practice.
BUILT PHOTOES
As PM Cooperate with sales team of the client to locate the vision
2016.07
Conceptual Masterplan
2016.09
Communicate with client and other department to choice one style
2016.10
Masterplan development
2016.11
Construction team involoved
2016.12
Site Construction preparation
2017.01
On-site work and compelete in 2017.05
2017.05
16. 15.
WORK PROJECT_ COMMISSIONED PROJECT
05
QINGDAO AIRPORT LANDSCAPE DESIGN SUSTANIABLE AIRPORT
Type:
Commission Project
Date:
Construction Compelete in March, 2021 Designed in 2015, Revised in 2017
Role:
Designer
Responsibility:
Center garden area redevelop
This project is commission project that cooperate with government of Qingdao to produce a sustaniable landscape environment in this new airport. This project last 7 years and revised a lot of time. I’m glad to be involoved in the last revision and I designed this center garden with the ideas of bring people back to nature and lots of new water management technic applied in this project.
16.
APPENDIX OTHER ACADEMIC WORKS
Undergraduate Works in University of Sheffield Date: 2011-2015 Topic: Streetscape Imagination Tool: Hand-drawing, creative model making.
Media for Landscape Architecture: Dynamics Systems Date: Spring, 2020 (MLA progam) Tool: Rhino, Grasshopper, Twinmotion, After Effects
17.
APPENDIX OTHER WORKS PROJECT + HOBBY
LIST OF WORK LARGE OPEN SPACE/PARK
•
Heshan Ecological Park Landscape Design
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Chengdu Longquanyi River Rehabilitation Landscape Desgn
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Xincheng Puyue International Residential Landscape Design
•
Pingsha Riverside Park
•
Ruian Landscape belt Design
•
Luneng Sports Park
•
Shanghai Forest Park Landscape Design
MIXED USE COMMERCIAL
•
Zhongjiao“Guangzhou Gateway”Commercial Landscape Design
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Shenzhen Exhibition Center Landscaoe Design
•
KAPF Hotel Landscape Design, Dubai
URBAN RENEWAL MASTERPLAN
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Luohu Streetscape, Railway Station & Guang-shen Railway Renovation Design, Shenzhen, China
•
Fuzhou Seaside New Town Development
RESIDENTIAL
•
Vanke Inside Park Landscape Design
•
Longhu tianpu Exhibition landscape Design
•
Dongyuan Technical City Landscape Design
PHOTOGRAPHER
EARTH EXPLORER
HAND MADE LOVER
Thanks for consideration! Wanting Zhou T: (+1））) 323 397 3805 E: zhouwant@usc.edu