// Curriculum Vitae
// Architectural Projects
1_Intersection
2_Bridging
3_More Than a Food Bank
4_Hafencity Campus
5_Montrose Wintergarden
// Masterplans + Landscape
6_Hannemanns Allé 2.0
// Pavilions, Installations + Innovation
7_Horizon
8_Variance
I’m Emilee, a soon-to-be graduate of TU Delft with a Masters of Science in Architecture, and specialization in Timber.
Having been lucky enough to be exposed to a variety of different cultures and landscapes through travelling, my studies and work experience has allowed me to be attuned to the little things that make a space feel the way it does, and a city the way it does. These are things that I hope can be communicated through all the work I produce - complex and meticulous in execution but with the simple intent of connecting architecture to people and the existing world we live in, to evoke the same happiness on every occupant walking through it that I experience while creating it.
TU Delft | The Netherlands
Candidate for Master of Science, Architecture, Specialization Timber
• Honours Programme Masters - Robotic Building Lab Research Group 2018 - 2023 2023 - Present
University of Waterloo | Canada
Bachelor of Architectural Studies Honours Co-op Program
• Graduation with Distinction (Cum Laude)
PUBLICATIONS
Conference Publications
Chen, Emilee, and Kaiyi Zhu. “Adaptive Reuse Approach to the Conservation of Historic Urban Landscape: Evolution and Role of Facadism.” Landscape Architecture 31, no. 10 (August 1, 2024): 49–57.
Chen, Emilee, Glenn Lu, Lyric Barnik and David Correa. 2022. “Fast and Reversible Bistable Hygroscopic Actuators for Architectural Applications Based on Plant Movement Strategies.” In Co-creating the Future: Inclusion in and through Design. Proceedings of the 40th Conference on Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe (eCAADe 2022). Ghent, Belgium, September 13-16, 2022.
Featured Project Publications
Chen, Emily, Glenn Lu, and Lyric Barnik. “Variance.” Canadian Architecture Student’s Association (CASA-ACÉA) 2022 Student Showcase. June 6, 2022.
Chen, Emily, Glenn Lu, and Lyric Barnik. “Variance.” in “University of Waterloo spotlights 10 architecture projects.” Dezeen . September 26, 2022.
2025 Jan-May
2024 July-Sept
2023
Jan-Apr
TU Delft Innovation & Impact Centre / RoboHouse Field Lab — Research & Design
• Assisted in the research and design of a new innovative greenhouse for robotic horticulture research
TU Delft Space Institute / Robotic Building Lab — Student Assistant
• Designed & developed marketing material for the Moonshot & Off-Earth Environments Symposium
• Coordination between several faculties within the University and external speakers for the hybrid event
Höweler + Yoon Architecture — Architectural Intern
• Collaborating on the preparation of creative design and construction proposals for both presentation and document production of institutional projects.
• Resolving design problems using creative solutions, producing conceptual design sketches and physical model tests and studies for projects including a pavilion for 2023 Venice Biennale
Software
Adobe Suite
Illustrator
Photoshop InDesign Lightroom
Rhinoceros 3D
Grasshopper
SketchUp
AutoCAD
2022 Feb-June
C.F. Møller Architects — Architectural Intern
• Engaged in an active role as a part of the international competition team
• Produced concept designs, visualizations, 3D models and competition submission materials for a school campus in Hamburg, as well as a masterplan in Copenhagen
• Utilized scripts and programs for sustainability analysis and design
O2 Planning + Design — Urban Design Assistant
• Developed the design of a winning site activation competition, and co-ordinated the project through its design development and construction phases.
• Produced 3D models and preliminary land-use designs for landscape and urban masterplan projects
D’Ambrosio Architecture + Urbanism — Architecture Assistant
• Contributed to the schematic design and design development phases of multi-family developments, commercial high-rises, and masterplans based on city planning guidelines.
• Produced sets of presentation materials for internal and external use.
Jon Hensley Architects — Architecture Intern
• Acted as primary designer for a residential project, drafting existing conditions and produced design options for client’s review.
• Produced permit sets including reflected ceiling plans, detail drawings, and finish schedules.
Moon Base 2050 International Innovation Competition// 3rd Place
Global Design Graduate Show 23// Shortlist for Product, Architecture, Interiors
University of Waterloo 3B Outstanding Design Award
University of Waterloo Project Exhibit Showcase
Norm Li Visualization Award
RAIC Conference 2022: CASA-ACÉA Student Showcase// Top Project 3rd/4th Year
Pella Sustainable Design Award // 3rd Place
OAA Sustainability Prize // Honourable mention
University of Waterloo Dean’s Honours List
University of Waterloo 3A Outstanding Design Award
Terra X Terra Architecture Competition // Editor’s Choice
CISC Architecture Student Design Competition Finalist // Top 10
University of Waterloo President’s
Revit
3DS MAX
Vectorworks
V-ray Render
Lumion Render
Enscape Render
Analog
Model building
Laser cutting
Hand drafting
3D Printing
3D Scanning
CNC Mill
Languages
English native
Mandarin
+1 202-304-9525
emileezchen@gmail.com
Copenhagen 28. juni 2022
C.F. Meller
DanmarkA/S CVR 29244391
Copenhagen: Hiller0dgade 30B, 2. 2200 Copenhagen N Denmark
T: +45 3288 7844 kbh@cfmoller.com www.cfmoller.com
Head Office: Europaplads 2, 11. 8000 Aarhus C Denmark
Emily Chen has been working as an architectural intern at C.F. Mrz,ller Architects from February 7th to June 30th , 2022.
During her internship, Emily has been a part of C.F. Mrz,ller LAB Copenhagen (our competition department), and she has been involved in various projects, including:
• Hamburg HafenCity Campus,
Competition 20.000 m2 school campus and sports facilities in Hamburg HafenCity. Role: 30 development, fac;ade development, diagrams, sections.
• R0dovre Housing Complex, Denmark
Ongoing project. 20.000 m2 housing complex in the suburban area R0dovre. Role: 30 development, postproduction.
• Frankfurt Gallus Campus, Germany
Competition. 38.000 m2 school, youth & children's campus, and sports facilities. Role: concept development, programmatic studies, diagrams, visualizations, final drawings
• Hannemanns Allé Masterplan, Denmark
Competition. 40.000 m2 residential and commerical masterplan in highly developing area. Role: concept & 3D development, programmatic studies, diagrams, final drawings
Emily is always in a good mood, which affects her surroundings and makes the working environment around her very positive. Her drive and commitment has been a strength for the team and the projects she has been a part of. She's flexible and versatile and able to take on whatever role is needed in each project. She's open minded, and hardworking which are very important qualities in this field of work.
Emily can easily be part of different teams and values cooperation with colleagues in order to create the best possible results. She has been a huge asset to the projects she was part of. Because of Emily's great understanding of what is needed, you feel confident placing any type of assignment in her hands. She can work independently and effectively towards the goal of the project, and she has an incredibly good and serious approach towards the tasks.
During her internship Emily has shown great abilities within Rhino, Grasshopper, Photoshop, Illustrator, Enscape, 30 Visualization, and 20 .
We were exceptionally pleased to have Emily in our team. She has been an incredibly strong asset for the LAB! We are happy to give Emily our best recommendations.
Kind regards,
Emmanuel Van Oost Mentor, Architect
T: +45 6193 6981
Thue Borgen Haslrz,v Partner, Head of C.F. M0ller Lab Copenhagen, Architect
T: +45 2811 7838
M: tbh@dmoller.com
June 7, 2020
To Whom It May Concern,
I am pleased to provide this letter of recommendation for Zhixiao (Emily) Chen. Emily worked in our office as an architectural intern from January to May of 2020. During Emily’s time at my office, she primarily worked on the design of a single family high-end residential project in Deep Creek Lake, MD, and an addition and renovation to a single family home in Washington, DC. She was intricately involved in all phases of design. This includes documenting existing conditions and creating as-builts, schematic plans and elevations, and construction documents. Emily was also adept at updating our website and social media sites.
Emily stands out to me with her professional conduct and intuitiveness at learning new design and technical skills. She is a quick learner, and performs all of her work skillfully and efficiently, always taking the initiative to ask questions so she had a clear understanding of each task. I remember all of her communications to be very clear and concise, and I believe her strong written communication skills to be an asset to any team she is a part of.
During her time in my office, Emily also participated in various architecture-related lectures and building tours. She had the opportunity to sit in at a community meeting where upcoming construction projects for Arlington County are reviewed.
In the twenty-three years in business, no intern has been more impressive than Emily. I feel confident that Emily will be a tremendous asset for your company, and she has my highest recommendation. If you have any further questions regarding her qualifications, please do not hesitate to call or email me.
Sincerely,
Jon
Hensley, AIA, LEED AP, Principal
Jon
Hensley Architects
P: 703-685-7777
Email: JHensley@JonHensleyArchitects.com
& Oakwood-Vaughan Masterplan
How can we challenge typical housing typologies in response to an increasing housing crisis amidst rapid development and gentrification of urban neighbourhoods?
Project Type: Residential Mixed-use, Masterplan
Completed: Winter 2021, 3rd Year Design Studio
Location: Toronto, ON
Programs Used: Rhino 6, Lumion, Adobe Suite
In collaboration with Justina Yang and Mary Ma
3A Studio Outstanding Design Award 2021 UWSA Project Exhibition Showcase
With the introduction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the Eglinton and Oakwood-Vaughan neighborhood currently lacks the services, affordable housing, and public amenities to accommodate the expected growth in the next 2 years.
In response, Intersection aims to design spaces that encourage the intersection of tenancies that represent the diverse demographic of the area. By filling in the blanks for missing services and making them accessible to all, designing new missing amenities to help nurture and support underrepresented people groups, and creating new points of convergence, the project seeks to create a selfsustaining network made up of the community members themselves on the Eglinton-Dufferin Intersection, allowing them the right to remain, transition, and age in place.
By integrating various public and shared spaces throughout the site, as well as programs catered to the needs of the residents while simultaneously providing the opportunity to train and nurture future generations, this urban design proposal challenges current typologies of separating seniors and other tenancies from one another, demonstrating how the reintegration of these groups can invigorate the community and its culture as a whole.
*All line drawings, graphics, visualizations were produced individually unless stated otherwise. I was responsible for producing the 3D model for the site and the high-rise building.
EGLINGTON AVE SITE SECTION
DUFFERIN ST SITE SECTION
*Site analysis diagrams produced in collaboration with all teammates
Proposal for 1855 Eglington Ave.
The high-rise caters towards the mixed tenancies of supportive housing, youth transitional housing, as well as affordable promoting the reintegration of often separated groups back into the community. The network of interconnected kitchen, allow for a communal sense of living, promotes the sharing skills and experiences, while having access to a variety of creating a micro urban village within the building.
affordable housing, with the intention of kitchen, dining and vertical gardening spaces of support systems at close proximity,
OF 3RD-LEVEL COMMUNITY KITCHEN
Proposal for 1828 Eglington Ave.
This multi-generational mid-rise combines universal design for seniors with a focus on providing literacy resources to any who are struggling to adjust to the accelerating pace of society. To seniors, for whom research has shown that social isolation is the key factor that leads to mental and physical health issues, teaching and incorporating digital tools and literacy skills is essential to raising their quality of life.
CROSS SECTION PERSPECTIVE
How can the concept of bridging reconnect a closedoff modernist monument with its public urban context while articulating the threshold between permanence and adaptability?
Project Type: Heritage, Cultural, Museum
Completed: Fall 2023, MSc1 Design Studio
Location: Den Haag, The Netherlands Programs: Rhino 8, Enscape, Adobe Suite
Located in the centre of The Hague, the former American Embassy is a nationally listed monument designed by Marcel Breuer in 1958. As one of Breuer’s major European works, the building reflects the modernist values of the postwar period, with a formal language rooted in the Bauhaus tradition. Originally designed as an open civic structure, recent shifts in security have transformed embassy buildings into sealed and inaccessible volumes, disconnecting them from their urban context.
This project repositions the embassy as a public cultural institution, housing West The Hague and the Academy of Creative and Performing Arts (ACPA). The program is divided across three clusters—exhibition, debate, and research— bringing continuous activation and circulation into the building.
The intervention is developed through a heritage value assessment, using the shearing layers framework in order to respond with a series of design concepts that not only protect these existing values and architectural elements, but enhance and address them with the new additions. New interventions are conceived as lightweight, reversible additions that sit in contrast to the permanence of the original envelope.
Biogenic and circular materials are selected for their temporal character, aligning with the program’s changing needs and allowing the architecture to adapt over time. The distinction between permanent and temporary is made explicit, treating the existing building as a fixed framework within which new layers can be added, removed, or reconfigured. The result is an evolving institution embedded within a static monument— maintaining the integrity of Breuer’s architecture while supporting a flexible cultural agenda.
VALUE_SPACE
Bridges and sightlines in Breuer’s architectural concept for the embassy
CONCEPT_ SIGHTLINES
Exaggerating breuer’s sightlines through glazed atrium for circulation and activity
VALUE_SURROUNDING
CONCEPT_ BRIDGING TO PUBLIC
Increasing visibility and creating shared public spaces for ease of access
VALUE_SITE
Existence of secluded courtyard and outdoor space
CONCEPT_ RAISED COURTYARD
Elevating existing courtyard above new addition for increased sunlight, privacy + wind protection
VALUE_SKIN
Directionality of toolpath in the limestone; age of building material; aging gracefully
CONCEPT_ TEMPORALITY
Materials in new addition and added to existing building chosen based on similar lifespans
SYSTEMS DIAGRAM _ENERGY
SYSTEMS DIAGRAM _WIND
SYSTEMS DIAGRAM _WATER
STRUCTURAL DIAGRAM
SITE CONTEXT ELEVATION
How can we re-introduce and promote intuitive connections between the city and a neglected river bank?
Project Type: Public Building, Landscape
Completed: Summer 2023, 4th Year Design Studio
Location: Cambridge, ON, Canada
Programs: Rhino 8, Enscape, Adobe Suite
The concept for the Cambridge food bank embraces their logo of “more than a food bank” as it aims to be a local hub that integrates sustainable food production, distribution, and education within the community. The architecture of the building consists of three distinct volumes, each housing individual programs that come together at the heart of the building—the kitchen. This central space serves as the connecting point where the circulation of food and people intersect, and the coming together of various elements— people, food, and programs.
Embracing the principles of circularity, the building design emphasizes the relationship between occupants and the surrounding farmland and gardens. Sustainability is integrated throughout the project using five key strategies. Zoning of public and service functions supports efficient workflows and passive heating and cooling. The building orientation and roof form are informed by solar exposure and natural ventilation, and rainwater is harvested and filtered for garden irrigation, and bio-swales manage runoff. Materials are selected for longevity, disassembly, and low embodied energy—ensuring the building is adaptable, repairable, and built to last.
Framed views create a seamless connection between people involved in the food exchange process and the origins of the produce from the site itself, where the food is going and how it is used, and the eventual return of organic waste back to the planting soil. At the heart of the building, each framed space reinforces the implementation of regenerative agriculture, establishing a sense of place within the circular nature of this continuous and resilient food supply system.
STRATEGY 1: ZONING
STRATEGY 2: SOLAR
STRATEGY 3: WIND
STRATEGY 4: WATER MANAGEMENT
STRATEGY 5: MATERIAL SELECTION
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Project Phases: Competition Programs: Rhino 7, Enscape, Adobe Suite
Supervised by Thue Borgen Haslrz, Architect MAA
CROSS SECTION RENDERS
HafenCity Campus was a competition project located in Europe’s largest urban development district. The sustainability-focused design acts as a catalyst for a vibrant city life and a green landmark for Hamburg.
Responsibilities include: building and reiterating the 3D model during schematic design, rendered sections, elevations, visualizations and the physical model during the final production phase.
3D Model in collaboration with Emmanuel Van Oost and Kamila Rawicka.
Location: Victoria, BC
Project Phases: Design Development, Construction Programs: Vectorworks, SketchUp, V-ray, Adobe Suite
Supervised by Erica Sangster AIBC, MRAIC
The project is a 20-storey mixed-use hotel in Victoria’s downtown that take into consideration the preservation and heritage designation of the Montrose Apartments, while contributing to the Victoria skyline and enhancing the public spaces of downtown with an urban wintergarden.
Responsibilities include: updating the 3D model, construction drawings, rendered views and rendered elevations, shadow study diagrams, and various drawings for external presentations and advisory board reviews.
Models and renders produced in collaboration with Matthew Jarvis.
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
This project is C.F. Møller’s submission towards the competition for a new masterplan in south Ørestad Copenhagen. The flexible design provides a good mix of an urban city scale in conjunction with intimate green spaces, creating a city gate motif - leading pedestrians and traffic into the central square on the western side of the area.
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Project Phases: Competition
Programs: Rhino 7, Enscape, Adobe Suite
Supervised by Adam Busko and Emil Meyer
Responsibilities include: 3D modelling, progress renders, massing design, environmental studies, parametric studies, final drawings
Drawings and designs in collaboration with Luc Guralp, Gabriele Lipskyte, Christina Moschopoulou, and Maja Galka.
SITUATION PLAN AND FLEXIBILITY DIAGRAM
URBAN ACTIVATION DIAGRAM
AERIAL VIEW
How can we utilize the strength of steel to create new viewing experiences of auroa borealis away from the light pollution of the city?
Project Type: Bridge
Completed: Fall 2021, CISC Competition
Location: Yellowknife, Canada
Programs Used: Rhino 6, V-ray, Adobe Suite
CISC Competition Top 10 Finalist
Yellowknife, with its high latitude, wide-open skies, and minimal light pollution, is ideally situated for one of the best views of the aurora borealis in Canada. It also features a shortcut to the city of Dettah through the Dettah Ice Road, which only forms in the winter months.
The proposed bridge acts as a landmark for the entrance and exit on the Yellowknife end of the ice road. It serves its purpose as a viewing platform for the aurora borealis out onto the Great Slave Lake.
Featuring a large angled mast at the center of two ringlike paths, the double suspended bridge becomes a monument and beacon at the edge of the lake. With no obstructions or lights disturbing the natural skylights, it offers multiple viewing locations across the bridgethe outer arc includes 3 tiered seating along the path that eventually becomes the Rotary Centennial Park Trail, and the inner arc integrates campsite platforms for overnight and adventurous visitors.
How can we improve upon passive adaptive strategies in architecture to optimize user experience and limit energy expenditure in building systems?
Project Type: Biomimetic Architecture, Research Pavilions
Completed: Fall 2021, 3rd Year Design Studio
Location: Shaga Forest, Japan
Programs: Rhino 6, Grasshopper, 3DS MAX, Adobe Suite
IncollaborationwithLyricBarnikandGlennLu
CASA 2022 Student Showcase Top Project
Dezeen University of Waterloo Spotlight Project
OAA Sustainability Prize
Norm Li Visualization Award
3B Studio Outstanding Design Award
Pella Sustainability Design Award
UWSA Project Exhibition Showcase
Variance is a pathway of nodes placed in the ever-changing character of the Shaga Forest, creating an apparatus for viewing the forest in a new set of perspectives through both elevation and aperture. These nodes play in and out and in between a vertical grid of cedar trees, transporting the user from a preexisting path to one that minimally invades the natural setting.
The aperture forms truncated passive lighting mechanisms, derived from the biomimetic principles stemming from our research into the nastic movement of the Maranta leuconeura, the Oxalis triangularis, and the Mimosa pudica. Their activation combines principles of elastic instability, or “snap-buckling”, and hygroscopic movement, which allows for an acceleration of the hygroscopic movement itself. The presented mechanisms make it possible to significantly increase the speed of response of the hygroscopically driven mechanism while maintaining the ability to operate over several reversible cycles.
The formulation of cassettes allows for the extension of the hygroscopic snap mechanisms to be self-sustaining structures - not only acting as an addition to a facade, but act as modular building blocks that create an atmospheric space as it passively responds to the humidity and fluctuations of their environments and micro-climates.
*All line drawings, graphics, diagrams were produced individually. 3D model produced with Glenn Lu; visualizations produced with Lyric Barnik.
Analysis: What plant structure and movement strategies can we observe and adapt from nature?
Prototyping: How can we utilize material-based actuation strategies in architectural applications? bistable mechanism snapping mechanism hygroscopic counterweight
HYGROSCOPIC SNAPPING MECHANISM
ASSEMBLY AXONOMETRIC
Let’s talk soon ! Thank you
