BIOPHILIA
RECENT PROJECTS
LI MAITE (MATT)
Part II Architectural Assistant
07474 588799
limaite2023@gmail.com
https://www.linkedin.com/ in/maite-li-b976a31a8/
South Kensington, London (Open to Relocating)
3D Modelling
PROFILE
RIBA Part 2 graduate with First-Class Honours and nominated for the 2025 RIBA Silver Medal . My design ethos focuses on sustainable , contextual and biophilic architecture , demonstrated through my academic projects such as a UNESCO Geological Museum and a COP 30 Floating Bamboo Pavilion. I bring over 3.5 years’ professional experience across RIBA stages 0–6, including delivery of a Shell Petrol Station, a large-scale mixed-use industrial park. I am proficient in Rhino, Sketchup, Revit (BIM), AutoCAD and Adobe Suite.
EDUCATION
Sep. 2023 - May. 2025
University For Creative Arts. Architecture (RIBA Part II) Distinction
WORKING PROJECTS
Typical Projects from Working at ATAH
Feb. 2021 - Jun. 2023
1.Tangzhen Industrial Park (Under Construction, RIBA Stage 0-5)
-6 million sqm development (3M above ground & 3M underground).
-Produced over 70% 2D drawings & renderings
-Assisted in the masterplanning & concept schemes.
-Coordinated with external consultants including M&E, landscape.
2.Shell Petrol Station (Built in 2023, RIBA Stage 0-6)
-Commerical & Infrastructure project delivered over two years.
-Took part in the full process from concept to completion, including architecture, interior and bespoke furniture design.
Studio-Relevant Strengths
Sustainable Design
Biophilic Design
Contextual Design
Commercial Design
Office & Residential Design
Masterplanning
2D Softerware Workshop Experience 2022 Digital Future 2023 AA Summer School
Houdini Learning Workshop
Sep. 2016 - Jun. 2019
Sep. 2013 - Jun. 2016
(75% overall, 80% in Design Thesis) 2025 RIBA Silver Medal Nomination
Cardiff University Architecture (RIBA Part I) Did part-time intern from year 2 to year 3
Bosworth Independent College GCSE & A-level Course Awarded 'The Top Student Award'
WORK EXPERIENCE
Main Contribution:
-Coordinated with contractors and suppliers during construction to ensure design intent achieved in the built outcome.
3.Xilin Office Park (Processing, RIBA Stage 0-3)
-Office Park with 90,000 sqm, developed remotely during the epidemic.
-Assisted with execution plan, regulatory compliance.
-Coordinated with client through daily online chat and formal meetings.
-Explored the feasibility of different massing strategies.
4.Exhibition for an Industrial Company (Built in 2021, RIBA Stage 0-6)
-25 sqm interior showroom, relatively completed individually (over 90% work)
-Contributed to 3 built and 2 under-construction projects across RIBA stages 0–6, ranging from large-scale masterplanning to small commercial spaces.
-Delivered the Shell Petrol Station (Infrasturcture & commerical, RIBA 0-7) project from concept to completion, including both architecture & interior design, which improved my ability to implement design intentions into every detail.
-Produced over 70% 2D technical drawings & renderings for the 6-million sqm Tangzhen Industrial Park, and coordinating daily with consultants in structure, M&E and landscape.
- Led interns and assisted senior architects in producing presentation materials, improving team efficiency and quality.
-Participated in formal presentations with government officials and clients, gaining experience in critical communication.
Sep.
Main Contribution:
-Produced full design package under a very limited budget
-Coordinated with M&E & suppliers.
5.A bridge over a Canal (Bidding, RIBA stage 0-3)
- Developed a very precise digital Rhino model, and assisted with regulatory checks (height limits, boundary lines)
-Led intern and assisted senior architect to complete the final bidding documents, improving the team working efficiency
Typical Projects from Working at Lemanarc
Assistant at Lemanarc
- Conducted research into radiology department planning , comparing Chinese regulations with UK's Health Building Notes (HBN) to propose more efficient fuctional layouts.
-Contributed to two genenral hospitals, gaining insight to the critical role of functionality in healthcare design.
online Intern in TONGJI Feb. 2021 - Jun.
-Assisted the interior design of three projects.
1.Shaoyifu General Hospital (Biding, RIBA Stage 0-3)
-Developed Sketchup and ArchiCAD skills for competition packages
-Produce a rigorous plan in ArchiCAD for radiology department by deep research on chinese healthcare regulations and UK's HBN. Sep. 2019 - Jun. 2020
2.Fuxin General Hospital (Bidding, RIBA stage 0-3)
-Assisted on digital modelling in Sketchup.
-Produce the 3D printing models for competition submission.
Software Skills
Junior Architect at ATAH
2023
AutoCAD Vectorworks
I take architecture as a medium ... ... and learning architecture is the best way for me to have a dialogue with the world.
& Parametric Design
LANDSCAPE AS A TREASURE (Year 4 Design Project)
Coral Exploration (Interests)
RHYTHM OF KENT DOWNS LANDSCAPE (Year 5 Phase I)
SHELL PETROL STATION (Working Project, Experienced from RIBA stage 0-6)
Homeward Journey (Vertical Studio)
RHYTHM OF KENT DOWNS LANDSCAPE (Year 5 Phase II)
TANGZHEN INDUSTRIAL PARK (Working Project, Experienced from RIBA stage 0-5)
2023 AA Summer School (Workshop)
Redesign and Regulization in Grasshopper for Human Scale
Outcome & 3d Print
Testing in Houdini
1.1
RHYTHM OF KENT DOWNS LANDSCAPE (Year 5 Phase I)
Building Type: Gallery
Location: St Margaret, Kent Down National Landscape
Located at the edge of St. Margaret’s residential area and the Kent Downs National Landscape, this gallery is designed to exhibit ten tempera paintings by artist Joanna Jones. The project explores the relationship between art, architecture, and nature by drawing inspiration from the Dover coastline’s distinct topography. The building unfolds as a linear form that gently follows the site's 10-meter slope, guiding visitors through a sequence of descending interior spaces that culminate in a panoramic viewing platform.
The design carefully incorporates natural elements—light, rain, and topography—to enhance the gallery's tranquil ambiance. Diffused daylight, introduced through a meticulously designed roof structure, illuminates the display walls while minimizing glare. During rainfall, vertical stainless-steel channels guide water across the façade and interior walls, forming serene pools. Indoors, these pools reflect soft ripples onto the ceiling under artificial lighting, establishing a poetic interplay with the artwork.
Entrance to the Gallery
Reflectected waving pattern on celling by the rain water responds to the paintings
Diffused light washing the walls, artificial light lighting the paintings
Sitting at the end of gallery to look far into the unique Kent Down landscape
1.2
RHYTHM OF KENT DOWNS GEOLOGY (Year 5 Phase II)
Building
:
In response to the initiative of the UK and France to jointly apply for the world's first transnational national geological park, the Kent Downs Geopark (AONB) and the Dover White Cliffs National Geopark (PNR Caps et Marais d’Opale), this project proposes to build a geological museum with its roots in the magnificent coastal landscape of the White Cliffs of Dover.
The museum is located in Samphire Hoe, a site reclaimed from the chalk of the English Channel Tunnel, to commemorate the ancient flood that separated Britain from the European continent. The project is inspired by the local linear geological characters, the walls play the most important roles which are built around a sea water pool and extending from the cliff to the sea to evoke the connection between the geology on both sides of the channel. Given the unique geographical value and historical significance of the local chalk, the museum uses local materials and tamped chalk as the main technique to build each wall. These textured walls constitute the narrative space of the museum, with seawater and chalk becoming narrators to tell stories of deep geological times. Through architecture, the museum invites visitors to rediscover the powerful natural events and to reveal the hidden history of this landscape.
Type
Geological Museum Location Dover, Kent Down National Lanscape
Walls extending from the top of white cliff to the sea
The walls extending from the cliff to the sea to evoke the geological connection between the UK and France
The varying height and linear rammed chalk walls describing the geological stories
A shallow seawater pool extends from the entry, creating a visual and material dialogue with the rammed chalk walls
GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERS
Due to its unique geological conditions, the geological features near Dover present obvious linear formations, forming a steep, wavy tyography. These geological characters not only shape the visual characteristics of the area, but also influence local urban planning and expansion. The stratified formations of the White Cliffs, combined with this linear geological feature, became the main inspiration for the design.
Superficial Geology
Bedrock Geology
Samphire Hoe （A Reclamination Land )
CONCEPT RELIEF
Hundreds of thousands of years ago a catastrophic flood swept away the chalk ridge connecting Dover and Calais, carving out the white cliffs of Dover and starting Britain’s history as an island.The Kent and French coasts are actually still connected today by the layer of chalk which runs below the Channel.
The government is currently working on applying for cross-Channel UNESCO Global Geopark status, combining the Kent Downs National Landscape with Parc Naturel Regional des Caps et Marais d’Opale. The geological museum is aiming to celebrate the shared geological heritage and the straits that connect them.
St. Margaret
to Calais in France
Proposed Geological Museum extending from the white cliff to the sea
Supposed Geological Museum another museum across the channel Water Traffic from Dover & Calais Habour
Direction of Pedestrian Flow
The Section of the White Cliff Stratified formations linked with France under the sea bed
Main Exhibition Hall
Straight View on the'Mid-Axis'
View to the Central Pool
Skylight Seduces the Movement
Welcome Hall
Front Yard
Exhibition Space
Mid-Axis (Bridge)
Workshop & Research Centre
Skylight For Seducing Movement
Structure for Wood Roof
Structure for Bridge
Structure for Concrete Roof
Train Station
Main Entrance
Pavement
Water Taxi Station
The Innovation of "Narrative Walls"
The 8th Layer: Chalk 80% + Cement 20%
The 7th Layer:
Head 20% + Chalk 65% + Cement 15%
The 6th Layer:
Head 30% + Chalk 50% + Storm Gravel 5%
+ Cement 15%
The 5th Layer:
Head 40% + Chalk 35% + Sand 10%
+ Storm Gravel 5% + Cement 15%
The 4th Layer:
Clay: 10% + Head 30% + Chalk 30% + Sand 10%
+ Storm Gravel 5% + Cement 15%
The 3rd Layer: Clay: 50% + Head 40% + Cement 10%
The 2nd Layer: Clay: 80% + Cement 15% + Shell & Flint 5%
The 1st Layer:
Alluvium: 80% + Cement 15% + Shell & Flint 5%
Soil from different ages has different characteristics. By using the rammed earth wall construction technique to mix chalk and cement to design a special "narrative wall". These significant walls in my design become part of the xhibition directly, bringing visitors a more immersive experience.
Different superficial geology formed from different ages Takes the different aged soils and chalk in Dover
Testing the porperty of each raw material Ramming the raw materials into a 'narrative wall'
'Narrative Wall' with Rammed Chalk
Reinforced Trass-lime Mortar
Rammed Earth Covering
2.1
Project Phase I)
Building Type: Pavilion
Location: Hangzhou, China
The project is located in Hangzhou, a city with centuries of cultural heritage that has experienced rapid urban expansion in recent years. The project is centered on the West Lake, an iconic landmark that demarcates the boundary between development and protection, in response to increasing land consumption and environmental degradation. In celebration of the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, the project introduces a floating architectural installation derived from traditional Chinese forms and rituals. The public can express their environmental concerns and wishes through symbolic activities such as releasing river lanterns. These messages provide government officials with an informal and participatory way to listen to the public's voice. The supporting urban facilities near the West Lake serve as flexible spaces for education, celebration, and environmental advocacy. The project aims to create a platform where people, policies, and nature converge to encourage dialogue and promote sustainable development through culturally rooted design.
LANDSCAPE AS A TREASURE (Year 4
By day, the building floats on water like a lotus, its elegant curves mirroring the distant mountains and rippling waves.
At night, hidden lights glow through the hollow bamboo like scattered stars, turning the building into a festive river lantern drifting across the water.
A THRESHOLD FOR NATURE & HUMAN
Hangzhou has expanded rapidly over the past 60 years through land reclamation. To control this expansion, the government now limits development to the east, leaving the west for nature and tourism. West Lake is this boundary. Inspired by the ancient emperors’ inspection tours, this project designs a traditional style floating pavilion on the lake, bringing nature indoors and creating a public celebration space.
Floating Pavilion for COP 30
Waving Facade
URBANIZED COURIER STATION
(Experienced RIBA STAGE 0-6)
Building Type: Petrol Station
Location: Wuhan, China
As Shell's core display project in Wuhan, the gas station integrates brand and function. It not only meets daily refueling needs, but also demonstrates Shell's vision for future technology through lighting design and precise height control. As a member of a small team of five, this was my first real-life architectural project that I was deeply involved in. It lasted for a year and a half and covered all RIBA stages (0-6). Although the project was on the verge of cancellation due to changes in Shell's leadership, it was eventually completed successfully and received positive feedback from the public. This experience gave me a comprehensive understanding of the entire process from design to construction and enhanced my ability to cope with complex, real-time challenges in architectural practice.
'Bridge' on the First Floor
ZONES & FLOWS
The entire project plan is dominated by the commercial zone in the middle, and the others different supporting area are around the zone by referring to the circulation flows. The building block in the middle is divided into 6 areas by the purest method of 'cutting the cake' to respond the form of the roof and its skylight. The first floor is dominated by public activity spaces, while the second floor is a relatively quiet area for rest and communication.
Concept Sketch (RIBA Stage 2) Final Render (RIBA Stage 3)
Process (RIBA Stage 5)
Handover (RIBA Stage 6)
Construction & Structure
1.Roof & Celling
- Standing Seam Metal Roofs
- Insulation 50mm
- Steel Plates 50mm
- Height Beam 450mm
- Aluminum Panel 3mm
2.Slab
- Gray Tile 10mm
- Polymer Mortar 10mm
- Lightweight Concrete 30mm
- Composite Slabs 120mm
VELUX Modular Skylights
-Designed to provide daylight and fresh air through the roof
-The modular system can be configured to a range of different skylight solutions and offers several features for climate control, ventilation and shading
Standing Seam Roof
-Simple and lightweight structure, easy to install
Concealed Gutters
-Rain water is collected through the sloping roof, drained and recycled through connections to the columns below.
-The entire drainage system is relatively concealed to ensure the asesthetics of the building
Steel Framework
-Easy to support and overhang the large roofs
Curtain Wall System
-In order to improve the permeability of the building to increase its potential commercial value
3.Flexible LED Matrix
4.GRC Hanging Plate
TANGZHEN INDUSTRIAL PARK (Experienced RIBA STAGE 0-5)
Building Type: Office Park Location: Shanghai, China
This large-scale project developed by the government has a architectural area of more than 3 million square meters above ground and more than 2 million square meters underground. Unlike traditional office parks, the project attempts to move factories into high-rise buildings to improve land use efficiency.
For more than two years, I have been involved in the entire process from concept bidding to construction. I participated in the master planning at an early stage and later led interns to complete the facade design of all riverside mid-rise buildings. Throughout the process, I worked with multiple contractors including landscape, lighting and structural teams. This experience gave me a valuable understanding of complex project coordination and the practical challenges of delivering large projects.
The Riverside Facades (RIBA stage 3)
Construction Process (RIBA stage 5)
