I am currently a third-year architecture student at the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty with a strong interest in urban design, sustainability, and how spaces shape human experiences.
My work focuses on connecting architecture with social impact, exploring how built environments can influence inclusivity and connection. Beyond architecture, I am passionate about visual storytelling, creative media, and photography. I enjoy working with digital fabrication, model-making, and experimental materials. These interests allow me to approach design from a multidisciplinary perspective where I can combine research, creativity, and my technical skills.
In my free time, I love exploring new cities, sketching urban landscapes, and trying different cuisines. I am always eager to learn, experiment with new design techniques, and collaborate on creative projects.
January 14, 2025
To Whom It May Concern,
This letter is to confirm that Melody Zhang was employed at our firm for the period from May 6 2024 to August 1, 2024. Melody was employed as a student and we found her to be a highly self-motivated individual who was able to complete tasks promptly.
Melody worked under the direction of senior staff on various projects of various scales in the firm. Her role included the use of various software’s including Autocad, Revit and Sketchup. She did not have any issues using these software’s to complete her daily tasks. She was involved in modeling building forms, including the exterior envelope (windows, walls, slabs, mullions, and awning panels), as well as designing site plans, tower placements, and podium shapes.
Melody also worked on more detailed tasks such as revising penthouse ensuite unit plans, elevations, and building placements, ensuring compliance with height guidelines and setbacks. Her role also included the review of client markups and making revisions accordingly.
A sample of the projects Melody was involved on include;
F Ferguson (Working Drawings In Revit)
I Islington Avenue (Design work in Autocad)
L Leslie and John (Design work in Revit)
S Sharewell (Design work in Autocad)
Z Zorra (Design work in Revit)
N Nashville Road plans (Design work in Autocad)
A Armfield (Design work in Sketchup)
L Lakeshore Avenue (Design work in Revit)
K King City (Design work in Autocad)
D Danforth (Design work in Revit)
A AR Queen (Design work in Revit)
Melody was a pleasure to work with and maintained a positive and professional attitude in her role at the firm.
If you have any questions or require any further clarification, please email or call.
G GRAZIANI + CORAZZA
J Johnny Chimienti B.Tech, BEDS, M. Arch., OAA, MRAIC Associate Principal
Bloorcourt: Site
The proposed parkette design integrates conversation pits to create a space where people can experience food from Bloor without the intention of long-term stays. The design connects isolated residential spaces with the broader area by fostering north-south relationships through the parkette. The program transitions gradually, respecting the contrasting natures of Ossington Avenue’s busy commercial zone and the quieter residential character of Carling Avenue.
Temporary stay environments are established by minimizing hardscaled shading and shelter. The parkette’s pulled forms serve functional purposes, such as concealing the first floor of commercial buildings and other unsightly features like garbage areas and parking on the south end. Openings on the south side encourage access from Bloor, while additional openings along the south laneway provide residents with entry points. The design also connects the pre-existing north laneway, ensuring accessibility for local residents.
Vegetation is used strategically to control sightlines, circulation, and privacy. Trees create privacy for residents, while shrubbery limits movement into residential spaces. The program controls social interaction density by placing larger conversation pits closer to the busier Ossington Avenue and smaller, more intimate pits towards the residential east side.
The laneway is rerouted from the middle of the site to the Ossington end, removing the division within the parkette. The laneway is set below ground level to enhance the sense of safety for users in conversation pits. Built with brick, the laneway conveys a semi-private character, with the potential addition of motorized or card-accessed bollards to restrict access and reinforce its private nature.
Bloorcourt: Furnature
COMPREHENSIVE STUDIO I DANIEL BRICKER I FALL ‘24
The furniture design for the parkette is centered around functionality and adaptability to outdoor dining and relaxation needs. At the parkette’s entrance, a table fixture is integrated into the steps, providing a dining surface in the Consume Zone near food trucks and vendors. This table is designed with a hollow structure that includes hooks for storing items like bags. The surface incorporates planter boxes and a lightbox, combining storage, greenery, and lighting. The table base is meant to be constructed from durable stone, while plexiglass is used for the lightbox. For the physical model, an LED light strip enhances the steps with patterns which adds a functional and simple design feature.
The furniture design takes inspiration from indoor restaurant booths. This is inspired by outdoor use with materials like stone, LED lighting, and planter boxes to suit the parkette’s landscape. This approach balances practical materials and clear functionality, offering outdoor spaces for various activities, from brief dining stops to extended relaxation. The layout ensures the furniture integrates with the parkette’s broader goal of creating transitional and accessible spaces for different types of users.
Bloorcourt: Story
The proposed parkette design integrates conversation pits to create a space where people can experience food from Bloor without the intention of long-term stays. The design connects isolated residential spaces with the broader area by fostering north-south relationships through the parkette. The program transitions gradually, respecting the contrasting natures of Ossington Avenue’s busy commercial zone and the quieter residential character of Carling Avenue.
Temporary stay environments are established by minimizing hardscaled shading and shelter. The parkette’s pulled forms serve functional purposes, such as concealing the first floor of commercial buildings and other unsightly features like garbage areas and parking on the south end. Openings on the south side encourage access from Bloor, while additional openings along the south laneway provide residents with entry points. The design also connects the pre-existing north laneway, ensuring accessibility for local residents.
Vegetation is used strategically to control sightlines, circulation, and privacy. Trees create privacy for residents, while shrubbery limits movement into residential spaces. The program controls social interaction density by placing larger conversation pits closer to the busier Ossington Avenue and smaller, more intimate pits towards the residential east side.
The laneway is rerouted from the middle of the site to the Ossington end, removing the division within the parkette. The laneway is set below ground level to enhance the sense of safety for users in conversation pits. Built with brick, the laneway conveys a semi-private character, with the potential addition of motorized or card-accessed bollards to restrict access and reinforce its private nature.
Fluctuation Flow: Volume
This project allows us to design a space in the parking lot south of the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport. The goal is to create a space that addresses the need for more study, work, and social spaces for undergraduate students. The design focuses on creating a balance between movement and stillness, organizing paths and spaces to guide users through experiences of ascent, rest, and interaction. The space includes outdoor lounging areas that vary in size and privacy, offering spaces for smaller gatherings and areas for larger groups to connect. Pathways link the rooms and outdoor spaces, allowing for a fluid transition between different activities and levels of interaction.
Rooms within the building are designed with varied dimensions to meet the needs of diverse student uses. Two larger rooms are planned for group work or social events, while smaller spaces provide quieter areas for study or individual use. Each room is connected through carefully considered circulation strategies, ensuring ease of movement while maintaining distinct spatial qualities.
The design considers its relationship to the surrounding site, responding to the proximity of nearby buildings, footpaths, and roads. Openings are positioned to provide natural light and connect the interior spaces with views of the surroundings. The project incorporates lessons from earlier exercises, focusing on how built elements like walls, openings, and connections can create a variety of experiences. The result is a cohesive space that accommodates the social, study, and work needs of students in a way that encourages exploration and connection.
Fluctuation Flow: Section
DESIGN STUDIO 2 I KARA VERBEEK I WINTER ‘24
This assignment asks for the design of a multi-level structure within a defined 16x8 meter site, incorporating horizontal surfaces, stairs, and/or ramps to connect at least seven levels.
Using fluctuation as the central theme, the design explores the interplay between motion and stillness, encouraging a dynamic user experience. By reducing paths as the user ascends, the structure mirrors the cognitive process of refining thoughts, leading to clarity and insight at the peak. This intentional choreography of movement and rest, balanced through 600 steps, 50 rests, and 15 surfaces, captures the rhythm of human navigation and the evolving journey of discovery.
Model Photographs
Fluctuation Flow: Section Technical Drawings and Diagrams
Church & Welesley
CLOSE READINGS IN URBAN DESIGN I LUKAS PAUER I
ANALYSIS OF IMPACT: NEGATIVE (GENTRIFICATION)
This project explores the murals in the Church and Wellesley neighborhood. This area is known as being Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community, focusing on their role in celebrating identity and promoting inclusivity. While these murals highlight the community’s resilience and history, they also face challenges in fully representing its diversity.
Engagement driven more by pro t than true support risks turning LGBTQ struggles into commodities. e murals’ challenge in representing all within the diverse LGBTQ community might marginalize less visible groups, turning meaningful activism into mere tourism, thus diluting their signi cance. Legalized public art exists from development and gentri cation, where the push for new buildings and the allure of tourism provides the funding and spaces for legalized public art to thrive, illustrating the coexistence of urban growth and artistic expression. ese actions can unintentionally push out LGBTQ+ minorities from living in this neighbourhood if it becomes gentri ed.
The involvement of corporate sponsors raises concerns about performative support, and the area’s gentrification risks turning activism into tourism. To address these issues, we suggest amplifying underrepresented voices, like queer people of color and transgender individuals, and adding interactive elements to engage the public. This would help ensure the murals remain a genuine and inclusive reflection of the community’s identity.
LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY
e murals are accessible to the general public, as the chosen locations are deliberate. e art’s strategic placement in high-tra c areas ensures visibility to both the LGBTQ community and the broader public, sparking dialogue across diverse groups.
e City of Toronto’s Public Art Strategy claims that “Public art has been leveraged as an accessible tool for community development, civic engagement, and urban design, and has created countless opportunities for artists to advance their professional practice through high-pro le public locations.” 1
ARC253H1S FIELD TRIP WRITTEN-VISUAL REPORT
Along with Toronto’s desire to push visually stimulating art into the urban scenery, the notion behind this movement is to integrate meaningful conversations surrounding minority groups.
is demonstrates the murals locations as being a key part of the neighbourhood’s identity, promoting intersectionality and inclusivity discussions in high tra c areas.
1 Toronto public art strategy (2020-2030) page 9. Accessed March 22, 2024.
5: Diastance diagram Location Map in cooreation to the busier parts of the neighbourhood Large coorperations integrated into the neighbourhood, potential risk of performative activism in minority reigion
Figure
Toronto West Chinatown
DRAWING AND REPRESENTATION 2 I JAY POOLEY I FALL ‘23
This project explores the spatial dynamics of Toronto’s Chinatown, specifically focusing on Spadina Avenue and the surrounding streets. Through a case study on just and unjust streets, the research examines how urban design influences accessibility, walkability, and public life.
Utilizing observational methodologies such as photography, behavioral mapping, and media research, the study analyzes how spatial justice is reflected in the built environment. The project contrasts welcoming and inclusive streetscapes that are designed for pedestrians and social interaction with examples of hostile architecture and exclusionary urban planning. By integrating historical context, demographic analysis, and urban theory, this study highlights the ongoing dialogue about public space, mobility, and social equity in contemporary city planning.way that encourages exploration and connection. After analyzing the streets critically, the project narrows into the unjust street closely and makes improvements.
Chinatown is facing gentrification pressures, raising concerns among activists and community members about rising rents and the displacement of family-owned businesses and cultural landmarks. The grassroots movement “Chinatowns Coast to Coast Fight Against Displacement” has organized demonstrations across North America to resist commercial gentrification and advocate for community preservation. While some, including the Chinatown BIA chair, see gentrification as a driver of innovation and economic growth, others stress the importance of maintaining the area’s cultural identity.
Toronto West Chinatown
Spadina Avenue Vanauley Street
Thematic Plazas
Vanauley: Street Improvement
Vanauley: Street Renders
Twisting Tower
This project focuses on developing an architectural form through parametric design and digital fabrication. It started with a physical sketch model, which was then translated into a parametric model in Grasshopper and Rhino.
The design evolved by refining the structure, floor plates, and enclosure while staying true to the original concept. The final model was laser-cut at a 1:200 scale, exploring how digital tools can shape architectural form and construction. Through iterative modeling and an exploded axonometric drawing, this project demonstrates the connection between conceptual design, geometry, and fabrication.
The physical model was assembled using laser-cut wood for the core and floor plates, with perforated panels forming the enclosure. Curved exterior elements followed the parametric design, and the base was layered MDF, painted white for contrast. Each piece was fitted by hand, making small adjustments along the way to ensure everything lined up properly.
Twisting Tower Model Photographs
Twisting Tower Modeling Process
Sectional Skyscraper
This project focuses on parametric design, structure, and landscape integration through a 1:100 sectional model. Building on an earlier blob model, the design includes a central core with continuous columns, an atrium space, and a sculpted base that interacts with the terrain.
The atrium acts as a key feature, creating openness and vertical connection, while a spanning structure supports its enclosure. Using Grasshopper and Rhino, the façade incorporates digitally fabricated panels that refine the form. Laser-cut and 3D-printed elements enhance the structural details, emphasizing precision and craftsmanship.
An exploded axonometric drawing breaks down the building’s layers, showing how the components fit together. This project demonstrates an iterative design process that balances digital tools, fabrication methods, and material exploration.
The model was built using laser-cut plywood for the core, floors, and structure. The base was layered wood, shaped to fit the design. Façade panels were digitally fabricated, and the atrium structure was 3D printed. Each piece was carefully aligned during assembly to maintain stability and form.
Wieringa’s Wall
PERMANENT INSTALLATION I FIELDS INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES (222 College St. Toronto, ON)
27 x 1/2 x 9 ft.
The Wieringa Wall is a computationally designed acoustic installation at the Fields Institute in Toronto, created by artist and mathematical researcher Ross J. Cocks. Consisting of 9,595 tiles, the installation enhances sound dispersion while serving as a dynamic architectural feature.
As part of the fabrication team, the contributor assisted in the digital modeling, fabrication, and installation of this parametric wall. Designed using Grasshopper, the tile arrangement was mathematically optimized for acoustic performance. The wall is composed of nine fabricated panels, each milled from foam blocks, painted for protection, and assembled with over 3,000 hand-placed Formica tiles in a precise pattern.
Silicone was applied to every crevice to create a seamless finish. Fabrication involved laser cutting, 3D printing, and silicone assembly, requiring precision in both digital workflow and physical construction. This project highlights the intersection of computational design, material experimentation, and large scale architectural fabrication.
Rhino 7
Grasshopper
2D Penrose Tiling
eringa Wall Project on: Fields Institute rt, August 2023 comp and 5 other team me Wieringa Wall Proje
ation: Fields Institut start, August 2023 c g, and 5 other team
Thank You! Contact Me
Email: melodyzhang555@gmail.com
Mobile: +1 (647) 528 - 0036
Melody Zhang
Bachelor of Architecture
The University of Toronto, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design
