PORTFOLIO
QIANHUI Sherry ZHU | Selected Works
Qianhui Zhu
Preferred Name: Sherry
EDUCATION
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
AWARDS & EXHIBITIONS
SKILLS
Honours Bachelor of Arts
John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto, ON, Canada
Specialist in Architectural Studies: Design of Architecture, Landscape, and Urbanism Stream
Minor in Visual Studies
Summer Study Abroad Athens, Greece
Certificate in Sustainability of Built Environment University of Toronto
Landscape Intern
Planning Department at EKISTICS, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Student Mentor
Daniels Mentorship Program, University of Toronto
Volunteering Barista Cafe059, University of Toronto
Orientation Leader
Daniels Orientation, University of Toronto
Daniels End of Year Show 2023/2024
Undergraduate Thesis Site Model, University of Toronto
International Building Design Competition (IBDC) 2022Consolation Prize Singapore
3D Modeling: Rhino, AutoCAD, Grasshopper, ArcGIS, ARCHICAD
Graphics: Adobe Creative Suite, Twinmotion, D5 Technical: 3D Printing, CNC, Model Making, Hand-Drafting Languages: English, Mandarin
Phone: Email: Address:
+1 (514) 586-8068
qianhui411@gmail.com
1606 Blue Jay Pl, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V3E 3E3
Tilling of Paris
Landscape Design Project
Housing Project UniNest
The Homage Path Fence Reimagined
UniNest
Transforming Student Living
Academic - Independent Course: ARC362 - Architecture Studio IV Jan. 2023-Apr. 2023, Semester Long Project
Instructor: Mauricio Quirós Pacheco
Site: Trinity Field, Toronto, ON, Canada
This project focuses on the design of a student residence for the University of Toronto, situated in downtown with proximity to public landscapes. It explores how spatial design and materials work together in an urban setting. The dormitory include essential spaces like bedrooms, common areas, study zones, entertainment facilities, and outdoor landscaping. The goal is to enhance a sense of community without compromising individual identity of students, with public realms encircled by private sectors.
Precedent Study: Tietgen Dormitory - Program Analysis
Precedent Study: Tietgen Dormitory - Form and Circulation
Progression Diagram
The project studies and adapts the concept of community and individual living from the Tietgen Dormitory. The design features a central circular courtyard with three wings extending from it, balancing collective needs with individual preferences. Its glass facade is wrapped in a structural system to maintain shading while preserving transparency throughout the hall.
Rooftop
Unit Type 1
1:500 Physical Model
Tilling of Paris
Reimagining Large-Scale Landscape Park
Academic - Independent
Course: ARC363Y1 - Landscape Architecture Studio III
Sep. 2022-Dec. 2022, Semester Long Project
Instructor: Behnaz Assadi
Site: Parc de Saint-Cloud, Paris, France
This project traces Saint-Cloud Park’s evolution from a historically damaged site to a resilient community farm, evolving from past to present and future. The design addresses the issues of soil contamination and flooding with strategic tillage strategies and phytoremediation, incorporating diverse plant and animal species to restore and enhance the surrounding environment. By planting fruit and companion crops, along with introduction of animals for soil enrichment, the park transforms into a vibrant, self-sustaining ecosystem, embodying landscape methodologies inspired by Julia Czerniak’s principles of adapting to growth and disruption in large park design.
Timeline: 1577 - Present
The history of Saint-Cloud begins in 1577 as a hunting ground, later becoming private property of the royal Gondi family. Significant resources were invested to expand features like the Château de Saint-Cloud, the Grand Jet Basin, and the Grand Cascade, making it lavish by contemporary standards.
By the 18th century, Saint-Cloud’s lavishness had become a symbol of public resentment, leading to extensive destruction during events like the FrancoPrussian War in 1870. Many trees lay fallen or burnt, the soil was disrupted, and scattered branches from explosions marred the landscape, erasing its former grandeur.
1:5000 Site Plan: Parc de Saint-Cloud Present
Section: Château de Saint-Cloud 1870
Despite its rich history, the rapid urbanization in Paris around Saint-Cloud Park is reducing soil organic carbon (SOC) and causing soil contamination, threatening water quality, biodiversity, and ecosystem health of the land.
Most soil contaminated area
Vehicle accessible pathways
Surrounding by dense urban context
Soil Biodiversity in Saint-Cloud Park
Predator
Sequestration
The process that stores CO2 in soil through plants, ultimately enhancing soil organic carbon levels and reducing pollution in Saint-Cloud Park.
It uses plants to clean polluted environments, addressing metals, pesticides, explosives, and oil.
It enhances carbon sequestration, reduces greenhouse gases, and acts as a natural fertilizer by enriching soil organic carbon in orchards.
Farming Strategy
A designated area is divided into sectors, transforming Saint-Cloud into farms and ranches. Apples, peaches, blueberries, and grapevines are planted using companion planting to address soil contaminants. Near the urban edge, a 1,450-square-meter impermeable space is proposed as a farmers’ market, supporting the farm’s economy through produce and dairy .
Proposed Plan: Cropfield and Animal Farm
Diagram: Proposed Self-sufficient Ecosystem
Section: Sheep Den in February Lambing Time
Recollecting Coastal Villages
Portraying Idiosyncrasy Through Pavement
Academic - Independent Course: ARC462Y1 - Senior Seminar in Design (Thesis) Sep. 2023-Apr. 2024, Bi-Semester Long Project
Instructor: Laura Miller
Site: Jìngzi Wharf, Weihai, SD, China
Paralleling the rise of urban density in cities such as Weihai (Shandong), the migration of villagers to urban areas resulted in the dilapidation of rural coastal villages. In Chinese culture, individuals often trace their roots not to where they live within their respective city, but to their ancestral villages – commonly referred to as “Old Home.”
This thesis aims to recover aspects of the culture and identity of rural villages, instilling traditional material patterns, crafts, and culinary traditions in the design of a new cultural destination for urban tourists and locals, erected at the site of an abandoned wharf in Weihai.
Analysis of Urban / Rural Division of Weihai
Weihai shows a clear urban-rural divide, with migration from villages to urban areas causing village decline. A focused study of coastal villages identifies cultural elements that are unique to these regions. These cultural idiosyncrasies, rooted in local traditions, influence future design and aim to highlight the importance of cultural preservation.
Ancestral Worship
Bass Drum Boat Ritual Fishermen’s Chant
Mapping
Idiosyncrasies Study of Coastal Villages
Fishermen’s Lantern Mackerel Dumplings
Piled Stone Wall Shrimp Paste Straw Braiding Seaweed House
Steamed Bun Decoration
Papercutting
Site Plan: Jìngzi Wharf
The abandoned wharf is a prominent site with a balanced ratio of existing structures and open spaces, located detached from the main urban environment but not too distant. It acts as a canvas for designed elements to unfold, creating a nostalgic vessel to reactivate the site.
The Wharf is a prominent site with a balanced ratio of existing structures and open spaces.
By minimizing alterations, the original buildings can be divided into three sectors, with additive interventions outlining sectors and enclosing voids.
The goal is to create pockets of space for possible programs such as hospitality, workshops, stores, and a fishermen’s market, creating a second life for the wharf.
Typical Household
Roof
Wall
Window & Door
Eaves Carving (戗檐)
Carved Wood Bracket (雀替)
Wall Carving (拴马石)
Retraced:
Extracted:
Orchestrated:
Through dissecting and analyzing a typical household commonly found in coastal villages, a catalog of patterns is formed with unique aesthetic qualities. Some patterns are direct retracing, while others are composite and redesigned, offering dynamic aesthetics to the site.
Material Plan: Jìngzi Wharf
These material patterns serve a dual function: they evoke memories and encapsulate the essence of coastal existence. Each material symbolizes the essential value of grassroots upbringing in these villages. The pursuit of authenticity avoids direct approaches to recovering from deterioration and unfavorable environments, instead opting for soft approaches that subtly evoke nostalgia and connection.
Derived from the elements and identity of coastal villages, these materials and patterns infuse the wharf with significance beyond mere massing intervention, transforming it into a vessel of memories.
Illinois Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (IRLBPH)
Stanley Tigerman’s design stands as a poignant case study, emphasizing the architect’s generous attention to perceptual comfort for individuals with disabilities. The drawing intends to explore the sense of perceptual smoothing and tactility, underscoring the importance of mourning demolished and forgotten architecture.
The Homage Path
Exploring the Contemporary Urban Context in Athens
Academic - Hybride Collaborative with Zelin (William) Li, UofT 24’
Course: ARC300Y0 - Summer Studio Abroad
May-Jun. 2023, Design Charatte
Instructor: Petros Babasikas
Site: National Museum of Contemporary Art (ΕΜΣΤ), Athens, Greece
This project explores Athens as a living laboratory of urban change. The studio includes a travel log that independently document the arrangement, purpose, and utilization of landscapes in the city, followed by a collaborative design charrette reimagining the northern space at EMST (National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens).
Working collaboratively with other students on the trip, we imagined a space of urban threshold to replace the bulky bus stop on-site. This design introduces a chamfered transition from the park to sub-grade level, connecting nearby public spaces like subway and bus stations, EMST entrances, and market areas. Our goal was to create a harmonious, flowing space that pays tribute to the buried river of Athens adjacent to the site, composing historical significance with urban connectivity.
Archaeological Sites
Travel Log - Independent
By investigating the spatial design, cultural significance, and practical application of planting, this travel log aims to documenting the unique adaption and relationship between nature, urban infrastructure, and humanity through photographs and hand sketches.
Squares and Plazas
EMST NE Axonometric (Completed by Qianhui Zhu with assistance of Zelin Li): Elongated Designed Space with Connection to EMST and Adjacent Landscape
The travel log on the previous page was completed independently and contributes to the inspiration for the design on the current page, which is a collaborative effort.
Market Storefront Perspective (Completed by Zelin Li with assistance of Qianhui Zhu)
EMST Underground Entrance Perspective (Completed by Zelin Li with assistance of Qianhui Zhu)
