SELECTED WORKS
Annan “Leean” Li
Master of Architecture, 2023-2025
ANNAN “LEEAN” LI
Education
2929 Walnut Street, APT 3824, Philadelphia, PA, 19104 267-252-6488 | anl320@sas.upenn.edu
Master of Architecture | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA
Bachelor of Arts | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA
• Major: Architecture (Intensive Design Concentration)
• Minor: Consumer Psychology, Design
• GPA 3.89, Dean’s List 2022, 2023
Work Experience
Research Assistant | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia
• Collaborated with local Chinese non-profits and planning groups to develop alternative plans for the proposed 76ers arena
• Utilized Midjourney, Adobe Suite, and Rhino to design and present innovative solutions that balanced community needs with cultural preservation
• Contributed technical expertise and creative insights, enhancing team efforts to advocate for Chinatown conservation and community-centric development
Intern Architect | Zhubo Architecture | Shenzhen, China
• Worked on conceptual design, produced drawings including site analysis, floor plan for a residential project competition in Yuzhugang, Guangzhou
• Used Sketchup, Adobe suites and Micro. Office, acquired skills in drawing construction documents using Autocad and presenting to Jury
Assistant Researcher | Shenzhen University, School of Architecture and Urban Planning | Shenzhen, China
• Conducted local research under supervision regarding local needs for city park proposal including interviewing residents, government officials
• Facilitated in building 3D model using Sketchup, chipboard and 3D printing, became familiarized with large-scale landscape models
Intern Architect | Bowan Architecture | Shenzhen, China
• Produced construction drawings using Autocad and prepared analysis drawings for residential building and presentation using Adobe Suite and Microsoft Office
Intern Tour Guide | The Palace Museum at the Forbidden City | Beijing, China
• Conducted detailed analyses for individual exhibits under supervision of supervisor
Award and Activities
Richard Wesley Fellowship | University of Philadelphia “Towers” Exhibition | Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Philadelphia
Founding Member | iREAD Foundation
Marketing Committee Member | TedxPenn
Technical Skills
AUG, 2023 – MAY, 2026
AUG, 2019 – MAY, 2023
JAN, 2024 – MAY, 2024
MAY, 2023 – AUG, 2023
JUN, 2021 – AUG, 2021
MAR, 2021 – JUN, 2021
JUL, 2020 – AUG, 2020
AUG, 2023 – PRESENT OCT, 2023 – NOV, 2023
MAR, 2008 – PRESENT
SEP, 2019 – MAY, 2020
Adobe CC Suite, Microsoft Office, Rhino, Sketchup, Revit, Autocad, Blender, V-ray, Enscape, Lumion, Midjourney, Sketching, Painting, Photography, Print-making
Reviving the Flatiron FLUID CURRENTS
Upenn 2024 Core Studio
The adaptive reuse of the Flatiron Building envisions dynamic public spaces that flow from the ground level to the rooftop, extending the vibrant culinary life of the adjacent streetside dining and surrounding restaurants. Inspired by the fluid formations of tuna fish, the design introduces graceful curvature and movement, echoing the arcs of the fish’s body and the interrelations within a school. These fluid lines transform the building’s interior and exterior, creating a seamless connection between spaces and drawing activity upward. This dynamic transformation combines the Flatiron’s historic elegance with a vision of fluidity and movement, breathing new life into the structure while enhancing the connection between its spatial experiences and the public realm.
Instructor: Hina Jamelle
Location: Flatiron Building, New York City
Individual Project, Fall 2024
The research delves into the dynamic motion of tuna fish, emphasizing the rhythmic interplay between the fin, head, and tail. This motion, characterized by a back-and-forth undulation, is meticulously analyzed, with the degree of change in each part measured and graphed. These quantified movements and curvatures directly inform the generation of forms that include architectural elements such as opening, frames, balconies, etc, as shown in the rendering samples. Additionally, the collective motion of a fish school
is represented. The circling behavior of the fish is ed into a series of fluid, revolving bands as shown unfolded black and white elevation diagram. These when interpreted in 3D, evolve into vortexing forms dynamically wrap around the Flatiron Building, capturing the essence of the school’s swirling energy. The spaces the black bands, rendered in grey, represent residential emphasizing the integration of motion-inspired aesthetics with functional design, as shown in the unfolded elevation.
Individual Motion Analyses
(Left)
(Top Middle)
Fish School
(Top Right)
(Bottom Right)
Fish Analyses
translatshown in the These bands, forms that capturing between residential units, aesthetics elevation.
Units Aggregation
Units aggregate around wrapping around
Through the lens of food, ines the Flatiron Building hub where the universal transcends cultural and ies, fostering a profound Beginning in the basement, try connects directly to are greeted by the enticing from bustling kitchens, atmosphere that immediately senses. The first floor opens mal dining area, a lively from all walks of life can meals in a casual, communal er up, shared community neighbors with opportunities er, exchange recipes, and
the Flatiron.
food, the project reimagBuilding as a dynamic universal language of cuisine and social boundarprofound sense of belonging. basement, where an enthe subway, visitors enticing aromas wafting creating an inviting immediately engages the opens up into an inforlively space where people can gather and share communal setting. Highcommunity kitchens provide opportunities to cook togethand build connections.
Diagram band, revolving and Flatiron.
Rendering (Left)
Unfolded
(Top Right) Ground (Bottom
Corner Cafe
Package Room
Rendering
Public Common:
Public Common:
THE EMBRACE
UN-SHYING THE ICA
Upenn 2023 Core Studio
The International Contemporary Art Museum of Philadelphia is dedicated to celebrating independent artists, yet its architectural presence remains understated within the Penn community. Inspired by the theme of minority representation, this project reimagines the building as an homage to the female body. Public areas encourage vibrant interaction and celebration, offering open, transparent zones for communal engagement and exhibitions. In contrast, more intimate, private spaces are carefully designed for reflective and personal art viewing, fostering deeper connections with the artwork. The design not only celebrates femininity but also amplifies the visibility of both the museum and the artists it champions, bringing vibrant energy and heightened exposure to their work.
Instructor: Laia Mogas-Soldevila
Location: ICA, Philadelphia, PA
Individual Project, Fall 2023
The building’s design emphasizes separation of spaces, reflecting ture of the female body—both intimate. The exterior of the building, its transparent, flowing surfaces, ically “unshys” the body. Drawing fluidity and openness of water, of light and translucency celebrates ty, projecting a sense of empowerment vibrancy to the surrounding community.
emphasizes a dynamic the dual nabody—both open and building, with surfaces, unapologetDrawing from the the interplay celebrates visibiliempowerment and community. As
shown in the plans, the addition also introduces vibrant public commons that enhance the museum’s publicness, including a theater for performances and screenings, a bookshop for art and cultural exploration, and a café as a social gathering space. These elements foster a sense of community, interaction, and cultural engagement, transforming the museum into a lively hub of activity and at the same time, un-shying it.
The fluid, curvilinear walls within the museum create private spac es for intimate art viewing. Their soft, undulating forms and warm, nuanced colors evoke a sense closeness and protection, inviting visitors into a deeply personal en gagement with the artwork. These private areas, resembling the com forting embrace of a mother’s womb, offer a sanctuary for reflection and introspection.
TOWERS
Towers Exhibitions
Upenn 2023 Core Studio
This form, rooted in an inward-looking approach, embodies humility and introspection through its architecture. The design draws on the theme of a lighthouse, reimagining it with a focus on complexity and layered meaning. Lights, fabric, and strings are utilized to conceptualize the tower as a composition of “frames,” “fabric,” and “joints.” Detachable frames envelop the tower, housing various fabrics, including athletic mesh, poly mesh, and poly chiffon. Inside, a network of strings forms intricate connections, engaging with the exterior through dynamic lighting effects that imbue the structure with a renewed material presence. The interplay of textures from these diverse elements redefines the lighthouse, presenting not just an outward glow but also a profound internal depth.
Instructor: Laia Mogas-Soldevila
Location: ICA, Philadelphia, PA
Team: Johnathan Bonezzi, Leean Li, Lisa Liu, Jiapeng Sun
Role in Team: Drawings, Rendering
ELEVATED VILLAGE
Towers Exhibitions
This project proposes a vibrant urban village in Germantown, integrating public and private spaces through a perforated plinth. Utilizing two sites at Germantown Avenue and Coulter Street, the design features mixed-use spaces, blending residential and commercial zones. Inspired by surrounding architectural language, the project reinterprets rowhouse forms with slanted roofs and varied materials, fostering a cohesive identity. Clustered residential units create village-like courtyards, while commercial areas activate street life. The perforated platform bridges realms, promoting community interaction. With diverse housing options and dynamic public spaces, the project aims to enrich Germantown’s social fabric and architectural legacy.
Instructor: Rashida Ng, Brian Szymanik
Location: St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Philadelphia, PA
Team: Sarah Borders, Natalie Kung, Leean Li
Role in Team: Plan and Section Drawings
The residential plans emphasize a village-like arrangement of clustered units, fostering community interaction through shared courtyards. Organized across a perforated plinth, the plans differentiate public and private realms while encouraging connectivity. includes diverse unit types—studio lofts, 1BR, 2BR, and 3BR apartments—tailored for various household sizes. Outdoor spaces, and courtyards, enhance natural light and resident well-being. The design prioritizes density, proximity, and vibrant communal Germantown’s urban fabric.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 1 Church Campus Site Church Campus Site
Germantown Ave. Site
green spaces and connectivity. Each cluster such as balconies communal living within
Level 2
Level 3
Germantown Ave. Site
Germantown Ave. Site
Building Section (Top Left)
Rendering of Typical Room Interior (Top Right)
Typical 2-Story Unit Plan (Bottom Left)
Massing Axonometric (Bottom Right)
OTHER WORKS
Museum Plan Study (Left)
Wall Sections Drawings (Top Right)
Facade Exploded Axonometric (Middle) Elevations (Bottom Left)
Wall Section Detail (Bottom Right)
OTHER WORKS
The project begins with rived from a conventional where a 3D-printed smaller inserted into the mold and soap. The form of the soap sihouette, where the thin to suggest a sense of inward-lookingness through its drastic turn. the materiality of the study interplay between the rigid, form and the translucent, The larger form features curves inspired by the pipe interplay between the exterior reflects the concept of introspection, the smaller component and visually “examined” underscoring the theme and inward focus.
Formal study of humility, and 3D-printed part.
with geometries deconventional pipe component, smaller component is and then casted with soap follows curved thin “neck” is able inward-lookingness At the same time, study creates a layered rigid, opaque printed translucent, softly hued soap. intricate folds and pipe geometry. This exterior and interior introspection, with embedded within by the larger form, theme of self-reflection
humility, using casted soap
THANK YOU
TO BE CONTINUED..
Annan “Leean” Li
Master of
Architecture, 2023-2025