fangli zhang

Fangli Zhang is a designer endeavored to integrate architecture and urban design with the discipline of landscape architecture. She believes that when any issue related with people is brought up, instead of investigating the particular site, a larger context, visible and invisible, should be always taken into consideration, during which interdisciplinary approaches should be employed.

Fangli Zhang is pursing her master degree in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design certificate at the University of Virginia. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Fudan University. 

IDENTIFYING

Instead of identifying myself as a landscape architect or designer, I would describe myself as a creative thinker. By running through the nonlinear process of capturing the world, interpreting the built environment, designing interventions and composing input from multi-disciplines, I continuously re-identify myself.

CAPTURING

As a photographer, I capture the world through my camera lens. Photographs are not static pictures. They have their own stories and emotions. They are completely subjective. While being a photographer does not stop me from capturing the world through my other senses. All these inputs allow me to perceive the world critically.

INTERPRETING

I interpret my understanding of the world through multiple agencies ranging from sketches, diagrams, to modeling and animations, which is an essential and crucial part of my design process. This nonlinear, experimental approach allows me to communicate my insight internally and externally before getting to digital and technical representations.

DESIGNING

Each designer has his/her own way of designing. With a background in Environmental Science, Architecture, and Urban design, I integrate diverse methodologies of thinking from microscale to macroscale to accomplish a comprehensive design.

COMPOSING

As a songwriter, composer and director, I am pushing my design boundaries to be more inclusive. The creative process of music and filmmaking is another way of interpreting and designing, but it is an indispensable step in my creative process as it opens the loop to invite interdisciplinary approaches.