Jesse Zhang

Jesse Zhang, also named as Xiqiao Zhang (中文名：张西峤; born August 10, 2004) is a young architect, a student at Carnegie Mellon University, and a dedicated green boating activist. Zhang was born and raised in Suzhou, China, and moved with his family to Oxford, UK in 2015 when he was eleven years old. Zhang moved to Toronto, Ontario to pursue his academic pathway in architecture and studied at Lakefield College School when he was fourteen years old, graduating in 2022 earning his Ontario Secondary School Diploma. In August 2022, Zhang moved to Pittsburgh, PA to study at Carnegie Mellon University, School of Architecture.

Early Life

Zhang has been fascinated by painting and Legos since his childhood. Learning drawing and painting at the age of 5, Zhang has become increasingly interested in architecture. As an avid Lego builder, he continues to challenge himself to create and build models to replicate local buildings. In recent years, Xiqiao has learned AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Rhino to further explore the software needed to delve into the creative world of architectural design.

Career and Goals

Over the summers of 2020 and 2021, Xiqiao interned for the Suzhou 9-Town Design Studio for Urban Architecture, shadowing a team on two projects. In the pre-design stage for both projects, Xiqiao helped with information-gathering and organizing, observing, and documenting the existing conditions at the project sites. In the schematic design stage, Xiqiao finished the design of a pond and a spiral staircase for a project at the Feng Menglong Academy in Suzhou. He also contributed to the design concept of an elevated corridor above the roof in another project, Old "Menxi" in Nanjing. After his internship, Xiqiao published a paper on the design of "Feng Menglong Academy" from the perspective of "Rural Construction and Nostalgia" as the first author in an academic journal.

In his spare time, Xiqiao actively participates in watersports and takes the initiative to promote the concept of green boating by reducing toxic chemicals for painting boats – combining his favorite sports with his commitment to environmental protection. Xiqiao is also the guitarist and singer in the school rock choir.  

Most recently, he has been devoting his spare time to documenting his hometown Suzhou, a city of over 2,500 years through photographing, drone shooting, and video editing. He wants to pursue a major in architectural design at university, with a focus on green architecture and restoration. Xiqiao believes that in order to build for the future, architects should find innovative solutions in response to the connections between buildings and the environment, buildings and human beings, as well as between the past and the present.

Researches and Articles

"Aging Population Versus Technology in a Post-COVID World" Award-winning research on NATIONAL YOUTH OBSERVATION CONTEST

"Suzhou Feng Menglong Academy: Nostalgia and Reconstruction" First author of an essay on the architectural design concept of Xiangcheng Feng Menglong Academy in Suzhou, Published on the Journal of Jiangsu Investigation & Design (Aug 2021)

References

This article "Jesse Zhang" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Jesse Zhang. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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