Overseas NO.136: Zhimin Ma

海外存知己，天涯若比邻。
在海外专辑分享海外华人的故事。希望这份分享可以让世界更加海阔天空。
第一百三十六期为您介绍的是毕业于清华大学，宾夕法尼亚大学、现工作于 Carducci & Associates 的马之敏

A bosom friend afar brings distant land near. The Oversea album shares the lives of Chinese living abroad with all.
The No.136 episode features Zhimin Ma who graduated from Tsinghua University, University of Pennsylvania and is now working for Carducci & Associates

在国外遇到了什么让你印象最深刻的事情？
What impressed you the most when you are abroad?

一个人旅行的时候与陌生人产生了一些有趣的交集。在古根海姆美术馆意外获得一张赠票，在芝加哥一家餐厅获得了服务生赠送的免费超大份提拉米苏。孤独的旅行因为这样来自陌生人的善意而多了太多美好的回忆。

I had several interesting encounters with strangers when traveling along. I once received a surprise free ticked at Guggenheim Museum. In Chicago, I got a free, extra-size Tiramisu from my dearest servant. These acts of kindness from unknown made my solo trips much more memorable.

最想念祖国的什么？
What do you miss the most about China?

食物和人，还有家特有的烟火气。

Food, people, and the uinique warmth at home.

你会回国么，为什么？
Will you come back? Why?

不确定，走一步看一步吧

Not sure yet.

出国后在不同的背景下再看中国是否看得更清晰，有哪些感触？
Is it more distinct to view China in a different environment after going abroad? Any thought?

不敢说清晰，有机会接收到不同来源的信息，能够帮助我从更多元的视角看问题。在另一些时候我反而觉得因为物理距离的存在，少了那份切身体验所带来的个体主观感受。

I can’t say distinct. I have access to diverse information sources, which helps me to understand issues from multiple perspectives. Yet, sometimes I feel a lack of individual, subjective feedbacks due to the limit of physical distance.

你的学校有哪些教育特点？
What are the educational characteristics of your school?

宾大的基础课程在理论与实践上兼顾平衡，设计课和选修课程的选择非常丰富，给予学生较大的自由度。设计课题涉及从公园尺度的小型项目到注重生态或城市叙事的概念性项目。尤其是在创意表达方面，老师们给予学生极大的包容度，这点让我印象深刻。

At UPenn, the foundational courses emphasize a balance of theory and practice, and there are abundant options for both design and elective courses, allowing for considerable freedom in choosing. Design courses range from smaller, park-scale projects to conceptual ones focusing on ecology or urban narratives. The creativity of these courses is greatly supported by the instructors’ openness, which left a strong impression on me.

你现在工作公司的特色和有趣的地方？
What are the characteristics and interesting points of your firm?

Carducci & Associates 的主要项目类型是学校景观，这是一个相对小众的景观设计领域。。在设计校园项目的时候经常需要思考景观设计能够为孩子带来什么，这把我带回了童年时代的感知，是很有趣的工作经历。

Carducci & Associates primarily focuses on school landscapes, which is a relatively niche topic of landscape design. In school projects, we often consider how the landscape can benefit children, which brings me back to the perceptions of my own childhood. It has been a truly fascinating professional experience.

最喜欢的艺术家（绘画音乐电影等广泛范围）是谁？给你创作带来了什么影响？
Who is your favorite artist (in wider range such as art, music, movie)? What is the influence?

在学习景观设计领域后越来越喜欢有机的形式和丰富的色彩。最近非常喜欢Georgia O’Keeffe和Ruth Asawa。

Since studying landscape design, I’ve grown to appreciate organic forms and rich colors. Recently, I’ve been particularly fond of Georgia O’Keeffe and Ruth Asawa.

觉得自己的作品集有哪些迷人的特质？
What fascinates viewers the most in your portfolio in your opinion?

我喜欢在我的作品里表现设计与人，与自然，与时间的关系。经常在设计过程中尝试想象时间本身对设计的作用，毕竟景观设计用到太多的植物，我们往往需要时间去等待植物成长为我们期待的大小。我还喜欢用效果图传递一些片段的故事，想象这些场景在我的设计中真实发生的样子。

I enjoy showcasing the relationship between design and people, nature, and time in my work. I try to imagine how time itself interacts with design—especially since landscape design uses so many plants that take time to grow into the envisioned size. I also like to convey stories through my renderings, imagining the scenes that would unfold in my designs.

什么时候开始看谷德网的？欢迎你提出建议哦，谢谢。
When did you start to follow gooood? Any suggestions?

本科时就开始关注谷德了，在谷德看了很多参考案例。在海外也是我很喜欢的板块，曾经各位学长学姐的故事给了我很多启发。祝越办越好。

I began following Gooood during my undergraduate studies, using it as a reference for many case studies. I enjoyed the overseas section, and the stories from previous alumni were inspiring. Wish you continued success.

W O R K
01.
新城镇中心与社区平衡
A New Central District and Balanced Community

Site: Toa Baja, PR, United States
Instructor: David Gourverneur
Collaborator: Linda Ge, Ruoxin Jia, Yihan Huang

2017年，飓风玛丽亚对波多黎各的大部分城市地区造成了巨大损失。Toa Baja的Candelaria社区属于圣胡安城市圈的一部分，遭受了严重的山体滑坡灾害。位于陡峭地形上的低收入家庭所拥有的自建房屋大部分在紧急修复后缺乏持续维护，抗灾能力极弱。Candelaria目前面临着一系列问题，包括单一的低效工业用地，以及社区服务与公共空间的短缺，这些都导致了社会不稳定性进一步加剧。

在大块的低效利用土地上，我们设想将这一城市空地作为创建新城镇中心的独特机会。项目为波多黎各加入美国后所沿用的郊区模式提供了一种替代方案，通过将分散的城市空间与自然环境衔接起来，重新安置受灾家庭，提升现有产业，并创造新的经济增长与社区服务的机会。

In 2017, Hurricane Maria brought enormous damage and losses to most urban areas of Puerto Rico. Houses in the Candelaria, neighborhoods of Toa Baja, and part of the San Juan Metropolitan Area, were heavily affected by landslides. The lowest income and self-constructed dwellings located on steep terrain became extremely vulnerable to future natural disasters since then, most of which lack maintenance after emergent repairs. Candelaria is currently facing inefficient industrial single land use, as well as a lack of community services and public spaces, which has finally exacerbated social instability.

When there are large tracks on underutilized land, we envision this urban void to serve as a unique opportunity to create a new town center. In the end, the project provides an alternative to suburban patterns adopted in PR after it became part of the USA, stitching disjointed urban patches with the natural environment, relocating local families at risk, upgrading existing industries, and creating new opportunities for economic growth and community amenities.

02.
在生产中的钢厂中塑造景观
Crafting the Landscape in an Active Steel Plant

Site: Tianjin, China
Instructor: Muhan Cui, Nicola Saladino, Chen Chen, Ellen Neises
Collaborator: Yijia Xu

该项目为一座大型钢厂重新构想了混合用途景观，创建了一个连接工业运营与公众互动的空间。在可持续发展意识日益增强与城市化快速推进的背景下，传统重工业面临衰退，但中国的钢铁生产仍然保持活力，以满足持续的需求。处于后工业时代的前沿，这一项目开创了工业景观的新愿景。

未来的技术升级可能会重新定义工厂在经济、空间和文化上的角色。该设计采取分阶段的方法，选定了适应性改造的区域，包括可持续的生物质田地、由现有建筑改造的公共中心以及带有教育功能的厂房改造广场。这些试点项目展示了一种“精细化”的设计方法，巧妙地融入钢铁厂的日常运营中。

This project reimagines a mixed-use landscape within one of China’s largest active steel plants, crafting a space that bridges industrial activity and public engagement. Against the backdrop of rising sustainability awareness and rapid urbanization, traditional heavy industries are declining—but China’s steel production remains robust to meet ongoing demand. Positioned at the edge of a post-industrial era, this project explores a new paradigm for industrial landscapes.

Future technological upgrades could redefine the factory’s economic, spatial, and cultural roles. This design takes a phased approach, identifying spaces for adaptive interventions, including sustainable biomass fields, a public center repurposed from old structures, and an educational warehouse-plaza. These pilot projects showcase a “surgical” approach, thoughtfully integrated into the active operations of the steel plant.

03.
自然时间轴
Nature Timeline

Site: Buffalo, NY, United States
Instructor: Barbara Wilks, Chieh Huang

该项目设想重新开发纽约州南布法罗的DL&W旧铁路线，将其改造成一条充满生机的绿色廊道，促进城市荒野的形成。现场现有的植被展示了后工业化环境中自然演替的过程，激发了这一设计理念：这个设计保护又促进了生态的演替过程，这条廊道将成为生态变化的动态时间轴。通过有限的外来物种清除和本土植物的再种植，项目旨在引导更健康的生态系统，而不打断自然的演替进程。廊道将附近河岸自然保护区肌理延伸至城市中，成为一个让社区居民探索、学习并参与自然动态演变的意义非凡的目的地。

This project proposes the redevelopment of the former DL&W rail corridor in South Buffalo, NY, transforming it into a unique green corridor that fosters urban wilderness. Inspired by the site’s existing vegetation—a testament to natural succession within a post-industrial urban landscape—this design preserves and enhances ecological processes. The corridor will become a living timeline of ecological change. By limiting invasive species removal and focusing on replanting native species, the project guides a healthier ecosystem without disrupting natural progression. As an extension of the nearby riverbank nature preserves into the city, it will also provide a meaningful destination for the community to explore, learn about, and engage with the dynamic evolution of nature.

04.
关爱网络：Lower Schuylkill社区健康环境改造
Network of Care: Healthcare Renovation to Support Lower Schuykill Communities

Site: Philadelphia, PA, United States
Instructor: Muhan Cui, Nicola Saladino, Chen Chen, Ellen Neises
Collaborator: Jing Cao, Elizabeth Rae Servito

近年来，费城生命科学领域的发展带动了西南费城的新一轮开发计划。然而，Lower Schuylkill社区依然面临低收入和高健康问题的严峻挑战。为满足这些需求，我们提出了“关爱网络”规划，将生命科学资源与培训融入社区的城市更新，以改善居民的健康与福祉。我们的医疗景观设计策略引入了各类规模的设施，创造了用于身心健康护理、体育运动、锻炼和教育的空间，提升了居民生活环境。这个新的城市网络旨在提供持续的居民健康资源，贯穿于该区域向生命科学中心转型及其后的未来。

Philadelphia’s recent growth in the life sciences sector has sparked new plans for development and revitalization in Southwest Philadelphia. However, the Lower Schuylkill communities continue to face challenges of low income and high rates of health issues. To address these needs, we propose the “Network of Care,” a program that integrates life sciences resources and training into the area’s urban renewal, aiming to improve health and well-being for residents. Our healthcare landscape design introduces facilities of various scales, creating spaces for physical and mental health care, sports, exercise, and education, ultimately enhancing the living environment. This new urban network is designed to provide continuous healthcare to local residents through the area’s transition into a life sciences hub and beyond.

在海外时间：2021至今
在海外地点：费城，旧金山
姓名：马之敏
籍贯：上海
学校：清华大学，宾夕法尼亚大学
工作单位：Carducci & Associates
联系方式：mazhimin14@gmail.com

When: 2021 to present
Where: Philadelphia, San Francisco
Name: Zhimin Ma
From: Shanghai
School: Tsinghua University, University of Pennsylvania
Office: Carducci & Associates
Contact: mazhimin14@gmail.com