{"id":34035,"date":"2024-12-25T09:50:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-25T09:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muse.international\/?p=34035"},"modified":"2025-06-10T02:29:58","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T02:29:58","slug":"a-landscape-designers-vision-transforming-neglected-spaces-with-yijia-xu-zhimin-ma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muse.international\/index\/a-landscape-designers-vision-transforming-neglected-spaces-with-yijia-xu-zhimin-ma\/","title":{"rendered":"A Landscape Designer&#8217;s Vision: Transforming Neglected Spaces with Yijia Xu &amp; Zhimin Ma"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Yijia Xu and Zhimin Ma are innovative landscape designers blending architecture and landscape design expertise. Based in San Francisco, Yijia emphasizes curiosity and empathy in creating designs that amplify sensory experiences, while Zhimin transforms neglected spaces into poetic environments that balance functionality, aesthetics, and ecological stewardship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yijia Xu: I\u2019m currently a landscape designer with Field Operations. I was trained as an architect before turning to landscape architecture for my master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhimin Ma: I&#8217;m a landscape designer based in San Francisco, focusing primarily on public landscape projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yijia Xu: Design could mean a lot. But personally, design amplifies the sensational experience of the world. I somehow believe good design is not always about inventing new things. It\u2019s the delicacy, curiosity and empathy when you observe the world that could turn the otherwise invisible things into tangible ones. In this way, design is both personal and public to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhimin Ma: Design brings our everyday experiences into poetic storytelling, bridging between functionality and aesthetics. In landscape design, it\u2019s the practice of transforming neglected spaces into environments that serve not only people but the ecosystem as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yijia Xu: I appreciate designs that capture the essence of a site. The magic lies in transforming overlooked or neglected spaces into extraordinary experiences. It\u2019s about recognizing every aspect of the site without bias and using thoughtful design to shift public perceptions. Some of my favorite examples include the High Line, Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, and Le\u00e7a Swimming Pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zhimin: I admire designs that engage all senses. Thoughtful placemaking, the right combination of materials and plants, and high-standard construction create immersive experiences where you can see, hear, smell, and feel nature&#8217;s essence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Both of us pay a lot of attention to the texture of the site. It is not only about the richness of the materials but also the unique characteristics of the site, either light or heavy, transient or permanent, dynamic or static.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On our first visit to the site, we were struck by the dynamic, ever-changing nature of the steel plant. This inspired us to begin by carefully analyzing the evolving processes within the plant. With production shifting rapidly, our design looked ahead, exploring how future transformations in the steel industry might shape the space. We questioned whether the public could become part of this change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Guided by these ideas, we adopted a phasing strategy, introduced pilot projects, and emphasized materiality. Central to our approach was &#8220;creative crafting&#8221;\u2014blending the cognitive and physical aspects of steelmaking to inspire both industry and community interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q3<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This award is a significant milestone for our team, validating our effort to reimagine industrial spaces as living, evolving environments. It highlights the value of blending sustainability, creativity, and the ongoing industrial transformation. The recognition inspires us to further pursue transformative projects, encouraging us to push boundaries and explore new ways of connecting industry sites with the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nyarchitectureawards.com\/winner-info.php?id=270\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external\">here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/muse.international\/interview-with-xinyue-geng-from-the-united-states\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/innovationwind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link external\"><i class=\"icon-instagram\" style=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wind-innovation.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external\"><i class=\"icon-globe-line\" style=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yijia Xu and Zhimin Ma are innovative landscape designers blending architecture and landscape design expertise. Based in San Francisco, Yijia emphasizes curiosity and empathy in creating<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":34036,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[372],"tags":[530,492],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Interview with Yijia Xu &amp; Zhimin Ma | NY Architectural Design Awards Winner<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Yijia Xu and Zhimin Ma are innovative landscape designers blending architecture and landscape design expertise. 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