Hi, I'm Lydia Li — an architectural and urban designer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm a passionate builder of ideas, a technology-curious thinker, and an enthusiastic facilitator who thrives at the intersection of buildings, people, and place.
My work centers on understanding the complexity of urban systems — how infrastructure, policy, behavior, and spatial form shape each other — and uncovering what people truly need and desire from the spaces they inhabit. I'm driven by the challenge of bridging the gap between architecture and its urban environment, using data, mapping, and iterative design to translate big-picture patterns into human-centered solutions.
education
Cornell University
Master of Science, Advanced Urban Design
2023 - 2024
Huazhong University of Science and Technology
Bachelor of Architecture
2018 - 2023
experience
Urban Designer
Metropolitan Urban Design (MUD) Workshop
September 2024 - October2025
- Managed multi-scalar planning projects including a county-wide Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan, Form-Based Zoning Code Update, New York State's Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) and Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) programs, and public realm installation and activations.
- Coordinated with municipal agencies, consultants, BIDs, and community organizations, supporting client communication, agency review, and permitting strategies.
- Led and supported public outreach, facilitating focus groups, advisory committee meetings, public workshops, and digital surveys to shape community-driven outcomes.
- Conducted zoning, land use, and feasibility analyses, integrating regulatory frameworks and design standards.
- Led and supported spatial analysis and visualization as a GIS specialist across urban, rural, and regional scale planning projects, informing decision-making and strategic planning.
Digital Future Designer, Generative Symbolism Workshop
Tongji University
June 2024 - July 2024
- Conducted urban-scale model generation and typology comparison study on residential units.
- Developed rules for symbolic AI (RABBIT, WASP) to generate design scenarios, and applied the result to generative AI (Monoceros, Stable Diffusion) for result visualization.
Assistant Writer
College of Arch, Art & Planning NYC Program, Cornell University
Jan 2024 - May 2024
- Produced bi-weekly blog and conducted interviews for the AAP NYC Center, highlighting academic initiatives, faculty research, and community-based cultural engagements.
Architecture Shadow
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Jan 2024
- Observed multidisciplinary workflows and collaboration, participating in client meetings and site visits to understand whole project process.
software skills
Rhinoceros
Vray
ArcGIS Pro
Grasshopper
Adobe (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
AutoCAD
Twinmotion
SketchUp
Python
Adobe (Premiere, After Effects)
language
English
Chinese (Mandarin)
soft skills
Project Management
Facilitation
Critical Thinking
Collaboration
Innovation
Resilience