Zihan Li


About Me
我是一个对空间设计非常感兴趣的女生,从景观设计到建筑设计再到游戏设计,我一直在关注空间与人的关系以及人在空间中的感受。对我来说,景观、建筑、或是游戏都是一个帮助人们更好的体验空间的介质。在本科以及研究生中的学习中,我逐渐掌握了塑造实体空间的方法,从而在现实世界中为人们创造美好的居住空间。随着世界虚拟化速度的加快,游戏、元宇宙、数字化等词汇愈发频繁地出现在人们的生活中,虚拟空间的设计也逐渐成为一门学问。作为一个游戏玩家和建筑学生,我自然而然地关注到了虚拟世界中的空间营造,并予以实践。从利用游戏引擎进行项目设计表现,到用游戏引擎设计Demo指导传统建筑设计,我已尝试实践了多种游戏技术在建筑学中的运用。在日常游戏经验中,我时常能关注到建筑学理论对游戏世界营造的指导意义,例如塞尔达地图设计理论与大尺度景观的相关,以及GTA对于城市的虚拟重现。而后我又有幸作为世界设计师在一个开放世界项目中工作了半年,负责游戏中的城市设计。这段工作经历让我从游戏工业角度体会到了游戏与建筑结合的可能性,并且对游戏世界设计和关卡设计产生了更深刻的了解和更浓烈的兴趣。因而我逐渐认识到了自己的兴趣所在:一个虚拟世界的广义建筑师。我也正朝着这个方向努力着。
I am a girl who is very interested in space design, from landscape design to architectural design to game design, I have been focusing on the relationship between space and people and how to improving people’s feelings in space. To me, landscape, architecture, or game is a medium to help people experience space better. Throughout my undergraduate and graduate studies, I have mastered methods of shaping physical space to create beautiful living spaces in the real world. As the world becomes more virtualized and words like gaming, Metaverse, and digitalization appear more frequently in people's lives, the design of virtual spaces is becoming a discipline. As a gamer and architecture student, I naturally pay attention to the creation of space in virtual worlds and practice it. From utilizing game engines for project design performance to designing demos with game engines to guide traditional architectural design, I have tried to practice a variety of game technologies in architecture. And in my daily gaming experience, I have often been able to focus on the significance of architectural theories in guiding the creation of game worlds, such as the relevance of Zelda's map design theories to large-scale landscapes, and GTA's virtual recreation of cities. I was then fortunate enough to work as a world designer for six months on an open-world project, responsible for in-game city design. This work experience allowed me to experience the possibilities of combining games and architecture from the perspective of the game industry, and to develop a deeper understanding and stronger interest in game world design and level design. As a result, I have come to realize where my interest lies: to become an architect of virtual worlds. I am working hard in this direction.
Resume
University of Pennsylvania
Master of Architecture - GPA: 3.68/4.0, Time-based Interactive Media Certificate
Relevant Coursework: Design Studio, Visual Study, Environment Animation
Beijing Forestry University
Bachelor of Engineering in Landscape Architecture - GPA: 3.75/4.0
EDUCATION
Philadelphia, USA
Expected 05.2024
Beijing, China
07.2021
PROFFESIONAL EXPERIENCE
Funplus, World Design Intern
Open World Pet Game Project
• Designed a 1km*1km multiplayer social city for an open-world pet game project. Based on the urban planning of Hangzhou, designed the city layout in 2D, integrating gaming functionality requirements. Utilized CityEngine for procedural road and building modeling. Employed AIGC tools to generate city billboard and signboard assets. Set up the scene, adjusted textures, lighting, VFX in UE4. Tested and adjusted the city scale from the player perspective.
• Contributed to the design of Points of Interest (POI) gameplay in the open world. Devised five reusable POI gameplay concepts integrating existing pets and world-building settings. Two of them were adopted after voting. Designed and finished street prototype block-out in UE and produce art requirements documents.
Mini Game: Floating Otter
Team project, responsible for game design, 3D art and level art
• Complete the storyline to a nature conservation-themed otter adventure. Defined gameplay as a linear gaming experience with narrative, supported by environmental interaction and survival simulation. Planned the storyline flow and aesthetic references for three levels. Designed level 2 incorporating throwing and diving gameplay mechanics.
• Designed NPC characters of Salmon and Beaver with sketches. Finished modeling, texture painting, rigging, animating of the Salmon with Blender. Finished the level art work of level 1&2 by referencing the natural landscapes of the West Coast. Used Unity to shape the terrain, place the assets, adjust the lighting, and configure the rendering pipeline.
Hangzhou, China
05.2023– now
Online
10.2022– now
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Building Game Demo: Modular Economy
responsible for programming, game design, UED
• Researched digital construction and modular design, developed a stakeholder participation interface (SEI) based on the UE4 to guide users to design independently. Based on the site of Summit Plaza in New Jersey, completed the scene modeling using Rhino and set up the scene in UE4.
• Independently developed a third-person sandbox game demo using UE4 blueprint, implementing functions of camera perspective operation, object placement, designing UI buttons, writing color-changing shaders, outline shaders. Cooperated to complete the second version of the demo, adding features such as object rotation, module database, UI menu.
Philadelphia, USA
10.2021 - 12.2021
OTHER EXPERIENCE
Environmental Animation: Combine Unity with hand-drawing to create a flying squirrel short film
ZGF Architects LLP, Architecture design Intern
Participated in the construction design of PDX Next Terminal Core Redevelopment project.
Penn Schenck-Woodman Scholarship Competition, First Prize Scholarship; Team Leader
Beijing Ruike Education Technology Center, Architecture Technical Teach Assistant
Conduct research and teaching work of parametric design and construction
JDC 2020 International Architecture Student Design Competition, The Finalists Award
Founder of an online store of product design with turnover reaching 50,000RMB
SKILLS
01.2023-03.2023
Portland, USA
06.2022-08.2022
01.2022
Beijing, China
04.2021 - 07.2021
10.2020-12.2020
2018-2020
Modeling/Rendering: Rhino, Blender, Maya, Grasshopper, ZBrush, Revit, C4D, Substance Painter, V-Ray, Twinmotion
Game Engine: Unity, Unreal Engine 4/5,
Other: Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, C++, Python, Sketches, 3D printing, English(TOEFL108), Dancing