Leechen Zhu
Designer + Project Manager
Leechen Zhu
Designer + Project Manager
As a Designer and Project Manager at Studio Luz, Leechen aims to bring a simultaneously community-engaged and data-driven approach to our projects. Leechen has an affinity for work that serves youth, the climate-impacted, the economically-vulnerable, and the many other communities whose voices are less often heard. Prior to joining Studio Luz, Leechen was an intern and designer at MASS Design Group working on afterschool centers in Pittsburgh, PA and Poughkeepsie, NY. When working on our urban design and civic oriented projects, Leechen will take on a data- driven-first approach connecting human networks, data and landscapes to create impactful connections in our built environment.
Leechen holds both a Master’s and Bachelor’s in architecture from the University of Pennsylvania. Beyond architecture, Leechen’s background includes a second undergraduate major in materials science. Leechen’s accolades include being a recipient of an ASLA award for a collaborative project involving landscape designers. Leechen has engaged in research in environmental justice and housing policies, as well as outreach work with public housing residents as part of Poughkeepsie’s Choice Neighborhood Initiative planning grant. Outside of work, Leechen enjoys reading, hiking, playing crosswords, working on jigsaw puzzles, and accumulating art postcards to add to her mini-gallery at home.