XIANWEN ZHENG

received architecture education from both Aalto University in Finland and the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO) in Norway. His academic interests started from the experience he participated in a research program about ‘Egypt heritage protection’ led by Prof. Mari Lending and Prof. Tim Anstey. After that, he started a two-years research program which focus on the dynamic relationships between the religious ritual and the corresponding space. In the spring of 2020, this program was ended by his Master thesis: Farming & Meditation- a Zen Buddhist monastery proposal driven by the religious ritual. Now, he pays special attention to the contemporary spiritual crisis caused by the unilateral urbanization strategy, and how should modern people realise a new type of poetic dwelling in the digital era. 




Degrees
    1.9.2014 - 25.5.2020 (Master of Science-Architecture)
    The Department of Architecture
    School of Art, Design and Architecture
    Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland

    1.9.2016 - 31.5.2017 (Erasmus programme)
    The Institute of Architecture
    The Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway

    1.9.2006 - 24.6.2010 (Bachelor of Arts-Environmental Art Design)
    The Department of Environmental Art Design
    School of Art Design
    Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China

Current employment
    Freelancer

Previous work experience
    05.10.2020 - Now,  Architect & co-founder
    Freelab, Shanghai, China

    20.9.2018 - 25.5.2020,  Architect & co-founder
    Lefun Intelligence Home, Changsha, China

    14.8.2017 - 30.6.2018,  Architect & Coordinator  
     Niels Torp+ Arkitekter, Oslo, Norway

    1.9.2010 - 30.6.2012,  Architect & Project manager
     Guangdong architectural design & research institute, Guangzhou, China

Skills
    AchiCAD, Revit, Rhino, AutoCAD, SU, Vray, Adobe, Office.

Career breaks
    1.9.2012 - 15.8.2014, (Live in seclusion on the Yuelu Mountain)
    Studied ancient Taoism philosophy & Taoism inner alchemy

    7.9.2018 - 20.4.2019, (Fieldwork about Zen Buddhist monastery)
    Visited hermits
    Investigated the ancient Buddhist Monasteries in the mountainous area of Central China
    Learned Zen meditation in the Zhenru Monastery on the Yunju Mountain

Research output
    Master thesis: Farming and meditation - A Zen Buddhist monastery proposal driven by the religious ritual  (Grade 5/5)
    Link: https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/43483

Selected Exhibitions

Dec. 2022 // BRAIN CAKE, International Contemporary Art exhibition, Casa Milà, Barcelona, Spain
Jun. 2022 // VISCERAL, International Contemporary Art exhibition, M.A.D.S art gallery, Milan, Italy
Jun. 2022 // Art Nordic 2022, Lokomotivværkstedet, Copenhagen, Denmark
May. 2020 // Farming & Meditation, Väre, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland
Nov. 2018 // Floating Life, International Prefabricated Building & Construction Technology EXPO 2018, Changsha, China  
May. 2017 // Images of Egypt, AHO Gallery, Oslo, Norway  
Sep. 2016 // Edited-unreadable books, Habitare Fair, Helsinki, Finland









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