Urban design graduate students receive national awards in China

Logan Creech, Klint Mullis and Elrica Metayer, graduates of the Master of Urban Design (MUD) program, recently won two national student design awards in China. Their project “Ribbons: Redevelopment of Xiangmen Historic Area in Suzhou,” received an honor certificate in the third International Landscape Planning and Design Competition, co-organized by the Journal of China Construction and the International Landscape Design Industry Association.

It was recognized as the “Work of Excellence” in the annual Student Design Works Exhibition co-organized by the Architectural Society of China and the National Board of Architectural Accreditation.

The project was developed as part of the 2013 MUD China Summer Studio, under the direction of UNC Charlotte Associate Professor Zhongjie Lin.

A distinctive feature of the UNC Charlotte urban design program is a five-week international summer design experience, required of all MUD students. In recent years, students have traveled to multiple cities in China to study high-density urbanism and “New Town” movements.

Beginning in 2015, students will travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to study rapid and informal urbanization, as well as the impact of preparations for global events such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics.