About Jiayu:
Jiayu joined Utile as an architectural designer in 2024. She holds a Bachelor in Art and Science Technologies from Nanjing University of Arts and a Master in Interior Architecture from the Rhode Island School of Design. Prior to her journey in the United States, Jiayu worked as an exhibition designer. This experience made her realize the importance of the adaptive reuse of existing buildings, instead of demolishing them.
Her Graduate thesis reimaged an abandoned building along Boston’s coastline into
a tranquil memorial cemetery. This project not only addressed environmental concerns like sea level rise but also integrated natural elements into its design. The project explored the corollary between the preservation of memory of individuals, and the preservation of buildings through a discourse on abandonment, loss, and forgetting.
Before joining Utile, Jiayu spent three years at Embarc, where she played a pivotal role in over 20 projects, including s Volpe R3, a mixed-use tower in Kendall Square owned by MITIMCo. Jiayu’s expertise spanned indoor and outdoor amenity design, floor schematic development, and unit layout planning.
Outside work, Jiayu loves traveling and taking photos. Outdoor sports are her way to connect with nature, and roaming at home is her way to explore herself. She has two adorable orange cats, who are her important family.