Xiqiao (Jesse) Zhang is a passionate young designer and a dedicated green boating activist currently studying and boarding at Lakefield College School, Ontario, Canada. In high school, Xiqiao has been a keen learner, continuously challenging himself academically, while further developing his passion for visual art and design He regularly participates in watersports like rowing, canoeing, and sailing, and recently discovered his passion for advocating the concept of green boating. Xiqiao has a strong sense of community and social commitment cultivated through service and stewardship, serving as Grade Representative in Grade 10, and Student-in-Charge of Cooper House and Math Club in Grade 12.
​
Xiqiao has been fascinated about painting and Legos since his childhood. Learning drawing and painting at the age of 5, Xiqiao has become increasingly interested in architecture. As an avid Lego builder, he continues to challenge himself to create and build models to replicate local buildings. In recent years, Xiqiao has learned AutoCAD, SketchUp, and Rhino to further explore the software needed to delve into the creative world of architectural design.
​
Over the summers of 2020 and 2021, Xiqiao interned for the Suzhou 9-Town Design Studio for Urban Architecture, shadowing a team on two projects. In the pre-design stage for both projects, Xiqiao helped with information-gathering and organizing, observing, and documenting the existing conditions at the project sites. In the schematic design stage, Xiqiao finished the design of a pond and a spiral staircase for a project at the Feng Menglong Academy in Suzhou. He also contributed to the design concept of an elevated corridor above the roof in another project, Old “Menxi” in Nanjing. After his internship, Xiqiao published a paper on the design of “Feng Menglong Academy” from the perspective of “Rural Construction and Nostalgia” as the first author in an academic journal.
​
In his spare time, Xiqiao actively participates in watersports and takes the initiative to promote the concept of green boating by reducing toxic chemicals for painting boats -- combining his favorite sports with his commitment to environmental protection. Xiqiao is also the guitarist and singer in the school rock choir.
​
Most recently, he has been devoting his spare time to documenting his hometown Suzhou, a city of over 2,500 years through photographing, drone shooting, and video editing. He wants to pursue a major in architectural design at university, with a focus on green architecture and restoration. Xiqiao believes that in order to build for the future, architects should find innovative solutions in response to the connections between buildings and the environment, buildings and human beings, as well as between the past and the present.