Jiayu Wu

EDUCATION
Master of Landscape Architecture, Harvard Graduate School of Design, 2025
Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture, East China University of Science and Technology, 2022

Jiayu Wu is a landscape designer, researcher and visual storyteller focused on natural infrastructure and resilient coastal landscapes.

Wu is particularly interested in the temporal and material qualities of urban landscapes. Her design approach positions landscape as a medium between ecology, infrastructure and city-making, combining systems thinking with material expression. Her work spans natural infrastructure, regenerative landscapes, speculative urbanism and the transformation of public space. Through mapping, geographic sections, oblique drawings and temporal diagrams, she seeks to reveal the layered histories and evolving ecologies of place. She also explores illustration, interactive storytelling and curatorial strategies to make complex landscape processes engaging and accessible to diverse audiences.

Wu previously collaborated with COG Design, a Boston-based nonprofit supporting community-led green spaces, where she worked on native planting, restorative gardens and shared woodland landscapes. She also worked with firms in urban renovations, coastal landscape design and regional planning.

Beyond her professional practice, Wu finds joy in drawing, dancing and cooking. These practices offer different ways of experiencing the textures of the world—observing seasonal colors, moving through space or layering flavors on a plate—which allows her to emphasize the sensory qualities of landscape.

RESEARCH INTERESTS
Natural infrastructure
Climate resilience
Plant material
Landscape representation