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Huilai Shi is the founding principal of Futurepolis, a global design practice based in Suzhou, China, and Philadelphia, United States. Leading the firm since 2010, Huilai has adeptly overseen a diverse team of architects, planners, and landscape designers, managing the execution of numerous large-scale developments across multiple countries. Additionally, she has personally designed over 60 projects in landscape design, ecological planning, and water management.
Graduating summa cum laude with a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004, Huilai brings 20 years of professional experience characterized by a unique integration of design, ecology, and urbanism. Prior to establishing Futurepolis, she served as a landscape architect and project manager at Olin Studio in Philadelphia and LandDesign in Charlotte.
Huilai’s recent projects include the new campus of Duke University in Kunshan and the Peacock Bay Shoreline Ecological Planning and Conservation, both showcasing her dedication to sustainable practices and ecological stewardship. Over twelve years, she spearheaded the landscape planning and design for all three phases of Duke Kunshan University and crafted the adjacent Duke Garden. These endeavors have garnered numerous accolades, including recognition as the first LEED certified academic campus in China and the first SITES Platinum pre-certified landscape project globally.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Huilai has consistently contributed to academic mentorship. She served as a guest professor for landscape architecture studios at Soochow University and participated frequently in studio juries at the China Academy of Art and the South China University of Technology. Her commitment to education extended further with her commencement of teaching in the MLA program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2023.