Jiaxin Zhang

Design Futures (MDes)
A picture of Jiaxin Zhang
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Exhibition Poster, Author: Jiaxin Zhang
On the plinth are three jars and red balls and some cards and booklets.
On the plinth are three jars and red balls and some cards and booklets.
Interactive items, roadmap cards and booklets
On the plinth are three jars and red balls and some cards and booklets.

About

Jiaxin Zhang was born and raised in China, and later moved to the UK to study architecture and Design Futures. Her background in architecture provides a foundation in systems thinking and materiality, while her futures practice encourages long-term, speculative approaches to social and environmental challenges.

Jiaxin’s work explores how ritual and ecological care can be reimagined through design, particularly in the context of death and regeneration. Her current research explores how human composting could become a culturally sensitive and ecologically restorative burial practice in Tibetan regions by 2050. Through a combination of speculative design, stakeholder interviews, and scenario building, Jiaxin investigates how ecological deathcare can align with Buddhist values, local community needs, and national environmental goals. The project envisions future rituals that transform death into renewal, restoring soil, lowering emissions, and strengthening the spiritual and ecological fabric of highland communities.

 

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