An environmental designer translating memory,
space, and media into visual systems.
Trained on sketches, campaigns, AI workflows,
and too many late-night critiques.
Also goes by Zhang Haotian.
One desk · HBU-UCLAN · tools in rotation: sketch / AI / rendering / brand thinking.
We introduce Carl — Zhang Haotian, an Interior Design student at HBU-UCLAN, trained end-to-end on the problem of putting humans into rooms they actually want to stand in. The model exhibits strong performance on plan drawing, material matching, and holding coffee while critiquing someone else's thesis.
A future-space explorer connecting design, brand, and technology.
Hover (or tap) a card to read the thinking behind it.
Prefabricated modular timber frame with UV-resistant skin, elevated on treated wooden columns. Interior zoned for activity / egg-laying / storage; perforated baffles soften wind; pull-down egg boxes collect from the outside.
Case study →A furniture exploration that treats seating as atmosphere rather than a single object. Faceted surfaces, warm timber, and AI-assisted visualization test how furniture can hold posture, light, and brand-like emotion inside an interior scene.
View board →Full-height oak shelving integrated with structure.
Case study →A compact retail pavilion designed as a visible urban attractor. Curved volumes, transparent edges, and halo-like lighting turn the store into a public-facing brand experience between office, dining, and street movement.
View board →An exhibition translating Zhoubi Suanjing into four spatial chapters: Gougu geometry, shadow measurement, Qiheng diagrams, and Gaitian cosmology. The space uses modular blocks, light, interactive measurement, and astronomical imagery to connect traditional science with contemporary exhibition experience.
After the Fuhe River was reorganized as modern park scenery, its working history slipped to the edge. This project takes the abandoned ship lock as its core, using spatial narrative, material contrast, and dynamic routes to re-expose hidden water-transport memory as an urban public experience.
View hero →Conflicts of interest: extensive. Disclosures: none.
"The work demonstrates that a 21-year-old can, in fact, hold an opinion about a door. Recommend acceptance."
"I'm his mom. He cleaned his room once. The spatial sensitivity checks out."
"Good kerning on the title slide. Recommend minor revisions: fewer black t-shirts."
@misc{carl2026,
title = {CARL-1: An Open-Weight Environmental Design Intelligence},
author = {Zhang, Haotian (Carl)},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {Portfolio website},
note = {A human, trained on coffee. Weights available on request via email.}
}