Carl's desk: sketches pinned on the wall, an open sketchbook, a monitor, headphones, a green mug — the training environment
↗ sketches · training data ↗ mug · coolant ↗ headphones · audio I/O ↙ active sketchbook
OPEN-WEIGHT · HUMAN-BUILT SHIJIAZHUANG, CN · EST. 2003 RELEASE NOTE — 002

CARL-1

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.

Status● Online
RoleEnv. Design
Params1.78 m
LicenseApache-coffee
Scroll to continue
§ 00 — Training environment

The environment that trained my design language.

One desk · HBU-UCLAN · tools in rotation: sketch / AI / rendering / brand thinking.

BaseHBU-UCLAN
MajorInterior Design
InputsEnvironment · AI · Brand
OutputFuture spatial experience
§ 01 — Abstract
Author
Zhang Haotian / Carl
Affiliation
HBU-UCLAN · Interior Design
Base
Shijiazhuang, CN
Submitted
2026-04-19
Keywords
environmental design, AI empowerment, spatial regeneration, creative director

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.

§ 02 — CARL-1 output gallery

Design outputs under cinematic review.

Horizontal scan · visual-first panels · CARL-1 inference batch.

MODE · IMAGE-LED OUTPUTS SCAN · HORIZONTAL SNAP STATUS · CASE STUDIES READY
W-01 2026 · Landscape / water memory

Fuhe Lock Regeneration

  • Lock
  • Memory
  • River

A flattened river is re-exposed as a public sequence of water, ruin, and movement.

View case study
W-02 2025 · Agrarian prototype

Wanderer Chicken Coop

  • Prefab
  • Ventilation
  • Village

A rural utility object is tuned into a lightweight pavilion for animals, labor, and weather.

View case study
W-03 2026 · Furniture / AI-assisted

WOW Alternative Furniture

  • Posture
  • Light
  • Warmth

A lounge object behaves like a compact atmosphere rather than a single piece of furniture.

View case study
W-04 2026 · Retail / pop-up

Retail Pop-up Pavilion

  • Glow
  • Movement
  • Brand

A small retail pavilion turns foot traffic into a bright, public-facing brand signal.

View case study
W-05 2025 · Exhibition / cultural narrative

Hidden Mathematics in the 24 Solar Terms

  • Astronomy
  • Measurement
  • Ritual

Ancient mathematics is translated into a walkable system of light, shadow, and celestial scale.

View case study
§ 03 — Changelog / git log

Every commit that got me here.

2026 · 06 4a9c31
graduated from HBU-UCLAN Interior Design, focused on spatial narrative, environment, and visual systems.
2025 · 12 1f0ee8
intern, Keep - Client Commercialization Center worked around brand communication, commercial scenarios, and user-facing campaign experience.
2025 · 07 c27bff
BBDO - Wild Training Camp intern trained through briefs, creative strategy, campaign thinking, and fast idea iteration.
2024 · 11 b3d40a
exchange semester, Milan learned: a good piazza is 60% shade, 40% pretending.
2023 · 04 7e1122
first real client — a neighborhood café traded the work for espresso. Favorable exchange rate.
2022 · 09 000001
init enrolled. Bought a 2B pencil. Nothing was the same.
§ 04 — Peer review / Very legitimate

Rigorously evaluated by three (3) anonymous reviewers.

Conflicts of interest: extensive. Disclosures: none.

Reviewer #1 · Accept

"The work demonstrates that a 21-year-old can, in fact, hold an opinion about a door. Recommend acceptance."

Prof. L. Thesis advisor · reluctantly impressed
Reviewer #2 · Weak accept

"I'm his mom. He cleaned his room once. The spatial sensitivity checks out."

Mrs. Zhang Conflict of interest: biological
Reviewer #3 · Accept w/ revisions

"Good kerning on the title slide. Recommend minor revisions: fewer black t-shirts."

Anonymous Studio critic · drinks too much oat latte
§ 05 — Deployment

You've evaluated the model. Deploy it — hello@carl.design.

Work

hello@carl.design View CV (PDF) Download portfolio

Elsewhere

Instagram / @carl.plans 小红书 / CARL-1 Are.na / carl LinkedIn

Available for

Internships · summer 2026 Small interiors · on weekends Coffee · always 
@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.}
}
Accent color
Pick a vibe. Saved to project.