Five minutes with Chao
Chao Du joined the Jensen PLUS team in 2022 after making the bold decision to relocate from his home in China to pursue a life in Australia for his young family.
With a deep passion for landscape design and architecture, Chao brings extensive professional experience to Jensen PLUS and our clients, from his 15 years as a landscape architect in Shanghai and Beijing.
Chao took a few minutes to share his career journey, why he chose Adelaide as his new home and what continues to inspire his work.
What ignited your passion for a career as a landscape architect?
Landscape architecture is about creating better living environments — a broad and encompassing topic.
Personally, I am thrilled to see people enjoying the public spaces I have designed. When people use these spaces, they experience nature, fun and a sense of community.
This creates immense satisfaction for everyone involved in a project and drives me to further enhance my capacity as a landscape architect.
How does Adelaide compare with other cities you have lived in?
I moved to Adelaide two years ago, after working as a landscape architect in Shanghai and Beijing for 15 years.
Adelaide is completely different from any city I’ve lived in before — the social dynamics here are very different from those in China, sparking my curiosity to explore and understand more.
I believe that design is life, and life is design. This diverse cultural experience enriches my understanding of landscape architecture and serves as a crucial source of inspiration in my career.
What project would you consider to be career highlight so far?
One project that stands out is the Port Pirie Riverbank Precinct concept plan — a highlight for two key reasons.
Due to climate change, it was identified that the levee at Solomon Town Beach had to be raised to address flooding threats. With this driving need behind the project we also took the opportunity to upgrade the landscape and recreational facilities along the levee, including a new beach shelter, a new basketball space, and a new pump track.
The project is currently under construction, and I am very much looking forward to seeing the final result and watching on as the community enjoy these new facilities and spaces.
This project also represents a significant personal milestone at it was my first as Project Manager in Australia. The opportunity to take a leadership role was exciting and challenging, but overall helped me gain a deeper understanding of local project operations.
What do you consider to be the most valuable qualities that you bring to the Jensen PLUS team and our clients?
Good design outcomes rely on good communication. I use my 3D modelling skills to visually present our ideas and concepts to clients and communities, enhancing the impact and efficiency of our communications.
Additionally, my extensive project experience in China means that I can further support the team in detailed landscape design.
Meaningful client and community engagement is a vital component of delivering exceptional outcomes for our clients. How do you support these essential activities as part of your projects?
Community engagement is a crucial step in generating good design outcomes. As the end users of a space, stakeholders have valuable insight into how a space is used, its opportunities and any potential challenges, knowledge that is critical for any urban design project.
Taking these insights into consideration, we must then communicate our ideas back to the community in a way that demonstrates their experiences and ideas, our understanding of the local community, and opportunities and challenges. Translating the community’s voice into design language ensures smooth progress in the design process.
Where do you draw your professional inspiration from?
Culture is a synthesis of the habits of people in a region. To design better living environments, it’s essential to understand local culture and people’s lifestyles.
Most of my design inspiration comes from understanding local culture, making each project more region-specific.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
My role with Jensen PLUS is my first job in Australia, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented team of urban designers, planners and landscape architects.
Our robust internal discussions and exchanges bring fresh ideas to everyone, greatly inspiring our designs.
Through our collective efforts, I look forward to delivering more exciting projects in the future!
What are you feeling most inspired about for the next few years?
My immediate goal is to be fully involved in some projects from concept design through to completion.
Additionally, I actively participate in Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) activities to stay across trends and dynamics of the Australian landscape architecture industry and always look forward to bringing these back to the team and my work.
How do you enjoy your weekends?
Outside of work, I enjoy street photography, capturing the life and moments of people in the city with my camera. This helps me deepen my understanding of local culture.
