Portrait by Dimitri Mais Chi-Chi Lin
Co-Founder & Creative Director
clin@kirinadams.com
Working in the built environment, Chi-Chi Lin brings ideas to life. Chi-Chi brings nearly a decade’s worth of investment, development, and design experience. Prior to establishing Kirin Adams, Chi-Chi was Vice President at Mack Real Estate Group (MREG) and worked primarily on the investment and development of complex, multi-phased multifamily and mixed-use assets in New York, NY, Raleigh, NC, Miami, FL, and other cities on the East Coast. Chi-Chi is a Registered Architect in the State of New York (#044119) and a LEED Green Associate.
Chi-Chi began her career in the New York office of BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and other preeminent architectural design firms. During her time at BIG, BIG grew by ~7x. Chi-Chi was the Project Leader of The BIG Maze at the National Building Museum in Washington DC. She was also a designer on BIG's exhibition and monograph, "Hot to Cold."
Chi-Chi led two international award-winning projects in Johannesburg, South Africa, and rural Bangladesh from concept through construction, for which accolades include the Engineering News Record (ENR) Global Best Projects Award and the Architizer A+ Award. Additional honors (individual and as part of Cornell University Sustainable Design) include: 1st Place, FHLBB Affordable Housing Development Competition (team project, 2017); WX New York Women Executives in Real Estate Scholarship (2016); and national Udall Scholar (2011).
Chi-Chi earned her graduate degree focused on real estate finance from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and her professional Bachelor of Architecture degree from Cornell University. Chi-Chi cares deeply about environmental sustainability, design, and education. Chi-Chi is a mediocre athlete but nevertheless a relentless adventure-sport junkie: her goal is to try one new sport a year.
You’ll find me on the weekends…
-
Trying one new sport a year
In 2018, an old friend taught me how to ride a dirtbike. This sport has introduced me to a new way of engaging with the great outdoors and taught me about confidence. Look where you want to go, and add gas!
What other lessons can I learn from learning something new? I have a goal to try a new sport each year and so far, I’ve tried: salsa dancing, surfing, dirtbiking (trails and sand dunes), motocross, ice climbing, alpine/downhill skiing, nordic/cross country skiing, snowshoeing, dog mushing, and fly fishing.
On my “to try” list are: kite surfing, polo, and skinning.
-
Fostering dogs
I love dogs. I’ve fostered 21 dogs and know each one’s personality, favorite treat, and known commands.
RMLR fosters: Karl (FKA Macbeth), Mac (FKA Othello), Sammie Jo, Minnie, Raven (AKA Raisin of Bran), Toby Ray, Friday, Rocco (FKA Coco), Feta, Woody, Hope, Gracie (FKA Grace), Carly (FKA Coco), and Stella.
Fosters for other rescues: 小老鼠, Magic, Goose, Sadie, Max (FKA Kai), Freya (FKA Girldog), and Frank.
-
Being outdoors
I’m the one in blue. While I’m not crazy about hiking, I thought this photo captured the Coloradan spirit with which I’m absolutely in love. There’s no bad weather, only bad gear.
-
Slow-traveling
Working and living in LA for a month gave me an appreciation for a city I once unfairly snubbed.
As a third-culture kid, I grew up in Singapore despite it being neither my nor my parents’ home country (the US and Taiwan). This upbringing may have influenced how I like to travel. Enjoying the “daily life” of new cities as a temporary resident is my favorite way to travel. I’ve temporarily called these cities home: Rome, Italy (6 mo); Jessore, Bangladesh (3 mo); Thekkady, Kerala, India (3 mo); Johannesburg, South Africa (3 mo); and Kyoto, Japan (1 mo).