Yinzhu Yao Shares How She Unites Cultures Through Creativity

I'm Yinzhu Yao. I pursued a Master of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, which not only expanded my technical skills but also exposed me to the latest architectural practices. Currently, I am furthering my education by pursuing a Master of Science in Engineering Management at Trine University to gain the leadership and managerial skills necessary for overseeing complex projects.

My educational journey started with a Bachelor of Architecture from Suzhou University of Science and Technology in China, where I developed a strong foundation in architectural theory and design. Actually, when I chose this major, I was not aware of what it was, just not sure what I wanted to do in the future, and since architecture does not look that bad, like something about arts, because I was learning painting from childhood.

Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work at some of the world's most prestigious architectural firms. As a Technical Designer at Gensler in Washington, D.C., I contributed to high-stakes projects that required a balance of creativity and technical expertise. My time at Sou Fujimoto Atelier in Tokyo and Kengo Kuma & Associates allowed me to explore innovative design philosophies, reinforcing my belief in architecture's power to harmonize functionality with aesthetic beauty.

It's wonderful to horizon my vision in international firms with different backgrounds, which would produce design in different ways, from different views. That makes me emphasize my design philosophy centers on creating spaces that are innovative, sustainable, and deeply connected to their cultural and environmental contexts.

I'm committed to designing environments that not only meet the practical needs of their users but also enhance their quality of life. My own work often reflects a balance between simplicity and sophistication, with a focus on sustainability and cultural relevance.

Simple and full of power. I prefer those powerful designs that express a kind of thing related to the spirit.

A good design is based on people's needs, and also has great aesthetic beauty.

It used to be an abandoned old factory, that brews beers. There are many such factories around the world, how to make a renovation so that they can play a role in people’s lives and have cultural significance at the same time is a question that we have always thought about.

We did a lot of research on local culture and the geometry of the villa, in the back garden, it is inspired a lot in spatial design. Also thanks to my teammate, Yixin Geng, she's an intelligent person who always pops up some great ideas.

There is a famous ancient Chinese saying that goes, "Establish the heart for heaven and earth, establish the destiny for humanity, inherit the knowledge of past sages, and bring peace to all generations." I deeply resonate with this message. It speaks to how young people should strive to contribute to society.

I believe that in any creative endeavor in architecture, we must carry a heart filled with compassion, seek to solve social problems and make meaningful contributions to our precious historical heritage and disadvantaged groups. Only then can the world become a better place, and the knowledge we acquire can be fully utilised.

It's a great recognition and we feel really honored. Hope we can join the jury panel in the French Design Awards next time, it would be really fantastic to try a new role.

The project claims to transform the factory into a bar. We try to change the crowds the bar faces and add experience elements, offering people opportunities to watch and experience the process of brewing beers.

Meanwhile, taking local residents’ life convenience into consideration, we increase the function of the restaurant and supermarket. While enriching the internal functions, use geometric division, which comes from the villa facade in the garden behind, to create space to provide different spatial experiences for people.

It should be about how to deal with the programming on the different sides of the big stairs. In our opinion the two sides should have different spatial experiences, finally, we were using the geometry of the villa facade as a module for the bar, but the restaurant is different, with a broader view.

I will keep my pace in heritage and culture reservation.

Design itself, material choice, and coordination with different departments.