We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative YI JIAN ARCHITECTS ("YJA").
Yijian was founded in 2016. The research background of the doctoral partner university has made Yijian adhere to the purpose of research-oriented design. Yijian believes that each project has its own unique business card that cannot be copied. Yijian's job is to find this value point through in-depth exploration and make it become the core competitiveness and sustainable influence of the project. Yijian adheres to the purpose of research-oriented design, has a certain academic height and international vision, provides customers with creative solutions, and can solve project problems across disciplines.
YI JIAN ARCHITECTS Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by YI JIAN ARCHITECTS.
YI JIAN ARCHITECTS Design - Renewal of the 12th Mine Hospital Nursing Center
YI JIAN ARCHITECTS Design - Shantang Street Phase IV Renewal Planning
Designer Interview of YI JIAN ARCHITECTS:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
YJA : I was born into a family of builders. My parents and sister are designers. When I was in middle school, I often saw my father making drawings and my sister making models. ME. It made me think that designing is a very interesting thing. I want to be a designer.
DI: Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
YJA : YI JIAN is a design brand I founded after I left Tsinghua University as a post-doctoral fellow. We want to do research-based design. We hope to discover the best features of a project through research, and combine them to create a project that is unrepeatable.
DI: What is "design" for you?
YJA : Design for me is a process of discovery. If a project gives the answer when it is first designed. Then that design solution must not be a best solution. During the design process, we keep asking ourselves, can it be better?
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
YJA : Go and see the project site to discover the qualities of the venue.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
YJA : The Suzhou Shantang IV Historic District Renewal Project is one of my favorite projects. This project is far more complex than new construction. It requires the architect to first evaluate the current state of the historic district and decide what is worth preserving. Then removing the falsehoods and restoring the authenticity of the historic buildings to their original splendor. Subsequently, it is also necessary to consider implanting suitable businesses to give the space new vitality. This type of project will also involve the departure and retention of world heritage, heritage buildings, and residents, requiring architects to have very comprehensive knowledge.
DI: What was the first thing you designed for a company?
YJA : Go and see the project site to discover the qualities of the venue.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
YJA : We love understated, rustic architecture. Brick, wood, and plain concrete are my favorite materials. They are rustic, understated, and can emphasize the power of a space.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
YJA : Projects are especially creative when they are related to history and culture. I hope to use modern architectural language to express the traditional Chinese spatial mood.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
YJA : The relationship between architecture and nature, and the relationship between architecture and the site's culture. The relationship between new buildings and preserved buildings.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
YJA : Excitement and pleasure.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
YJA : Like the moment you see your daughter grow into a woman. It is gratifying and pleasurable.
DI: What makes a design successful?
YJA : Architects not only need to work with the owner's side, but also need to think with the builders and operators to solve the project's problems.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
YJA : The essence of architecture is to be a container that carries a variety of people's behaviors and activities. Whether the space meets the needs of function. Architectural design that only pursues modeling has no sustainable vitality.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
YJA : Passive energy efficient design and sustainable design concepts need to be integrated into every design to reflect social responsibility.
DI: How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
YJA : 在后疫情时代，亲自然的设计受到了广泛关注。
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
YJA : The most recent exhibition was at the annual China Architecture Conference in Shaoxing, China. Hope to see A Design's 40*40 exhibition in New York.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
YJA : The work is inspired by the project site and the culture of the city. The history of the city is learned through extensive reading. Through interviews with the site and ordinary residents to understand their visions for the project.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
YJA : An architect's design style is like a person's dress code. Some people wear different outfits to different occasions, while others always wear the same style of clothes. We want our designs to fit the place. 䫅 So in different places, our architecture will present a style that fits the place. But what remains unchanged is our architectural philosophy that space is the main character of architecture. We hope to use simple materials to emphasize the power of space.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
YJA : I live in Shanghai, China. Vin China is an ancient civilization with a long history. Cultural heritage will have a great influence on our design. The advantage of China's design is that the government centralizes its efforts to do big things, so the construction will be fast. The challenge is that because of the speed of construction, sometimes there is a lack of events to do more in-depth research and innovation.
DI: How do you work with companies?
YJA : After thorough discussion and team brainstorming, I will determine the direction of the design. Then divide the labor and work with the team to complete it.
DI: What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?
YJA : Collaboration between companies and designers can take a cue from making movies. It's up to the project architect to pick the right designers to put together a great team based on the project. There is no need to be limited by the staffing of different firms. Firm During the design process, each designer can utilize his or her best strengths.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
YJA : Explore the site first to get an impression of the site. Then brainstorm and decide on the direction of the project. Then the work is divided, with several discussions in between, and finally it is summarized and presented.
DI: What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
YJA : Sunlight, ventilation, interior flow and views from windows. As well as chairs, tables, sofas and such ergonomically related furniture.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
YJA : On my days off I like to go to museums and see exhibitions.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
YJA : Observe life more and watch people's behavioral patterns. Read more and learn about regional cultures.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
YJA : The advantage of being an architect is that you are creating the space that hosts people's lives. This space will also guide people's behavior. A lot of stories happen in the spaces you design. This is very interesting. The disadvantage is that the pace of your life will be controlled by the pace of the project.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
YJA : Space is the soul of architecture.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
YJA : For architects, it is the ability to communicate and integrate. Architects need to integrate the views of all parties, through communication, seeking common ground to find the optimal solution of the project, rather than the owner, the construction side or the operator's unilateral optimal solution.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
YJA : Sketches are the most important tool for architects, and related software is there to help present them.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
YJA : Make a plan and schedule it. Go ahead and optimize the time schedule by constantly reviewing it.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
YJA : For architects, it typically takes 2-3 years from design concept to building completion.
DI: What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
YJA : What style is this building?
DI: What was your most important job experience?
YJA : Discussing with the operator during the conceptual design phase is a very important project experience and the basis for the success of the project's later operations.
DI: Who are some of your clients?
YJA : Government departments, developers and private owners.
DI: What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
YJA : Cultural buildings and historical updates are the projects I enjoy the most out of them. Because expressing traditional culture in modern architectural language is something I am very interested in.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
YJA : We hope to take on more projects to renew historic buildings. The next such project is the Sauce Garden on Shantang Street in Suzhou.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
YJA : I work with a team.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
YJA : The ongoing Suzhou Shantang Street Sauce Garden project is our second historic district renewal project. The challenge of this project is that it has a very mixed mix of businesses, a more diverse flow, and a more diverse approach to building preservation and restoration.
DI: How can people contact you?
YJA : Our Email is yijianarch@qq.com. Customers can be contacted by e-mail. My cell phone is +86 18221610958.
DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
YJA : Being an architect is a very challenging profession that requires both creative and logical thinking. We love this profession and enjoy it very much.