A+Award Winner Q+A: Liu Ruifeng on Finding the Right Balance

WITH 90+ CATEGORIES AND 300+ JURORS, THE ARCHITIZER A+AWARDS IS THE WORLD’S DEFINITIVE ARCHITECTURAL AWARDS PROGRAM. IN THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE EXTENDED DEADLINE, JANUARY 30, 2015, WE ARE PUBLISHING Q&AS WITH 2014 A+AWARD WINNERS. TO SEE A FULL LIST OF CATEGORIES AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THE A+AWARDS, VISIT AWARDS.ARCHITIZER.COM.

GPT+ Architecture Design won the 2014 Jury Award for the Architecture+Technology category with BIOTIC-TECH SKYSCRAPER CITY. This futuristic urban skyline features high-rise buildings that adapt to surrounding environmental conditions to create energy.

Your name: Liu Ruifeng

Firm: GPT+ Architecture Design

Location: Shanghai

Education: École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris la Villette

BIO-TECH SKYSCRAPER CITY

When did you decide that you wanted to be an architect?

I’ve always been attracted by the liberal professions because I enjoy having a degree of autonomy in my work. I proceeded by elimination and concluded that architecture was the most suitable to my personality. I studied it at the University of Chongqing, where I was admitted in 1995.

What was your first architecture/design job?

After graduation, I started working for an architecture office in Beijing. In three years, we won and built several projects. The amount of work was enormous but very edifying. During these years, I prepared to take the necessary exams for obtaining the title of first-class architect in China.

Who is your design hero and/or what is your favorite building?

My hero is Renzo Piano because he uses a mix of art and research of high technology in his designs.

BIO-TECH SKYSCRAPER CITY

Tell us something that people might not know about your winning entry:

We didn’t know we had won for a very long time. Our mail got lost and we found out that we were winners when we visited the Architizer website. It was an unexpected surprise.

Which juror(s) do you find most compelling and why?

Neri Oxman from MIT Media Lab because her designs show the beauty of organic materials and shapes.

Among your fellow A+Award winners, what is/are your favorite(s)?

The Tricycle House project that won the jury’s prize in the Architecture+Mobility category is one of my favorites. The novelty of this concept, function, and material use is fascinating.

Tricycle House by People’s Architecture Office

Other than your computer (or phone), what is your most important tool?

I would say a pencil. All projects start with sketching. Also, in the office, we communicate our ideas through hand drawings all the time.

Outside of architecture, where do you look for inspiration?

In a history book.

What is the most important quality in an architect?

A good balance between sensibility, good communication, logical thinking, and persistence.

What do you find exciting about architecture and design right now?

What I like about architecture is that it’s a game of intellectual inquiries. For the best solution in a project, we need to look for a balance between function, art, technology, culture, and many other elements. Until we find it, we need to face the real world and overcome all difficulties without knowing the outcome. This challenge is fascinating.