Q+A: Neri and Hu on Finding Inspiration in the Everyday

With 90+ categories and 300+ jurors, the Architizer A+Awards is the world’s definitive architectural awards program. In anticipation of the Awards Gala and Phaidon book launch on May 14, we are pleased to share the stories behind the winners of the 2015 Awards program — see all of them here.

Neri&Hu Design Research Office won the 2015 A+Awards, Jury Choice, for the Mixed Use Category with Design Republic Design Commune. A design hub and flagship store in the heart of Shanghai, this multi-programmatic space — a gallery, event space, café, restaurant, and one-bedroom apartment — is situated in the historic police headquarters, dating back to the 1910s.

Your name: Lyndon Neri, Rossana Hu
Firm name: Neri&Hu Design and Research Office
Location: Shanghai, China
Education: Lyndon Neri: Master of Architecture, Harvard University / Bachelor of Architecture, The University of California at Berkeley; Rossana Hu: Master of Architecture and Urban Planning, Princeton University / Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, The University of California at Berkeley

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

Lyndon Neri: I started as an art major at Berkeley. I lied to my father, who wanted me to be an engineer. When he immigrated to the U.S., I had to quickly change [my] major to please my father. Architecture was the closest to art and painting for me and also a field that was acceptable to my father.

Rossana Hu: I didn’t focus early on what I wanted to study. I was interested in many subjects all at once. The first architecture studio course at University of California at Berkeley just brought on such fascination it became the perfect major to do in school because it encompassed so many subjects all at once. Professionally, it became natural at first that I practice what I studied, but it also turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable profession. I love all aspects of architecture and design — with each project, it is like solving a new puzzle or going on a new journey. It is very rewarding to see a project built and take on its own life.

Design hero and/or favorite building (and why):

The old masters, the so-called “canon” of architecture, still move us. There are many contemporary giants whose works are encouraging to look at. Le Corbusier is still very relevant in studying form and spaces. Carlos Scarpa continues to inspire us with his details and composition. We respect Louis Kahn for his tectonic sensibilities, and Adolf Loos for his spatial articulation, clarity, and rigor. In terms of product design, we have always admired Achille Castiglioni.

Outside of architecture, where do you look for inspiration?

We are very much inspired by the everyday, the mundane, and the ordinary. The very fabric of Shanghai as a city and the everyday activities in and around the city are very much an inspiration. The traditional Western architectural tradition forms the basis of our education, but, culturally, we are very much Chinese, which influences our work, particularly in China. We also like to examine [the] local culture of where our work is, so that depends on where the project is located.

We are also inspired by artists like Louise Bourgeois, Anselm Kiefer, and photographer Sugimoto.

Who would be your dream client, and why?

A client who can engage in our design philosophy and challenge the envelop of architecture with us would be a dream client.

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

That it changes with the time and that it speaks about the zeitgeist of our being. We are all forced to question and challenge our work when our surrounding changes so fast. And as things become unstable and never predictable, it also becomes extremely interesting.

See all of the 2015 A+Award Winners here and all of the Winner Q+As here — and order the book from Phaidon here.