2022 Winner

Mr Jio Li


Title: Founding partner and Design director
Company: a9a rchitects
Design Philosophy:

I have been engaged in planning, architecture and interior design for more than fifteen years. Under the tutelage of Hua Tang, Zhizhong Dai and Pengju Zhang, I worked and studied in many renowned design practices including CAG, CMCU and ADD, and have participated in commercial real estate projects and ancient architecture design research for many years. I’ve worked on various real estate development projects and public building design. From 2013, I stayed in Chengdu for two years studying ancient architecture design methods because of work reasons. Out of interest, I’ve established my own concepts and approaches for all kinds of work related to creative design. In 2015, I co-founded a9a rchitects with my friend Asif, intending to exploring new things in the creative design field. Adhering to the design philosophy of ""natural attributes are the invariable design language"", I have successively completed many cultural projects of various scales. After the establishment of a9a, partner Asif expanded the studio’s international architectural vision. In 2018, the focus of our business shifted to the international level. In the future, while focusing on theoretical research and innovation, the studio will combine the concepts of place and space, contribute better design to the society, and continue the efforts in changing the environment. I adopt diversified design thinking, which enables me to combine more disciplines and fields. There are many approaches to use in my design practices. Text, materials, graphic design and so on can be the starting point of design. As working on design scheme, I take into account the relevance of various factors, such as the environment, time, and place in which a project is located. My team and I also make continuous efforts in material exploration and innovation, hoping to make some materials to be applied to our projects.