With a rich Asian philosophy and an international outlook on
architecture, Ar. Zhang Xi has not only worked with a diligent form
of expression on numerous projects, but also claims that the world
needs more good architecture and not more Starchitects. Zhang Xi
is the founding partner and CEO of EXH Design, an architecture
and interior design firm based in Shanghai and Zurich. With a
traditional Chinese background Xi’s approach towards architecture
and design is heavily influenced by the principles of Feng shui.
Zhang Xi has successfully run her firm on a very practical, yet
important motto “Studying the real needs thoroughly from within to
create an interactive contribution to society and nature, to
coordinate with the context in different layers and ultimately to
connect with the source, that is the beauty of architecture.”
In her talk at the TEDx Conference, Zhang expresses her view on
how “good architecture is selfless, unlike the self-serving expression
of the Star Architects, who often reclaim creativity and “genius” in
their architecture.” With a strong introduction on her views on the
subject, she establishes the fact that architects should prioritise on
making designs that are in harmony with human nature and respect
the integrity, context and tradition of each context, and not just
serve their own professional out-take. Zhang Xi further talks about
her own experiences in the industry and having established the firm
in both China and Switzerland, she is certainly conscious of
differences between these two cultures. China, for Xi, is “busy
chaotic, and noisy”; a far cry from Zurich’s genteel pace.
The title of her newly published monograph; EXH Design: Swiss
Quality—Chinese Speed - is a claim Xi tries to embody in her firm’s
work. It’s also part of the reason EXH is renowned for its fluid
approach to different design disciplines. For EXH architecture is
holistic: interior, exterior, form, and function all affect the energy of
a building and its users.
Zhang believes that Asian architecture is the “star” in her designs,
but its core lies in the values of nature and humanity much like
traditional Chinese philosophy. By instilling a space-centric
approach towards architecture, in her audience, Xi works towards
building a world that is ready to shift its focus from the building to
the void which eventually results in shifting focus to the people at
large.
MARK FOSTER GAGE
Mark Foster Gage is an architect, writer, and theorist.
His academic expertise is in the field of aesthetic
philosophy, currently focusing on how the built
environment impacts issues of social equality. He is
the author of Designing Social Equality: Architecture
Aesthetics and the Perception of
Democracy (Routledge, 2018).
With his education in BArch at the University of Notre
Dame and MArch at Yale University, he is known as
the experimental architect, who believes that the future
of architecture is fairy tales. Gage wants to push the envelope of construction,
unlike most, he achieves that not through material experimentation, but by showing
what’s possible. His buildings blur the distinction between a single structure, its
surroundings, and even the natural world. He exclaims, “I want to make a real
reality out of the fiction that surrounds us” hoping to one day morph his “fake
reality” into the possibility of a real one.
He has designed architectural projects across a variety of typologies ranging from the new Live Arts
Center at Bard College to the twenty-two story “Aurum” residential tower in Manhattan. His work also
includes experimental advanced technology projects that explore new forms of interactivity, virtual
reality, robotics, 3d printing, and spatial social media. Mark Foster Gage Architects do not believe in
one-size-fits-all architectural strategies, styles, or ways of working-- and instead customize each project
effort to best address the opportunities and problems as they are presented.
In his talk about Architecture that challenges you Concept of Reality, he recollects his obsession with
the Star Wars series and how he wanted to be a real c-3po at every Halloween and how a little boy
in a gold outfit had different assumptions of the reality behind those appearances
and gives you an aesthetic philosopher view on the human condition. By introducing
his various projects around the world, Gage explains how his clients’ creativity and
imagination is as important as any other aspect, because each project is an investigation
into how the expectations for a project can be exceeded- functionally and aesthetically. By inviting the
audience to dive into the land of endless possibilities of design and curiosity, Gage
yearns every architect to destabilize their concept of reality in order to walk into the
mysteries of “fake architecture”
Ar. Dong ping wong
Starting with a practical example of how the recession changed the definition and possibilities of
architecture, ar explains how the array in which the productivity of architecture has transformed
from making a statement to making it function more efficiently.
The plus pool – a notion of productive architecture, layered filtration system
Copenhagen master plan
Housing block peaks
