Wei-Chieh Wang & Meng-Jung Ho
1. Congratulations on winning the Rome Design Awards! Can you introduce yourself and share about what inspired you to pursue design as a career?
My name is Wei-Chieh Wang, and I’m an architectural designer currently based in Los Angeles. This award-winning project was a collaborative effort with Meng-Jung Ho, whose contributions were integral to its development.
I was drawn to design through an early fascination with cities and how everyday spaces influence human behaviour. Architecture appealed to me because it operates at the intersection of art, technology, culture, and responsibility, transforming abstract ideas into environments that shape how people live and interact.
2. What does being recognised in the Rome Design Awards mean to you?
Being recognised by the Rome Design Awards is deeply meaningful, especially as it acknowledges a collaborative design process rooted in research and experimentation.
It’s rewarding to see our shared ideas resonate with an international audience and jury, and it reinforces the importance of critical, concept-driven work in shaping future conversations around architecture and urbanism.
3. How has this achievement impacted your career, team, or agency, and what opportunities has it brought so far?
This achievement has strengthened both my professional confidence and my belief in collaborative authorship. It has opened new dialogues with designers, academics, and practitioners across disciplines, while also highlighting the value of teamwork in developing complex ideas.
The recognition has helped position our work within a broader global discourse and has encouraged further exploration of speculative and research-based design.
4. What role does experimentation play in your creative process? Can you share an example?
Experimentation is central to my creative process and was a shared mindset throughout this project with Meng-Jung Ho. We used iterative modelling, parametric studies, and diagrammatic testing to explore architecture as a system rather than a static object.
This approach allowed us to test spatial, social, and economic relationships simultaneously, leading to discoveries that could not have emerged through a linear process.
5. What's the most unusual source of inspiration you've ever drawn from for a project?
One unusual source of inspiration was logistics and supply-chain systems, specifically how goods are produced, stored, and distributed. Studying these invisible infrastructures helped us rethink architectural programmes and spatial sequences, particularly in relation to consumption and urban life.
6. What’s one thing you wish more people understood about the design process?
I wish more people understood that design is fundamentally collaborative and iterative. Behind every refined outcome is a long process of testing, discussion, disagreement, and revision. Good design is less about instant inspiration and more about persistence, dialogue, and clarity.
7. How do you navigate the balance between meeting client expectations and staying true to your ideas?
I see this balance as an ongoing conversation. By clearly understanding the core intentions behind a brief, I look for design strategies that address practical needs while still advancing a strong conceptual position. Collaboration with clients and teammates is key to aligning vision with reality.
8. What were the challenges you faced while working on your award-winning design, and how did you overcome them?
One of the main challenges was managing complexity while maintaining clarity. The project engaged multiple systems, including spatial, social, and economic factors, which could easily become overwhelming.
Through close collaboration and continuous testing, we distilled these layers into clear diagrams and spatial strategies that kept the core idea legible, cohesive, and grounded.
9. How do you recharge your creativity when you hit a creative block?
When I encounter a creative block, I step away and change scales, focusing either on technical details or observing everyday environments. Conversations with collaborators, walking through cities, and travel often help reset my perspective and bring new clarity.
10. What personal values or experiences do you infuse into your designs?
I value clarity, adaptability, and responsibility. Growing up in dense urban environments has shaped my sensitivity to how architecture affects daily life at both intimate and collective scales. These values are reinforced through collaboration, where multiple perspectives help challenge assumptions and enrich the final outcome.
11. What is an advice that you would you give to aspiring designers aiming for success?
Stay curious, patient, and collaborative. Design success is built over time through developing a clear point of view and strong fundamentals. Learn from every project and every collaborator, and don’t be afraid to explore ideas that challenge conventional boundaries.
12. If you could collaborate with any designer, past or present, who would it be and why?
I would love to collaborate with Rem Koolhaas for his ability to merge architecture with research, writing, and cultural critique. His work demonstrates how collaboration and interdisciplinary thinking can expand what architecture is capable of addressing.
13. What's one question you wish people would ask you about your work, and what's your answer?
I wish people would ask, “What questions is this project trying to raise?” My work often begins with inquiry rather than solutions. Architecture, for me, is a platform to frame conversations about how we live, consume, and coexist. Collaboration is essential in shaping those questions meaningfully.
