Denver Affordable Housing Challenge competition Honorable mention winners - Tian Ouyang and Yibin Yang

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce the Honorable Mention winners of Denver Affordable Housing Challenge competition – Tian Ouyang and Yibin Yang from United States!

Tian Ouyang and Yibin Yang

Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.

Tian Ouyang holds a Master of Architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Yibin Yang holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Virginia Tech. Both Tian and Yibin work in global architecture firms based in Chicago. They first met in 2019 and instantly clicked thanks to a shared passion for integrating thoughtful designs into communities and urban environments.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been Involved?

Both Tian and Yibin specialize in large-scale, mixed-use developments. Nevertheless, they have a keen eye for human-scale designs that elevate the day-to-day experiences, which is why they join the Denver Affordable Housing Challenge to transform their thoughts and observations into designs.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

The roles an architectural designer plays vary frequently depending on the scope of work, and the thrill often comes from tackling problems of different scales. Coming up with elegant and context-conscious solutions is a very fulfilling process, and gives meaning to being an architecture designer.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

As designers, we conjure up many different ideas throughout the day. Architecture competitions serve as proving grounds and a platform to test these ideas and sharpen our design sensibility.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

At the end of the day, everyone should decide for themselves if participating in a competition is worth the time and energy they'll be spending. Just don't forget to have fun!