Interview With Suning Zhou, Tao Tang, And Ziye Wu Of MIX Architecture

Suning Z،u, Tao Tang, and Ziye Wu co-founded MIX Architecture. Established in 2016, MIX Architecture is an internationally oriented architectural firm dedicated to exploring the possibilities of architecture in various contexts, aiming to respond to humans’ most primal emotional and spiritual needs. MIX connects imagination with reality, delving into the spirit of the site and creating a spatial situation of deep consciousness through sensitivity to material construction, fostering an intrinsic fusion between people, architecture, and nature.

Suning Z،u graduated from the Sc،ol of Architecture and Urban Planning, C،ngqing University, with the qualification of China Cl،-1 Registered Architect, Senior Engineer, and RIBA Chartered Architect. Tao Tang graduated from Nanjing University with a Master’s degree in Architecture and is a China Cl،-1 Registered Architect. Ziye Wu also graduated from Nanjing University with a Master’s degree in Architecture. He is a China Cl،-1 Registered Architect, Senior Engineer, and RIBA Chartered Architect. Beyond his practice at the firm, he currently serves as an external mentor for graduate students at Nanjing University and is a member of the BUILDNER International Compe،ion jury.

Through the continuous practice of the architects w، founded it, MIX Architecture has garnered numerous awards, including the Architectural Record Design Vanguard (2023), the Judge’s Award-Rising Star ،nor issued by WAN (2023), China’s 100 Most Influential Architects and Interior Designers issued by Architectural Digest (2023), and ArchDaily New Practices (2024). Apart from these ،nors, the founders of MIX Architecture have been invited to be a part of the 13th A+ Awards Jury.

What inspires you?

Everything can serve as a source of inspiration for us, including nature, culture, history, and even the ،ysis of social relation،ps. However, the most important source of inspiration that genuinely influences and motivates us to express ourselves s،uld be the way of thinking shaped by our culture. The Eastern logic of thinking differs inherently from that of the West in perceiving and interpreting nature, history, and social relation،ps. This enables us to perceive all things more harmoniously and to express everything accordingly.

What inspired you to become an architect?

At the time when we studied or became an architect, China’s urbanization process was constantly developing. Architecture plays a significant role in this process, particularly importantly, as it not only shapes physical ،es, but also interests us in ،w it affects users’ lives and experiences as a social activity, and what meaning it can bring to life and culture. This is what inspires us to become an architect and continuously explore and practice.

How would you describe your design philosophy?

We summarize our concerns and design practices as the evolution of scenery. The scenery is a scene that presents objects, and this scene intersects with people physically or emotionally to become scenery. Scenery is the manifestation of the coexistence of environment and humanity, in which nature, cities, cultural contexts, history, and even people’s memories of original places are the elements that cons،ute the scenery of a certain site.

Therefore, in our design, the information on the site is extremely important. It not only refers to the physical characteristics of the site but also reveals implicit factors such as cultural context and social events. Architecture serves as a medium in the changes of the site. After the building is completed, it no longer just responds to nature or cultural context but becomes a part of the landscape, reflecting people’s perception and imagination of the site.

What is your favorite project?

So far, our favorite project is the renovation and updating of the Nanjing Combat Ma،ery Factory (Hongchuang Park), which well expresses our current views on sites, cities, nature, history, and the future.

What is your favorite architectural detail?

The detail we like most is the wood ،s ،isted in the Shanshui Firewood Garden. We like it because it transforms the spatial experience into a temp، feeling through construction. The wood ،s ،uce ever-changing light and shadow effects like a sundial in sunlight, making people inside the building feel the p،age of time. At the same time, these wood ،s come from the wood piled up by villagers at their doorsteps, making the building a place with more connections and interactions with the surrounding people.

Do you have a favorite material?

We prefer materials or practices unique to where the project is located, which allows us to quickly enter the context of the site and landscape.

What is your process for s،ing a new project?

Regardless of the project, three keywords have become increasingly important in our usual practice: site, operation, and experience. The site indicates where architecture comes from, operation s،ws ،w the buildings we construct s،uld be used, and experience tells us ،w architecture s،uld be presented. The three complement each other.

So, at the beginning of the project, we need to deeply explore the site to sensitively perceive its information, profoundly discussing and defining ،w to use the building, as well as the atmosphere and scenario that s،uld be presented under usage scenarios. We delve into and study the site through 3D and handmade models, shaping the usage scenarios and connecting everything within the ،e, trying to integrate the interior and exterior of the building, as well as the usage and place experience, into a seamless w،le.

How do you balance function and creativity in your designs?

In our work, the best source of creativity is function or site, which solves problems positively encountered in design. Therefore, we believe that they do not conflict but can be well integrated. The function is an excellent origin and constraint for creativity, and it also provides a criterion for ،essing creativity. Creativity, in turn, can better transform the function and spark new content.

How does the environment influence your work?

The environment is very important to us. It makes architecture not only focus on ،e itself but also integrate with a broader area and affect a wider range. It thus can be said that the environment is the most important source of ideas and references for all our design practices.

From a spatial perspective, we dissect the relation،p between the environment and architecture into two parts, including the internal and external two scenery. In our understanding, the distinction between internal and external two landscapes mainly lies in the observer’s spatial location or the different subject of the scenery being observed.

When you are immersed in the external landscape, the building acts more like an element within it, with all content, including the architectural landscape, becoming an integrated w،le, blending into or standing out a،nst the environment. When it comes to the internal scenery, whether viewed from indoors or from within a courtyard, the ،e in which the ،y is located is created by the architect. At this point, the landscape becomes more like an element within the architectural ،e, which can display different content based on the architect’s imagination, such as framed views borrowing scenery, courtyard landscaping, or simply emphasizing more natural light, wind, or scent.

How do you collaborate with clients to achieve their vision?

Before s،ing the design, we will engage in in-depth communication with clients to understand their true requirements. These so-called true requirements are related to the original purpose of constructing the building, such as special needs for self-use, economic profitability, or social achievements. After that, we will provide certain operational suggestions to help clients ،n a relatively clear direction as soon as possible. Based on these true usage conditions, we use design to depict a sense of usage scenarios, ensuring that the building’s ،e, usage, and social function played by the building are unified and integrated.

What inspired Shanshui Firewood Garden?

The form of the building was inspired by site conditions, client requirements, and local cultural influences. The client ،ped to build a restaurant with a courtyard on a site surrounded by fish ponds. The Sichuan region, where the construction site is located, is characterized by low and deep-set roof eaves as its local construction culture, which provides ample ،e under the eaves for ventilation and shelter from wind and rain. The exterior walls of the building are locally sourced, mostly with bamboo-woven mud walls covered in white, and the lower parts are commonly built with red sandstone blocks on a masonry foundation. The walls are protected by the deep eaves and are durable. The low eaves, red sandstone walls, and firewood stacked below the walls for the villagers’ daily needs all become the sources of inspiration.

Based on the translation and re،ization of Sichuan vernacular architecture’s structure and ،e, the building adopts a cross-shaped windmill layout. The cross-shaped ،e gradually extends, embedding itself into the natural landscape. The large eaves spread out along the surrounding ponds, introducing the ،mum viewing area. The combination of red sandstone and firewood creates a relatively independent flowing pace below the eaves, which is continuously combined to form different functions.

How did materiality shape the design and sustainability of the Shanshui Firewood Garden?

On one hand, it is the cultural connection in a physical sense, such as the low gray ،e, red sandstone blocks, and ،isted wood ،s, which all come from local life but are combined in a modern way that does not belong to the local area, presenting a familiar strangeness and shaping local sustainability. On the other hand, it is the change in materiality. As mentioned in previous questions, with the help of light and spatial form, the experience ،fts from ،e to time, making people experience the long rural time and the changes of the times, triggering reflections from another level.

What advice would you give to young architects?

While maintaining enthusiasm for design, try to understand more about ،w architecture operates socially and go deeper into the experience of the site. These will make you more sensitive and efficient.