Department of Architecture from Taiwan Tech has achieved great success in the international design stage. Students Jia-Wei Lin, Zi-Qian Liu, and Shan-Yi Shi have each won prestigious awards at the German iF Student Design Award and the ISARCH AWARD in Spain, showcasing the department’s rich educational resources and students’ professional expertise.

Master’s student Jiawei Lin’s project, Rebirth SeedPod, draws inspiration from the concept of a seed. Using origami techniques and modular design, it focuses on rapid post-disaster deployment. The design can be adapted into shelters, medical facilities, or public spaces, featuring natural ventilation, solar power, and rainwater collection systems. This project, combining sustainability with cultural symbolism, earned Lin the 2024 German iF Student Design Award.

Master’s student from the Department of Architecture at Taiwan Tech, Jia-Wei Lin, won 2024 German iF Student Design Award.

Jia-Wei Lin’s Modular Shelter Rebirth SeedPod uses origami techniques to minimize the size for efficient transport and quick assembly, providing rapid relief for disaster victims.

Zi-Qian Liu, winner of the ISARCH AWARD Bronze Prize in Spain, transforms textile waste into building facade materials, exploring the interaction between waste recycling and architecture. His project, Textile Machine Skyscraper, integrates a textile waste recycling system to create a space that harmonizes modern life with nature, encouraging a reevaluation of fashion culture, consumption patterns, and environmental responsibility.

Master’s student from the Department of Architecture at Taiwan Tech, Zi-Qian Liu, won bronze at the ISARCH AWARD and was invited to share at the 2024 Design X Strategy Awards Ceremony.

Zi-Qian Liu’s Textile Machine Skyscraper transforms textile waste into building facade materials, exploring the interaction between waste recycling and architectural design.

Third-year student Shan-Yi Shi, also a winner at the ISARCH AWARD, addresses the post-pandemic issue of mask waste by recycling discarded masks to create an urban air purification system, Metropolis Cleanse Membrane. This eco-friendly solution tackles air pollution in cities. Shi transforms mask waste into new forms using air pressure expansion and contraction principles. He believes the future of architectural design lies in sustainability and hopes to offer macro solutions to global issues, aiming to become an influential architect.

Third-year Student Shan-Yi Shi wins “Winner” at ISARCH AWARD and receives the Ministry of Education’s scholarship for International Art and Design Competitions.

Shan-Yi Shi explained that as society returned to normal after the pandemic, the excess masks created significant resource waste, which inspired the idea of recycling mask materials into an urban air purifier, Metropolis Cleanse Membrane.

The success of these three students highlights the Department of Architecture’s exceptional abilities in professional training, innovative design, and international perspectives. Their advisor, Professor Yan-Ting Chen, with his extensive experience in international competitions, guided the students to focus on their design concepts and provided crucial advice on topic selection and technical presentation. Jia-Wei Lin commented, “The professor emphasized integrating global issues into design and valued the narrative and integrity of the work.”

With the advancement of technology, Taiwan Tech has incorporated AI into its curriculum, allowing students to apply technological tools for innovative solutions. Jia-Wei Lin shared, “The diverse courses have allowed me to develop both technically and conceptually. Recently, AI design software has gained prominence, and the school offers related courses to help us stay updated with the latest technological trends.” Zi-Qian Liu pointed out that the Rhino and Revit courses significantly improved his modeling skills and deepened his understanding of architectural truss systems, beam-column configurations, and more, enhancing his architectural design capabilities.

By combining theory and practice, integrating international perspectives and sustainability concepts, the Department of Architecture at Taiwan Tech offers a broad platform for student growth, allowing them to shine on the architectural design stage. In the future, the department will continue to deepen its educational content, promote more diversified interdisciplinary collaborations, and nurture more architects with independent thinking, innovative ideas, and social responsibility.