TAO (Trace Architecture Office) founded by architect Hua Li in Beijing in 2009, is one of the most active design teams in China's construction industry today.
In the practice of TAO, architecture is not only seen as a formal object, but as an organism that is inseparable from its environment, as most of its projects are located in sites with distinct natural and historical features. The design practice creates an architecture and landscaping rooted in regional culture and environment by deepening the meaning of the building and making full use of the site’s conditions. The discussion of the spirit of the venue, climate response, the rational use of local resources, local materials and construction methods constitute the core content of each TAO project.
TAO's main design works include: Yunnan Handcraft Paper Museum (2010), Xiaoquan Elementary School Post-Disaster Reconstruction (2010), Wuyishan Bamboo Raft Factory (2013), Forest Building (2015), TiensTiens Cafe (2015). TAO has won the Asian Construction Association Award, the 2013 Akahan International Architecture Award, the 2012 Global Design Pioneer and Best Public Architecture Award, the China Architecture Media Award Young Architect Award and the WA Architecture Award. The firm’s works have been exhibited in important architectural exhibitions in Venice, New York, Berlin, Beijing, Shanghai among others, and have been widely published internationally.
