Event Description
Architects today are increasingly asked to shape places that are not only efficient and sustainable, but also culturally meaningful, emotionally engaging, and socially inclusive. As cities face climate pressure, cultural homogenization, and fragmented community identity, architectural practice must move beyond form-making toward integrated place-shaping systems.
This presentation introduces Narrative Architecture as a practical framework through which architects translate cultural identity, ecological logic, and human experience into spatial systems with measurable performance. Using a built, large-scale case study—Beijing Happy Valley, a 100-hectare cultural destination—the session demonstrates how storytelling can function as soft place-shaping infrastructure, influencing behavior, environmental comfort, and long-term value.
Rather than treating narrative as symbolism or theming, the project embeds storytelling logic directly into spatial sequencing, circulation networks, landscape systems, and climate-responsive design strategies. Nature-based solutions—such as passive cooling corridors, landscape-driven microclimate regulation, and ecological zoning—are orchestrated alongside narrative pathways to enhance thermal comfort, environmental resilience, and user engagement.
The project delivers measurable outcomes, including over 90% green coverage, localized temperature reductions of 2–3°C, increased dwell time and repeat visitation, and sustained economic performance supported by shared governance mechanisms with surrounding communities. These results position narrative-driven design not as an abstract concept, but as a replicable architectural methodology applicable to cultural, civic, and mixed-use developments.
Participants will gain transferable tools for shaping place through narrative logic, integrating culture, experience, and nature-based sustainability into contemporary architectural practice.
Speaker
Yan Chen, PhD Researcher, ETSAB, UPC BarcelonaTech
Moderator
Prabhu Sugumar, Design Director, LAYA Architects
Speaker Bios
Yan Chen is an architect and senior design leader with over 27 years of experience in large-scale urban and cultural developments across China and Europe.
She has held executive positions at OCT Group and Wanda Group, leading master planning, design coordination, and research-driven development strategies for complex mixed-use districts and cultural tourism environments.
As Chief Architect of Beijing Happy Valley , she directed the spatial framework and environmental integration of a 54-hectare public park, balancing narrative sequencing, ecological systems, and high-density public operations. She also contributed to landmark projects including the 653-meter Shenyang Baoneng Global Financial Center and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing.
Her recent work focuses on climate-responsive public environments, circulation logic, and long-term operational resilience , exploring how environmental systems and spatial sequencing create measurable and durable public spaces.
Yan is currently a PhD researcher at ETSAB, UPC BarcelonaTech, bridging professional practice and academic inquiry.
Today, she will share practical insights from built projects on shaping place under real environmental constraints.
Prabhu Sugumar is an Architect, urban designer, and the founder and Design Director of LAYA Architects, an international practice engaged in cultural, civic, and urban-scale projects across Asia and the United States. With more than two decades of international professional experience, his work explores the relationship between architecture, community, and cultural identity, with a particular focus on large public spaces, civic environments, and cultural institutions that strengthen collective identity and social engagement.
Through LAYA Architects, Prabhu has led projects ranging from urban regeneration initiatives and civic campuses to cultural centers and community-oriented developments. His work investigates how architecture can shape meaningful public realms that support shared experiences, reinforce cultural identity, and contribute to the evolving social and civic life of cities.
In addition to his professional practice, Prabhu regularly engages in academic and international dialogue on architecture, design innovation, and the role of the built environment in shaping community and cultural identity. His work and ideas have been presented at global forums and international platforms across architecture, planning, culture, and design, and he is often invited to participate in lectures, panel discussions, and exhibitions.
Prabhu is currently based in Beijing, where he plays a leading and critical role in advancing the activities of AIA International, helping to strengthen dialogue and collaboration within the architecture and design community in the region.
