Jess Yu is from Tianjin, China. She has studied and practised architecture in New York City, Copenhagen, London and Shanghai. Jess returned before the pandemic to Shanghai, where she started to teach Western architectural history and design studio in XJTLU. Since her return, she also founded Jess Yu Design Studio, where she takes on projects in diverse scale and format. Jess is now a resident artist for Swatch, at Shanghai’s Peace Hotel.

In this episode, we discussed her reverse cultural shock, her experience in teaching and practising, both abroad and in China, the role of AI in current-day architectural education, the architectural market, and some hopeful notes for a new generation of designers.