Song Yehao

Prof. Dr. Song Yehao is the principle and co-founder of SUP Atelier, Deputy Chief Architect of THAD and a tenured professor and the Director of the Institute of Architecture and Technology at the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University. He also serves as secretary-general of the Green Building’s theoretical and practical group, Chinese Green Building committee. 

For the past 30 years, Prof. Song has focused on sustainable theory and design. He believes in a holistic sustainable design approach that fully utilizes natural and social conditions, including nature and resources, cultural diversity, and social responsibility. To achieve this, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of regional and local contexts, as this enables the initiation of innovative designs that incorporate the latest technical measures or traditional climate adaptation design strategies. Additionally, contemporary translations of traditional design strategies, rooted in specific climate regions, can inspire innovative and sustainable design. 

With over 20 completed projects, his practice is renowned for its holistic sustainable approach, integrating building complexity with appropriate vernacular building materials and techniques in China. These projects have received worldwide recognition and more than 120 worldwide awards, including:

UIA Robert Matthew prize 2023 Honorable Mention,
UIA 2023 Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards,
UIA 2023 international Innovative Health Design Awards,
UIA 2030 Award (3 projects was highly commended),
UIA Innovation in Architectural Education Award 2020/2021,
The Winner of Engineering Prize at World Architecture Festival 2019,
ARCASIA Award of Architecture 2019 & 2021
Jury Winner and “Building of the Year” at Architizer Awards 2019,
Gold Prize at WAN Awards 2018, 2021 & 2022.

His research and designs have been translated into over 8 languages and have been featured in renowned professional publications. He has been invited as a keynote speaker at various high-level events, such as DAYLIGHT SYMPOSIUM(2016, 2019, 2022), URBAN SDG KNOWLEDGE PLATFORM(2021), UIA Award for Innovation in Architectural Education Webinar(2022), and WUF11-SDG in Action(2022), where he shares his insights and knowledge with audiences worldwide.