The 2026 CVU Vertical Cities China Conference in Guangzhou, themed ‘Revitalising High-Density Cities: Urban Vitality and Ecological Resilience’, explores solutions for improving and renewing limited urban spaces. Aedas Global Design Principal Ken Wai is invited as a guest speaker and presents a talk titled ‘The Big Bang Theory Inspired Campus, JOYY’.
Led by Ken, the Foshan JOYY Headquarters applies the design philosophy of the ‘Big Bang Theory’, combining public spaces for openness and private areas for work within a vertical design. The radial layout brings natural views and ecological benefits into the high-density built environment. The project demonstrates how workspaces and living areas, public and private zones, and efficiency and ecology can coexist in harmony.
‘Work and community life are integrated here, not separated, as the design focuses on human experience,’ Ken explains. The building uses a radial layout to connect office headquarters, talent apartments, commercial spaces, and more into a small, efficient Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) hub. Public areas are on the lower levels, open for citizens to access freely, while private office operations are located above.
This design maximises natural ventilation and views indoors, with ultra-wide shading systems reducing solar heat gain by 60%, improving indoor environmental quality and energy efficiency.
The project creates a ‘walkable headquarters’ where employees can walk through rooftop gardens, pause at riverside terraces, or interact in shared atriums. This approach transforms the headquarters into a platform for creativity, collaboration, and human connection, going beyond being just a workplace. It addresses people’s needs for a sense of belonging through thoughtful design.
