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Below is the full translation.
Relentless pursuit of the ideal
Andy Wen crafts architectural masterpiece Lè Architecture
Andy Wen was a naughty child! “My parents could not handle me as I was very naughty in my childhood, and my family emigrated to the United States because of this,“ said Andy Wen. “I studied architecture in the United States, and since then I have been pursuing the architectural idea. It has not changed!”
Designed by American Taiwanese Wen, Global Design Principal of Aedas, Lè Architecture in the Nangang district of Taipei has just been completed and was awarded the Best International Office Architecture at this year’s International Property Awards. Wen was in Taiwan on 15 December to show the media and explain his design. This was the first time the new building was open to the media.
Born in Taiwan and grew up in the United States, Wen’s tremendous passion for architecture design has helped him generate many creative and iconic architecture which have earned him numerous international design excellence awards. Lè Architecture first beat other office projects in Asia Pacific to become the Best Office Architecture Asia Pacific, and later topped other regional winning projects from Europe, Africa and the Americas to be the ultimate Best International Office Architecture at this year’s International Property Awards. Apart from Lè Architecture, another Wen’s project, Taipei European School Yangmingshan Campus Redevelopment, is also an award-winning project.
Designed by Wen, Lè Architecture is set to redefine Taipei’s rapidly developing skyline. The design for Lè Architecture drew inspiration from the shape of the river pebbles along the Jilong River, developing a unique aesthetic concept that conveys the idea of roundness and elegance, as well as strength and character. The building’s egg-like shape implies it is an incubator of knowledge and a metaphor of intellectual revival, which integrates well with the local context and marks an important milestone in the revitalisation of the fast-emerging Nangang district. The 60-metre tall office building employs multiple strategies to add greenery to the façade and is focused on minimising energy demands which helped it achieved a LEED gold certification.
Commenting on the trending green buildings, Wen thinks it is an inevitable trend, and that Taiwan has a lot of room for development in this regard. He added that the government and the industry should catch up with the trend, and the government should wait no more to play a leading role in terms of regulations and policies so as to drive the entire industrial chain of Taiwan’s green building to prosper.
Currently a Global Design Principal of international architecture firm Aedas, Wen is based in the Beijing office leading a professional team to design in Mainland China and Taiwan. Over the years, Wen has worked on numerous architectural projects in China. His understanding of China’s construction industry is superior. He believes that while China is catching up to be the world’s No. 1, its development and technology in the construction industry are comparable to those most developed countries. China attaches great importance to the areas of environment, energy and energy saving. The architectural industry is of high energy consumption, China is gradually aligning with the world to construct green buildings and promote low energy consumption and energy saving at its high standards.
Born in Taiwan and emigrated to the United States with his family as a child, Wen’s tremendous passion for architecture design has helped him generate many creative and iconic architecture which have earned him numerous international design excellence awards. He has over 25 years of experience in architecture with expertise across sectors, including master plans, mixed-use developments, offices, residential towers, five-star hotels, educational and cultural facilities, etc.
Currently Wen has several other projects in Taiwan to be delivered. He said, “I’ve always been pursuing excellence in architecture, and I am committed to it. I put all my ideas into practice in my every design!”
Andy has integrated his deep understanding and passion for his hometown Taiwan into the design of Lè Architecture, combining his expertise and cultural sensitivity, creating the masterpiece like Lè Architecture and many more!
