Minglu Wei
Co-Founder and Principle
Minglu Wei is a practicing architect and researcher interested in the intersection of sustainable systems and artificial landscapes.
Wei co-founded Tangent Essays, a critical publishing platform that periodically features writings on architectural topics. His research includes large-scale analysis of urban village production, water transportation across e-commerce villages, and data-generated landscapes. His work was featured in Time + Architecture, Urban + Environment + Design, the Shenzhen Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale, the Seoul Architecture Biennale, and the Venice Biennale of Architecture.
Wei has practiced in several offices, including IBR and URBANUS in Shenzhen and NATURALBUILD in Shanghai, on projects ranging from theaters to urban designs.
Wei earned a Post-Professional Master in Architecture from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University.
Zaid Kashef Alghata
Co-Founder and Principle
Zaid Kashef Alghata is a designer, researcher, and educator whose work explores the intersection of built and natural environments. He emphasizes climate and material culture to broaden the architectural field, focusing on design as a catalyst for structural reform and extending the domain to include non-civic structures.
Kashef Alghata's individual and collaborative work was exhibited at the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Shenzhen, the Jai & Jai Gallery in Los Angeles, and the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna. Kashef Alghata has practiced with several offices, including Gensler in Los Angeles and UNStudio in Hong Kong, contributing to projects like theaters, residential towers, and mixed-use developments of various scales.
Kashef Alghata taught at the Rhode Island School of Design and was the Favrot Visiting Professor at the Tulane School of Architecture, serving on the Provost's inaugural AI Committee for Research. Additionally, he was the Joseph F. Thomas Visiting Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, where he initiated the "Architecture's Ecological Restructuring" series, a platform uniting historians, theorists, researchers, and practitioners to challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Kashef Alghata holds a Post-Professional Master in Architecture and a Certificate in Media and Modernity from Princeton University, a Bachelor of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and a Foundation Degree from the Architectural Association School of Architecture.
Ying "Birdia" Zuo
Managing Partner
Ying "Birdia" Zuo is a curator and design strategist. Her work primarily revolves around creating interactive and socially conscious environments that explore the fusion of art, public spaces, and community engagement.
Zuo is a co-founder and managing editor at Tangent Essays, a critical publishing platform that periodically features writings about architecture. She explores creative publishing methods with international publishers, artists, and designers, such as wearable publications and interactive art installations.
Zuo has practiced on various public art and architectural projects in several offices, including Matthew Mazzotta in Boston and ALYA and NATURALBUILD in Shanghai.
Zuo holds a Master's in Design Studies focusing on Art, Design, and the Public Domain from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University.
Co-Founder and Principle
Minglu Wei is a practicing architect and researcher interested in the intersection of sustainable systems and artificial landscapes.
Wei co-founded Tangent Essays, a critical publishing platform that periodically features writings on architectural topics. His research includes large-scale analysis of urban village production, water transportation across e-commerce villages, and data-generated landscapes. His work was featured in Time + Architecture, Urban + Environment + Design, the Shenzhen Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale, the Seoul Architecture Biennale, and the Venice Biennale of Architecture.
Wei has practiced in several offices, including IBR and URBANUS in Shenzhen and NATURALBUILD in Shanghai, on projects ranging from theaters to urban designs.
Wei earned a Post-Professional Master in Architecture from Princeton University and a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University.
Zaid Kashef Alghata
Co-Founder and Principle
Zaid Kashef Alghata is a designer, researcher, and educator whose work explores the intersection of built and natural environments. He emphasizes climate and material culture to broaden the architectural field, focusing on design as a catalyst for structural reform and extending the domain to include non-civic structures.
Kashef Alghata's individual and collaborative work was exhibited at the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture in Shenzhen, the Jai & Jai Gallery in Los Angeles, and the Museum of Modern Art in Bologna. Kashef Alghata has practiced with several offices, including Gensler in Los Angeles and UNStudio in Hong Kong, contributing to projects like theaters, residential towers, and mixed-use developments of various scales.
Kashef Alghata taught at the Rhode Island School of Design and was the Favrot Visiting Professor at the Tulane School of Architecture, serving on the Provost's inaugural AI Committee for Research. Additionally, he was the Joseph F. Thomas Visiting Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, where he initiated the "Architecture's Ecological Restructuring" series, a platform uniting historians, theorists, researchers, and practitioners to challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries.
Kashef Alghata holds a Post-Professional Master in Architecture and a Certificate in Media and Modernity from Princeton University, a Bachelor of Architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, and a Foundation Degree from the Architectural Association School of Architecture.
Ying "Birdia" Zuo
Managing Partner
Ying "Birdia" Zuo is a curator and design strategist. Her work primarily revolves around creating interactive and socially conscious environments that explore the fusion of art, public spaces, and community engagement.
Zuo is a co-founder and managing editor at Tangent Essays, a critical publishing platform that periodically features writings about architecture. She explores creative publishing methods with international publishers, artists, and designers, such as wearable publications and interactive art installations.
Zuo has practiced on various public art and architectural projects in several offices, including Matthew Mazzotta in Boston and ALYA and NATURALBUILD in Shanghai.
Zuo holds a Master's in Design Studies focusing on Art, Design, and the Public Domain from Harvard University's Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University.
COLLABORATORS
Ailing Wang
Chi Zhang
Connor Gravelle
Dan Zhang
Hong Chen
Hui Zhou
Jian Li
Jianhui Zeng
Jijun Rang
Jing Zhang
Jinhui Cai
Chi Zhang
Connor Gravelle
Dan Zhang
Hong Chen
Hui Zhou
Jian Li
Jianhui Zeng
Jijun Rang
Jing Zhang
Jinhui Cai
Jiwei Yu
Jun Wang
Lang Shi
Le Yang
Lei Li
Li Yang
Ling Xu
Liping Wang
Long Cheng
Longxuan Qiu
Meidong Li
Jun Wang
Lang Shi
Le Yang
Lei Li
Li Yang
Ling Xu
Liping Wang
Long Cheng
Longxuan Qiu
Meidong Li
Min Xu
Miwa Espinoza Sunaga
Qi Liu
Qin Liu
Qingqing Wei
Qionghua Lu
Shengliang Rao
Tianfen Yan
Weibin Zhen
Weiping Che
Miwa Espinoza Sunaga
Qi Liu
Qin Liu
Qingqing Wei
Qionghua Lu
Shengliang Rao
Tianfen Yan
Weibin Zhen
Weiping Che