Juan Du is an architect and professor of

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

. She is professor and dean at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

. She previously taught at

Hong Kong University The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fir ...

and maintains a private architecture practice IDU. In 2020, she published '' The Shenzhen Experiment'', examining the historically contingent factors that influenced the city’s development.

Education

Du earned a bachelor’s degree from the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

, a master of architecture at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

, then a doctorate of science in architecture from

ETH Zurich (colloquially) , former_name = eidgenössische polytechnische Schule , image = ETHZ.JPG , image_size = , established = , type = Public , budget = CHF 1.896 billion (2021) , rector = Günther Dissertori , president = Joël Mesot , ac ...

Career

In 2006, Du established her own architecture practice, IDU. She also joined

, where she taught until 2021. In 2010, Du curated ''Quotidian Architectures'', Hong Kong's contribution to the

Venice Biennale of Architecture Venice Biennale of Architecture (in Italian Mostra di Architettura di Venezia) is an international exhibition of architecture from nations around the world, held in Venice, Italy, every other year. It was held on even years until 2018, but 202 ...

, “exploring the relationship between collaborative design and socially and environmentally responsible architecture”. In 2020, Du published ''The'' ''Shenzhen Experiment'' (

Harvard University Press Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...

), which emphasizes contingent factors like history, ecology, politics, culture, and people in the success of the city, rather than resulting strictly from top-down planning. The book identifies and rebuts misconceptions about the timeline of the city’s development (well under way before Shenzhen became a

Special Economic Zone A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...

(SEZ) in 1979); its population growth; and the goal of the SEZ (not to make China rich, Du argues, but to bring the country out of poverty). Reviewing the book in ''

The China Quarterly ''The China Quarterly'' (CQ) is a British double-blind peer-reviewed academic journal established in 1960 on contemporary China and Taiwan. It is considered the most important research journal about China in the world and is published by the Cam ...

'', Denise Y. Ho writes, “In the sections that put Du's training as an architect and a planner on full display, ''The Shenzhen Experiment'' shines. ��Du's experience allows her to unpack not only the technicality of building and construction, but also its intricate politics, from the motivations behind the workers to the interests of municipal leaders.” In July 2021, she became professor and dean at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Du, Juan University of Florida alumni Princeton University alumni ETH Zurich alumni University of Toronto faculty Living people Date of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people)