David Vardy
Distinguished Associate Professor
Director, Wenzhou-Kean Design Lab (WKDL)
Office: GHKH A210
E-mail: dvardy@wku.edu.cn
Courses
ARCH-5404 *Building Systems II (Masters)*
ARCH-6405 *Building Systems III/ Building Systems Integration (Masters)*
ARCH 5109 *Studio 9: Complex Program II (Masters)*
ARCH-3105 *Studio 11: Comprehensive Design (Masters)*
Education Background
MArch with Distinction, The Scott Sutherland School, UK
BSc (Hons) Architectural Studies, Strathclyde University, UK, Glasgow Institute of Architects Award Best Project, Nomination Royal Institute of British Architects Bronze Medal, Stewart Milne Fellowship Special Merit Achievement Award
Biography
David Vardy is an academic-based practising Architect. He is Director of the Wenzhou-Kean Design Lab (WKDL), and Director of UK based architectural practice DVA. He was formerly the Director of the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design Research Centre (DRC). He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects China Chapter (RIBA), and an Associate member of the American Institute of Architects Shanghai Chapter (Assoc. AIAS).
David is Scottish. He studied Architecture in the United Kingdom, graduating a Master of Architecture with Distinction, and with awards including nomination for the RIBA Bronze Medal. After graduation, he pursued a parallel career as a practitioner alongside teaching design studio, notably co-supervising architectural masters thesis together with high-profile UK Architects (SSS UNIT1 + UNIT2). In 2018 David moved to China to become an academic-based practicing architect. His design work (and teaching) has been recognised through awards, exhibition and publication, including first prizes in international open competition. David is a regular guest critic at schools of architecture in China and the UK.
Academic Experience
2021— Distinguished Associate Professor, Wenzhou-Kean University School of Public Architecture, China
2021— Director, Wenzhou-Kean Design Institute (WKDI), China
2021— Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
2020-21— Year 2 Coordinator of the Design School, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design School, China
2019-21— Director, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design Research Centre (DRC), China
2019-21— Year 3 Leader BEng Architecture, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Department of Architecture, China
2019-21— Assistant Professor, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Department of Architecture, China
2018-19— Lecturer, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Department of Architecture, China
2019— Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
2010-18— Co-supervisor Masters Thesis (UNIT 1, later UNIT 2), The Scott Sutherland School, UK
2007-18— Lecturer in Architectural Design, The Scott Sutherland School, UK
Research Field
Building-systems and sustainability: buildings as energy-systems and energy-infrastructure; the architecture of sustainable death and memorial (ZeroBurial); the architecture of wood + bamboo building-systems; the architecture of passive-design systems for cooling; the architecture of flood-resilient building-systems; architecture and the transition to sustainable-buildings and to climate-mediated-environments; architecture and recycling, adaptive-reuse, design for deconstruction, and design for future-adaptation.
Architecture + AI: future-practice of the architect and the transition to designing with AI; speculation about the future (and the future role) of the architect; future-practice and alternative forms of practice, design-competitions and design-labs; discretism; exhibition and prototyping as research methods.
Urban-rural (China): architecture and urban-rural resilience, sustainability, and revitalisation; architecture in an age of depopulation and degrowth in China; architectural intervention and prototyping as a research method; discretism and
contemporary architecture in conservation settings; architectural systems for small-space and temporary-stay development of historic and culturally sensitive settings, including micro-housing, skinny-housing, and flood-resilient building; west-east transnational and transcultural knowledge exchange, co-creation, and collaboration, through design and building.
Awarded Projects (recent)
2022— ‘OFFLINE Park’, The Land Art Generator Initiative, Beautiful Forms of Energy, Award of Final Shortlisting and selection for exhibition at The German National Garden Show Mannheim 2023 (BUGA 23), Mannheim, international open competition and international exhibition.
2022— ‘Pink Island’, The Architecture MasterPrize (AMP), Landscape Architecture and Gardens Design of the Year 2022, Honorable Mention, Seoul, international open competition.
2022— ‘Building of the Earth’, 4th Prize, International Competition for the (New) Agricultural Resources Management Institute in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, Korean Institute of Architects, international open competition and national exhibition.
2021— ‘Under One Roof’, Prize, Qingshui Village, open competition
2021— ‘Pink Island’, 1st Prize (Gold Prize), Show Garden Competition of Seoul International Garden Show 2020, Seoul, international open competition
2020— ‘Virtual Studio’, Winner Best Innovation Suzhou Design Week 2020
2020— ‘Living Museum’, 4th Place, Suzhou Ancient City Design Competition, China Society of Architecture, Suzhou, open competition
2020— ‘Metro Garden’, 2nd Prize, Gusu District Urban Planning Bureau Open Competition, Suzhou
2019— First Prize (joint), Best Exhibition Design, Zijin Exhibition 2019, Nanjing
2019— ‘Reinventing Suzhou’, Winner Heritage Innovation Award, Suzhou Design Week 2019
2019— ‘Enfilade’, Shortlisted, Suzhou Old Town Conservation Design Output Workshop National Open Design Competition, Suzhou Municipal People’s Government in association with the Architectural Society of China, Suzhou
2019— ‘The Island’, Honourable Mention, International Bamboo Construction Competition (IBCC) 2019 International Open Design Competition, International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), Beijing
2019— ‘The Bridge’, Certificate of Honour, North Design Union Headquarters International Open Design Competition, Tianjin
Publication (recent):
2023: Vardy, David. OFFLINE Park. In Ferry, Robert, and Monoian, Elizabeth (Ed.), ‘Land Art as Climate Action: Designing the 21st Century City Park’. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
2022: Vardy, David, Shi, Luhang, Xie, Haitian, Gao, Xinxin. Island: A writers’ retreat. In Liu, Kewei, Demartino, Cristoforo, Li, Zhi, Liu, Qinghui and Xiao, Yan (Ed.), ‘2019 International Bamboo Construction Competition: From the Concepts to the Realized Pavilions’ (pp. 209-216). Switzerland: Springer, in the series ”Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering” (LNCE).
2022: Vardy, David, Dong, Yiping, Wash, Glen, Hidalgo Nacher, Teo, Latto, John. Living Museum/ 生活博物馆. In Ancient City
Micro Renewal of Suzhou Practice: 2019-2020 Suzhou Ancient City Revival Architectural Design Work Camp Collection Book Editorial Board of China’s Building Industry/ 古城微更新的苏州实践:2019-2020苏州古城复兴建筑设计工作营优秀作品集 (pp. 158-170). Beijing: China Architecture & Building Press/ 中国建筑工业出版社.
2021: Vardy, David. Public-through-Practice. In FutureLab (Ed.), ‘FutureLab 2021’ (pp. 44). Shanghai: Art and Design Education: FutureLab”.
2021: Hidalgo Nacher, Teo, Vardy, David. Pink Island. In LAK (Ed.), ‘Show Garden Competition of Seoul International Garden Show 2020’ Seoul.
2020: Vardy, David. ZeroBurial— Inventing a tradition of Resomation. In Moore, Linnea (Ed.), ‘Infrastructure and Landscape’ (pp. 88-109). Unpublished.
2020: Vardy, David. Loos, Adolf. In Vv.AA. ‘Enciclopedia Italiana dell’Arte Treccani’, ed. Istituto della enciclopedia Italiana Treccani.
Exhibition (recent):
2023— Vardy, David, Jiayi, Xu, Su, Yuzhang, Li, Jinyu, Yi, Xuanrun, Wenzhou-Kean Design Lab. ‘OFFLINE Park’. The German National Garden Show Mannheim 2023 (BUGA 23), Mannheim, Germany.
2022— Vardy, David, Zheng, Gu, Cheng, Shengze, Wenzhou-Kean Design Lab with DADANG Design and CATS. ‘Building of the Earth’. Provincial Office (Andong), Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea.
2021— Vardy, David, Fan, Qian, Hejing, Yuan. ‘Passing Through Shuangta’ as part of ‘Exploring the Heritage and Community of the Twin Towers’. Suzhou International Design Week. Pan House East, Lu Xia Lane, Suzhou, China.
2021— Vardy, David, Wenzhou-Kean Design Lab. ‘Public-through-Practice’. 2021 FutureLab, West Bund Dome, Shanghai, China.
2021— Vardy, David, Fan, Qian, Hejing, Yuan. ‘Passing Through Shuangta’ as part of ‘Bridging the Past, Present and Future, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Architecture and Design School’. 2021 FutureLab, West Bund Dome, Shanghai, China.
2021— Vardy, David, Fan, Qian, Hejing, Yuan. ‘Passing Through Shuangta’, Critical Histories and Cultural Innovation Lab, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Architecture and Design School, together with the Suzhou Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management Institute. Shuangta Yingyuan, Suzhou Historic District 15 Guantaiwei, Suzhou, China.
2021— Vardy, David, ‘Caravanserai, Transforming the Suzhou Courtyard Type’, Critical Histories and Cultural Innovation Lab, Department of Architecture + Design, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. Shuangta Yingyuan, Suzhou Historic District 15 Guantaiwei, Suzhou, China.
2020— Vardy, David. ‘ZERO BURIAL — new typologies, and the infrastructure of death in the Chinese landscape’, as part of ‘Virtual Studio’. Suzhou Design Week, Suzhou, China.
2020— Vardy, David, Dong, Chen, Hidalgo Nacher, Teo. ‘Metro Garden’. Suzhou Design Week, Suzhou, China.
2020— Wash, Glen, Latto, John, Vardy, David, Hidalgo Nacher, Teo. ‘Living Museum’. National Conference of The China Society of Architecture, Shenzhen, China.
2019— Nolf, Christian, Vardy, David, Vannoorbeeck, Florence, Hay, Richard, Fung, Philip, Ku, Kihong. ‘Suzhou: 1 City/ 7 Identities’. Zijin Exhibition, Nanjing, China.
2019— Nolf, Christian, Vardy, David, Vannoorbeeck, Florence, Pellegrini, Paola, Attuyer, Katia. ‘Reinventing Suzhou’. Suzhou Design Week, Suzhou, China.
2019— Vardy, David, Luhang, Shi, Xie, Haitian, Gao, Xingxin. ‘A Writers Retreat’, International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR). International Horticultural Exposition 2019, Beijing, China.
2019— Vardy, David, Nolf, Christian, Vannoorbeeck, Florence, Hay, Richard, Fung, Philip, Ku, Kihong. ‘Suzhou: 1 City/ 7 Identities’, Conference Exhibition, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Architecture Across Boundaries 2019: International Conference. Suzhou, China.
2019— Vardy, David, Dong, Chen, Ping, Yi, Li, Jiayi. Suzhou Old Town Conservation Design Output Workshop, Conference Exhibition, Suzhou Municipal People’s Government in association with the Architectural Society of China, Symposium on reporting the results of the protection and design of the ancient city of Suzhou. Suzhou, China.
2019— Vardy, David, Xu, Wenfeng, Ren, Chenjia, Zhang, Ran, Zhang, Zhao, Chen, Liqiong. ‘The Bridge’, North Design Union Headquarters, Public Exhibition. Tianjing Cultural Center Grand Theatre + Exhibition Hall of Tianjing University School of Architecture + Exhibition Hall School of Architecture and Art and Design Hebei University of Technology + Wanxiang Mall Tianjing + ChenTang Science and Technology Business District Administrative Licensing Centre Tianjing. Tianjing, China.