Kongjian Yu, holding a Doctor of Design from Harvard, is a Professor and the founding dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape at Peking University. He is also the founder and principal designer of the globally recognized firm Turenscape. 

His design philosophy centers on valuing the ordinary and fully embracing nature, including its destructive elements like floods. Yu’s work has received numerous international accolades, including 14 ASLA Excellence and Honor Awards and 7 WAF Best Landscape Architecture of the Year Awards, among others. 

An acclaimed author, Yu has written over 20 books and 300 papers, and founded the award-winning magazine, Landscape Architecture Frontiers. His innovative concepts of “ecological security patterns” and “sponge city” have significantly influenced China’s ecological civilization campaign, attracting global attention. 

Yu has been honored with prestigious awards such as the IFLA’s Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award, the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, and the Cornelia Hahn Oberlander Prize. Additionally, he is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.