{"id":40253,"date":"2025-07-02T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muse.international\/?p=40253"},"modified":"2025-07-04T04:30:39","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T04:30:39","slug":"interview-mengyu-zhao-nyad-winner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muse.international\/index\/interview-mengyu-zhao-nyad-winner\/","title":{"rendered":"Building Better Worlds, One Space at a Time with Mengyu Zhao"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Mengyu Zhao, Co-Founder of TrayStudio, is an architect whose work explores how spatial design influences human experience and interaction. She brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to projects of every scale, believing that all environments, no matter how small, have the power to shape lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mengyu Zhao Q1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDe Bord en Bord\u201d was completed about a year ago in response to Quebec City\u2019s proposal to revitalize. And reclaim waterfront areas that had long been cut off from the city by the Dufferin-Montmorency freeway. The project was featured in the \u201cPermeabilities\u201d issue of Harvard Urban Design Magazine. Which focused on design practices that soften physical and social borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are very proud of this project because it exemplifies how design can reclaim space across existing man-made divisions. When we heard about the NY Architectural Design Awards from colleagues and friends. We felt it was a great opportunity to share this work more broadly. We hope this recognition can bring greater visibility to our vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The core idea is to soften the man-made boundary between Quebec City. And the waterfront area along the Dufferin-Montmorency freeway that limits the physical and socio-economic mobility of Quebec City residents. Our project reframes the freeway as both an ecological corridor and an urban commons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By reconnecting the city\u2019s urban fabric to its waterfront, we aim to restore the public\u2019s right to the river. The driving force behind the design is the concept of permeability, breaking down barriers and reconnecting people with public spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q2<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>My interest in architecture stems from a belief that the built environment shapes how people feel and interact. I\u2019ve always been deeply curious about people, and design allows me to explore and frame human experience in ways that are both subtle and interactive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve always wanted to be part of a creative field that values innovation. I earned my B.Arch from Tsinghua University and my M.Arch from Harvard, where I learned to think systematically about spatial design and human interaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my professional work, I\u2019ve engaged in projects of many scales, and I\u2019ve realized that no matter the size, all spaces have the power to shape human experiences and perspectives. Architecture matters because it surrounds us. Everyone interacts with the built environment every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>TrayStudio approaches each project with a specific mission rooted in its site and community, treating each one as unique. That said, certain values remain consistent. At TrayStudio, we\u2019re committed to enhancing the built environment and creating meaningful spatial experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We integrate progressive design thinking while upholding social and ecological responsibility. As a BIPOC-led studio, we\u2019re also passionate about contributing to a healthier, more inclusive future through our design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/muse.international\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(read more <a href=\"https:\/\/nyarchitectureawards.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external\">here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/innovationwind\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"broken_link external\"><i class=\"icon-instagram\" style=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wind-innovation.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" class=\"external\"><i class=\"icon-globe-line\" style=\"\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Mengyu Zhao, Co-Founder of TrayStudio, is an architect whose work explores how spatial design influences human experience and interaction. She brings a thoughtful, people-centered approach to<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":40256,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[372,553],"tags":[530,58,492],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Interview with Mengyu Zhao | NY Architectural Design Awards Winner<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mengyu Zhao, Co-Founder of TrayStudio, is an architect whose work explores how spatial design influences human experience and interaction...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/muse.international\/index\/interview-mengyu-zhao-nyad-winner\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta 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