Jia Weng

Jia Weng is an architectural designer, urbanist, and researcher. Her dissertation, tentatively titled “Air Conditions in Motion,” treats air-conditioning systems as mechanical thresholds in architecture. By following the evolution and migration of technical elements in air-conditioning systems, such as the control valve, Jia explores how environmental control machines transform the functions and meaning of traditional architectural elements, such as the building envelope and the hearth in different geographical and cultural contexts. Her writings have appeared in The Architect (Jianzhu Shi, 2018), UED (Chengshi, Huanjing, Sheji, 2021), ACSA 2019 Annual Meeting Proceedings: OPEN, and The Frontier Mentality Reader.

Jia is certified in Film and Media Studies and is currently a research affiliate (2021-2023) at the Research Network of Technology and Philosophy. Jia holds a B.Arch from Tsinghua University in China (2012), a Master of Urban Design from Taubman College at the University of Michigan (2013), and a Master of Environmental Design from Yale University (2018). Before joining Yale, Jia has practiced architectural design at KPF New York Office and Atelier FCZJ in Beijing. Jia is also a long-term collaborator with Design Earth and Pills Architects. Her design research contributions have appeared in many competitions and exhibitions, including the Jacques Rougerie Competition (First Prize), the Venice Architecture Biennale (2016, 2018, 2021), and the Infrastructural Territory Exhibition at OCAT Shanghai Gallery (2016).