Yi Wang and Wentao Guo on Staggering of Urban Lifestyles and the Future of Collective Living

It’s a meaningful recognition, because it gives us a chance to share the potential of our research on the staggered truss system as a new model for affordable, context-driven housing. Its modularity, adaptability, and cost-efficiency make it a strong candidate for inclusive, high-density urban living.

We’ve been exploring how this system could apply to residential high-rises in New York City. It’s fast to assemble, economical, and creates large, open spans. But beyond efficiency, we’re experimenting with skewed truss layouts to break away from the typical “bar building” look, making the structure more responsive to its site. It’s about making housing that’s practical yet spatially engaging.

This recognition has strengthened our confidence to continue exploring how architecture can respond to social and urban challenges. Staggering of Urban Lifestyles is not just a design—it is a prototype that proposes new ways of living collectively and resiliently.

As a licensed design team based in New York, we’re always open to collaborations and conversations with those who share our interest in sustainable, adaptive design. Anyone curious about our work can reach us at studioyione@gmail.com.

Experimentation is at the core of what we do. It pushes us to see things differently and often leads to discoveries we didn’t plan for.

In Staggering of Urban Lifestyles, we reimagined conventional modular trusses into a skewed, staggered formation. This kept the cost-efficiency of standard systems but unlocked new spatial relationships and possibilities. The process of testing, revising, and integrating the system on site was what ultimately shaped the project’s architectural language. Design comes alive in those moments of exploration and adjustment.

Visiting the site of the former Pruitt–Igoe housing project in St. Louis was both unexpected and eye-opening. Its story is a reminder that architecture can fail deeply when it forgets the human side of design.

Although demolished decades ago, its influence can still be seen in housing models today that prioritize efficiency over empathy. That realization pushed us to rethink what affordable housing should mean. Staggering of Urban Lifestyles grew out of that reflection, proposing spaces that restore community, dignity, and flexibility in dense urban settings.

People often focus on the final building, but the real creativity happens during the process, in the stages of research, dialogue, and refinement.

For 'Staggering of Urban Lifestyles', we studied urban precedents, demographic data, and structural systems to make sure the project reflected the community’s needs. Design is not only about the final form, it is about creating meaning, connecting people, and shaping experiences.

We see clients not as counterparts, but as partners in a shared creative process. The best projects happen when the client’s goals and the public’s needs align through thoughtful dialogue.

Architecture demands both imagination and responsibility. We must balance creativity with our duty to users, the community, and the environment. Staying true to ideas is important, but humility and listening are just as essential. We believe great design grows from empathy.

One of the biggest challenges was aligning structure, façade, and space into one coherent idea.

We overcame this through iterative testing, constantly moving between concept and detail until everything came together. Each round of refinement brought new understanding, helping us find balance between technical logic and spatial experience.

We change perspective. Sometimes that means shifting scale, from architecture to furniture, or switching material, from steel to wood. These shifts often open new paths.

We also revisit early sketches, because the seeds of ideas are often already there. Creativity is not linear—it moves in cycles, and we try to follow its rhythm rather than fight against it.

Having practiced in Europe, Japan, China, and the United States, we have learned to see architecture through many cultural perspectives. Each place taught us something valuable: discipline, adaptability, and sensitivity.

Our design process always begins with observation and empathy. We listen to the site, the people, the history. That awareness guides us toward designs that feel grounded, human, and open to change.

Stay ambitious and believe in architecture’s power to change how we live. But also stay patient and kind. Listen to what people and places truly need.

Success takes time. Be patient, be curious, and let your passion guide you, not trends. Real design comes from conviction and care.

It is hard to choose just one. We believe collaboration itself is what drives creativity forward. When people share the same values, their differences spark new ideas. We are always open to new partnerships, so if you share our curiosity and vision, we would love to connect.

We wish more people would ask, “What kind of future do you imagine through your designs?”

Our answer is that we imagine a future where architecture serves as a catalyst for social progress rather than a product of economic systems. We hope our work inspires new ways of living that are collective, adaptable, and environmentally conscious. Every project, no matter its size, is an opportunity to rethink how we live together.