This spring we were teaching a 3rd year open studio at Tsinghua University with its focus on the urban renewal of the area around the Ping’anli Subway Station in central Beijing, a crucial subway node for commuters.

Students were encouraged to reflect on the user profiles that this repurposed area could attract, integrating their unique ideas to create designs that not only respect but also revitalize the historical and cultural essence of the local setting. This holistic approach to design has resulted in proposals that envision new possibilities for urban living and aim to enhance the integration between new developments and the existing urban fabric.

At the midterm, we challenged the students to present their ideas in a crisp PechaKucha format, condensing their visions into just 20 slides to exercise their presentation skills and break out of conventional presentation rituals.

Many thanks go to Yang Gao and the Crossboundaries team for their support and creative input.

Special thanks go to Keren He, Tang Kang Shuo, Miao Zhang and Jakob Schmitt for their critical insights during the different reviews.