The Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2026 includes Various Associates, a young Chinese practice that now joins our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.
Gong's House
Who: Various Associates
From designing a skatepark in Qinhuangdao, to a beach club in Sanya, to fashion boutiques in Shanghai, and an Adidas flagship in Seoul – the work of Various Associates is indeed varied, spanning hotels, retail, residential, workspaces, galleries and urban spaces. The Shenzhen-based studio was co-founded by Qianyi Lin and Dongzi Yang in 2017 with a focus on cross-disciplinary and research-led design; the pair studied interiors and architecture, respectively, at the Royal College of Art in London.
Gong's House
This approach is driven by the duo’s ambition to activate original spatial experiences that are both holistic and transcending. In their work, the layers of a space – from branding, to product, to materiality and architecture – each commit to a guiding concept without hierarchy, resulting in an immersive vision. It’s a philosophy they describe as: ‘Working in the future for the present.’
To achieve this, the team has expanded beyond architects to include material engineers, artists, graphic and experience designers. This collaboration across disciplines elevates Various Associates into a ‘platform’ where ideas are central and conventions are always challenged. The mode of open-thinking and experimentation results in spaces where architecture, art and technology are blended and experiential potential is endless.
Gong's House
What: Gong's House
This curious house in the ancient village of Yongjia is built around the distinct social dynamics of a family reunion. Designed for the families of six siblings (30 people and counting), its challenge was to consolidate cross-generational needs and a rural-urban divide of lifestyles. To ensure separate activities can always be shared, spacious rooms are linked and layered with open connections. Games of mahjong between elderly Gong family members unfold alongside children’s playtime, supervised with ease by tea-sipping parents.
Gong's House
Ambient natural light and countryside views flow in through the abstract composition of windows that pepper the facade, echoing the ‘staggered orderliness’ of the vernacular houses of Jiangnan. Seeking to resolve the spirit of local rural construction and the efficiency of industrial urban methods, the architects developed a plant fibre brick that combines the intelligence of both, as well as being highly insulating and breathable, ideal for mitigating moisture during the rainy season.
Gong's House
Why: Architects Directory 2026
Gong's House
When the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory was conceived in 2000, it was built as our bespoke international index of emerging architectural talent. Now in its 25th edition, our annual listing of promising practices from across the globe (now comprising over 500 alumni) champions the best and most promising young studios - a snapshot of talent showcasing inspiring work from all corners of the Earth with an emphasis on the residential realm.
This year’s anniversary survey includes 30 young studios (one for each of the 30 years of Wallpaper*), from Australia, Bahrain, Benin, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, France, Ivory Coast, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, India, Morocco, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, the UK, the USA, and Vietnam. Welcome to the promise, ideas and exciting architecture of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026.
Gong's House