When WZWX Architecture Group set up their new home in the residential community between the bustling eastern district of Daan and Songshan, the neighborhood soon took an interest. “The neighbourhood is very friendly and curious in what we do, and now we have become part of this community and look after each other. Even their dog, Lucky, follows us to lunch every day.”

The firm was founded in 2014 by brothers Dr. Richard Wang (WZ) and Dr. Stephen Wang (WX); they were later joined by Philip Kwong and Chiou Huei Lin as partners, thus completing the team. While their relaxed and down-to-earth manner may appear somewhat of a paradox to their earnest approach to their projects, it also demonstrates the genuine passion they have for what they do every day.

Despite being a young studio, WZWX has already received several important recognition and awards. These include a collaboration with 1992 Pritzker prize laureate, Alvaro Siza, and Carlos Castanheira on the Shihlien Chemical project in China; the HQ office for Taiwan Glass, one of the world’s largest glass manufacturers; and the recent concept store for ROU by T Ham that abstractly celebrates the essence of the meat. They have also partnered with the likes of Philipp Mainzer of German company E15.

Their philosophy is based on the seamless fusion of design ideas and quality construction and detailing. This was acquired through their diverse international training in Europe, the UK, and New Zealand. “In the early days this included working as members of the OMA think tank in Rotterdam on the PRADA epicenter and other competitions. Three of our partners have also grown up in New Zealand, so I guess the utmost respect for nature is deeply rooted in our DNA. This relates to how we site our projects into its context, and considerations on the link between the inside and outside are always at the core of our design approach. We think of ourselves as directors who channel users into different orchestrated journeys through space,” says WZWX.

Looking into the New Year, WZWX has this forecast: “2017 is shaping up to be one of the most globally uncertain years in recent history, politically and economically. For China and Taiwan the economic and policy environment will be shifting. The new growth is being channelled towards more specialised sectors such as entertainment, healthcare and rural village renewal. We believe that there is quite a lot of scope for innovation, and we are well placed in our ability to truly assist clients from inception to completion.”