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About
Awards
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Events
News
Contact
Support
Research Prize
European Research Prize
Structural Engineering Fellowship
China Fellowship
Robert L. Wesley Award
Researcher-in-Residence

SOM Foundation
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Chicago, IL 60604

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Searching for

About
Awards
Fellows
Events
News
Contact
Support
Research Prize
European Research Prize
Structural Engineering Fellowship
China Fellowship
Robert L. Wesley Award
Researcher-in-Residence

China Fellowship

The $5,000 China Fellowship is awarded annually to three students in the last two years of either an undergraduate or graduate program in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, or urban design in the People’s Republic of China to conduct independent travel and research that contributes to the SOM Foundation’s current topic. The China Fellowship was created in 2006 to support emerging design leaders to broaden their education and contribute to their future professional and academic careers.

Applicants must be an undergraduate or graduate student in the last two years of a professionally accredited degree program in architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, or urban design in the People’s Republic of China. Chinese citizenship is not required. Students enrolled at universities in the People’s Republic of China who are currently participating in a study abroad program outside of the country are eligible for the award. Students from China who are enrolled at universities outside the People’s Republic of China are not eligible for the award. Applicants must intend to obtain a professionally accredited degree and enter the professional practice of architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, or urban design. The winning applicants will be required to thoroughly document their research findings and develop conclusions or suggestions for application to teaching and/or professional practice.

Applications Open in January 2026

2024

Somf 2024 china fellowship zhangxiang dai portfolio 01
Somf 2024 china fellowship zhangxiang dai portfolio 02

Vertical Deconstruction, Housing Equity, and Humanistic Care

Based on urban vacancies and population density, Zhangxiang Dai will visit four cities in China and Japan in order to explore sustainable housing forms that conceptually challenge the status quo.

Zhangxiang Dai
Chang'an University School of Architecture

Somf 2024 china fellowship wenxiao xiang portfolio 01
Somf 2024 china fellowship wenxiao xiang portfolio 04

Re-Inhabit the “Invisible Room”

Wenxiao Xiang will travel to four European countries to study the concept of “invisible rooms” in collective housing—shared spaces that serve residents’ well-being by providing natural light, air, and views. Despite historical challenges in prioritizing these spaces over profit, this research proposes that “invisible rooms” balance resident welfare and economic interests, fostering healthier communities.

Wenxiao Xiang
Hunan University School of Architecture and Planning

Somf 2024 china fellowship xiangqing zheng portfolio 01b

Adapting Housing Strategies: Temporary Construction and Code Compliance

In this proposal, Xiangqing Zheng will explore how adapting housing strategies responds to new realities from the perspective of codes. When existing housing buildings that follow the old codes confront new realities and needs, how does the temporary construction of both bottom-up extension and top-down adaptation meet the requirements of the current codes? How do we find solutions under constraints and conflicts?

Xiangqing Zheng
The University of Hong Kong Faculty of Architecture

Somf 2023 china fellowship xianglan he portfolio 01

2023

Air Purification and Urban Strategies

Xianglan He

Somf 2023 china fellowship bolun qiu portfolio 01

2023

Air Justice: A Study on the Relationship Between Urban Form, Social Class, and Air Quality

Bolun Qiu

Somf 2023 china fellowship shuaibo shi portfolio 01

2023

Environmental Tectonics Through Air: Learning from Vernacular

Shuaibo Shi

Somf 2021 china fellowship chang guo final report 01

2021

Examining Social Justice Beneath the Surface: Taking European Public Swimming Pools as a Clue

Chang Guo

Somf 2021 china fellowship han tu portfolio 01

2021

Emotional Justice: Emotional Design of Urban Public Space

Han Tu

Somf 2021 china fellowship yunhan zhu final report 01

2021

Spatial Reproduction in Industrial Areas: Study on Chinese Workers’ Spatial Production in Europe

Yunhan Zhu

Somf 2019 china prize shen jie final report 01

2019

High-Density Habitation: Urban Planning and Residential Building

Shen Jie

Somf 2019 china prize jing qi final report detail of corridor groothandelsgebouw rotterdam

2019

The Influence of Megastructure Buildings on European Urban Space

Jing Qi

Somf china prize ziyuan zhu 01 2019

2019

The Urban Error System: Evoking Spatial Redundancy/Residue

Ziyuan Zhu

Somf china prize fenghao lu 2018 01

2018

In Between

Fenghao Lu

Somf 2018 china prize tangchenxi wei final report 01

2018

Native Community Development and Architectural Practice in the United States

Tangchenxi Wei

Somf 2018 china prize yuchen gao final report 01

2018

Slowness as Method

Yuchen Gao

Somf china prize hanxue wei 2017 02

2017

Urban Space with High Density: Study of Urbanization in India

Hanxue Wei

Somf china prize yue wu usb 2017

2017

Architecture, Infrastructure, and Urban Design and the Emerging Role of Infrastructure Design in the Modern City

Yue Wu

Somf 2017 china prize zhaoyang luo final report 08

2017

Atmosphere / Material / Behavior / Thoughts

Zhaoyang Luo

Somf china prize li dai 2016 09

2016

Reclaiming Urban Public Spaces

Li Dai

Somf china prize qiaozhi li 2016 03

2016

Form Follows Climate

Qiaozhi Li

Somf china prize xin ji 2015 02

2015

Research of Urban Public Space

Xin Ji

Somf 2015 china prize jinhui wang final report 04

2015

The Classical Spirit and Contemporary Architecture of Cities

Jinhui Wang

Somf 2011 china prize yige liu final report 01

2011

Materials, Structure, and Space

Yige Liu

Somf 2008 china prize wang baozheng final report 01

2008

Wang Baozheng

Somf 2007 china prize haohao zhu final report 01

2007

The Pantheon in II Campo Marzio dell’Antica Roma

Haohao Zhu

Somf 2006 china prize luo ke final report 01

2006

Luo Ke

Somf 2006 china prize li ning final report 01

2006

Li Ning

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