B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio

Founded in 2014, B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio was established in Beijing by Japanese architects Shuhei Aoyama and Yoko Fujii. It is an international architecture studio full of youthfulness and vitality oriented towards architecture and architectural interior design. B.L.U.E. is the abbreviation for Beijing Laboratory for Urban Environment, and it is also the core design philosophy of the studio. Focusing on the intense collision of rich history and vanward thought of Beijing, B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio is working on the design practices of architecture, interior design, product design, and art. In other to archive the research on urban physics, society, culture and environment, thus seeks to create a design platform that truly connects the urban environments.

B.L.U.E. Architecture studio practices a wide variety of projects, ranging from architectural projects, urban renewal, cultural spaces, and renovation projects, to experimental studies of new lifestyles, in major cities at home and abroad, including Beijing, Shanghai, Kyoto, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou, etc. Among them, Zolaism Café, 1402 Coffee, and the Tang Hotel bring new vitality to the cultural community of Aranya. BAN Villa. a miniature water town, which is to create a rural plain life experience. Located on Jianguo West Road in Shanghai, % Arabica Coffee breaks the space boundary to bring urban views indoors. M WOODS Art Community Renovation brings freshness to Longfusi street in Beijing. In the north of Chengde, the firm creates Forest Valley Hot Spring Center with vertical towers and horizontal glass boxes. Located in Hangzhou's landmark OōEli, Lost & Found Store. ‘400 boxes’ in Quanzhou, which is a concept of a new sharing community for the individual era of young people.

B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio is very concerned about contemporary art and design. Invited by UCCA in 2019 and 2021, the firm participated in the ‘Insight & Vision’ in Beijing and Suzhou, and in 2020, participated in the Beijing Urban Architecture Biennale held in Zhangjiawan Design Town, Beijing sub-center; In September 2018, ‘HOUSE VISION’ came to China and the firm was invited to create a ‘400 boxes’ project during the exhibition. In 2016, the studio was invited to participate in Venice Architecture Biennale ‘China House Vision’. In 2015, we participated in the theme exhibition ‘Humanistic Nature and Society (Shan-Shui) - an Insight Into the Future’ sponsored by the Himalayan Art Museum.

B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio has been rated as “100 TOP ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN TALENTS IN CHINA” by AD. The firm has been selected and honored by many of the world's most prestigious awards, For example, winners of Architizer A+Awards, Architecture MasterPrize and Restaurant & Bar Design Awards, FX Awards, Archdaily Best Architectural Projects, and the finalist of Dezeen Awards. The firm also got Award360° best brand space, IAI best design award, JCD DESIGN AWARD BEST 100 by the Japanese Commercial Environment Designer Association, and was selected for the WA Housing Award in 2016. In the same year, the firm was honored with the Silver Award by China Architecture Association. Shuhei Aoyama, the founder of B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio, was rated as “Model Young Designer of the Year” by Beijing Youth Weekly in 2017. In the same year, he was named “40 under 40 - Chinese Outstanding Young Designers”. He was also selected by Yicai as the 2017 Best International Entrepreneur of the Year – Yicai Brilliant 20.



Design Description / Seed Plaza in Jiaxing

Located on the urban‑rural fringe of Nanhu District, Seed Plaza is a mixed‑use facility that currently serves as an exhibition and retail center and will later become a community hub for surrounding neighbourhoods.

Concept – The design responds to the post‑pandemic craving for nature by balancing indoor and outdoor spaces. Of the total 7 000 m² floor area, 3 500 m² are left as open air – a deliberate break from conventional real‑estate efficiency. The client fully embraced this idea, resulting in a highly permeable architectural form. The building is conceived as a miniature three‑dimensional neighbourhood, using “street‑and‑alley” logic to connect spaces, while greenery is woven into the walkways, bringing nature into daily life.

Spatial organisation – Twenty stacked boxes of varied shapes create a dynamic, growing identity. Generous grey spaces between them, along with thirteen staircases, encourage aimless wandering and continuous circulation, making elevators unnecessary. The box‑based structure also allows future functional conversions without disrupting other parts. Four stepping floor slabs form a mountain‑like silhouette; their curved edges add visual liveliness. Staggered boxes generate semi‑outdoor terraces with diverse views, furnished with seating and surrounded by local planting, reminiscent of urban streets. Rooftop trees and atrium cut‑outs with layered shrubs create a vertical forest, while open sightlines and natural light enhance the sensory experience. A sunken semi‑underground area connects to the main square via steps, doubling as seating and event space. The top of the fourth‑floor box rises as a ceremonial theatre, offering an open‑sky finale to the wandering journey.

Materials – The predominantly grey‑white palette ensures a clean, artistic backdrop. Each of the 20 boxes has a distinct facade finish – metal panels on the first and fourth floors (varying brightness), and warmer wood/stone on the second and third. Ground surfaces differ by zone: stone on the ground floor, exposed aggregate concrete on the second and fourth, and laminated bamboo in the semi‑underground square and third floor. Rest areas on each box use unique textures, enriching the neighbourhood feel.

Conclusion – Shifting from an era of maximised indoor area to one that values outdoor experience, Seed Plaza’s 1:1 indoor‑outdoor ratio offers a restorative environment that fosters self‑exploration, neighbourly bonds, and expanded life boundaries – a potential new model for community and commercial architecture in the stock‑age city.