Sun Yen Yee, a graduate from the Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA Pt II) has been named as an exceptional architectural assistant by the Architect’s Journal for his work throughout his career.
The Architects’ Journal’s AJ100 New Talent celebrates exceptional Part II architectural assistants across the AJ100 firms by recognising the work they do outside conventional practice, particularly those entering the profession for the first time.
Sun Yen Yee has been nominated by the Architect’s Journal for being a founding member of Grimshaw’s MEGA (Multi-Ethnic Group + Allies) which was created to improve racial diversity in the practice, and his “understanding of all architectural typologies in multiple regions and at different stages, combined with innovative computational, digital design and analytical skills”.
His key projects include the Oman Botanical Garden, Dubai International Financial Centre, and Tulse Hill, a residential project in South London. He was also named the winner of ‘Best in Category’ for his ‘Student Digital/Mixed’ award at the AIA Dallas Ken Roberts Memorial Delineation Competition in 2019.
Dr Yara Sharif, Senior Lecturer of Architecture + Cities and Sun’s former tutor, commented on his selection, saying: “Sun was a unique, hard-working student with an outstanding talent. Sun is also a winner of the Ken Roberts Award for best Architectural Drawings, 2019 for his work on Cuba as part of his Riba Part 2 MArch studies in DS22. Therefore, it is not a surprise to us that he is selected by the Architects’ Journal as an architectural assistant with exceptional talent. We are extremely proud of him and we believe he will leave a huge imprint in the field of architecture.”
Commenting on his time at Westminster, Sun said: “The Master of Architecture (MArch) (RIBA Pt II) course has provided the framework to hone my design and critical thinking skills, particularly through the unique approach of the design studio I was a part of (DS22) throughout the two-year course. This period of training exposed me to different ways in approaching architecture and allowed me to develop key concepts and understanding through a broad spectrum of themes ranging from socioeconomic analysis to right to the city.
“These have trained me well in working autonomously while maintaining the rigor in architectural thinking, which translate seamlessly into practice work and allow me to contribute well to the project team. I am truly humbled to be part of the AJ100 New Talent 2021 cohort and looking forward to the challenges further down the journey.”
Find out more about Architecture, Interiors and Urban Design courses offered at the University of Westminster.
Find out more about the Architect’s Journal New Talent nominations.
