News Archive
Spinagu is the winner of Small Lots, Big Impacts Design Competition
June 15, 2025
Spinagu was named a Professional Winner in the Small Lots, Big Impacts competition, organized by cityLAB‑UCLA, LA4LA, and CIty of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office. Their proposal, titled Households, is housing design for five units but feasibly ten households. It’s a subdivision experiment to disrupt the architectural habits of the single family, to find bridges between households, generations, and living arrangements. As households change shape, so should its architecture. In Households, people share addresses while choosing how to share space. Jurors commended the scheme for combining a conventional housing model with layered design strategies to enhance density, flexibility, and social life.
This project sits within the Site B: Professional category—a typology focused on developing small-lot multi-unit housing—alongside other notable winners such as Light and Air (Brooklyn), West of West (Los Angeles), and Figure/MAZi Architects/Temporary Office (San Francisco/UK/New York).
Spinagu’s scheme stood out among 356 submissions from 36 countries, speaking to the range and competitiveness of the competition. The initiative seeks architecture proposals that deliver housing on small parcels while addressing equity, resilience, and shared living models across Los Angeles.
July 16, 2025
Jia Yi Gu Interviewed on KoozArch: Exploring Feminist, Material, and Process-Based Curatorial Strategies in Material Acts
In July 2025, Jia Yi Gu, Kate Yeh Chiu and Olga Subiros were featured in an in-depth interview on KoozArch, where they delved into the feminist, material, and process-driven curatorial approaches that underpin the Material Acts project. Gu discussed the ways feminist perspectives inform the exhibition’s emphasis on process, highlighting how these strategies foreground often overlooked labor and material histories in design. The full interview is available on the KoozArch platform.
July 15, 2025
Jia Yi Gu contributes essay “Living Systems: From the Geologic to the Metabolic” for the exhibition catalogue of More-Than-Human at the Design Museum, London.
Jia Yi Gu contributed the essay titled “Living Systems: From the Geologic to the Metabolic” to the catalogue accompanying More-Than-Human, a landmark exhibition at the Design Museum, London. Published in Summer 2025, the essay explores the entanglements between architecture, ecology, and biological life, examining how living systems operate across scales—from the geologic to the metabolic—in shaping material and spatial practices. More-Than-Human is a major exhibition bringing together art, science and radical thinking to ask how design can help our planet thrive by shifting its focus beyond human needs. This publication is part of Jia Yi Gu’s broader research focus on ecological materiality and experimental practices at the intersection of architecture and the natural world.
Order the book here.
May 15, 2025
Jia Yi Gu contributes essay to 100 Words for Water: A Projective Ecosocial Vocabulary
100 Words for Water: A Projective Ecosocial Vocabulary delves into the urgent and intertwined relationship between water systems and human life amidst the escalating climate crisis. Drawing on the United Nations’ assertion that “the climate crisis is mainly a water crisis,” this thought-provoking book compiles over one hundred key terms defined by contemporary thinkers in science, philosophy, politics, activism and architecture. These terms – such as Water Rights, Hydrocatharsis, Decommodification of Water and Liquid Modernity – form a vital lexicon to guide transformative action and foster a more symbiotic relationship with water. Edited by Eva Franch i Gilabert, Mireia Luzárraga, and Alejandro Muiño, this interdisciplinary volume compiles over one hundred key terms defined by contemporary thinkers in science, philosophy, politics, activism and architecture to form a vital lexicon for transformative action around water equity as part of the Catalonia Pavilion for the Biennale Architettura 2025.
Order the book here.
June 2025
The book Material Acts: Experimentation in Architecture and Design
Jia Yi Gu and collaborator Kate Yeh Chiu publish Material Acts: Experimentation in Architecture and Design, a comprehensive publication exploring the intersections of materiality, craft, and scientific inquiry within architecture and design. The book accompanies the exhibition Material Acts held at Craft Contemporary, which investigates the dynamic processes of material transformation through themes such as Animating, Disassembling, Feeding, Re-fusing, and Stitching. The catalog contributors includes Adobeisnotsoftware, After Architecture, Amy Zhang, Anupama Kundoo, Assemble, Assia Crawford, Atelier LUMA, BC architects, Caroline A. Jones, Charlotte Malterre-Barthes, Didem Ekici, DOSU Studio Architecture, Dylan Wood, Elsa MH Mäki, Gramazio Kohler Research, HANNAH, Hilary Huckins-Weidner, Jennifer Johung, Joar Nango, Katariina Träskelin, Lola Ben-Alon, Mae-Ling Lokko, Maru Garcia, Omar Kahn, Post Rock, Rael San Fratello, Sara Inga Utsi Bongo, SOFTLAB, Soft Matters, Strat Coffman, Sutherlin Santo, Tag Christof, Ye Rin Mok, Yogiaman Tracy Design, Zara Pfeifer, and Zofia Trafas White.
The publication’s launch was prsented in a series of lectures and events:
e-flux: The New York launch at e-flux on February 18, 2025, was gathering of architects, artists, and thinkers, framed by live readings and reflections from contributors such as Ivan Muneras, takk Architecture and Elsa Mäki.
MAS Context and UIC: On March 20, 2025, MAS Context and the UIC School of Architecture hosted a lecture by Gu and Chiu. The event offered an expansive dialogue on the research trajectories embedded in Material Acts, sparking critical engagement with the future of architectural materiality.
The Library is Open at Columbia University: The Library is Open is a lunchtime series featuring recently published works and their authors, curated by Bart-Jan Polman, Director of Exhibitions and Public Programming and Curator of the Arthur Ross Architecture Gallery at Columbia GSAPP. Hosted in a central location in Avery Hall, the LiO series honors GSAPP’s historical connection to Avery Library, the world’s largest Architecture library.
June 2025
Spinagu supporting the Los Angeles arts and architecture eco-system
Spinagu is proud to contribute to the arts and architecture communities by serving as the host committee members of benefits for JOAN, Artadia, and the Feminist Center for Creative Work (FCCW):
GATHER Benefit for the Feminist Center for Creative Work (FCCW). This event, held on June 7, 2025, celebrated FCCW's 10-year anniversary and supported a vibrant future for feminist art in Los Angeles. The evening featured a multisensory installation GATHER + FEAST by artist Minh Phan and collaborators, inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction” alongside an art raffle with works from renowned artists such as Amy Adler, Andrea Bowers, and Catherine Opie, among others.
Art & Leisure Tennis Tournament to Benefit Artadia. Held on May 19, 2025, at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, this event brought together artists, curators, and collectors for a dynamic afternoon of doubles matches and community engagement. The tournament raised significant funds to support Artadia’s artist awards program, which provides unrestricted grants to visual artists across the United States.
4ever JOAN Benefit Party at the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences! Celebrating 9 years of JOANwith auction items by Johanna Hedva, Ron Athey, and Asher Hartman. This year's Host Commitee includes Ron Athey, Barbara Bestor, Jamison Edgar, Olivia Gauthier, Rita Gonzalez, Jia Gu, Madeline Hollander, Young Joon Kwak, Ceci Moss, Melissa Passman, Geo Wyex, and JOAN Board Members: Anne Ellegood, Summer Guthery, Linda Norden, January Parkos Arnall, and Samuel Vasquez.
April 26, 2025
Jia Yi Gu organizes Major Repairs: A Conference on Reparative Practices
In April 2025, Jia Yi Gu organized Major Repairs: A Conference on Reparative Practices, a multidisciplinary event focused on reparative systems. Hosted at Metabolic Studio and presented by LA Forum for Architecture and Urban Design, the conference brought together architects, artists, theorists, and activists to interrogate how reparative practices in architecture and spatial design, particularly in response to ecological challenges. It brings together historical and reflective perspectives on how architectural and spatial responses can adapt to the consequences of environmental issues, including wildfires. The conference explores new systems, tools, practices, and ethical considerations needed for rebuilding and adapting to changing environments
For more information, visit the conference website: majorrepairs.org
Novemeber 2024
Jia Yi Gu Receives Major Grant from Harvey Mudd College Innovation Accelerator
Architectural scholar and curator Jia Yi Gu was awarded a $20,000 seed grant from the Harvey Mudd College Innovation Accelerator for the proposal titled “Third Landscape.” This initiative, co-led with Karen Romero Sandoval, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life, aims to reimagine campus living environments by integrating ecological design principles with human-centered comfort and community engagement. The project is part of a broader effort to advance Harvey Mudd College's strategic plan, focusing on creating spaces that foster well-being, collaboration, and sustainability. This grant supports the early stages of the "Third Landscape" initiative, which will be further developed and presented at the Innovation Accelerator Summit scheduled for April 4, 2025.
September 28, 2024
Material Acts: Experimentation in Architecture and Design
Getty PST ART Exhibition and Publication at Craft Contemporary
Jia Yi Gu co-curated Material Acts: Experimentation in Architecture and Design with Kate Yeh Chiu, presented at Craft Contemporary as part of the Getty PST ART: Art & Science Collide initiative. The exhibition, which ran from September 28, 2024, to January 5, 2025, explored the role of nature as a starting point for material experimentation in architecture, craft, and science. It was organized around five thematic material acts: Animating, Disassembling, Feeding, Re-fusing, and Stitching, each illustrating key events in a material's production. The exhibition featured contributions from various artists and designers, including Adobeisnotsoftware, After Architecture, Anupama Kundoo, Assemble, Assia Crawford, Atelier LUMA, BC architects, Charlotte Malterre-Barthes, DOSU Studio Architecture, Dylan Wood, Gramazio Kohler Research, HANNAH, Joar Nango, Maru Garcia, Natural Materials Lab, Omar Kahn, Post Rock, Rael San Fratello, Sara Inga Utsi Bongo, SOFTLAB, Soft Matters, Sutherlin Santo, and Yogiaman Tracy Design.
Accompanying the exhibition, a publication titled Material Acts: Experimentation in Architecture and Design was released, featuring essays, photography, how-to guides, and conversations with exhibition participants and expert scholars. The publication is available as a standalone book or as a special edition box set that includes the book and a selection of material samples.
The initiative was generously supported by The Getty Foundation, with additional support from The National Endowment for the Arts, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, and The Antonia and Vladimir Kulaev Cultural Heritage Fund.
See project website: www.materialacts.com
Read coverage in “Dezeen selects standout American design and architecture events from November” and Architect’s Newspaper.
March 1, 2024
Maxi Spina Appointed Faculty Representative on SCI-Arc Board of Trustees
Maxi Spina has been appointed as the Faculty Representative on the Board of Trustees at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc). In this role, Spina will serve as a liaison between the faculty and the Board, contributing to the governance and strategic direction of the institution. This appointment underscores SCI-Arc's commitment to integrating diverse perspectives in its leadership and decision-making processes.
Spina has been a faculty member at SCI-Arc since 2015, where he currently serves as the Undergraduate Thesis Coordinator and teaches in both Design Studio and Applied Studies. His pedagogical approach emphasizes the importance of craftsmanship and hands-on experience in architectural education.
As a principal of Spinagu, a collaborative architectural practice, Spina brings a wealth of experience in both academic and professional settings to his new role on the Board. His appointment reflects SCI-Arc's ongoing efforts to foster a dynamic and inclusive environment that bridges education, practice, and institutional governance.
Architecture Newspaper Interview: “Spinagu Builds Practice Through Layering”
In an interview for Architectural Newspaper (AN), Jia and Maxi explore Spinagu’s ethos: combining traditional architectural practice with curatorial, academic, and exhibition work. They describe their commitment to alternative economic models, systems repair in architecture, and rethinking architecture as a platform for knowledge production beyond the conventional service model.
“I like to think of practicing, teaching, and research not as separate activities, but as different modes of production that engage with similar sets of issues in architecture in distinct ways. So, some activities, like teaching, are more about introducing important ideas and issues to students in order for them to have foundational knowledge about architecture and understand that architecture itself is a form of knowledge production. Other activities, like curating, are about bringing architecture and public audiences closer together. Both are opportunities to re-frame what we think we know in architecture.” — Jia Yi Gu
“every endeavor has a different set of conceptual and logistical requirements. Our different backgrounds allow us to divide and share responsibilities in each of the unique contexts in which we seek to make contributions—be it in practice, research, or curation.” — Maxi Spina
September 29, 2021
Jia Yi Gu contributes the essay “The Budget” to e-flux Architecture and ArkDes
What happens in an architecture exhibition? What, and who is it for? What does it do, and how does it do it? Solicited: Proposals is a shared effort to parse the architecture exhibition, to untangle and rethink its meaning and its potential for today. Through the lens of a single element, each contribution seeks to reimagine the architecture exhibition: what it allows for and does not allow for; what it enables, what it disables; what it constructs and deconstructs. Solicited: Proposals is a project initiated by ArkDes and e-flux Architecture.
“The Budget” is an essay on the politics, poetics, and pragmatics of exhibition budgets.
“The exhibition budget is rarely treated or interpreted as a possible site of critical inquiry. Instead, budgets are seen as lowly documents, an administrative consequence or a bureaucratic necessity full of constraints, grievances, and limitations. Yet my experience has taught me to read exhibition budgets as discursive sites of production, full of meaning, value systems, and decision points. The exhibition budget works, and in its workings, it can produce and reproduce social and political effects.”
September 29, 2021
Jia Yi Gu on Zocalo Square panel “Will A New Generation Of Leaders Shake Up L.A.’S Culture?”
Over the past year, directors of cultural institutions across Los Angeles have announced their retirements, which means a new generation of cultural leadership is upon us. But despite a desire for change that seems nearly universal, new directors must still answer to many of the same funders and face the same pressures as their predecessors—to raise money or sell tickets, to scale up, to stay relevant—all while navigating post-pandemic reopenings and reckonings around race and inclusion. What does Los Angeles need from its new guard of cultural leaders? What obstacles do their institutions face, and how can these new faces surmount them? Will all of the city’s culture centers even survive? California African American Museum Executive Director Cameron Shaw, Inner City Arts president and CEO Shelby Williams-González, and MAK Center for Art and Architecture director Jia Yi Gu visit Zócalo to discuss the change they plan to be and want to see in one of the world’s most vibrant cultural capitals. Moderated by Frances Anderton, Architecture and Design Journalist.
February 1, 2020
Architect Magazine featured Spinagu as part of its “Next Progressives” series
In February 2020, Architect Magazine featured Spinagu as part of its prestigious “Next Progressives” series, which highlights emerging architectural firms pushing the boundaries of design and innovation. The profile showcased Spinagu’s distinctive approach to contemporary architecture. Spinagu’s conceptual works were highlighted, demonstrating their forward-thinking design philosophy and commitment to redefining architectural norms. This feature positioned Spinagu as a rising studio in the architecture community, recognized for their cultural vision and material experimentation.
Archinect Feature: “Spinagu Exemplifies a Contemporary Practice with Academia, Profession & Experimentation”
The feature by Archinect “Spinagu Exemplifies a Contemporary Practice with Academia, Profession & Experimentation all Running at Full Steam” describes how Spinagu stands out as a model of contemporary creative practice, blending academic inquiry, professional engagement, and experimentation. The collective operates at the intersection of these three realms, demonstrating how design can thrive when theory, industry, and exploration inform one another. Their approach not only challenges traditional boundaries but also reflects a ethos where learning, making, and testing new ideas are in constant dialogue—each reinforcing the other in pursuit of innovation and cultural relevance.