TAO | Trace Architecture Office

TAO (Trace Architecture Office) approaches architecture as an act of careful observation and quiet transformation. Founded by Hua Li, the practice develops projects rooted in landscape, memory, and the specific conditions of each site, creating architecture that feels naturally connected to its surroundings.

Rather than relying on monumental gestures, TAO works with restraint and precision, placing materiality, light, and the relationship with nature at the center of its design process. Its projects — ranging from cultural and educational spaces to interventions in rural and natural environments — balance contemporary expression with a strong sense of continuity and place.

The studio has emerged as one of the leading voices in contemporary Chinese architecture through an approach that values spatial experience, human scale, and the dialogue between architecture and territory.