Reception: 4:30 p.m. | Lecture: 5-6:30 p.m.

Jing Liu has been practicing for more than 15 years, working on a wide range of projects both in the US and abroad. Through building practice and interdisciplinary research projects, Liu has led SO–IL in the engagement with the socio-political issues of contemporary cities — in projects like the Artists Loft North Omaha and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in Cleveland. Her projects range from artistic collaborations with contemporary choreographers and visual artists to master plan and major public realm design in cities like Melbourne and Indianapolis. 
 
Liu brings an intellectually open, globally aware, and locally sensitive perspective to architecture. Her curiosity and artistic imagination allow her to bring a nuanced cultural perspective to the table. Her keen skills in combining digital technology with traditional craft and firm belief in design’s ability to re-engage people with the physical world around them allow the buildings she designs to become places of exchange that welcome interpretation and transformation. 
 
Liu leads all of her projects from concept to realization and considers carefully all aspects of design and construction — from the building’s presence in a community, down to the fasteners in a window. She believes strongly that design should and can be accessible to all, and that architecture offers us an open platform to nurture new forms of interaction. To that end, Liu sees community engagement and collaboration across disciplines as central to her role as the design lead. 

SOLID OBJECTIVES IDENBURG LIU is an architecture studio with offices in New York and Amsterdam. Founded in 2008 by Florian Idenburg and Jing Liu, who first met in Tokyo in 2001, the practice has developed a diverse body of work recognized through international awards, exhibitions, and publications. Our projects encompass a diverse range of buildings, including cultural, civic, residential, commercial, and educational facilities, across both new construction and adaptive reuse, spanning temporary installations to long-term urban strategies. 
 
At the core of our work is an ambition to shape a stronger civic realm. We approach each commission as an opportunity to rethink conventions and to design spaces that support more open, collective, and sustainable ways of living. A dedication to craft, detail-oriented construction, and intellectual rigor underpins this approach, ensuring that each project is tailored to its specific location while contributing to the broader discourse of architecture. Our engagement with the arts—through collaborations with artists, curators, and cultural institutions—further broadens our perspective, enriching the material and experiential qualities of our architecture. 
 
The scale of the studio enables us to undertake complex projects while keeping Florian and Jing closely engaged throughout. Both principals are actively involved in teaching and research, fostering a dynamic exchange between practice and academia that keeps the work curious, critical, and forward-looking. This combination of hands-on craft, conceptual clarity, and civic purpose defines our architecture and sustains our commitment to building environments that resonate with people and communities.