Crossboundaries

Binke Lenhardt, Co-Founder and Partner at Crossboundaries, recently joined the jury panel for the International Urban Project Award (IUPA) 2025 at Tsinghua University in Beijing. The Jury meeting brought together professionals from both China and Germany to exchange ideas and evaluate innovative urban projects from around the world. About the Award: The International Urban Project Award (IUPA) is presented by Bauwelt (Berlin, Germany) and World Architecture Magazine (WA, Tsinghua University Beijing, China) and supported by BAU China and Messe München. The award recognizes new and outstanding urban and architectural projects that have transformed cities worldwide. Read more here: https://iupa.bauwelt.de/

Great to see two of Crossboundaries' projects shortlisted for the RIBA Asia Pacific Awards 2025 - Songzhuang Micro Community Park and Shenzhen Skypark. #RIBAawards

And we’ve just wrapped up another summer workshop at the beginning of August– a week full of creativity, curiosity, and exploration for children who joined us in our Crossboundaries studio in Beijing. This time we used the contrasting characters of the movie Nezha 2 as the starting point for the class, inspiring the children to design a shared home for different characters. From sketching and model making to hands-on building and AI-supported design, the workshop became a dynamic mix of imagination, technology, and teamwork. Crossboundaries has been running design-thinking workshops for many years. They encourage the next generation to explore, experiment, and to focus on problem-solving. #futuregeneration #AI #designthinking #architecture #summerworkshop #crossboundaries

"Sie plant." – BDA Mentoring for Women Architects. As part of the nationwide WIA Festival 2025 – Women in Architecture, the new mentoring program "Sie plant." was launched in Frankfurt at the end of June in cooperation of BDA Hessen e.V. and Association of German Architects (BDA) Baden-Württemberg. It supports women architects on their path into self-employment, partnership, or leadership roles. Among the initiators are Antje Voigt (Crossboundaries Frankfurt), Tanja Akkermann, Sabine Kölling, Eun-A Pauly, Astrid Wuttke, Bernita Le Gerrete, and Christian Holl. The evening in the spaces of BDA Hessen offered an inspiring opportunity to exchange ideas, build networks, and celebrate the initiative. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gMUG9R_n https://lnkd.in/gAAf5P7P https://lnkd.in/gSeuSVtY

Crossboundaries’ project Shenzhen Skypark received the Design Educates Awards 2025 (Silver Prize in Architectural Design). The Design Educates Awards stand out by honoring architectural and design projects that go beyond aesthetics and function — they recognize works that generate lasting educational and social impact. Crossboundaries' silver award celebrates our contribution to design that fosters awareness and change. Thank you for this recognition! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gXwjQN83 www.designeducates.com   #ContemporaryArchitecture #InnovativeDesign #DesignMatters #SustainableDesign #UrbanImpact #Crossboundaries #DesignWithPurpose #SociallyEngagedArchitecture #LearningThroughDesign #Award #WinningDesign #Architecture #Design #BeyondAesthetics #ArchitectureForPeople

On July 9th, Hao Dong, co-founder and partner of Crossboundaries, took part in the 4th Luban Festival of Architecture & Interior in Guangzhou. He shared recent work from the office, highlighting our ongoing commitment to people-centered design, and reflected on how AI is beginning to reshape the discipline - exploring its potential and growing influence on the design process. The day wrapped up with a roundtable discussion alongside Hong Jielian (Gensler) and Wang Pingzhong (PDS), discussing the future of the design practice in our rapidly changing context.   #AI #future #tomorrow #festival #talk #lecture #design #practice #china #projects #shapingtheworld #change

We are very happy and grateful for the nomination of our school campus on Hainan Island for the DAM Prize 2026 by the Deutsches Architekturmuseum (DAM) in Frankfurt. Read all about the nominations here: https://lnkd.in/e2MQ7zPM More about the DAM Prize and DAM: https://lnkd.in/gZDQnKW https://dam-online.de #campus #china #education #futureeducation #educationalarchitecture #architecture #DAM #prize #award #nomination #InnovativeLearning

Back in May, Binke Lenhardt took her students from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Dortmund on a short but intense excursion to Frankfurt and Offenbach. The trip was organized in collaboration with Crossboundaries Frankfurt and led by Binke Lenhardt and Antje Voigt, sharing both practical expertise and process-based design thinking with the students. The focus: an in-depth introduction to the programming phase – or Phase 0 – of the architectural planning process, followed by a site visit. Hosted in the BDA Hessen space in Frankfurt, a workshop explored key steps of the programming phase: identifying stakeholder roles, discussing user needs, and formulating clear project goals. The site visit took the students to the real-life case behind their current semester project: the transformation of a 1970s school building in Offenbach. The assignment challenges them to work with the existing structure, interpret a given room program, and rethink the layout based on contemporary pedagogical concepts like cluster-based learning. A visit to the Römerstadtschule in Frankfurt, designed by Trapez Architektur, a cluster school completed in 2022, provided additional insights and inspiration. The programming phase – when approached as a truly participatory process – can be a powerful tool for creating more sustainable, context-specific, and needs-driven architecture. Thanks again to the BDA Hessen e.V. for providing their space, the City of Frankfurt am Main, Amt für Bau und Immobilien, and the City of Offenbach am Main, Amt für Planen und Bauen for their support and introduction to the buildings we visited. #cluster #learning #schools #education #planning #phase0 #learningoftomorrow #renovation #existingbuilding #extension #architecture #design #sustainabledesign

Binke Lenhardt was invited by the Korean Institute of Female Architects (KIFA) to represent Crossboundaries in the International Exchange Exhibition for Women Architects 2025, held in May at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). The event was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Under the title “Arch of Inclusion – Architecture Bridging Worlds,” the exhibition brought together female architects from around the world to reflect on architecture as a cultural practice rooted in responsibility, equity, and transformation. A total of 30 women architects from 19 countries were selected to showcase their proposals under the theme “Future Trends in Architecture and Urban Space from the Perspective of Women Architects.” In addition, 50 works by members of the Korean Institute of Female Architects (KIFA) were presented through videos and models. We are happy to see Crossboundaries work presented alongside internationally recognized practices such as SANAA, Grafton Architects, UN Studio and many more. The exhibition marked the first international showcase of female architects in Korea in 15 years and served as a platform for inter-generational dialogue, discourse, and global exchange. It was complemented by a symposium that highlighted the evolving role of women in architecture and the diverse approaches they bring to shaping inclusive urban futures. Many thanks go to KIFA and the Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for initiating and supporting this meaningful event, bringing focus on the topic of women in the architecture field. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gEEz4Kjd https://lnkd.in/gVqaFnNJ https://lnkd.in/gUzT3sbR #womeninarchitecture #KIFA #exhibition #seoul #international #architects  

Hao Dong, co-founder and partner of Crossboundaries, participated in the Future Learning Center’s “Design Marathon” (IDEAS education) on June 12, 2025, held at Joy Town in Aranya, Qinhuangdao. As a guest expert, Hao introduced young participants to the fundamentals of architecture and spatial design, encouraging them to think beyond aesthetics and explore how space communicates, invites interaction, and creates meaning. This engagement reflects Crossboundaries’ broader understanding of practice, where education is an essential extension of design. We actively reach beyond traditional project work to engage with children and youth—encouraging the next generation to explore, question, and co-create the built environment. #education #future #learning #design #spatialdesign #architecture