Juan Du

Du earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, a master of architecture at Princeton University, then a doctorate of science in architecture from ETH Zurich.^[2]

In 2006, Du established her own architecture practice, IDU.^[2] She also joined the University of Hong Kong, where she taught until 2021.^[2]

In 2010, Du curated Quotidian Architectures, Hong Kong's contribution to the Venice Biennale of Architecture, “exploring the relationship between collaborative design and socially and environmentally responsible architecture”.^[3]

In 2020, Du published The Shenzhen Experiment (Harvard University Press), which emphasizes contingent factors like history, ecology, politics, culture, and people in the success of the city, rather than resulting strictly from top-down planning.^[4][5][6] The book identifies and rebuts misconceptions about the timeline of the city’s development (well under way before Shenzhen became a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 1979); its population growth; and the goal of the SEZ (not to make China rich, Du argues, but to bring the country out of poverty).^[7] Reviewing the book in The China Quarterly, Denise Y. Ho writes, “In the sections that put Du's training as an architect and a planner on full display, The Shenzhen Experiment shines. […] Du's experience allows her to unpack not only the technicality of building and construction, but also its intricate politics, from the motivations behind the workers to the interests of municipal leaders.”^[8]

In July 2021, she became professor and dean at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design at the University of Toronto.^[2] She has been on leave since September 2023, with her anticipated term ending in June 2026.^{[9][10][11][12][13][14]}