Tiantian Xu awarded 2026 Le Prix Charlotte Perriand for ‘practice rooted in community and place’

Chinese architect Tiantian Xu has been named the recipient of Le Prix Charlotte Perriand at the 2026 Créateurs Design Awards. The award recognizes architects whose work advances innovation, social responsibility, and community engagement. Xu, founder of DnA_Design and Architecture, recently spoke with Archinect about her work teaching architecture students at UW-Milwaukee in her capacity of winner of the Marcus Prize.

Xu was awarded the Le Prix Charlotte Perriand for what organizers describe as her ongoing efforts to bridge urban and rural communities through architectural interventions that prioritize cultural preservation and local empowerment. Since establishing DnA in the early 2000s, Xu has developed projects that integrate closely with local ecologies and social systems. Rather than imposing large-scale urban frameworks, Xu’s work emphasizes subtle, site-specific gestures that reinforce existing identities and economies.

A defining aspect of Xu’s approach is “Architectural Acupuncture,” a method that was also the subject of Archinect’s discussion with Xu. The approach focuses on small, strategic design interventions aimed at reviving underused spaces, preserving cultural heritage, and stimulating local industries. The initiative has been cited by UN-Habitat as a model for sustainable rural revitalization and has influenced broader global discourse on rural-urban integration.

"I am truly grateful for the 2026 Charlotte Perriand Award, which provides an opportunity to share our practice in rural China and opens up new discussion on the capacity of architecture,” Xu said about the news.

Recently on Archinect: How Marcus Prize Winner Tiantian Xu Brought 'Architectural Acupuncture' to Students at UW-Milwaukee.