David Vardy╱ ARB RIBA MArch FHEA

Principal DVA, Director XJTLU Design Research Centre, Assistant Professor of Architecture

 

DVA [or David Vardy Architecture] is an architectural design practice, registered in the United Kingdom and working internationally. The practice is focused on low-energy short-stay housing types, adaptive-reuse, modern methods of timber construction, contemporary architecture in historic and conservation settings, sustainability and passive housing, and property development for architects.

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Currently based in Bali, David Vardy is Director and Principal of DVA and also Assistant Professor of Architecture at Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University. He is Director of the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design Research Centre [DRC], and Year 3 Leader of the XJTLU undergraduate architecture program. David is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and a member of GReAT of the XJTLU Research Institute for Future Cities.

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David is Scottish. He studied Architecture in the United Kingdom, graduating a Master of Architecture with Distinction at the same time as working full-time in architectural practice, and with a number of awards, including nomination for the RIBA Bronze Medal. After graduation, he started a parallel career, teaching architectural design studio alongside private practice, subsequently qualifying as an Architect. David co-taught a series of masters studios with high-profile UK Architects, and later became a developer, starting companies and partnering on architectural joint-ventures. In 2018 David moved to China to become an academic-based architectural practitioner and Assistant Professor in Architecture at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

David’s design work (and teaching) has been awarded and recognised internationally including first prizes in national and international competition, and these include awards for architectural design, urban design, landscape design, and exhibition design. David is a regular guest critic at schools of architecture in China and in the UK, and his work, including his writing, has been exhibited and published across China and internationally.

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Project or Publication enquiry: office@dva.asia

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Awards╱

Winner, Best Innovation Award, Suzhou Design Week 2020 (with Gergely Csikvari, Bryan Yan Chut Hang, and Mengting Liu)

Finalist, 2nd Prize, Gusu District Urban Planning Bureau Open Competition Metro (with Chen Dong and Teo Hidalgo Nacher)

Finalist, 4th Place, 2020 China Society of Architecture Suzhou Ancient City Design Competition (with Glen Wash, John latto, and Teo Hidalgo Nacher)

Winner, Seoul International Garden Competition 2020, Son Gi Jeong Park, Seoul (with Teo Hidalgo Nacher) 

First Prize (joint), Best Exhibition Design, Zijin Exhibition 2019, Nanjing

Heritage Innovation Award, Suzhou Design Week 2019 (with Christian Nolf, Florence Vannoorbeeck, Paola Pellegrini, and Katia Attuyer)

Shortlisted, Suzhou Old Town Conservation Design Output Workshop National Open Design Competition, Suzhou Municipal People’s Government in association with the Architectural Society of China (with Chen Dong)

Finalist, International Bamboo Construction Competition (IBCC) 2019 International Open Design Competition, International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), Beijing (with Luhang, Shi, Xie, Haitian, Gao, Xingxin)

Final Shortlist, Certificate of Honour, North Design Union Headquarters International Open Design Competition, Tianjing (with Wenfeng Xu, Chenjia Ren, Ran Zhang, Zhao Zhang, Liqiong Chen)

Stewart Milne Fellowship Special Merit Achievement Award 

Nomination, RIBA Bronze Medal, Best Student Project at RIBA I

The Glasgow Institute of Architects Award for Best Student Project at RIBA I

 

Exhibitions╱

Vardy, David, Xu, Wenfeng, Ren, Chenjia, Zhang, Ran, Zhang, Zhao, Chen, Liqiong. 2019. ‘The Bridge’, North Design Union Headquarters, Public Exhibition, North Design Union in association with Young Bird Plan, 2019 North Design Union Headquarters Architectural Design Competition Top 30+1 Exhibition, Tianjing Cultural Center Grand Theatre, Exhibition Hall of Tianjing University School of Architecture, Exhibition Hall School of Architecture and Art and Design Hebei University of Technology, Wanxiang Mall Tianjing, ChenTang Science and Technology Business District Administrative Licensing Centre Tianjing, 11-May-2019 - 05-Jun-2019 (peer reviewed).

Vardy, David, Dong, Chen, Ping, Yi, Li, Jiayi. 2019. Suzhou Old Town Conservation Design Output Workshop, Conference Exhibition, Suzhou Municipal People’s Government in association with the Architectural Society of China, Symposium on reporting the results of the protection and design of the ancient city of Suzhou, Suzhou, China, 23-May-2019 – 24-May-2019 (peer reviewed).

Vardy, David, Nolf, Christian, Vannoorbeeck, Florence, Hay, Richard, Fung, Philip, Ku, Kihong. 2019. ‘Suzhou: 1 City/ 7 Identities’, Conference Exhibition, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Department of Urban Planning and Design, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design Research Centre, Architecture Across Boundaries 2019: International Conference, Suzhou, China, 18-Jun-2019 – 22- Jun-2019 (non-peer reviewed).

Vardy, David, Luhang, Shi, Xie, Haitian, Gao, Xingxin. 2019. International Bamboo Construction Competition (IBCC) 2019, Expo, International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation (INBAR), IBCC2019, International Horticultural Exposition 2019, Beijing, 19-Jul-2019 (peer reviewed).

Nolf, Christian, Vardy, David, Vannoorbeeck, Florence, Pellegrini, Paola, Attuyer, Katia, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Department of Urban Planning and Design and Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design Research Centre (2019). ‘Reinventing Suzhou’, Suzhou Design Week, Suzhou, China, 24-Oct-2019 – 29-Oct-2019 (peer reviewed).

Nolf, Christian, Vardy, David, Vannoorbeeck, Florence, Hay, Richard, Fung, Philip,

Ku, Kihong, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Department of Urban Planning and Design and Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design Research Centre (2019). ‘Suzhou: 1 City/ 7 Identities’, Zijin Exhibition, Nanjing, China, 22-Nov-2019 (non- peer reviewed).

Wash, Glen, Latto, John, Vard, David, Hidalgo Nacher, Teo, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design Research Centre (2020). ‘Living Museum’, National Conference of The China Society of Architecture, Shenzen, China, 26-Oct-2020 – 28-Oct-2020 (peer reviewed).

Vardy, David, Dong, Chen, Hidalgo Nacher, Teo, Xi-an Jiaotong-Liverpool University Design Research Centre (2020). ‘Metro Garden’, Suzhou Design Week, Suzhou, China, 30-Oct-2020 – 04-Nov-2020 (peer reviewed).

Vardy, David (2020). ‘ZERO BURIAL — new typologies, and the infrastructure of death in the Chinese landscape’, Suzhou Design Week, Suzhou, China, 30-Oct-2020 – 04-Nov-2020 (non-peer reviewed).

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Teaching╱

Final Year Project Supervisor, ‘3-DEGREE-SHANGHAI’, China, RIBA I, 11 students

Studio Leader, ‘Caravanserai’, 14 teachers, China, RIBA I, 135 students

Final Year Project Supervisor, ‘ZeroBurial’, China, RIBA I, 13 students

Studio Leader, ‘Caravanserai’, 6 teachers, China, RIBA I, 75 students

Supervisor, Urban Planning and Design Thesis, China, 2 students

Studio, ‘Rediscovery of Learning for the Elderly’, RIBA I, 14 students

Masters Studio, ‘Fluid City, Shanghai’s Waterfront Reloaded’, China, RIBA II, 14 students

Studio, ‘Life and Death of a Measured House’, China, RIBA I, 12 students

Lecturer, Architectural Technology, ‘Algorithm-Aided Design’, China, RIBA I, 75 students

Guest Lecture, ‘Architectural Technology; A Primer’, Masters Studio
Masters Thesis UNIT 2, ‘HOME’, International, RIBA II

Year 3 Studio, Adaptive Reuse Art Deco Garage

Year 3 Studio, ‘Co-housing’

Guest Lecture, ‘Forms of Practice’, Masters Studio
Year 3 Studio, ‘Northern Centre of Culture and Design’, Adaptive Reuse of Grays School of Art, UK, RIBA I

Masters Thesis UNIT 2, ‘SCHOOL’, International, RIBA II

Year 3 Studio, ‘Elderly Co-housing’, UK, RIBA I

Year 2 Studio, ‘Wedding Pavillion’, Elsick Walled Garden, UK, RIBA I

Year 2 Studio, ‘Student Hub’, Education and Youth Building, UK, RIBA I
Masters Thesis, UNIT 2, Eisdvag, Floating Settlement, Norway, RIBA II

Year 3 Studio, ‘Northern Centre of Culture and Design’, Adaptive Reuse of Grays School of Art, UK, RIBA I
Year 3 Studio, ‘Elderly Co-housing’, UK, RIBA I

Year 2 Studio, 'Youth Engagement Centre’, Education and Counselling, UK, RIBA I
Masters Thesis, UNIT 2, ‘Suzhou’, China, RIBA II

Year 3 Studio, ’Northern Centre of Culture and Design’, Adaptive Reuse of Grays School of Art, UK, RIBA I
Year 3 Studio, ’Elderly Co-housing’, UK, RIBA I

Masters Thesis, UNIT 1, ‘Denburn Valley’, Masterplan for Aberdeen City, UK, RIBA I

Year 3 Studio, ’Westburn House Archive’, Adaptive Reuse, Archive and Gallery, UK, RIBA I

Year 3 Studio, ’Torry Sheltered Housing’, UK, RIBA I 

Masters Thesis, UNIT 1, Peterhead, Masterplan ‘Living with Industry’, UK, RIBA II
Year 3 Studio, ’Kings Pavilion’, Adaptive Reuse, UK, RIBA I

Year 3 Studio, ’Aberdeen Architecture School’, Education Building, UK, RIBA I

Masters Thesis, UNIT 1, Union Street, ’Reinventing the High Street’, UK, RIBA II

Year 3 Studio, ’Kings Pavilion’, Adaptive Reuse, Gallery, UK, RIBA I

Year 3 Studio, ’Aberdeen Architecture School’, Education, UK, RIBA I
Masters Thesis, UNIT 1, ‘The Next Home’, UK, RIBA II

Masters Thesis, UNIT 1, ‘21st Century Housing’, UK, RIBA II

Year 5 Studio, ’Hotels’, Colliston, Locahline, Kirkwall, Montrose, UK, RIBA I

Year 5 Studio, ’Hotels’, Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Skye, Pennan, Specialist Housing, UK, RIBA I

Year 5 Studio, ’Hotels’, Edinburgh, Stirling, Cairngorms, Aberdeen, UK, RIBA I
Year 5 Studio, ‘Hotels’, Rubislaw Quarry, UK, RIBA I

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Writing╱

Vardy, David (2020). ZERO BURIAL — new typologies, and the infrastructure of death in the Chinese landscape. 

Vardy, David (2020). Loos, Adolf. In Vv.AA. Enciclopedia Italiana dell’Arte Treccani, ed. Istituto della enciclopedia Italiana Treccani.

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Public Engagement╱

Interview, Documentary Film. ‘ZeroBurial’, Curator Tracy Wang, Danming Niu, G. D. Jayalakshmii, Director Xiaozhu Zhou

Guest Critic. Travel Studio, Wenzhou-Kean University

Guest Critic. House +, Wuhan University
Guest Critic. High-rise Building Design, Soochow University School of Architecture
Guest Critic. China-Britain Cultural Hub, University of Dundee and Wuhan University

Guest Critic. Museum Design, Soochow University School of Architecture

Symposium Presentation. ZERO BURIAL — new typologies and the infrastructure of death in the Chinese landscape. Infrastructure and Landscape: Engineering, Territories, And Public Spaces, 2019 Symposium on Infrastructure and Landscape at Wenzhou Kean University, Michael Graves College

Speech. How to seek a sustainable urban renewal road between the protection and development of the ancient city. XJTLU MUSEUM “W•E TALKS” EVENT, X Bar

Interview, Documentary Film. Studying Design in Suzhou, Director Zhu Xiangyu, Curator Sun Siwei

Guest Critic. Bamboo Intersections, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, MOSO International, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Guest Critic. Residential Block, Soochow University School of Architecture

Interview, Documentary Film. Studying Design in Suzhou, Director Zhu Xiangyu, Curator Sun Siwei

Guest Critic. ‘STUDIO 4: URBAN BUILDING’ and ‘STUDIO 2: CONSTRUCTION AND ARCHITECTURE’, Wenzhou-Kean University

Guest Critic. ‘STUDIO 4: URBAN BUILDING’, Wenzhou-Kean University

Guest Critic. ‘China-Britain Cultural Hub’, University of Dundee and Wuhan University

Guest Critic. ‘Student Housing’, Wuhan University

Guest Critic. ‘Kindergarten’, Wuhan University

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DVA╱ davidvardyarchitecture

Instagram—    dvardy_

linkedin—    www.linkedin.com/in/david-vardy-dva

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Currently based in Bali

office@dva.asia

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Bali— +62 (0) 813 3989 0355

Shanghai— +86 188 6213 3586

UK— +44 (0) 131 618 7321 

 

Project or Publication enquiry: office@dva.asia

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www.davidvardyarchitecture.co.uk

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