Zhijiang Shan explains:
Design is not only about function or form - it is about enabling life to unfold meaningfully in space. A well-designed room or structure doesn’t merely accommodate, it invites; it doesn’t just shelter, it sets the stage.The word “unfold” suggests both the physical spatial sequence and the narrative of human activity within it. In my work, especially across cross-cultural residential and commercial projects, I often find that good design allows a space to respond to rituals, routines, and evolving identities. This unfolding may happen in light and shadow across time, in the tactile memory of materiality, or in the silent framing of a conversation.I also believe good design should feel inevitable — not because it is simple, but because it feels so attuned to the rhythm of the people who live or work within it. Design, to me, is an invitation for something deeper to take root.This adage captures a belief that has been central to my practice: spatial aesthetics must serve narrative potential. I hope this quote reminds other designers to look beyond static perfection and instead imagine how their spaces will evolve, breathe, and unfold with the lives inside them.