a+u’s November issue features DnA_Design and Architecture, the Beijing-based firm led by architect Xu Tiantian. Since its founding in 2004, DnA has been at the forefront of designing public buildings that bridge culture, industry, and infrastructure in rural China. This issue presents 25 of their works, organized into 4 clusters, located near the southeastern coast of China. At the heart of the issue is The Songyang Story (pp. 18–93), which highlights the public facilities Xu was commissioned to create across Songyang County from 2014 to the present.

These structures act as stages for the distinctive livelihoods and cultural practices of the villages, while playing a vital role in reinvigorating the local economy. Other featured projects, such as Fujian Tulou (pp. 94–127) and Jinyun Quarries (pp. 128–151), represent carefully scaled interventions that honor the region’s cultural heritage, promoting a renewed sense of place. Finally, the projects on Meizhou Island (pp. 152–159) aim to integrate local culture, industry, and tourism through a dispersed design, deviating from the original plan of a single centralized building.

As these projects demonstrate, DnA’s architecture is deeply embedded in the community, serving not only as essential infrastructure for daily life but also as a catalyst for social and economic revitalization.