Honglin Li is a designer and a U.S.-registered architect licensed in California and New York, practicing across the United States, Europe, and China. His work spans architecture, interior, urban, and exhibition design, as well as a wide range of digital and physical design disciplines, bringing these fields together in precise, innovative, and unexpected ways.
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His projects have gained international recognition and been featured in major publications, including leading press and design journals, in both digital and print formats. Additionally, Honglin's works have been exhibited at prestigious venues including the Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, the Biosphere Environment Museum in Montréal, the Hyundai Motorstudio in Busan, and the San Francisco Ferry Building.
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He has practiced with a broad range of world-renowned firms, including SOM in San Francisco, OMA in Rotterdam, EFFEKT in Copenhagen, and Metrogramma in Milan, and remains closely engaged with architectural education as a frequent guest speaker and critic at UC Berkeley and the Academy of Art University.
Awards
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Arch30 – San Francisco Top Emerging Architects – Metropolis Magazine | 2025
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Market Greenway – Market Street Reimagined Competition – ULI San Francisco & Civic Joy Fund | Finalist; Exhibition at SF Ferry Building | 2025
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Qixi Village Waterfront Cottage – Golden Trezzini Awards for Architecture and Design | “Best Project of Private Residence” | 2021
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Filtration Skyscraper – eVolo Skyscraper Competition – eVolo Architecture Magazine | Honorable Mention | 2019
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Qixi Village Waterfront Cottage – Qianjiangyuan Grand Garden Design Competition – Kaihua County People’s Government | Final List | 2021
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​Sidaway Link – Sidaway Bridge Redesign International Competition – Cleveland City Planning Commission & The Cultural Landscape Foundation | 2nd Prize | 2024
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Tianya Totem – Hainan Cultural Creativity Design Competition – Boao Institute of Cultural & Creative Industries, Sanya Tourism & Culture Investment Group | 2nd Prize, Most Potential Award | 2021
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Jiaxing Cultural Axis Pedestrian Bridge – Jiaxing Pedestrian Bridge International Design Competition – Jiaxing Urban Investment Development Group & Young Bird Plan | Top 10 Finalist | 2022
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Atlantic Beach Boardwalk – Atlantic Beach Boardwalk International Design Competition, City of Atlantic Beach | Honorable Mention | 2022
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Quiver Tree Safari Lodge – Quiver Tree Design Challenge, Limpopo, South Africa | Honorable Mention | 2021
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The Wave – Arts House Competition, Brussels, Belgium | Honorable Mention | 2021
Exhibitions
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Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany - Transform! Designing the Future of Energy, Filtration Skyscraper Project | 2024
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Biosphère Environment Museum, Montréal, Canada - Transform! Designing the Future of Energy, Filtration Skyscraper Project | 2025-ongoing
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San Francisco Ferry Building, U.S. - Market Greenway | 2025
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Hyundai Motorstudio Busan, South Korea - Transform! Designing the Future of Energy Filtration Skyscraper Project – 2027 Scheduled
Selected Publications (Project Features)
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Transform! Designing the Future of Energy – Vitra Design Museum - Paperback: 195 pages I SBN-10 : 3945852609 I ISBN-13 : 978-3945852606 | 2024
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gooood | “Market Greenway” by Honglin Li and Team Envisions a Civic Ecological Corridor for Downtown San Francisco” – Project feature | 2025
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Metropolis Magazine | “Finding Beauty in Climate Futures” – discusses the Filtration Skyscraper context of the Transform! Exhibition | 2024
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Metropolis Magazine | "Emerging Architects Gather for Arch30 San Francisco" | 2025
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ArchDaily | “Honglin Li Designs Waste-to-Energy Skyscraper in Great Pacific Garbage Patch” – Filtration Skyscraper | 2019
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Dezeen | Feature on Filtration Skyscrapers converting ocean waste to energy – Filtration Skyscraper | 2019
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Designboom | Feature on “FILTRATION is a floating skyscraper envisioned to recycle oceans…” – Filtration Skyscraper | 2019
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World Architecture Community | Feature on floating skyscraper cleaning the oceans – Filtration Skyscraper | 2019
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Hydro International | “Futuristic Floating Filtration Skyscraper to Clean the Oceans” – Filtration Skyscraper | 2019
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Averda | “Floating structure will convert waste to energy in oceans” – Filtration Skyscraper | 2019
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Futurism | “Wild Concept: Build Trash-Sucking Skyscrapers on Ocean Oil Rigs” – Filtration Skyscraper | 2019
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The Art Newspaper (FR) | Article on energy futures mentioning Filtration Skyscrapers by Honglin Li | 2023
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ArchDaily | “A Circular Waterfront Cottage Reinterprets Tradition in China’s Historic Qixi Village” – Qixi-Village Waterfront Cottage | 2023
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Golden Trezzini Awards (official site) | Nominee & Special Mention pages – Qixi Village Waterfront Cottage | 2021
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gooood | “Overseas NO.68: Honglin Li” – Interview and portfolio feature | 2017
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ArchiDogs | “Journeys of Study and Pilgrimage” – Feature interview and article on Honglin Li and his architectural practice | 2020
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AIM | “The more I see the less I know” – Feature interview and article on Honglin Li’s recent design projects | 2022