Yuhu Primary School in Lijiang [Photo by Cui Meng/China Daily]

Li made his breakthrough with the design for the Yuhu Elementary School Expansion Project in the UNESCO World Heritage site in Lijiang, Yunnan province, which won the ARASIA Gold Medal, as well as the UNESCO Jury Award for Innovation, an award the jury initiated for this particular project for its "marriage of vernacular and modern approaches".

Yuhu Primary School

The school is located in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Lijiang, which is home to the Naxi ethnic group.

The project reinterpreted vernacular architecture in order to better meet their modern needs. Instead of the traditional Nazi quadrangle house, the complex arranges the buildings in a Z-shaped pattern, creating two open spaces, one of which is used by the students and the other by the rest of the community.

Typical Nazi windows are small but the windows at the school have been enlarged to let in more natural light. The stone walls are reinforced with steel so they are more resistant to earthquakes.

UNESCO initiated the UNESCO Jury Award for Innovation for this project for its "marriage of vernacular and modern approaches". The project also won the ARASIA Gold Medal.