Liu Jiakun has been named 2025 Laureate of the Pritzker Architecture Prize following a 40-year career and 30 projects ranging from academic and cultural institutions to civic spaces, commercial buildings and urban planning.

Speaking to CNN ahead of Tuesday’s announcement, the founder of one of China’s first private architecture firms reflects on a career designing unpretentious buildings in an era of excess.

Explore Liu Jiakun's architectural philosophy: a unique blend of tradition, sustainability, and social interaction in modern design.