Eric Owen Moss introduces George Yu’s work in terms of durability and fragility. He references constructivism, i.e. the Shukhov Tower, and deconstructivism in discussing Yu’s practice of architecture.

George Yu begins with a review of his ongoing relationship with SCI-Arc, referencing his career as an instructor and his collaborative projects with the school. He documents one of these collaborations, an installation in the SCI-Arc Gallery involving inflatable structures and an interactive audio component. He then presents a collaborative project with IBM E-Business and graphic design firm Imaginary Forces. He discusses the process of negotiating design intent with the client and explains the construction of an interactive conference table.

Yu discusses a proposal for Sony world headquarters in Tokyo. He introduces the concept of just-in-time space: flexible and reconfigurable spaces for work. He then presents another commission for a creative workspace facility for an undisclosed foreign auto maker. He discusses his office’s utilization of the manufacturing facilities of the auto-maker to fabricate components for the workspace.

Yu introduces a selection of his residential projects. The first demonstrates the challenge of consolidating an unusual plan with a difficult site. The second project, located in historic Hancock Park involves an opposition with town planning board, and careful consideration of zoning laws.

Yu presents a series of shopping mall projects, each with it’s own unique problems. The first entails the planning of custom layouts for 60 retail spaces while utilizing a common formal strategy. In the next project, for one of the largest retail operators in Japan, Yu documents the collaborative process with a client who wanted a more urban approach to the shopping mall typology. For this project, Yu imagines a flexible model where the tenant could expand beyond their leased envelope. The next project, located in Yongzhou, China, involves the integration of public space with shopping space. Finally, Yu recalls the process of working for a client with a specific vision for a project in Vancouver. Here, he encounters a new model where retail space is owned instead of leased. He defends his proposal which utilizes a courtyard model with plug-in modules.