MDES Exhibition: Masters Studio 7 - POLYU DESIGN & TU Delft

For seven consecutive years, the GBA^ex Masters Studio 7 has pioneered design research to address the complexities of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), proposing critical interventions that optimize strategic potentials and amplify urban differentiation across the region. This year’s Transitional Environmental Design Systems and Strategies Studio advances innovative planning concepts through game-boarding and scenario-building methodologies that translate theoretical frameworks into scalable models for large-scale regional development. Each of the seven proposals presented in this exhibition interrogates a unique morphological model, challenging conventional approaches to regional planning while sparking debates on growth trajectories, territorial scales, settlement patterns, and economic dynamics specific to the GBA’s future. By embedding spatial qualities such as ecological resilience, polycentric connectivity, and adaptive land use, these models test how design can reconcile competing priorities—from hyper-density to environmental stewardship. The studio’s iterative process merges speculative design with actionable strategies, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue among planners, policymakers, and communities. Visitors will explore how scenario-driven tools can reimagine governance, infrastructure, and socio-economic equity in one of the world’s most dynamic urban regions.

The combined works will be displayed on the 10th floor of the School of Design and will later be showcased at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) School of Architecture.

Design Tutors: Gerhard Bruyns and Peter Hasdell

Academic Partnership: Department of Urbanism, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) - Diego Sepulveda (TU Delft), Qu Lei (TU Delft), Luisa Calabrese (TU Delft) and International Forum of Urbanism (IFoU)