Jae-Sung Chon

• 07+     Ph.D. Program, University College London, England
• 1995   M.Arch. University of Manitoba, Canada (Professional)
• 1992   Graduate Diploma in Housing, McGill University, Canada (Post-Professional)
• 1991   Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering, Yonsei University, Korea (Professional)

Jae-Sung Chon is the Chair of the Environmental Design Program at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba, Canada. A designer, curator, and educator, Jae-Sung’s academic journey began with a degree in architectural engineering from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea, followed by a professional architecture degree from the University of Manitoba. His interest in housing and urbanism led to post-professional studies in Affordable Housing at McGill University and doctoral research on Contemporary Urbanism at University College London, with a focus on posthuman and cyborgian urban conditions.

Jae-Sung’s teaching and research revolve around the intersections of housing, urban design, and the posthuman condition, with particular emphasis on concepts such as urban interiority, temporary structures, and collective urban form. His pedagogical approach incorporates speculative, experiential, and forward-thinking frameworks addressing questions of “urban living,” often integrating curatorial formats and field-based learning. He has lectured and collaborated in Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai, Berlin, and London, and his design-research has been exhibited at major international platforms, including the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism (2017, 2019, 2021) and the Venice Architecture Biennale (2012, 2021).

Over the years, his work has received recognition through awards such as the Winnipeg Commerce Design Award (2014), Canadian Architect Award of Merit (2016), and AASHE Campus Sustainability Achievement Award (2016). He was co-commissioner and co-curator of Canada’s official entry at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale (Migrating Landscapes, in collaboration with 5468796 Architecture), and was later invited to lead the Open City Design Institute (OCDI) for the Korean Pavilion’s FUTURE SCHOOL program at the 2021 Venice Biennale, curated by Haewon Shin.

Beyond the classroom, Jae-Sung is a prolific organizer of exhibitions, symposia, and collaborative design initiatives. As director of the 2019 Winnipeg Design Festival, he emphasized public engagement and civic-scale pedagogy. He has curated and convened a series of international symposia, including Agency (2024), Radical Manifestations (2023), How Do We Live Together Again? (2022), NEXT SCHOOL (2020), and Ecology and Design (2013), bringing together global voices on housing, pedagogy, and the future of urban design.

His contributions to architectural discourse also extend into publishing. As executive editor, he has produced critical anthologies such as NEXT HOME Seoul (2017) and HOUSUS (2017), both of which explore housing speculation and next-generation living environments through student work and international contributions. His broader practice is framed by STUFF (Studio for Transformative Urban Forms and Fields), which engages research-by-design across urban housing, modularity, and emergent spatial typologies.

Jae-Sung’s approach to design aligns with its role as a cultural and civic practice, one that connects pedagogy, modes of living, and spatial practices with environmental and global concerns.

• Post-humanism and Urban Interiority
• Hybrid morphologies and cyborg urbanism
• Urbanism [Postwar, Contemporary, Asian]
• Events, migration and proto-urban conditions
• Exhibition/event as generative practice
• Emerging forms of practice and design education

• 2016 | BEE HOUSE LAB, International Design Competition to design and fabricate bee house prototypes for research | creator + organizer
• 2016 | + C-House, Triplex inner-city urban housing development | design-lead + developer (development)
• 2016 | “022_CROSS”: Imagine Portage & Main, exhibition of the international design competition results, MAKE, Winnipeg MB | February | curator
• 2014-2016 | Y-House: Multi-Family Condominium, Seoul Korea | design-lead (built)
• 2015 | “TRANS-PLAN 2016: WATER+”, International Student Design Competition to design and install exhibition at A2G | creator + organizer
• 2015 | “BUILD”, exhibition of 1:1 scale walls of projects by 5468796 Architecture at A2G | creator + curator
• 2015 | “Fit-Nation”, exhibition of 33projects (US curated by AIA) + 11 Manitoba projects on Fitness and Health at A2G | curator
• 2015 | Guggenheim Helsinki Design Competition, professional submission with 5468796 Architecture | urban design-lead
• 2015 | THE BENCH, International Design Competition to design a public bench on Corydon Avenue | creator + organizer
• 2015+ | “Next Homes – New Paradigms of Urban Living”, multiple exhibitions, Seoul Korea | proposed | creator+curator
• 2015 | “Kimchi Sushi SOUTH”, Japanese Restaurant Interior Fit-out, Winnipeg MB design-lead (built)
• 2015  | “021_BENCH”: exhibition of the international design competition results, MAKE Winnipeg MB | September | creator +curator
• 2015 | “020_COOL”: exhibition of the international design competition results, MAKE, Winnipeg MB  July | curator

Full list of creative activities

• 2016 | Article/Critique: “5468796 The Resonance Yard in a Civic Realm”, SPACE Magazine, No. 578, Jan. 2016
• 2015 | “BUILD” - A2G Primer, exhibition pamphlet on the work of 5468796, Dec. 2015
• 2015 | “Fit Nation” - A2G Primer, exhibition pamphlet on Fitness and Health built environments of Winnipeg, Oct., 2015
• 2015 | “CONSTRUCT”, exhibition response & critique on photography works of Lisa Stinner-Kun, Mar., 2015
• 2015 | Article/Critique: “Real-ness & Now-ness”, SPACE Magazine, No. 567, Feb. 2015

Full list of papers and publications