Samantha Hsieh

Architect, Educator/Teacher, Event planner

I, Samantha（Sammi) Hsieh, am an architect, educator, and spatial curator hailing from a European architectural background, and the founder of Un Laboratory. My expertise lies deeply in "Heritage Adaptive Reuse" and "Educational Environments." Throughout her career, I have participated in large-scale spatial planning and the conservation of historical estates for the National Trust in the UK. In Kinmen, Taiwan, I successfully led the civic transformation of historical spaces, turning a century-old traditional courtyard house into the region's first independent bookstore.

I am passionate about dissolving boundaries and deeply integrating "spatial thinking" with "cross-disciplinary experimental education." Whether it is reshaping a century-old traditional courtyard in Kinmen into a physical venue for cultural exchange, or translating Cold War military architecture in Matsu into a settlement featuring a local youth incubation center, a gender-equality commons, and artist-in-residency programs, I am deeply enthusiastic about "heritage conservation and regeneration." Furthermore, I love serving as a bridge in higher education. By observing student interactions, I closely integrate pedagogy with architecture, dedicating myself to designing educational environments that actively facilitate focus, collaboration, and experimental learning, allowing the space itself to become a catalyst for learning.

"Space is the curriculum" and "Reproductive Placemaking." Architecture should not merely be a static physical structure; it must be elevated into a true, living "organism of social practice." By translating an architect's macro-sensitivity towards systems and structures into educational innovation and the intangible construction of talent ecosystems, we can transform physical spaces into future laboratories equipped for cross-disciplinary experimental education. Such spaces not only respond to current needs but also continuously nurture talent, foster social dialogue, and substantively address social pain points.

My TED story begins not in a grand lecture hall, but by the Lanyang River in Yilan. My childhood instilled in me a simple yet profound truth: every child's spirit yearns to soar on its own terms. I saw how traditional "charted curricula"—those navigational maps teaching test-taking strategies—gradually dimmed children's curiosity. My students gained knowledge, but sometimes, their internal compasses seemed stuck. This dissonance compelled me to seek a breakthrough, leading me to Newcastle University. It was a journey to bridge the gap and explore the true nature of learning. Immersed in the fields of applied linguistics and educational leadership management, I realized that the true magic lies not merely in teaching the language itself, but in using life as a vehicle to guide children to ask "why," to explore, and to create. By analyzing the underlying operational logic of educational systems, I gained an even more profound revelation: the physical environment itself is the invisible curriculum that dictates how we learn. This awakening expanded my canvas from "language" to "architecture," initiating a journey of practice that spans Europe and Taiwan. I applied an architect's macro-sensitivity toward systems to physical spaces—from balancing complex design with the conservation of historical estates in the UK, to restoring a century-old traditional courtyard in Kinmen and transforming it into the region's first independent bookstore. Today, in Matsu, I am dedicated to translating Cold War-era military architecture into a vibrant art and heritage education garden. My story is not about entirely rejecting the "map," but rather about recognizing that without a "compass," a map is full of limitations. Whether it is students in a corporate English class creatively using business vocabulary to solve simulated problems, or local communities engaging in brand-new dialogues within revitalized historical spaces, my core mission remains the same. It is all about dissolving boundaries, promoting "Reproductive Placemaking," and constructing environments that actively facilitate collaboration and experimental learning. This journey of observation, reflection, and relentless boundary-crossing—from the banks of the Lanyang River to European architectural practice, from tangible language to intangible spaces—has solidified my core belief: curiosity is the most precious subject we can teach. My TED story is the culmination of my lifelong dedication to igniting this internal flame. I hope to share how, by valuing the "uncharted curriculum" and designing spaces as living laboratories, we can empower learners to chart their own extraordinary courses, transforming education from the mere transmission of knowledge into an authentic act of social empowerment and artistic creation.

Translating cross-disciplinary professional vocabularies and evidence-based strategic integration. Thanks to my academic training at the Amsterdam University of the Arts and the Architectural Association (AA), I excel at dissolving the boundaries between "architecture" and "performance arts." I am well-versed in navigating professional vocabularies across design, photography, and film, enabling me to build collaborative networks between seemingly disparate fields. Moreover, combined with my research in educational leadership and organizational management at Newcastle University, I am adept at examining various cross-disciplinary propositions from an "evidence-based" perspective. I don't just manipulate spatial design; I excel at the deep, strategic integration of art, digital technology, public policy, and community sustainability, ensuring that every vision is supported by a solid, accurate underlying operational logic.