PhD student wins prestigious IASTE Prize
31 July 2026
Yiran Wang recognised for exceptional scholarly contribution to the study of traditional environments.
Yiran Wang, a PhD student at the Welsh School of Architecture, is the recipient of the prestigious 2026 IASTE Prize.
The prize recognises the best paper submitted to the IASTE (International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments) Conference – the premier global forum for the critical, interdisciplinary study of traditional environments – by a student or junior scholar.
I am honoured to receive the 2026 IASTE Prize. I hope this recognition will encourage broader discussions on the heritage value of informal settlements and the importance of everyday practices and lived experiences in understanding how traditions are translated and sustained.
"This recognition is a great encouragement for my PhD research. I’m sincerely grateful for the support I have received throughout my PhD from the Welsh School of Architecture and my supervisor, Dr Federico Wulff."
Yiran delivered her paper Interpreting Tradition from the Margins: Temporality, Practice, and Critical Heritage Studies of Squatters in Hong Kong in the Heritage, Renewal and Spatial History session at the conference in Shanghai in June.
The research forms part of her PhD at the Welsh School of Architecture, under the supervision of Dr Federico Wulff.
We’re delighted that Yiran’s work has been recognised by IASTE. This achievement is especially meaningful given the scale and competitiveness of IASTE 2026, where over 300 abstract submissions were received with less than 50% selected for presentation.
Centred on the theme “Translating Traditions”, IASTE 2026 explored how traditions are interpreted, transformed, and redefined across different cultural and built environments.
Yiran’s paper examines how tradition is translated through the temporal and spatial practices of residents in Hong Kong’s squatter settlements.
Drawing on critical heritage studies, she challenges conventional approaches to heritage conservation that prioritise material preservation. Instead, her paper highlights the importance of everyday practices, spatial adaptation, residents’ lived experiences, and local social relations in understanding the heritage value of informal settlements.
Through the case of Hong Kong’s squatter settlements, the research contributes to wider debates on “grey heritage”, marginal dwelling typologies, and the translation of tradition in rapidly changing urban societies.
Presented by IASTE President and Conference Director Mark Gillem, the award followed a rigorous double-blind peer-review process, with shortlisted papers anonymously assessed and ranked by the jury.
