# Award-Winning Design Firms Found Projects Has Been Named the Jury Winner in the Best X-Small Firm By Kalin Ned | Published 2026-08-03 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/found-projects References: [v2com-newswire](https://www.v2com-newswire.com/en/newsroom/categories/landscape-architecture/press-kits/7943-01/found-projects-co-founded-by-architect-miaojie-ted-zhang-named-jury-winner-for-best-x-small-firm-at-the-2026-architizer-a-awards) Found Projects is a Los Angeles-based architecture and design studio co-founded by architect Miaojie Ted Zhang, [AIA](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-cross-cabin), and designer Veronica Smith. The company has been named the Jury Winner in the Best X-Small Firm category at the 14th Annual Architizer A+Awards. This recognition pays homage to the studio's excellence across a body of work that includes [public spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/digital-craft), cultural interiors, residential projects, landscape interventions, and small civic structures in the United States and China. One of Found Projects' noteworthy projects includes the Four-Roof Pavilion at Shenzhen Pingshan Children's Park, which serves as a gateway while accommodating multi-purpose rooms, a bookstore, a café, and a [roof garden](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/xiaoxita-forest-park). The Blue Court, on the other hand, combines a blue concrete basketball court with an exposed steel frame and tension-cable system to create both a sports venue and a gathering place for a coastal village. Image Credit: Schran Images, Atelier LuxNox ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.3/10 - Popularity: 25% | Activity: 18% | Freshness: 85% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/design) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Micro-firm Prestige:** Small design studios are gaining outsized recognition by delivering culturally specific, highly crafted projects across public, residential, and civic contexts. - **Hybrid Civic Spaces:** Public architecture is increasingly blending recreation, retail, education, and gathering functions into compact destinations that serve multiple community needs. - **Contextual Play Architecture:** Design-led parks, courts, and pavilions are transforming everyday recreation sites into memorable landmarks shaped by local culture and landscape. ### Who This Affects Most - **Architecture and Design:** Recognition for x-small firms highlights a market shift toward agile studios that combine experimental aesthetics with meaningful community impact. - **Urban Development:** Mixed-use pavilions and public gathering spaces point to new models for dense, flexible civic infrastructure in growing cities. - **Parks and Recreation:** Elevated recreational environments are redefining parks and sports facilities as social anchors that merge play, leisure, and cultural identity. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Greenhouse Office Pavilions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/office-for-roundtable.md) - [Curved Green Roof-Topped Museums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sunner-museum.md) - [Color-Shifting Art Museums](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-quartet-songzhuang-z-museum.md) - [Dual Interior Design Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/design-next-agency1.md) - [Art Park Building Renovations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/storm-king.md) - [Valley-Inspired Offices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kitaoka-group-office.md) - [Modern Urban Placemaking Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/urban-placemaking.md) - [Refined Residential Architecture Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/residential-architecture.md) - [Award-Winning Multi-Unit Housing Projects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/multiunit-housing.md)