Jiaying Bai’s Art of Shaping Space, Sustainability with Soul, Centerbrook Architects and Planners, Sustainable architectural designer

Jiaying Bai’s Art of Shaping Space

August 5, 2025

Author: Adrian Welch

Sustainability with Soul: Jiaying Bai’s Art of Shaping Space

In a time when the built environment is under mounting pressure from climate change, dwindling resources, and growing social divides, sustainable architecture has become an urgent necessity rather than a choice. Jiaying Bai advocates for an architectural approach that is not only grounded in environmental responsibility, but also deeply responsive to empathy, intention, and context—designs that carry emotion, memory, and cultural meaning.

A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and now a lead architectural designer at Centerbrook Architects and Planners, Bai has carved out a distinctive path that bridges technical rigor with cultural awareness. Her philosophy of “sustainability with soul” has guided award-winning projects that go beyond lowering carbon footprints—they also strengthen community bonds, preserve historical narratives, and evoke emotional connection through thoughtful design.

Photo Courtesy: Warren Jagger Photography (The timeless interior renovation of Chapel Hall)

One notable example is the renovation of Chapel Hall at Central Congregational Church in Providence, Rhode Island. Originally constructed in 1893, the hall had long served as a cornerstone for community gatherings. As the congregation expanded, the need arose for a more adaptable, inclusive, and engaging space. Working within a limited budget and strict historic preservation guidelines, Jiaying Bai led a thoughtful and restrained transformation that reinvigorated the space without compromising its heritage.

Lowering the stage created a more versatile environment for performances and social events, while gracefully curved steps now serve both as informal seating and improved access. Suspended wooden fins elegantly conceal lighting and audiovisual equipment, maintaining visual coherence. A new, symmetrical double staircase grounds the room, incorporating discreet storage and inviting seating alcoves. Materials such as white oak flooring, frosted glass, and fabric wall panels were carefully selected to brighten the interior and enhance natural light, all while respecting the original architectural envelope. The result is a space that feels both timeless and welcoming—an adaptive reuse that celebrates spiritual continuity in a modern context.

Photo Courtesy: Jim Childress (The seating alcove with beautiful daylight at Chapel Hall)

Preserving natural light was central to the redesign, yet replacing the Gothic dormer windows was cost prohibitive. Instead, Bai’s team installed bronze oculi and frosted glass overlays, which refract sunlight and improve interior illumination while maintaining the historical integrity of the façade. Operable windows remain functional, facilitating passive cooling and reducing energy demands. The entire project exemplifies a delicate balance of sustainability and sensitivity—where creative solutions emerge from constraint. Following its completion, the renovation received a Citation for Sensitivity to the Original Structure from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), as well as a Historic Preservation Award from the Providence Preservation Society (PPS), earning acclaim from both the local community and design professionals alike.

Bai’s most recognized community project—the New Canaan Library in Connecticut—further exemplifies her holistic vision. Situated in Connecticut, this 42,700-square-foot structure transcends its role as a traditional library to serve as a cultural anchor, a community gathering hub, and a visionary exemplar of sustainable design. Inspired by the town’s storied modernist tradition and environmental values, the project increases usable space by 30% while sharply lowering its energy footprint.

Photo Courtesy: Jeff Goldberg/Esto (The west façade of New Canaan Library)

Externally, the building reflects New Canaan’s architectural lineage with dry-laid stone facades interspersed with vertical glass towers and capped with metal elements that mirror the patterns of nearby forest canopies. Inside, it unfolds as an inclusive, intergenerational learning environment—offering adaptable spaces for reading, collaboration, creativity, teaching, and quiet contemplation, catering to a wide range of community needs.

Sustainability is seamlessly woven into the building’s core. Fully electric and designed with a remarkably low Energy Use Intensity (EUI) of 17, nearly 90% below the national average, the library is powered in part by rooftop photovoltaic panels and supported by a high-performance building envelope, air-source heat pumps, and optimized daylighting strategies. The project has earned significant acclaim, including the Green Good Design Award and the Concrete Innovation Award, and has been spotlighted in renowned outlets such as Architectural Record, Education Snapshots, and American Libraries.

Image Courtesy: Centerbrook Architects and Planners (New Canaan Library Sustainability Diagram)

Bai’s conceptual project, The Alley Arbors, highlights her visionary thinking and deep commitment to social responsibility. Created as a response to the rising threat of flooding in dense coastal cities like Boston, this proposal transforms narrow, aging urban alleys into elevated green public spaces. By connecting buildings on the third and fourth floors with cross-laminated timber (CLT) bridges, The Alley Arbors forms continuous “sky gardens” that serve two key roles—providing emergency evacuation routes during extreme weather events and functioning as communal terraces for everyday use.

Image Courtesy: Jiaying Bai (The Alley Arbors conceptual site plan)

The design adapts to varying alley widths with two distinct approaches. For alleys under 25 feet wide, open-air green platforms collect rainwater and support native, low-maintenance plants, establishing micro-ecosystems that reduce runoff and help cool the urban environment. In wider alleys, small community cafés can be incorporated, equipped with foldable glass walls, solar-paneled roofs, and natural ventilation systems, creating shaded, energy-efficient gathering spaces accessible throughout the year.

As Bai explains, “We’re not only designing life on the ground but expanding how public life can exist vertically.” The Alley Arbors is more than just a climate resilience solution—it is a bold reimagining of neglected urban spaces that fosters sustainability, community engagement, and fresh connections.

Image Courtesy: Jiaying Bai (The Alley Arbors rendering)

What makes Bai’s vision so compelling is not just its technical precision—it’s her unwavering dedication to the emotional life of architecture. “Designing with soul means caring about how people feel in space,” she notes. “It means asking how buildings can support joy, memory, and connection—not just efficiency.” Her work stands as a quiet but powerful argument for the next chapter of sustainable design—one where environmental stewardship is inseparable from beauty, belonging, and the human spirit. Whether reimagining a church hall, constructing a town library, or envisioning a flood-resilient future, Jiaying Bai shows us what it means to design spaces that not only endure—but inspire.

About the Designer

Jiaying Bai is an architectural designer based in Connecticut. Her expertise ranges from cultural and academic buildings to sports facilities, sacred spaces, and boutique hotels. Her work emphasizes the relationship between people, the spaces they inhabit, and the natural environment, with a particular focus on sustainability and adaptive reuse. Her innovative works have earned recognition from notable sources, including Global Design News, Architectural Record, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and the London Design Awards.

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