China gets a lot of bad press these days, between Beijing's air quality and recent scandals surrounding contaminated food and drugs. But it's not all bad news. New York-based architect
Steven Holl, whom Time magazine named "America's Best Architect" in 2001, has devoted a good portion of his career to designing more sustainable buildings in some of China's densest, most burgeoning cities.

Holl's reputation for respecting the aesthetic of a locale while creating structures that maximize natural and recycled resources has earned him international praise.

In late February, Holl gave a lecture on some of his recent projects in Beijing and
Shenzhen, the world's fastest growing city, at Cooper Union in New York. While Holl's talk was geared towards his architectural peers -- meaning much of it was over this journalist's head -- one recurring theme was clear: "psychological space." For Holl, architecture has the power to register in us a deep, emotional experience, thereby re-connecting us to our humanity within our ever-more dehumanizing cities.

Holl emphasizes space, light, and green space. He creates "horizontal skyscrapers," reflecting pools of recycled rainwater, and interiors that thrive on solar energy.

And most importantly, Holl's buildings are built to last. Hopefully they will.