When Newton North High School student Sean Choi first began to explore the world of architectural design, he was drawn to the idea of playing with physical space in a way that expresses emotion.
“I originally came from an art background, where storytelling and expression were central to my work, and architecture felt like a natural extension of that,” he said. “A way to turn ideas and feelings into spaces people can physically experience.”
This December, Choi was selected as a 2026 YoungArts Award Winner with Distinction in Design, making him one of a select group of accomplished young visual, literary, and performing artists from across the nation.
In January, Choi will join other YoungArts Award Winners for a conference in Miami, where he will have the opportunity to attend master classes, share his work, and be considered for additional awards.
Choi said that receiving recognition from YoungArts felt deeply meaningful, especially because he had already applied to the program once before. The application process, he said, provided an opportunity to reflect on what art and architectural design mean to him.
“Returning to this process allowed me to reflect on how much my work and perspective have grown. It encouraged me to think more critically about my ideas and to develop a clearer voice as a designer,” he said. “Being recognized this time affirms that growth and reminds me that persistence and reflection are essential parts of a creative journey.”
One of the pieces Choi submitted to YoungArts, titled Whale Pavilion: Endangered Love, is especially significant to him. He said that the design of the structure, which he built from rattan and dried flowers, was inspired by natural and emotional themes.
“Whale Pavilion: Endangered Love was inspired by the gentle motion of a whale’s tail emerging above the ocean,” he said. “Whales are among the most intelligent and emotionally complex species on Earth, yet they continue to disappear quietly as industrial development accelerates. This contrast became the emotional starting point of the project.”
The result, Choi said, was “an architectural work with a philosophical message.”
“In today’s fast-paced, efficiency-driven society, I feel that love and empathy are also becoming endangered,” he said. “As cities grow taller and move faster, we often lose the tenderness and emotional connection that define our humanity.”
Choi said that he worked hard to bring these ideas to life during the design and construction process.
“The pavilion is constructed using rattan and wooden sticks, supported by parametric columns that branch like coral roots beneath the sea,” he said. “These interconnected structures represent how fragile systems, whether ecological or emotional, can still hold great strength when they support one another.”
In addition to Whale Pavilion: Endangered Love, Choi has designed several other conceptual architectural projects. He said that across all of his works, the themes of organic geometry, a focus on the environment, and human-centered design play a central role.
“Many of these works focus on how natural systems, such as growth patterns, movement, and balance, can inform structure,” he said. “Overall, my goal is to design architecture that feels calm, reflective, and deeply human, offering spaces that invite people to slow down and reconnect with both nature and each other.”
Theo Younkin is a Fig City News student reporter, a senior at Newton South High School, and Co-Editor-in-Chief of the NSHS Lion’s Roar.
