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The聽annual Pritzker Architecture Prize聽has been awarded to Liu Jiakun of China, who earned the field鈥檚 highest honor for 鈥渁ffirming architecture that celebrates the lives of ordinary citizens,鈥� organizers announced Tuesday.

Liu, 68, becomes the 54th laureate of the prize, considered akin to a Nobel in the field of architecture. In an interview with The Associated Press in his office in聽Chengdu, in China鈥檚 southwestern Sichuan region,聽the architect gave a simple definition of his profession.

鈥淭o simplify, the task of architects is to provide a better living environment for human beings,鈥� he said, speaking in Mandarin. 鈥淔irst of all, you do something that is functional. But if it is just like that, it cannot be called architecture; you have to provide poetry.鈥�

Liu is known for creating public areas in highly populated cities where there is little public space, 鈥渇orging a positive relationship between density and open space,鈥� a Pritzker statement said.

The architect 鈥渦pholds the transcendent power of the built environment through the harmonizing of cultural, historical, emotional and social dimensions, using architecture to forge community, inspire compassion and elevate the human spirit,鈥� the statement said.

Among Liu鈥檚 30 or so projects, which range from academic institutions to commercial buildings to civic spaces, organizers cited his 10-year-old West Village, which spans a block in Chengdu. The five-story development includes a perimeter of pathways for cyclists and pedestrians around 鈥渋ts own vibrant city of cultural, athletic, recreational, office and business activities within, while allowing the public to view through to the surrounding natural and built environments.鈥�

They also noted the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute Department of Sculpture in Chongqing. It displays an alternate solution to maximizing space, they said, 鈥渨ith upper levels protruding outward to extend the square footage of a narrow footprint.鈥�

Liu was born in 1956 in Chengdu and sent at age 17, during the Cultural Revolution, to labor on a farm in the countryside. He has said life felt inconsequential 鈥� until he was accepted to architecture school in Chongqing, where he 鈥渟uddenly realized my own life was important.鈥�

In the interview, Liu said the speed of change in China during his early adulthood was 鈥渧ery fast, and it was turning things upside down. Even until now, sometimes I feel like I have lived several lifetimes.鈥�

Liu established his practice, Jiakun Architects, in 1999. He said he is not one of those architects who likes to have a strongly recognizable visual style. Rather, Liu said, he pays more attention to method and strategy.

鈥淢any architects use a strong personal style and form to gain a foothold in the world,鈥� Liu said. 鈥淣o matter where it is, people can tell immediately that it is his or her work with a very strong symbolism. But I am not such a kind of architect.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to have a very clear or obvious style that can be recognized as mine just at a glance,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 take a more methodological and strategic approach. I hope that when I go to a specific place, I can use my methodology and strategy to adapt to local conditions. I like to fully understand the place, and then look for resources, problems 鈥� and then distill and refine, and finally turn (this) into my work.鈥�

Liu also said he tries to balance his country鈥檚 artistic and architectural heritage with the realities of modern technology.

鈥淚 think China鈥檚 traditional architecture is of course brilliant and very classic,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut it is a product of its time.鈥�

He said he hopes to deeply understand 鈥渢he thematic part of tradition that can survive,鈥� and then express it with contemporary technology and language. In that way, he said, 鈥渢radition can be used as a core 鈥� but the presentation of your work is contemporary.鈥�

Liu said he also seeks to balance commercial imperatives with civic concerns.

鈥淭he rapid development of cities nowadays is basically driven by capital; it is natural for capital to pursue profits,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou have to leave the public the space they deserve. Only in this way can the development of a city be positive and healthy, rather than being completely high-density, where people live in drawers and boxes 鈥� without even a place to go and no space for communication.鈥�

The Pritzker Architecture Prize was established in 1979 by late entrepreneur Jay A. Pritzker and his wife, Cindy. Winners receive a $100,000 grant and a bronze medallion.

Asked if he thought the honor would impact his life, Liu replied: 鈥淚 have thought about it. But I want to maintain normalcy 鈥� I don鈥檛 want to become nervous about everything. Of course, it has its advantages. I will definitely not need to promote myself too much. But will it also make me better at work? Not necessarily. Excessive expectations may become a pressure.鈥�

He had another concern as well.

鈥淎nd will it make me too busy and prevent me from working more attentively?鈥� he pondered. 鈥淚 hope to keep the normalcy and the freedom, as well as calmness.鈥�

Editor鈥檚 note: AP senior video producer Wayne Zhang contributed to this report from Chengdu, China.