ABSTRACT | This paper discusses New York based architecture practice – SHoP’s project delivery strategies, to demonstrate an avant-garde methodology in pursuing architect-led project environments where optimised outcomes are achieved with digital workflows. The paper elaborates on how today’s Chinese architecture adopts global digital trends while certain barriers are impeding development of computationally integrated project delivery modes. Thirdly, the paper indicates the emergence of a new generation of digital architects in China, showcasing their practices to argue for the regional applicability of SHoP’s working mode. The paper concludes by summarising the disadvantages of the current Chinese architectural system, advocating the necessity of a systematic digitalisation, and discussing the Western potential in China’s modernising architecture.