"He isn't so falsely humble as to think he's done nothing, " says Denari.

WSJ: Made on the Mainland | Innovator of the Year 2012 Architecture

"His cell phone was just buzzing, " Denari says.

WSJ: Made on the Mainland | Innovator of the Year 2012 Architecture

When Wang Shu won the prize this past February, he was in Los Angeles, about to give a lecture at UCLA. Architect Neil Denari, a professor at the school and Wang's host, was with him that afternoon.

WSJ: Made on the Mainland | Innovator of the Year 2012 Architecture