Rudy and Bao Yan are a husband-and-wife team whose lives were transformed through a season of encounters in Africa. Both were driven professionals — Rudy, an award-winning architect and founder of Genesis Architects; and Bao Yan, an entrepreneur with over twenty years of experience and a leader with a heart for people.

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In 2013, their time in Mozambique marked a turning point. Living among the poorest of the poor, they witnessed love that restores and hope that rebuilds. That season birthed a conviction — that creativity and compassion can come together to meet the vast needs of the marginalised and vulnerable, bringing dignity and transformation in practical ways across the world.

Returning home, they founded Living Oaks — a platform to respond to the world’s brokenness through creativity, compassion and action.

 

Since then, the work of Living Oaks has spanned continents — reaching from war zones in Ukraine to the jungles of Indonesia, from the poorest communities in Africa to the unreached corners of the Amazon rainforest. Through diverse initiatives — rebuilding homes for the displaced, constructing schools, developing sustainable livelihoods, and equipping local leaders — our heart remains one: to bring beauty from ashes and restore hope where it has been lost.

 

Rooted in Isaiah 61, Living Oaks exists to see lives renewed, communities rebuilt, and dignity restored. Through architecture, partnerships, and love in action, we are here to stand with those rebuilding and to reveal that even in the darkest places, hope never fades.

Whether you’re a volunteer, partner, or fellow dreamer — we invite you to connect with us. Together, we can build lives and let restoration take root.