Thana City is a large development that consists of a number of residential developments built over a 20 year period; a golf and country club; and a newly established international school. The client requested a new identity at the very front entrance. A road of approximately 2 km leads one from the entrance portal to the center of Thana City. The portal measures approximately 14 meters in height and 40 meters in width. The portal structure is cast-in-place reinforced concrete. The design of the portal uses an undulating form to defy the immense weight of the concrete. We worked closely with the project’s structural engineer to come up with the base structural form of the portal. Perforated stainless-steel panels create lanterns that are set within the concrete structure, which illuminate the portal at night.

This retail project is unusual because the client required us to preserve two pre- existing elements at the project site (unusual for Hong Kong): a waffle ceiling and four i- beam columns at the main atrium space. These are period structures which were hidden in the previous incarnation of the shopping mall (from the 70’s). For the project, we decided to expose and celebrate them instead of concealing them. We designed a series of floating glass skins that showcase the industrial character of the i-beam columns. The location of this particular section of the shopping mall does not get any natural light. Working with a lighting designer, we incorporated a computer- controlled LED lighting system onto the waffle ceiling, that can potentially modulate the interior lighting conditions to mimic the different times of the day and according to the seasons. In order to be consistent with the client’s overarching idea of ‘Victoria Dockside’, we devised a series of nautical elements to make the thematic connection: rope is used to clad columns and fire- shutter enclosures; copper- conduits at the exposed ceiling act as a visual guide throughout the 2-storey space as well as electrical conduits for the accent lighting fixtures; teak wood for the stairs- balustrade; and embedded seashells for the concrete floor.

For the design of this manufacturing facility, we faced two challenges:

1). to allow as much ambient light into the vast interior space (6,750 square meters) in order to create a better working environment for the workers; and 2). to create the longest span possible (and with the least amount of columns), as a way to maximize flexibility for the client to set up their production line within the space.

We worked closely with the engineer of the project to come up the appropriate architectural solution:

a complex-truss-system for the roof design, which created a span of 36 meters and series of diamond- shaped skylights on the roof. We specified polycarbonate panels for the skylights to save on weight and cost.

The project is the staff quarters of a newly established international school in Bangkok. There are a total of five buildings, each building contains 20 -21 apartment units. There are four apartment types, ranging from 45 sq.m, to 60 sq.m, to 80 sq.m, and the largest being 115 sq.m. Each building can accommodate about 39 individuals.

Five buildings altogether can accommodate up to 195 staff members and their family members.

The notion of privacy is central to the layout design of the apartment units. One of the most annoying things about apartment living is being disturbed by your neighbors. It could be loud-music late at night; an infant crying non- stop; or party- noise on a Saturday night, we have all experienced this one point or another in our lives.

By strategically inserting a 2 meter-gap in between each of the apartment units, we strive to keep the potential disturbances between the neighbors at a minimum, in-turn creating a better living environment for the 195 inhabitants.

This shop is located at the intersection of Gage Street and Aberdeen Street, in Central, Hong Kong, and has a tiny footprint of just 200 square feet. The client had the following requests: a shop design to reflect their brand's strong identity; an exterior element that could be changed over time with relative ease; and ample storage space.

The shop's footprint is small, but is blessed with ample ceiling height of 4.2 meters. Our design exploits this vertical dimension by inserting a raised platform around the 2 edges of the space. The main merchandise display is also along these two walls. Two separate staircases connect the raised platform to the entry level below. The exterior staircase/ railing is a 'trompe-l'oeil' (deceive the eye) effect that seemingly connects with the interior staircase and raised platform at both sides of the shop fronts.

In terms of materials, galvanized metal is the main material and is brought over from the client's other existing retail locations. Stainless steel sections and wires are used for the railing, which is a close match with the galvanized metal in terms of color and finish. Complimentary materials include surplus wood floor and inner cardboard tubing that are used for the horizontal display surface for merchandise and the ceiling respectfully. 

Wood flooring suppliers often have 'reject' flooring that have been rejected by customers and designers due to color variance. We wanted to create a precious surface for the merchandise. Instead of using the top surface of the wood floor (standard application), we turned the wood flooring sideways and sandwiched them together exposing the edges. The many layers of the wood floor edges created the precious surface we were seeking. 

As for the ceiling, we wanted to create a surface with a unique texture that can accommodate MR16 LED light bulbs. Our office is located within an industrial building where many logistics companies are located. Once they are finished with their rolls of industrial grade plastic wrap, they leave behind the inner cardboard tubing, and we see many around our building premise. These cardboard tubing are quite sturdy and has an inner diameter of about 70 mm, which turns out to be the perfect fit to house the MR16 LED light bulbs.

But with an open ceiling, we could not use typical 'downlights', as downlights require a horizontal surface for installation. Therefore we had to create our own light fixture. We did so by securing a piece of wood spanning the diameter of the inner tubing. The base of the bulb is then attached to the piece of wood. The LED light bulbs are scattered randomly into the inner cardboard tubing to create a shimmering effect. There are about 1,500 pieces of cardboard tubing on the ceiling, and about 40 LED light bulbs.

This apartment project is about 2,000 square feet. The building was constructed in the 70's which means the efficiency of the actual square footage is quite high. The client is a young couple who appreciates clean lines and simplicity; durability of sound materials and their relative ease of maintenance. The previous owner had a dropped ceiling, which was the first things we decided to take out. The client also wanted to maximize the floor to ceiling dimension, so after taking out the dropped ceiling, we actually spent a good 3-4 days cleaning up the underside of the concrete slab with a stainless steel brush. We were able to see construction calculation notations and imperfections on the concrete surface, which are left exposed. These imperfections were played off in contrast with the clean and smooth white walls and panelling.

The baltic plywood is 18 mm thick. The steel plate is 3 mm. Hence the name '18+3' side table.

The 'Debris' table is made from salvaged timber door frames from one construction site. The connectors between each timber section are baltic plywood pieces. The base is made of steel.