Design Philosophy:
My design philosophy is rooted in radical localism, human-centred collaboration, and architecture as a catalyst for cultural, ecological, and social renewal. I believe architects today must not only create buildings, but revive lost heritage, regenerate ecosystems, and rebuild community dignity.
Growing up in Hong Kong, I witnessed the silent decline of our rural villages — places rich in history yet forgotten by rapid urbanization. My work in countryside revitalisation, including Project Plum Grove in Mui Tsz Lam, proves that architecture can reactivate abandoned villages, attract former residents and new visitors, revive agriculture, restore biodiversity, and reshape public imagination of rural identity. A restored house became more than a structure — it ignited farming activity, brought wildlife back, welcomed learners and volunteers, and transformed a quiet village into a growing cultural and ecological hub.
What makes my approach distinct is my participatory, human-centred methodology. In our village restoration work, we co-created the vision with villagers and stakeholders. Students, craftsmen, volunteers, educators, and residents all took part — making panels by hand, learning heritage techniques, shaping landscapes, and celebrating new life in the village. This process showed me the power of communal creation. Architecture became a movement — not a project.
My design language combines vernacular intelligence, minimalist clarity, and low-tech sustainable construction. I embrace primitive techniques, local materials, and traditional typologies — not as nostalgia, but as a forward-looking strategy for resilience and cultural pride.
I deserve to be among the 40 Under 40 because I am not only building structures, but rebuilding identity, ecology, community, and hope. I uncover the overlooked, amplify the unsung, and use architecture as a tool for healing and transformation. My mission is clear: revive the soul of place and empower people through design.
