Public housing estates are not typically places you’d expect to find breakthrough ideas in architectural design. But an innovative new design guide seeks to shatter that stereotype by encouraging the adoption of a range of wellness design concepts in both existing and new estates in Hong Kong, The guide was discussed at a recent symposium, moderated by Architecture Commons co-founder Eric So (above right).

An inspiring movement to focus the minds of young architects and designers on confronting global issues, such as climate change, regional conflicts, forced displacement, big data and technology is gaining momentum, with the help of leading Hong Kong-based urban designer and academic, Dr. Sujata Govada.

Since launching her own studio in 2018, Emma Maclean has created stunning interiors for apartments, hotels, clubs and boutique retail stores from Hong Kong to Paris. Now the talented designer and A&D Awards judge can add superyacht to her portfolio, after refreshing the interior of Silentworld, an elegant 39.6-metre motor yacht bought by a local family in 2021.

Taikoo Place is one of Hong Kong’s best known business hubs, home to over 300 multi-national corporations. Now it is home to almost as many native plant species thanks to some thoughtful landscaping by its developer, Swire Properties.

Forhad Ullah passionately believes in the power of design to create unique spaces that people feel proud to live and work in, as opposed to the repetitive ‘cookie-cutter’ template adopted in many of Hong Kong’s residential and hospitality developments. “As a resident or tenant, you should be able to say ‘I feel proud to live in this building’,” he says.

“The details are not just the details,” said the late American architect and filmmaker Charles Eames, “they make the design”. And it’s the small details that make all the difference in Bean Buro’s latest project, a stylish and sophisticated workplace for its skincare specialist client.

Mainland electric vehicle manufacturer NIO has always pushed the boundaries of auto-retailing with its high-tech concept stores known as NIO House. But it’s latest shop at Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport – a mix of airport lounge, fashion store and EV display area – takes the model to new heights.

The Bodhi Tree, according to Buddhist tradition, is the holy fig tree under which Buddha sat to attain enlightenment. So, it’s fitting that the heart-shaped Bodhi leaf was the inspiration for a new IT research centre, designed by Hong Kong-based international architecture firm Aedas, on the banks of Nanhu Lake in Hangzhou.

One of the latest offerings from in-demand restaurant designer Kevin Yiu is an immersive Chiu Chow restaurant in Yuen Long with a whimsical nautical theme that references one of the city’s most celebrated designers, Chi Wing Lo. Yiu says he was amazed by Lo’s seminal work, Ark of World Poetry, essentially a floating library, and thought why not apply the idea to the world of gastronomy.

Can architects make good politicians? Absolutely, says Winnie Ho, who once designed commercial properties for local architectural firm Ho & Partners and is now Hong Kong’s Secretary of Housing. “I always see myself as an architect,” she says. And good architecture, like good politics, is all about putting people first.