Designers are increasingly being asked by clients to create more flexible office environments – and now one of Hong Kong’s leading practices, Benoy, has tackled the task for its own studio. The result is a stunning new workplace in Causeway Bay, which could well be a blueprint for more agile office solutions.

Just days after making the difficult decision to abandon the live event on January 10 due to new COVID restrictions, the A&D Awards team got cracking on the video for the virtual announcement of this year’s awards. Onsite filming sessions were quickly scheduled with local winners and supporting organisations, AIA and RIBA Hong Kong. We invited mainland winners and judges to share video messages. Thankfully, everyone responded quickly and enthusiastically!

“Some people bake. Some start bands or get into golf. We have power tools and a sense of humour!” So says Ben McCarthy, one of a talented Hong Kong trio of designers presenting the Plywood Arcade, a quirky new exhibition that pays homage to the forgotten art of handmade arcade games. As the world hurtles towards the metaverse, it’s a fun throwback to a time when we could be entertained by the simple mechanics of plywood, bolts, springs and rubber bands.

Here’s an opportunity for Hong Kong designers, who typically grapple with the space constraints of our densely populated city, to think big and smart – and win big at the same time! HKT Smart Living and Kowloon Development Company are challenging designers to come up with creative ideas, leveraging new technologies, that take full advantage of the remarkable 3.5-metre ceiling height in the exciting new “Manor Hill” apartments in Tseung Kwan O.

From a zen-like residential clubhouse inspired by the traditional Chinese courtyard design to an inspiring community-driven initiative to convert plastic waste into public benches – the range and quality of projects submitted for A&D Awards 2021 were truly remarkable. Sixty-six of the almost 300 submissions earned Gold, Silver or Bronze Awards, as voted by our international panel of judges.

Like it or not, humankind around the globe will continue to face the ongoing threat of emerging coronavirus variants and other potential epidemics. For architects and interior designers, this means that public health considerations are increasingly shifting from the general check list to a fundamental part of every brief. Enter AQUA PRO+TECH, an Intelligent disinfection […]

Some of Asia’s most talented young architects and interior designers have been recognised and rewarded as winners in the 40 Under 40 Awards 2021. Twenty-nine of this year’s winners are from Hong Kong, while eight are from the mainland, two from Singapore and one from Thailand. Check out the jubilant scenes at the presentation ceremony, captured in our event highlights video and photo gallery, as the happy winners receive their certificates, as well as the full list of winners.

Cecilia Ramos understands that designers aim to “create spaces that facilitate life – spaces that can adapt and transform depending on a client’s needs”. It’s why the Senior Director, Architectural Market, at Lutron Electronics is so passionate about the company’s Home Control (Automation) Technology to curate the perfect light environment in a built space.

Shenzhen’s Qian Hai new district is home to some of the region’s brightest young innovators and entrepreneurs. It is also home to a building that sets new standards in creativity and sustainable design, thanks to a breakthrough “double-skin” façade engineered by BARRIE HO Architecture.

Multi-talented Hong Kong architect Betty Ng likens judging entries in an international awards program to taking a virtual world architecture tour. Joining the A&D Awards jury panel for the first time this year, the founder of local practice COLLECTIVE says she is hoping to see work “that we can all say we haven’t seen before.”