Interview with Fei Hu

When I was around four years old, my father bought me lots of paper and pens for doodling, which could be considered my earliest introduction to art. Since then, drawing seemed to become my only passion. By the time I was in high school, I officially joined a specialized art class to receive systematic training in drawing. After long and tedious practice sessions in sketching and color theory, I realized I was more interested in architectural art and interior design. That realization led me to choose interior design as my career path, and I majored in it during university.

In the first semester of my sophomore year, we had a course project on innovative designs for traditional Chinese furniture. With ease, I designed a set of furniture that combined traditional aesthetics with modern concepts. My professor gave me the highest score in the class and selected my work to be archived in the school’s collection. This achievement greatly boosted my confidence in my professional abilities. From then on, I dedicated myself even more to mastering various professional skills, and I ultimately proved my choice was right by graduating with excellent academic results.

After graduation, I successfully joined an architectural design firm in Shanghai, marking the beginning of my professional career.

The three steps I value most in the design process are as follows:

First, I conduct research on the project’s site conditions and design requirements, gathering as much relevant historical data and information as possible. From this, I repeatedly filter suitable elements and possibilities.

Second, I create numerous sketches and concept proposals. I develop at least 2-3 distinct conceptual directions for the client to discuss.

Finally, I select a primary direction and submit it to a 3D artist to build a sketch model. The 3D model is then adjusted repeatedly until the solution is approved.

In all my design projects, I adhere to the following four principles: aesthetic form, cultural memory, memorable impact, and uniqueness.

At the beginning, receiving a project design brief fills me with excitement. When I start designing, I am fully focused. When there is no clear concept or direction, I feel anxious, but once a direction emerges, I experience joy and relaxation. The most thrilling stage is when the project is completed and receives widespread acclaim.

I particularly enjoy humming while designing. From the beginning to the completion of a design project, the process of creating something out of nothing feels like making a movie. Designers are akin to film directors, and the success of a project brings an immense sense of satisfaction and happiness.

First, extensive reading is essential, whether it’s novels, newspapers, magazines, or art books. A good designer is inevitably someone who loves to read. I’ve enjoyed reading since childhood, and it has cultivated one of the most important skills I possess: a strong sense of aesthetics. Designers must understand the public’s level of aesthetic appreciation while maintaining a higher level themselves. Reading quality art works significantly enhances one’s aesthetic abilities.

Second, if possible, frequent travel is invaluable, as it is the most effective way to understand, learn, and experience the cultures and arts of different countries.

So far, my design journey has just entered its golden age, akin to reaching the prime of life. I hope to create my best works during this stage.

I have loved painting since I was a child and majored in interior design in college. After graduation, I worked at an architectural design firm for four years before founding my own interior design company. My future plan is to focus on researching and promoting Zen-inspired Eastern design styles. My dream design projects are a luxury hotel and a historical museum. I particularly enjoy working on public projects.

Start by spending a lot of time reading and researching, focusing on enhancing your aesthetics and creativity.
Secondly, dedicate substantial time to practicing hand drawing, which is an essential skill for designers.
If possible, travel frequently, as it is the most important way to understand, learn, and experience the culture and art of different countries.

As a designer, it’s important to avoid being overly attached to your own ideas. There is no single solution to a problem. Our ultimate goal is to help clients solve their problems, not to impose our ideas on them.

My day starts with a cup of coffee. I usually check my emails first before diving into design work. When I feel tired, I like to tend to my garden or catch up on the day’s news. On weekdays, a 50-minute tennis match with friends brings me a lot of joy.

I choose whether to follow design trends or stick to my own design philosophy based on the specific project. If the project is meant to last for a long time, I stick to my design philosophy. However, for commercial projects with a shorter lifespan of just a few years, I follow current design trends. Keeping up with design trends doesn’t take much extra time—just 10 minutes a day to browse the latest design news is enough.

Good design is memorable at first glance, evokes emotions, is simple yet powerful, functionally sound, and most importantly, unprecedented with an elegant form. The first-generation iPhone is a quintessential example of good design.

I consider a design complete when I feel that adding anything more wouldn’t make it look better than it does now.

My best design work to date is the Zhengzhou Longhu Cultural Conference Center, a project that took me about six months to complete. The Longhu Cultural Conference Center is a landmark of Zhengzhou and will become the city’s largest conference center upon completion.

Drawing inspiration from Chinese culture, I chose the phoenix as the central theme and source of inspiration. Using curved white marble lines, I depicted the feathers of a phoenix in flight, weaving them together to create a grand and emotionally moving scene. I selected white to symbolize purity and tranquility. The design reflects the aesthetic essence of Eastern Zen: stripping away all excess decoration to create a serene, free, and uncluttered space, while maintaining a strong sense of modernity.

This project’s interior design is unique among national conference center projects of its kind. It is modern and stylish yet deeply rooted in cultural heritage. Compared to previous designs that are either highly traditional or overly contemporary, this project embodies a profound blend of philosophy and aesthetics.

My favorite designers are Tadao Ando, Rafael Moneo, and Tonychi. Their design styles respectively represent simplicity, classical elegance, and sophistication, which I deeply admire. Leonardo da Vinci is the most iconic designer in history, and Le Corbusier has had the greatest influence on our understanding of exceptional design.

I love Florence, a city filled with enchanting cultural heritage. Many cities in China share this quality. Chinese traditional culture, as a treasure of Eastern civilization, is rich in philosophy and art, serving as a crucial medium and driving force for innovation in interior design. I believe traditional culture can provide an endless source of inspiration for modern design.

I currently live in California, USA, where I primarily focus on residential design. I firmly believe that design is one of the key forces driving social progress. It improves our lives every single day.

I work with my partners and have 2-3 design assistants. My work culture emphasizes focused work and joyful living. An excellent designer should possess these qualities: focus, responsibility, attention to detail, an open mind, and Never stop learning.

In 2016, the "My Family Library" project I designed in Shanghai caused a huge social response because of its innovative design concept. Within two years, 30 community libraries based on it were established in Shanghai, setting a new benchmark for community public libraries in Shanghai and even the whole country. By combining sustainable materials, energy efficient systems and environmentally friendly practices, my work always seeks to balance artistic expression with social responsibility. In the future, I will continue to devote myself to the research of cultural heritage and sustainability, promote the development of the "Zen Oriental" style, and contribute to the fight against climate change and the building of sustainable communities. I also provide pro bono design work for public cultural projects in the community, and I would be happy to continue to provide such work in the future.

The first time I participated in the A’ Design Award, I was fortunate enough to win both a Silver and a Bronze Award. Competing in design competitions has greatly promoted my work, giving me unprecedented visibility and attracting extensive media coverage and attention. For a designer, this kind of exposure is second only to the work of designing itself.

Every designer should consider participating in design competitions to promote themselves, especially in highly professional ones like the A’ Design Award. It provides designers with immense and ongoing resources and support. Its professional promotion and influence are truly unparalleled. I believe it is one of the best design competitions in the world, and I am more than happy to keep participating.

Being recognized as a “Designer of the Day” is a tremendous honor for me. I am incredibly excited and grateful for this recognition.

My father developed my interest in painting when I was 3-4 years old, so I loved painting from an early age. When I graduated from high school, I realized that I was more interested in architectural design and interior design, so I started taking courses in design. When I was in college, I majored in interior design. After graduation, I joined an interior design company and became an interior designer.

To be a designer is my ideal, I have always loved this career, never tired.

I specialize in designing luxury homes, hotels, offices and public cultural Spaces. I hope to design more public service space projects, such as libraries, art galleries, museums, boutique hotels, etc.

I can't say that I am a design legend, I have not done enough, but I think young designers should first maintain their passion for design, and secondly, learn all the good cases extensively. The third is to never stop improving your professional skills.

Good designers can improve lives, great designers can change lives。For example, the first iPhone was great design, the iPhone2-15 versions are just good design.

Good design must meet four conditions: reasonable, innovative, good-looking, can be promoted

Good design can improve people's lives and make people feel happy.Can make the world a better place.

If I have time, I will design a history museum. I hope it will be a cultural center of the city, leaving a deep impression on everyone who comes to visit it.

A historical museum, a resort hotel with sea views and forests.

First of all, we must have a good aesthetic ability, then we must learn a lot of classic cases, and the rest is left to inspiration.

Tadao Ando I.M. Pei, Rafael Moneo, Jobs，Tony Chi，Steve Leung

The three masters who have inspired me the most are Tadao Ando, Rafael Moneo, and Tonychi. Their design styles represent simplicity, classical, and elegance, respectively, which fascinate me.

My most satisfying design is yet to come.

My method is to learn painting from a young age to develop a sense of beauty. Then I went to professional schools to learn skills and observe all excellent design cases in society. Read lots of books. To travel. Accumulated experience in a large number of projects.

I want to be a film director

Design is a collection of talents and experiences that can improve everything in life.

My family, my teachers, my clients and my colleagues are all the biggest supporters to help me become a good designer.

Passion, inspiration, experience, learning.

In the course of my career, I encountered numerous setbacks and obstacles, such as the design scheme was not approved, the design time was urgent, the design drawings were not constructed according to the drawings during construction, the design fee was not received after the completion of the project, and the Party made numerous unreasonable modifications. I believe that every designer will encounter the same problem. You just have to persevere.

Designers should participate in more design competitions and win prizes to improve the spread of their works.

A shopping mall, I hope in the future I can design more libraries, museums, cultural public Spaces, to serve the public.

I hope I can leave my work in the history of design and provide reference value for future generations.

They want every piece of my work to be outstanding and exceptional, which makes me feel enormous pressure every time.

I once designed a community library, the area is only more than 300 square meters, but once it opened, it was warmly welcomed by the surrounding residents. Inspired by the extensive media coverage, the government invited me to design two more libraries, and more than 30 community libraries have been built based on my design. It has greatly improved the public cultural space of the community residents, benefiting hundreds of thousands of residents. I'm proud of that.I think this is a good example of how design can help create a better society.

I am researching and promoting my original Zen Oriental style design works.

My best design work to date is the Zhengzhou Longhu Cultural Conference Center, a project that took me about six months to complete. The Longhu Cultural Conference Center is a landmark of Zhengzhou and will become the city’s largest conference center upon completion.

The development of artificial intelligence technology will subvert the traditional way of working on design, and it will become easier and easier for designers to create more and better works. The efficiency of design will be greatly increased, the productivity will be several times higher, and many designers will be obsolete if they don't update their skills. But I think that human creativity based on emotion and memory is something that AI cannot replace.

AI will dramatically change the design industry in the coming years. It will greatly improve the work efficiency of designers, but at the same time, it is also necessary to avoid the negative effects that AI may bring, such as fraud, plagiarism, infringement and so on.

A small project with an area of about 500 square meters usually takes four to six months from the start of design to the end of construction. If the project is more than 5,000 square meters, it will take at least 1 year.

First, I will study the needs of the owner, then I will understand the environment and history of the project site, and then I will think deeply about various possibilities of design.

Design changes lives.

Sometimes design leads the trend, and sometimes the trend leads design.

Technology is the support, the foundation, like a drummer in a band.

General design software and tools.

The importance of color and material in design is equal to shape and structure, and all three are indispensable.

What is your purpose in doing this?

Why didn't I think of that?

I'm not a big believer in co-design, which can only be led by one person and supported by a team.

It's hard to remember because there are a lot of people, if it's someone I've come into contact with, it must be my college teachers.

Just too many

Spend a lot of time reading and researching
Spend a lot of time practicing hand drawing
Travel a lot
Master a variety of work software and make them your tools

Tony Chi, who is my favorite hotel designer, is based in New York.

I would like to express my gratitude for the great honor the A'DESIGN AWARD has given me, and it is an honor to be recognized by the jury along with so many great designers.

Yellow, Italian, Chinese food, autumn, painting

On a trip with my family, we stayed in a small hotel in the mountains and I discussed with the front desk what was well decorated and what wasn't. A middle-aged man who was carrying plants stopped, listened to our conversation, and joined us. It turned out that he was the owner of the hotel, and we had a nice chat, and he later invited our family to dinner.

The best part of the day is when there are no meetings to attend, no clients to visit, you can concentrate on the design of a project, and you can listen to music and drink some champagne when you are sleepy.

When I was a kid, I never thought I would be a great designer, but when I went to college, I began to believe I would be a good designer.

I think the appearance of human beings will not change much after 1000 years, but the clothes, food, housing and means of transportation will be completely different.

I’m afraid of dogs. Every time I see a dog approaching, I always want to get as far away as possible.

I founded fmp associates, an interior design firm in Shanghai, in 2004, mainly for commercial and real estate projects. To provide customers with professional and high standard of hotel, office building, commercial, clubs and other public space types of interior design services. The company offers one-stop solutions for all interior design needs, from concepts, schemes, designs, 3D modeling rendering drawings to construction drawings, material samples and on-site guidance.

Design is my hobby and my life. I hope to use my professional skills to help people improve the environment, discover beautiful things, create more value, and even change their lives.

I love all styles of design, but I like the ones that incorporate history and memory into a modern environment the most. Subtle, elegant, with stories and memories.

The National Museum of Roman Art in Merida, Spain.It was designed by Rafael Moneo.
This building has a divine, spectacular, serene power.It is a classic case of the perfect balance between modernity and history.

A residential showroom for a real estate company

Brick, stone, wood, glass

Working alone at night

Simple, pure, less is more, using simple materials and shapes to create an unforgettable atmosphere. With historical memory and cultural inheritance, function rationality is the basis of design, and form cannot be separated from function.

Design solutions need to have positive, creative, moving emotions.

Enjoy the feeling of an artist's work displayed in an art gallery.

Focus, deep understanding, reasonable functionality, creative solutions.

Elegant form and reasonable function.

Advocating the use of sustainable, green and environmentally friendly materials and technologies is an essential responsibility of every designer.

AI technology will bring great changes in the field of design.The efficiency of design will be greatly increased, the productivity will be several times higher, and many designers will be eliminated if they do not update their skills. But I think human creativity based on emotion and memory is something that AI can't replace.

Extensive reading, travel, experience.

Simple, pure, less is more, using simple materials and shapes to create an unforgettable atmosphere. With historical memory and cultural inheritance, function rationality is the basis of design, and form cannot be separated from function.

I live and work in China.my country and cultural heritage have a very important influence on my design, it appears in almost every design project.The advantages of this country are the large number of projects, the high efficiency, and the complete supply chain. The disadvantage is that the inheritance of history and culture is not enough, and the craftsmanship in some areas is relatively rough.

First of all, the site conditions and design requirements of the project are studied, and relevant cases and materials are consulted according to these conditions, and all relevant historical data and information are searched as much as possible, from which the appropriate elements and possibilities are repeatedly screened. Make lots of sketches and graphic schemes. After forming 2-3 conceptual plans, communicate with the client, and then determine a main direction, submit to the 3D draftsman to build a sketch model. Iterate on the 3D rendering until the solution is approved. Then draw construction drawings and prepare material samples.

Start by spending a lot of time reading, researching, and focusing on improving your aesthetic and creativity.
Secondly, travel is necessary to understand, learn and experience different countries, cultures, arts and life.

The advantages of designers are careful, sensitive and creative. The disadvantages are stubbornness and lack of broad vision.

Do a lot of research on the design background to find the source of inspiration and design. Then find the most suitable methods and materials to express.

Imagination and aesthetics.

For important projects, overtime is inevitable.

As few as a few days, as many as a few months or even six months.

Is this the best solution?

I hope the most important work experience will be on my next project.

Real estate company, well-known commercial brand.

The hotel and museum, challenging in design, have a great sense of accomplishment after completion.

I hope to cooperate with foreign design companies and project companies to do some more interesting designs.

We have both.

windinnovation.sh@gmail.com