Interview with Tony Lau Chi-Hoi

I did not choose to become a designer; the design career chooses me! My passion of painting, drawing, designing has been found within me ever since. As I grew up, teachers, family members and peers kept telling me that I am talented at art and design, that’s why I took up further studies in interior architectural design.

1)The client’s corporate image; 2)Functionality and user experience: especially being barrier-free and accessible to all users; and 3)Aesthetics. For the design process, I visit the site, conduct research about it, analyze the general picture, define problems and needs of the client. Come up with design concepts and themes, develop the detailed style and finally, carry out the technical execution of the construction. I utilize both manuscript sketches and AutoCAD to produce 2D graphics and 3D renderings, also build physical models to illustrate the project.

Indescribable joy and even ecstasy, almost going hyper during the first brainstorming and execution; lost and might somehow depressed when the project is completed. However, the initial sense of happiness surges when I receive positive feedback from clients or being awarded.

My experiences working with a renowned international gourmet liquor brand is remarkable to my design career. I cultivated a sense of a comprehensive property branding. Moreover, One of them is the Mexican Consulate. The project was a 3-year cultural festival called “Mexican September”, held around a decade ago. I took up branding design and management of the event, as well as the site decoration etc. It was an awesome experience!

I plan to take up more projects, propelling the development of a sustainable SMART CITY in Hong Kong and other cities worldwide. I have incorporated energy-efficient SMART systems to my Gold A’ Design Award-winning project- LaPuro Medical Beauty Centre. I aspire to apply the same methodology to even larger-scale commercial and interior architectural spaces. I would also like to design products like home accessories.

My career started at a difficult time, during economic depression. I started on my company on my own, without fame nor connection. I always put what Mother Teresa said as my motto- “do small things with great love”. You have to love what you do and put through.

Remember hard work pays off; a designer should possess the mentality of the leader- look forward, think out of the box and be persistent. Do not be afraid of obstacles. You may always sharpen your skills and accumulate experience along the way of your career, despite unfavorable conditions such as adverse economy. Do equip yourselves with ample aesthetic substances and creativity. Do utilize digital tools but do not be dictated or constrained by them. A good designer should be irreplaceable by computers and deliver his works through hand-sketched manuscripts.

I work around-the-clock. During my spare time, I serve the net, meditate, eat, enjoy movies and music.

I want both- at present I’d like to create what’s hip this season, and have my work become a memorable classic in the future! My goal is to start a revolution and create the trend!

I judge based on the project’s originality, aesthetics, functionality, the meaning and concept, as well as its market value.

I never consider my designs fully “ready”. Even upon completion of construction stage, I will always look back and review my past works. There is always room for improvement.

The seemingly most insignificant projects are the “biggest”. There was a remarkable voluntary residential design project, done for a lady who survived through a severe traffic accident. Unfortunately, she was paralyzed and had to stay on a wheelchair. She was allocated to stay in a government housing apartment, which was almost inaccessible. I was only given a tight budget of only $5000HKD, and I had to make sure my design complies with all the rigid laws and regulations of housing, construction and fire safety.Me and my team spent our non-office hours tailor-making slopes, tracks, movable lighting fixtures and adjusted the partitions of the apartment and crafted furniture that satisfies her daily needs. I take pride in solving problems using creativity. I enjoy thinking differently and seeing things from the user’s perspective.

Ieoh Ming Pei, the true legend of architectural design. Take the glass-and-steel pyramid for the Musée du Louvre as an example, his cutting-edge interpretation to the museum that display the best of history and art, is ever-so-inspiring.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, its unique geographical and geopolitical location has imposed great influence on my design. It’s a spot where the East meets West, where freedom of speech and creativity thrives, where new technologies are developed and spread. As a witness of the handover of Hong Kong back to China, I feel that Hong Kong designers’ works and thinking changes according to the adjustment of the new political climate. Postcolonialism is easily seen, which makes Hong Kong designers unique- a blend of family-and-society-oriented traditional Chinese moral values; plus the Western perception which values individuality.

Pursuing Truth, Goodness and Beauty in art; realizing the artistry of design based on Faith, Hope and Love. Also, as mentioned above, “do small things with great love”.

As the voluntary visual art instructor at Hong Kong Red Cross John F. Kennedy Centre, I have to stress the importance of humanitarian design. The school offers education with full stream curriculum and provides therapeutic, nursing and boarding services for those disabled children. Equipping these students with talents of art and design will broaden their further education and career path, thus contributing my skills and profession to those in need. Furthermore, my team and I provide long-term design consultancy service to the school, enhancing their hardware and campus into a fully accessible space for everyone. I am also a lecturer at the University of Hong Kong, School of Professional and Continuing Education. I’d like to see aspiring design students developing their full potential and bridges from academia to the business world. I conduct volunteer works with my students helping various charity NGOs. Bringing assistance and exposure to the future designers. As an active member of multiple design associations in Hong Kong, I help to promote design culture within and beyond the city, also raise the public’s awareness to respect design and intellectual property rights.

It was a remarkable experience! I received recognition in my work, as well as wide international media exposure. It is a fantastic platform to showcase my vision behind my design projects, which highlights the humanitarian and sustainable qualities. It is my true pleasure to be the Designer of the Day!

The aspirations to solve issues and problems, to create, study and be surrounded beautiful objects motivate me to design.
I became a designer so that my rebellious thoughts and crazy ideas can be translated into actual solutions and products.

I won’t say I voluntarily chose to become a designer, or forced. I was born this way!

Light fixtures and furniture.

First of all I do not consider myself as a legend at all, yet I encourage young designers to stay open-minded to new ideas, never stop learning and appreciating knowledge. Also, be persistence and do not give up easily!

A good design is for everyone’s use. It serves its mass users well. A great design must fulfill all the client’s needs, perhaps be better than his initial expectation. It also should be revolutionary and innovative, as well as distinctive in academic value.

Apart from its functionality and aesthetics, its value cultural heritage, innovation will also be considered.

A piece of good design is to serve its purpose and well-received among users. It will eradicate the issues and inconvenience that the user face!

Interior furnishing for high-end fashion brands.

Collaboration with high-end fashion brands! Furnishing the interior set ups for their boutiques, launch cross-over projects and exhibitions etc.!

As Mother Teresa said, “do small things with great love”.

Ieoh Ming Pei. He is a true legend in the architecture and design sector. He was the first architect to employ glass as the main material of the curtain walls of his designs. His incredible vision and persistence strived to overcome all the technical issues back in the days. I was truly moved and inspired by him. My respect towards him is beyond words.

Steven Holl’s chapels. The exquisite spatial planning, the amazing manipulation of natural light and fixtures are impressive! He gave a fresh and creative interpretation to these holy spaces by his design.

My greatest design is a non-profitable project for a paraplegic lady in her 30s. A Chaplain from a hospice care centre reached out to me, inviting me to help furnishing the flat that was given to the lady, on a budget of only $5000 HKD.
The greatest aspect of the design is that, it includes the human touch in everything from hard to soft furnishings. The project was planned and executed subsequent to through interviews and visits, so that my team and I comprehend her limitations, wants, needs and preferences.

Be persistent, open-minded to learn new knowledge and ideas.

esigners provides solutions and satisfy their clients; whereas as an artist, I create works that satisfy my own enjoyment and fulfill my spiritual needs.

To me, design is my life and faith. It’s my live-long passion. I live for it.

Religious faith aside, my own faith and belief motivates me to keep striving.

My sensitivity to grasp comprehend the client’s needs through careful observation to gather insights.

Let me quote from Spiderman, “with great power comes with great responsibility”.

We should avoid communicating with difficult jargons and technical terms. Speak their language and present with clarity.

Products and home furniture.

To be recognized as an icon and a classical example among designers.

They expect me to produce both beautiful and useful designs.

Design is a means to visualize and materialize the belief of “hope, love and faith”.

I am really excited about developing a showroom displaying the latest interactive digital technology of virtue-reality.

My greatest design is a non-profitable project for a paraplegic lady in her 30s. A Chaplain from a hospice care center reached out to me in 2010, inviting me to help furnishing the flat that was given to the lady, on a budget of only $5000 HKD. Without careful planning and design, the small flat was not accessible to a resident with special needs at all. My colleagues and I furnished the flat on a voluntary basis.

My greatest satisfaction came from the client’s rare grin on her face and the continuous problem-solving process during the project. My client was skeptical, the budget was extremely low, lots of restrictions were imposed upon my team, by the housing and construction laws.

I see more environmentally-friendly or sustainable products and concepts are available in the market recently.

Apart from the direction of environment conservation, social innovations will be a big deal for the design field. Design nowadays, are considered a tool to combat social injustice and inequality and provide solutions to social problems; instead of a means of adding luxury on top of some extravaganza projects.

It may take anything from months to years, depending on the scale of the project.

Site-visit.

As Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

The general trend and design trends interact with and influence one another!

It is just a tool to be utilized during the design process. The most important key is the creative and thoughtful mind and ideas, as well as the experience, knowledge and skills possessed by the designer!

Pen and paper, drawing sketching and model-making.

Those are just a form of “dress code”.

My concepts and sources of inspirations.

I feel so excited that I may scream or even cry!

High-end fashion brands. I LOVE CO-DESIGN!

My father and my sons

“Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta” by Mother Teresa.

Be humble and never forget why you start. Stay hungry, stay foolish; have an open mind to learn continuously.

Jesus Christ. He’s not just a religious figure. He is a man of wisdom, a convincing speaker and an influential leader.

I do feel surprises, great bliss and joy about them. I treat every competition like it’s the last, that I would tell myself to make the most out of it.

Color: Every single color within the spectrum;
Place: home
Food: home-cooked cuisines and chocolate
Season: winter
Brands: Jean-Paul Gaultier, Tom Ford, ISSEY MIYAKE

As an animal lover myself, I find designing projects for pets and plants interesting. I had to take everything from their ages and breeds in consideration. The material used in the living space and furniture, style, size, height and placement of hard and soft furnishings, as well as the overall spatial arrangement etc. …are considered fun and challenging.

As long as I can enjoy watching my favorite movies and reading books, I will be filled with inspirations, positive emotions and creativity.
My motivation comes from my faith and belief.

I used to be very rebellious, naughty, disobedient and goofy. I love to come up with new ideas and play small pranks on the others.

I believe things will develop in their opposite direction when they reach to a point of extreme. With robotics and artificial intelligence overwhelming, connections and actual interactions between people are becoming weak. One day, everyone will realize that such phenomenon is unhealthy and it will be stopped. They will start to crave for spiritual satisfactions.

I sincerely advise my clients, audience, friends to live their lives to the fullest. As Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love”. Always maintain curiosity to everything around you, keep asking questions about your status, and be creative and open-minded.

NowHere ® Design Ltd. is a Hong Kong based enterprise specializing in the following aspects: space design, branding, project management, contracting, furniture design, sustainability consults and gardening, with projects, products and services reaching clients all over Asia.

To me, design is my life and faith. It’s definitely my live-long passion. I live for it.

sustainable design and social innovation

Philippe Starck's Juicy Salif lemon squeezer. revolutionary as it is surprisingly functional

Its corporate identity, how to balance commercial value and social value.

eco friendly material, innovation and smart technology.

Basically any time throughout the day, especially when I’m inside the bathroom.

The aspect of the space or facility being barrier-free, easily accessible to disabled people.

Indescribable joy and even ecstasy, almost going hyper!

Lost and might somehow depressed.

The designer’s aspiration to “do small things with great love”.

Its originality, aesthetics, functionality, the meaning and concept, as well as its market value.

Just like any other enterprise, a design firm should bear in mind, its “social corporate responsibilities”, or the mission of fostering “social innovation”. Incorporate as much environmentally-friendly elements into your designs as possible!

As quality of life improves as time goes by, he noticed that more luxurious and playful designs are in the market. Functions of environmental protection and social innovations are also included, to combat social injustice.

I aspire to hold my next exhibition in a high-end couture store.

Inspirations simply comes from my live and experiences.

I would like to fill my designs with elegance, simplicity, advocate social innovations at the same time.

As a designer from Hong Kong, a former British colony and a current Special Administrative Region of China, designers who underwent the British education system and witnessed the handover of Hong Kong, are more inclined to British and European styles, myself included. An advantage is, Hong Kong designers are situated in a highly-internationalized environment. We can absorb elements and styles from across countries, combining them into the best solutions.

start with good relationship.

Sounds quite cliché but mutual trust and respect between different parties involving in a design and construction project is a must. In the case of Hong Kong, there are no official governmental licenses nor registration systems provided to interior designers. The clients themselves have to select their designers based on reputation and trust.

I visit the site, conduct research about it, analyze the general picture, define problems and needs of the client. Come up with design concepts and themes, develop the detailed style and finally, carry out the technical execution of the construction.

Light fixtures, the sofa, coffee machine, the audio and video system, and the cooking stove.

Serve the net, meditation, eat, movies and music. I work around-the-clock.

Stay hungry, stay foolish. Be presentable anytime, always strive to absorb new information and knowledge!

Positives: Being able to design and study all kinds of beautiful articles and beings. Negatives: It’s an extremely time, energy and effort-consuming job!

Do small things with great love!

Finding the crux of the problem and solve it by means of design.

I sketch drafts and blueprints of my design, I need only pens and papers most of the time.

As mentioned before, I design around-the-clock. There’s no such thing as time-management to me!

The design process does not end when I receive payment from my client. It’s never-ending, as this piece will always be on my mind. I will keep reflecting on points that I could have been improved.

The clients always ask me about the cost and price of my projects for sure! Instead of telling them the fixed price, I focus more on the value and function of the project when I explain to them my proposal.

A charity organization once asked me to design a home for a disabled lady who had to live the rest of her life on a wheelchair. I was only given a tight budget of only $5000HKD, and I had to make sure my design complies with all the rigid laws and regulations of housing, construction and fire safety. The lady herself was skeptical about my ability as well.

One of them is the Mexican Consulate. The project was a 3-year cultural festival called “Mexican September”, held around a decade ago. I was in charge of the branding design and management of the event, as well as the site decoration etc. It was an awesome experience! My clients of interior design also include clinics, clubhouses, residents, churches etc.

Light fixtures, furniture and interior soft furnishing. I love to explore the endless possibilities that could happen between human, their living and working space and the environment.

I will design more products for instance, home accessories!

Yet I love to situate myself within a team! Sparks, new ideas are generated through collective effort and intense review and discussions.

I am currently working on some interactive design solutions to both commercial and residential spaces, best described as projects related to technology, intelligence and “smart city”.

Phone: (+852) 2117 8030 or email: info@nowherehk.com

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