Dara huang

FOUNDER OF DESIGN HAUS LIBERTY

it was only a couple of months ago that Prestige first featured Dara Huang, the Chinese-American architect who, as founder of Design Haus Liberty, has been shaking up Hong Kong’s design scene.

“It seemed to make sense to us to get more ingrained with the Asian scene, since there was so much interest in high design,” she says.

Working with brands with strict corporate diktats and located in different time zones isn’t easy, but Huang focuses on the best parts of being an architect. “We’re currently starting retail-space projects with

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LVMH, and working with fashion brands and companies across greater China and Hong Kong,” she says. “This includes three major brands and 1,200 stores in total.”

She’s also starting work on a 50-storey headquarters-space project for a fashion company, which has its own runway galleries, art galleries, sculpture gardens, day-care, gyms and high-end restaurants and bars. Also in her current portfolio are residential developments on The Peak, including single-family houses.

“Women have the ability to command the attention of a room – and the more confidence we project the more that men pay attention to us”

Asked whether being a woman was a challenge when starting her business, Huang answers in the contrary. “By nature, women are much better at reading emotion, which makes us good dealand relationship-makers.” When she founded her company in 2013, the idea was simple – to recruit young and experienced talents and give them room to exercise their imaginations.

“When the platform was created,” Huang says, “it became much easier for women to be heard over men. We have the ability to command the attention of a room – and the more confidence we project the more that men pay attention to us.” Cheers to being able to stand out and make a real difference in the boardroom.

Of course, her work comes with huge perks. Huang, who just got back from a conference in Phuket, manages to travel the world for pleasure as well as work. “Whether I’m away on holiday or for work,” she says, “most of my trips have been to places that are absolutely stunning and beautiful. When you travel, you’re immersing yourself in another culture and context, and that’s incredibly inspiring.”

when ricz hung was a boy, he was rarely found without pen and paper in hand, drawing fictional cities, floor plans and maps. While other kids played video games, Hung obsessed over spatial forms and architecture. A boarding school in the English countryside may not seem like the obvious place to develop this obsession, but as Hung says, “I was truly inspired by the historical architecture and the contrasting concept of space and my surroundings compared to Hong Kong. My formal education nourished me in art and design, so I subsequently turned this passion into my career.”

Returning to Hong Kong after studying at Chelsea College of Arts in London, Hung co-founded PMDC Group, an architecture and interior-design office focused on hospitality projects, in 2013. This later evolved into a full-service consultancy offering graphic design, branding and app-development services. In 2014, the team established sister company de Hub (designer hub) as a complementary community for designers and entrepreneurs, operating serviced offices and event venues. Today, four de Hub locations in Hong Kong provide collaborative working environments; the newest, de HUB+ in Kwun Tong, includes among its activities a partnership with Music Live Valley that organises live-music events.

Hung is also involved in other projects that include Space X, a shisha bar with outlets in Causeway Bay and Lan Kwai Fong, for which he handles design and branding. His Instagram feed @old.hongkong documents heritage Hong Kong mansions and the many tales they have to tell. “I have a huge passion for history and culture, especially that of

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Hong Kong,” the 30-year-old says, “so I love exploring the rare remaining historical sites, documenting them and learning the fascinating history behind them.”

Hung’s day job sees him working on architectural and design projects that range from residential spaces and offices to hospitality venues. Highlights include the interior for the mini-golf venue and restaurant Strokes and the beer-pong bar and nightclub Pong in Causeway Bay, as well as Japanese restaurant Musoka in Central. Although every project is unique, there’s always something that makes them stand out from the crowd, often bright splashes of colour and vibrant graphics. Take the hotel Butterfly on LKF, for instance, with its six-storey-high podium cladding and ever-changing LED screen.

Opening shortly, the designer’s next project is the collaborative workspace de Ocean in Kwun Tong, which integrates smart systems including keys and controls, and has been two years in development. Hung has plans to diversify business further and to expand internationally, though he says that Hong Kong will always be at the heart of his business. “It’s a great base to have,” he says, “a melting pot of talents from all around the world that can lead to other opportunities elsewhere.”

“Hong Kong is a great base, a melting pot of talents from around the world that can lead to other opportunities elsewhere”