Siu Man Chan

Interview with Siu Man Chan

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?

Drawing has always been one of my passion and talent since I was a child. I thought I was going to be an artist but then I went into University to study architecture. I need to do something I like and that also pays the bill. During my time at architecture school, although I loved working with spatial design and the built environment I never felt like I am really an 'architect' architect. This is reflected early on in my post-graduate career, where I began to move into the field of masterplanning and urban design.

Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?

Urbitect Works is a design platform/ studio where I would like to put some of my theories and philosophy about design into practice. The word "Urbitect" is merging the two words "Urban' & "Architect" together. I guess this reflects some of the feelings I developed during Architecture School. I think Urbitect Works is still undergoing certain evolution and transformation as I continue to aim to refine my approach in design. I am also hoping Urbitects Works will continue to grow as more designer with similar thoughts would like to collaborate.

What is "design" for you?

Design are many questions with many answers. It is this process of finding the right question and finding the a suitable answer which is fascinating for me and for I guess for many designers. It can be very personal and emotional when designers are engaged in this process. Now on top of that, designers are faced with challenge of time, resources, team work and client expectations.

What kinds of works do you like designing most?

I do love looking at masterplans which are more integrated within the natural topography and vegetation. I like to study how the edge of the architecture may interact with the landscape. I love looking at how external space can interact with interior space or creating semi-open spaces. The type of spaces you go to to find peace, harmony & quiet.

What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?

One of my most favorite Architect from a different era is Frank Lloyd Wright. Out of his works, my favorite are the Falling waters and the Robie House. I am also a big fan of Rem Koolhas, OMA and Bjarke Ingels, both of them showed the world how design can be approached in a completely different way.

What was the first thing you designed for a company?

I did a design of a special built-in wall mail-box for a small house in Brisbane, Australia while working as a student architect for Williamson Architects.

What is your favorite material / platform / technology?

My favorite material is timber and brick, they gives feeling of warmth and comfort.

When do you feel the most creative?

I feel most creative after a few drinks happy with my friends and very late nights coming up with ideas for a design project working with close colleagues.

Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?

I think in the classic saying of design " form" and "function". Now for me in the design thought process, one of them engages the "emotional" side and the other engages the "logical" side. I guess when focusing on emotional side of design makes me very happy when I am drunk on dopamine. However, emotions can be biases and clouds judgement of rationale. Therefore, for each project I now apply a systematic approach to engaging different side of the design process.

What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?

I can feel a full spectrum of emotions during the design stages. I can feel excited, frustrated, anger, sad, happy, anxious and uncertain.

What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?

I feel relaxed, calm and peaceful when I see my designs are realized. Because I know the client is happy, the project is completed and the emotional days are over for this particular project.

What makes a design successful?

I think a successful design is more about the people, stakeholders, end-users,etc involved in the project and having a positive experience with the people and the project. I think that positive experience firstly comes deeply from the training and mastering both "rationale" and "poetics" of the design as a designer. Secondly, conveying a convincing story in design it is also very crucial to creating this positive experience shared by the people of the project. Finally, whether the design actually can be implemented as per the original story.

When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?

Firstly I would look at whether the story & concept has strong relationship with both the social, economic & environmental context. Then I would study to see whether the design has been successfully implemented as per the original story.

From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?

I think designers are responsible for helping society in placing different values into physical and visual form. We are also responsible for pushing ideas and design which is positive to both the society and the environment. I think one of our greatest gift to the world is the ability to imagine.

How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?

i think the design field has gone through an era of experimenting and playfulness and sometimes wastefulness since the industrial revolution. As resources in the planet are becoming less abundance yet the population continues to grow, we are already seeing a lot of "shared" entities and enterprises. I think the future design field needs to become more about precision, smart and effective. There are already startups and businesses looking into the possibility of design, parametric and artificial Intelligences.

When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?

The last time I had one of my projects held at an exhibition hall was in 2016, when one of my first urban design and masterplanning project received a design award from the Hong Kong Institute of Landscape Architects.

Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?

I think the world is full of perception and imagination. Movies and anime which are filled with emotions are very good source of inspiration. Designs, artwork and graphics from other designers or architects also serve has inspiration.

How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?

I am not sure if I have a particular style I can describe, however I have a particular set of logic to help me derive the design style. The set of logic which involves understanding the social-economic context of the project, cultural background of the location and also understanding client's system of value.

Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?

I grew up and studied architecture in Brisbane, Australia. Brisbane is a place with strong respect for people, communities and the natural environment. When I graduate, I went back to Hong Kong the place where I was born and started working as an graduate architect. Hong Kong is a place where capitalists, business & economic are highly valued.

How do you work with companies?

For every project, I would step into the shoes of the client and try to see things from their view. Once I understand their perspective, I could begin to communicate my ideas and suggestions using their words and jargon. I think design ideas and concepts are rejected most of the time due to lack of understanding and sometimes misinterpretation.

What are your suggestions to companies for working with a designer? How can companies select a good designer?

I think it is important to find a designer who would listen and understand you and your values. He comes back with a design based on his beliefs but married to your values. I think problems and issues arise when values and beliefs system are different between the company and the designer and both parties are not trying to understand each other.

Can you talk a little about your design process?

I start the design process with a story about the past, the present and what it could be in the future. The story of what we think the future may happen what our proposal may or may not be affected by these trends. Especially as urban designers or master planners, we look further into the future for up to 10 to 15 years. We also look at the spaces, ideas and designs which have been successful in the past and has never changed. Then we combine the future story with the practical past and we start sketching it out and testing it on plan and 3D massing. The more time you spent or the more iterations you do on the design, the more you understand about the project and the more you realizes.

What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?

I don't really have much design items at home, My IMAC, my magnetic levitational earth, my parents bicycle theme item collections, my matchbox car shelf collection &wooden bench dining table

Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?

My advice for young designers would be they need to think and look at things more than design. I encourage them to look at design from a business, market and value standpoint.This is the same precision I think the design industry is hurdling towards.

From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?

I would say being a designer is one of the best way to manifest creativity in the business world.

What is your "golden rule" in design?

There is no golden rule in design. But I do not believe in master apprentice relationship in design practice. However I do believe in the dynamic design process between a mature designers with sensitivity and young designers with a mind full of possibility. One finding the right questions and the other one finding the possible answers.

Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?

I do a lot of sketches with ink pen, colour markers, I use AutoCad, Sketchup, Rhino, Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign

Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?

I think design is not a simple straight-forward but can be broken into simple task with smaller time steps and put back together again into a larger picture.

How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?

There is no definite time for designing, but there is a definite time for presentation and manufacture/ fabrication.

What was your most important job experience?

In 2009, when I worked on a major commercial project in China during it's construction stage.

Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?

I think design teamwork is most important to the success of all of the projects I worked on. When working on a design, each team member should work on the design from different scales, approaches and angles.

How can people contact you?

Email me at simonchan@urbitect.org and my number is +852 6922 6389

Extended Interview with Siu Man Chan

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

I studied Architecture at the University of Queensland, Australia.

How did you become a designer?

I always had a passion in drawing and creative works ever since I was a child. It seems like a natural course I should take.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

My initial intention was to become an artist. However with my parent's influence, I decided to take on a profession in the creative industry with a more robust career development path.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

I am both an architect and urban designer. So I design master plan frameworks, urban spaces and buildings. I did a lot of commercial and residential masterplans before. Now I am doing a lot of R&D workplace and industrial town masterplan. I wish to do more energy-generating and interactive public urban spaces and buildings.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

I think firstly young designers should have a long-term goal to strive for, but yet ready to be lost along the way. I think only when you are lost, you can find your way and see your goals truly. Also do not be afraid to try new things, to dare and to be wrong, because there is no right in design.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

The ' grit' is the word recently used to measure success in education and professional life and I think this is true for designers, too. The other trait of a great designer from my perspective is intuition and understanding about people.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

I think the first question is what do the project do for the people and the environment. Then I think the design is about how good you make use of the time and resources to create something suitable the project.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

True value of good design is about what its brings to the people and the environment. The same reason why we should invest in people and the environment.

What is your day to day look like?

I wanted to create an web-based design platform for architects, urban designers & landscape architects alike to find work and inspirations. The beauty of this platform is that designers can allow to work anywhere and anytime they like.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

Finding the right girl and building a family, then a dream house that comes after that.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

There is no secret recipe or secret ingredient. I think it is about staying focus, working hard on design and working smart on presentation and communication. I also try to keep learning news things and re-inventing myself over time.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

Frank Lloyd Wright is my favorite classic modern architect. Rem Koolhas's philosophy and outlook on approach to architecture is truly inspirational. Bjarke Ingels'way of illustrating and communicating design concepts and ideas is truly legendary.

What is your biggest design work?

The Robie House and the Falling Waters by Frank Lloyd are my favorite design because they represent how simple ideas can create spectacular architectural designs.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

Many designers are stuck inside their own world, in a way it makes them people with strong outlook on the world and design. However, they should try to look at the world from perspective of other people. I think once a designer realizes design is only a small part of the world then you can truly see the value of design.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

I cannot imagine designing things completely out of my life. But if I am not designing things full time, I will be tennis coach.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

Design is a type of work in service for the greater community. Design is fun, frustrating and my passion.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

My parents are my biggest supporter. I didn't reach any heights, I am still 178 cm tall.