Ying Zhu

I have been learning to paint since I was a child. I love painting because it allows me to express my different moods at different moments with just a small paintbrush. It wasn’t until the year I took the college entrance exam that I was admitted to a great art and design university, but I didn’t know how to choose my major. At that time, my good friend said, “Why not choose to design houses? That must be a lot of fun.” Yes, that would be so cool. I could design the rooms that I like. So, without hesitation, I chose the major of Environmental Art Design. I am very grateful to my university professors, who guided me step by step into the art and design industry and helped me accumulate twenty years of design experience in this field. I truly enjoy the sense of pride that comes from seeing each of my projects go from design to construction and finally to completion.

Beijing Kunze Design Studio was established in 2017. Our main design focus is on commercial spaces such as hotels, clubs, offices, and exhibition displays. We have successfully completed over a hundred projects. Based on the trust of our clients, we have become long-term partners with several large domestic listed companies. We are very proud of this and believe that we will surely bring more clients design solutions that meet their needs.

I believe that design is a form of creation, an innovation that meets people’s needs and can lead fashion trends, aesthetics, and the flow of the times. It is an extraordinary artistic creation. A good design must be comprehensive. It should not only bring visual pleasure to people but also conform to their usage habits, bring more convenience to life, and have durability and environmental friendliness. It should also be able to make a more meaningful contribution to the human environment.

I personally have a strong preference for spaces with a strong sense of order and deconstructivist elements. For example, I. M. Pei's Museum of Islamic Art in Doha is a prime example. The museum is a Cubist structure composed of interlocking square and octagonal white stone blocks. The meticulously designed geometric patterns expand and release within the orderly space, using the most refined lines to create a rich and exquisite play of light and shadow. The work uses a pure, sacred ivory white as its base, with gold and blue superimposed to form an elegant color variation. Timeless works are always simple yet rich.

A teahouse, it’s hard to imagine that, as a college student back then, I was searching for design standards and using not-so-proficient design software to stay up all night and design that teahouse for the client who trusted me. Although there are many flaws in that design scheme when I look at it now, it is indeed one of my most unforgettable works.

As a designer, I appreciate all materials that can be used in a work. However, personally speaking, I have a particular preference for the combination of stone and metal. The relative warmth of the color and the relative coolness of the metal, the natural and the artificially refined, the textured and the smooth—such contrasts often complement each other to form many exquisite designs. As a designer, the world itself is a vast platform. The platform may change and progress, but design, as the core, will remain constant from the birth of humanity to the distant future. Different materials require different techniques. Each material, under different design contexts and technological backgrounds of the times, will have different forms of technical presentation. I never confine myself to existing technological limitations in learning, understanding, and using emerging technologies.

When I transform a seemingly useless and ordinary space into one that people love to use every day, I feel that it is a highly creative design.

Functionality, rationality, environmental friendliness, and aesthetics.

I can hardly wait to transform an originally ordinary space into one that is unexpectedly impressive. By using a variety of decorative materials to create a strong visual impact, the creative passion is something that is hard to put into words.

Solid professional knowledge, rich design experience, and a thorough understanding of the clients' needs.

Whether the functionality is rational, whether the usage functions can be met, whether the space has been optimized and utilized to the greatest extent, whether the materials are environmentally friendly, and whether the visual effect is outstanding.

Designer is a noble profession. It is not only about meeting the diverse needs of different people and bringing aesthetic creativity to cities, but also about conveying positive and uplifting spiritual enjoyment. In terms of the environment, how to use sustainable and eco-friendly materials while reducing energy consumption is an indispensable mission for designers to contribute to society during the creative process.

Can I understand that design was already formed when the first handicraft appeared? With the increasing needs of people and the continuous progress of society, design has evolved from its earliest focus on usability to incorporating more functions and better aesthetics. The emergence of AI may lead to a future where design increasingly integrates AI to emphasize the combination of technology and human nature, which will be a new design revolution.

As a designer, first and foremost, you need to possess a more acute power of observation and imagination than the average person, enabling you to more keenly capture any beautiful moments in life. These moments can be anything: a living animal, a wonderful plant, a sea, a streak of sunset, and so on. By capturing these touching moments, you bring important sources of inspiration to your creations.

I am more adept at orderly design, whether it is classical or modern, both are based on the beauty of order and harmony. Under the large space and color relationship, I conduct detailed segmentation while maintaining the main body of the design and the stable harmony of time and space.

I am a native Chinese person, living in the capital, Beijing. Especially living at the foot of this ancient historical imperial city, it has indeed had a profound influence on my design. The traditional Chinese cultural concept of "harmony between heaven and humanity" emphasizes the integration of humans and nature. Combined with traditional Chinese decorative elements, my works have a significant proportion of Chinese-style design. The advantage is that I am quite proficient in Chinese design techniques, but the disadvantage is that it somewhat limits my expression of other design forms. However, in my relentless travels around the world over the years, I have been striving to break through my own barriers and have achieved incredible new creative forms, which is quite gratifying.

As the founder and chief design director of the company, I respect every team member. After I complete the main draft of the plan, other team members will further refine the design, and ultimately, all the design schemes will be completed.

It is important to find designers who align with the company's philosophy, respect the creativity of each designer, and manage the team with a unified concept. Outstanding designers possess creativity and a continuous learning ability, and are willing to cooperate with the team's unified management and scheduling.

After thorough communication with the client, our design team determines the initial design intention based on their needs. Once this preliminary plan is further discussed and refined with the client, we proceed to the detailed design phase, which includes creating renderings and construction drawings. After the detailed design is completed, it is handed over to the client, marking the completion of the main design work. Subsequently, depending on the cooperation agreement, we may continue to assist with the construction process until the project is fully implemented.

The Barcelona Chair, CH24/Wishbone Chair, Lounge Chair Eames, Arco Floor Lamp, and Sprüngen Beerhouse Chandelier are often used in my design works.

After working out, I often have a healthy breakfast, listen to some music, and take a walk outside to see if there are any new design elements that can be better applied in future works.

Try to see as many excellent design works as possible to enhance my own aesthetic sense. Keep learning about new materials and technological applications, and maintain a passion for life.

Being a designer is a wonderful profession. Designers are meant to convey beauty and positive energy to people through various expressive techniques. Therefore, I believe that being a designer is more of a positive occupation. Even when encountering creative blockages, once you break through, it represents a leap to another level. I think that as a designer, what we bring to people are all positive factors, and there are no negative impacts.

The extensive use of geometric lines and bold color combinations are the golden rules in my design process.

Whether the needs of the clients can be met, whether the level of professionalism can solve the actual difficulties on site, and whether the best results can be achieved at a low cost, I think these are all very crucial.

Pens, sketchbooks, and measuring devices can be taken out at any time for recording or measuring. As for software, there are AUTOCAD, 3dsmax, Photoshop, and SketchUp, along with their respective plugins.

Design is full of unexpected events. Time is often random, and designers need to deal with many sudden issues that arise during the design and implementation processes. In this era, designers don't have a purely planned schedule; planning and randomness go hand in hand. If I had to define time management in one sentence, it would be: Seize every moment! Even fragmented time should be utilized well.

It depends on the specific project, such as the size of the project, the complexity of the design scheme, and the client's requirements. There is no fixed time.

The most frequently asked questions I get are: "How long will this project take?" and "How much will it cost to complete it?"

For me, the completion process of every project is extremely important, regardless of the size of the project. This is because each project is based on the trust that the client has placed in me, and I must take it seriously and complete it with dedication.

My primary clients are business operators, some of whom have companies that are already listed on the stock exchange in China. I am very grateful that they entrust us with important design schemes.

Hotels, clubs, and the like. These design spaces are relatively complex and can provide the greatest scope for designers to showcase their skills, which is why I have a particular preference for this type of design work.

My future plan is to travel to more countries to experience their local customs and historical culture, which will provide more material for my design style.

Recently, I have been working on a comprehensive improvement plan for an entire block. It is an open block. Our team is in charge of enhancing and improving the external image of the entire block, as well as the renovation and design of the public spaces in the office building area inside, including all the public areas. This job came as a recommendation from a client with whom we had a very pleasant previous collaboration. We don't often encounter such comprehensive projects, and there have been many issues during the implementation process. For example, there is a part of traditional Chinese architecture involved, and we need to handle the exterior image that intersects between modern and classical styles. Another example is lighting. It needs to fit the feeling of a modern urban commercial street, but at the same time, it should have a unique charm that is different from other commercial streets. There are elements of traditional northern classical architecture, as well as new elements that fit modern aesthetics, and many other complex issues. Fortunately, things have been going smoothly overall, and the client is cooperating to the greatest extent possible. We believe that the final outcome will be an excellent finished product.