Since young, I have always preferred drawing rather than writing or reading, but I had never considered converting the hobby into a career. I even never heard of the subject of Architecture (because everyone in Hong Kong just wants to study medicine, law or finance)! Until one university open day when I visited the studio of the architecture department, I realised that each student had their own working table, with some fascinating models on them, and they could draw for a living. That was the moment I picked architecture.
I was clueless in the first year. I thought building design was just to make some quirky form. However, it all changed when I met my favourite professor Bruce Lonnman in my second year. He is a visionary and I was so inspired. He constantly showed me that one could make the most ordinary rectangular space amusing. If you put effort into detailing, even just a joinery of the wall and ceiling, a different material on a railing, or repositioning a ceiling light onto the ground, could make a difference. The passion has grown on me since then.
The highlight of my life was when I got a chance to be an exchange student in Chile for a year. I was studying with a completely different language and living on my own on the exact opposite side of the Earth (12 hour time difference!). I had the chance of travelling alone to many places (Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina) with my heavy backpack. I slept in crowded hostels and walked so much to reduce expenses. The memories of seeing different people, diverse cultures, amazing natural sceneries and exquisite architecture are unforgettable. They have made me realise how big the world is and how tiny I am.
It’s hard to choose my favourite architect. Aspired to be a pragmatic designer, I like Yoshio Taniguchi. Such as MOMA, the material and composition of the spaces are spectacular. However, I just could not deny how breathtaking it was when I witnessed personally the architecture of Oscar Niemeyer in Brasilia. The simple, yet elegant sculptural geometry and the pure whiteness of the building under the sapphire blue sky are miraculous.
“Fortune favours those who are prepared.”
