The creative director of interior design practice ONE-CU, Huang Jianfeng, was driven to establish the studio ‘to freely express my own ideas that were different from others’. He spoke with FRAME about how the pandemic has changed the role of the designer, why built space should be context-specific and the current state of Chinese spatial design.
The pandemic changed what we need and how we interact with built spaces. Three years after its onset, what are the biggest and most long-lasting changes you’ve observed?
HUANG JIANFENG: Over the last three years, each of us has undergone tremendous physical and psychological changes. Most obviously, everyone’s pace of life has changed. It gave us the opportunity to get along better with ourselves. We found more time to become more self-oriented and pay more attention to our own environment and life as well as our relationships with other people and society.
When our lifestyles and view of the world change, our spaces must appeal to them. As a designer, that means focusing more on the public, private and spiritual attributes of space. We need to pay more attention to the state of people, not only based on changes in individual lifestyles but also larger societal or group trends.
Huang Jianfeng.
In what ways has this prompted the role of the designer to change with it?
Designers have always sought to meet the needs of their users, and in that respect, I don’t think the role of designers has changed. We still need to design better service spaces, because of the inextricable relationship between space and people. However, designers do need some new thinking about the whole industry and society as well as changes in human needs and thinking.
The pandemic has changed people's ideas about space and living, and the spiritual needs of spaces have become more obvious. During this period, people had to spend most of their time in a certain space or functional area. This made thinking about the deep use of space more real and urgent. As designers, we are increasingly confronted by how we can improve people's living standards and meet their demands. A designer is more like a keen observer who needs to sift through and implement these ideas into the built environment.
Photo: Wu Jianquan
Yangjiamen City Crossing, designed by ONE-CU, is a community centre in Tongxiang, China, comprising a digital exhibition hall, administrative offices, coffee bar, community auditorium, healthcare centre and gymnasium.
Much of your work pays homage to traditional and contemporary culture. Why is this balance important to maintain?
I think spatial design must be recognizable and localized, especially given how cities have become increasingly similar to one another. The built environment should be distinct and create different perceptions. The combination of the contemporary and the traditional is one such way that our practice ensures this localization. Projects should have their own recognition and perception of emotion and elicit corresponding responses in users, which I think is very important. We always insist that spaces should be warm and should care for everyone in it. Especially in the wake of the pandemic, we hope that every space we create will become a place that people really need.
ONE-CU’s self-designed office overlooking Shenzhen Bay was designed to incorporate sea views into the space on the 18th storey of a high-rise building.
What can designers in the rest of the world understand better about the current state of Chinese design?
Chinese designers initially entered the industry with a passion. Later, with the development of the real estate industry and the rapid economic growth, designers were in urgent need. Many designers entered the industry because the opportunities to practice were abundant. This rapid development and high demand led to a lack of personal conviction among designers.
As for the current state of Chinese design, it is in a stage of personal growth for designers. Only when people's design awareness and requirements are higher, can the industry develop better and China can have better design expression. This is representative of the current situation where designers are constantly breaking free from these preconceived notions. Now it is developing in a positive direction and is in a period of progress.
