人物访谈

1、什么样的契机下你们合伙开办了独立事务所？

缘分吧！我们都是香港大学的校友，毕业后大家在不同的公司工作，后来在偶然的机会下认识，大家都觉得想做点什么。当时在香港，建筑这个专业已经很稳固，但同时也比较少和其他设计专业产生交流。当你在舒适圈太久，慢慢会失去创新的动力和批判的视角。我们相信不同专业组成的团队能帮助激发创意，所以我们组成了LAAB。

2、事务所取名为LAAB，表达了你们某种理念吗？

LAAB 的全写是“a laboratory for Architecture and Art”，意思是“实验和实现建筑和艺术的工作室”。我们创办LAAB 的时候，一般香港人认为建筑和艺术是两个完全不同的领域，大家会认为建筑是高楼大厦，而艺术品则是放在博物馆的油画。成立LAAB 的其中一个期许是希望我们的作品可以拉近人、建筑和艺术之间的距离。LAAB取音lab (实验室)，而在广东话里“实验”和“实现”语音相近，表达了我们在勇于创新，大胆试验的同时也注重设计的实用性和落实的可能性。

3、事务所是怎样开展一个项目的？团队协作有何特别之处？

我们的事务所走的是横向架构。每一个项目的团队都由不同学术背景和个性的同事组成，然后有一个项目负责人。在团队里，每一个同事都可以自由发表意见，负责人会帮忙跟客户沟通，留意进度，和促进方案的讨论。每一个方案提出之前都经过大家的研究，讨论和实验。

4、能否介绍一下开业以来印象比较深刻的项目？

我们在香港尖沙咀海傍的Victoria Dockside有一系列的特色建筑。城市自然(Urban Nature) 是我们的设计概念，每一个作品用不同的方式探索人，自然和文化之间的关系。

第一个作品是位于梳士巴利公园的“茅室”（Garden Restroom）。这是一个公共厕所的项目，因为它的位置在一个公园里，我们希望能把自然环境带进洗手间内。

另外一个作品“海边档”是一个有机动外墙的小食亭。因为它的位置在星光大道，我们希望可以设计一个有电影感的建筑。香港排挡“朝桁晚拆”是我们的灵感来源，我们把这个文化的现象用高科技的方式表达出来。除了一开一关之外，海边档的每一条木条都会上下移动;一呼一吸，呼应着海浪潮起潮落。

在梳士巴利大道，我们设计了一系列像树林一样的的地铁站和公车站，和马路上的树菜头呼应着。

我们还有其他在Victoria Dockside 的项目会在年底开幕，很快就能跟大家分享这些作品。

5、你们怎样把控项目的最终建成效果？

我们相信精准的数位设计和样品制作能帮助想法落地。除了设计以外，我们的团队有时候也会负责工程的部分。对我们来说，好的项目需要精准的设计和用心的工艺。对细节的执着和对潜在问题的触感也是非常重要的。

6、你们的作品中对材料和构造节点有较多尝试，能谈谈对这方面的理解吗？

对我们来说，每一个设计都在讲一个故事，而物料和构造是这些故事的一部分。比如说，在f22 摄影空间这个项目里，我们深深地被古董照相机吸引，并把照相机的细节转化成建筑的结构。我们设计了一个自动旋转的相机镜头门和快门楼梯，並用黄铜去制作。黄铜的上面喷了一层黑色的油漆，来摄影空间的人会把黑色的油漆带走，慢慢的，相机镜头门和快门楼梯就会呈现黄铜的颜色，就像摄影师带走古董相机上黑色的油漆，留下了互动的痕迹。在这个项目里，我们既是设计师，也负责工程。在制造的过程中，我们在结构和物料上做了很多研究和试验。对我们来说，自动旋转的相机镜头和快门楼梯都是f22 故事的一部分。

7、事务所带着建筑与艺术双重基因，能否谈谈你们如何在建筑作品中融入艺术性?

LAAB刚成立的时候，建筑和艺术是两个分得很开的领域，但我们看到两者之间有对话的部分。在设计的过程中，我们对细节很注重，也很在意作品的诗意和工艺。我们有一部分的作品是建筑也是艺术品，就像在万花丛（Kaleidome）里，我们运用建筑的训练来设计一个空间艺术。另外的作品，像在T· CAFÉ里，我们把拆下来的湾仔码头木制作成家具，除了实用以外，它们还保留了香港人的共同回忆。对我们来说，这些家具既是建筑，也是艺术品。

8、事务所未来的发展方向如何？

我们希望未来在设计和制作上会有更多跨文化的合作机会。去年，我们有机会在日本越后妻有大地艺术祭香港部屋的项目里和日本的建筑师和工匠合作。这次的经验非常珍贵，我们在日本团队身上学到了很多东西，特别是他们对工艺的要求和对木头的理解。在未来的日子里，我们希望可以有更多这样的经验，也希望可以把我们的作品带到世界各地。

1. What kind of opportunity did you set up an independent firm in partnership?

Life brings us together. We were both University of Hong Kong alumni; when we met, we were working in different firms.We felt that architecture is quite an established field in Hong Kong; but it also has a rather rigid professional boundary, without much crossing-over with other creative disciplines. When you are working only with architects,you can be easily trapped in a comfort zone and it stops you from creating innovatively and critically. We believe a multidisciplinary is critical in creativity, so we work together and established LAAB.

2. Does yourfirm's name LAAB express some of your ideas?

LAAB stands for “a laboratory for Architecture and Art.” When we first started LAAB six years ago, architecture and art were very separate fields in Hong Kong. People tend to understand architecture as only high-rise buildings, and art as paintings displayed in the museum. Our vision for LAAB is to bring art and architecture together, as our work often lies in the intersection between the two. We also hope that our design can bring art and architecture closer to people. “LAAB” also builds on the English word “lab,” which evokes the drive for experimentation and innovation. The Chinese translation of “lab” rhymes with the Chinese characters of“realization.” By using “LAAB,” we hope to convey our experimental spirit as well as our pragmatism to bring innovative, cutting-edge design tolife.

3. How does your team cooperate to propel a project? What's special about teamwork?

Our studio follows a lateral hierarchy. Each projectteam consists of colleagues from different backgrounds and personality and is facilitated by a project leader. Team members have an equal opportunity to voice their opinions;the project leader will help to communicate with clients, keep progress, and facilitatediscussion.We research,discuss, and test different options before coming up the best idea.

4. Could you introducea project that have been quite impressive since the opening of the firm?

We had a series of urban intervention in the Victoria Dockside, a new cultural district at the harbourfront of Hong Kong, where we designed a series of pavilions and special features. Urban nature is an important design concept throughout the project, and each architecture explores the relationship between the people, nature, and culture in their own ways.

The first of the series was Garden Restroom at Salisbury Garden - a public toilet design that brings the experience of the public garden into its interior.

Along the harbourfront, we designed Harbour Kiosk, a food kiosk with a kinetic façade. Because it is in the Avenue of Stars, we want to design something cinematic.We took inspiration from local market stalls; and developed a kinetic system that allows the kiosk to open and close automatically. There is also a secondary motion where the timber fins move gently throughout the day, as if it is breathing with sea waves.

We also designed Salisbury Treescape - a series of tree-like canopies for the metro station entrance and bus stops that collectively form a continuous streetscape together with the spidertrees.

Other architectural experiments at Victoria Dockside are due to open in the fall this year. We cannot wait to see them opening to the public soon.

5. How do you control the final completion effect?

We believe that through precise programming and prototyping, we can translate the visuals and drawings into construction. Our studio focuses on both design and build; for us, the two processesare both critical in realizing a good project. Attention to details and acute awareness of potential problems are the keys.

6. There are many attempts at materials and structural joints in your works. Could you talk about your understanding of these?

We adopt a narrative-driven approach to design; the materials and structures are part of the story. In f22 foto space, for example, we were inspired by antique cameras, so we translated camera elements into structural components, such as the camera lens door and the aperture stairs.We use black-painted-brass as our materials,which will wear away as visitors come and go and reveal the brass underneath. Just like the antique camera that documents its interaction with the photographer, f22 documents its interaction with visitors. We are both the designers and builders for this project. We did a lot of R&D during the design process to test the structure and materials. For us, the camera lens door and aperture stairsform part of a narrative that tells the story f22 as a cultural hub for photography arts.

7. Your firm carries dual genes of architecture and art. Could you talk about how you integrate artistry into architectural works?

When we first opened our practice, architecture and art are very separate fields in Hong Kong, but we see the intersection between two, especially when it comes to spatial installation.In the design process, we pay a lot of attentions to details and to the poetic and artisanal quality of our work. Some of our work are both architecture and art, such as Kaleidome, where we use our training from architecture to create spatial installation. Another example would be T· CAFE, where we used fender wood from the demolished Wan Chai pier to create furniture that not only serves a functional purpose, but also preserves the collective memory of Hong Kong people. For us,that is not just a piece of furniture but an artwork.

8. What is the future direction of your firm?

We hope that we can have more cross-cultural collaboration when it comes to design and construction. We had the chance to work with Japanese architects and craftsmen in our Hong Kong House project, which is an art gallery and artist residence in Japan for 7thEchigoTsumari Art Triennale. The experience was wonderful, and we learnt a lot from our Japanese collaborators, especially their standard of craftsmanship and their understanding of wood. In the coming years, we hope to bring our work to different parts of the world and to share our experience with architects and artists from other cultures.