Apartment K Home Party Office by Alvin Lee

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DI: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

AL : The principle is creating a unique space for the client which gives a totally getaway feeling within the city. As such, the idea and inspiration are a vacation house at the mountain of Northern Europe.

DI: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

AL : The main focus is having a strong concept and interesting design, in order to achieve the client’s requirement. Therefore, I made a direction of design which is not normally you will think about.

DI: What are your future plans for this award winning design?

AL : I will use this award-winning design for marketing. This is very important, as it’s not only a promotion of my company and let the potential clients to be more confident on us, yet, introducing this project to the potential clients is a way to encourage them to try higher quality and more special approach.

DI: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?

AL : It took about a week time from learning of what the client needs, then brainstorming with them for the direction, and follow with creating this concept.

DI: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?

AL : Designing this particular concept is because the client gave no limit on the requirement. They need unexpected idea in order to make the space unique. I was commissioned by the client to do this project as they were happy with my design for them 8 years ago. They believe they can have a better one from me again.

DI: Is your design being produced or used by another company, or do you plan to sell or lease the production rights or do you intent to produce your work yourself?

AL : No. This is a unique design which just dedicates to this particular project with this special brief. But if there is any potential client who likes this idea very much, I can base on this as the start to create another interesting and special design for them.

DI: What made you design this particular type of work?

AL : The client’s encouragement on no design limitation did make me pushed the idea out of the box.

DI: Where there any other designs and/or designers that helped the influence the design of your work?

AL : I created this idea when I was having drinks with music background at night by myself.

DI: Who is the target customer for his design?

AL : The client who commissioned me to do.

DI: What sets this design apart from other similar or resembling concepts?

AL : Its unique concept and design have set it apart from others.

DI: How did you come up with the name for this design? What does it mean?

AL : Its name Apartment K is the apartment for the client whose surname starts with K.

DI: Which design tools did you use when you were working on this project?

AL : I used websites data base and hand sketching when I was working on this project.

DI: What is the most unique aspect of your design?

AL : The most unique is the application of material in the design. Either do it or not. Thus, timber has been used thoroughly to the entire space includes ceiling, floor, and walls.

DI: Who did you collaborate with for this design? Did you work with people with technical / specialized skills?

AL : I had collaborated with a good builder. They are good in technical aspect. Therefore, the timber has been handled and installed nicely and correctly, which required high attention on the setting out coordination.

DI: What is the role of technology in this particular design?

AL : The main part that required technology is the drafting with Acad. This gave the accuracy on the setting out. The pattern and setting out of the timber planks on the floor and ceiling are exactly the same. Those on the walls are continuously applied throughout the entire apartment, even in different rooms. And all the lighting fixtures setting out are accurately applied with the modules of the timber planks on the ceiling.

DI: Is your design influenced by data or analytical research in any way? What kind of research did you conduct for making this design?

AL : My design is from the inspiration of the client’s brief and design research, instead of influence. I did a lot of research from internet.

DI: What are some of the challenges you faced during the design/realization of your concept?

AL : The biggest challenges are convincing the client to understand and believe this dare design idea as the first step. Then during the construction coordination and execution stage, a lot of explanation to the builder and supervision on the site are required in order to make this happen.

DI: How did you decide to submit your design to an international design competition?

AL : As this design is not in the direction of having a local characteristic, its idea is giving the people a feeling of they are not in the city. Therefore, this getaway concept and unique style are at the international level as well as vision. Therefore, international design competition would be the best stage for it.

DI: What did you learn or how did you improve yourself during the designing of this work?

AL : Dump all what I can think of and try a way that I did not go with when I was designing are the ways. Then a unique and out-of-the-box idea came out. This is very important to a designer of how to design something unexpected. I learnt and improved a lot during the progress.

DI: Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?

AL : The questions cover well enough to explain what is behind this design as well as the designer. Thank you A’ Design Award.