Garry Huang talks his design approach, his favourite previous design project & the biggest challenge he has faced within the development of his graduation proposal.

Describe your proposal in 3 key words:
Represent, Remind, Reborn

In what way do you find you approach design projects?
I believe interior design is about the rediscovery of a space and the amendment of an existing issue. Each project has a very different context and client, so I generally start my projects with the analysis of their “need” and “problems”. By understanding these foundations, I generate a concept / scheme for the project. Based on this, I start building spacial diagrams, sketching, and sometimes model-making in order to fully understand the space. This allows me to apply the experience and atmosphere I want to illustrate into the space. Once the macro scale planning is solid, I zoom into the micro scale to design the details. During my approach in finalising the design, I keep myself revisiting the initial aim frequently, to make sure the design is unique and most importantly answering the brief.

Excluding grad, what has been your favourite design project so far, why?
It would have to be the Alexander McQueen Pop-up shop in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, Venice. I was very excited once I saw the brief, I saw the pretension and beauty as something to celebrate; such a wild brand in a rich culture heritage building. The brief gave us lots of freedom to experiment, I got to test the limit of my imagination. The McQ’s 2014 winter fashion concept was savage beauty, in the background of mysterious Venice, the concept just flowed naturally – opera walk show. I designed a stage like Pop-up show which allowed the customer to experience walking through the “T stage” while visiting the collection and Tintoretto’s painting. It was a fun project, I benefited a lot from the research, learning all about the culture and history of Venice and renaissance architecture.

Biggest challenge you have faced throughout the development of your scheme? How did you overcome them?
The biggest challenge for me would be making sure my design was developing in the same direction during the development. I got my scheme and the spatial organization out last semester. This semester, while further developing, my scheme was enhanced by further research, precedents and peer inspirations. As a result, my branched out into different architecture language, they all serve their purpose well individually, but there is a conflict when trying to manipulate them together. As a result my original intention was lost. To overcome this, I re-summarized my research to get a key concept, I keopt revisiting this to direct the design. Along the way I have given up lots of “improper” ideas, and stepped back and forward to find the balance between the theory and reality in order to unite the design.