“Unglamorous Architecture”

The quest for conventional beauty is an antithesis for growth.

Groundwork was first founded in London, 2007, for the exploration of experimental architecture, urban and landscape design. In 2011, we have established our formal office in Central, Hong Kong, where we have had realized a range of professional, social and theoretical projects. Yet, a large portion of what we have achieved were hidden, rudimentary, conceptual, social, grunge, cheap, complex, all-in-all; unglamorous.

We believed that architecture shall be experienced and it shall be at the service of mankind: the collectives, and not only for the egos of the few and selected. Surprisingly, the inquisitive nature of these unglamorous works were the main attributes for our growth within these recent years.

• Everyone must be passionate in what they do.
• We will never divorce architecture with its site-the city, the landscape and the architecture are one body. Our works are imminently the snap shots of a city. Our urban design is a collective of these snap shots.
• Good ideas are challenged the most.
• Let us not work for design awards and prizes.
• We shall sculpt experiences.
• We love restrictions; restrictions excites us.
• The quest for conventional beauty is an antithesis for growth.
• Narrative architecture.
• Understand what the site wants, and then challenges the site.
• Architecture are collection of fragments. Each fragment is selfish, we, as architects, are overseeing every fragments’ needs and coordinate them.

• Always listen to the client, listen to the users, but be selective to all other criticisms.
• Keep all records of the works
• Models are good-make many models.
• We love to grow with our clients.
• Services, services, services
• Architecture is the business of art; running the practice is the art of business.

• Provide our designers with the best tools, food and rewards.
• We wish to seek out the reward that our designers are seeking for and give it to them.
• Weekends for the designer to rest or to pursue other interests, or even their own projects.
• Holidays are important.