About

Lead Curator’s Message

Marisa Yiu

Co-founder / Executive Director of Design Trust
(an initiative of the Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design)

“In bringing various communities together, both in the public and private sector, educational arena and across borders, I hope we can advance a spirit of generosity and dialogue within our region and internationally. We advocate for the positive values of design in the role for shaping a better city and region we live in. Our programme DESIGN TRUST FUTURES STUDIO is a pilot programme to explore and experiment with new ideas, exchanges and ultimately transform the individual and collective notion of how we participate in the production of a city”.

Design Trust Futures Studio 2018+

Design Trust Futures Studio makes visible the processes and positive role of design in the culture of contemporary design and production. The programme stems from a project-studio concept that promotes life-long collaborations through a mentor-mentee programme. Experts from different fields have been contributing to the mentor-mentee teams in the exploration of materials and production, putting forth the positive value of design of public spaces in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and internationally.

The 2018/2019+ theme for Futures Studio is "PLAY IS FOR THE PEOPLE" which continues to promote the ideas of innovation, leisure and play, creating meaning from the people, for the people with a focus on human factors, ergonomics and physical designs in play. Working with international and Hong Kong-based mentors, together with nine senior mentees continuing from last year, along with eight new mentees, four design teams each with emerging designers of various disciplines have been brought together to examine four sites in Hong Kong. The four pilot sites include: Portland Street Rest Garden, Hamilton Street Rest Garden, Sitting-Out Area under Hill Road Flyover, and Yi Pei Square Playground.

Design Trust Futures Studio 2018+ makes visible the invisible process of design. The creative process and development of the Mentor and Design-mentees’ projects is documented on the website.

Process

With an aim to foster practical and innovative designs for different communities in Hong Kong, the four teams have been working closely with members of the public, district councils, and other stakeholders in both public and private sectors. This project exhibition illustrates the conceptual underpinnings of the teams' work, at times reflecting the voice of the community to the perspectives of the designers' process, demonstrating the complex processes of public design making, yet the exciting potentials of public imagination and the creative will power of the members involved.

DTFS has had the opportunity to interface with the Policy Innovation and Coordination Office (ceased operation from 1 July 2022). The client of the programme is the Leisure and Cultural Services Department who is in charge of leading the parks revitalisation, and the Architectural Services Department is the works agent, (the architects of record in charge of translating the concepts into reality). With the aim to redefine the design process of creating micro-parks, and how we as citizens, can design together to re-imagine our city and how we play. This pilot programme we hope, can catalyse an even more positive energy to benefit the community, and as such inject a continuing lifelong learning process, where we can take iterative testing and an open mindset to impact our everyday living space here in Hong Kong.

Acknowledgements

Disclaimer:

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides funding support to the project only, and does not otherwise take part in the project. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these materials/events (or by members of the project team) are those of the project organizers only and do not reflect the views of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Communications and Creative Industries Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, Create Hong Kong, the CreateSmart Initiative Secretariat or the CreateSmart Initiative Vetting Committee.

About

Lead Curator’s Message

Design Trust Futures Studio 2018+

Process

Acknowledgements

Quote

Workshop highlights

Public Workshop – Yi Pei Square Playground

Introductory Workshop

Concept Presentation

Public Lecture: Richard Hassell

Mark Blackwell Workshop

Fabrication Workshop

Public Workshop – Portland Rest Garden

Internal Mentor Mentee Workshop

Public Workshop – Yi Pei Square Playground Workshop

Public Workshop – SOA under Hill Road Flyover

International Mentor Workshop

Design Trust Futures Studio 2018 | New York Research Trip

Public Workshop – Portland Rest Garden Workshop

Satellite Event – Portland Street Rest Garden Prototype Display

“Who are we designing for?” Design Dialogue focused on the future of micro-parks in Hong Kong and its provocations

Public Workshop – Hamilton Street Rest Garden

Tuen Mun Park Tour led by Playright