Design Trust Grant Programmes Spotlight

16. 12. 2025

Design Trust is delighted to share a selection of Grant project highlights and news from our Grantee community. Design Trust Seed Grant design research “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room”  led by Leyuan Li presented their project at the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale; Design Trust Seed Grant design project “Videotage Media Art Collection (VMAC) Kiosk” launched their mobile kiosk in October. Design Trust Seed Grantee, Island Works is currently showcasing their research installation “Island Totem” at the 2025 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Hong Kong).

Photo of “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room” showcased at at the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale, courtesy of Leyuan Li.
Photo of “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room” showcased at at the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale, courtesy of Leyuan Li.
Photo of “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room” showcased at at the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale, courtesy of Leyuan Li.
Photo of “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room” at Guangzhou Fei Museum, courtesy of Leyuan Li.

Design Trust Seed Grant design research “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room”  led by Leyuan Li was recently featured at the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennale at Ibirapuera Park under the theme of “Extremes: Architectures for an Overheated Planet”. The project has also been shortlisted in the “Installation Design” category for the Dezeen Awards 2025. The greenhouse structure features moveable furniture that can be operated and rearranged to host different workshops and events, exploring the preparation and consumption of food and urban farming while facilitating social interactions to take place among visitors and local community. Originally sited at a mixed-use context of wetlands, farms and campus in Haizhu District of Guangzhou in 2024, the installation brought together local residents, designers and culinary experts to respond to food socialisation amongst the local community.

Videotage Media Art Collection (VMAC) Kiosk, photo courtesy of Videotage.
Documentation of the Videotage Media Art Collection (VMAC) Kiosk fabrication process, photo courtesy of Videotage.
Photo of Videotage Media Art Collection (VMAC) Kiosk launch, photo courtesy of Videotage.
Demonstration of how Videotage Media Art Collection (VMAC) Kiosk transforms into different configuration, photo courtesy of Videotage.

Design Trust Seed Grant design project “Videotage Media Art Collection (VMAC) Kiosk” was launched on October 18th 2025, a design exploration of upcycling Videotage’s old furniture into a mobile archive viewing space. The launch ceremony at Videotage’s Cattle Depot space featured sharing from the design collaborator Zou-mat on how they recycled the old furniture to shape the new transformable viewing facility for Videotage. The kiosk’s transportable design aims to expand Videotage’s screening environment beyond Cattle Depot, while making their archive accessible to a wider community. Stay tuned for their upcoming screening programmes of the VMAC kiosk supported by Design Trust.

Installation “Island Totem” at UABB(Hong Kong) 2025, photo courtesy of Island Works.
Installation “Island Totem” documentation displayed at UABB(Hong Kong) 2025, photo courtesy of Island Works.
Research documentation of outlying islands displayed at UABB(Hong Kong) 2025, photo courtesy of Island Works.
Research documentation of outlying islands displayed at UABB(Hong Kong) 2025, photo courtesy of Island Works.

Design Trust Seed Grant research installation “Island Totem” led by Island Works of Chi Chun Tang and Leroy Yuen is showcased at 2025 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Hong Kong). Building on their previous Design Trust grant research “Island Lights”, the new installation translates the team’s research and fieldwork across Hong Kong coastal sites, including Ap Chau, North Point and Cape D’Aguilar, into a curated lighting performance experience. This transformative workflow fuses field documentation with artistic expression, materialising research through movement, light, and form. The ongoing research of rich island culture of Hong Kong will be presented in an upcoming publication in 2026.

Themed “Techformance”, 2025 Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism\Architecture (Hong Kong) is curated by Design Trust Futures Studio mentee Aron Tsang as lead curator along with Jimmy Ho, Own Lam, Adeline Chan, He Wanyu and Wilber Yuen.