Winter Greetings from Design Trust | Message from Executive Director

Winter Greetings from Design Trust

Design Trust wishes you happy holiday season and New Year with good health, energy and seasonal celebration. The year of 2024 was a special moment where we celebrated the 10th anniversary of Design Trust, an initiative of the Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design since 2007, while envisioning the next decade for our organisation and its role for Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area within an international context. We look forward to sustaining the spirit and power of collaboration for the New Year of 2025 and beyond.

Official Launch of “Design Trialogues Launch: Design Trust Decade Talks 2024” Documentary

Design Trialogues Launch: Design Trust Decade Talks 2024

In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Design Trust and the Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design since 2007, Design Trust is pleased to launch the documentary of Design Trialogues Launch: Design Trust Decade Talks 2024 online for a wider community in Hong Kong, Greater Bay Area and internationally. The event took place on Saturday September 14th 2024 at JC Cube of Tai Kwun, Hong Kong, in celebration of 10th anniversary of Design Trust and Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design since 2007, and past and future collaborations between DESIGN TRUST FUTURES Studio and “Project on the City” led by Rem Koolhaas.

Design Trust Futures Studio awarded AIA Hong Kong Community Citation 2024

Design Trust Futures Studio team at 2024 AIA Hong Kong Honors and Awards Reception

We are pleased to share that Design Trust Futures Studio has been awarded the American Institute of Architects Hong Kong chapter’s Community Citation 2024: “In recognition of significant contributions in the Chapter’s region for the design and development of micro-parks that revitalize public spaces via cross-disciplinary collaborations and participatory workshops with local communities and government, creating more inclusive and intergenerational ‘communal living rooms’ throughout Hong Kong.”

Design Trust 2024 October Cycle Grant Recipients | Design Trust Seed & Feature Grants 2025 Theme Announced

Applications for the next grant cycle will close on 20th April 2025. Apply now!

Design Trust is pleased to announce the upcoming grants cycle of April 20th and October 20th 2025 for applications for Design Trust Seed Grant and Feature Grant supporting projects and research responding to the annual theme “Transforming Boundaries”. Share with us your ideas and proposals by April 20th 2025! We are also pleased to announce the Grant Recipients from the 2024 October grant cycle including research topics on urban culture, material upcycling and architectural archive research.

Design Trust Graphic Archive Research Fellows Announced I “Behind the Books” research exhibition led by Design Trust Grant Recipient Mary Chan opened at HKDI

Research exhibition “Behind the Books” led by Mary Chan at HKDI

Design Trust is pleased to announce that Jessica Fu and Gabriella Lai have been co-awarded the inaugural Design Trust Graphic Archive Research Fellowship in partnership with Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI), who will work closely with the Graphic Archive at HKDI to examine the origins, emergence, and development of the graphic design profession in Hong Kong and the region between the 1940s to the 1980s. We are also pleased to share that research exhibition “Behind the Books” led by Design Trust Grant Recipient Mary Chan opened to the public at HKDI.

Design Trust Grants Spotlight

Research films “4 Exchanges on a Hyper Specific Architectural Biotope” led by Charlotte Lafont-Hugo, photo courtesy of Charlotte Lafont-Hugo

Design Trust is pleased to share a selection of highlighted grant projects and news from grantees, including “Your Greenhouse Is Your Kitchen Is Your Living Room” led by Leyuan Li, “Breathing X: Atmosphere Architecture” led by Yixuan Cai, “Social Condenser Extraordinaire: the Municipal Services Buildings of Hong Kong” led by Ying Zhou and Fai Au, “4 Exchanges on an Hyper Specific Architectural Biotope” led by Charlotte Lafont-Hugo, “Pixelated Chronicles: Tales of Hong Kong Outlying Islands” led by Leroy Cheng and Vanessa Ma, and “ISLAND LIGHTS” led by Chi Chun Tang & Leroy Yuen.

Design Trust Welcomes New International Advisory Council and Greater Bay Area Design Advisory Council Members

Design Trust Welcomes New International Advisory Council and Greater Bay Area Design Advisory Council Members

Marisa Yiu (Co-founder/ Executive Director), Kamsen Lau (Chairman, Board of Design Trust) and the Board of Directors are pleased to welcome new International Advisory Council members Jennifer Caroline Ellis and Eric Höweler, as well as Krizia Li, Andong Lu, Joe Li and Charade Woo to the Greater Bay Area Design Council. With expertise in design innovation and curation to transdisciplinary projects from Hong Kong, to Asia and internationally, these new members will strengthen the growth of Design Trust’s future.

Upcoming: Design Trust Charity Benefit 2025

Design Trust Charity Benefit 2025, Saturday, March 22nd 2025

We are proud to announce that Design Trust Charity Benefit 2025 will be launched on Saturday, March 22nd 2025, marking a new vision and era of annual charity fundraising event benefiting Design Trust and the Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design since 2007. All the fundraising proceeds will go towards education, heritage innovation programmes, design development projects, regional design research programme and research grants for the DESIGN TRUST initiative, created in 2014 by the registered charity Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design that was founded in 2007.