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September 4, 2016

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Home » Sunday » Home and Design

Designer shares passion of natural world, travel

Source: Shanghai Daily | September 4, 2016, Sunday | Print Edition

WHO is he?

Adrian McCarroll is founder and managing director of the multi-disciplinary design studio Original Vision. Having been educated in Scotland, McCarroll came to Hong Kong in 1990 and set up the company in 1992.

Tell us about some of your works and name the one you are most proud of.

We are a design-oriented firm and our work focuses on the resort and residential sectors. Of our recently completed projects perhaps Kata Rocks has been the most all-round success in terms of design and quality of finish. However, I cannot omit to mention Villa Amanzi in Phuket which has been a seminal piece for us.

We are also proud of TaipaVillage. Extensive research was made during the early stages of the design to come to an understanding of the architectural language being used in the “old village.” What we found were recurring themes based on a predominance of colonial Portuguese designs subtly infused with indigenous Chinese nuances. This helped us better understand the nature and ambiance of the village and provided us with elements that made up our design policies. These were then used in the creation of sensitively designed buildings that respected their location but also met the modern uses that they were being asked to accommodate.

Are you currently involved with any projects?

We have just handed over a Hyatt Place and a Dream Resort Hotel in Phuket, Thailand. We have a villa resort named Jacaranda and a city hotel currently under construction in Turkey and Thailand respectively. And on the drawing boards we have two resort hotels in Phuket, a major hillside residential resort in Huizhou and a villa enclave in the heart of Macau plus a mixed-use residential resort in Bintan, Indonesia at the master planning stage.

Describe your design style.

If I were to categorize our work I would say it is comfortably contemporary or even soft-edged minimalism. In general however, the manipulation of space, light, texture and color is the core of our philosophy. We bring these elements together to harmonize with function and desire. Our goal is to create places that are wonderful; spaces that are breathtaking and inspirational and, above all, environments where people just love to be.

Where are you most creative?

I love the mountains and I love the sea and surprisingly, the combination of both is prevalent in Hong Kong. Outside the city, the territory is blessed with an abundance of mountainous open space cascading into the ocean. I find this rural environment very inspiring and conducive to experimentation and the generation of new ideas.

What does your home mean to you?

I am very fortunate to have been able to design and build my family home on the waterfront in a small village in Hong Kong’s New Territories. My children grew up there playing on the sand and in the sea and my wife and I enjoy easy access to the several mountain trails that surround us. I can therefore safely say that my home is where my heart is.

What do you collect?

I am not really a collector of things. I love the visual arts and will acquire works that move me, but our collection is limited. Travel is more of a passion for me and one which both our children have embraced and therefore as a family we spend a lot of time on the road.

Where would you like to visit most in Shanghai?

I have not spent a lot of time in Shanghai since 1991 when Pudong was only being talked about. I would therefore like to return and walk around the city retracing my steps from 25 years ago.

What will be the next big design trend?

In the sectors in which we operate I believe space is going to dominate. As cities become more dense and oppressive, being able to escape and get a real sense of openness and freedom is increasingly sought after. Space is the new luxury.

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