Architecture Awards 2021

56 BUILD 2021 Architecture Awards May21430 Leading Innovators in Wellbeing Focused Design 2021 – UK & Best Urban Regeneration Project (UK): Barking Civic Centre DaeWha Kang Design is an award-winning boutique design studio in London with a mission to measurably improve wellbeing through beautiful and innovative design. It is led by designer, artist and architect, DaeWha Kang who has spent the last 20 years studying and building architecture all around the world. He is joined by a brilliant and talented design team who come from the UK and all over the world. he studio is built around an ethos of wisdom, innovation and beauty. Wisdom underlies its dedication to sustainability and human wellbeing. DaeWha Kang Design believes in long-term thinking and encourages clients to share the view that long-term thinking leads to better design and better value for money. Architecture can positively influence the environment and the people who live within it. Innovation keeps the studio’s work inspired and fresh. Wisdom may lead it to designs that are timeless in their universal values, but innovation makes its work emblematic of the times. DaeWha Kang Design uses technology to achieve more with less effort, and to create something truly new for its clients and collaborators. It also works closely with world-class experts who specialise in disciplines from engineering and construction to landscape design and environmental benchmarking. Lastly, beauty is about more than aesthetics. DaeWha Kang Design looks to nature for its understanding of beauty. It is the right balance of all things: the intricate simplicity we see in the world around us. With all the work the studio does, it searches for proportion, for truth in form and materials, and expression that reveals meaningful function. It tries to live its values through the atmosphere in its studio as much as it does in the projects themselves, and this reflects its office culture. DaeWha Kang Design believes that architecture is not just about a large-scale sculptures. Its design approach begins with understanding human needs and aims for human impact. The buildings we use and the cities we inhabit have a great influence on our lives. A good building may provide us with good air quality, beautiful light, and comfortable spaces. The materials may be wholesome and healthy, and the beauty of the space itself may put our hearts at ease. However, a thoughtless building might be uncomfortable, unpleasant, and even unhealthy. We spend most of our time in the buildings in which we work and live. The design of our offices could make us healthier and more productive. Our homes might be beautiful and comfortable sanctuaries. Even the cities we design can improve our lives. Does your city encourage walking, cycling, and provide beautiful and safe places for people of all ages? Or are they designed with a lack of regard for people, putting cars first, creating poor air, making dangerous spaces, and lacking beauty? DaeWha Kang Design believes that design can make an enormous difference, and for that reason, it has a passion for creating urban design as well as architecture and interiors. T Good design requires an investment of time and energy. It is not necessarily more expensive, but it does require commitment and dedication on the part of the client and the designer. DaeWha Kang Design believes that it is always worth the effort and that the benefits will always outweigh the costs. When designing office headquarters, DaeWha DaeWha Kang Design Kang Design often works with businesses to see how it can improve their workers’ wellness and productivity. Studies have shown that the average business spends 90% of its money on staff and related costs. DaeWha Kang Design can create a space that is pure air, using non-toxic materials, and with beautiful natural light, making it more likely that employees will want to spend time in the office and as a result produce better work. Meanwhile, a recent notable project by DaeWha Kang Design saw the completion of the Barking Civic Centre located in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, created in partnership with Bishop & Williams. Recognised by BUILD magazine as the best urban regeneration project (UK), the pavilion aims to increase Barking’s shared sense of community and identity, while also promoting the idea of integrating nature into the city, as well as those of wellness, inclusiveness and flexibility. It aims to connect the commercial and civic centres of Barking, and to provide social, environmental and economic sustainability. Indeed, DaeWha Kang Design strives to make a positive impact in every single project it works on with its human-oriented design approach and focus on physical, mental and social wellness. Whether it is designing for worker wellness in a company headquarter or spiritual calm in a church, its belief is that putting people first can lead to beautiful spaces. Company: DaeWha Kang Design Contact: DaeWha Kang Email: [email protected] Website: www.daewhakang.com