In Conversation With James Law

The Hong Kong-based architect, technologist, entrepreneur and India Design ID 2019 speaker deconstructs his unique design ideology that is firmly rooted in reality and technology

- Aman Mehta

At the age of seven, James Law happened to watch a film that, coupled with his sky-scrapered surroundings, inspired him to change the world through architecture. The film was, fittingly, the adaptation of Ayn Rand’s masterpiece – The Fountainhead. Much like the celebrated author’s groundbreaking philosophy, Objectivism, Law has gone on to develop his own design ideology that serves to accomplish nothing less than building a better world, designed with technology, to alleviate suffering.

“My philosophy is called Cybertecture. It is about using design to create a better world by implementing new technologies and concepts. I draw a lot of my inspiration from my daily life and experiences from travelling. I think of each design as a filter, collecting information in its own ‘creative mind.’ The world is so diverse and one has to be humble enough to learn about the circumstances, needs and concerns of each place and culture. You can’t just apply the same idea or concept to every site,” says Law.