Beyond Buildings

- Arjun Desai and Katherine Chia

What, in your opinion, makes architecture inspired and spirited?

KC: We take a very holistic approach in our work, and see architecture as a fusion of architecture, interior design, product design, landscape design, and even branding. It’s critical that design concepts and themes resonate from the large scale down to the small details. We draw a lot of inspiration from the art world as well as our clients’ goals, aspirations, and cultural backgrounds. The quality of natural light and the way light plays with materials in an environment have a strong impact on the dynamics of space and place-making. But in the end, what makes architecture truly spirited and inspired are opportunities to reveal something unexpected or surprising in the way space, light, materials and form work together to support a community of people regardless of whether that community is a family or a large corporate organization. In the end, architecture is about enabling communities to work and live together in ways that promote collaboration and inspire creativity.

What role did formal education play in your careers?