HB Design: Selected Architectural Works

This photo-rich architectural design book is a fascinating profile of one of Asia's most successful and influential firms.

HB Design is an award-winning architectural practice with offices in Singapore, Bangkok and Jakarta and projects throughout Asia, Europe and the Middle East. This book is a comprehensive collection of their work, completed and in progress, with a section dedicated to a selection of intriguing unbuilt projects. The book tracks the company's journey, beginning as a small practice in Hong Kong, through its early days in Singapore and its expansion in the Asian region. Projects range from bespoke interiors, to private houses, through to large-scale multi-residential, commercial and mixed-use developments.

By framing the evolution of HB Design as a journey, the book is able to clearly describe the way this uniquely creative and adaptive architectural practice has shaped its ideas and approach. The idea of a journey is also important, because it gives the reader an insight into the company's process-driven philosophy. This philosophy sees every project as unique and, therefore, requiring its own unique solution. Accordingly, each project is a journey of discovery with no assumptions made. The practice's trajectory has mirrored its success, scaling up rapidly in recent years from house to high-rise, working with major developers in some of Asia's most dynamic cities across a rich diversity of size and brief. Throughout this exhilarating evolution the practice has remained committed to creating exceptional pieces of architecture.

Increasingly, our cities are being determined by the forces of speculative buildings--office and residential developments, driven primarily by economic considerations. In this world, design and architecture are often an afterthought. This is the world in which HB Design strives to go beyond basic project performance criteria and to positively contribute to urban place making in general and the architectural debate in specific.

HB Design has made the pursuit of exceptional design fundamental to its approach, in the process delivering not just the client's needs, but perhaps more importantly, contributing meaningfully to the city with well-crafted buildings that delight and surprise.

Dr. Paul McGillick is an independent writer, editor and video producer specializing in architecture, art and design. Following careers in academia, television and the architecture and design press, he now runs his own consultancy. His previous monographs include a study of Australian architect, Alex Popov, and the Malaysian practice, Hijjas Kasturi & Associates. Other books include a history of Sydney Architecture (Pesaro) and three books for Tuttle Publishing, the most recent being Sustainable Luxury: The New Singaporean House.