HOMEANDDECOR.COM · Chris Godfrey possesses a design philosophy that draws inspiration from people,...
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S$6.00 APR 2019 HOMEANDDECOR.COM.SG WHY PAY MORE FOR LUXE KITCHENS ICONS TELLING THE REAL FROM REPLICA MOD LIVING SPACES WITH STYLE AND BOLD ACCENTS MAKE YOUR OWN FURNITURE TRENDING
Transcript of HOMEANDDECOR.COM · Chris Godfrey possesses a design philosophy that draws inspiration from people,...
S$6
.00
APR 2019
HOMEANDDECOR.COM.SG
WHY PAY MORE FOR LUXE KITCHENS
ICONSTELLINGTHE REALFROMREPLICA
MOD LIVING SPACES WITH
STYLE AND BOLD ACCENTS
MAKEYOUR OWN FURNITURE
TRENDING
A P R I L
CO N T E N TS
PEOPLE45TRIBAL TRADITIONSouth African artist Esther Mahlangu’s evocative works keep the heritage of her Ndebele tribe alive.
50HOLY TRINITYPrincipal Chris Godfreyof HBA Residential talks about his luxury design philosophy.
DESIGNi d e a s a n d i n s p i r at i o n f r o m
t h o s e i n t h e k n o w
National Treasure
The 83-year-old has exhibited in some of the world’s most
respected museums.
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54DESIGNING FOR TOMORROW, TODAYWilkinson Eyre’s Matthew Potter shares his views on the global design landscape and architectural issues in Singapore.
MY SPACE 56THE ART OF HOMELINESSTips to make your living room feel cosy and inviting.
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P EO P L E
Chris Godfrey, an award-winning chartered architect with the Royal
Institute of British Architects, has over 22 years of experience in designing residences for very discerning clients.
The British architect and interior designer moved to Singapore five years ago and has since established HBA Residential, under parent company Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA). He has set up design studios in Singapore and London, and a third is slated to open in Los Angeles this year.
Chris oversees all architectural and interior design, as well as operational aspects, and he regards the practice as “one studio in two (soon-to-be three) locations”. “We collaborate, we share work, we share geographical locations,” he says. With a staff strength of 30 in Singapore
and 15 in London, HBA Residential is like a boutique studio within HBA’s 54-year-old, 1,800-strong, global framework across 26 locations. “The strong foundation of our parent company and its wide geographical reach give us the genuine ability to service our clients globally,” he emphasises.
Holy TriniTyAs the principal at Hirsch Bedner
Associates’ ultra-high-end residential design house HBA Residential,
Chris Godfrey possesses a design philosophy that draws inspiration
from people, places and possessions. He tells us how he creates luxury
through design.
TOPAccording to Chris Godfrey, luxury is achieved through understanding the process of creation, instead of just keeping an eye on the final product.
LEFTChris and his team created a water feature below a skylight in the entrance foyer to bring the elements of nature into the space.
The studios have commissions all over Europe, the Middle East, India and even Russia. Around the region, they are working on private residences for a fashion designer just outside of Shanghai, and for an Indian steel industrialist family on the sea coast in central Mumbai, as well as on a
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RIGHTWhile the team’s portfolio features expansive home designs, Chris says his team is adept at dealing with homes of all sizes.
BELOWThe design team used a mix of texture and colour to help create a sense of luxe in this living room.
good to know
HBA Residential is a full service design studio comprising architects, interior
and furniture designers and other specialists to deliver
a holistic result for clients.
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“PEOPLE ARE AT THE CENTRE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND WE TRY TO RESPOND UNIQUELY
TO UNIQUE CLIENTS. ”
residence located at The Peak in Hong Kong. They are also working on their first significant project in Singapore for a private client.
WHAT IS HBA RESIDENTIAL’S
DESIGN PHILOSOPHY?
We see ourselves as the first point in the client-situation-designer triangle. It is a unique triangle that will never be repeated. For example, we may work with the same client again, but in a different location.
People are at the centre of everything that we do and we try to respond uniquely to unique clients. We need to remove our personal egos and ambitions so that we can respond objectively to the hows, whats and whys involving the site, programmatic requirements, cultural and religious drivers, the client’s collection and so on. We meld all of that together, like cooking; we put all the ingredients into a pot and keep reducing it.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE
CHALLENGES THAT YOUR
TEAMS FACE IN RESIDENTIAL
DESIGN?
We work across the world and one of our unique selling points is being able to utilise
the HBA infrastructure to service and deliver projects globally. The challenge lies in ensuring that we deliver a very high level of quality across these geographical locations, and this depends not just on our skills, but that of everyone involved in the projects.
The challenge is in meeting not just our own exacting standards, but also that of our clients. The duration of our projects tends to be long due to the scale and complexity, so it is always a challenge to keep things moving, especially with clients who travel extensively and frequently, and who are constantly exposed to new and interesting things.
IS THE APPROACH DIFFERENT
WHEN DESIGNING HOMES OF
VASTLY DIFFERENT SIZES?
Our design principles are completely scalable. We apply the same methodology whether we are designing a 40,000 sq ft home or a table. We always start by understanding the premise of a project and appraising the given context – looking at the inherent constraints and opportunities, how we can maximise the potential and make the most out of it.
Luxury is also about the space, the quality of light, the materials and the approach. It can be something very subtle and not necessarily just about size. I am pleased with some of the smallest things in some projects that I have been involved with over the years, because they present a different sort of challenge.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN
LANDSCAPE EVOLVING AND
WHAT ARE SOME TRENDS?
There is a general trend towards an understanding of individuality and personality, as
opposed to brand and expense for expense’s sake. There is a paradigm shift towards attributing a greater perceived value to something that is made for you, something that has been crafted, over something that simply costs more.
As a result of our international approach, we work with a good mix of East and West designs. We do a lot of work in China and there is an increasing appreciation of why design is the way it is. There is a better understanding of the reasons behind a design, and therefore a greater appreciation for what it is.
HOW DO YOUR PROJECTS
ADDRESS SUSTAINABILITY?
We have completed some very green projects over the years, including properties in Europe that were built from solid timber (no steel and no concrete) sourced from sustainable forests in Austria and Switzerland. I also designed a structure that was, at one time, the largest timber structure in the world.
For residential projects, we try to source all our materials within a 500km radius around the site. However, sustainability takes many forms, from macro to micro scale. It includes considerations such as where we source our stone and timber, employing a local labour force, engaging local artisans and craftsmen, and providing a platform to people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to be engaged in such projects.
IN YOUR OPINION, WHAT
DEFINES A LUXURY HOME?
The biggest luxury in the world is time. While we cannot create time, we can create space and space in turn creates a sense of time. A well-designed space can be a luxury. A serene interior where the light casts
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ABOVEA spacious drawing room accented with muted colours and metallic elements.
OPPOSITEOversized marble slabs help to give a sense of proportion to this space, adding to the emotional aspect of what Chris defines as modern luxury.
a beautiful shadow on the floor can be a luxury in itself, arising in a moment when you feel perfectly comfortable and relaxed. Within the residential sphere, this is ultimately what it is all about - the qualities and emotions that are quintessentialto being in a residential space.
WHAT DO YOU THINK GIVES
HBA RESIDENTIAL AN EDGE
AND HOW DO YOU RAISE THE
BAR AGAINST YOUR PEERS?
We appeal to a certain kind of clientele who is interested in the journey, and not just the
end product. This is not to say that another firm cannot take on the same client, but it would be a totally different journey.
We can raise the bar because we have assembled an excellent team with 15 to 25 years’ experience purely in the residential sector, which is solely what we do and what we are passionate about.
With residential design, it ultimately comes down to personality and the relationship between the lead designer and the client. If the chemistry is right, the project will be good.
In the time that I have spent in Asia and in establishing the Singapore and London studios, what occurred to me was that besides working in Asia with our Asian clients, we would also excel in servicing Asian clients in Europe.
In London, we position ourselves as an Asian-based, British design company that can help our clients in a territory that we know really well. Demonstrating an understanding of the cultural context is of vital importance, as are personal relationships.
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