When setting up base near their factory in Guangdong a Hong Kong couple chose to keep their second apartment free of clutter and almost monastic in its simplicity.
A long commute to work isn't something most Hong Kong residents are used to, so when faced with a four-hour journey several times a week to their factory in Zhaoqing, Guangdong province, James and Clarissa Wu decided to set up a base closer by. They found an apartment in a peaceful, tree-lined street overlooking Star Lake, which is designated a national park, and called on architects Joey Lau and Alex Ha of A-01 Designers (tel: 2428 9568; 9082 0597) to help.
'We changed everything,' says Lau. 'The apartment originally comprised three small bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, dining and living room - all enclosed and linked by a corridor. We pulled down most of the walls and by turning the living, dining and kitchen areas into a single open-plan space, we made it feel a lot larger.'
Because the spatial proportions of the 1,500-square-foot flat changed instantly, structural columns in the living area looked flimsy and out of place so the architects enlarged them and made them appear more solid. False ceilings were built to cover unsightly beams and to insert recessed down-lights and air-conditioners as well as adding interest by creating different levels.
'We like the contrast between high and low ceilings,' says Ha. 'Clients are normally worried about losing height but having a contrast makes a tall ceiling seem even more so.'
The Wus had no fixed ideas about what their new home should look like and were quite open to starkly minimal decor despite having lived in more run-of-the-mill apartments filled with possessions.