Date: 3 May 2016
Company Name: Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA)
On 3 May 2016, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (HKIA) announced that Sarah Mui Sze Wa is the winner of Young Architect Award (YAA) 2015 for her design project “Shining Slowly”.
Under this year’s theme of Neighbourhood Elderly Centre+, Mui’s design proposal envisioned a new approach to Hong Kong’s ageing problem in an old housing estate—Shek Kip Mei Estate. Instead of taking down old buildings as a means of regeneration, Mui proposed to rejuvenate the community hub by freeing up the ground space of the existing Shek Kip Mei Market. By enhancing communal accessibility, it would open a door for senior citizens to re-enter the society and engage themselves in a variety of communal programmes with local social services groups. The proposal also addressed the need for breathing space and a slow-living lifestyle as means to relieve the stress of daily life for all residents in the district.
Mui, born and raised in Hong Kong, is the founder and design director of One Bite Design Studio Ltd. She obtained her bachelor degree with first honours from the Department of Architecture in The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and received a graduate diploma in architecture from The Bartlett School of Architecture in University College London.
The Young Architect Award is an annual competition to honour talents and acknowledge the contribution of young HKIA members. The award winner will be considered as the rising star in the industry as a majority of predecessors had also obtained remarkable achievements.
