Thursday, March 24, 2011

Design as Game of Chess

How much space does one need to live?

Gary Chang, architect, provides a paradigm shift on the issue. He transformed a small tenement apartment in Hong Kong into a technological marvel with his eco friendly design. The 330 square foot home now has 24 transformer like combinations of rooms that he accomplished through a sliding wall system. He also utilized the window space to bring in generous light features into the home. Other innovative aspects include disappearing beds, and a generous screening room.

Chang reflects, "Psychologically, one should 'maintain' an open mind on how to use the space and avoid, as much as possible, the pre-conceptions on what a 'home' should function and look like."

From an interview, "His design mentality counters a good game of chess. Yes, you know what the King can and cannot do. Still the artistry, the imagination is in mastering combinations your opponent can’t defend against. For Chang, his opponents remain the preconceived notions of what a space can embody, and just as in chess, there are always more than twenty-four moves, whatever the rules."

See the interesting video of the transformation and interview about his ingenious design at Design Milk.