With three architecturally attuned minds on the job, the transformation of a 1960s family home into an executive apartment on The Peak, Hong Kong’s priciest neighborhood, was destined to be extraordinary. Andrew Yuen, along with designers Vincent Lim Chin-hwa and Elaine Manzi Lu, all alumni of Cornell University, collaborated on this project completed in December 2023.
Yuen, now in his family’s property business, chose Lim and Lu’s design firm, Lim + Lu, partly due to their shared educational background and their alignment with his preference for Japanese simplicity, Zen, and wellness. Their design inspiration, rooted in the “less is more” philosophy of modernist pioneer Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, seamlessly aligned with Yuen’s aesthetic vision.
The design features clean lines and natural materials like wood, terrazzo, rattan, and textured plaster, creating a serene and harmonious space. Lim notes that simplicity in design often presents challenges, requiring flawless execution as there are no distractions from imperfections.
A key element in the 1,300 sq ft (120 square meter) first-floor flat is its green outlook, which the designers highlighted through innovative framing. They reinterpreted the concept of a portal, an ancient architectural element, to create depth and visual interest, inviting exploration within the space.
With no structural walls to limit them, the designers reconfigured the layout extensively. They retained only the kitchen and helper’s room in their original positions, transforming the rest of the space into expanded living and dining areas, a yoga platform, home office, master bedroom with en suite bathroom, and a guest powder room.
Traditional hallways were eliminated to maximize space, turning a corridor into a walk-in wardrobe, for instance. Wide opening pocket doors facilitated fluid movement throughout the apartment, creating an open loft-like circulation. Varying floor heights subtly remind inhabitants to move mindfully, with the yoga platform two steps above the living area also serving as underfloor storage.
The en suite bathroom, influenced by Japanese bathing culture, features an onsen-style wooden tub made from hinoki (cypress) and an open shower, enhancing the luxurious and tactile experience. Another portal in the bedroom, framed by timber and rattan doors, guides the way to the yoga platform, connecting spaces in a seamless flow.
This apartment, open, airy, and tranquil, exudes the maturity and calmness that Yuen desired. The thoughtful design by Lim + Lu has successfully transformed the 1960s mid-rise into an elegant, serene executive apartment, embodying simplicity and wellness.
READ MORE: