Key People

Chris Law is an acknowledged leading practitioner on sustainable urbanism and neighbourhood development.

Chris founded the Oval Partnership with Patrick Bruce in 1992, and is a director of its subsidiary, the sustainable and smart city action research group INTEGER that develops many ground-breaking initiatives in sustainable development, notably the world’s first in the use of structural laminated bamboo in multi-storey buildings. Under his leadership the Oval Partnership developed the Open City design principle, manifested in the award-winning Sanlitun Taikoo Li Beijing and Taikoo Li Chengdu projects. He is member of a number of public sector and third sector committees in Hong Kong including the Urban Design Advisory Group of the Development Bureau and the Public Private partnership Committee of the West Kowloon Cultural District. He is the chairman of the UNESCO award-winning heritage conservation and community participatory Viva Blue House development in Hong Kong, and chairman of the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society.  He is the chief curator and founder of the public space organisation Very Hong Kong and its community land initiative Collaborate Hong Kong.  A graduate of Stonyhurst College in Lancashire and the Bartlett School of Architecture UCL, Chris' projects have received awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects, The American Institute of Architects, The Royal Academy of Arts, The Hong Kong Institute of Architects, The Hong Kong Institute of Planners, The Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design, Urban Land Institute and World Architecture Festival. He was made an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects for his contribution to Architecture. He is a Justice of the Peace of the Hong Kong SAR.

Patrick Bruce is an internationally renowned advisor in lifestyle development strategy and retail design. He has been advising many top global and regional retail brands including Hermes and Salvatore Ferragamo. In addition to his strategic advisory work, he has an innate ability to solve complex issues, and brings an attention to detail and quality.

Patrick Bruce has over 40 years of design experience in the consultancy, industrial manufacturing and education sectors and is a Fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers. He has substantial experience in the UK and South Africa, and in Asia, where he has lived for 30 years. He was Commercial Director for the Conran Design Group in London in the 1980s and was Managing Director of Conran Design Pacific in Hong Kong from 1988 to 1992. Patrick is a founding member of the Oval Partnership group of companies and is a Founding Director of the Oval Partnership Ltd. He is a director of INTEGER Intelligent and Green Ltd in the UK, a sister company of the Oval Partnership. Patrick has led and implemented projects across the Asia Pacific region, ranging from retail and marketing studies for retail brands such as Harry Winston, Shell, MTRC, to rollout and project management for Hermes, Bally, Salvatore Ferragamo, DAKS, Gucci, Versace, and Fendi, as well as design and development programs for airport retailing, and brand development for retail success stories such as Giada in China, and across a variety of hospitality projects.

Sada Lam has substantial experience in devising and forging development strategies together with a proven record in designing numerous award-winning large scale projects at both domestic and international levels. He is particularly renowned for his ability at handling the intricate complexities of urban regeneration, TOD and mixed-use developments, as well as their successful delivery. He has an unrivalled track record in the analysis and understanding of challenging urban issues with all its facets, including socio-economics, stakeholder dynamics, innovation, heritage and culture, all of which contribute to creating sustainable and vibrant communities with a compelling sense of place.

Sada has been a member of the board of directors since 2006. He studied architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Cambridge. He is the director-in-charge of Sanlitun Taikoo Li Beijing and the Zhang Yuan urban regeneration project in Shanghai for Swire Properties. Similarly, he has led the design and execution of over 20 large scale mixed-use and TOD projects in the region, including the heritage-led urban regeneration development Shanghai Jinling Lu, as well as the Shenzhen Bay Cultural Park and other city centre developments in Beijing, Shanghai, and the Greater Bay Area. In the academic sphere, he taught at the Chinese University of Hong Kong between 2002 and 2003, and was Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong Department of Architecture from 2003 to 2007. 

Father of twins, Sada is a keen mountain biker, and is currently reading Sustainable Urban Development at the University of Oxford.

Dr. HAO Lin was born in Beijing. He received his BArch from Tsinghua University, MArch from University of California Berkeley, and PhD in Architecture from University of Cambridge. He is a Chartered Member of RIBA, Honorary Research Fellow at Tsinghua University, Managing Director of INTEGER Intelligent & Green, Senior Director of Oval Partnership, former Adjunct Associate Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong,  Member of APPC Committee of Architectural Society of China, and Member of Committee of Historical blocks of Chinese Society of Cultural Relics.

Dr. Hao is a distinguished architect and scholar. His extensive experience and expertise spans urban regeneration, master planning, and environmentally responsible architecture, specialising in embedding culture and heritage into place making, while achieving holistic sustainability in urbanism and architecture.

Projects under Lin’s leadership have received numerous prestige design awards, including RIBA International Award, Honour Awards for Architecture and Sustainability from AIA Hong Kong, HKIA Annual Awards, WAF Awards, WAN Awards, ULI Global Awards for Excellence, DFA Grand and Gold Award. Lin took a lead in masterplan and architectural design of Taikoo Li Chengdu as Director-in-Charge. Other award-winning projects in charge by Lin include 1 Hotel Haitang Bay Sanya, Innhouse Eco Hotel Kunming, KPMG-CCTF Community Centre and Swire Community Centre in Sichuan. Ongoing projects led by Lin include Taikoo Li Xi’an and Hyatt Centric Xiamen.

Lin has served on the WAN Awards International Jury, WA Chinese Architecture Awards Jury, and was formerly Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Eco City and Green Building Magazine. Lin is a prize winner of the International 1997 China-HK Monument Competition, and honoured with the China Children Charity Award from ACWF and CCTF.

Exhibitions include West Bund Biennial of Architecture and Contemporary Art and Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture. He has lectured and published widely, including the book title Green Design for the Future.

James Pierce has over 30 years of experience in designing and delivering large scale integrated development involving urban rail and surrounding land uses. He is also a specialist in the field of architectural conservation. The historic Star Street Urban Regeneration Project for Swire Properties won the highest award from the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design.

James Pierce joined the Oval Partnership as project director in 2006. Having graduated from University of Plymouth UK in Architecture, he moved to Hong Kong in 1993 where he pursued post graduate studies in architectural conservation at the University of Hong Kong. James is based in the Hong Kong office and currently responsible for design production, bringing over 30 years’ experience in master planning, architectural and urban design to the table, predominantly within the Asian context. Encompassing retail, residential, academic, institutional and cultural developments, recent works include the adaptive re-use of heritage buildings and revitalisation of old urban areas of Hong Kong.

In his former role, James amassed a diverse range of experience as design team leader with Anthony Ng Architects Ltd. Those projects include the award winning Tung Chung New Town development including the Citygate development for Swire Properties; property development studies for KCR SCL200; concept designs for the West Kowloon Cultural Centre; Central Ferry Pier development; environmental design and implementation of the award winning Verbena Heights Eco-Housing development, and innovative designs for high-rise public housing. His previous project experience with other Hong Kong practices ranges from design and tender packages for the Venetian Hotel, Macau to Qatar Petroleum’s new Corporate Headquarters in Qatar.

Jonathan Pile has extensive experience in leading world class master-planning projects in numerous countries across the globe, from Europe, Africa, to Asia, therefore development-related issues such as urban research and design take prominence in his work. Incorporating sustainable and environmentally protective concepts into his designs is his priority, in order to create greener and more liveable urban environments.

Jonathan Pile is Director of Oval Partnership Architecture Ltd, the London based design studio of Oval Partnership. He graduated from and completed his professional qualifications at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, where he was awarded the Bartlett prize two years in succession. From 1985-1992 he was a director at Conran Roche Architects, where he was responsible for numerous master-planning and urban design proposals across the UK and in Europe, particularly concentrating on the regeneration of former industrial waterfront areas and the planning of new small settlements in ecologically sensitive locations.

Jonathan has been working on sustainability-driven projects in Asia since 1992 and lived in Hong Kong for five years before returning to London where he is now based. He ran his own practice for twelve years before joining Oval full-time in 2010. In 2016, in collaboration with Brock Carmichael Architects, he led the winning team in the RIBA International Competition to devise sustainable strategies for the remote island of Tristan da Cunha. His work has been exhibited at the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Architectural Association and the Royal Academy. His South London House received the RIBA London Award 2019.

Ray Wong has a rich architectural portfolio of experience that focuses on retail-led commercial mixed-use projects. He specialises in interpreting customers’ needs, keeping abreast of the latest retail market trends, and applying this knowledge and strategic thinking to his projects.

Ray Wong joined the Oval Partnership in 2008. He has more than 15 years’ experience across a wide range of urban complex projects in Greater China and Hong Kong.

He specialises in retail-led mixed-use developments, outdoor retail districts, shopping centre fit-out renovations, and sustainable master planning and building designs. In terms of the latter, Ray has multiple qualifications and extensive knowledge on Sustainability and ESG, his project Chengdu Taikoo Li was awarded LEED ND Gold Certification, the first project in Southwest China to receive this certification. He has recently been leading the technical development of Swire Taikoo Li Xian.

Ray has established a Building Information Modelling (BIM) team and as the cluster-in-charge, he leads the team on research and development of the latest BIM technology applicable to urban mixed-use and retail fit-out projects. He is currently appointed as Head of Quality Management and Operation Efficiency as well as ISO Management Representative. He is responsible for the design and implementation of the ISO Quality Management System (QMS) and setup of the IT infrastructure system in the office.

Justin Lau is a multiple award-winning architect. He received professional western architectural training in world class practices such as Richard Rogers and Partners, but supported by a profoundly traditional Chinese cultural background, which is often demonstrated in the finest details of his design. He also has a remarkable flair for asset enhancement to create additional value for existing projects.

Justin Lau is a UK registered Architect; he studied architecture at the Architectural Association and the University of Westminster, graduating with distinction. Before joining the Oval Partnership, Justin held lead design roles in multiple international practices in the UK, and has over 17 years’ architectural design and management experience. Justin believes good placemaking can create a positive attribute to bring people together. His notable projects include the award-winning Qujiang Creative Cultural Centre at Xi’an, the Temple House Hotel at Chengdu Taikoo Li, and a series of heritage conservation projects at Harrods.

Justin is currently engaged on a spectrum of cultural mixed-use development projects in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chongqing, Chengdu, Nanning, and the Greater Bay Area, where the scope of work covers retail planning, asset enhancement, hospitality with a complete integrated interior architecture to provide a holistic creative and sustainable framework spanning across all scales — from citywide to the most intricate of human environment. The recently completed Qujiang Creative Cultural Centre in Xi’an has won multiple global highly esteemed design accolades, from the likes of WIN World Interior News Gold Award, DFA Design for Asia Most Influential Design Bronze Award, FX Awards Public Space and Global Project Awards, as well as Frame Awards People’s Choice Award - Cultural Space of the Year, etc.

Justin is a RIBA International validation board member. He is a regular design critic for the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. From 2008 to 2016, he lectured at a number of architectural institutes, including Bartlett School of Architecture, Royal College of Art, Oxford Brookes University, and Ecole Spéciale School of Architecture. Numerous academic research projects under Justin’s supervision have too, received international recognition, including finalist of the RIBA Presidential medal on four consecutive occasions.

With a strong understanding of macro trends and the social effects they have on demographic shifts and community building, Wendy infuses design with captivating narratives that deliver unique user experience transcending the conventional market norms.

Wendy Tsai is a visionary architect (AIA, WELL AP) with a passion for community and innovation. She combines the latest trends, lifestyles and rethinks business models in design to create unique user experiences with a resilient future. With years of international experience and a multidisciplinary background encompassing master planning, retail, cultural, hospitality, residential, and interior design, Wendy seamlessly integrates Eastern and Western influences in her works, and has led significant projects for prominent clients in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Taiwan, and Seoul while working at Neri&Hu.

Passionate about giving back to the industry and community, Wendy is an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in Hong Kong. Serving on the executive committee of the Young Leaders Group (YLG) and ULI NEXT, she leads actionable projects and shares her knowledge as a guest lecturer at institutions like The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Additionally, Wendy co-founded the ULI Art In Place (AIP) initiative, which connects local artists with real estate enterprises to enhance the cultural landscape of Hong Kong.

On top of architectural pursuits, Wendy goes beyond her field by hosting a topical podcast called "Another Angle". Through engaging discussions with experts from diverse fields, she explores current trends and their sociocultural significance and societal impacts. In her personal life, she derives joy from long-distance running as both regular exercise and a means of exploring travel destinations.

Bobo works as a lead consultant for luxury retail brands renovations.

With over 10 years of experience in the architecture and interior industry, she has established herself as an experienced Architectural Project Manager.

Bobo's educational background includes graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Her expertise lies in managing commercial and retail projects across the Asia Pacific region. In 2018, Bobo joined the Oval Partnership Ltd, where she has been actively involved in the project management of luxury retail stores in Greater China and Southeast Asia. Her role encompasses overseeing all aspects of these projects, ensuring their successful execution and delivery.

Nelson understands the requirements and needs of commercial, office, hospitality and residential developments and has proven his capability in managing challenging projects including mixed-use and TOD urban complexes. He has a talent for architectural design detail and is devoted to creating unique retail and leisure user experiences.

Nelson Huen graduated from the School of Architecture, Chinese University of Hong Kong having also been bestowed with the Best Thesis Project award. He was nominated twice for the RIBA President’s Awards. As a member of the NGO Project Little Dream, he has been involved in designing and building a number of schools in Takeo, Cambodia. The project has earned Nelson and his team numerous accolades including the Best of the Best Perspective Awards, 40 Under 40, and AIA Hong Kong Chapter Citations. Nelson is currently leading a number of prominent mixed-use developments in China. His postgraduate education training, coupled with the experience he garnered from Project Little Dream, has fostered his awareness in socially responsive design and context sensitive planning.

Tatum has an array of international architecture experience, from designing and constructing commercial supertall projects in Shenzhen to masterplanning and partaking in the community engagement process of a residential site in New York. She is eager to improve the built environment through bridging her passion in human centric design and socioeconomics, with her investment experience in real estate economics.

Between receiving her Bachelor of Architecture at Cornell University and Master of Architecture in Urban Design at Harvard University, Tatum spent five years working on several large scale projects in Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC (KPF) in New York City. With the opportunity to work with international clients from both the private and public sector, she worked on the award-winning China Resources Headquarters in Shenzhen, The Wharf commercial tower in DC, and New York City Housing Authority’s Redhook revitalisation masterplan. Determined to mediate the needs of real estate investors and developers through design strategy, she has a concentration in RE finance from her Masters and practiced in Colliers International Capital Market and Investment Services prior to joining Oval Partnership.

Philip Clarke is passionate about cities and public space. As digital placemaking project director, he applies his critical mindset and forward thinking to big data analytics, and by further integrating this with different projects, he therefore delivers additional value and benefit to both client and end users.

Philip Clarke's architectural career took off in London where he worked for Sir Norman Foster. It was his very first job in 1991, before graduating. After completing his architectural studies at Cambridge University, UK, where he received a First Class Honours and undertaking further studies at Harvard University, USA, he joined Foster Asia and moved to Hong Kong to form part of the site-based fit-out team for Foster’s Hong Kong International Airport project. He later returned to London and worked for a number of prestigious architectural firms including Eric Parry and John McAslan and Partners. His experience covered an array of significant London based architectural projects across a range of sectors as well as work in the Middle East with John McAslan.

In 2013 he relocated to Asia to join Atkins in Shanghai. He was the lead architect and senior designer on a number of prominent projects won through competitions. Since returning to Hong Kong with Farrells he has been working as a senior design lead operating across all design stages, from large mixed-use developments in Mainland China, to Singapore’s Highspeed Rail Terminus, and the M+ Museum in Hong Kong.

Martin Wedderburn is an independent transport planner and pedestrian expert who excels in analysing and formulating planning strategies to improve pedestrian mobility and transport systems. His input at the preliminary research and design process phase of a project is geared towards enhancing environmental and economic performances.

Martin Wedderburn is an independent transport planner and pedestrian movement expert with 15 years’ experience in that field. Working for a range of public and private sector clients around the world, he has conducted a wide scope of pedestrian movement analysis studies in transport interchange, retail and street environments. He operates as part of multidisciplinary teams with architects, engineers and urban designers at all scales to produce safe, accessible and context-sensitive public realms. Martin has developed a suite of pedestrian movement analysis tools that bridge distinct areas of professional expertise, namely spatial network analyses for masterplanning, transport assessment and demand forecasting, and pedestrian simulation modelling for crowd management strategies.

Mixed-use developments in the context of urban regeneration is where Zhang Menghua plays an important role. His skills and experience bring energy to the interlaced layers of activities which characterize cities and their component buildings and public spaces.

Zhang Menghua received his Bachelor of Architecture from the Chongqing University. His concerns are centred on cities and public spaces, and he has over 10 years’ planning and architectural design experience working on key projects in Mainland China. He has played an important role in several large-scale mixed-use developments, such as Shanghai DreamCenter, Suzhou Huomao Center Gusuli, Shanghai Longhua Hui, Beijing Sanlitun Taikoo Li North District, and Ribo Headquarters in Shanghai Songjiang. Regarding the Shanghai DreamCenter project, his scope of work encompasses all its major phased processes—from initial concept design to construction management and coordination of the specialised façade design and retail interior detailing.

The complexity of interconnections between cities, buildings and their spatial functions are central to the methodology that Deng Ming applies to planning projects. He understands that this close attention to detail is required to ensure their success, and values the continuation and prosperity that sustains urban life.

Deng Ming received her Bachelor of Architecture from Beijing Jiaotong University, Master of Architecture from Tsinghua University, and Master Degree with Distinction from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London. With 13 years’ architectural experience under her belt, she has worked on a diverse array of projects, including mixed-use commercial developments, master planning schemes, ranging from the institutional to the residential sectors. She was project architect for Beijing Sanlitun Taikoo Li South District development (formerly known as Sanlitun Village) and North District in 2007-08 and 2008-09 respectively. Her scope of work covered every major stage of those projects, from initial concept design and concept development, to construction drawings, as well as construction management and coordination. Since 2013, Ming has been the Project Director overseeing a series of asset enhancement strategies at Sanlitun Taikoo Li, including the landscape upgrade in the North District and the renovation of N8 Building. In addition, she has led several large-scale developments in China as chief designer and project leader, amassing many years’ experience in design development plus project management and coordination. Ming is based in Beijing and in charge of the Oval Partnership’s Beijing office.

Li Ronghao excels at designing, organizing and managing project teams. He focuses on bringing added value to a wide range of projects, using his expertise to integrate environmental, cultural and economic components into the architectural setting.

Born and raised in Beijing, Ronghao Li studied Architecture at Manchester University where he received a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and a Bachelor of Architecture. He became a registered architect ARB and Royal Chartered Architect RIBA in the UK.

Ronghao has design, management and field experience in large-scale international commercial projects. He worked in a number of international architectural design firms in the UK for over 10 years and was the key person-in-charge of various challenging and complex projects. He has participated in many large-scale international commercial developments, including Newport Commercial Centre UK, Beijing DongHua International Plaza China, Nottingham Lister Gate Shopping Centre UK, Cambridge Central Library UK and BBC Media City Mixed-Use Development in Manchester. Ronghao was project director for the Swire Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li development, which has won several international awards, including the WAF (World Architecture Festival) Awards, ULI Global Awards for Excellence, DFA Design for Asia Awards Grand Award.

As a project director, Ronghao provides the leadership and design direction of key projects in China. He is also the business development director for Greater China, responsible for driving business growth and managing client liaison.

Jay Liu is expertly skilled at creating stunning yet practical architecture design by merging space, structure, and construction. He is devoted to exploring and applying big-data analysis tools to assist clients in steering a robust decision-making process throughout the project.

Jay studied for his Bachelor and Master degrees at the Southeast University from 2004 to 2012. He completed his Master’s with a research programme analysing open space in office skyscrapers in Europe while studying at the Technology University of Vienna. In 2015 he was awarded his PhD degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research field focused on the interaction between Graphic Statics (structural calculation) and Architecture Space, and the digital exploration of an application that automatically generates structure and space. Jay’s talents lie in merging architectural design, structural design, and construction during the preliminary design phase with the goal of enhancing the practicality and complementary aspects of a project’s outcome.

At present, he devotes any additional time to exploring and applying digital tools like big data, AI learning, DTTS etc. These tools are designed to help client teams scientifically and dynamically understand the potential advantages of their schemes, strengthening their capacity to make robust decisions, and creating commercial value at the very beginning and throughout each project.

Karen, born in Hong Kong and raised in New Zealand, earned her degree in Architecture and became a registered architect in Hong Kong in 2011. Prior to joining The Oval Partnership, Karen gained extensive experience working on a diverse range of architectural and interior design projects across various sectors, including commercial mixed use, hospitality, education, religious and master planning. She has a passion in developing sustainable and feasible design solutions to overcome the challenges of transforming architectural spaces to adapt to evolving needs and trends, particularly invaluable to her contributions in urban regeneration projects with Oval.

Nik is a highly committed architect with extensive work experience working in the industry for over 20 years with expertise in retail, master planning, mixed use, residential and retail interior design.

Working as an architect on a diverse range of residential, commercial, master planning, retail and interior design projects in Europe, South East Asia and the Middle East has broadened his understanding and knowledge of not only design but designing for different cultures and clients.

He has acquired excellent communication skills through a variety of client facing contact roles, enabling him to work confidently with a broad range of people. His work experience together with his motivation and desire to succeed have enabled him to continuously deliver excellent results to clients.

Cherie is an accomplished architect with 20 years of experience specialising in luxury retail and interior design. With a career spanning Singapore and Hong Kong, she brings a global perspective to her work, blending creativity, craftsmanship, and precision to deliver high-end, functional spaces.

Having led interior design management for a renowned luxury developer in Hong Kong, she oversaw high-end projects from design through execution, ensuring the highest standards of quality and attention to detail.

Cherie also has significant expertise in retail project management, guiding flagship projects from concept to completion. Her commitment to craftsmanship and precision ensures that every project reaches its full potential.

Thriving in collaborative environments, where diverse teams work together to bring a shared vision to life, Cherie is dedicated to creating spaces that leave a lasting impression, elevating the experience for all who interact with them.

Debarati, a registered architect, brings over 13 years of global experience in strategic consultancy, planning and design, stakeholder and client management, business research and market intelligence, and innovative marketing solutions, with a focus on the APAC, India, and Hong Kong markets.

Dr Chloe Lai is a journalist-turned-urbanist. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature. Archaeology of the present is her favour way to see the world and conduct researches. She runs a non-profit website titled Urban Diary to promote sustainability (www.urbandiarist.com). The website documents Hongkongers' mundane tales by words, photos, sound and moving images. She believes tales of everyday life is the treasure trove for everyone who wants to understand and improve contemporary urban living. Her journalism background and collected tales contributes to her profound knowledge of the city's past and present. Dr Lai uses her expertise to serve the community. She is chairperson of the Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage.

Lu Liu is a Retail Strategist specialising in Foresight & Business Trends across the APAC region, including China and Southeast Asia. She focuses on strategic growth and market analysis, transforming big data into actionable retail strategies that drive effective design decisions and successful project outcomes. Her expertise spans working with a diverse range of clients, from real estate developers to commercial brands, assisting them in entering new markets and shaping regional brand strategies.   

Lu is skilled in data storytelling, leveraging social media platforms to engage audiences and uncover insights. She holds a Master of Architecture from Columbia University and a B.A. in Mathematics. This unique combination of architectural creativity and mathematical precision enables her to craft data-driven strategies that enhance decision-making and deliver impactful results in the retail sector.