FHKIA RIBA AIA(Hons) JP

Chris Law was educated at Stonyhurst College and studied Architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture UCL. He is a founding director of the Oval Partnership Ltd, working from offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Cape Town and London. He is a director of the sustainable and smart city action research organization INTEGER Intelligent and Green Ltd.

Over the years Chris has received numerous accolades including Architect of the Year Award in Hong Kong.  His projects have received awards from institutions around the world including the Royal Academy of Arts, the Hong Kong Institute of Architects, the Royal Institute of British Architects, and the Hong Kong Institute of Planners. Chris is member of a number of public committees in Hong Kong including the Antiquities Advisory Board, the Energy Advisory Committee of the HKSAR Government and the Development Committee of the West Kowloon Cultural District. He is Chairman of the heritage conservation and community participatory Viva Blue House Project and Chairman of the Community Development Committee of the St James' Settlement.Chris Law was the chief curator and architect of the Hong Kong Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2012, and the chief curator and founder of the public space action research organization Very Hong Kong. 

The Innhouse ecotourism project received the Royal Institute of British Architects Award. The Star Street Revitalisation Project was awarded the Grand Award by the Hong Kong Institute of Urban Design. The Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li project in Chengdu received the Global Award of Excellence from the Urban Land Institute, and Best Commercial Project Award from the World Festival of Architecture. Chris Law was made an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects for his contribution to Architecture.  Chris Law is a Justice of the Peace of the Hong Kong SAR.

BA (Hons) Ind Des MBA Cranfield University UK FCSD

Patrick Bruce is a founding Director of the Oval partnership, has over 40 years" experience of design and design management, and design education. Prior to setting up the Oval partnership with Christopher Law in 1992, Patrick already had experience running several design consultancies, and has worked extensively in Asia, Europe and Africa and travelled widely. Originally trained in the product design field, Patrick became the Commercial Director of the Conran Design Group Ltd UK.

Patrick has led and implemented several hundred projects in the Asia Pacific region, including marketing studies for brands such as Shell and MTRC; a design and development program for airport retailing and brand development for retail success stories such as Giada in China. Patrick is an expert in branding and positioning, he has led a number of retail and hotel projects across Asia. Patrick has a knowledge of the needs and latest field information of retail brands, providing leadership for high-end interior projects. He has a passion for detail and can often be found on-site or in supplier factories ensuring that the highest level of quality is achieved.

BSSc (Hons) Dip Arch RIBA

Sada Lam is a Director of the Oval partnership and has been appointed Board Member since 2006. Sada studied architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Cambridge.

Sada was the director-in-charge of the Sanlitun TaikooLi Project. The Sanlitun project won international awards including RICS, WAN, WAF and HKIA. Currently Sada is in charge of the design of the Shanghai DreamCenter, which has just won an MIPIM award, and large-scale city centre TOD projects in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi’an and Huizhou.

Sada has led the design and execution of over twenty mixed-use development projects in the region, including high-profile city centre mixed-use developments in Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Kunming, Xi’an and Tianjin.  Projects previously designed and executed by Sada include: INTEGER Kunming eco-town; Singapore LTA Circle Line Stations and Depot; Hong Kong Planning and Infrastructure Gallery; INTEGER Hong Kong Pavilion; and Marine Police Headquarters Redevelopment. 

Sada taught at CUHK from 2002 to 2003, and was a Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong Department of Architecture between 2003 and 2007. Sada was a co-curator of the Venice Biennale Hong Kong Pavilion in 2012.

Father of fraternal twins, Sada enjoys cooking and baking.

BArch (Hons)  MArch  PhD Arch

Dr. Lin HAO, born in Beijing. Received his Bachelor of Architecture at Tsinghua University, Master of Architecture at the University of California at Berkeley, PhD at the University of Cambridge, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He is Managing Director of INTEGER Intelligent & Green Ltd, Director of the Oval Partnership Ltd. 

Projects in charge by Lin received many prestigious awards including RIBA International Award, WAF Award, WAN Award, ULI Global Awards for Excellence, Design for Asia Grand and Gold Award, ARCASIA Award, HKIA Annual Awards, HKIA Cross-Strait Architectural Design Gold Award, The Perspective Best of the Best Awards and Sustainable Architecture Awards, The Architectural Society of China Gold Award. Lin also received Prize of International 1997 China-HK Monument Competition, China Children Charity Award from PRC Central Government.

He acts as Deputy Chief Editor of Eco City and Green Building Magazine, Co-Founder of Rural Community Development Group, WAN Award International Jury, WA Chinese Architecture Award Jury, Founding Member of APA Committee of the Institute of Chinese Architects. Lin is widely invited to lecture and critique in universities and sits as academic committee members and advisory council members in a few world conferences.

His recent invited exhibitions include West Bund Shanghai, Tsinghua Asia Architecture Summit & Exhibition, Beijing International Design Triennial, BoDW, World Architecture Festival, Hong Kong & Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism and Architecture, China Design Exhibition.

Lin's projects are widely recognised and published including Domus, Architectural Record, Case de Abitare, Condé Nast, AD, Hinge, Perspective, legno architettura, Architectural Journal, World Architecture. His projects are also collected by Architecture Museum of Tong Ji University and Guan Shan Yue Art Gallery. 

Projects in charge by Lin include Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu, Innhouse Kunming, 1 Hotel Hai Tang Bay, Xiamen Oceanfront Hyatt Centric, KPMG-CCTF Community Centre, Swire-CCTF Bamboo Community Centre, Integer bamboo house. Lin’s recent book is “Green Design for the Future”.

BA (Hons) Dip. Arch RIBA HKIA

James joined the Oval Partnership as project director in 2006 having graduated from University of Plymouth UK in Architecture before moving to Hong Kong in 1993 followed by post Graduate studies in architectural Conservation at Hong Kong University.

Currently responsible for design production based in the Hong Kong office, he has over 25 years of experience in master planning, architectural design, exhibition, etc. in European and Asian context, covering commercial, residential, academic, institutional, and museum projects. Recent projects also include adaptive re-use of heritage buildings and revitalization of old urban areas of Hong Kong.

In his previous employment, James has developed a wide range of experience as design team leader with Anthony Ng Architects Ltd. Projects include the award winning Tung Chung New Town Development including the CITY GATE development, 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 in Tseung Kwan-O, innovative designs for high-rise public housing at Shui Chuen-O and environmental sciences building at Peking University. Other project experience with HK firms includes design and tender packages for the Venetian Hotel, Macau and Qatar Petroleum’s new Corporate Headquarters in Qatar.

Design awards include the HK Quality Building Award 2002, the International Property & Hotel Awards 2014, China Property Award 2014 and the HKIUD Grand Award in 2015.

Bsc., Dip. Arch. (UCL), RIBA, ARB Reg

Jonathan Pile is Director of Oval Partnership Architecture Ltd, the London based design studio of Oval Partnership.

Jonathan 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. He taught at the Bartlett School of Architecture University College London for 12 years, and is now a regular guest critic.

Recent projects include large mixed-use master plan proposals in historically sensitive areas in Beijing, Xian, Suzhou and Chengdu, and in the UK, projects in Manchester and London.

He curated the widely acclaimed Hong Kong Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2012, and 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 ‘Hedge House’ project was shortlisted in the RIBA Future House London competition and widely published and exhibited. He has written architectural criticism for A10, a journal of European Architecture, Building Design and other publications.

He has recently completed his own low-energy timber-framed house on a very constrained brownfield site in Deptford, South East London and is an active member of the Deptford Society.

He is also a professional photographer and keen long-distance cyclist.

B Bdg Arts B Arch

Taryn Swales joined The Oval Partnership as a Project Director in 2011. She has over ten years of international experience working on projects for the private and public sector, global real estate development companies and architectural consultancies in the United Kingdom, Australia and United Arab Emirates. With a background in Architecture, Taryn has extensive real estate and business management experience working across various disciplines including Architecture, Urban Design, Planning, Development Management, Business Development, Sustainability, CSR and Corporate Business Strategy delivering sustainable multi-phase mixed-use developments resulting in social and economic growth. Taryn has worked across various disciplines with a focus on site acquisitions, feasibility analysis, risk management, budgeting and cash flow, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement and marketing positioning, multi-site project management and delivery management.

MArch OACCP (ITA, EU)

Giuliano Gatti studied Architecture at the University of Florence (Italy) and at the University of Oulu (Finland), and is a licensed architect in Italy and the EU. He has substantial experience in architectural and interior design, masterplanning, residential and commercial development, conservation and landscape design in Europe and China and has received several international competition awards.

AA Inter Grad Dip Arch (Dist) PgDip UK ARB RIBA

Justin joined Oval and Partnership in 2017 as project director to head up the interior team. He has over 14 years’ architectural design experience and served as a lead architect at Make Architects in the UK. During his time at Make, Justin was responsible for the interior design of The Temple House Hotel in Chengdu. The Temple House Hotel won several international awards, including the ULI Award of Excellence, the Best Hotel for the FX Interior Design Awards and the HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards.

Justin was the lead project architect for a series of complex retail projects in Harrods. This includes the Women"s Superbrands, the Hans Crescent Street Grand Escalator Hall and Hans Road.

Justin"s design research are widely recognised, this includes the first prize awarded by the RIBA/LSC for the Colleges of the Future, the third prize awarded by the Archtrimph international competition board for the fashion pavilion design in Rome Colosseum and the first prize for the ecological carpark design in Shanghai.

BA(Hons) BArch Dip Arch RIBA ARB(UK)

Born and grew up in Beijing China, Ronghao Li studied Architecture at Manchester University and became a qualified architect in the UK. Working as a project architect in the UK at Chapman Taylor Architects, Ronghao had been directly involved in many large scale international commercial projects 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 Li was the project director for the Swire Sino-Ocean Taikoo-Li project in Chengdu. Ronghao spends his leisure time on a wide range of activities including hiking, football, badminton and golf.

BA(AS) MArch

Peaker received his Bachelors degree in Architecture at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and his Masters degree in Architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture at University College London (UCL). He joined the Oval Partnership in 2007 and has substantial experience in cultural ,commercial and sustainability projects in Hong Kong, China and the UK. Peaker is a key member of the design team of the award-winning Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li retail led mixed use development in Chengdu for Swire Properties, and the highly successful 400,000 sqm Hangzhou Chengxi Intime City retail mix-use project. He is also directly involved in different stages of sustainability projects included Kunming Innhouse Hotel,Kunming Bamboo House , CCTF-KPMG Community Center, Swire-CCTF Bamboo Center, and Hengqin Island master planning project.

BA(Hons) B(Arch) RIBA ARB (UK)

Born in the UK, Shu-Man Fung is a UK trained and qualified Architect before moving to Hong Kong in 2012. Having graduated from The University of Manchester and working previously in the UK for Sheppard Robson. Shu Man had been directly involved in many large scale international projects to include masterplanning of Wirral Waters Northbank Mixed-Use Development by Peel Holding, commercial tower for BBC Media City Mixed-Use Development in Manchester, implementation of the award winning Lancaster Institutes for the Contemporary Arts (LICA) at The University of Lancaster and Engineering Department for University of Liverpool.

Currently responsible for design production and project administrating based in the Hong Kong office, he has over 8 years of combined experience in master planning, architectural design, environmental design in both European and Asian context, covering commercial, retail, hospitality, transport, academic, institutional, residential, and conservation projects. Shu Man was the project architect for the new 400-seated Auditorium for The University of Hong Kong, two boutique hotels in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui, adaptive-reuse retail developments for MTR and implemented the new Hermes Flagship store in Hong Kong. His involvement covers all major stages from feasibility studies, design development, statutory submissions, through to tender documentation, project management, contract administration.

MArch(CUHK), HKIA, ARB(HK), LEED AP+, BEAM Pro 

Ray Wong has joined Oval Partnership since 2008. He has more than 10 years experience in a wide range of urban complex projects in Greater China and Hong Kong. He specializes in retail-led mixed use development, outdoor retail villages, shopping centre fit-out renovation, sustainable master planning and building designs. 

Ray has recently completed a number of retail-led mixed use projects with the most prestigious developers, namely Chengdu Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li of Swire Properties, Riverside Chengdu of New World China Land, Hangzhou Intime City of Intime Retail, Causeway Bay Fashion Walk Shopping District of Hang Lung Properties, and Green Expo Project of Central China Real Estate Ltd, Zhengzhou. 

Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li Chengdu has been received multiple prestigious international awards including: Urban Land Institue Global Award for Excellence 2015; HKIA Annual Award; Design for Asia Awards 2015 - Grand Awards ; Perspective Awards 2015 - Best of the Best of Architecture, Best Commercial and Best Heritage. 

Ray is qualified as both LEED AP and BEAM Pro. He has rich knowledge of sustainable community design and urbanism. His project Chengdu Taikoo Li recently was awarded LEED ND Gold Certification - the first LEED ND Gold project of the Southwest China region. 

Apart from project achievements, Ray has established a BIM team in the office and is acting as the cluster-in-charge leading the team to research and devleop the latest BIM technology applicable to the urban complex and retail fit-out projects. 

Ray also acts as the ISO Management Representative in the office. He is in-charge of the design and implementation ISO Quality Management System (QMS).

Ray was the winner of the HKIA Student Medal in 2009. Spending his leisure hours on hiking and travelling, Ray was also a gold medalist of CUHK Rowing Team and joined Hong Kong China Rowing Team during his tertiary education. 

BArch MArch (Bartlett) MArch (Tsinghua)

Born and grew up in China, Deng Ming is a Project Director with over 10 years’ experience. She received her Bachelor’s degree at Beijing Jiaotong University, a Master’s degree in Architecture from Tsinghua University, and Master’s degree from the UCL Bartlett School of Architecture in London. Deng Ming has wide experience as principal designer on a number of projects, including Tianjin Tianshi Wuqing International Health Industrial Park Development, urban planning of Foshan city in Guangdong Province, etc. Deng Ming worked as project architect for Swire Properties’ Sanlitun Village Beijing. Covering a site area around 60,000 Sqm, Sanlitun Village comprises retail, food and beverage, entertainment, leisure, hotel and other high quality commercial services. Her involvement covers all major stages from initial concept design, concept development, construction drawings, and construction management and coordination.

MArch The Bartlett (Dist) ARB/RIBA BSSc (1st Hons) HKIA ARB(HK)

Bill So studied Architecture at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Bartlett School of Architecture in London. He joined the Oval Partnership at 2009 and is currently the Architect at the Hong Kong office overseeing projects with various types and scales, including community, retails, hospitality, residential, heritage conservation and landscape design from concept to realisation. 

Bill is deeply interested in the historical and cultural aspects of architecture. He believes Research and Development is the key to create new values in every design. Bill previously worked with Professor Thomas Chung at the school of Architecture CUHK from 2012-2014, conducting academic research on urban metabolism and historical transformation about the Central area in HK. The exhibitions he collaborated with Prof. Chung include the “HK Value Farm” at HK-SZ Biennale in 2013, Winner, Iconic Awards 2015,Germany; “Diligent Memories of Kan Kee Noodle Factory” at HKIA Reveal Exhibition in 2014 and the “Floating Field” at HK-SZ Biennale in 2015, Winner of WAF 2016, Berlin. 

BA(AS) RIBA(Part 2)

Simon joined the Oval partnership in 2009 and is currently working as Assistant Architect. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Hong Kong and Postgraduate Diploma in Architecture from London South bank University.

Simon has a wide range of experience including residential, commercial, community projects, at master planning and building designs levels in Greater China. He is deeply involved in Hong Kong projects such as Victoria Point, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts Jockey Club Amphitheatre and Citibank Causeway Bay. Projects involvements outside of Hong Kong included Praia Club House in Macau, Dalian Planning and Exhibition Gallery, Taikoo-Li Sanitun and the newly opened Taikoo-Li Chengdu, for which he was initially involved at the design stages and subsequently stationed in Chengdu for 2 years, involved in managing the Resident Site Team in the client’s office, handling tenant design coordination. His works included developing and implementing the Tenant Design Guide, taking part in client / tenant meeting, giving advice on tenant design to ensure its quality (both aesthetically and technically) meets the high standard of the project, inspection of tenant’s drawing and construction to ensure quality of the final outcome. He has experience across the design and construction stages, handling both management and communication.

MArch BSSc

Nelson Huen joined the Oval Partnership as Architectural Assistant in 2011 having graduated from The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Architectural Studies. Currently responsible for design production based in the HongKong office, he is working on architectural design, landscape design, and exhibition projects, covering commercial, mixed use, residential, institutional, and infrastructure sectors.

Before he joined the Oval Partnership, Nelson was involved in a Hong Kong based charity organization as a project manager and project designer for Project Little Dream Ltd. Projects include the award winning Thon Mun Village School, Thon Mun Village Sanitation Facilities and the Kh’na Rong Village School in Cambodia

Dr Chloe Lai is a story collector, researcher, writer, teacher, urbanist and NGO administrator. A journalist by training, Dr Lai 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. In 2015, Dr Lai’s work online was turned into a bilingual publication titled Urban Diary. The book was named by the Hong Kong Urban Laboratory & Stand News as one of the top 10 books in Urban Studies.

Peter Boyle joined The Oval Partnership as Director of Development in 2017.  Raised in Asia and with a Master of International Management from Thunderbird and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Villanova University, Peter started his career in Asian marketing and business development roles in a few different industries, including sporting events, medical equipment and internet data centres and connectivity.  Having a passion for architecture and interior design, he established himself in the industry over a decade ago and now leads Oval’s marketing and business development.