A Family Business Builds a Home with Flow, True to its Spirit and Heritage
With origins in Hong Kong, a residential developer wished to build a Washington corporate base that celebrates Feng Sui traditions with a modern interpretation of energy flow, also known as "chi". The chosen metaphorical language for the flow of chi in the building (read: pedestrian circulation) is based on family birth signs: water in an imaginary stream channel bordered by riparian vegetation. The iconic landscape is brought to life in abstract with accent flooring, and an ordered layout of maple columns, topped by colored glass shades. This relatively inexpensive means of transforming standard recessed lighting into a glowing sconce, created a motif that is reinterpreted in various fittings throughout the design.

Design by Scott Becker for Baylis Architects.