Winners
Young Design Talent Special Mention Award 2026
To Wai Lam, Charles
Spatial Design | Graduate of University of Hong Kong (Architecture)
Graduating from the University of Hong Kong and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Charles is an evidence-based architectural designer exploring spatial phenomenology and social connectivity. He posits that life always transcends design, yet architecture, manifested through a precise and ordered language, unfolds new possibilities for living.
His thesis project, Housing of Liquidity, explores fractional ownership and dynamic spatial configurations to address Hong Kong's housing crisis. Asking, "What if floor area did not equate to financial value?" he delivered an atlas of non-profit housing models examined through a financial lens. He proposed a long-term spatial product treating entire urban developments as fractional assets, justifying the megastructure as a city planning concept rather than commodifying individual square footage. Through this, he envisions unbundling housing as a financial commodity from its primary function as a living space, allowing adaptable, volumetric units that evolve with human lifecycle needs.
Charles also investigates multi-agent AI frameworks automating building regulation compliance to liberate architectural creativity from repetitive tasks. By synthesizing computational design, spatial narratives, material in-touchness, and construction feasibility, he merges traditional design sensibilities with AI-driven methodologies. For him, modern spatial designer cannot merely be a sculptor of emotional
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