The Architect's Chair #5 competition 1st Prize winner - Oscar John Xavier Lahiff

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 1st Prize winner of our The Architect's Chair #5 competition – Oscar John Xavier Lahiff from Hong Kong!

Oscar John Xavier Lahiff

Please tell us about your company (when it was founded, where it is based, how many employees, etc) Alternatively, if you do not have a company, please give us some insights on your own professional/academia background.

 I'm Oscar Lahiff, an industrial designer based in Hong Kong. I grew up in London to architect parents, which shaped how I think about space and the built environment from an early age. I studied Product Design at Ravensbourne University, graduating in 2017, and moved to Hong Kong shortly after to join Michael Young Studio. I now work independently as a senior designer in collaboration with the studio, while developing my own practice, Oscar Lahiff Design. Helical was developed as part of that independent work.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been Involved?

 My work spans industrial design and CMF across furniture, lighting, consumer electronics, and other products. Alongside studio work, I pursue independent projects that begin with a material and a process. Helical is one such project: a stool built from cork and wood alone, with no fixings and no glue.

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

 As an industrial designer, my work is about the relationship between a person and a thing. Architecture is the same relationship, but between a person and a building. The architect's role is to design that experience thoughtfully, to make human-built environments feel considered and worth inhabiting.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

 To develop an idea that exists only as a sketch, with no client and no commercial brief behind it, and to get feedback from people I would not otherwise reach. A competition gives that a deadline and a destination.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

 What is the worst that can happen? You end up with a more developed idea than when you started.