Hygge is a Danish word for cosiness that engenders comfort and contentment by doing simple things, like chatting and enjoying good food with families or friends by the fireplace. It has become an ideal lifestyle embraced by many people. “Human beings are constantly looking for something good and beautiful,” says Kevin Leung, Associate Director of BTR Workshop. “Good interior design can enrich our feelings, creating a pleasant and comfortable living experience.” 

Stand in the street and look around you. The likelihood is that eight of every ten buildings you see, will still be standing in 2050. This is significant, because that’s the year targeted by Hong Kong to reach net zero carbon emissions. And many of the legacy buildings in our cityscape were never designed with energy efficiency in mind. Therefore, retrofitting them to perform better is becoming a priority.

On being shown a photograph of an elegant but simply constructed footbridge spanning a river in the Gansu province of China, I happened to remark on how beautiful the design was.