'Materials-First Design' in High-value Residential Property

PINWU Design Studio and Rong Design Library share a unique mission: to investigate and interpret traditional Chinese crafts and materials along with their interrelationships, and to leverage this understanding to develop a contemporary design methodology that supports modern practice. Their collaborative exhibition "Re-Materialize" with Design Shanghai showcased a series of crafts and materials rooted in tradition, inspiring designers—today and in the future—to delve into the essence of materials and their untapped potential, thereby fostering imaginative design practices deeply infused with Chinese aesthetic thinking.

The exhibition elucidated the fundamental design principle of "material-first design," which prioritizes material narrative in luxury spatial design to enhance experiential value. The second part of this presentation takes Qingshan Village in Hangzhou (where the team works and lives) as a case study, demonstrating how foundational research into local material aesthetics guides the long-term practice of cross-disciplinary design teams.