Jason Yung and Caroline Ma completed their architecture training in the United States – at University of Washington and Cornell University respectively. After having their fill of macro-architecture during their early years in practice, they teamed up to form Jason Caroline Design in 2000, where they shifted towards more human-scaled forms, with an emphasis on high-end residential projects.
Over the past two decades, their work has garnered more than 50 international residential design awards and been featured in publications in Hong Kong, China, New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Could you describe your design philosophy, and how it came about?
Our practice is primarily centred on residential design. We begin by exploring humanity within the unique context of Hong Kong, using it as a foundation to understand the evolving cultural landscape and human desires. We avoid superficial design. We want our work to have depth and substance, to tell a story. That’s why photography resonates with me so much. It’s about understanding a subject, capturing its essence, and then interpreting it through your own lens.
Our job is to understand their story and translate it into a space. Aesthetics are important of course, but they’re just the starting point. The real challenge, and the real reward, is capturing the essence of the client’s narrative. We strive for lasting impact, not a fleeting wow factor. A space that invites exploration, that encourages people to linger and discover – that’s what we aim for. By adopting an inside-out approach, we also aim to challenge the conventional boundaries of interior spaces. In doing so, we continue our pursuit of modernity while embracing the aesthetics of local culture.
Which project(s) are you most proud of this year?
A penthouse project that we took up during COVID from an overseas client. The primary challenges stemmed from the remote nature of our interactions with the client. We've only met him in person three times, so we had to build an understanding of his personality, lifestyle, and multicultural background through subtle observations. Earning their trust was crucial, as we needed to translate this virtual understanding into a cohesive design vision without regular face-to-face discussions.
To overcome these obstacles, our key strategy was to truly immerse our lives in the client's worldview. We sought to live like them during the design stage, exploring his music, foods, and cultural activities to gain a deeper empathetic connection. This allowed us to not only understand their German heritage, but also introduce richer elements of their acquired Asian sensibilities into the design. Seamlessly blending these diverse influences presented a unique challenge requiring a thoughtful and strategic approach.
The final result exceeded the client's expectations, with him declaring this to be the best of his three homes – Germany, Japan and HK. This positive feedback validated our approach in overcoming the communication and cultural integration obstacles. By deeply immersing ourselves in the client's lifestyle and fusing his multicultural identity, we were able to create a space that truly reflected their evolving personal story. And the project won the silver award from Home Journal Awards 2024: Best Designer Awards.
What's next for your company?
Over the past 25 years, we have primarily served private clients. Recently, however, we have increasingly engaged in pro bono design work for social services and different organisations. This shift has broadened our perspective and allowed us to apply our design skills in areas where design is typically not prioritised.
