Vincent Lim and Elaine Lu, Co Founders – Lim+Lu
Lim + Lu is an award-winning inter-disciplinary architectural design practice. Vincent is also the creative director of Lim+Lu. Lim + Lu works internationally providing architecture, interior, branding, furniture, and product design services. Lim + Lu’s designs, inspired by familiar images from everyday life, push the trend of individualization by presenting flexibility, practicality, and a breath of fresh air in every project.
Before co founding Lim+Lu Vincent Lim he worked in the office of Davidclovers Architects, Gravity Partnership, and CL3 Architects in Hong Kong, as well as Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in New York City. Elaine Lu the managing director of Lim+Lu was born in China and raised in Atlanta. She has worked in the offices of Boldsen & Holm Architects in Copenhagen, Denmark, Robert A.M. Stern Architects, and Tiffany & Co. Store Design in New York City.
Due to the efforts of Vincent and Elaine, Lim+Lu has been widely featured and appreciated internationally for their architectural design.
Here are some interesting facets of their works & their journey shared with AsiaBizToday.
The journey of Lim+Lu and its evolution.
Co-founders Vincent Lim and Elaine Lu met at Cornell University during their architecture studies. When the duo initiated Lim + Lu as a side project in 2013, Vincent was an architect at Kohn Pedersen Fox New York while Elaine focused on retail interiors at Tiffany & Co. After trying their hands at ICFF 2014 with several furniture prototypes and receiving much acclaim, the duo decided to move to Hong Kong to pursue Lim + Lu full time in 2015.
Since both Lim and Lu were born and raised in the East, educated and practiced in the West, a balance of both cultures is essential to the duo and always translated through their design. Lim + Lu aims to initiate a constant dialogue between the user and the object through the user’s continual interaction with their designs. These designs are fully completed only through the actions of the audience. Since inception, Lim + Lu have won numerous awards and recognitions such as Rising Asian Talent by Maison et Objet 2017, 40 Under 40 by Perspective Magazine, and the 100 Most Influential Architects and Designers in 2017 by AD China.
Currently, Lim + Lu are working on projects in Hong Kong, New York, Copenhagen, and other cities.
While designing from where and who do you both draw inspiration?
We draw inspiration from everyday objects and our surroundings.
How do you always inculcate creativity or innovation in your projects?
We aim to create versatile objects and spaces that are not static, but encourage curiosity and interaction. We like to break conventional stereotypes.
Having worked in New York as well as Hong Kong, how does the culture affect design?
It’s important to work with and be inspired by your surroundings to create something that’s appropriate for the place, time, and culture.
Name one architectural design and monument that has made an impact on you?
Architecture: Villa Savoye
Furniture and products: anything by the Bouroullec Brothers
What do you enjoy most- Architectural design, interiors or product designing? Why?
They’re intimately intertwined. We approach design in a holistic way. Oftentimes we design the space as well as the objects for our clients to create a coherent feel.
What is your future road map?
It is an exciting time for us with a lot of opportunities. We keep an open mind and see where these doors will take us in architecture, interiors, furniture and products.