STUDIO 1:1

Founded in 2006, Studio 1:1 is a specialty architecture and interior design practice operating regionally from its HK headquarters. From its roots in residential, corporate and retail interiors, today it undertakes larger scale civic and commercial projects which rely on a design-driven approach. As such, a number of the firm's recent projects have won architectural awards. These include:

1).Finalist for The Plan Award 2022 (Transport Category) and finalist for Design Anthology Award 2021 (Urban Redevelopment Category) for Entrance Pavilion, Thana City, Bangkok, Thailand; a 1000+ ton concrete structure that celebrates the arrival to Thana City, a 500-acre site, 45 min outside Bangkok, that comprises a Golf and Country Club; a resort hotel; a number of residential developments; as well as an international school.

2). Architizer A+ Award 2020 for MUSE EDITION, Victoria Dockside, Hong Kong; a 20,000 square foot retail space that came with period structural elements (from the 1970's) that had to be preserved.

3). Architecture Masterprize Award 2020 for LIGHT & SPAN, manufacturing facility in Mariveles, Bataan, The Philippines; a 6,750 square meter facility where Studio 1:1 was given the dual challenge to introduce natural light into the workspace, and create the maximum span possible, with the least amount of vertical supports.

Gene Miao is the founder of Studio 1:1. Gene is a graduate of The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence, RI, USA, where he received his Bachelor of Architecture (B. Arch) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degrees. Upon graduation, he worked with professor Nader Tehrani at Office dA (Now NADAAA) in Boston. He later worked at KPF (Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects) in New York on a number of projects in Hong Kong, as well as elsewhere in Asia. Gene eventually returned back to Hong Kong and established Studio 1:1 in 2006.

What is 1:1?

As an architecture student one had to rely on scaled drawings and models to represent his/ her ideas. Scaled representations are typically expressed in a ratio. For example a Site Plan at 1:500 scale; Building Plans, Elevations and Sections at 1:50 scale; Detail Drawings at 1:5 scale. As the second number gets smaller, the larger and closer that particular representation would be to the actual size.

As architectural and design practitioners, we savor the opportunity when working at 1:1 scale (or full scale). This might happen in two types of instances:

•   When a particular section of a project is built as a full scale mock- up. These investigative tools are extremely useful, as full scale mock- ups provide penetrating insight of any given project. 

•   When a project, regardless of whether it is a building, an interior space, a piece of furniture, is brought to life in its built form. This is a celebratory moment for us when we are able to complete a project from initial conception, to analytical testing, and finally to material realization.