Designing Buildings - User contributions [en]

T.K. Felix Wong Studio

2026-05-04T20:07:10Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong: Created page with "= T.K. Felix Wong Studio = T.K. Felix Wong Studio is an emerging design practice founded by Tsz Kiu Felix Wong, focusing on architecture, interiors, landscape, sustainable desig..."

= T.K. Felix Wong Studio =

T.K. Felix Wong Studio is an emerging design practice founded by Tsz Kiu Felix Wong, focusing on architecture, interiors, landscape, sustainable design, and research-led spatial thinking. The studio explores how buildings and places can respond to environmental conditions, cultural identity, material systems, and social use.

The practice is developed as a platform for architectural experimentation across academic, competition, speculative, and professional contexts. Its work combines conceptual design, technical analysis, digital modelling, physical prototyping, environmental research, and material investigation.

== Design approach ==

T.K. Felix Wong Studio is interested in architecture as a relationship between place, climate, construction, and public life. The studio does not treat buildings as isolated objects, but as spatial systems shaped by their site, users, materials, and long-term environmental responsibilities.

The studio’s work often investigates:

* Architecture and urban design
* Interior and spatial design
* Landscape and public realm
* Sustainable design strategies
* Timber and material-led construction
* Adaptive reuse and existing fabric
* Environmental analysis and climate response
* Cultural storytelling and civic identity
* Digital modelling, diagrams, and visual communication

This approach allows the studio to develop projects that operate across different scales, from small interiors and pavilions to cultural buildings, public landscapes, and speculative urban proposals.

== Sustainability and environmental thinking ==

Sustainability is a central part of the studio’s design method. Rather than treating sustainable design as a decorative label, the studio approaches it through building performance, material selection, daylight, ventilation, reuse, adaptability, landscape systems, and long-term resilience.

Projects often explore how architecture can reduce environmental impact while also improving social and cultural value. This includes the use of timber systems, durable materials, flexible layouts, climate-responsive envelopes, passive environmental strategies, and design approaches that extend the useful life of buildings.

== Material and tectonic research ==

A key interest of the studio is the tectonic relationship between structure, material, detail, and atmosphere. Timber, masonry, steel, glass, and landscape systems are studied not only for their visual qualities, but for how they are sourced, assembled, weathered, repaired, and reused.

The studio’s work frequently examines the connection between old and new construction, especially where existing fabric, heritage conditions, or environmental exposure require careful architectural response. This material-led approach supports a design language grounded in construction logic rather than surface styling, a rare public service in an age of render-first architecture.

== Selected project: Dunbar Maritime Culture House ==

One of the studio’s key recent projects is Dunbar Maritime Culture House, a conceptual civic and cultural proposal located at Dunbar Harbour in East Lothian, Scotland. The project investigates how timber architecture can respond to coastal exposure, historic harbour fabric, maritime identity, and public use.

The proposal combines exhibition space, café, event space, boat repair demonstration, archive, workshop, and harbour-facing gathering areas. It is organised around working, cultural, and social layers, creating a building that supports both maritime heritage and contemporary public life.

The project reflects the studio’s wider design interests: adaptive reuse, retained stone fabric, timber tectonics, climate-responsive design, public thresholds, and the transformation of existing harbour infrastructure into a civic cultural space.

== Digital and representational methods ==

T.K. Felix Wong Studio uses digital and physical tools as part of its design process. These include hand sketching, Rhino modelling, Grasshopper studies, environmental analysis, physical model-making, rendering, diagrams, and portfolio-based visual communication.

Representation is treated as an analytical method, not only as presentation. Drawings, models, and diagrams are used to test structure, massing, circulation, environmental performance, material systems, and the relationship between architecture and context.

== Founder ==

The studio was founded by Tsz Kiu Felix Wong, an architectural designer with experience across architecture, urban design, façade studies, sustainability, and material experimentation. His work is shaped by architectural education, international design experience, competition projects, environmental certification knowledge, and a strong interest in the relationship between design, technology, and cultural context.

Through T.K. Felix Wong Studio, he aims to develop a body of work that connects architectural imagination with environmental responsibility, technical clarity, and social relevance.

== Studio focus ==

The studio’s work can be understood through several core themes:

* Context-responsive architecture
* Sustainable and low-carbon design thinking
* Timber and material-led tectonics
* Adaptive reuse and heritage-sensitive intervention
* Public cultural buildings and civic space
* Environmental analysis and climate-responsive design
* Interior, landscape, and urban design integration
* Research-led architectural storytelling

== Significance ==

T.K. Felix Wong Studio positions architecture as both a technical and cultural practice. Its projects aim to connect environmental responsibility with spatial experience, material intelligence, and public meaning. The studio’s work is especially concerned with how architecture can respond to future climate challenges while remaining grounded in local context, craft, memory, and everyday use.

As an emerging design practice, T.K. Felix Wong Studio uses architectural projects, research, competitions, and publications to develop a design identity focused on sustainability, adaptability, and meaningful spatial experience.

== Practice information ==

* Name: T.K. Felix Wong Studio
* Founder: Tsz Kiu Felix Wong
* Discipline: Architecture, interiors, landscape, sustainable design
* Location: United Kingdom / Hong Kong
* Project types: Academic projects, conceptual design, competition entries, research-led design, architectural visualisation, interiors, public cultural proposals, landscape and urban studies
* Design focus: Sustainable design, material systems, adaptive reuse, timber tectonics, environmental performance, cultural identity, public space

T.K. Felix Wong Studio - Dunbar Maritime Culture House

2026-05-04T19:51:42Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong: Created page with "= T.K. Felix Wong Studio - Dunbar Maritime Culture House = T.K. Felix Wong Studio - Dunbar Maritime Culture House is a conceptual architectural proposal for a maritime cultural ..."

= T.K. Felix Wong Studio - Dunbar Maritime Culture House =

T.K. Felix Wong Studio - Dunbar Maritime Culture House is a conceptual architectural proposal for a maritime cultural building at Dunbar Harbour, East Lothian, Scotland. The project was developed by Tsz Kiu Felix Wong as part of Architectural Design: Tectonics at the University of Edinburgh, ESALA, in 2025/26.

The proposal explores how new timber architecture can respond to an exposed coastal harbour site, existing historic fabric, local maritime identity, and the need for public cultural infrastructure. Rather than treating the building as a static museum, the project is conceived as a living maritime institution that combines working harbour activity, public storytelling, and social gathering.

== Site context ==

The project is located at Dunbar Harbour, a coastal site positioned between the historic town fabric of Dunbar and the exposed edge of the North Sea. The harbour is understood as both maritime infrastructure and a civic threshold, where working activity, public movement, coastal exposure, and local identity overlap.

The site study focuses on the area around McArthur’s Store, a historic harbour building associated with grain storage and later fishing-related use. The existing building fabric is treated as an important part of Dunbar’s working landscape rather than as a neutral object to be removed. Its masonry walls, harbour setting, fire-damaged condition, and relationship to fishing activity informed the project’s approach to retention, repair, and new construction.

The harbour context also introduced significant environmental constraints. Site analysis identified strong coastal exposure, prevailing western and south-western winds, cool temperatures, salt-laden air, and changing sunlight conditions. These factors shaped the proposal’s massing, roof form, threshold spaces, material choices, and approach to shelter.

== Design concept ==

The Dunbar Maritime Culture House is organised around three interrelated programme layers: working, cultural, and social.

The working layer includes boat repair demonstration, net mending, tool storage, archive storage, and visible craft activity. This keeps maritime labour present within the building, allowing the project to support living knowledge rather than turning harbour heritage into a frozen display.

The cultural layer includes exhibition space, maritime photography, oral history listening areas, projection space, and interpretation of Dunbar’s North Sea fishing identity. This allows the building to operate as a place for local memory, storytelling, and public education.

The social layer includes a harbour-facing café, public event space, outdoor gathering areas, amphitheatre steps, and viewing terrace. This extends the project beyond museum use and creates an everyday civic space for residents, visitors, fishermen, and community groups.

== Architectural strategy ==

The final proposal is arranged as two one-storey volumes set around a sheltered courtyard and shared canopy. One volume contains the public and cultural functions, including exhibition, café, reception, and gathering space. The other volume supports working and community functions, including workshop activity and storage.

The decision to use two one-storey volumes reduces the building’s mass and improves its relationship with the harbour ground. It also allows the proposal to frame a more protected public threshold between the volumes. This central space becomes both a circulation route and an environmental buffer, offering shelter from wind and rain while maintaining visual connection to the harbour.

A shared roof canopy links the two volumes and creates a semi-covered civic threshold. The canopy is not only a formal gesture; it resolves several practical issues at once, including shelter, drainage, arrival, public gathering, and the relationship between workshop and exhibition use. Finally, a roof doing more than sitting there looking expensive.

== Existing fabric and retention ==

The project responds to McArthur’s Store through selective retention rather than total preservation or total demolition. The fire-damaged roof and problematic upper floor condition are removed, while selected stone walls and existing fabric are retained as spatial and structural anchors.

This retention strategy allows the historic harbour fabric to remain legible within the new proposal. The retained masonry is not treated as decorative heritage scenery, but as an active part of the architectural order. In some areas, the new timber roof structure is allowed to sit partially on the retained stone wall, reducing the need for additional columns and strengthening the tectonic relationship between existing stone and new timber construction.

== Structure and material approach ==

The project is developed through a timber-led tectonic strategy. Timber is used not simply as a sustainable aesthetic, but as a structural and constructional system shaped by sourcing, processing, assembly, weathering, and long-term performance.

The proposal uses a clear hierarchy between heavy retained masonry and lighter new timber construction. The existing stone fabric provides mass, memory, and ground connection, while the new timber volumes and roof canopy provide warmth, adaptability, and environmental mediation.

The roof structure was developed from earlier truss and spanning studies into a simpler folded roof system. This creates a clearer structural language and avoids making the roof visually heavy. The timber structure expresses span, shelter, and assembly, while the retained wall establishes continuity with the harbour’s material history.

== Environmental response ==

The building is shaped by Dunbar’s exposed coastal climate. Wind studies identified strong western and south-western winds, making shelter a central design requirement. The two-volume arrangement and shared canopy create a wind-buffered courtyard that protects public occupation without closing the building off from the harbour.

The roof form directs rain away from key occupied thresholds and helps define protected outdoor space. The building’s section and envelope respond to changing sunlight, glare, wind exposure, and winter comfort. Rather than treating environmental performance as an added technical layer, the project embeds it into the massing, roof geometry, openings, and public threshold.

Material durability is also central to the environmental strategy. The coastal context requires robust junctions, careful drainage, and materials that can tolerate rain, salt-laden air, wind, and long-term weathering.

== Public use and community value ==

The project was developed in response to The Ridge SCIO, a Dunbar-based social enterprise focused on repair, training, community support, and local participation. This influenced the project’s direction away from a purely formal cultural building and toward a civic architecture that supports making, learning, gathering, and public engagement.

The building is intended to serve multiple users: local residents, visitors, fishermen, craftspeople, school groups, cultural organisations, and community groups. Its combination of workshop, exhibition, café, event space, and harbour-facing terrace allows it to support both everyday use and seasonal events.

In this sense, the project does not separate heritage from contemporary life. Maritime history is presented through active repair, storytelling, public use, and shared occupation of the harbour edge.

== Tectonic development ==

The proposal developed from a wider investigation into timber as a material system in Scotland. Earlier studies examined forestry, species, processing, engineered timber, carbon storage, and supply chains. This informed the project’s understanding of timber as both a grown biological material and an industrially processed construction product.

Precedent studies also shaped the project’s tectonic direction. The Reading Room in the Forest informed the separation between primary structure, insulated enclosure, and sheltered threshold. Additional small timber pavilion and farmstand precedents informed seasonal use, canopy depth, open frontage, and the relationship between timber frame and public exchange.

These studies led to a design approach based on structural clarity, layered enclosure, and environmental mediation. The final Dunbar proposal expands this logic from a small shed study into a larger civic building.

== Significance ==

Dunbar Maritime Culture House proposes a form of coastal civic architecture rooted in repair, memory, and environmental response. It combines maritime working culture with public interpretation and social gathering, using timber construction and retained stone fabric to create a dialogue between old and new.

Its significance lies in the relationship between tectonics and context. The project does not treat sustainability, heritage, structure, and public life as separate themes. Instead, they are brought together through the building’s massing, material strategy, roof form, and threshold spaces.

The proposal imagines a maritime culture house that is both practical and symbolic: a place where working harbour knowledge remains visible, local stories are shared, and public life is sheltered at the edge of the North Sea.

== Project information ==

Project title: T.K. Felix Wong Studio - Dunbar Maritime Culture House 
Designer: Tsz Kiu Felix Wong / T.K. Felix Wong Studio 
Institution: University of Edinburgh, ESALA 
Course: Architectural Design: Tectonics 
Academic year: 2025/26 
Location: Dunbar Harbour, East Lothian, Scotland 
Site focus: McArthur’s Store and the surrounding harbour edge 
Project type: Conceptual architectural proposal / academic project 
Status: Unbuilt 
Main programme: Maritime exhibition, café, event space, boat repair demonstration, net mending workshop, archive, tool storage, public terrace, viewing area, and sheltered courtyard 
Main materials: Timber structure, retained stone masonry, glazed openings, roof canopy, timber envelope components 
Design focus: Timber tectonics, adaptive reuse, maritime heritage, coastal exposure, civic threshold, public gathering, environmental response 
Client reference: The Ridge SCIO 
Tutors: Jamie Henry and Angus Henderson 
Author: Tsz Kiu Felix Wong

Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum

2026-05-04T19:19:39Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong:

= Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum =

Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum is a conceptual architectural proposal for a new design museum in Helsinki, Finland. The project was developed as part of the Museum of Future Building, Design Competition in Helsinki, Finland - Stage I. The proposal explores how a museum can become more than a closed cultural institution by operating as an urban connector, waterfront landscape, public interior, and resilient civic infrastructure.

The project is located on Helsinki’s waterfront and responds to the city’s relationship with the sea, public space, cultural identity, and changing environmental conditions. Rather than treating the museum as a standalone object, the design extends the museum experience into the surrounding landscape through outdoor routes, green roofs, flood-resilient zones, terraces, public activity areas, and visual connections to the harbour.

== Concept ==

The concept is based on the contrast between a cold, iceberg-like internal volume and a warm, woven exterior shell. This duality reflects both Helsinki’s winter climate and the tactile qualities of Finnish craft traditions. The outer envelope is inspired by woven fabrics, baskets, timber craft, and the movement of schools of fish. These references are translated into a dynamic façade system composed of recyclable timber elements.

The project aims to blur the boundary between built and unbuilt space. Public landscape, museum circulation, exhibition areas, café spaces, terraces, and civic routes are treated as connected parts of one urban experience. The museum is therefore proposed not only as a building for displaying design, but also as a place where design, public life, environmental performance, and urban movement overlap.

== Urban and landscape strategy ==

The site strategy responds to the waterfront condition by creating a continuous public edge between the city and the harbour. The building is set within a landscape of pathways, green roof areas, flood-protection zones, bicycle parking, public health spaces, skateboarding areas, climbing zones, and outdoor gathering spaces.

The landscape design supports both public use and environmental resilience. Flood-resistant zones and varied ground levels are introduced to address future sea-level rise and coastal exposure. Approximately 35% of the project area is proposed as green roof or flood-resilient landscape, helping to manage stormwater, reduce heat island effect, and create additional public and ecological value.

== Programme and spatial organisation ==

The museum programme combines exhibition, education, research, public events, commercial activity, and building support functions. The main spaces include:

* Entrance and reception
* Foyer and lobby
* Museum shop
* Café
* Exhibition galleries
* Event space
* Performance room
* Conference room
* Workshop areas
* Library and research centre
* Office and staff areas
* Archives
* Logistics and preparation areas
* Technical rooms
* Public terraces and garden spaces

The project has a gross floor area of approximately 8,443 sq m and a net floor area of approximately 6,867 sq m. The organisation separates public, semi-private, private, staff, logistics, and emergency routes while maintaining a flexible circulation network. This allows the museum to support visitors, staff, exhibition handling, maintenance, events, and emergency access without relying on a single fixed route. Because apparently even museums need traffic management, not just nice staircases.

== Flexible exhibition strategy ==

A key part of the proposal is adaptability. The building includes experimental gallery spaces that can be adjusted in width and length through movable wall systems. This allows exhibition rooms to change according to different curatorial needs, including large installations, temporary exhibitions, workshops, conferences, public events, office use, and community programmes.

The first level includes a high, approximately 10-metre-tall space suitable for large design pieces and installations. Upper levels provide lower ceiling heights, approximately 6 metres and 4.5 metres, allowing a range of exhibition scales and spatial atmospheres. This variation creates flexibility across the building while reducing the need for repeated demolition or reconstruction when programmes change.

== Façade and material concept ==

The façade is formed from nearly 20,000 recyclable timber pieces arranged as a woven outer shell. This shell wraps around the colder, more controlled inner building volume and creates a strong contrast between exterior warmth and interior clarity. From close range, the façade reads as individual timber elements; from further away, it appears as a flowing surface shaped by movement, water, and craft.

The material palette includes:

* Recyclable timber façade components
* Steel structural framework
* CLT wood panels
* Low-carbon concrete slabs
* Thermally improved curtain walling
* Bird-friendly glazing
* XPS insulation
* Green roof build-up layers
* Porous asphalt
* Rain gardens and underdrainage systems

The project prioritises durable, locally sourced, and lower-impact materials where possible. The boards describe the intention to source materials within a 160 km radius, supporting regional supply chains and reducing transport-related emissions.

== Construction and structural strategy ==

The building uses a hybrid structural approach. Steel framing provides the primary structural support for the floors and shell, while CLT panels and timber façade elements contribute to the architectural character and carbon-conscious material strategy. Low-carbon concrete slabs and foundations are used for durability and structural performance.

The outer timber façade is fixed to a secondary steel sub-structure. A custom bolted half-spherical joint system connects the outer steel sub-structure to the inner building framework. This joint allows timber members to be installed at different angles and depths, supporting the fragmented and fluid geometry of the façade. The use of bolted connections also improves maintainability, as individual components can be adjusted, repaired, replaced, or removed without dismantling the whole façade.

== Environmental design ==

The environmental strategy combines passive and active design measures. Skylights and curtain walling are used to bring daylight deep into the museum, reducing the need for artificial lighting during daytime operation. High-performance glazing, bird-safe glass, insulated walls, and thermally improved curtain wall systems help control solar gain, reduce winter heat loss, and improve occupant comfort.

Energy-efficient HVAC systems and passive solar heating strategies are proposed to support the building’s operational performance. The internal layout allows environmental demand to vary according to occupancy, programme, gallery type, and seasonal use.

The green roof is designed as a layered system. It includes planting, engineered soil, filter fabric, moisture-retention layers, insulation, drainage, and structural support. These layers help retain rainwater, reduce irrigation demand, support biodiversity, and reduce urban heat island effects. Rain gardens, porous asphalt, rainwater storage, and underdrainage systems further support water management across the site.

== Circular economy and afterlife ==

The project considers future adaptation and circular economy principles. The steel frame, CLT panels, timber façade pieces, curtain wall units, and movable partitions all have potential for maintenance, replacement, disassembly, or reuse. The façade system is especially important in this respect because the timber elements are connected through a secondary steel support system and bolted joint components rather than being treated as a permanent monolithic skin.

The flexible gallery layout also supports a longer building life. Instead of requiring major construction work whenever the museum’s programme changes, movable walls and adaptable spaces allow the building to accommodate different uses over time. In the future, the building could potentially be adapted as a design school, cultural centre, event venue, research hub, creative workspace, or mixed-use public building.

== Significance ==

Woven Current proposes a museum model that is simultaneously cultural, environmental, and urban. It challenges the traditional idea of the museum as a sealed container for objects and instead presents the museum as a flexible civic landscape. Through its woven timber façade, adaptable internal galleries, green roof systems, flood-resilient landscape, and public waterfront strategy, the project explores how architecture can respond to climate, context, material culture, and future change.

The proposal’s main contribution lies in the relationship between adaptability and resilience. Its architectural identity is shaped by change, movement, and flexibility, while its technical strategy focuses on durability, environmental performance, and long-term civic use. In this sense, the project imagines the Helsinki Design Museum as both a cultural landmark and an evolving piece of urban infrastructure.

== Project information ==

* Project title: Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum
* Original competition title: Museum of Future Building, Design Competition in Helsinki, Finland - Stage I
* Location: Helsinki, Finland
* Project type: Conceptual design/competition proposal
* Status: Unbuilt / competition proposal
* Gross floor area: Approximately 8,443 sq m
* Net floor area: Approximately 6,867 sq m
* Main functions: Museum, exhibition galleries, café, event space, performance space, research centre, library, workshop, office, public terrace, garden, logistics and technical spaces
* Main materials: Recyclable timber façade, steel frame, CLT panels, low-carbon concrete, thermally improved curtain walling, bird-friendly glass, XPS insulation, green roof layers, porous asphalt, rain garden planting
* Design focus: Adaptive museum design, waterfront resilience, timber façade systems, circular economy, sustainable materials, public landscape, flexible gallery space
* Designers: Tsz Kiu Felix Wong, Luan Fontes, Andreas Palfinger, Aryaman Garg, Ana Cyano, Nele Herrmann

Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum

2026-05-04T19:15:36Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong: Created page with "= Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum = Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum is a conceptual architectural proposal for a new design museum in Helsinki, Finland. The projec..."

= Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum =

Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum is a conceptual architectural proposal for a new design museum in Helsinki, Finland. The project was developed as part of the Museum of Future Building, Design Competition in Helsinki, Finland - Stage I. The proposal explores how a museum can become more than a closed cultural institution by operating as an urban connector, waterfront landscape, public interior, and resilient civic infrastructure.

The project is located on Helsinki’s waterfront and responds to the city’s relationship with the sea, public space, cultural identity, and changing environmental conditions. Rather than treating the museum as a standalone object, the design extends the museum experience into the surrounding landscape through outdoor routes, green roofs, flood-resilient zones, terraces, public activity areas, and visual connections to the harbour.

== Concept ==

The concept is based on the contrast between a cold, iceberg-like internal volume and a warm, woven exterior shell. This duality reflects both Helsinki’s winter climate and the tactile qualities of Finnish craft traditions. The outer envelope is inspired by woven fabrics, baskets, timber craft, and the movement of schools of fish. These references are translated into a dynamic façade system composed of recyclable timber elements.

The project aims to blur the boundary between built and unbuilt space. Public landscape, museum circulation, exhibition areas, café spaces, terraces, and civic routes are treated as connected parts of one urban experience. The museum is therefore proposed not only as a building for displaying design, but also as a place where design, public life, environmental performance, and urban movement overlap.

== Urban and landscape strategy ==

The site strategy responds to the waterfront condition by creating a continuous public edge between the city and the harbour. The building is set within a landscape of pathways, green roof areas, flood-protection zones, bicycle parking, public health spaces, skateboarding areas, climbing zones, and outdoor gathering spaces.

The landscape design supports both public use and environmental resilience. Flood-resistant zones and varied ground levels are introduced to address future sea-level rise and coastal exposure. Approximately 35% of the project area is proposed as green roof or flood-resilient landscape, helping to manage stormwater, reduce heat island effect, and create additional public and ecological value.

== Programme and spatial organisation ==

The museum programme combines exhibition, education, research, public events, commercial activity, and building support functions. The main spaces include:

* Entrance and reception
* Foyer and lobby
* Museum shop
* Café
* Exhibition galleries
* Event space
* Performance room
* Conference room
* Workshop areas
* Library and research centre
* Office and staff areas
* Archives
* Logistics and preparation areas
* Technical rooms
* Public terraces and garden spaces

The project has a gross floor area of approximately 8,443 sq m and a net floor area of approximately 6,867 sq m. The organisation separates public, semi-private, private, staff, logistics, and emergency routes while maintaining a flexible circulation network. This allows the museum to support visitors, staff, exhibition handling, maintenance, events, and emergency access without relying on a single fixed route. Because apparently even museums need traffic management, not just nice staircases.

== Flexible exhibition strategy ==

A key part of the proposal is adaptability. The building includes experimental gallery spaces that can be adjusted in width and length through movable wall systems. This allows exhibition rooms to change according to different curatorial needs, including large installations, temporary exhibitions, workshops, conferences, public events, office use, and community programmes.

The first level includes a high, approximately 10-metre-tall space suitable for large design pieces and installations. Upper levels provide lower ceiling heights, approximately 6 metres and 4.5 metres, allowing a range of exhibition scales and spatial atmospheres. This variation creates flexibility across the building while reducing the need for repeated demolition or reconstruction when programmes change.

== Façade and material concept ==

The façade is formed from nearly 20,000 recyclable timber pieces arranged as a woven outer shell. This shell wraps around the colder, more controlled inner building volume and creates a strong contrast between exterior warmth and interior clarity. From close range, the façade reads as individual timber elements; from further away, it appears as a flowing surface shaped by movement, water, and craft.

The material palette includes:

* Recyclable timber façade components
* Steel structural framework
* CLT wood panels
* Low-carbon concrete slabs
* Thermally improved curtain walling
* Bird-friendly glazing
* XPS insulation
* Green roof build-up layers
* Porous asphalt
* Rain gardens and underdrainage systems

The project prioritises durable, locally sourced, and lower-impact materials where possible. The boards describe the intention to source materials within a 160 km radius, supporting regional supply chains and reducing transport-related emissions.

== Construction and structural strategy ==

The building uses a hybrid structural approach. Steel framing provides the primary structural support for the floors and shell, while CLT panels and timber façade elements contribute to the architectural character and carbon-conscious material strategy. Low-carbon concrete slabs and foundations are used for durability and structural performance.

The outer timber façade is fixed to a secondary steel sub-structure. A custom bolted half-spherical joint system connects the outer steel sub-structure to the inner building framework. This joint allows timber members to be installed at different angles and depths, supporting the fragmented and fluid geometry of the façade. The use of bolted connections also improves maintainability, as individual components can be adjusted, repaired, replaced, or removed without dismantling the whole façade.

== Environmental design ==

The environmental strategy combines passive and active design measures. Skylights and curtain walling are used to bring daylight deep into the museum, reducing the need for artificial lighting during daytime operation. High-performance glazing, bird-safe glass, insulated walls, and thermally improved curtain wall systems help control solar gain, reduce winter heat loss, and improve occupant comfort.

Energy-efficient HVAC systems and passive solar heating strategies are proposed to support the building’s operational performance. The internal layout allows environmental demand to vary according to occupancy, programme, gallery type, and seasonal use.

The green roof is designed as a layered system. It includes planting, engineered soil, filter fabric, moisture-retention layers, insulation, drainage, and structural support. These layers help retain rainwater, reduce irrigation demand, support biodiversity, and reduce urban heat island effects. Rain gardens, porous asphalt, rainwater storage, and underdrainage systems further support water management across the site.

== Circular economy and afterlife ==

The project considers future adaptation and circular economy principles. The steel frame, CLT panels, timber façade pieces, curtain wall units, and movable partitions all have potential for maintenance, replacement, disassembly, or reuse. The façade system is especially important in this respect because the timber elements are connected through a secondary steel support system and bolted joint components rather than being treated as a permanent monolithic skin.

The flexible gallery layout also supports a longer building life. Instead of requiring major construction work whenever the museum’s programme changes, movable walls and adaptable spaces allow the building to accommodate different uses over time. In the future, the building could potentially be adapted as a design school, cultural centre, event venue, research hub, creative workspace, or mixed-use public building.

== Significance ==

Woven Current proposes a museum model that is simultaneously cultural, environmental, and urban. It challenges the traditional idea of the museum as a sealed container for objects and instead presents the museum as a flexible civic landscape. Through its woven timber façade, adaptable internal galleries, green roof systems, flood-resilient landscape, and public waterfront strategy, the project explores how architecture can respond to climate, context, material culture, and future change.

The proposal’s main contribution lies in the relationship between adaptability and resilience. Its architectural identity is shaped by change, movement, and flexibility, while its technical strategy focuses on durability, environmental performance, and long-term civic use. In this sense, the project imagines the Helsinki Design Museum as both a cultural landmark and an evolving piece of urban infrastructure.

== Project information ==

Project title: Woven Current - Helsinki Design Museum 
Original competition title: Museum of Future Building, Design Competition in Helsinki, Finland - Stage I 
Location: Helsinki, Finland 
Project type: Conceptual design/competition proposal 
Status: Unbuilt / competition proposal 
Gross floor area: Approximately 8,443 sq m 
Net floor area: Approximately 6,867 sq m 
Main functions: Museum, exhibition galleries, café, event space, performance space, research centre, library, workshop, office, public terrace, garden, logistics and technical spaces 
Main materials: Recyclable timber façade, steel frame, CLT panels, low-carbon concrete, thermally improved curtain walling, bird-friendly glass, XPS insulation, green roof layers, porous asphalt, rain garden planting 
Design focus: Adaptive museum design, waterfront resilience, timber façade systems, circular economy, sustainable materials, public landscape, flexible gallery space 
Designers: Tsz Kiu Felix Wong, Luan Fontes, Andreas Palfinger, Aryaman Garg, Ana Cyano, Nele Herrmann

User:Tsz Kiu Felix Wong

2026-04-29T23:24:55Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong:

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong is an architectural designer and founder of T.K. Felix Wong Studio, an emerging practice focused on architecture, interiors, landscape, and sustainable design.

His work is grounded in tectonic clarity, material intelligence, and context-responsive thinking, with a particular interest in timber construction, civic space, and environmentally responsible architecture. He has gained professional experience across internationally recognised studios, including Shigeru Ban Architects, Kengo Kuma & Associates, SOM, Aedas, and Gensler, contributing to projects through design research, modelling, visualisation, façade studies, and urban analysis.

Alongside practice, he is actively involved in built-environment and sustainability initiatives through volunteer and committee roles related to LEED v5, the International Green Construction Code, magnesium oxide board standards, and ASHRAE Guideline 14, reflecting a wider commitment to the environmental and technical advancement of architecture.

Featured Projects by Tsz Kiu Felix Wong:

- Woven Current (Helsinki Design Museum Competition)

- Dunbar Maritime Culture House (Final Year Project at ESALA)

- ReFrame Kharkiv (NFF Kharkiv Housing Challenge Competition)

- The Reading Ring (Tiny Library Competition 2023)

User:Tsz Kiu Felix Wong

2026-04-29T23:18:01Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong:

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong is an architectural designer and founder of T.K. Felix Wong Studio, an emerging practice focused on architecture, interiors, landscape, and sustainable design.

His work is grounded in tectonic clarity, material intelligence, and context-responsive thinking, with a particular interest in timber construction, civic space, and environmentally responsible architecture. He has gained professional experience across internationally recognised studios, including Shigeru Ban Architects, Kengo Kuma & Associates, SOM, Aedas, and Gensler, contributing to projects through design research, modelling, visualisation, façade studies, and urban analysis.

Alongside practice, he is actively involved in built-environment and sustainability initiatives through volunteer and committee roles related to LEED v5, the International Green Construction Code, magnesium oxide board standards, and ASHRAE Guideline 14, reflecting a wider commitment to the environmental and technical advancement of architecture.

Featured Projects by Tsz Ku Felix Wong:

- Woven Current (Helsinki Design Museum Competition)

- Dunbar Maritime Culture House (Final Year Project at ESALA)

- ReFrame Kharkiv (NFF Kharkiv Housing Challenge Competition)

- The Reading Ring (Tiny Library Competition 2023)

User:Tsz Kiu Felix Wong

2026-04-29T23:16:59Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong:

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong is an architectural designer and founder of T.K. Felix Wong Studio, an emerging practice focused on architecture, interiors, landscape, and sustainable design.

His work is grounded in tectonic clarity, material intelligence, and context-responsive thinking, with a particular interest in timber construction, civic space, and environmentally responsible architecture. He has gained professional experience across internationally recognised studios, including Shigeru Ban Architects, Kengo Kuma & Associates, SOM, Aedas, and Gensler, contributing to projects through design research, modelling, visualisation, façade studies, and urban analysis.

Alongside practice, he is actively involved in built-environment and sustainability initiatives through volunteer and committee roles related to LEED v5, the International Green Construction Code, magnesium oxide board standards, and ASHRAE Guideline 14, reflecting a wider commitment to the environmental and technical advancement of architecture.

Featured Projects by Tsz Ku Felix Wong:

- Woven Current (Helsinki Design Museum Competition)

- ReFrame Kharkiv (NFF Kharkiv Housing Challenge Competition)

User:Tsz Kiu Felix Wong

2026-04-29T23:16:07Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong:

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong is an architectural designer and founder of T.K. Felix Wong Studio, an emerging practice focused on architecture, interiors, landscape, and sustainable design.

His work is grounded in tectonic clarity, material intelligence, and context-responsive thinking, with a particular interest in timber construction, civic space, and environmentally responsible architecture. He has gained professional experience across internationally recognised studios, including Shigeru Ban Architects, Kengo Kuma & Associates, SOM, Aedas, and Gensler, contributing to projects through design research, modelling, visualisation, façade studies, and urban analysis.

Alongside practice, he is actively involved in built-environment and sustainability initiatives through volunteer and committee roles related to LEED v5, the International Green Construction Code, magnesium oxide board standards, and ASHRAE Guideline 14, reflecting a wider commitment to the environmental and technical advancement of architecture.

Featured Projects by Tsz Ku Felix Wong:

- ReFrame Kharkiv (NFF Kharkiv Housing Challenge Competition)

User:Tsz Kiu Felix Wong

2026-04-29T21:49:13Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong:

User:Tsz Kiu Felix Wong

2026-04-29T21:46:46Z

Tsz Kiu Felix Wong:

Tsz Kiu (Felix) Wong is an architectural designer and founder of T.K. Felix Wong Studio, an emerging practice focused on architecture, interiors, landscape, and sustainable design.

His work is grounded in tectonic clarity, material intelligence, and context-responsive thinking, with a particular interest in timber construction, civic space, and environmentally responsible architecture. He has gained professional experience across internationally recognised studios, including Shigeru Ban Architects, Kengo Kuma & Associates, SOM, Aedas, and Gensler, contributing to projects through design research, modelling, visualisation, façade studies, and urban analysis.

Alongside practice, he is actively involved in built-environment and sustainability initiatives through volunteer and committee roles related to LEED v5, the International Green Construction Code, magnesium oxide board standards, and ASHRAE Guideline 14, reflecting a wider commitment to the environmental and technical advancement of architecture.