Interview with ่Juti Klipbua

่Juti Klipbua ("àK") interviewed on Friday, 17 May.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

àK : I had practice in architecture for 16 years. After graduated B.Arch from Assumption University, Bangkok, Thailand, I practice with SPAN consultant co.,ltd. (Thailand). Then move to Singapore to practice with Designshop llp. (Singapore) before came back to Thailand in 2008 to set up my own practice. An in 2009 also founded furniture brand LOQ heritage.

How did you become a designer?

àK : Looking back when I was a kid, my father use to be the mining electrical engineer, our house locate deep in forest. Surrounding by nature landscape in-contrast with big mining equipment and giant vehicle. Playing with wood block, LEGO, and some mineral crystal. Those all inspired me a lot to become a designer, they gave me passion to build.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

àK : I love to start with get know the client and site context as much as possible. Not just in term of function requirement or site situation. But the passion of client to the project. Context of the site in term of local heritage and history. For me, I think those bound our design to client and to the site more. After that would be many hand sketch to explore main idea freely. Then we move to 3ds and recheck with physical model.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

àK : Struggle with passion, Its a mixture of exciting with exploring passion together with very not ensure feeling. And that is how the journey of the project begin. Then when you reach some point that your sketch or some solution that your sure that is the right one, you will just feel comfort to follow that part of the project, and develop from that. And the rest is long painful process of developing, cost control, and construction which along the way you have to fight to protect your design, to protect your vision of project.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

àK : I very enjoy nature environment, and music. These two thing are very important for architect, I would say. I love to sketch or just sit back to watch some natural beauty like coral, leaf, sunset, wave... etc. To absorb this kind of thing make your soul more humble and gain a lot of inspired from another not just your imagination. For the music, as I still also be a club DJ, music for me is the top of human creation. It is simply expression of emotion. And design should be like that, simply but strong message to emotion.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

àK : Our company, we want to focus on hospitality and public building. We want to expand our design to many region as possible. To understand more about the world for our self and also to provide the continuity of local heritage in sustainable modern way to the local as much as possible. Our dream project would be museum of community center that link people to their heritage.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

àK : Be patient and be careful to manage your ego.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

àK : Now a day we are access to another designer information of reference work easily. The more you easy to access to another, the more you away from your self. I still think focus on your self or team is more important to found something really unique and last long.

What is your day to day look like?

àK : After sent my kids to school, have small breakfast then get to office. A coffee and browse to email and to-do list then meeting with my team for each project progress is before lunch routine. Then after lunch is time for site inspection, or meeting with client, or research and sketch.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

àK : For architecture, I think it a life long design piece. You cannot follow the trends, you can only learn technique or tools from another. But you have develop your own style.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

àK : I think good design define itself by user experience, no need and explanation. When you get the right sketch, you feel it, same as another. But you may be need to pause and leave it for a day and reconsider that you still think its the right one.

How do you decide if your design is ready?

àK : For the main sketch, yes there is a point that you feel right. And the DNA of your project start from that, when you feel comfortable with excitement that is the point.

What is your biggest design work?

àK : Currently we design a resort casino in Myanmar. We are really excite about this one. We want this project to be tourist spot and pride of the local. Also generate income and improve quality of life for remote local people.

Who is your favourite designer?

àK : Tadao Ando and Alvaro Siza , to see their work from magazine is inspired me a lot when I was a student. But to experience their building in reality is blow my mind. Its simply yet powerful.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

àK : Bangkok!!!, my city inspired me a lot especially old town and Thai temple. Yes my Thai culture effects my design a lot. In my project I always try to find local heritage to play with like bring some part of local architecture form or detail to be building form. Or pull out local fabric pattern to be facade pattern. And that process be apply when I work for another country and different local context also. I think good design need to bound and benefit local people. Because they have to see, to use, and to experience it daily life.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

àK : "Simplicity Elegant" I always use this philosophy, no matter what the story be hide the concept or how I get the main idea. But it need to come out elegant in most simplicity as possible.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

àK : Still not much direct contribution. Some design event and lecture. But basically being and architect you need to contribution to society since you design a project on your table. You have to always have that in mind. Since your profession effect a lot of people in society and use a lot of natural resource. So architect have to aware that all the time. And If you have chance to direct contribute, please do so.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

àK : Journey in designer or architect career is quite isolation journey. It is very good to find some community or someone who can tell you that "Hey, your journey is not bad, carry on mate" That's warm and gave enough reason to carry on this journey.

่Juti Klipbua Profile