Design Trust Future Studio - Pop-up Exhibition and Design Dialogue

Join us at the Design Trust ‘Play is for the People’ exhibition and design dialogue this afternoon 4-6pm in Hong Kong with Morphis’s Mark Blackwell, one of the co-moderators for the discussion on the evolution of micro-park design, along with Marisa Yiu (Co-founder/ Executive Director, Design Trust) and Christopher Law (Founding Director, The Oval Partnership Ltd). The exhibition reflects on the creative processes and collective design of the flagship programme Design Trust Futures Studio. Working closely with the local communities and other stakeholders from both private and public sectors, the design teams translated their findings from site research and analysis, as well as various public engagement sessions into four unique concepts for micro-park concept designs located in Hong Kong.

http://designtrust.hk/design-trust-futures-studio/programme-portfolio/

Opening Reception: Saturday 19th January, 2019
Time: 4-6pm
Venue: Warehouses on West, Shop B, G/F, Samtoh Building, No. 384A Queen's Road West, Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong
RSVP to events@designtrust.hk

On Site in the Heart of Fuzhou Mixed-use Development

On site in the heart of Fuzhou, China at the incredible Shangri-La development where we are creating a unique urban sanctuary landscape with David Buffonge from Lead8, Beng Chee Lim, CEO of Shangri-La Hotels and Morphis's Mark Blackwell. An expansion of the existing 5-star Shangri-La Hotel which was built in 2005, the development includes 50,000 sqm retail podium, cinema, food courts, plaza spaces, outdoor and alfresco dining areas, and a direct connection to a new subway station, as well as the hotel and a 100m tall Grade A office tower.

Morphis’s design approach celebrates the experiential journey of guests, visitors and the local community to connect with local character, culture and history to enrich urban life in Fuzhou. The development is anticipated to be completed by 2022.

Celebrating with team drinks at The Armoury, Tai Kwun before our Christmas dinner

Happy Holidays! Celebrating the season of joy, hope and love after an incredible journey this year. Thank you all for your support from our creative team at Morphis #lifeinthemaking

Morphis appointed on Shangri-La Fuzhou mixed-use development

We are delighted to be collaborating with SLIM and architects Lead8 on the new Fuzhou Shangri-La mixed-Use development, in the heart of Fuzhou city. An expansion of the existing 5-star Shangri-La Hotel which was built in 2005, the development includes 50,000 sqm retail podium, cinema, food courts, plaza spaces, outdoor and alfresco dining areas, and a direct connection to a new subway station, as well as the hotel and a 100m tall Grade A office tower.

Morphis’s design approach celebrates the experiential journey of guests, visitors and the local community to connect with local character, culture and history to enrich urban life in Fuzhou. The development is anticipated to be completed by 2022.

Beijing Waterfront Approaches Detail Design Phases

A preview of our design progress for the new waterfront park in Beijing, part of the wider 86 acre public open space Morphis are developing, celebrating lifestyle as a living system through connections with nature, to explore and discover beyond boundaries. The completed 175,000m2 phase one development includes a 68,000m2 Retail and Entertainment Podium, the 369-key EAST Hotel and ONE INDIGO, a 58,000m2 international Grade A Office Tower.

 Mark Blackwell, Managing Director of Morphis explains, ‘We are delighted to be working with both Sino Ocean and Swire Properties on this prestigious mixed use waterfront development to further enhance the experiential design in the landscape and create unique journeys for visitors to return time and time again as part of a new urban realm to live, work and play.’

An evening of celebration with SLD

A wonderful evening at the Four Season’s Hotel in Hong Kong with Steve Leung celebrating SLD’s recent listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, along with leaders and shapers of our industry. As a true collaborator on a number of Morphis projects, a big thank you to the talented SLD team where art, nature and people come together to share a journey.

Developing a prototype for a mixed-use lifestyle development in Shenzhen

'Hanging at the mall’ will take on an entirely new connotation - no longer is it good enough for mixed-use developments to include a retail component just to buy and leave. The reinvented retail format Morphis are developing create engaging places to retain and hold customers as a programmed series of spaces and events. Stores become stages, delivering 'classroom retail,' showcasing the makers and processes behind products and brands. Event areas will host showpiece interactive activities and events to give visitors a more stimulated experience; the smartphone in our pockets is the gateway to the customised retail experience.

The emerging Generation Z and Millennials, who will account for upto 20% of the population by 2020, live and work in a very immersive way, and we respond to this need by blurring the boundaries between MTR, arrival, office and retail experience to maximize the landscape, blurring the boundaries between public and private shared spaces - office, retail and residential coming together in a very unique proposition.

An opportunity to explore, discover and connect - irrigated with people to engage in both meaningful and memorable experiences.

Behind the scenes shooting the interactive marketing video for Tong Zhou, Beijing

Behind the scenes with Morphis Director, Mark Blackwell, shooting the interactive marketing video for our Tong Zhou, Beijing mixed use development at the famous Shaw Studios in Hong Kong. The marketing suite will be open in September 2018 and the main development in 2019.

Archigram Hong Kong - panel discussion on the future of Central and the waterfront

Archigram Hong Kong- Join Morphis and the panel at PMQ in Hong Kong on Monday 25th June for a discussion on the future of Hong Kong's Central and harbourfront - public space and the waterfront, hosted by HKU and the Urban Land Institute.

Book your seat for the event at https://www.arch.hku.hk/event_/discussion-on-central-and-the-harborfront-on-public-space-and-the-city/ 

Morphis director appointed as a design advisor to Design Trust Hong Kong

Mark Blackwell, Director, has been appointed as a design advisor for Design Trust Hong Kong, creating platforms to support and stimulate design through creative sharing and engaging communities. As an extension of last year’s inaugural Design Trust Futures Studio, the 2018 theme for Futures Studio is “PLAY IS FOR THE PEOPLE”. Tackling and promoting the ideas of innovation, leisure and play, which creates meaning from the people, for the people with human factors, ergonomics and physical designs in play. Four practical yet playful micro-parks will be realized in four different locations around Hong Kong.

Further details of the programme can be found at http://designtrust.hk/

Morphis win Hainan memorial park!

Morphis is delighted to be appointed as the landscape architect for the new Hainan Memorial Park to create an experiential landscape around the concept of healing and remembrance. A landscape that stands as a symbol of peace, to enhance the feeling of contemplation and remembrance, as well as a destination for visitors to interact with its natural mountainous and sub-tropical context. The landscape embodies Hainan’s DNA, emotionally, visually and ecologically, as an ever-changing landscape experience for all seasons.

The sculptural quality of the park will draw visitors to the expansive energy that radiates outward into the landscape. A series of living sensoriums, a place full of fun and discovery, a place for special events. Symbolic of the native jungle, weaving a sinuous network of connections through the park and beyond, growing coherently and continuously in time and space.

Shaping Hong Kong's New Central Waterfront

Morphis’ Creative Director, Mark Blackwell was a panelist in a stimulating discussion at the Urban Land Institute event on ‘Shaping Hong Kong's New Central Harbourfront’ on Wednesday 20th September 2017 at The Hong Kong Maritime Museum – an extraordinary opportunity to simultaneously transform and unite Hong Kong to create a truly world-class waterfront.

This highly anticipated event will explore the challenges and opportunities of Site 3 of the new Central Harbourfront (from Jardine House to the Central Ferry Piers) which will shape the future use and enjoyment of Hong Kong's iconic waterfront. The panel discussions focussed on three key topics: Context, Disposal and Design.

The infrastructure is in place, it’s now time to deliver a true setting to a world class skyline!

Shaping Hong Kong's New Central Harbourfront

Morphis’s Creative Director, Mark Blackwell, will be a panelist at the Urban Land Institute event taking place on Wednesday 20th September 2017 at The Hong Kong Maritime Museum. This highly anticipated event will explore the challenges and opportunities of Site 3 of the new Central Harbourfront (from Jardine House to the Central Ferry Piers) which will shape the future use and enjoyment of Hong Kong's iconic waterfront with a focus on three key topics - context, disposal and design.

Book your seat for the event at https://asia.uli.org/programming/uli-hong-kong-shaping-hong-kongs-new-central-harbourfront/

Building the Morphis brand – boutique appeal with a global reach

Morphis are experienced landscape architects working with a number of leading international clients creating transformation. We now need to grow further and expand our own brand reach to build on this success.

We established Morphis in mid-2014 in Hong Kong and expanded into Shanghai a year later. The team have developed rich project experience and have collaborated on developments around the globe in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. We have won a number of leading international design competitions along the way.

The time has now arrived to expand with a physical presence in the UK to better serve clients in Europe and the Middle East and secondly to expand our passionate and creative team to service a growing number of international projects.

We are a consultancy of creative thinkers, innovators and designers, collaborating on projects around the world. We reflect this rich mix of cultural connections with our young and cosmopolitan, yet experienced team exploring the intersection of city, society and nature. We create memorable destinations and healthy places to live and celebrate life.

From December our studios in Hong Kong and the UK will be able to combine landscape strategies and experiential design to create truly memorable destinations wherever they are in the world. We have a boutique appeal with a global reach - creativity without boundaries.

Morphis speak at the Royal Institute of Architects Scotland 2017 Convention

Morphis’ Rachel Tennant spoke on the opening day of this year’s Royal Institute of Architects Scotland convention in Stirling, Scotland on 12th May 2017 alongside acclaimed architects including OMA, KPF, HDA and Ian Ritchie Architects. This year’s theme was ‘International Perspectives,’ and Rachel’s presentation talked about Morphis’s design and sustainability approaches that have shaped, restored and protected Asia's natural and built environment.

Morphis incorporates the Asian business of TGP Landscape Architects

We are delighted to announce that TGP Asia has joined Morphis. The Asian arm of the multi-award winning UK landscape architecture practice established in 1994 will reinforce Morphis's commitment to serve their growing client base and expand into new project typologies.

Rachel Tennant, co-founding director of TGP Landscape Architects, becomes a Senior Consultant to Morphis and explains, 'Morphis's approach to exemplary and innovative design is complementary to the practice we've built at TGP Asia, and we are delighted to be part of Morphis.'

Mark Blackwell, Managing Director of Morphis explains, 'This adds a new dimension to our offer to further support our clients; we are solidifying our position for the future and are excited to begin this new chapter bringing together our deep, combined expertise to more integrated, creative and memorable design solutions.'

The incorporation will be effective from 5th April 2017.

Morphis celebrate the art and experience of local culture in hangzhou

Morphis are delighted to be appointed by the developer Ping Gao to prepare landscape hospitality design proposals for the new Hilton Hotels, Hangzhou. The development is positioned in the southern terminus of the ancient Grand Canal waterway, which originates in Beijing and close to West Lake, is celebrated by poets and artists since the 9th century. This is Morphis's second recent commission since joining Hilton Worldwide's preferred consultant panel for landscape and resort projects in the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, India and China.

Morphis join students and professors at the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Morphis joined the students and professors at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Department of Architecture, for the Masters in Architecture studio design review on Friday 24th February 2017.

Morphis Director, Mark Blackwell, presented an exploration of experiential design followed by a series of design reviews with the students to enrich their understanding in landscape masterplanning and landscape design for their final thesis projects.