Cynthia LEUNG is undertaking a two-month fellowship in Japan.
Leung is a Hong Kong–based architect exploring how traditional craftsmanship and local design approaches can address cultural and environmental challenges and foster sustainable, community-oriented architecture.
During the fellowship, Leung will visit Kyoto, Kanazawa, Gifu, Iwate, and Tokyo to engage with craftspeople and other practitioners, observe traditional building practices, gain hands-on experience, and participate in research and workshops on traditional Japanese techniques. Through these activities, she will examine how knowledge and skills are passed down through generations and explore the contemporary potential of traditional materials and techniques. By examining the relationships between craftsmanship, local communities, and the environment, she aims to explore new approaches to adaptive reuse that can strengthen community engagement, particularly in rapidly changing urban contexts in Hong Kong SAR and Mainland China.

This fellowship is part of the inaugural Hsin Chong Foundation Young Architects Fellowship, in partnership with the American Institute of Architects Hong Kong Chapter.
 

Profile  Cynthia LEUNG 
Leung is an architect based in Hong Kong whose practice bridges architecture, cultural thinking, and artistic practice. She has worked on public, institutional, and private building projects across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Having begun her career at Zaha Hadid Architects and later at Snøhetta Oslo, she now leads some of the firm’s high-profile projects across Asia. She has taught and led the studio Architecture as Landscape at the University of Hong Kong, and has spoken at events including Design Shanghai 2023 and Tokyo University of the Arts. In 2018, she received the Design for Asia Hong Kong Young Design Talent Award. Leung is a UK ARB registered architect, RIBA member, LEED AP, and an alumni of the University of Hong Kong and the University of Bath.