Aedas, Hong Kong: Diverse, Collaborative, Global.

Aedas is one of the world’s leading architecture and design practices driven by sharing of research, local knowledge and international acumen. With 13 design studios in cities across the globe, the firm’s collegiate platform for research, idea exchange and creative excellence facilitates access to state-of-the-art delivery systems and local expertise from across its network. 

Aedas places creativity above everything by providing a diverse and collaborative environment for its talented designers to create world-class architecture. To ensure that designs are the best they can possibly be, the firm runs an internal ‘buddy system,’ where every design is reviewed and commented on by an assigned buddy. 

Employees no longer stick to their assigned stations all day long. With a laptop or other mobile devices, they move around the office and get their work done in a conference room or at the coffee corner. The practice provides a variety of spaces that allow choices of work modes, enable easy mobility and communication and give employees the autonomy to move around throughout the day. 

The open layout adopted by Aedas has a direct impact on the organisational culture, with breakout and common areas, as well as enclosed conference rooms. The planning is designed to induce collaboration and to embrace diversity while maintaining privacy. 

Besides work, the firm organises a number of internal social activities including happy hours, staff events, design forums, design workshops and CSR activities, during which staff may get to know counterparts from the same or other offices. 

New joiners will learn what it means to design in a practice where there is no house style, but that instead celebrates the values of diverse, bespoke, creative, innovative designs. Wherever they are and whatever their skills, staff will always be able to draw upon the firm’s global network of creative thinking.