At each studio, Sarah joined team members for PechaKucha sharing sessions, walking through project spaces and engaging with the ideas shaping each studio’s work. “I loved seeing the passion and personality of our people come through in those short bursts. It’s a reminder that design is as much about people as it is about buildings,” she said.

The visit took in some of Woods Bagot’s most significant completed work in the region. In Hong Kong and Macau, accompanied by Principal Christopher Lye, Principal Billy Ip, Associate Principal Winnie Kwok, and Designer Herry Yuen, Sarah toured Hysan Place, the Macau Galaxy Apple Store, and NBA Macau at The Londoner. “Walking through these spaces, you feel how design can shape culture. They’re not just projects, they’re part of the city’s identity,” she noted.

In Shenzhen, Sarah visited the Meiyuan Cloud of Innovation Center. “Shenzhen moves at extraordinary speed, and standing at Meiyuan you feel that energy. It’s exciting to see Woods Bagot contributing to this skyline,” she said.

Sarah also met with the leadership of Shenzhen Special Zone Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (SZCG), one of the city’s leading state-owned enterprises driving urban development. Joined by Hub Executive Chair – Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Singapore Christopher Lye, Associate Principals Ben Ke and Katsuhiro Ozawa, and Shenzhen Studio Leader Sunny Sun, the delegation met with SZCG’s senior management, who presented the group’s portfolio of landmark projects and its role in shaping the Greater Bay Area. “What impressed me at SZCG was their scale and ambition. It’s clear our global expertise can complement their vision,” Sarah said. SZCG’s leadership praised Woods Bagot’s international perspective and design approach, expressing strong interest in deepening cooperation.

In Shanghai, Sarah met with client Golden Bridge to advance the ongoing collaboration on the Biyun Mixed Use Project, joined by Hub Executive Chair – Shanghai and Beijing Pearl Huang, Senior Associate Haihua Feng, and Project Leader Sky Wei. “Biyun has the potential to be more than a development, it can become a catalyst where innovation, daily life, and ecology converge into a true community,” she said of the project. The visit also took in the newly completed Shanghai One Center. “It’s remarkable how a corporate space can be transformed into something warm and inviting – proof that design changes how people feel in everyday environments,” Sarah added.

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Shirley Hao
Content and Communications Leader (China)