Genuine One Architecture & Interior Design (郡宇願設計) has been awarded the Gold Prize in the category of Interior Design at the Future Art & Design Award UK for the residential project Grey & Warmth: A Balanced Dwelling.
Based in Taiwan, Genuine One approaches residential design through spatial clarity, material restraint, and long-term adaptability. Rather than relying on formal gestures, the studio focuses on how space quietly supports everyday life over time.
In Grey & Warmth, the design begins with a simple yet fundamental question: how can light, movement, and daily routines be reconnected when space itself becomes fragmented? By carefully removing interruptions instead of dissolving structure, the project proposes a calm, relational living environment where openness and privacy coexist.
Interview with Genuine One
Q: What initially inspired this project?
Genuine One:
The project began with a spatial contradiction.
Although the apartment had strong natural light due to its orientation, a single interior wall prevented that light from reaching the living space.
This led to a simple question:
What if the problem was not a lack of space, but the way space was interrupted?
The design started by removing that interruption. By opening a continuous axis between the entrance, living room, and study, light and daily life were able to reconnect.
Q: What was the most exciting or most challenging aspect of bringing this work to life?
Genuine One:
The key challenge was improving spatial openness without dissolving structure.
Rather than adopting a fully open plan, the design focused on removing the wall in front of the TV area, allowing the study and living room to share light, space, and visual continuity.
By opening this threshold, natural light extends deeper into both areas, and the living space gains a wider sense of depth. The study is no longer a separate, enclosed room, but part of a shared domestic field—where working, reading, and family activities remain visually connected without interfering with one another.
In the dining area, a large shared tabletop was introduced to support both food preparation and dining. By combining these functions into a single surface, cooking becomes lighter and less isolated, encouraging everyday interaction and reducing the physical and mental burden of meal preparation.
The project prioritises spatial decisions that make daily life more fluid and relational, rather than relying on formal expression.
Q: How was your experience taking part in the Future Art & Design Award UK?
Genuine One:
Taking part in the Future Art & Design Award UK has been both affirming and reflective.
The platform values ideas, process, and long-term thinking, encouraging designers to look beyond surface aesthetics and articulate the deeper intentions behind their work.
Follow Genuine One
Genuine One Architecture & Interior Design (郡宇願設計) is a Taiwan-based practice focusing on residential and interior architecture. The studio approaches each project through spatial clarity, material restraint, and long-term adaptability, exploring how architecture supports everyday life over time.
Website: https://www.jun-yu-yuan.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jun_yu_yuan/
