Design Passport

Gary Chang

Managing Director

EDGE Design Institute Ltd

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Gary Chang developed his architectural philosophy through lived experience, having grown up in a tightly subdivided 32-square-meter home shared with his family. This early exposure to spatial constraints became the foundation of his lifelong inquiry into adaptability, transformation, and compact living, later crystallized in his landmark Domestic Transformer apartment completed in 2007. Through EDGE Design Institute, founded in 1994, Chang has spent over three decades exploring how architecture can respond intelligently to density by embracing change rather than resisting it. His work—spanning residential, hospitality, cultural, and urban projects—has positioned him at the forefront of global conversations on spatial flexibility and human-centered design.

Design Passport: Gary Chang on
Redefining Compact Living
Through Fluid Design

"The point is to squeeze the space and squeeze the time." — Gary Chang

When space becomes a luxury, design becomes a discipline of intelligence. Few embody this better than Gary Chang, founder of EDGE Design Institute in Hong Kong — an architect who has spent decades challenging how we live, move, and feel within tight urban grids. His work is not merely about fitting more into less; it’s about creating fluidity where others see walls.

From The Suitcase House at the Commune by the Great Wall to the now-iconic Domestic Transformer, Chang's projects blur the lines between architecture, furniture, and choreography. His philosophy is both poetic and pragmatic: life is never static, so why should our spaces be?

"Instead of complaining about hyper-dense living, we choose to treat it as a condition rather than a problem," Chang reflects. "There are advantages to having things close together — convenience, intimacy, efficiency, and the sharing of resources. The question is how we can use these conditions to create better living."

FOUR C'S
FLEXIBILITY

On Change, Choice,
Coexistence, and Connectivity

EDGE Design Institute’s practice has long revolved around what Chang calls the “Four Cs” — Change, Choice, Coexistence, and Connectivity. “Our life is truly dynamic and never stagnant,” he explains. “The success of a home depends on how well you understand who you are and what you want — and to accept that these things will change. A home should accommodate flexibility, day to day and over the long term.”

Rejecting rigid spatial formulas like the traditional “nLDK” (bedrooms-living-dining-kitchen), Chang proposes a new model of living — one based on activities, moods, and adaptability, not fixed rooms. “Our life is not a matter of n, L, D, and K,” he adds. “It’s a summation of many activities — reading by the window, bathing, relaxing — all in spaces that should shift and evolve with us.”

Nangou Valley , Beijing, 2002

Photo by EDGE Design Institute

Casting a question on the proverbial image of the house, the scheme attempts to rethink the nature of intimacy, privacy, spontaneity and flexibility. It is a simple demonstration of the desire for ultimate adaptability, in pursuit of a proscenium for infinite scenarios, a plane of sensual (p)leisure. The house, regarded as a metamorphic volume, transforms effortlessly from an open space to a sequence of rooms, depending on the inhabitants' specific requirements.

The Suitcase House:
Architecture in Motion

Located within The Commune by the Great Wall, a hotel development near Beijing’s Badaling section, the Suitcase House is one of its unique villa-style accommodations. Operated as a hotel since its opening in 2003, it offers guests an immersive experience in time-based architecture. “It’s an experiment in time-based design,” Chang explains. “Every function is hidden within the raised floor, allowing endless permutations. Guests have used it as a wellness center by day and a dance hall by night. That’s the beauty of total flexibility — people redefine it in ways I could never predict.”

HIDDEN WITH
THE FLOOR

"Every function is hidden within the raised floor, allowing endless permutations"

Nangou Valley , Beijing, 2002

Photo by EDGE Design Institute

THE DOMESTIC TRANSFORMER:
MECHANICS AND MEMORY

"Free the bathtub."

In his 32-square-meter apartment, the Domestic Transformer, walls glide and fold to create over 20 configurations — from a spa to a cinema to a kitchen. Eighteen years later, the system still works with minor updates. “Movement should be enjoyable and effortless,” Chang notes. “Even the handle’s curvature, crafted from hairline stainless steel, was designed for a satisfying touch — while the surrounding wall panels feature G-Shot metal imported from Japan, giving a subtle cool sheen.”

Designing for Humidity and Humanity

With years of experience designing in Hong Kong’s humid climate, Chang emphasizes practicality in material choices: avoid porous stone like marble, minimize sealants, and be cautious with timber at ground level. “Materials and finishes must be easy to clean, non-slippery, and able to withstand moisture,” he advises — insights especially relevant to tropical contexts like the Philippines. One detail he treasures is a simple 5-degree tilt on his CD shelves — preventing a single disc from falling for nearly two decades. It’s proof that the smallest precision can transform daily life.

A Hospitality Mindset at Home

When asked what residential designers can borrow from hospitality, Chang smiles: “Free the bathtub.” He suggests placing it near a window or even beside the bed, reclaiming leisure as a rightful domestic experience. “We design bathrooms as utility zones, but they should also be spaces for pleasure and rest.”

Sai Wan Ho, Hong Kong, 2007

Photo by EDGE Design Institute Ltd.

The design expresses Gary Chang's continued experiment in the extreme conditions of Tight Space, now a global phenomenon in high-density, hyper- urbanized environments. Unavoidably, it is also a biographical account of his domestic life from childhood until now, a testimony to the changes in his own needs and desires, lifestyle and design vocabularies. The design interactively puts all the essential and unexpected activities into this compact 32m2 space without compromise, with components that play 'hide and seek' with the inhabitant.

Wanchai, Hong Kong, 2012

Photo by EDGE Design Institute Ltd.

The enjoyment with enormous efficiency which offers a new understanding of business lodging. Bathroom is never a cramped cubicle but a glowing lantern with huge natural light-filled shower. Combo furniture blends work, refreshment and storage. Exposed vanity counter as in tradition Chinese bedroom. Windows become a big picture frame.

ARCHITECT'S
TRUE
PURPOSE

Local Takeaway: Compact Living, Expansive Thinking

Chang's work resonates deeply with Kaha Modular Construction Corporation's mission — to create functional, beautiful, and story-rich spaces within compact footprints. His philosophy reminds us that constraints breed creativity, and that architecture's true purpose is not to limit movement, but to invite transformation.

In dense cities — from Hong Kong to Roxas City — his legacy whispers the same reminder: The future of living isn't about more space, but smarter space.

Written by the Kaha Modular Construction Editorial Team Part of the ongoing series: “Design Passport: Global Interiors, Local Takeaways,” where we explore design philosophies from around the world and translate them into lessons for modern Filipino living.

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Design Passport

FOUR C'S FLEXIBILITY

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FOUR C'S
FLEXIBILITY