#212: THE INTERVIEW | READING THE ROOM

September 26, 2025

A contemporary phrase often recommended is, “Read the room.” In business, everyone is required to have skills of observation and deduction, as well as awareness, both in general and self. But this is also required–whether a corporate boss or high school teacher, a police officer or nurse, with family or friends. In life, it is imperative to understand a setting or situation, whether professional or social.

#211: TEN YEARS OF WRITING THIS STUFF

September 5, 2025

In 2015, I launched this weblog. It has been a decade of writing, now over 200 articles, totaling about 150,000 words. For reference, the first Harry Potter book contains 76,944 words.

#210: RED SEA LIVING

August 15, 2025

At the northern tip of the Red Sea, east of Egypt, south of Jordan, an ambitious region of industry, global trade, recreation, and housing has been underway. For this newly planned community, Poon Design was invited to provide sketch concepts for five residential prototypes, to be mass produced throughout the neighborhood. From the archives, I share our 2019 studies that explore new ideas in the architecture of grand private estates. In this West Asian and Middle Eastern context, how is a house a home?

#209: PRADA TOKYO | THE CONSUMPTION OF SHOPPING

July 25, 2025

As with fashion, the architecture of Prada Tokyo Aoyama, Japan, embodies the relationship between spectacle and spectator, between the structure and its visitor. At Prada, international shoppers, hip apparel, and innovative architecture are boldly on display, ready for consumption.

#208: ZUMTHOR IN PROGRESS AT LACMA

July 4, 2025

In June, LACMA invited select visitors to marvel at their nearly finished $750 million museum. Of this project by Pritzker-honored, Swiss architect, Peter Zumthor, celebration and applause accompanied uneasiness and doubt.

#207: THE BRUTALIST | FILM REVIEW BY AN ARCHITECT

June 13, 2025

Over time, architects have appeared in hundreds of movies and TV shows—from Paul Newman to Tom Hanks, Michelle Pfeiffer to Sharon Stone, Keanu Reeves to Elliot Page. But this architect trope is rarely integral to the story. With the 2024 film, The Brutalist, we finally have a movie with an architect being an architect. But I raise an eyebrow or two.

© Poon Design Inc.