Deft founder Peter Lampard on his favourite Hong Kong buildings, creative philosophy, work-life balance … and Rolex Oyster Precision 6426 watch

Jan 24 , 2022

Partner and co-founder for Deft, Peter Lampard, at Weave Residencies on Hospital Road, Mid Levels, Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

XXIV 2021

The co-founder of Hong Kong-based design studio Deft (Design Eight Five Two), Lampard is working on two big property developments in Mumbai and New Delhi, India

He also did Weave Residences and boutique hotel Hillwood House, and spends plenty of time outdoors – hiking and camping with his kids – when he’s not working

The co-founder of Hong Kong-based design studio Deft (Design Eight Five Two) is Peter Lampard, who met his business partner Norman Ung while they were both studying for their masters of architecture at the University of Hong Kong.

Founded in 2014, Deft is known for its across-the-board designs from buildings and interiors down to light fixtures.

“We are trained to see architecture as a separate entity from interior design,” says Lampard. “After graduating and entering into the real world I started to see that design is design regardless of whether we are talking about the exterior of the building or the interior. Everything should be considered from the lighting, to the materials, to the furniture, to the facade and graphic design. In our studio, we design at every scale and we especially enjoy the projects that allow us to design from the smallest scale and details all the way up.”

Deft designed the Mangrove property in Hong Kong for Kwai Hung Group. Photo: Deft

Landmarks in Hong Kong recently finished by his company include residential development Weave Residences, and Mangrove, where the team were responsible for naming, branding, graphic design, architecture and interior design. This summer saw the launch of Hillwood House in Tsim Sha Shui, a former office building they transformed into a boutique hotel.

“We now have two exciting projects in India that are our largest yet,” continues Lampard. “They are 100,000 sq-ft-plus mixed use developments in New Delhi and Mumbai that are just starting the foundation works. We are also working on the renovation of a four story post-war mansion in the Mid Levels and a new coliving development in East Kowloon.”

A bedroom design by Deft for a Chai Wan private residence in 2020. Photo: Deft

Born in the US to a military family, Lampard originally wanted to be a fighter pilot, but his love for his dad’s hand-drawn industrial designs, and drawing his own elaborate ideas, won out and he was driven to build real life objects and spaces. “I moved to Hong Kong in 2008. When I first came, my favourite buildings were the Lippo Centre towers in Admiralty as I was a huge admirer of Paul Rudolph who was the architect,” he says. “Now 13 years later and after exploring much more of Hong Kong, I am intrigued by the more vernacular typologies I walk past on a weekly basis, such as Lung Hing Tong in Sham Shui Po.”