LWK + PARTNERS

24/06/2026

AI and digital tools are changing how we design.
But they don’t replace architects they amplify them.

Creativity, judgment, and vision remain human.

23/06/2026

Shaping the Future of Retail: JD MALL HK Launching June 18! 🚀✨
Get ready for an immersive shopping experience like no other. LWK + PARTNERS is honoured to have partnered with JD Group to deliver the interior and facade design for their first-ever overseas flagship in Hong Kong.

Located at Causeway Centre in Wan Chai, the design prioritises sustainability and user engagement, creating a dynamic and immersive shopping destination. From concept to completion, we delivered a comprehensive retail environment solution — encompassing interior design, façade treatment, visual merchandising, digital installations, wayfinding and experiential zones, including IG-able photo spots. Professionally managed, locally rooted, precisely delivered.

Whether you're there for the latest tech or the harbour views, JD MALL HK is designed to be "Good to Shop, Good to Use, and Good to Snap."

Project Details:
📍 Location: 2/F, Causeway Centre, 28 Harbour Road, Wan Chai
🏢 Developer: JD Group 📐 Services: Concept to Completion (Interior, Facade, Lighting, Signage & Wayfinding)
📅 Opening: June 18, 2026

19/06/2026

As artificial intelligence continues to transform the built environment, one question becomes increasingly important: where does technology end, and professional responsibility begin?

We are pleased to share that Ahmed Fahmy, Studio Director at LWK + PARTNERS, will be speaking at Big 5 Egypt as part of the panel discussion:

**"Defining Accountability in Human–AI Collaboration: From Algorithms to Sign-Off"**

Joining industry leaders from the legal, commercial, and academic sectors, Ahmed will explore how architects and designers can responsibly integrate AI into project delivery while maintaining professional accountability, design integrity, and human oversight.

The discussion will examine the evolving relationship between technology and expertise, from assigning responsibility for AI-generated design decisions to understanding the role of professional sign-off in an increasingly automated world.

📅 25 June 2026
🕛 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM
📍 Big 5 Egypt | Egypt International Exhibition Center

We look forward to contributing to this important conversation on the future of human-AI collaboration in the built environment.

17/06/2026

Urban environments are transforming at unprecedented speed.

Architects play a key role in shaping density, mobility, and livability balancing growth with human experience.

The city is no longer static. Neither is our role.

16/06/2026

We are proud to share that our Managing Director – MENA, Kerem Cengiz, has been recognised in Construction Week Middle East's Power 150 List 2026, ranking #9 among the region's most influential architects and designers.

With more than 25 years of experience across masterplanning, mixed-use, hospitality, residential, and cultural developments, Kerem has played a key role in shaping LWK + PARTNERS' growth across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the wider Middle East. Working at the intersection of design, development, and strategy, he continues to champion projects that balance ambitious vision with commercial reality, helping create places that deliver long-term value for people, communities, and cities.

As the Middle East enters a defining era of growth and transformation, driven by future cities, giga-projects, and ambitious national visions, this recognition reflects not only individual leadership but also the collective efforts of our talented teams, clients, and partners who continue to push the boundaries of architecture, urbanism, and design excellence across the region.

We are honoured to see Kerem's contribution recognised alongside many of the industry's leading voices helping shape the future of the built environment.

Congratulations to everyone featured in this year's Power 150 List.

11/06/2026

Great architecture doesn’t impose it reflects.
In a globalized world, the ability to design with cultural sensitivity and local identity is more valuable than ever.
Because places should feel like they belong.

10/06/2026

Celebrating Innovation: Hong Kong East Coast Boardwalk Shortlisted for CIHT Award!

We are incredibly proud to announce that our transformative Hong Kong East Coast Boardwalk (Western section) project has been shortlisted for the prestigious 2026 CIHT Creating Better Places Award! 🎉

This visionary project, led by our esteemed Director Otto Z.B. Liang, reimagines 1.1km of overlooked infrastructure beneath the Island Eastern Corridor, turning it into a vibrant, 24/7 multi-functional public realm. It's a testament to how thoughtful design can connect communities, promote active travel, and significantly enhance urban quality of life.

We extend our sincere gratitude to our client, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD), our valued stakeholders, the Harbourfront Commission and the Harbour Office of the Development Bureau, and our lead consultant, Meinhardt, for their invaluable collaboration and support in bringing this project to fruition.

Otto Z. Liang, with his 20+ years of international expertise, shares profound insights into the project's vision, challenges, and its role in setting a global benchmark for urban regeneration in high-density environments. The Boardwalk is more than just a pathway; it's a social hub that reknits neighbourhoods and completes Hong Kong Island’s 13km harbourfront continuum, fostering healthier lifestyles and stronger community bonds.

Discover the full story and Otto's insights in the latest "Beyond the Shortlist" interview by CIHT. Read how we're creating places that deliver lasting value for communities:
👉 [Link to Interview: https://lnkd.in/ecjgZTjQ]

09/06/2026

What makes people stay?

As designers, we often spend a great deal of time discussing buildings, skylines, technology, and innovation.

But perhaps the more important question is what happens between them.

This week at the GBB Future Minds Program in Rabat, our Managing Director, Kerem Cengiz, will explore why social spaces have become one of the most important design challenges of our time.

In his session, "Why and How to Add Social Spaces in Your Design," Kerem will discuss how architecture can move beyond creating destinations to creating places of belonging.

From shaded public realms and vibrant mixed-use districts to residential communities and hospitality experiences, the most successful places are often defined not by their buildings alone, but by the opportunities they create for people to meet, pause, connect, and return.

Because architecture is not simply about what we build.

It is about the relationships, memories, and communities that emerge around it.

We look forward to contributing to the conversation with the next generation of architects, designers, and hospitality leaders shaping the future of our industry.

05/06/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Dya8pPB4b/

01/06/2026

“The machine dreams, but only the human wakes up.”

As conversations around AI continue to focus on automation, efficiency, and replacement, perhaps the more important question is what remains uniquely human.

In the latest episode of AI Design Frontiers, Mithun Varghese, Director Architecture at LWK + PARTNERS, explored a different perspective on the future of design.

Not AI as a replacement for creativity.
Not AI as a shortcut to design.
But AI as a tool for intelligence amplification.

From concept development and storytelling to research, visualization, and project delivery, the discussion explored how emerging technologies can help architects spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time focusing on what truly matters:

Creating meaningful experiences.
Understanding people and place.
Building stronger cultural connections.
And designing with greater intention.

Because architecture has never been about producing images.

It has always been about creating spaces that people remember.

As Mithun shared during the session:

"The machine dreams, but only the human wakes up. It is our responsibility to interpret those dreams and build a reality that is inclusive, sustainable, and beautiful."

A huge thank you to ArchiNet آركي نت and Love That Design for creating a platform that continues to push the conversation forward around technology, creativity, and the future of architectural practice.

https://youtu.be/JIvoE-Keq48?si=noMZfj4_lis52ysR

🧠 Description Presented in collaboration with Love That Design, the first episode of AI Design Frontiers Season 2 features Mithun Varghese, architect and D...