Q&A with May Sung, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP+C – PRINCIPAL, SUBU DESIGN ARCHITECTURE

Designing Narratives, Building Resilience

I. Design Philosophy & Core Values

SUBU Design Architecture is known for collaborative design and integrating architecture and interiors to tell a client’s story. How do you approach extracting these unique narratives from clients, and what’s your favorite part of that creative process?

Learning from my clients. I’ve learned something from every home I’ve ever worked on. It can be as small as a favorite recipe, to how to give back to your community.

Your global travels and studies, including a Fulbright Fellowship in Hong Kong, have clearly influenced your perspective. How do these diverse experiences shape your design philosophy, particularly your view that there isn’t a “singular aesthetic voice”?

I had studied density and housing during my Fulbright Fellowship. Even in density and small footprints of 300 s.f., every person wants to tell their story and express their own personality. Everyone just wants his/her/their voices to be heard.

Given SUBU’s award-winning reputation and wide-ranging projects from custom residences to hotels, how do you ensure that your core values remain consistent across such varied scales and typologies?

Listening to the client. My core values are to listen, to physically translate the client’s wish list, and to help the client succeed.

II. Business Acumen & Practice Growth

Founding SUBU Design Architecture in 2010 and growing it into an award-winning practice is a significant achievement. What were some of the key business strategies or pivotal decisions that contributed to SUBU’s success and reputation for collaborative design?

Keeping it small and nimble. We are proud that we are a boutique firm, and we engage with every client on a personal level.

As the principal, what is your approach to fostering a culture of innovation and excellence within your firm? How do you keep the team engaged and pushing creative boundaries?

Keep learning and listening to our clients and colleagues. Be engaged.

SUBU has projects across various regions – Los Angeles, South Bay, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Aspen. How do you manage the logistical and design challenges of working in diverse geographical and climatic contexts?

We are selective about where we focus our projects. We only work on projects outside of Southern California when it is appropriate.

III. Recovery, Rebuilding, and Resilient Design

Given the specific challenges faced by communities in the Pacific Palisades, could you share your insights on recovery and rebuilding efforts in that area? What unique considerations arise when designing for resilience in such sensitive environments?

Infrastructure and Finance are the two biggest challenges facing the community. Like Altadena, we’ve been the target of speculative developers. Most of the residents simply just “want to go home.” The nostalgia of Home sometimes is not attainable due to economic and time constraints. We are losing a lot of senior and legacy families because of this. I’ve been volunteering with Team Palisades, a group of volunteers with a common goal of bringing everyone home.

The biggest consideration of designing resilience is education. Most of the population that has lost their homes have never been through the construction process before. Now, you compound that with terms from the Mayor’s EO, along with LADBS’ interpretation of the EO’s, Chapter 7(A), IBHS standards, Zone Zero, VHFHSZ definition, infrastructure underground, and numerous other terms, it’s an overwhelming task to ask anyone to understand. Furthermore, it’s not just a single home; it’s the community that needs to build back resiliently. As we all witnessed in the fire, it didn’t matter how many hours the rated wall was; it was the ladder effect of the fire. If one house fails, the rest of the blocks are endangered. You are only as strong as your neighbor’s house.

How does your work in preservation, recognized by the City of Palm Springs, inform your approach to designing for resilience in new construction? What lessons from historical buildings can be applied to future-proof contemporary structures?

Building bigger doesn’t mean better. For La Serena Villas Hotel, we adhered to the City of PS historical standards and worked with the community on what they see as complementary to their neighborhood. This was a time-consuming effort, but it paid off at the end of the day. The clients were able to meet their profit goal, and it is now a destination.

When approaching a project in a region susceptible to natural disasters (like wildfires or earthquakes, relevant to LA and Aspen), what are some of the “best practices” in resilient design that SUBU prioritizes? Can you share a specific example of how these were integrated?

Be involved in the community and believe in the science. Go beyond what the standards tell you. Educate yourself and the community. When the Palisades Fire happened, I knew that we (architects ) had a role to play. Resilient design does not just involve the building you are designing; resilient design only works when it’s implemented at a community level. I started a blog about how to build back stronger just for my clients, and it spread to helping the community. Sometimes, you just have to start somewhere.

IV. Innovation & The Future of Design

What specific innovations, whether in materials, technology, or design methodology, are you most excited about incorporating into future projects to advance resilient and sustainable design solutions? *

I am most excited about the design methodology of designing back as a fire-resilient community, looking at other communities such as Fire-Safe Marine and IBHS communities.

As an active member of DLN (Design Leadership Network) and AD Pro, what trends or shifts do you foresee in the broader architectural and interior design industry over the next 5-10 years? How is SUBU preparing for these changes?

I see that our design community embraces design more democratically. Design is becoming more accessible due to social media. SUBU is determined to be involved in the community and make design more accessible and inclusive.

For aspiring architects and designers, especially those interested in founding their own practices or focusing on collaborative and narrative-driven design, what is one piece of advice you would offer based on your journey?

Be involved. Listen. And figure out what is best for your client, not your ego.

May Sung, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP+C – PRINCIPAL, SUBU DESIGN ARCHITECTURE

Founded in 2010, the award-winning SUBU Design Architecture is a full-service architecture and interior design practice founded by May Sung, AIA, LEED AP. Since its inception, the firm has developed a reputation for collaborative design. In addition to private custom residences and high-profile commercial projects, SUBU Design Architecture has completed multiple hotel and residential projects in the greater Los Angeles area, South Bay, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Aspen, CO.

As the principal of SUBU Design Architecture, May Sung enjoys the process of working with families, corporations, and individuals to create their dream space. Through her travels, she also understands that there is not a singular aesthetic voice. She strives to bring out the narratives from the Client in order to create a space that will tell the Client’s story, integrating architecture and interior.

She received her Bachelor of Arts with honors from the Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley, and Master of Architecture from the Graduate School of Design, Harvard University. May was also named a Fulbright Fellow to the Hong Kong SAR upon graduation.

Since Hong Kong, she has lived and worked extensively in the Greater Los Angeles Area. Her work in preservation has been recognized by the City of Palm Springs. Her architectural and interior design work has appeared in national and international publications alongside internet design outlets such as Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Luxury, Vogue, Elle Decor, Glocal, Dering Hall, Domino, The Hollywood Reporter, and featured on the covers of LUXE and Southbay Homes. She is also an active member of AIA, DLN (Design Leadership Network), and AD Pro (Architectural Digest Pro).

*Disclaimer: The advice and perspectives shared here belong to the author and should not be considered official recommendations from AIA Los Angeles.