Laurence Liauw is principal director of SPADA Ltd, and associate professor (part-time) at The University of Hong Kong, teaching Masters of Urban Design. An ex-investment banker, he has practiced over the past 18 years as a registered architect (in the UK and HK), a professional urban designer, and a strategic development consultant in the UK, Malaysia, mainland China, and Hong Kong.
Graduating from the Architectural Association in London and City University in London, he has established research expertise in China’s urbanization, strategic planning, and urban design, leading to his 2008 publication AD: New Urban China.
Recent professional projects have focused on central axis master planning, international financial CBD districts, academic-technology campuses, aviation cities, arts and cultural buildings, and integrated healthcare hospitality.
Liauw was a creative team member for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo Shenzhen Pavilion, and an exhibitor at the 2006 Venice Architecture Biennale. He has lectured widely on design and urban development, including at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, Columbia University, UCL’s Bartlett School, the Architectural Association School, and Tsinghua University.