Mission

Italo Calvino once observed, "The city does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand." Yet, wandering around different cities, we see the rapid development of new highrises and modernist buildings, yet at the same time, witness the encroaching threat of architectural homogenization: uniform high-density blocks replace kampong homes; hutongs yield to generic, curtain-like towers; and sterile malls supplant Cha Chaan Tengs and wet markets. In an era where globalization rapidly transforms the built environment, architecture stands at the intersection of history, culture, and progress, while confronting the demands of modern life.

Precedent and Praxis is a platform that uncovers the nuances of architecture, by analyzing design through the dual lenses of history and culture,  investigating precedents, methodologies, and the cultural DNA embedded within distinctive built environments.

Atami, House renovation project, Hinoki Wood

Repurposed Shoji Rails, Atami

About the author

Currently a senior at Hong Kong International School, Benji has long been fascinated by architecture, design, and historical and cultural narratives surrounding architecture. As an aspiring architect, he hopes to bridge design, history, and cultural identity through architecture. 

During his internship at a Japanese architectural firm, Benji was able to witness the power of architecture in preserving both historical and human narratives through a historical preservation project. Since then, he has conducted various research projects, investigating how architecture serves as a cultural archive while responding to human needs. His research with Columbia professor Albena Yaneva on Hong Kong public housing employed ethnographic mapping, interviews, and floor plan analysis, culminating in a conference presentation in Kyoto. He has also published papers on the demographic effects of restrictive housing policy in Hong Kong in comparison to Singapore and other regions. He has also explored design practice through pre-college study at Cooper Union and Carnegie Mellon and through hands-on architectural internship work in Japan. 

Benji created Precedent and Praxis as a way to connect others to history and design through architecture, through discussion and documentation of architecture in a holistic way. 

CMU Pre-College with Professor Tommy Yang!

Working in the studio

House renovation, internship 2024

Site visit, Internship 2024