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“It’s not just a building anymore. One year ago I went to Hong Kong and saw Revery’s work… I believe I saw art.” – Jason Hsu
The story began a year ago when our Founder and CEO Jason Hsu encountered the spectacular XiQu Centre in Hong Kong designed by Revery Architecture (Formerly Bing Thom Architect). Captivated by the Opera House’s striking facade and thoughtful designs that capture the essence of the traditional art form and its surrounding community, Jason was convinced that Revery Architecture is the right partner for Gryphon’s next project to create an inspired living artform in Vancouver.
The XiQu Centre in Hong Kong designed by Revery Architecture.
(Picture taken in 2017 while construction still in progress)
A year later today, a collaboration between Revery Architecture and Gryphon Development is born. It celebrates the start of a new era, a master collaboration where we will work tirelessly towards our common goal: to create architecture that are functional, meaningful, and above all, beautiful.
See below for a Q&A with Gryphon’s Founder and CEO Jason Hsu on his story, the purpose of Atelier Gryphon, and his collaboration with Revery Architecture.
(Left) Jason Hsu – CEO and Founder of Gryphon Development, (Right) Venelin Kokalov – Design Principal of Revery Architecture
Can you tell us a bit about how your background and experience inspired your idea of this recent master collaboration with Revery Architecture?
Jason: For the past 23 years, our parent company JinRay has established a very strong tradition of collaboration, creativity and respect. I am very fortunate to have been taught to be a dreamer, to pursue our dreams, and share them through architectures. I believe that architecture is the foundation of a community and this is why Gryphon sought to work with masters to design and build.
Why are you so passionate about Art? How has it influenced your approach to development?
Jason: I believe art surrounds us, it’s in our everyday life. Therefore we approach our developments with an open mind, like a blank canvas. That’s how we are able to create homes that are truly unique. Our passion for art makes us dream, and dreaming allows us to be original.
What is Atelier Gryphon? And how does it signify your collaboration with Revery Architecture?
Jason: Atelier Gryphon is our collaborative and artist-driven approach to development. It harnesses the potential of artists who are masters in their field, and to celebrate the incredible talents in our city. We believe that dreams are born from these meaningful collaborations, and I’m a dreamer myself.
Revery Architecture has been recognized as masters in their field since the inception by Bing Thom and has worked on numerous local and international projects that are known for the thoughtful design of space. With Revery Architecture leading the way for Atelier Gryphon, we celebrate their talent and our shared vision of creating buildings that are beyond original.
Dreams are born from collaboration – the two teams working together
Why do you believe so much in this collaboration and its respective brief? What do you hope to achieve through this working process with Revery?
Jason: Art and culture shape the well-being of communities and connect people together. Our dream is to create meanings and expressions through art and celebrate a community’s rich history. As a developer, we embrace our values by creating architecture that offers one-of-a-kind living experiences. We hope to inspire our audience by incorporating elements that pay tribute to the community’s history and unique features. We hope this collaboration can help encourage our city to continue to dream and to create.
Describe the working dynamic between both teams? What have been the most illuminating, exciting moments for you?
Jason: In the hands of masters, a home can become a beautiful piece of art. Revery and Gryphon share a common vision to create inspired living art forms. Our visions are rooted in beauty and inspiration, and our goal is to create something exceptional.
Collaborating with Revery Architecture has been an extremely rewarding journey, mainly because we share the same vision. Through sharing and dreaming together, we envision architecture and living spaces that our future residents and neighbours will truly enjoy and embrace. Some of the most fulfilling moments are when we achieve something totally unexpected as a result of honest communication. As we try to mix the two teams’ experiences together, a very unique blend of new meaningful concepts emerged. That’s the beauty of working with masters, they inspire us to dream.
When you imagine the resulting living experience for homeowners, what do you see? What are the motivations and passions of the inhabitants of this building and community?
Jason: I believe thoughtful architecture changes the way we live and interact in very subtle ways. My dream is for our development to do that in a very purposeful way, not only for our residents but also the people that reside in the community. When it comes to our homes and community, I believe people deserve something beyond the obvious and original. I believe in enriching the living experience through thoughtful and beautiful designs.
To learn more about our master collaboration with Revery Architecture, click here to see our collaboration video.
Stay tuned for our next blog post as we engage in a conversation with the Design Principal of Revery Architecture, Venelin Kokalov, to chat about our upcoming collaboration.
