Humbler, Better, Kinder designs.
​
We are a Hong Kong design studio founded by Ketty Shan, a French Polynesian designer. After several years of practice at a major design firm in Hong Kong and completing the first Soho House in Asia as an in-house principal architect, she created Atelier Shan: a design studio that reconnects with the sense of well being, humankind, respect of the user and the building.
Our design aims at being humbler, better, kinder for its natural and social environments.
​
By proceeding with renovations counting as little demolition as possible, we use our creative thinking to balance the existing and new, elevating the site by being fair to its direct surroundings, its cultural context, and humanising it with a warm and sensitive journey through it.
Each project is the support of social interactions, hence, we challenge any design initiative that wouldn’t achieve making people feel good. More than just a built environment, the spaces encourage a sense of collectiveness, whether for a family, a group of friends or a business.
Our message : restoring each place’s sense of humanity in scale, function and time.
Focusing on creating a multi-sensorial experience inspired by the site itself, we push the boundaries of simple space zoning by anticipating end user’s needs.
The site develops as a living substrate for its users, answering morning, day and night programs. Materiality, colour, lighting and furniture are chosen to elevate the site to its full potential : a strong sense of home, a warm welcome, authenticity and identity.
Ketty graduated with a double Master of Architecture and Environmental Engineering in Toulouse, France. She worked as an Architectural Designer at the award-winning practice IO design and as a Design Manager for the Kuala Lumpur-based developer Suezcap.
She came back to Hong Kong as the Principal Architect for Soho House, before founding Atelier Shan.
​
She is a proud role model for Inspiring Girls Hong Kong, a UK based Charity aiming at connecting girls from high school between the ages of 10-18 with female role models from all walks of life and industry backgrounds.
