Multi-faceted creative entrepreneur Dara Huang’s design ethos centres on creating projects and spaces that make you feel.
The daughter of a scientist who emigrated from Taiwan to the United States to work for NASA, Dara has lived in places like Tokyo, Basel and New York City. This multicultural background reflects in her work, as does her love of contemporary art, pop culture, and technology.
After graduating from Harvard, Dara interned at Herzog de Meuron in Basel and later took a junior design position at Foster + Partners in London, before launching her own practice in 2013.
She learned how to run an architecture firm from scratch and as the studio gained traction she hired a CEO and a management team that could guide DH Liberty’s growth behind the scenes. In addition to strategy and degrees, it is Dara’s intuition for how design should perform that has guided the studio’s vision. “Design is such an esoteric sector,” she says. “It’s all about passion and feelings and then, what looks good. It’s not just about the building. It’s about the life the building creates.”
A mentor to young women architects and designers, Dara has actively championed diversity and inclusivity in her studio and through her work. This humanist approach to design also informs the work environment at DH Liberty. “I put all sorts of energy into taking care of my company and now my company is taking care of me,” she says. “People need to be able to take care of themselves.”
With over 400 projects in various stages of completion around the world and clients such as Emaar, LVMH and The Four Seasons, Dara’s empathetic way of design and business is paying off. With DH Liberty on the path of becoming a global design powerhouse, she has set her sight on a new venture: pop-up homes.
She recently announced the launch of Viavhouse, a concept that promises to transform disused commercial spaces into co-living units.
Dara will be speaking in the Middle East for the first time, as part of The Forum at Downtown Design during Dubai Design Week, for more information please visit https://www.downtowndesign.com/