In his own home, Chung has paired maple with an Alaskan gloss together with white Cervaiole marble. “The maple is light and creamy and contrasts intriguingly with the aggressive gray veins of the Cervaiole marble. The two materials form a complementary palate and the result is an interesting dialogue between the contrasting elements,” he says. Chung’s approach to design is reflected in his studio’s tagline, “Combining art and purpose,” which reflects his emphasis on the aesthetic quality as well as the functionality of design. “Instructors in architectural schools don’t talk about beauty very much,” he says. “Their teaching is often about big concepts and theories, but rarely about the aesthetic effect of the design.” “Beauty is, of course, subjective, so it’s difficult to talk and teach about it,” he says. “But as designers and architects, we should not ignore it or overlook its importance in our work.” Chung sees beauty as a sensory experience, and notes that true beauty takes advantage of multiple senses. Natural materials can be simultaneously tactile, visual, fragrant, auditory and visceral. “The difference between manufactured building materials and natural materials is not unlike the difference between a Computer-Aided Design (CAD) rendering and a hand-drawn sketch,” Chung says. There is a certain unexpectedness or one-off quality to a hand-drawing that makes it appealing, just as the slight imperfections and irregularities in a piece of wood or natural stone add to its charm and appeal.” “Natural aesthetic qualities just cannot be replicated in manufactured materials, and I think designers and architects will always appreciate that,” he says. “People really do want their surroundings to be beautiful as well as functional and to have that elusive humanistic quality.” IW Stephen Chung, AIA, LEED AP | Boston, MA www.stephenchung.com | www.coolspaces.tv
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