Kristy Thu

Driven by a deep appreciation for art and aesthetics, Kristy approaches design with a passionate desire to transform spaces into inspiring environments that harmonize functionality and beauty. Since young, she has always been amused by how certain spaces evoke emotions in a person which led to her design philosophy of believing that good design is about creating a feeling. Born and raised in Burma and later finding a second home in Los Angeles, she is influenced by many different cultures that inspire her. From traditions and intricate designs in Burma to diverse, modern, and urban scenes in Los Angeles, her designs embody an interplay of textures, colors, and spatial arrangements. As a proactive learner, she is always observing her surroundings to pick up new design language, forms, and patterns that blends in the everyday life. Through concepts and creative problem solving, she aims to design spaces that evoke a sense of cultural nostalgia and modern sophistication. Outside of her design pursuits, she enjoys exploring coffee shops and observing nature’s landscapes, architecture, and graphic design.

KANSO Plaza

KANSO- meaning simplicity is a multipurpose building located in downtown San Jose with residential floors as well as office spaces. The goal of this project was to design the lobby and the mezzanine level which is open to the public to attract the crowd and create more revenue for the building. The lobby space is designed with a retail and bar space to welcome in users with the use of natural materials to highlight an inside-outside connection. Accents of gold are used to elevate the space and make the space feel more luxurious.

Hospitality

MURUS Art Center

Located in the Carabanchel neighborhood of Madrid, Spain, MURUS is a modern art center that celebrates and educates various street art. To change the stigma around graffiti and street art found on the streets of Madrid, MURUS brings the public as well as artists together to collaborate, showcase, share, and chat about graffiti and street art. With exhibition spaces, workshops, and demonstration areas, the center offers various programs of activities and events to attract visitors.

Cultural Center

WUJI

Wuji translates to encapsulating a state of absolute emptiness, boundlessness - a blank canvas awaiting infinite potential and creativity. Located in San Jose, California, Wuji serves as a workshop residence serving as a mixed used space where visitors come to work, learn, collaborate, get inspired, and relax. It consists of a workshop space where occasional art education classes and artist residency occurs, a courtyard for the inside outside connection, meeting room and offices for business purposes, a dinette lounge area for coffee breaks, and an art gallery that flows throughout the whole ground level. Wuji encourages us to tap into the vase reservoir of creativity within ourselves and draw inspiration from natural rhythms of nature, which can be found throughout the space with indoor courtyards, and light and shadow play.

Mixed-use Art Workshop

GLOSSIER

The challenge of this project was to design the mezzanine level of a mixed use building to be a pop-up retail space. With Glossier as the client, the space is designed with playful curves and hues of pink to reflect the brand’s image. A custom tile was developed in the process of designing the space by using an arch as an inspiration and adding whimsical colors to keep it playful and fun. This space is designed to provide a holistic experience of youth and playfulness to reflect the brand’s identity through its colors, materials, furniture and architectural elements.

Retail (Pop-up Store)