David Ling

David Ling
You know when i moved in, and made this leap of faith in 2000 and bought this place. And it is of over-whelming of volume, this huge building for me, at the time i was actually confronted by actually, what am i actually going to do with this place. It was actually a challenge because it meant its exposing your personality, because its almost an autobiographical spatial story, and there were tweaks, i froze the first winter because i didn't like the look of the radiators, after turning blue i decided to turn the radiators back. So its a kind of weird functional kind of compromises to straight to be able to live.


I enjoy the sort of live work aspect of it because its the kind of aspect i work any ways. because there isn't much separation from the way i live and the way i work. the way i see my life is through my design career, the people i meet and the friends i make. so i see this lift a kind of lab of sorts. its things i would do to myself that i would be hesitant to do to my client.



in this particular house which was a old dental factory built in the 1880, i wanted to keep the original shells as a raw as possible. i was educated in a Europe and had a lot of chances to see a lot of castles and medieval buildings in German and Italy. And was inspired by the rustication and rawness of the stone work.
I retained the masonry openings, god rid of windows and crammed glass, so you can see the guts of the building. The contrast overlay of old and new and the layering of history is in the ceiling area, where i have this sheet rock ceiling and 19th century exposed beams . i enjoy the layering of history and contrast.

I'm interested in juxtaposing 'wholer' differences in every really the materiality the rough versus the smooth, the cold versus the warm, curve versus straight. In the contrast and the tension between these opposites. I get a kick out of intervals that age and acquire. I freak out when there is a first crack of paint or the first paint peels off, but then it acquire a life of itself. and its kind of challenged to accept change and accident, love this space and i cant see myself moving out of it. i could evolve the space as my needs change. think a space should be able to do that. I still think this is pretty much home. i want to keep producing my work and say things that have never been said before in a timeless way.

Informed by a multi-cultural background, nurtured in the US, formed in Europe and with an umbilical cord still attached to china, David Ling founded David Ling Architects in 1992. After training as an associate with Richard Meler, I.m. Pei, and Emillo Ambasz, Ling established an international practice in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Composed of exhibition spaces, creative offices, high-end retail, high end residences and institutional spaces Ling's work has received numerous international awards such as the Interior Magazine's Future Furniture Awards and Kitchen and Bath Designer Leader Award, Municipal Arts Society's National Design Award, architectural Bienal Miami + Beach Gold and Silver medals, Benjamin Moore;s Hue Awards for Best Residential Interiors, London's Design Partnership Award for Best Retail Design and Best in Show ICFF and London's Grosvernor House Antiques Fair. Ling's international press includes the New York Tines, Interior Design, Interiors, House and Garden, Elle Decor, Metropolitan Home, Dwell Wallpaper, Arte, Dwell Video, Casa da Abitare, Interni, Architektur und Wohnen, Frankfuter....etc

Ling's Clients list includes Alberta Ferretti, Stece Wynn, Aaliyah, Blue Man Group, Sade's Band leader, Janet....etc

Ling has held teaching positions at Parson School of Design and University of Nuremburg and has served on design juries at Interiors Magazine, Harvard Graduate School of Design, Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

The Essence of Ling's Architecture is the artistic intergration of space, form, light and function enriched by materiality. As all projects are treated as unique, so too is Ling's creative vocabulary, tailored to diverse clients, sites, budgets and programmes. Ling's approach is a sculpted choreography of opposites, forming a dialogue of interlocking spaces and forms articulated in a crafted use of materials, ennobling space and form through materiality and light.

David Ling's ultimate goal is to create something never said before, in a timeless manner.