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Fu-Tung Cheng

House 7 Stairs | Sideview | CHENG Design | sustainable, emotional, timeless design
DesignFood for thought

FLOATING CONCRETE: Stairway at House 7

I'm standing in the foyer lobby of the house . Finally, here, I was able to utilize all these different experiences of working with finished concrete in a super-engineered sculptural way in this staircase. For myself, being so involved with concrete for so long, for so many years, this is the pièce de résistance of sculpture and function all coming together in one fell swoop. Each one of these treads weighs approximately 250 pounds. They were "sledded" in on tracks. The guys moved each tread and slid it on so…
Fu-Tung Cheng
August 20, 2015
Warrior | ART-BREAK: Terracotta Warriors
Food for thought

ART-BREAK: Terracotta Warriors

I played hooky from the office one Friday with my 14 year-old daughter. She was on school break. It was impulsive, but I was warned: you only have these waning, fleeting, post-pubescent days as a father to leave a lasting impression. So we went together, on a sunny San Francisco (!) morning to see the opening of the Soldiers of the Qin Emperor exhibit, where a few of the 7000 life-sized terracotta soldiers have been transported from the tomb in Xian, China, to the Asian Art Museum downtown. Before Rome…
Fu-Tung Cheng
July 28, 2015
Hogan/Mayo House 3 Project, Del Mar, CA 1996 Designer: Fu-Tung Cheng
Food for thought

Imitation can be the Highest Form of Efficiency

It’s a fool’s errand to try to compete with, or imitate, Nature. Our gut-level, natural design instincts can sniff out most tacky attempts at imitation. Faux “cultured” marble, stamped concrete flagstone, and plastic roses are no substitute for the real thing. We may momentarily be fooled, but like sugar-and-salt-loaded fast food, they are full of empty calories. On the other hand, it’s foolish not to emulate, if not copy, something made by a craftsman, artist or innovator who may have spent years researching and perfecting a look that you admire––especially…
Fu-Tung Cheng
June 30, 2015
ShapeCrete wins Dwell on Design 2015 - Best Design Material
Awards

ShapeCrete wins Dwell on Design 2015 – Best Design Material

We are excited to announce that ShapeCrete wins Dwell on Design 2015 - Best Design Material! At the 10th annual Dwell on Design show held in Los Angeles May 29-31, over 32,000 people crowded the Los Angeles Convention Center to check out the largest exhibition of current and future trends in architecture, interior design and landscaping. A panel of esteemed jurors combed the show floor to recognize extraordinary exhibitors in 10 separate categories. ShapeCrete wins Best Design Material in its inaugural year and we are very proud to share the…
Fu-Tung Cheng
May 31, 2015
Tiburon House - Hand Drawing | CHENG Design
Food for thought

ARTFUL DEBATE: Hand vs. Computer Drawing

A response to Enzo Tessitore's editorial on Hand vs. Computer Drawing: A Student’s Opinion for design purposes in architecture. Instant disclosure: I have no training or experience working as a designer with CAD programs. However, I have worked out design problems looking over the shoulder of CAD literate associates at the monitor and found it a most useful and very efficient tool. Tiburon House, Computer Perspective. 2013 Copyright by CHENG Design   The touch-points of technology and human culture have fused into one another in the digital age like no…
Fu-Tung Cheng
April 28, 2015
San Francisco High-Rise Remodel - Kitchen | CHENG Design
Project Profile

PROJECT PROFILE: San Francisco High-Rise

Fu-Tung Cheng and his design team were asked to bring a fresh perspective to an otherwise traditional, high-rise condominium remodel located in the heart of downtown San Francisco. The main goal of the project was to combine two units into one view-studded home. Areas redesigned included the entry foyer, kitchen, bath, and creating a new master wing with bedroom, bathroom, library and walk-in closets. Project Scope: Remodel of a high-rise luxury condominium Building Materials Highlights: Reclaimed koa, river-washed granite, raw steel, 3form translucent panels, custom ceramic tile, Mexican pebble tile,…
Fu-Tung Cheng
March 15, 2015
California Academy of Sciences Donor Wall | CHENG Design
Project Profile

PROJECT PROFILE: California Academy of Sciences Donor Wall

The California Academy of Sciences (CAS) is one of the largest museums of natural history in the world. Located in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, it was originally founded in 1853 as a learned society, where volumes of original research continue today. Diverse education and dynamic exhibits have also become part of the museum’s growing legacy. During the museum’s rebuild in 2007-2008, Fu-Tung Cheng was approached by Pentagram, the world’s largest independent design firms, to consult on the exterior signage for CAS’s new logo and the possibility of creating it…
Fu-Tung Cheng
February 15, 2015
Ketchum Interior | CHENG Design
Project Profile

PROJECT PROFILE: Ketchum Interior

With limited natural light, the challenge for this three-story vacation townhome—nestled into the Ketchum, ID, mountainside—was to create a warm, modern interior that would integrate with the existing stone-clad regional architecture. For warmth in both look and feel, the main level features articulated radiant-heated concrete floors with inlaid stones, fossils, and copper strips. The fireplace hearths in the Great Room and Master Bedrooms were site-cast using the CHENG Geocrete finish method, while some fireplace surrounds were made with pre-cast concrete panels that feature a “wood-board” effect creating a textured, three-dimensional…
Fu-Tung Cheng
January 15, 2015
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