Richards Basmajian

08/10/2026

RICHARDS BASMAJIAN: The First 40 Years | Chapter One: 1987 to 1996

​
Forty years ago, the idea of setting up our own design practice seemed like a sound one. How hard could it be?
​

From a flash of inspiration in the summer of 1986, plans proceeded apace and, by the beginning of the new year, we were up and running in our own studio with the first few completed projects soon to follow.

​
Four decades, a significant body of work and 38 Design Awards later, we are pleased to present projects from each of our first 40 years that highlight the scale, diversity and quality of our portfolio.
​

We will be uploading these in four tranches, each covering a decade. We begin with the first 10 years, 1987 to 1996 which included everything from an American style diner in Lan Kwai Fong to an airline ticketing office, law firms and multi-national corporations, to a bespoke business centre and a banquet hall in Singapore. Along the way, we also provided the interior design for the government agency charged with bringing to fruition Hong Kong’s new airport at Chek Lap Kok.
​

www.rb.com.hk

15/07/2026

Ropes & Gray 2.0

Our first project for American law firm Ropes & Gray was completed in 2018 when we were appointed for their move to a high floor of One Exchange Square.

Seven years later, the opportunity arose for them to relocate to a slightly lower floor in the sister building, Two Exchange Square, with, remarkably, better views to Victoria Harbour and the surrounding downtown Hong Kong neighborhood.

The same team that completed the earlier project was involved again, but the brief differed somewhat this time around: the emphasis was on spatially connecting the large Staff Café and the Front of House, with a Client Lounge in between.

Carried out on a Design + Build basis over three months to achieve Practical Completion and move-in before the 2026 Chinese New Year Holiday, a relatively short period of six weeks was allowed, up front, for design and documentation. It was determined early on that most of the firm’s system furniture and Front of House meeting tables / chairs could be re-used, as could many of the proprietary double-glazed doors from the vacated premises. These two moves alone achieved a large saving in the overall cost of the relocation.

09/04/2025

PCFB

The Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board (PCFB), a Hong Kong statutory body, provides a platform for compensation, rehabilitation, and prevention of pneumoconiosis and mesothelioma, aiming to improve the well-being of patients, the workforce in related industries, and society as a whole.

Pneumoconiosis

is fibrosis of the lungs due to dust of free silica or dust containing free silica, whether or not such disease is accompanied by tuberculosis of the lungs, or any other disease of the pulmonary or respiratory organs caused by exposure to such dust;

or

fibrosis of the lungs due to dust of asbestosis or dust containing asbestos, whether or not such disease is accompanied by tuberculosis of the lungs, or any other disease caused by exposure to such dust

Mesothelioma
is a primary malignant neoplasm of the mesothelial tissue due to dust of asbestos or dust containing asbestos, whether or not such disease is accompanied by tuberculosis of the lungs or by any other disease caused by exposure to such dust

To emphasise the organisation’s accessibility to the public, their new reception area was designed to be very open and welcoming, including "door free" access since some visitors arrive in wheelchairs.

Targeted to achieve a Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) Beam Plus - Platinum Rating, the new office includes the following features, in addition to the use of low VOC construction materials and the re-use of PCFB furniture and base building ceiling tiles:

* LED lighting
* Fan coil units with timer controls
* Water saving faucets
* Energy star electrical appliances
* Dedicated recycling bins
* Smart meters to monitor energy use
* Height adjustable work-desks
* Ceiling fans
* IAQ sensors
* Green walls and interior planting

The PCFB encouraged the design of a spacious café to ensure staff well-being during working hours and to provide a relaxing environment for meetings with patients, business partners and vendors. The deliberate use of many different materials, textures and colours energises the atmosphere and suggests an optimistic future for visiting patients.

One corner of the building’s floor-plate closely resembles the shape of the PCFB 45th Anniversary logo – itself approximating human lungs - and became the obvious location for the Conference Room, where board meetings and tender interviews are held.

28/01/2025

13/09/2024

Dah Sing Bank - Chong Yip Street

Our second project for Dah Sing Bank, the Happy Valley Branch, was finished last year - and the third, on Chong Yip Street in Kwun Tong, recently celebrated its Grand Opening and is pictured here.

Although slightly larger, at 3,730 net square feet, than the main branch on Des Voeux Road, there is only one narrow frontage on Chong Yip Street. The space becomes wider as it extends through the block, however, and was easily able to accommodate a much larger SME Centre than in Central, in recognition of Kwun Tong's rising status as Hong Kong's CBD2.

Additionally, there is space for five tellers, Customer Service Officers, Meeting Rooms and a VIP Zone.

As with all branches, a similar palette of materials has been used to define the Banking Hall and the High Net Worth areas. There are some new twists in the use of wall sconces and, strikingly, in ceiling light fixtures and wall-mounted moss tile features - both of which make reference to the Dah Sing Bank logo of the character 大 defined by the colourful rectangles with round ends, above and below.

As with all Dah Sing Bank branches, environmentally friendly materials that have been recycled, are recyclable - or both - have been used wherever possible throughout the new premises.

16/08/2024

Prudential - Airside

The new Prudential Airside office at Kai Tak occupies a single floor of 40,000 square feet, and was fitted out on a fast-track Design + Build basis in early 2024.

The two major business components that make up the premises are an Agency Office for up to 500 staff, and the Front-of-House, comprising:

- A 300-seat Auditorium
- PRUVenture - for recruiting new talent
- Training Rooms
- The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) Centre

This latter space is reserved for those Prudential agents who have successfully sold the most valuable policies - and for their clients - and all of the areas noted above are pictured here.

The overall feel of the new space is deliberately youthful, organic and garden-like. There are almost no straight lines in the public areas, rather, there are many references to picturesque landscapes, forests and the natural world - even the connections between spaces are made through arches rather than rectangular openings in the partitions and walls.

Wherever possible, timber or timber-grained materials have been used, wall-coverings and colours are fresh, and carpet patterns evoke paths crossing over one another, signifying the "paths not taken".

The project integrated ESG principles by utilising recycled, recyclable or otherwise sustainable materials throughout. An excellent example of this is in the PRUVenture space, where we partnered with HK Timber Bank to create a feature wall / map of Kowloon City with wood sourced solely from trees felled by typhoons. This established a prominent, IG-worthy photo backdrop that simultaneously draws attention to the significance of environmental conservation and helps raise public awareness of ecological issues.



www.rb.com.hk

18/07/2024

Shaw Creative Hub in Action

In our 2022|Q2 Newsletter, we introduced the Shaw Creative Hub, an incubation environment for film industry start-ups within the Shaw Brothers Studios in East Kowloon. Designed to provide space, support and backup technical facilities, the Hub gives inspiration to the next generation of film-makers in Hong Kong.

Two years on and we look at how students and aspiring writers, directors, production teams and actors make full use of the available space and resources.

See more: https://rb.com.hk/portfolio-item/shaw-creative-hub/

28/06/2024

Office Pin Up

Last week we held one of our regular Pin Ups so the entire staff could see what each of the other teams has been doing, what has been built and what's still on the boards - in progress. Food and beverages were brought in and it was "pencils down" at 5:00 on Friday. These few photos will give you a better idea of the event.

26/06/2024

Dah Sing Bank - Central

In the redesign of the Dah Sing Bank Central Branch, we sought to create a welcoming pavilion to stand out at the busy intersection of Pedder Street and Des Voeux Road.

It was essential to provide a warm and convivial atmosphere for customers, and to link together six banking zones in a fluid, continuous manner – as opposed to the previous hub + spoke arrangement:

• Interactive Zone
• Customer Service
• General Banking
• VIP Banking
• SME Banking
• ATM Zone

Both interactive and sit-down teller counters are provided for wheelchair users or elderly, and the Bank continues to make use of the handy lay-by on Pedder Street where VIP customers can be dropped off and picked up near the existing side entry.

Barrier Free Access (BFA) is provided for wheelchair users at the north side of Worldwide House, from where customers can reach both the ATM zone and SME entrance.

The Grand Opening was held on 19 September 2023.

www.rb.com.hk