OWIU puts craft and wellbeing at the forefront if its California practice
Los Angeles’ OWIU – whose practice spans from architecture to pottery – features in our series on emerging California studios
OWIU (an abbreviation for ‘only way is up’) was founded by Joel Wong and Amanda Gunwan in 2018. Since its inception, the boutique firm (which started with its two founders as its only employees and now has a staff of 15) puts craftsmanship and wellbeing at the core of its approach, encompassing a construction arm within its business to celebrate the process of making as a central element in design and architecture.
OWIU: projects and narratives
This focus on quality, texture and meaning extends to the type of work the pair choses to embark on. ‘We like projects that are on sites with rich history. In the same way, we love clients whose brands and identities have strong narratives and convictions behind them. Having a rich narrative really fuels the design,’ say Wong and Gunwan.
A key example of this is one of their ongoing projects, the renovation of a Ray Kappe-designed home. ‘When we started this project, we really wanted to take the time to study the existing DNA of this house and learn about how Kappe designed it,’ the team explains. ‘Why he chose to make certain design decisions and the intention behind the existing structure. We then worked to add in our footprint, with the intention to improve [the property’s] current state while rendering it still relevant to present times.’
OWIU’s sensibility, centred on craft and materiality, can be applied to the smaller scale too, as the studio recently launched OWIU Goods, a line of ceramics, made by its own team in Los Angeles. The idea was born during the pandemic, when the founders gifted their employees a pottery studio membership as a way to bolster morale and support mental health.
‘The team enjoyed producing so much that in late 2022 we formally launched a shop carrying the pieces,’ say Wong and Gunawan. ‘It was very organic and unplanned but also surreal that we have graduated from that studio membership and now have a facility of our own and a team of potters.'
'We are still extremely involved and still very much make a lot of the pieces. Having a product line as well as an architecture firm has enabled us to learn how to shift from a micro lens to a macro lens.’ A line of furniture is now also in the works.
This piece is part of our January issue's profile series of emerging California studios in the architecture and spatial realm. The January 2024 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
A new limited-edition Rhodes piano and Gibson doubleneck guitar aim for the stars
The new Rhodes Mk8 Earth Edition piano and Gibson Jimmy Page EDS-1275 Doubleneck guitar revisit classic instruments at a price
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The new interior design trends we spotted at Salone del Mobile 2024
These are the interior design trends to look out for in 2024 and beyond, from soft upholstery to conversation pits and low dining
By Rosa Bertoli Published
-
Tiffany & Co nods to its theatrical history with a surreal new campaign
Tiffany & Co campaign ‘With Love, Since 1837’ sees Dan Tobin Smith and set designer Rachel Thomas create an offbeat set
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Shigeru Ban’s mini Paper Log House welcomed at The Glass House
'Shigeru Ban: The Paper Log House' is shown at The Glass House in New Canaan, USA as the house museum of American architect Philip Johnson plays host to the Japanese architect’s model temporary home concept
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Ray Phoenix to rise in Arizona
Ray Phoenix housing project launches, designed by Johnston Marklee, who worked with Lamar Johnson Collaborative, for property experts Ray and Vela
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A low-energy farmhouse provides a rural escape in North Carolina
This low-energy farmhouse is a net zero architectural re-set for a Californian client, an East Coast relocation for a more engaged and low-key lifestyle
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A Petra Island house rises from Frank Lloyd Wright's original drawings
Based on Frank Lloyd Wright drawings, the cantilevering Petra Island Massaro House, located in New York’s Hudson Valley, is now open to visitors
By Craig Kellogg Published
-
An Upper West Side apartment by General Assembly nods to its history
An Upper West Side apartment in New York, born out of the reimagining of two neighbouring units, is refreshed by General Assembly for a young family
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
New York's Leica store echoes the brand's blend of heritage and innovation
Leica store throws open its doors in New York's Meatpacking District, courtesy of Brooklyn based Format Architecture Office
By Adrian Madlener Published
-
Hudson Valley Residence is a low-lying retreat that seamlessly blends into the horizon
Designed by HGX Design, Hudson Valley Residence is a scenic home offering unobstructed views across the Catskill Mountains in Upstate New York
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Boise Passive House’s bold gestures support an environmentally friendly design
Boise Passive House by Haas Architecture combines sleek, contemporary design and environmental efficiency
By Ellie Stathaki Published