Discussing Design with Herbert Lui, Dexter Moren

Meet Herbert Lui

partner, Dexter Moren Associates

Herbert Lui, partner, Dexter Moren Associates, has extensive experience working on complex mixed-use developments on challenging sites. Along with a strong awareness of stakeholder aspirations, he has a proven ability to convert constraints into opportunities. A graduate of Westminster University and the Architectural Association in London, as well as the National University of Singapore, Herbert joined DMA in 1999 as a project architect and was appointed a partner in 2008.

In 2018 he secured planning consent for the 252-room Bicester Heritage hotel. Located on a former Royal Air Force base in the heart of “motorsport valley”, the property is close to a number of Formula One teams and the Silverstone Circuit.  In November 2019, he achieved consent for the third and final major phase in the refurbishment and expansion of the Mandeville Hotel in Marylebone, London.

Herbert has also brought his hospitality experience into the multi­family residential/private rental sector in London’s Canary Wharf and has been the design leader for several hospitality schemes in North Africa and Nairobi.

What changes do you forecast we will see in the design industry in the years to come?

Environmental concerns and sustainability will be a driving factor. Dexter Moren Associates belongs to Architects Declare, an initiative committed to creating architecture and urbanism that has a more positive impact on the world around us. Careful selection of certified and sustainably sourced materials will be an even greater priority moving forward. This will affect how we build, and indeed, what we build.

Does incorporating public realm into private rental sector and hospitality sites encourage acceptance by a community that may be reluctant to change, and why?     

Enhancing the public realm is integral to the design of all our hospitality projects. Creating places where people want to stay or live is one of Dexter Moren Associates’ core values, and the creation of high-quality outdoor spaces improves the setting of our buildings while also helping regenerate streets. Improving the public realm is a key aspect in planning negotiations as it is a means of giving back to the community. I’m working on a project in the Tooting area of South London where the delivery of a high-quality communal public space has been a key influence on the project. Allowing public access for non-hotel guests is important for encouraging social inclusivity.

You’re a specialist in working on complex mixed-use developments on tricky sites. What’s one of the toughest challenges you’ve had to resolve in your career?

Unlocking value through good design and efficient space planning is the key to whether or not a project progresses beyond the first sketch. I’ve been involved in several projects where clients explored multi-basement hotel developments. Ensuring that the design quality of subterranean hotel rooms is not compromised is a challenge. With our London Road project in the South London area of Croydon, achieving planning consent for circa-600 guest rooms across four underground levels required us to challenge existing perceptions of the locale and win over the authorities through contextually relevant designs that would enhance the neighbourhood.

Is there a product that makes your life as an Architect easier?

A Leica Laser Measure, which takes accurate site measurements and is a lot quicker than a traditional tape measure!

Herbert is one of the prestigious experts invited to join the extraordinary jury for the SBID Product Design Awards, alongside other renowned professionals across industrial and interior design, brand development, architecture, educational research and forward-thinking enterprise.

Click here to view the full judging panel.