5 Questions With Davin Hong, Design Principal at Hanbury
“5 Questions With…” is a recurring BioBuzz series where we reach out to interesting people to share a little about themselves, their work, and maybe something completely unrelated. This week we welcome Davin Hong, Design Principal at Hanbury,
Davin is a design principal at Hanbury’s Baltimore office. He is an architect, planner and urban designer recognized as a thought leader, promoting innovative design solutions to address issues of equity, economy, and environment. Davin is experienced with projects of varying scales and complexity. He has an award-winning portfolio of various project types including federal, institutional, cultural, corporate and commercial types. As a planner, Davin has led in neighborhood plans, campus master plans, development plans and city-wide plans. He has led design for major science and technology projects, including the Food and Drug Administration Headquarters in White Oak.
Davin’s design approach places particular emphasis on the creation of vibrant public spaces. Fundamental to his design philosophy is a belief that good design can create better communities and social interactions. As an urban designer and architect, he considers the importance of utilizing both indoor and outdoor environments to foster healthy and active lifestyles. As such, in every project, he seeks to uncover new opportunities to program buildings to be flexible, dynamic, useful and engaging. In his design approach, he works closely with clients to provide the best solutions for their unique challenges. Through in-depth investigation rooted in careful observation, research, and analysis, he works to go beyond presuppositions to help clients define their goals and make informed decisions.
1) Please introduce yourself to our audience by looking back at your education, training, and career.
Since graduating from Rice University and the Harvard Graduate School of Design, I have endeavored to gather the most diverse experience possible while working at world-class design firms. In my career path, I sought out important projects and dynamic teams to work with, always seeking new experiences that diversify my portfolio. As a result I have developed as a jack-of-all-trades when it comes to design, able to apply a thoughtful design methodology to any project type.
I have had the privilege of designing everything from laboratories to cities. Through my career, I have come to understand that while issues and themes vary between projects, the process of design thinking is very much the same. Design is fundamentally a process of complex problem-solving. If the problem is carefully defined with relevant issues identified, a thoughtful design process will naturally lead to the right solution.
2) Looking at your career path, you’ve been in the architecture industry for some time now. What are some habits you learned early on that you continue to hone and implement?
I’ve been in the industry for about 25 years, but I learned my most important lessons early on. That is, I learned that my success is tied to the success of those around me. As a young designer, I saw that if I focus on helping my managers succeed, I would succeed. This is a lesson I have carried throughout my career and which I now apply to how I work with clients. I always seek to understand how my clients define success in whatever project they’re working on. From this, I work to make them successful by delivering projects that meet their goals.
Fundamentally, architecture is a service profession. Over the years, I have grown to really take this to heart. As an architect, I see my role as a servant to clients and community. So, in the most basic terms, I work to fix, resolve and improve the built environment for the betterment of people and planet.
3) You are a newer addition to the Hanbury team, having joined July of 2022. What are some of the qualities that they have as an employer that persuaded you to work there?
From the onset, I was impressed by Hanbury’s values and priorities. Namely, Hanbury puts people first, both in terms of service to clients and in terms of workplace culture. In terms of service to clients, Hanbury is very attentive and responsive. There is an authenticity to their approach, working closely with clients as active participants. I saw this in how Hanbury staffs its projects. The company draws upon its best talent matching whatever needs to ensure projects are successful.
In terms of workplace, Hanbury is a wonderfully stimulating community of extremely talented people. Such an environment cannot happen by accident. Rather, it takes intentionality and prioritization to build a culture of creativity. I’m happy to work in a firm that takes its culture seriously, cultivating it over years to build Hanbury into the powerhouse of talent it is today.
4) What are some existing differentiators and/or upcoming initiatives that you’re excited to see coming down the pipeline at Hanbury?
I’m excited that Hanbury has established a presence in Maryland with its new Baltimore office. Hanbury is already a recognized leader in science and technology in Virginia and the Carolinas (and elsewhere). Planting an office in Baltimore expands its market reach and better serves its clients. Hanbury brings its attention to service and nimble approach to contribute a new level of service to life sciences architecture and planning in Maryland.
With its exceptional team and depth of experience, Hanbury is positioned to become a major player in the region. I’m excited to be a part of it.
5) If you could time travel and visit anyone, present or future, who would you choose and why?
I know it sounds funny, but if I had the ability to travel through time and visit whomever I wish, I would visit my middle-schooled self. I would do so to give myself a good talking-to, and to tell myself that it’s going to be ok. I’d tell myself that I don’t need to be so self-conscious, that nobody cares about that time (or those times) I embarrassed myself. I would say that life is short and life is precious, not for the things we may or may not achieve, but for the people we may or may not know.
I would advise my young, so very clueless self, that what really matters is how I treat the people around me, that it is worth investing in people, and that life’s experiences are meant to be shared. I would say that things are going to turn out fine, so don’t fret and just live life to the fullest. And ask Jenny Pickle out on a date!
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