2015.048.017 The Family Journey of William Louie
This interview follows the life and career of William Louie, an esteemed Chinese-American architect heading Kohn Pederson Fox Associates, a leading global urban architectural firm originally based in New York. A native of the city, he grew up between his family laundry in Southern Bronx and the Lee family association in Chinatown, during which he attended both public school and Chinese school from a young age. He went on to train at the Institute of Design and Construction, where he was recruited into an architectural firm as a draftsman, and met the group of esteemed fellows who would then found KPF several years later. Now a design architect, he has directed projects all over the world, from his hometown of New York, to Hong Kong, and to Brazil. Bill has spearheaded KPF entry into the Asia market, which as of today, totals 50% of the firm’s revenue. While he stays humble, attributing much of his success to his parents and his wife encouragement, Bill has made tremendous contributions to the urban architectural landscapes of major cities across the globe.

0:00 - Introductions, father arriving in America from Toisan in the 1930s, mother’s arrival in the US in 1937, parents working in a laundry in the south Bronx, racial makeup of the neighborhood, meeting his wife at a bowling alley in his teens, joining the school band, going to Harren high school, deciding to study architecture. 背景介绍,父亲于1930年代从台山到达美国,母亲于1937年到达美国,父母在布朗克斯南部的一家洗衣店工作,附近的种族构成,十几岁时在保龄球馆遇到妻子,加入了学校乐队,在哈伦高中读书,决定学习建筑。

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17:41 - Interactions with the Toisan community during his youth, weekly excursions to Chinatown, relationship with his siblings. 青年时期与台山社区的互动,唐人街的每周之行,与他的兄弟姐妹的关系。

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28:00 - Family work in the laundry, life living behind the laundry, passion for drawing, going to the Institute of Design and Construction (now defunct), working as a draftsman in 1961, going to City college. 洗衣房里的家庭工作,在洗衣房后面居住的生活,对绘画的热情,去设计和建筑学院(现已不复存在)读书,1961年以绘图员的身份工作,去城市大学读书。

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44:10 - Thoughts on his parents philosophy in raising him, meeting Gene Kohn and Bill Pendersen (architects), aspiration to be an architect of big buildings, professional relationship with his wife, his wife’s journey into the field of architecture. 对他的父母养育他的哲学的思考,结识吉恩·科恩(Gene Kohn)和比尔·彭德森(Bill Pendersen)(建筑师),渴望成为大型建筑的建筑师,与妻子建立专业关系,妻子进入建筑领域之路。

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53:30 - Moving to grand concourse in the Bronx after getting married (1964), moving to Chatham towers in the 1970s, being on the board of Chatham towers, language spoken at home, Early career at KPF. 1964年结婚后搬到布朗克斯大广场,1970年代搬到查塔姆大厦,是查塔姆大厦的董事会成员,在家中使用的语言,在KPF建筑公司的早期职业生涯。

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62:38 - International work for KPF (Jakarta, Sydney, China), working in China as a Chinese American, how being Chinese American affected his career. 在KPF的国际工作(雅加达、悉尼、中国),以华裔美国人的身份在中国工作,作为华裔美国人如何影响他的职业生涯。

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72:12 - Architecture design philosophy, differences in designing in New York City as opposed to China, passing the torch to younger partners at KPF, advice for young architects, contributions to expanding KPF into the Asian market, racial diversity at KPF, thoughts on Manhattan’s Chinatown, his own racial identity, optimistic demeanor. 建筑设计理念,与中国相对的纽约市设计差异,将火炬传递给KPF的年轻合作伙伴,对年轻建筑师的建议,对KPF拓展到亚洲市场的贡献,KPF的种族多样性,对曼哈顿唐人街的想法,他的自我种族身份认同,乐观的举止。

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