Australian designer HY William Chan has been named on the “30 Under 30 – Asia” list published annually by international business magazine Forbes.
The list celebrates people under the age of 30 who are “game changers” in their field.
Chan, who works for Cox Architecture, was listed under the “Industry, Manufacturing and Energy” subcategory and is the only honouree currently working in architecture.
Rana Wehbe, Forbes Asia editor, said the list recognized “inspiring game-changers like William who are disrupting their sectors and not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”
Patrick Ness, executive chairman of Cox Architecture, said, “As a design practice that is driven by ideas and the innovations that support them, William’s recognition by Forbes acknowledges the important role our up-and-coming leaders play as visionaries and disrupters in the field of design.”
Chan’s most recent project is a plastic waste recycling scheme for refugees, which he presented to the United Nations in 2018.
Co-created with youths at refugee camps in Greece, the project used plastic waste material at the camps, which was refined and converted into 3D-printed objects.
Chan’s team has successfully produced 3D printing filament from the plastic waste produt such as discarded bottles, which was identified as a serious problem by the inhabitants of the Eleonas and Skaramagas refugee camps in Athens.
“The architecture, engineering and construction industry is one of the least disrupted sectors globally,” said Chan.
“Architects have a uniquely creative skillset, but we need to be more agile and entrepreneurial in how we design solutions that address the economic and social challenges of our cities so that we remain relevant as an industry.”
