(“Text as submitted by architect”)
Choong Wei Li
Choong Wei Li is the recipient of the Top 40 Under 40 Emerging Architect award by the Malaysia Institute of Architects (PAM), Wei Li co-founded Futurground Design, a dynamic firm based in Kuala Lumpur. Futurground specializes in master planning, mixed-use development, high-rise buildings, private residential projects, and interior and landscape design. The firm is driven by core values of excellence, innovation, sustainability, and community engagement.
Wei Li’s achievements include the award-winning WAO Shelter Home, an orphanage house and childcare center for the underprivileged, designed for the Women’s Aid Organization. This project earned him accolades from both PAM and the American Institute of Architects (AIA), receiving four prestigious awards.
At Futurground, Wei Li believes buildings should respond to their context, informed by local culture, environment, and community needs. By analyzing these factors, Futurground provides creative solutions that address immediate and future needs, enhancing community quality of life through innovative and sustainable practices. Wei Li’s ethos centers on responsible design that prioritizes environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and cultural sensitivity.
Practice Ideology
At Futurground, the designers find inspiration in the history of old buildings, the shapes of bridges, and the patterns of light and shadow on a cityscape at dawn. Their designs come from the everyday life around us—the quiet of a sunset over the skyline, the feel of old cobblestones underfoot, and the mix of old and new materials. They create spaces that balance the past and the future, order and creativity, dreams and reality.
“We see beauty in the laughter of children in a courtyard, the gentle rustle of leaves, and the lively buzz of a marketplace. These moments are part of our designs, making them not just buildings but living spaces with stories to tell.” At Futurground, the designers believe that thoughtful, innovative design can shape a better future while respecting heritage. Their work is both ambitious and grounded, always reaching for new ideas while staying true to essential principles.
