We aim to provide the whole package of master planning, architectural design and interior design on our projects.
MAP is a leading architecture, interior design and master planning firm founded in 2003, based in Hong Kong, and working throughout China, South East Asia, Japan and Australia.
MAP is a powerful combination of broad international expertise and local qualifications and experience.
MAP is an agile, talented organization that will fearlessly take on the difficult assignments and make them much more than the sum of their parts. We are particularly experienced in the renovation of existing buildings and buildings that house technically demanding equipment and work processes.
For example, our work on the Ningxia Winery for Moet Hennessy is the perfect showcase of our strengths. MAP advised MH on how to carve 100 MOO out of a 1,000 MOO block in Ningxia and then irrigate it from the Yellow River and orient the land to showcase the winery with the Helan Mountains as a backdrop. And then designed the winery and its interior which were appropriate for the Moet Hennessy brand.
MAP is led by Edward Billson who has been resident in HK for 25 years and is supported by a dedicated and talented team of architects, planners and interior designers to help you ‘manage change’ and deliver your bespoke solution.
Edward is a registered architect and Authorised Person in Hong Kong and is a registered architect in Australia. He is a Fellow of the HKIA and RAIA and a member of the AIA and RIBA. Edward has practiced architecture in Melbourne, New York and Hong Kong and delivered projects in all those cities. He has also designed and built projects in China, Macau, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Australia, New Zealand, Morocco, Jamaica and the UK.
Alex Leung, Senior Partner at MAP, says “the selection of an architect comes down to three things, Relationship, Portfolio, and (it must be admitted) Fee". MAP has competitive fee levels. MAP offers international quality design at a competitive rate in Hong Kong.
If your selection process demands an experienced, qualified practice that delivers design flair and the wow factor for a competitive fee, then MAP is a natural selection.
Approach. Our mission is to unlock value through this four-step approach:
Defi ne direction and intent to deliver inspiring, eduring, commercially viable and sustainable designs.
Design with imagination and inspiration using instinct, knowledge and experience.
Create a culture of collaboration with clients, the consultant team and contractors for best project outcomes.
Develop documentation that recognises the needs of the construction team and achieves world-class quality
Why we do what we do. It’s pride in delivering a highquality service at every level.
MAP started with the passion of its founder, Edward Billson. It was his solid belief that, given his years of training, he could provide high quality service, secure local building approvals and run a successful practice.
MAP combines international expertise with local qualifications and experience but has always had a wider persepective, winning as much work in the Asia Pacific region as in Hong Kong.
The MAP team initially provided design and project management services for private luxury house projects. MAP was then asked by Leighton MELCO JV to support the City of Dreams team in Macau. Leighton were seeking experienced architects to troubleshoot the design and provide documentation that Leighton could build from, which had been lacking on the project. MAP opened a Macau office and built up to 50 people over three years.
During that time, MAP won a competition for the design of a Bai Jiu (white spirit) distillery in China for Moet Hennessy (LVMH), which led to a decade of work with the LVMH group over five projects.
MAP has enjoyed long relationships with its clients and delivered multiple projects to many of them, including developers based in Mainland China.
Clients that have commissioned MAP more than once include MELCO, Moet Hennessy, Hilton, HSBC, Sino Land, Henderson, Sun Hung Kai and the Link REIT. Client loyalty has been matched by staff loyalty and MAP has been fortunate to attract and retain very talented people.
MAP exists to provide a high quality personalised ‘one-stop-shop’: an end-to-end practice fulfilling masterplanning, architectural, interior design, advisory services and AP statutory approval services to clients. We are best suited to clients who require special attention due to the complexity of their project requirements.
MAP likes to build the projects that it designs. We have completed projects in 11 different sectors including retail, hotel, mixed use, office, residential houses, apartments, villas and chalets, wineries, distilleries and breweries, industrial buildings, sporting complexes, club houses, primary and secondary schools and university facilities, and air and rail transport related facilities.
History. It’s in the genes. MAP’s story begins with Edward Billson, a third generation architect.
Edward’s grandfather was the first graduate of the University of Melbourne Architecture program, who went on to train with Walter Burley Griffin. After winning an International Competition for the Auckland University Library, he returned to Melbourne to run his own practice. His son Ted Billson also graduated from both RMIT and Melbourne University and, following in his father’s footsteps, also founded his own practice. The iconic public grandstand at Flemington racecourse – home of the Melbourne Cup – is his.
It was then Edward’s turn to follow his father and grandfather into the University of Melbourne. After residing in Trinity College – the university’s oldest residential college – he graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1982.
After a period in Adelaide working with his mentor John Sawley on luxury beach houses and horse racing grandstands, Edward relocated to New York City and was employed by Philip Johnson on the Gerald Hines project, a 35 storey steel framed office building; elliptical in shape and clad in red granite, nicknamed the ‘Lipstick Building’.
He returned to Melbourne and practiced for eight years working on Melbourne’s bid for the ‘96 Olympic Games, as well as residential and commercial projects. A highlight was renovating a Victorian timber house in Melbourne where Edward spent his time ‘on the tools’, carrying out much of the construction by his own hand.
But, Asia was calling. Hong Kong was the place to be and Edward was employed by Wong Tung and Partners as Senior Project Architect on the MTRC Tsing Yi railway station project part of the 1997 infrastructure upgrade to serve the new airport. Tsing Yi is 2 million square feet of above ground station, car park, and retail mall with an iconic copper clad skylight over the AEL, and 12 residential towers housing a population of 3,000 residents.
He then designed and administered the new Dragonair Headquarters building at CLK, the project winning the HKIA’s highest award: the Silver Medal for international-standard architecture.
In 1999 Edward became a registered architect and AP in Hong Kong, going on to be appointed by Lend Lease to renovate their 53 luxury duplex condominiums at 56 Repulse Bay Road – a hugely successful project.
Edward married Claire in 2002 and they have raised four children in Hong Kong. The family share a love of sailing on Shelter Harbour, walking the Sai Kung hills and lunches at Big Wave Bay beach.
Doan Ket, Hanoi, 2009
What they say about MAP.
“I wanted the wow factor, and MAP understood that and helped deliver the wow factor in the City of Dreams Rock Star Suites".
Lawrence Ho, Chairman and CEO Melco Crown Entertainment
“A very beautifully designed winery... it is not a silly ersatz copy of a chateau, but actually designed to pick up the features of Ningxia’s surroundings, with the ‘huang’ (tawny yellow) of the earth reflected in the wall... It was a rare opportunity to drink a lovely well-made wine, while hanging out to watch the sun set over the Ningxia mountains... it was a real celebration of how things should be developed for the future!"
Fongyee Walker, wine critic writing on Jancis Robinson’s wine blog, 2014
“Throughout the project period MAP has demonstrated its high capability in managing the design process and project works successfully, great patience in listening and fulfilling HSBC’s requirements yet maintaining MAP’s overall design rationale professionally which has ultimately raised the value of the property. The consultant team led by Ed Billson has managed to complete the project in a very tight time frame, this would not have been achievable without the competent leadership of Ed and a highly resourceful and responsible team."
P Y Li, Senior Manager special projects for HSBC Hong Kong
“Throughout their time on the City Of Dreams Project, MAP managed to fill the gaps and help connect the multitude of design packages provided by different designers, giving us the detail we required to build. Their solutions were smart, buildable and definitely added value to the project.
MAP’s first response was to send five senior architects to work out of the site office, all of whom worked in the spirt of the project – cooperation and willingness to achieve and exceed the aspirations of the client. The MAP designers are team players and understood the partnership between the client and contractor. They worked well with the executive architects. MAP did a good job in localizing the concept designs from the US Interior Designers."
Adrian Clamp,Project Director, Leighton Asia
