Desmond Ngai

¶ Experienced and goal-oriented project manager/ architect looking to collaborate as a valuable team player 

¶ Knowledgeable, motivated, and quick learner eager to adapt to the local market

¶ With 20+ years of experience in managing and designing residential, hotel, and retail commercial projects for developers, architects, and contractors in the US and Asia

¶ Well-versed in managing all project phases

Aedas Ltd. 

Project Manager / Resident Architect | 2021-02 – 2022-04 | Hong Kong SAR

The Fullerton Ocean Park Hong Kong Hotel 

Urban Resort Hotel | Hong Kong SAR

• Represented Aedas as resident architect to resolve design and construction issues on-site
• Seconded to the client, SINO, as project manager to manage the procurement and contractual issues with hotel operator, design & technical consultants, and contractors
• Managed design & construction management before & after the Occupancy Permit (OP)
• Coordinated with main contractors and sub-contractors on various interior and exterior landscape post-OP A&A and improvement works
• Liaised with licensing consultant and government agencies to obtain the 425-room hotel license

Kwan Cheong Construction Ltd.

Project Manager| 2020-05 – 2021-01 | Hong Kong SAR

• Managed multiple government HAD (Home Affairs Department) contracts and NGO interior fit-out projects for my family’s main contractor business

New World China Land Ltd.

Project Manager| 2016-08 – 2020-03 | Hong Kong SAR

Shenzhen Prince Bay Project (K11 ECOAST)

Retail, Office, Cultural | Shenzhen, Guangdong, CHINA

• Prepared a master program and set milestones for a 330,000sm CFA new mixed-use project in Shekou, including K11 and D-Park shopping centres overlooking Shenzhen Bay
• Managed and coordinated with an in-house team of 5 managers from different disciplines
• Led the procurement process of international design consultants, including OMA and L&O, by defining the scopes in RFPs and overseeing negotiations to ensure tender award
• Collaborated with retail operator K11, JV partner, and design consultant team to ensure the design quality and technical feasibility during the design phases
• Coordinated with quantity surveyor (QS) to prepare and monitor the project budget for different cost centres of the development throughout the design and construction phases
• Managed the off-site façade VMU construction, and coordinated with retail operator K11 and contractor to fine-tune the final material selection to meet the anchor tenants’ requirements

Qianhai Chow Tai Fook (CTF) Finance Towers 

Office Tower, Retail| Shenzhen, Guangdong, CHINA

• Prepared master program and set milestones for a 213,000sm CFA commercial development, including an office tower for CTF and another tower for HSBC
• Coordinated with retail operator K11 and stakeholder CRE (Corporate Real Estate), FM (Facility Management) & security teams to ensure the design feasibility and functionality

New World Development Co. Ltd.

Project Manager| 2011-11 – 2016-07 | Hong Kong SAR

Chengdu Riverside Development

Hotel, Retail, Cultural & Residential | Chengdu, Sichuan, CHINA

• Managed the design of a 385,000sm CFA new commercial project, including a 5-star hotel, a shopping centre, an outdoor F&B & retail street, a sports & cultural complex, and 2 luxury residential towers
• Oversaw the procurement of various international and local design and technical consultants, including KPF, the Oval Partnership, AECOM, WSP & CCDI
• Managed various construction tenders, including the main contract and the façade & BMU packages with the design team and quantity surveyor (QS) consultant, RLB
• Collaborated with the owner, retail operator, hotel operator, property management team, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless execution and timely completion of project milestones

Leigh & Orange Ltd. (L&O)

Senior Project Designer |2010-04 – 2011-10 | Hong Kong SAR

Shenzhen One Avenue Development

Retail Centre, Residential | Shenzhen, Guangdong, CHINA

• Developed a DD (Design Development) set with Local Design Institute (LDI) for a mixed-use retail podium and residential development, including tenant coordination and design review

Sun Hung Kai Property (SHKP) Suzhou ICC Development

Serviced Apartments | Suzhou, Jiangsu, CHINA

• Designed the interior layout and determined the serviced apartment mix of a 300m mixed-use tower comprising a retail podium, office, hotel, and serviced apartments 

Gemdale Xi’an Development 

Residential | Xi’an, Shaanxi, CHINA

• Conducted design reviews of construction documents produced by LDI for a large-scale residential development consisting of 11 high-rise & 10 mid-rise residential towers

Think Inc. / GDC (Global Design Collaborative w/ Belt Collins, Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) & GDP Architects)

Designer| 2007-11 – 2008-10 | Seattle, Washington, USA

Oqyana World First - Island A17| Luxury Serviced Apartments | Dubai, UAE

• Led the design and technical coordination efforts for 3 10-storey luxury serviced apartment buildings on an artificial island in the Australasian region of the Oqyana World First 

Oqyana World First - Island A18 | Spa Hotel | Dubai, UAE

• Oversaw the design documentation of a 14-storey hotel with a spa podium on an archipelago

Oqyana World First - Island A05 & A16 | Seaview Residences| Dubai, UAE

• Prepared the schematic and design development documents of 6 ultra-luxury residential towers on 2 archipelagos

Callison Architecture Inc. (now CallisonRTKL) 

Intermediate Architectural Staff | 2004-10 – 2007-10 | Seattle, Washington, USA

Architectural Staff | 2000-12 – 2004-09 | Seattle, Washington, USA

Royal Hawaiian Center| Urban Retail Revitalization | Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

• Project architect of a 310,000sf multi-phase retail center renovation in Waikiki
• Answered RFIs and reviewed shop drawings and other submittals during construction 
• Conducted frequent site visits to monitor construction progress during CA

Southlands Lifestyle Center| Lifestyle Retail Center | Aurora, Colorado, USA

Southlands Power Center| Value Retail Center | Aurora, Colorado, USA

• Project architect of a group of individual retail buildings in a suburban retail center
• Coordinated with owner & tenants and prepared lease outline documents

Washington Mutual |Bank New Build & Interiors| Georgia & Texas, USA

Key Bank |Bank Interiors| Utah & Washington, USA

• Created schematic design, construction & bidding documents for new retail bank ground-up construction and interior fit-out with drive-up tellers and ATMs

Jamba Juice |F&B Interiors| California & Washington, USA

• Developed schematic layouts and construction documents to comply with health regulations

ADD Inc. (now Stantec) 

Design Coordinator II | 1999-06 – 2000-05 | Miami Beach, Florida, USA

Design Coordinator I | 1997-07 – 1999-05 | Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Brighton Landing | Office, Retail Mixed-Use | Brighton, Massachusetts, USA

CVS Support Center | Office Headquarters| Woonsocket, Rhode Island, USA

200 West Street | Office Building | Waltham, Massachusetts, USA

• Drafted and developed architectural details in schematic, design development & tender sets

Syracuse University

Bachelor of Architecture

1992 Fall – 1997 Spring 

Syracuse NY | USA 

University of Sydney

School of Architecture

1992 Spring Semester

Sydney | AUSTRALIA