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James Leng

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Some previews of our day 1 ceremony held within the walls of Wen Yu Tang (文郁堂) in Chengkan Village, a Huizhou courtyard home whose 500-year-old timber beams have been given new life as a place to gather. Autumn light through the skywell, leaves falling, two families becoming one.

Planner: @monsterhuahua_events
Photographer: @baijiechan
Purple Qipao: @hesterphang
Gold qipao: 莫二, Hangzhou
Venue: @wenyuhall

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A few snapshots from before we celebrate with our loved ones — made even sweeter since we got to do it at our home in Sea Ranch.

“幸しあわせを探さがす人ひとが一番幸しあわせだって”
They say the person who looks for happiness is the happiest of all.

Here’s to all the joy in the world with you as we continue our bluff walks with our boy, endless golden sunsets, and the pursuit of happiness together. I love the details of Kuma’s butt in the photo because he refused to participate, or even my boots since I couldn’t be bothered 😅stomping through the grass is a must!

Incredibly thankful and appreciative to the talented XJ for helping us capture some shots. It brought back our early college days of doing makeup and mini shoots together. This time we all got behind the camera — me, XJ, and James on film — trading off and photographing each other. Felt like kids again ❤️ I love you XJ, thanks for being one of the bestest friends I could ever have.

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Patagonia (1 of 2)

In January, James and I set off with our dear friend J to celebrate his milestone birthday, a horse camping journey through the rugged mountains of Lago Puelo National Park, Patagonia.

There we met Ivan, a true master of horses, who welcomed us into his world in the mountains. He carves trails through terrain that hasn’t seen footprints in generations: river crossings at sunset, swimming under the stars, wild and untouched landscapes at every turn.

We passed through forests still scarred from past fires, and on our final day, a new fire broke out on the nearby hillside and had to evacuate shortly thereafter. Ivan spoke about the fires he’s lived through before, including the one time he stayed behind just to keep his house safe. Through it all, we were reminded of how precious nature is, and the delicate balance between beauty and devastation.

Incredibly grateful for this experience, and already looking forward to the next horse adventure.

Photos digital and hasselblad film 🎞️

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House of Four Ecologies // 17mm TS-E f/7.1 // Had the pleasure of seeing this incredible home as part of the annual @soroptimist International architectural tour in Sea Ranch, CA. Besides being a meticulously crafted design unto itself, its position as a home in Sea Ranch is a very unique and memorable one, eschewing the historically weathered grey-warm vertical/shingle wood siding for stark panels of black plywood, with a contrastingly bright and airily warm palette at the interior. It immediately anchored visitors in a serenity that only progressed while moving through the four volumes // Designer: @figure.office // #searanch #fourecologies #house #architecture #design

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Designed by four longtime friends, the House of Four Ecologies builds upon the founding principles of California’s Sea Ranch community through a new model of co-ownership and shared living.

Composed of four interconnected volumes, each holding space for privacy and gathering, the home offers a modern prototype for flexible, multi-family living. “One of the most overlooked aspects of sharing is that it should be opt-in, in other words, one should have the choice to be private as well,” notes architect James Leng (@jamesleng) of @figure.office and Glacial Erratic, who designed the home with development director Natasha Sadikin (@natashasadikin), Carnegie Mellon professor Juney Lee (@juney.lee), and HOK principal Hoang Nguyen (@hoknetwork).

“Spatially, pulling the house apart into nearly autonomous volumes allows for that flexibility: each space is scaled to comfortably fit a group of friends, or the same group may be found scattered around the house, each enjoying their alone time, together.”

The residence is currently owned by six people who use the house on a rotating basis. One of them will be using their allotted time to sponsor an artist residency. “I’d like to think that we’ve become a small but lovely community,” Leng says. Each January, the owners regroup to reflect and coordinate their schedules, swapping time as needed. “These small gestures of sharing and exchange make it feel a little bit special.”

📖 Read more about the project in Sophie Lanigan’s (@sophielanigan_) piece for @thelocalproject, @archrecordmag and @wallpapermag. (🔗 in bio)

📸 Photos by James Leng

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In Northern California’s Sea Ranch, a community that spans 10 miles of Sonoma County coastline known for its rugged natural splendor, one of the newest houses is deferential to the landscape by design, snaking through the landscape with four linked volumes that together total just 1,600 square feet and are laid out in a way that preserves three aged Grand firs.⁠
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This low-slung form, clad in darkened plywood panels, is a far cry from the Sea Ranch norm of recent decades, where stolid boxes wrapped in gray-stained slats aim to maximize square footage and views. Instead, the subtle twists and turns of the House of Four Ecologies are a direct response to the latent drama of its setting.⁠
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“We’ve tried to stretch the house, with what little square footage we have, from the ocean to the meadow and the ridge,” says James Leng (@jamesleng), architect of record and one of four people who collectively designed and financed the project with an eye toward nurturing “an intentional community of like-minded people.”⁠

In addition to Leng, cofounder of the firm Figure and a lecturer at the UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design, the quartet consists of Juney Lee (@juney.lee), an architecture professor at Carnegie Mellon University; Hoang Nguyen (@hoangtnguyen), a principal at HOK; and Natasha Sadikin (@natashasadikin), development director at Frolic Community, who was development lead.

Continue reading about this tranquil California home at the link in our bio.⁠

Words by John King
⁠Photos © James Leng

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Northern CA road trip part 3: A visit with James Leng and Sadikin at their exquisite House of Four Ecologies at Sea Ranch, staying at an original 1968 Wurster binker barn, Barbara Solomon super graphics.

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April 3rd 5-630pm in the Nave Presentation Space!
Join Jennifer Ly and James Leng, Partners of the San Francisco-based architectural practice @figure.office and visiting faculty at CCA Architecture, for their lecture “Practicing Softly.”
This talk explores Figure’s thoughtful approach to architecture, characterized by sensitivity to context, material, and human experience. Through their work, James and Jennifer reflect on how design can quietly and meaningfully engage with the complexities of contemporary life, offering insights into the ethos and processes that shape their practice.

RSVP through the link in our Bio!
@jamesleng @jennifer.t.ly

#ccarts #californiacollegeofthearts #ccaarchitecture #architecture #interiordesign #studio #sanfrancisco #artschool #architectureschool #ccainteriordesign #architecturestudent #architecturestudentblog #bayarea

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When I decided to quit my full time job last year to focus on freelance and my practice, I really didn’t know what to expect. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to call it quit because it’s just that hard. But one thing is for sure! The people that take that ride with you are the ones who will fuel your determination and keep you moving forward. For that, I am forever grateful to you! Cheers to a great 2025!

1&2 - NOTAHOTEL presentation. Photos by ©︎ Newcolor inc.（NOT A SAIMARU😅） @saimaru

3&4 - Manifold Encounter installation at Dutch Design Week @dutchdesignweek

5&6 - Twofold Encounter installation at Tijuana Design Week @wdcsandiegotijuana2024

7&8 - B3 Event in Singapore

9 - @figure.office family get together for opening of @aer_sf nyc store

10 - @temporaryoffice solo exhibition ‘Arete’

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Our humble homage to Kazuo Shinohara.
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Design: @jamesleng @natashasadikin @hoangtnguyen @juney.lee
Photo: @jamesleng
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#Architecture
#Structure
#Wood
#Timber
#Design
#Home
#HomeDecor
#House
#DIYhouse
#SeaRanch
#California

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Meandering volumes.
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Design: @jamesleng @natashasadikin @hoangtnguyen @juney.lee
Photo: @jamesleng
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#Architecture
#Structure
#Design
#Home
#Facade
#Paint
#House
#DIYhouse
#SeaRanch
#California

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Too many to choose from, but definitely one of my favorite windows in the house. 🌳🪟💐
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Design: @jamesleng @natashasadikin @hoangtnguyen @juney.lee
Photo: @jamesleng
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#Architecture
#Structure
#Design
#Window
#Home
#HomeDecor
#House
#DIYhouse
#SeaRanch
#California

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