Getting to Know Batten & Kamp

Young New Zealand-born duo Alexandra Batten and Daniel Kamp have established multidisciplinary studio Batten & Kamp in Hong Kong with an already impressive portfolio of interiors projects and one-off product designs

‘Minimal intervention’ and a philosophy of ‘doing as little as possible’ may sound like an apathetic approach to design, but it’s a refreshing point of difference in a world where Instagram-worthiness is applauded and overconsumption the norm. It’s this approach that New Zealand-born, Hong Kong-based designers Alexandra Batten and Daniel Kamp take towards their work.

The duo first met over a decade ago when they were both studying design innovation at university in Wellington. Batten later branched off into architecture, while Kamp went the industrial design route. The pair have been partners and frequent collaborators since, but they’ve only just formalised their working partnership with the launch of multidisciplinary studio Batten & Kamp.

Having arrived in Hong Kong just three years ago, they’ve already completed a number of interiors projects, including Brut! wine bar and Pondi restaurant, both in Sai Ying Pun. They’ve also produced several one-off and limited-edition pieces, the most recent being the Shelter to Ground collection. Kamp says he was feeling disillusioned with product design when they arrived in Hong Kong, and was tired of making perfect joints and details. This new collection, made from foraged local materials and in collaboration with local craftspeople, is a rejection of that methodology. The designers say the pieces in Shelter to Ground are about getting back to the essence of materials and working with them in a way that is honest and respectful.

The couple find the oversized rocks when hiking Hong Kong’s famous trails and bring them back to their studio in Kennedy Town. Designing each piece begins with drawings and 3D models before the final piece is fabricated in collaboration with a maker in Sham Shui Po through a mostly non-verbal process, given the language barrier. They say that while there’s a crudeness to the fabrication, there’s a certain beauty in the crudeness, too. 

Those of us in Hong Kong can look forward to seeing more from this promising young duo when they hold a solo exhibition at art and design gallery Novalis, while those further afield can contact Batten and Kamp directly for enquiries about potential projects, commissions or acquiring one of their unique pieces.

Text / Suzy Annetta
Images / Portraits by Xin Li, others courtesy of Batten & Kamp