d+a | Issue 115 • Apr/May 2020

95 I make it a point to inspire my team to go beyond the normal deliverables with every project. When you start one with the aim of capturing the attention of the industry, for example to earn recognition in the design world, the result is you push yourself and the boundaries of the project. Such a collective ambition and goal within the team is powerful. By selecting the right people and channeling their talent into a tangible target, we can go above and beyond our normal ability, designing outside of even our own expectations and delivering outcomes which are truly innovative. A tangible result of this best practice is MixC Shenzhen Bay (right), a major project for our firm. It is the landmark flagship for the MixC retail brand by China Resources Land, and is part of the developer’s new headquarters in Shenzhen. Different from traditional commercial centres, the design was an open box underpinned by ‘interaction’ and ‘sharing’, and embedded in the local urban fabric. Given the success of the development since its opening, the client has awarded a further portfolio of MixC destinations to Lead8. One of these is the recently-completed MixC Jinan (left), becoming a new hub for 500 brands in the city. Future schemes including MixC Ningbo and MixC Nanjing are under development, and look to introduce concepts and experiences previously unseen before in their cities.” Claude Touikan, Co-founder and Executive Director, Lead8 “