SOURCE&SPACE / DISCOVER
DISCOVER
WHAT CHINA
CAN CREATE.
Explore contemporary design, materials, specialist craft and manufacturing capabilities from across China's evolving design and production ecosystem.
Curated for architecture, interiors, hospitality and product development.
A CURATED ECOSYSTEM
GOOD DESIGN DOESN'T EXIST
IN ISOLATION.
Behind every considered product or space is an ecosystem of ideas, materials, processes and people who know how to make them real.
Source&Space maps this ecosystem across China — connecting contemporary design with material knowledge, specialist craft and project-capable manufacturing.
DESIGN
MATERIAL
PROCESS
MAKING
02
MATERIALS & CRAFT
WHAT CAN IT BE MADE FROM?
Explore materials through their visual character, fabrication possibilities, specialist craft and architectural applications. From stone and glass to metal, wood, ceramics, textiles and emerging surfaces, the library is built around how materials can actually be used.
STONE / GLASS / METAL / WOOD / CERAMIC / TEXTILE / NATURAL MATERIALS / SURFACES
03
MANUFACTURING CAPABILITIES
HOW CAN IT BE MADE?
Explore the specialist processes, technologies and manufacturing capabilities that transform design intent into physical products and architectural components. From hand craft to advanced digital fabrication.
FORMING / CASTING / MACHINING / FABRICATION / FINISHING / CRAFT / PROTOTYPING / ENGINEERING
EXPLORE THE SOURCE&SPACE NETWORK
Three interconnected ways to discover the people, materials and capabilities behind contemporary design and project development in China.
THE CONNECTION
THE MOST INTERESTING
SOLUTIONS HAPPEN
BETWEEN CATEGORIES.
A lighting concept may begin with a designer, depend on a particular glass technique, require a custom metal finish and ultimately rely on several specialist manufacturing processes.
Source&Space connects these layers around the design intent.
DESIGN PARTNER
MATERIAL
CRAFT / PROCESS
MANUFACTURING CAPABILITY
PROJECT APPLICATION
ONE MATERIAL.
MANY POSSIBILITIES.
GLASS
Processes: Hand Blown / Hot Bent / Kiln Cast / Laminated / Textured
Outcomes: LIGHTING / PARTITIONS / OBJECTS / ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES
METAL
Processes: Spun / Cast / Bent / Etched / Patinated / PVD Finished
Outcomes: LIGHTING / FURNITURE / SCREENS / ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS
STONE
Processes: Waterjet Cut / 5-Axis CNC / Carved / Bookmatched / Surface Finished
Outcomes: FURNITURE / WALLS / BASINS / STAIRS / SCULPTURAL ELEMENTS
DISCOVERY WITH PURPOSE
DISCOVER.
SPECIFY.
DEVELOP.
MAKE.
Source&Space is not building an archive simply to document what exists. The network is designed to help architects, designers and project teams move from inspiration toward specification, customization and production.
01
DISCOVER
Products, materials, brands and capabilities.
02
SPECIFY
Understand materials, finishes, applications and technical requirements.
03
DEVELOP
Translate design intent into samples, prototypes and manufacturable solutions.
04
MAKE
Match the requirement with appropriate specialist manufacturing capabilities.
05
DELIVER
Coordinate production, quality control and project requirements.
START WITH THE PROJECT.
HOSPITALITY
Lighting / Furniture / Materials / Custom fabrication / Guestroom and public-area solutions
RESIDENTIAL
Decorative lighting / Furniture / Stone / Glass / Joinery / Specialist finishes
F&B
Feature lighting / Furniture / Decorative surfaces / Metalwork / Custom objects
RETAIL
Display systems / Lighting / Furniture / Architectural surfaces / Custom fabrication
WORKPLACE
Furniture / Acoustics / Lighting / Joinery / Material systems
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Prototyping / Engineering / Tooling / Components / Low-volume development
OUR PERSPECTIVE
CHINA IS MORE THAN
A MANUFACTURING BASE.
Its design and production ecosystem spans emerging design brands, material specialists, traditional craft, advanced fabrication, engineering and some of the world's deepest manufacturing clusters.
Source&Space exists to make this ecosystem more accessible, understandable and useful to international design and project teams.
CURATED BY SOURCE&SPACE INTELLIGENCE ENGINE
FROM THE SOURCE&SPACE EDIT
DESIGN REPORT
The Evolution of Contemporary Chinese Woodworking: A Study in Joinery
Tracing the transition from traditional Ming-style techniques to the precise, minimalist language of today's leading independent studios in Hangzhou and beyond.
MATERIAL FOCUS
Exploring Kiln-Cast Glass in Architectural Facades
How specialized glass blowers and casting furnaces in Guangdong are achieving new levels of material depth.
PROCESS STUDY
Scaling the Handmade: Large-Format Ceramic Artistry
Inside the Jingdezhen workshops pushing the technical limits of architectural ceramics and bespoke hospitality objects.