PRACTICE ⇌ RESEARCH

COLLECTIVE Lab is the research and teaching arm of COLLECTIVE Studio by Betty Ng, Chi Yan Chan and Juan Minguez. Betty, Chi Yan and Juan are Adjunct Associate Professors at Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), co-teaching a Master of Architectural Design Studio since 2021. COLLECTIVE Lab mobilizes COLLECTIVE Studio as a practice, relaying COLLECTIVE Studio’s design methodology on research informing design and design informing research in academia.

In academic year 2025- 2026, COLLECTIVE Lab runs the Architectural Design Studio “Fermenting Territories” , bringing 11 students researching on viticultural practices with wine makers and local ethnic minorities farmers in the high altitude region of Shangri-La, Yunnan, China.

In February 2026, COLLECTIVE Lab collaborates with Vicky Lam, Associate Lecturer and Caitlyn Parry, Lecturer at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), co-teaching “Forms of Culture Traveling Studio”, a one-month study tour in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, supported by the New Colombo Mobility Plan investigating art and cultural precincts during times of economic and cultural change.

Prior to COLLECTIVE Lab, Betty had taught at University of Hong Kong (HKU) as Assistant Professor between 2014 - 2016, at Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) as Adjunct Assistant Professor between 2016 - 2020, at National University of Singapore (NUS) as Visiting Professor between 2020 - 2021. Chi Yan had taught at Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) as Adjunct Assistant Professor between 2019 - 2021.