Our Qs + As series features current, past and quite possibly, future clients. We’ll be digging a little deeper to learn about their passions, inspirations, and brunch orders.
Ray Chung, Director of Design at The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry, spearheads restaurant, hospitality interiors and club design at the studio. After graduating with a B.A. cum laude from Yale University and a Master of Architecture from The Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, Ray has focused his career on building memorable, immersive destinations. His broad range of experience ranges from restaurants, hotels and casinos to cruise ships, museums and children’s hospitals. His work spans the country and the globe, with projects in South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Ray views storytelling as an organizing principle in design, bringing out the character of each project.
Q: What would you be if you weren’t in your current role?
A: A programmer, probably. I’ve been a computer geek ever since my first days with the TRS-80.
Q: What was the best gift you ever received?
A: A ukulele.
Q: What’s the last hobby you picked up?
A: Learning to play the ukulele.
Q: What is the last picture you took on your phone?
A: My son enjoying a big messy bowl of jja jjang myun (Korean black bean noodles)
Q: What is your favorite place you have traveled to, and why?
A:
Hawaii. The aloha spirit, the amazing mix of eastern and western
cultures and foods, the way you’re surrounded by greenery and water…
what’s not to like?
Q: What are you reading now?
A: The Information by James Gleick
Q: What cheers you up?
A: Pork fat. It’s an antidepressant.
Q: What is your go-to brunch order?
A: Corned beef hash with poached eggs and sourdough toast.
Q: What topic would you own in trivia?
A: Walt
Disney’s life and work. I learned all about him while designing the
Walt Disney Family Museum, and it’s still locked up in my head.
Q: What’s your favorite app?
A: Google
Translate. It can translate certain languages through the camera on the
fly, superimposing translated text in the same size and color. To me
it’s magic, but I’ve noticed the younger you are, the less amazing it
seems to be.
Q: Is there anything else you want us to know about you?
A: There doesn’t seem to be a limit to the amount of noodles I can eat in one sitting.