OWIU DESIGN
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OUR STORY

Only Way Is Up is a full-service Architecture and Design office located in the heart of Los Angeles. We advocate for sustainability in development, through preservation and innovation. Our relentless dedication to craft is what motivates us to keep defining who we are. Through this exploration, our identity as a studio and our design evolve in an upward trajectory. At OWIU, the cornerstone is precision and thoughtfulness. We approach every project thoughtfully, with purpose and intention, and a strong emphasis on aesthetics and precision of form. Our practice has an innovative and progressive mindset with a mission to create spaces that are not built only to last but to evolve. “Only Way Is Up” (OWIU) is more than a belief—it is a lifestyle imbued in all we do.

Sectors

  • Residential
  • Commercial
  • Hospitality
  • Public Spaces
  • Retail Spaces
  • Master Planning

Services

  • Architectural
  • Construction
  • Urban Design
  • Landscape Design
  • Product Design
  • Installations

our philosophy

In OWIU, there is little differentiation between work and residential spaces, as seen in the manifestation of 
our projects, team dynamics, and our office space—a loft originally intended as a personal residence for our 
co-founder Amanda Gunawan. Deliberately avoiding traditional business models, we prefer casual and open spaces where partitions and closed doors are less about divisive hierarchies and more about creating break-out spaces of reprieve or privacy during meetings. The transition from work to play is organic to our company philosophy. We've always believed that pleasure should be inherent to the process and that work does not have to be taxing to be productive. Here at OWIU, 
the cornerstone is precision and thoughtfulness. Taking pride in how this philosophy matriculates, we have developed a culture rather than a company, even outside architecture. One of the ways this has manifested is 
in our ceramics practice. Born out of a team-building exercise, it has now turned into a home goods line that furthers and braids into our aesthetic vision.

OWIU design in numbers

90+

project bookings

50+

clients

60+

international features

OUR TEAM

The team dynamic, the shared belief in the OWIU philosophy, the amalgamation of different personalities and skills, and the genuine friendships formed out of our collaboration provide meaning to the work we do. It is through this that we can create what we create.

OUR founders

Amanda Gunawan

Amanda Gunawan is an architectural designer originally from Singapore, now based in Los Angeles. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), receiving the prestigious merit thesis prize. Amanda has a diverse design background. She worked in urban planning and design at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore, which oversees the master planning for the country. She has also worked for the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects, has a strong social media presence, and has worked to create creative content for brands such as Dyson, Samsung, and Google. Amanda made Prestige Asia’s 40 under 40 list and Architectural Digest’s 10 AAPI Designers list.

joel wong

Joel Wong is a designer based in Los Angeles, born and raised in Singapore. He pursued his bachelor's degree in architecture from the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), graduating with distinction, and was awarded the prestigious merit thesis prize and Henry Adams prize for outstanding student. Joel has extensive experience in the architectural field. He has worked for firms such as ADDP Architects in Singapore and the Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom Mayne of Morphosis Architects.

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owiu goods

OWIU Goods is our home goods line, an embodiment of our belief that objects are tied to memories the same way that spaces are tied to experiences. We want to capture sentiments and take someone back to a specific moment that is special to them through our artistic practice. We hope to pursue this through the mindful creation of form and to evoke a visceral feeling through a quotidian object.
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inflexion builds

Inflexion Builds is a full-service and licensed construction company, a subsidiary of OWIU Design. The construction team has an in-house contractor and specializes in wooden carpentry, wall treatments as well as kitchen and bathroom remodels. Inflexion also produces a line of furniture, designed by OWIU, abiding by the same ethos of thoughtful design and careful craftsmanship.
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