Chris Kao, Tsung Haus Design | Business Stories Magazine

So nice to meet you! First off, what’s your name? Tell our readers a bit about yourself—where you’re from originally and where you live now.

Hi - I'm Chris Kao. My father was in the Navy, so we moved a bit, but we settled for my lower school period in a small PA coal mining town called Philipsburg, just 25 miles north of Penn State University, where I eventually moved for high school and went to architecture school. I spent a lot of time outdoors, making things, and exploring. I became really interested in design, engineering and art when I was young, and that led me to architecture. After college I moved to New York City and began working on Ground Zero, designing the Oculus with Santiago Calatrava. After the markets crashed in '08, our project team held together for a bit but eventually were mostly let go. That was the same day I met my wife. (That is a story for another time.) My wife was heading to Southern California for medical training, and the sun sounded great. Eventually, after our first child, we moved to Baltimore to be more regional to family. The gentleman unloading my moving truck couldn't fathom why I would leave LA for Baltimore, but I'm still glad we did.

Tell us one thing you love about where you live now.

I love being at the crossroads of the East Coast. So many interesting people come through here. Baltimore is a city of makers. People tend to get up and do things. I love that. And there's a real diverse mix of creators. When we moved from Los Angeles to Baltimore, we decided to commit to living in the city. We've always loved cities. We've lived in downtowns and inside of city limits since post-college. Baltimore City is accessible in many ways. There's always someone you know coming through from one direction or another. One of my favorite things is the opportunity to share with someone what a true crab cake should be.

Tell us a little more about what your company does and how it started. How does it help your customers?

Give us the most challenging problem. Please. There's always a solution, and we'll find it. And then some. I've found that listening well is the best way to find that thing. The thing that surfaces that was unexpected but suddenly gives meaning and purpose to everything you're doing. I've been fortunate to do that for a few clients, and I hope to have many more of those opportunities.

Tsung Haus started a little over a year ago. I was working for other firms in the institutional sector, and like with any change of administration, things change. University funding became less available and a lot of work dried up, so that's when I decided to hang my own shingle. It has grown relatively quickly in the single-family sector. During COVID I did a few side projects for people, and I realized that despite all the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, everyone was still improving their homes. Even today, with interest rates as high as they are, people still improve their residence. So single-family will always be a part of our work, but we're looking beyond residential for a more balanced and diverse portfolio.

If someone wants to start a business, what advice would you give them?

1.) Get ready! You will see more professional growth as a person than you ever have before, mainly because you'll do everything yourself and be forced to think about everything. But raising a family in the process can be a challenge. It's an incredible journey for your children to witness. And they root for you, both when you win and lose.

2.) Don't doubt yourself. You'll figure it out. Everyone else that did it before you did. And you're smarter than many of them. So just go for it.

What is one piece of feedback from a happy customer or client that you won't forget?

Once I presented a project to my client. It was for a library addition to their house. I created a design that added a few more elements into the design to make it more dynamic, including a cathedral timber ceiling and an open loft. After I presented the project, he was quiet, which worried me at first. Then he apologized and said he needed a moment because he was getting emotional. When he gathered himself, he described what happened to him as a 'Ratatouille moment', like from the movie when all the memories of warmth, family and nostalgia hit hard. He explained how they once had a house where his father converted the garage, and it included a loft and a lofted open ceiling, but on a less grand scale. He said he didn't realize that this could be so perfect, as if I'd known about this past, but I didn't. I had never had such a powerful and intimate reaction from someone in response to my designs. It's something that I'll never forget.

Where do you see your company in the future?

We see the company scaling (maybe twice in the future) into a company that brings a strong culture of design and creativity to the Baltimore area. I've spent my career working on institutional works like museums, performing arts centers, government / public / civic projects, and transit. It's already October, so in 2027 we intend to lean more into the commercial / institutional sector and grow. Eventually we'd like to be half in single-family and half in commercial / institutional work.

What is the biggest misconception about your industry?

I think it's less of a misconception and more of a misunderstanding. Most people really don't know what an architect actually does. Many think we draw plans and get permits. A talented architect has the potential to offer something well beyond what was thought to be needed as basic, for not much more. It's the ability to see beyond others' aspirations into their hopes and dreams, and find the thing they can hold onto and actually realize. Many think that we just do 'blueprints'. I don't know where to begin with that, other than to say an architect offers so, so much more.

What has been one of your biggest struggles building your business, and how did you deal with it?

Time is certainly the biggest challenge. I came out of architecture school at the last time that studios were both drawing and learning 3D modeling programs. My default has always been to adopt and adapt. So being nimble has been my greatest asset. I use as many tools as I can to leverage my efficiency while maintaining a high standard of quality control (some call it perfectionism).

Who was your favorite music artist and athlete growing up?

My favorite musical group was / is Yo La Tengo. So many of their songs sound so different, but they all leave you with a different kind of feeling. Each of their songs can take you somewhere else. They also make such a variety of sounds with three musicians using basic instruments. I want my architecture to be like that. I don't want a signature style or look that identifies me to the architecture. Architecture needs to be responsive, just like any other form of art. I was a huge fan of Bo Jackson. He really just kicked ass and never apologized for doing his thing. I admire that level of performance and work ethic.

Any shoutouts you want to make?

To anyone who has the itch or curiosity to give it a go on their own, don't fear. You'll figure it out. You'll have to figure new things out every day. But you're building yourself and your company together, and that's progress that will never go away.