ISABELLE LEE
Multidisciplinary Designer &  Strategist


→ Currently
At the Harvard University Graduate School of Design  
A Design Researcher at the MIT AgeLab
Member of the 2025-26 Climate Leaders at Harvard University

→ Previously
Architectural Designer turned Creative Strategist.

Shaped by radical speculation at Cook Haffner (Peter Cook, Archigram), ecological rigor at Henning Larsen, social impact at TEN-Arquitectos, and experiential storytelling at Rockwell Group. I bring a multi-lens strategic lens to complex, human-centered design challenges.

Imaginative spirit cultivated at the Rhode Island School of Design


About
CV
Work
Case Studies
The Field

NORTH PEAK BANGKOK Designing the New Currency of Retail Experience
Project Details


Location
Bangkok, Thailand

Timeline
12 Weeks

Typology
Commercial District

Team
Henning Larsen Architects
Design Director
Managing Partner
Senior Associate
Lead Design Architect

Role
Workplace & Office Lead

Responsibilities
Cross Disciplinary Team Management
Behavioral & Wellbeing Strategy
Retail Experience Strategy
Placemaking & Public Realm Activation





Overview

The Challenge

How might we move beyond the declining "big-box" retail model to create a resilient, adaptive urban destination?

As conventional shopping environments lose relevance, urban centers face a crisis of vacancy and social disconnection. The challenge was to transform a high-density commercial site into a vibrant public realm that successfully integrates shopping, entertainment, hospitality, and workspace into a single, seamless ecosystem. The Approach

Developing a "Green Valley" and Urban Connector.We treated the development not as a fixed structure, but as an informal, free-flowing landscape. By blurring the boundaries between work, leisure, and wellness, we designed a multi-sensory environment centered on active, outdoor living. The Impact

From Transactional Retail to Participatory Urban Life

North Peak has redefined the Northern Gateway of Bangkok from a transit point into a destination for urban exploration. By integrating architecture with culture and commerce, the project has set a new benchmark for how people experience the city—moving from passive consumption to active community participation and enhanced quality of life. Design

3 Key Pillars of Development



The Future of Hybrid Urbanism

The Strategy: Moving beyond "Big Box" retail to create a one-stop experiential destination. In a post-mall era, value is generated by blurring the traditional boundaries between commercial, civic, and social life.

The Insight: By designing for urban permeability and "Human-Scaled Blocks," we transform a private development into a vibrant public realm where communities can flourish Holistic Wellbeing & Ecological Resilience

The Strategy: Operationalizing Wellness as a Performance Metric. Wellbeing is no longer an amenity; it is the core compass for modern productivity and mental comfort.

The Insight: Utilizing microclimates, daylight, and nature-integrated design to create an "Urban Oasis". By opening up facades and integrating lush green terraces, the design mitigates urban stress and extends the "comfort season” for all users.
The Evolution of Work & Retail

The Strategy: Designing for operational elasticity in a fast-changing world. As consumer behaviors shift, the physical environment must act as a flexible platform that can be "divided or combined" to host everything from co-working campuses to pop-up galleries.

The Insight: Implementing a "Malls in Mall" strategy, utilizing pocket spaces and interstitial zones that ensures the asset is "future-proofed" against the decline of conventional retail.





Rather than competing with other malls, North Peak responds to how people actually live, move, and gather today. By aligning retail with lifestyle, mobility, logistics, and public space, the project reimagines shopping environments as dynamic urban systems where commerce, culture, and daily life intersect. Value is created through participation, adaptability, and long-term relevance.

Key Trend 1: From "Storeroom to Showroom"The Trend: As e-commerce dominates, the requirement for on-site inventory is plummeting.

The Strategic Move: We reframed the retail unit from a "point of sale" to a "Point of Experience." By reducing back-of-house storage, we increased the "Collection Space" and high-interaction zones.

Key Trend 2: Value Capture: Reclaiming "Dead" InfrastructureThe Trend: Post-pandemic shifts and alternative mobility (bikes, scooters) are rendering traditional 1:1 parking ratios obsolete.

The Strategic Move: We treated the car park as a "Stranded Asset" ripe for reclamation.
Key Trend 3: Human Performance - The Wellbeing Premium
The Trend: Modern consumers and workers now view "Wellness" as a non-negotiable baseline, not a luxury.
The Strategic Move: We moved from "Landscape Design" to "Environmental Psychology." By integrating nature into the core design, we created a functional "Green Oasis" that drives foot traffic and increases user dwell time.
Key Trend 4: The Multi-Modal Mobility Hub

The Trend: Urban connectivity is shifting away from the car toward a diverse mix of PRT (Personal Rapid Transit), e-bikes, and pedestrian-first corridors.

The Strategic Move: We designed for "User Permeability," ensuring the building functions as an urban connector rather than a barrier.




Key Design Drivers




Retail as a Layer of Daily Life


Retail anchors the ground plane as the most public layer of the project, shaping how people arrive, move through, and linger. Workspaces above extend activity throughout the day.Human-Scaled Urban Fabric

The project follows the existing urban grain, breaking down scale to feel walkable, legible, and familiar—more like a neighborhood than a single retail object.
 Comfort as an Invitation

Daylight, airflow, and shade shape a comfortable microclimate that encourages slower movement, longer stays, and informal gathering.
 Retail as Public Connector

A porous ground plane and multiple entries allow retail to blend into everyday urban movement, linking neighborhoods, transit, and public life.
 Nature as Urban Relief

Layered greenery and terraces introduce moments of pause, offering sensory relief and space to dwell within a dense city
 A Flexible Retail Framework

Rather than fixing a single use, the project supports overlapping programs—shopping, dining, work, and events—allowing the destination to evolve over time.
User Personas

Together with the client, we developed several user personas that represented the diversity of the district users whether residents or visitors, businessman or entrepreneurs. These personas were then used to inform the retail experience that ensured user needs were addressed, and pain points resolved.

The user study consisted of 4 key steps:1. Identify Users: Identification of the key personas for the project
2. User Data Study: Examination of secondary data sources to better understand the wants, needs and pains of the selected personas
3. User Journeys: Development of the user journeys to understand the touchpoints with the development
4. User Requirements: Production of the combined user requirements are used to define the SMART strategy


Experience Narrative

North Peak is organized as a series of distinct yet connected zones, each offering a different way to move, gather, and dwell. Drawing from Thailand’s landscapes and urban energy, the project is designed as a place for wandering, where experiences unfold gradually rather than all at once.

From active public spaces to quieter moments of retreat, each zone supports a different spatial characteristic. At the center, Central Falls anchors the development as a shared civic moment, using light, water, and sound to create a strong sense of place.

Together, varied retail programs and landscape identities form a layered environment that invites exploration, return, and everyday use.

Interior Visualization



Retail Leasing Strategy - Doubling Down on Third Spaces
Workplace Strategy







Unique User Experiences




Curated, Adaptive Customer Journeys


Immersive Tech Integration
Digital First Platforms

 Visitors increasingly expect physical places to be as responsive and curated as digital ones. At North Peak, technology is used not to overwhelm, but to quietly shape more relevant, seamless experiences—supporting individual needs, interests, and rhythms of use.

By combining personalization, immersive environments, and real-time insight, the destination encourages longer stays, repeat visits, and deeper engagement over time.

Facility Management Platform Automation as Invisible Support

Automation at North Peak is designed to work quietly in the background. Technologies support logistics, maintenance, and services in ways that improve efficiency and reliability; freeing up space, time, and attention for more meaningful human experiences.

Buildings are treated as long-term assets rather than static products. By using data to anticipate wear, performance, and maintenance needs, the project supports longer asset life, reduced waste, and more efficient operations; aligning sustainability with long-term value.





Highlights


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