Community Highlights: Meet Gabriel Leung of Arugola Workshop

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Leung.

Hi Gabriel, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My family immigrated here from Hong Kong in the 1980s. We spent some time in Honolulu, Hawaii, where my brothers were born, before settling in Glendora, a Los Angeles suburb. I had a mostly idyllic childhood, with many fond memories of playing outdoors with my brothers and neighbors, riding bikes, skateboarding, snowboarding, making art, exploring various hobbies, playing video games, and participating in the local Boy Scout troop.

Some of my free time was dedicated to modifying and customizing the things I played with. In the process, I learned how objects are assembled and discovered ways to make them more aesthetically pleasing. One of my favorite things to customize and take apart was my BMX bike. Both my explorations in customization and my time in the Scout troop, where I learned practical everyday skills and environmental stewardship, laid the foundation for my career as a designer and builder. In a way, it’s like I’m still trying to do all the things that bring me joy, take me back to my childhood, and interest me.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges for me was the lack of role models who looked like me or positively represented my ethnic group in American culture. I can only think of two people I moderately admired: Bruce Lee, the martial artist, actor, and activist; and Steve Caballero, the professional skateboarder. Seeing Caballero’s Powell Peralta skateboard graphic with the Chinese dragon gave me a sense of belonging within American pop culture. Otherwise, there was very little Asian representation in the 1980s and even 1990s, and what existed often seemed to portray Asian Americans in a dim light.

During college, there was a part of me that really wanted to pursue acting. I took acting classes in the UCLA theater department and participated as an actor in student films. However, the scarcity of Asian faces in TV shows and films at the time really stifled any dreams of becoming an actor. I could only envision joblessness in such a career. And if you’re familiar with growing up Asian-American, you might have heard about the stereotype of parents wanting their children to become doctors and the strong emphasis and pressure on financial independence and security.

Without positive role models, I had no choice but to look within myself for guidance. I gradually learned to trust myself and listen to my intuition. This process involved taking risks, making many mistakes, frequently upsetting my parents, and sometimes being able to draw lessons from those experiences.

Looking back, my early development was generally smooth, although like many young people and some adults, I struggled with feeling understood and supported. I had my developing intuitive sense to rely on for guidance, but that wasn’t enough. In retrospect, it would have been invaluable to have a mentor or even to know how to ask for one. I got this far through sheer luck, self-trust, and having decent and loving parents.

I recently had a very healing opportunity to guide a young college student through the UCLA Alumni Mentorship Program. She was a biology student from Nigeria who was interested in transferring to the UCLA undergraduate architecture program. It was an enormous challenge because she had little to no prior art or creative experience. But in the end, we were able to develop a beautiful portfolio that was completely authentic to her and her interests, and she was accepted into the program. Just thinking about what she was able to accomplish in under half a year, something that would have taken me several years, brings so much joy to my heart.

The lesson in all of this is that it’s ok to make mistakes and learn from them. And it’s also ok to ask for help. There are plenty of people out there like myself who are happy to provide guidance and advice.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Arugola Workshop?
I started Arugola Workshop in 2020, combining over 20 years of design and construction experience working in high-end residential and commercial architecture with my lifelong passion for crafts, making things, and building. I wanted to provide clients with a design-led, turn-key destination for custom home building, renovations, and makeovers. People have generally come to understand this type of business as “Design / Build”. I also design and build smaller scale interventions such as custom furniture. Essentially, Arugola Workshop is a Design / Build studio that provides clients with architectural design, permitting, and construction.

My approach to building and design is grounded in the idea that within every project, I can draw out what is authentic to you, your family, and your home, and align that with how you wish to live in your space. Every project is carefully planned, and all details are thoughtfully considered to promote a sense of well-being and balance, resulting in a long-lasting product that prioritizes authenticity and longevity over fleeting trends.

The common assumption about what an architect does is that a client chooses an architect based on their particular style and seeks to replicate a project in that same style. What sets Arugola Workshop apart is my strong belief that the success of a project and the design aesthetic are firmly rooted in a collaborative process with the clients. This means I will ask questions about how you want to live in the space, what inspires or fascinates you, and it’s a process of drawing out what is important to the client and establishing a “mindset” for the project. Then, it’s my job to synthesize all that information into a coherent design. By honoring each client’s unique personality, every project becomes its own distinct “brand.”

I’ve been designing and permitting custom homes while working for award-winning Los Angeles architecture firms for about two decades. I am so proud to say that our first custom home design as Arugola Workshop, my own studio, is currently under construction. The client’s cultural background emphasizes the importance of feng shui and they also love mid-century modern design. I collaborated with the clients’ family friend and long-time feng shui consultant to develop the floor plan layout, which I then developed into a mid-century modern-inspired home.

I try not to have an ego with these projects. In other words, I don’t feel the need to impose my aesthetic on someone else. Instead, I like to approach projects like a skateboarder taking on an obstacle. I see what’s in front of me and try to do something cool with it. (The name Arugola Workshop was inspired by a skateboard company that I used to admire called Alien Workshop.)

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I take risks regularly, but not with brazen assurance. They’re usually very incremental or perhaps just outside of what I would normally be comfortable with. As a kid, I loved physical risks like jumping my BMX bike and ollieing down stairs on my skateboard. I even took a few emotional risks, like looking up my crush’s phone number in the phone book and giving them a call. Whether I succeeded or failed, I enjoyed the potential of bettering myself or learning a little about what I’m capable of with every risk taken.

Recently, I took a very memorable risk by embarking on a several-day off-road motorcycle tour through Morocco. My total off-road motorcycling experience before this trip was no more than 10 hours, but it wasn’t a complete crapshoot. I had already been safely motorcycling on the streets of Los Angeles for at least 15 years and had completed a few off-road training courses. However, I had no idea how fatiguing it was to ride off-road all day. The mental endurance required for that experience was something I was not prepared for. I’m in my 40s but I’m not ready to give up taking risks and pushing myself. I love it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://arugola.co/
• Instagram: @arugolaworkshop
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@arugolaworkshop

Image Credits
Arugola Workshop