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Something that the Western culture loves, needs to be avoided when designing for your chinese client: big, beautiful exposed beams.
It is very Canadian (especially in the snow chalets of Whistler), to have expressive timber beams running through a space, in the kitchen, over a dining area or through a lounge room and even in the bedroom.
This is not acceptable to the Chinese client who experiences these beams as 'knives', dangerous elements that could cut you through anytime. Added to this, for Chinese, the beams create a visual heaviness that gives an overall feeling of an 'oppressive' space.