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 A life Individual

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iNTRO
W
e embarked on the quest for this years annual edition with
zest and excitement. DrivenbyDesignfeatures 21 bold,
young, architecture studios and practices established
within the last five years. The featured practices have
been working on a portfolio of works, both built and conceptual, large
and small, that are visionary and exploratory in approach. Together,
this emerging collective of talents bring Singapore and Malaysia
architecture to new levels of creativity and dynamism.
Lekker Architects approaches design by combining the specific
requirements of the client with a range of ongoing explorations in
geometry, in material and detail, as well as in architectural meanings
and typologies. The result is a way of thinking about how the elements
of a building might go together.
Plystudio researches into spatial and architectural types to provide
the theoretical and practical framework to fuel their design approach.
Starting with the built environment, they are interested in how to
imbue new intelligence and function to be adapted and reused in new
contexts. Plystudio believes in the notion of simple geometry that is
reworked through systemic processes to achieve remarkable form and
aesthetics.
Red Bean Architects is a design practice that innovates by being
sensitive to the milieu of architecture, namely site, program, materials
and techniques. The sensitivity always includes a critical edge, which
seeks to question and influence the parameters within which design
occurs, rather than to design within given parameters.
Meta Studio are hypercontextualists, who diagram deep structures for
creative problematics to project relevant futures. The studio is interested
in spatial structure, sequence and experience. The conceptual and the
experiential, in encompassing memory and reason, acknowledges
antecedence but moves away from nostalgia.
Czarl Architects see architectural expression not only as a resultant
ofmany logical factors at work, but also the need to underpin withwit,
ingenuity and intuition. Their design expression is driven by the endless
permutations and inventive combinations of technical and aesthetic
knowledge, socio-cultural, environmental and political awareness,
which are then synergistically assimilated into a creative solution.
Studiogoto practises a process driven design philosophy based
on each unique project programme and context, understanding
and appreciating material, textures and building techniques. Their
architectural solutions adopt a universal exploratory process regardless
of scale and complexity.
Ong&Ong Experience Design works with clients to establish their
story and strategy for memorable experiences that emotionally engage
its users and impacts culture. It has integrated expertise in architecture,
interiors, landscape, lighting, branding, business strategy, product
development, film making, service design as well as organisational
change management. Their projects are framed by a design-thinking
approach centred on understanding human motivation and behaviour
with key expertise across diverse sectors.
FUUR, is an architectural design practice that stems from a broad
conceptualisation of architecture, one that encompasses fashion,
music, product design, graphic design, and subcultures of various
genres. FUUR simply means future urbanism. The firm is inspired by
the projection of form and space into the city and into its cultures.
Genome Architects is an architectural practice whose interest in
design transcends scale and program. To find an appropriate design
methodology and to master material and time is to master design and,
more importantly, the living out of a good design. Its works seek to
visualise universal laws of art, nature and science through architectural
design. Genome, as its name suggests, is about expressing the everyday
essential sides of nature and all of its casual intelligence and wit.
For MAKK Architects, architecture is about chances of being able
to evoke or provoke emotive responses, thereby effecting some kind
of dynamics-change in relations amongst its participants (inhabitants).
To move closer in attaining this possibility, the existing behavioural
patterns in constant change, must be identified for the given group of
inhabitants before deploying any form of architectural response.
FARM sees value of working in a cross disciplinary manner as it
allows for new and unpredictable ideas to emerge. What started out
as a practical response to manpower management became a method
of how they approach each project. They form design teams around
the brief and requirements of each project. This invariably places the
different design disciplines on the same hierarchy at the start of each
project. It gives each discipline the opportunity to take design lead in the
project. It also creates a holistic process of working where each design
discipline constantly influence and affect the various components in
the space.
Kite Studio Architecture like to think big and inspire with their
own unique way of looking at things, as well as bring a new level
of craftsmanship and detailing to their works. They tackle design
challenges with the belief that every work is a fresh discovery of the
design senses. They strive to explore with the belief that there will
always be a more exciting answer to the same question.
FDAT Architects LLP designs architecture and interiors that are smart,
engaging and incisive. The practice is driven by ideas. They believe
that design can make a strategic difference and improve lives, add
economic value and shape positively the social and cultural landscape.
A key aspect of their design involves humanising the built environment
and improving relationship with greenery and nature.
The projects at Studio XMSL always begin with conceptual clarity.
They combine clever planning with subtle intrigue and delightful
elegance throughout the design process. Their projects are brought
into materialised through immaculate craftsmanship and attention to
details, carried out with passion and care.
Studio SKLIM firmly believes that design opportunities are inherent,
waiting to be unleashed or given a new perspective. Raw materials,
such as environmental data, existing typographical conditions, cultural
peculiarities and technological limits form part of a platform from
which their design process initiates these extractions. Analysis on fast
changing contemporary life demands a rethink and reorganisation of
existing spatial parameters, making conceptual clarity and contemporary
investigative research instrumental to the design process of the work.
Studio Bikin is passionate about design and assumes a very hands-
on approach on all their projects. They value craftsmanship, detail and
sensitivity towards the context and environment within which they build.
These values are intrinsic to their design process. The studio develops
exciting briefs with their clients, deepening their level of play and
research within each project.
For Fabian Tan Architect, the principle of architecture is to create
spaces drawn from the energy of the site and context of relationships
between spaces, environment and people. The architect believes in
expressing a language that is cohesive and clear through seeking
meaning in spaces. In a world of excessive information and choices, his
ideas are formed through a process of restraint and precision.
For tetawowe atelier the genesis of design always begins with
narratives what is thought to be raw material taken from the sites
existing rain trees, the geometrical shape of a site that is reminiscent
of Miros artwork, the way the owners would spend their lazy afternoon,
birds on the wire, dialogue between the river and passer-by, a Beatles
song, a banal jobsite depicted in a Kafka dreamlike space has been
the source of inspiration for their design. They are in pursuance of the
honest use of material in its natural form or appearance.
Seshan Design strives to question, improve and look for ways to push
what is possible, with very little is pre-conception. Most of their works
evolve through a development with like-minded clients, specialists and
consultants. They are working future proofing their projects, especially
residential projects. They define it as the ability for projects to upgrade
and change to suit changing needs of users. For them, houses and
residences last for decades and generations and need to evolve and
change according to the needs of the users.
V:dro (Port25) is driven by facets of context, program and site. They
are attracted to difficult contexts and circumstances and try to activate
the untapped potential offered by complex design programs. The
design processes of the practice are determined via plural input as
opposed to singular ideas. They prefer the beauty of chaos over ugly
perfection.
CODA propagated their idea of architecture of the city through
competitions and project propositions. A city is understood to be an
organic organisation that is in constant flux not only from the socio-
political-economical forces but also from the deteriorating attributes
of all things man-made. CODA believes that architecture is the
intervention of the city that is driven by chance and coincidence rather
than predetermined preferences and solutions.
It is a joy to pay tribute to the up-and-coming designers who drive the
architecture scene in Singapore and Malaysia. Driven by Design is a
comprehensive introduction to the collective new generation of talents
in the region.
Singapore:
No. 23 Genting Road, #01-05, Chevalier House Singapore 349481
(T) 65-6747-7561 www.lumbermart.com.sg Lumber Mart Pte Ltd

Malaysia:
Lumber Mart Sdn Bhd: 2 Jln Teknologi 3/1, Selangor Science Park 1, Kota Damansara
47810 PJ, Selangor (T) 03-6141 1888 www.lumbermart.com.my
 CODA: collaborative office of design & architecture

CODA is a design office for architecture, urbanism, ruralism and construction, based in
Bandar Baru Bangi, Malaysia. Established in 2005, the firm is led by three partners
architects WAN AZHAR SULAIMAN (above, from left) and AHMAD YUSRIZAN YUSOF,
and accountant MOHD YUSRI YUSOF. During the formative years, CODA propagated
their idea of architecture of the city through competitions and project propositions. A
city is understood to be an organic organisation that is in constant flux not only from
social, political and economic forces, but also from the deteriorating attributes of all
things man-made. CODA believes that architecture is the intervention of the city that is
driven by chance and coincidence rather than predetermined preferences and solutions.
CODA is also inclined towards the academic field. They have supervised design
research studios, given lectures, as well as had their works and research papers
published in monographs and international colloquiums. CODA organises ongoing
lecture series and have been involved in numerous architectural exhibitions.
Currently, CODA is concentrating in constructing its own architecture. It is through
construction that the office can progress independently as an entity that has the ability
to control the economics of architecture it produces. The type of construction CODA is
involved in are from single residential houses to small scale offices. Their work have won
awards and publicised widely as an alternative practice of architecture.
 CODA office

Night masterclass with Chiaki Arai (2011)

 CODA: collaborative office of design & architecture

sixty-thirty, bangi, selangor

single family residence (bungalow)
land area 1,175m2 (12,648ft2)
built-up 581m2 (6,263ft2)
construction 2011-2015

Sixty-thirty is an architecture of relationship and dialogues. There is a

love and hate relationship between the architect and the site. Atop a
hill, the sites surrounding proximity is a visual eyesore. High tension
pylons rises above the hillside, embellishing the sky with steel, wires
and cables. Neglected street connects white-house like mansions and
misplaced Balinese resorts to vacant, flattened private property. The
hillside too has become a dumping site for construction by-products.
It is from this that the architecture becomes a total submission to
the nuance of the place. It is as much about accepting and being
accepted. The meaning of dialogue in this case is the visual play
between the built form and site, and how they communicate. It is a
kind of dialogue that is upfront and sometimes loud, but yet distances SETBACK MASS
itself from its true intention. It is kinder and respectable that way.
Therefore, the architecture becomes as much about talking/looking-in
as it is about listening/looking out.

CONTEXT

10 obstRuction
 the body and elements
The building is divided into three parts: a main house, a satellite house
and the back of house. The main house is a five-bedroom complex
connected by a central open space for living, family and study. The
satellite house is a small loft with two bedrooms, a living, dining,
kitchen and a laundry room. Both these houses are separated by a
party wall. The back of house is a single-storey unit located at the
far-end corner of the property. This is where the primary kitchen and
dining area extends out into the garden to act as the core space for
family gatherings.

GROUND FLOOR PLAN FIRST FLOOR PLAN

The mass of the architecture covers the whole property as far as

the setback lines. The name sixty and thirty represents the degree
of the angles measured on the site. The angles form the diagonal
gridlines of the site. A gable roof concept is used to shelter the three
separate houses and merge them as one entity with a big open
REAR ELEVATION WEST ELEVATION volumetric space.
There are two types of walls for the building. The first type is a
periphery wall that envelopes the front half of the house. It is a solid
wall with rectangular window cut-outs. These windows are designed
with outer rings rendered a shade darker than the rest of the house,
as a graphical gesture representing eyes.
The second type is a diagonal wall. These walls subdivide the
plan of the house. Along the back of the house, these walls can be
seen intersecting and exposed together to form protruding paper thin
FRONT ELEVATION EAST ELEVATION planes. This wall is an expression of the diagonal gridlines.
 CODA: collaborative office of design & architecture

jambia, cyberjaya, selangor

single family residence (bungalow)
land area 880m2 (9,472ft2)
built-up area 416m2 (4,473ft2)
construction 2011-2015

The architecture of Jambia is of symbols and iconographies.

In the beginning, the insistent client wanted a design in the
Arabesque style. We began our research by looking into the
typical forms of arches and domes, to look at the possibilities
of adopting these forms into our design. The site overlooks
the Putrajayas man-made lake with the high-rise offices in
the background.
We begin by creating a building that would not obstruct view
from the neighbouring front towards the lake. We introduced a
large curving cavity wall as a device to protect the house from
heat as well as blocking their private garden from the afternoon
sun. This solution is free from roof overhang designs. The shape
of the plan is reminiscent to the jambia, an Arabic dagger. Hence
the name of the project. We find the dagger of interest not only
for its unique inclusion in traditional Arab clothing, but also for
its symbolic synonymy with Arab folklores.

12

FRONT ELEVATION WEST ELEVATION

REAR ELEVATION EAST ELEVATION

 The house is divided into two parts, the main house and
the vault. The arch-shaped vault is an independent structure
enclosing the living room. It is connected to the main house
with a ramped passage leading into the family and dining areas.
These areas open up to the front and rear garden. We also
moved the porch to the rear end of the house to remove any
obstruction to the architecture.
Another large curving wall that is timber cladded is
introduced inside of the house as a contrasting element to the
front facade. There are three bedrooms on the first floor that
faces the curved wall. A small TV room and a study room extend
out of the house, like a puncturing prismatic box. The mono-
pitch roof that is hardly noticeable, to make way for the house
GROUND FLOOR PLAN FIRST FLOOR PLAN massing gesture.
CODA: collaborative office of design & architecture

kane & gable, subang heights, selangor

land area 717m2 (7,717ft2)

built-up area 521m2 (5,608ft2)
construction 2014 (Phase 1)
2015 (Phase 2)

This is a two-storey private house designed for a family of six.

The name Kane & Gable was derived from two components
of the design; the long gable roof and the cane support of the
staircase. The process with the family was in several phases.
Many variations of different themes were discussed, from which
one key principle emerged that was for a vast open space that
seamlessly connects both the inside and the outdoors. But as
the design starts to take form, the familys pastime of collecting
vintage pieces and antique furniture was revealed.
The familys enthusiastic acquisition of antiques and vintage
collectibles had lead to decades of accumulation of objects,
resulting in a dilemma of storage. The collection includes furniture
from the colonial era in Malaysia and Batavia, and recycled timber
components from an old royal palace in Jogjakarta. Like many
private collectors, the clients wanted the ability to exhibit their
 FRONT ELEVATION

REAR ELEVATION

SECTION

collections to relatives and close friends. Our response attempts

at arranging spaces for displaying the collection that could also be
used for family activities.
Due to limited budget, and the need to not let the house
become a repository of things, we came up with a strategy of
creating an element with multiple functions. This element takes
up the form of the long west wall along the internal corridor,
that is also used as storage space. The external wall pattern is a
direct consequence of the recessed pockets inside that is used
to display large pieces of cabinets. Natural light coming into the
spaces through the openings in between the pockets brightens
up the house.
An enclosed pool space cuts into the main living area and the
kitchen, while a smaller wading pool is located adjacently to the
two spaces. Above the wading pool, supported on a cane, is the
staircase that also functions as a container for their small vintage
articles. The house consists of four bedrooms, a guest room and
a master bedroom. We experimented with lofty room heights to
visually scale down the large pieces of antiques.

GROUND FLOOR PLAN FIRST FLOOR PLAN *Featured in D+A issue 082.2014
 czarl architects
czarlarchitects.com

16

No two sites or clients are identical. Acknowledging this, Czarl Architects (founders
CARL LIM, above right, and ANDITYA DWI SAPUTRA) seek to understand the needs
and desires of each project, to carefully examine the intricate relationship between
the inhabitants and their space alongside the relationship of the building with its
environmental and socio-historical context. Every design process is often an exploration
of new ways to redefine contemporary relationships between people, heritage, home
and the sensory environments that we occupy and move through.
For us, that relationship is meaningful. We believe that everygooddesign strategy
reflects a key central idea, narrative or essence. This can be expressed through the
individualised details of the spatial composition, the discerning use of materials and
the clarity and creativity of form. We see architectural expression not only as a resultant
ofmany logical factors at work, but also needing to beunderpinned withmeasures
of wit, ingenuity and intuition. There is no room for slavish obsession withstyle or
architectural dogmas of last century dictating that less is more, orthat form follows
function. Instead, we hold the perspective that design expression is driven by the
endless permutations and inventive combinations of technical and aesthetic knowledge,
socio-cultural, environmental and political awareness, which are then synergistically
assimilated into a creative solution.
 biography

CARL LIM (born 1973, Johor) obtained his BA in architecture at National University of
Singapore. Upon graduating in 1998, he began his training as a junior architect at SCDA
where he was given the opportunity to work with SC Global on prestigious projects such
as The LadyHill Condominium. He has also worked on other housing developments for
SUTL group, as well as a handful of other exquisite detached housing. Upon completing
his stint at SCDA after a few years, he joined the established W Architects to receive
further rigourous training under the mentorship of Mr Mok Wei Wei. During this period, he
worked on key projects such as 33 Robin by SC GLobal and the Methodist Girls School,
while he studied and obtained a practicing certificate with the Board of Architects. Upon
completion of his projects at W architects, he left and arrived at a career milestone
which saw a reaffirmation of his design sensibilities when he joined Mink Architects as
senior designer. The new role enabled him to oversee the design work of all architectural
czarl architects office
projects that included a handful of private housing at Sentosa Cove, YTL residence in
KL, and Westwood Apartments by YTL Corporation in Singapore. It was also during this
period that he honed his skill as interior designer under the wings of Mink Tan. In 2010,
he set up Czarl Architects.

ANDITYA DWI SAPUTRA (born 1984, Jakarta) received his Bachelor Degree in
Architecture from Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia in 2007. Upon graduation,
he joined Mink Architects as an Architectural Assistant and worked on both architectural
and interior projects for 4 years. Describing his years of training at Mink Architects as
a deeply enriching cross cultural and disciplinary experience, he was involved in many
overseas and local hospitality and residential projects such as the prestigious Armani
Houses in Sentosa Cove by YTL Corporation. Working with a talented team, he delivered
fascinating interiors for St James Power Station Bar, Singapore (2007) and Holiday
Inn, Semarang (2008). His works also include a slew of architectural competitions and
temporary events/exhibitions such as the launch of the prestigious Mercedes Benz
E-Class (2009). He joined Czarl Architects in late 2010 as a partner.
 czarl architects

C house

project team Carl Lim, Anditya Dwi Saputra, MingFu Weng, Nic Chan
c&s PTS Consultants
m&e PCA Consulting Engineers
site area 247.10m2
gfa 587.05m2

The clients are a young working professional who have expressed their
desire to live in a house where a multi-generation family can live, work and
play, as well as enjoy hobbies together interactively. A sense of identity for
each of the family, green consciousness and functionality are a few key
requirements that would be incorporated into the scheme. The brief calls
for a reconstruction of an existing two-storey house into a three-storey
dwelling with a full attic, basement and a lap pool at optimum cost with the
shortest construction time frame.

site context
Located in the east coast district of Singapore, the site is a long and narrow
inter-terrace plot of 7m by 35m. Most of the neighbouring terrace houses
are in their original design built in the 1960s. As the building setback
requirement has been revised over the years, the inter-house could be
further optimized in its redevelopment. The ground level of the house would
also need to be raised to comply with the revised minimum flood level.

18
design approach
Due to the tight constraints of the site and the requirement to create
a flexible and non-uniform spatial planning for each of the multi-
generation family, there is a need to rationalize and compact the spatial
requirements of the program of the house into workable modular units.
The resultant form and space planning should be cohesive. This led to
an exploration of a different method in construction that departs from the ATTIC STOREY PLAN

usual concrete structure.

Using modular containers to form a building was considered as the
best option as it allows flexible configuration for space planning and it
is very cost effective and can be constructed very quickly. Two types of
modules, 2.5m by 3m and 2.5m by 6m high cubes, are introduced into
the dwelling.

3RD STOREY PLAN

2ND STOREY PLAN

1ST STOREY PLAN

ELEVATION A SECTION 2
The modules are stacked either on top of each other or cross
stacked if necessary to create different layouts for the various levels.
In doing so, some of the ribbed steel wall panels of the modules would
have to be removed to create larger spaces while others are cut to allow
for window openings and glass doors. As modification of the containers
weaken the original structure, modules which are modified will have to
be reinforced structurally.
Essentially, the design of the house could be broken down into 3
different horizontal strata, with each stratum forming the domain for each
family. Each of the strata is intentionally designed as an independent
dwelling unit with the grandparents taking up the 1st floor while the
daughter and the son with their children would occupy the 2nd and the
3rd floor (including its attic). A central common lift and a staircase would
connect all 3 strata.
Due to the deep plan of the house, a linear light well between the
stacked containers is necessarily introduced to bring in daylight into the
common areas of all 3 strata, while enabling visual connection to be
established between all the levels.
Apart from having a non-identical layout for each floor, the idea of
maintaining individual identity for each family is applied to the front and
back faade. Here, the containers are cantilevered out at various lengths
and accentuated with different colours of choice. At the front facade, the
original solid doors of the containers are modified so that they can be
easily opened to let light/air in when needed.
Overall, the scheme of non-uniformity is bounded together by adopting
a consistent green approach. Extending the idea of using recycled
containers, easily recyclable material such as corten steel and expanded
steel mesh are consistently used throughout the building from car porch
roof to facade cladding to railings.
Pockets of green terrace and balcony are maximised and introduced
consistently to all floors, so as to soften the effect of the industrial feel
of the containers and to provide outdoor spaces for relaxation for all
the families.
 czarl architects

20 P house
Photography by Ong Boon Chian

project team
Carl Lim, Anditya Dwi Saputra, Sheryl Asi Perculeza, Finna Hendrani, MingFu Weng
c&s C&V Engineering Pte Ltd
m&e AE&T Consultants Pte
cost consultant Barton Bruce Shaw Pte Ltd
lighting consultant Intelligent Lighting Design
landscape designer Base6 Pte Ltd
contractor Join-Aim Pte Ltd
site area 973m2
gfa 764m2
completion 2012

This project is designed for an Indian household of four. While the parents are
deeply rooted in the colourful tradition of the Indian culture and family values,
the teenage children lean more towards modern art and culture. So there is a
need to balance both.
The client wanted a Taj Mahal and everything has to be big and bold
and impressive! Emphasising that the house will become a multi-generation
home in the future, the owners requested for a design that will entail flexibility
in usage. Easy accessibility to all parts of the house while maintaining individual
privacy is a must.

site context
Located at Sentosa South Cove, the site is a large lot facing eastside a round-
about at the front and a man-made water channel at the rear in the west. The
site plot also faces a vacant strip of state land with lush vegetation.
 ELEVATION A ELEVATION B

ELEVATION C ELEVATION D

SECTION 1 SECTION 2

design approach
In contrast to the formal spaces above, the private domain of the
The design of the house is developed around the central theme of reconciling
teenage children assumes a low profile. Tucked away from the scrutiny
generational differences and allowing space for individual freedom between
of the parents, the rooms are almost completely hidden away, kept in
members of the family. Intentionally, the house is broken into a series of
close contact with lush vegetation on the ground but with easy access
disparate units housing different functions, not unlike a series of floating
to the lap pool. The need for privacy notwithstanding, common domestic
pavilions. With each detached unit operating independently, it is possible to
areas such as the family room or kitchen have been allocated on the
re-examine the programmatic relationship between them and reconfigure and
opposite side of the pool to provide a platform for interaction between
subvert conventional notions of space planning.
family members.
Following the above intent, two key strategies are conceived to separate
In attempt to further differentiate from the formal spaces of the
and bind various programmes simultaneously: 1) A central courtyard with a
house, the master bedroom with its attached meditation attic is
swimming pool; 2) Interconnectivity a looped circulation by way of a series
deliberately elevated to half a floor higher. This gives the master bedroom
of interconnected balconies and terraces. The layout of the house takes a
an opportunity maximize the desirable view of the horizon, yet remain
deliberate approach of reversing the traditional layout, by elevating the formal
buffered from the formal areas by sloping gardens with lush vegetation
spaces of the house to the 2nd floor while keeping the private domestic realm
and long corridors.
of the house to the ground.
The composition of the house as a whole is legible from the outside
In a gesture of festive celebration, one is greeted upon arrival by a luminous
as one contiguous fabric-like envelope, forming simultaneously green
light drum framed in a lofty vestibule beneath a soaring roof. We choreographed
terraces, balconies, walkways and shielding west-facing walls and the
the visitor to ascend a grand staircase that wraps around the luminous light
roof. The flowing envelope schemes to bind various segregated spaces
drum. Tea light candles can be placed alongside the drum intricate envelope
accommodating various program into a unified whole. With this stroke,
as a romanticized gesture of celebrating the Indian culture before one is led to
we thought we have given the Taj Mahal a different spin and the client
the formal living and dining room. The sense of arrival at the living and dining
was happy.
room is eventually concluded with the voluminous ceiling of the spaces and
impressive view of the lush green state land and the waterways beyond. *Featured in D+A issue 0792.2014 (REAL LIVING IN FANTASY)
 czarl architects

S house
Photography by MingFu Weng

project team Carl Lim, Anditya Dwi Saputra, Finna Hendrani, MingFu Weng
c&s PTS Consultants
m&e PCA Consulting Engineers
cost consultant Jean Sim
contractor Capital Gold Construction & Engineering Pte Ltd
site area 536.10m2
gfa 510.51m2
completion 2013

The patrons of this project are young working professionals who wanted a house
where multi-generations can live, work and play. The desire is to create an
individual identity from its neighbours; and functionality, maximized building
footprint are among the key requirements. The brief called for a reconstruction
of an existing two-storey house into a three-storey dwelling with a lap pool and
maximum space allowed for a garden.

site context
Located in the north eastern side of Singapore, the site is a large spacious corner-
terrace plot that sits at the fringe of a housing estate built in the early 1980s. As
the building setback requirement has been revised over the years, the new house
could be further optimized in terms of its footprint in the redevelopment. The
house is surrounded by lush green woods on its side facing boundaries.

22
1ST FLOOR PLAN 2ND FLOOR PLAN 3RD FLOOR PLAN

design approach
This is developed with two key intent in mind: 1) De-identification with and
to break away from its neighbouring houses; 2) Maximization of green belt
for enjoyment. The design approach for the house was to create a singular
legible stroke in the form of a continuous flowing envelope that could
simultaneously provide privacy to its inhabitants, without the loss of openness
to the surrounding.
The continuous envelope will act as much like a shell and will be punctuated
with limited openings at the front and rear side where it faces a neighbour.
Unlike the front and back, the side of the wrapped envelope house would
remain very much open, taking in views of its own side garden and swimming
pool and of the wooded landscape beyond its boundaries.
In order to maximize the building footprint, the extent of the edge of the
enclosing envelope would be pushed out to the maximum and be shaped by
the invisible forces of the requisite building setback offset from boundaries of
the rather odd shaped plot. The unique shape of the envelope can be seen as
a direct resultant of the varying site setback.
Due to the deep plan of the house, a linear skylight at the roof is introduced
alongside the shared parti-wall to bring in daylight into the common areas of
all three floors. The same skylight is choreographed to flow to the front of the
facade of the house, and as intended, provide a legible visual breakaway for the
house from its neighbour which it was previously paired with.
In a seemingly defiant move, the corner terrace houses breakaway attempt
from its housing typology takes on a grand finale in the act of dissociation by
peeling away its the entire car porch roof from its neighbour. In so doing, the
car porch is able to stretch out freely at length to accommodate more parking
space, and provide a long belt of green terrace and balcony above.
 farm
www.farm.com

FARM (Directors PETER SIM, top left clockwise, TORRANCE GOH, SELWYN LOW, TIAH NAN CHYUAN)
started in 2005 as a small web-based society with an interest in local designs. From organising small parties
where the members get to meet new people, these sessions grew and became ROJAK which was a quarterly
24 get-together and sharing session for local artists and designers. In 2007, believing cross disciplinary design
was the way forward, FARMWORK was started and began taking on projects. In 2008 we were commissioned
as the lead designer for the Singapore Pavilion in the prestigious Venice Biennale, showcasing the works of
local designers to the world. In 2010, we won the President Design Award. In 2012, we completed our first
overseas project. In 2013, we were registered with the Board of Architects Singapore, completing the circle of
design services which we can provide across various design disciplines.
Today, FARMs projects straddle across different design disciplines, from architecture and interiors,
branding and graphics, product design and mechanising, to art installations and sculptures, exhibition design
and curatorial services. FARM is an office with a staff of 16 to 24, depending on the time of the day you take
the head count. They come from different educational backgrounds and have a variety of design interests.
We like a mix of people who are all a little bit quirky but happy to work hard and have fun at the same time.
The term cross-disciplinary is widely used but we understand it as having two components. The first
is the downstream component. Having the ability to create a holistic and consistent experience, where the
various disciplines architecture, interior, graphics, etc, come together to communicate the ethos and values
of the brand/client we are working with. Consistency in this case does not equate a house style or approach.
But rather processes of working where each design discipline constantly influence and affect the various
components in the space.
The second and often less discussed component is actually the upstream component. We see the value of
working in a cross disciplinary manner as it allows for new and unpredictable ideas to emerge. What started
out as a practical response to manpower management becomes a source of how we approach each project.
We form our design teams around the brief and requirements of each project. This invariably places the
different design disciplines on the same hierarchy at the start of each project; allowing each discipline the
opportunity of taking the design lead in the project.
This process requires some faith, naivety and stubbornness, not forgetting a certain degree of technical
knowhow and knowledge transfer. Every idea is given a chance, sometimes they can lead to interesting
outcomes, others naught. From the production and efficiency point of view this process sounds like a
nightmare. But from a creative genesis point of view, this is absolutely necessary to keep the doors open for
new ideas to emerge. This to us, is one of the key reason why we started FARM in the first place to meet
new people, to get inspired and find opportunities to try new things.
 biography

Following his graduation from the National University of Singapore in 1997, PETER SIM has worked with
SCDA Architects in Singapore on a variety of small and large scale residential projects. In 2000, he joined
Alsop Architects in London and worked on the Rotterdam Centraal Station Masterplan, Netherlands. Sim was
appointed Associate for Alsop Far East. He was the Lead Design Architect for major projects like the Raffles
City Redevelopment and Clarke Quay in Singapore. He was also project designer on a variety of international
projects in Singapore, Shanghai, Bangkok and Beijing. Besides developing his practice as an architect, Sim
is also a Design Tutor at the School of Architecture at the National University of Singapore. In 2007, he joined
and led FARMWORK as the main Principal.

SELWYN LOW, co-founder of FARM and FARMWORK, and is formally trained in Architecture from the
National University of Singapore. As Director at FARM, Selwyn is involved in a wide spectrum of works, from
architecture and interiors to branding and graphics. His other interests include product and furniture research,
design and marketing and he recently completed a series of specially commissioned furniture pieces using
recycled timber planks from the old National Stadium, in collaboration with the Singapore Sports Council and
the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

TORRANCE GOH, co-founder of FARM and FARMWORK, studied architecture at the National University of
Singapore and has worked in London and Singapore with Alsop Architects. He has a strong passion for graphic
and web design. As Director in FARM, Torrance leads the Branding and Graphic team while dabbling across
the different projects in FARM.

After his graduation from the Architectural Association in London in 2004, TIAH NAN CHYUAN joined
the Urban Redevelopment Authority in Singapore. In 2008, Tiah joined FARM and worked on a variety of
architecture and interior projects. He is also a Design Tutor at the School of Architecture at the National
University of Singapore. In 2013, Tiah obtained his registration with Board of Architects Singapore, and is
currently the Principal of FARM Architects Pte Ltd.

Farm office
 farm

cafe at lor ampas (wheelers yard)

Photography by Bton Brut

design team Tiah Nan Chyuan, Trina Ang, Oh Wen Xin

client Tiong Choon Co Pte Ltd
site area 1,350.01m2
gfa 683.72m2
completion 2013

We were immediately drawn to the site, and who wouldnt? It was a

huge industrial factory beside a park connector, nestled in the quaint
neighbourhood of Whampoa where residents would strolled, jogged or
cycled in the quiet evenings. Previously used as a car repair workshop,
the family-run business needed new ideas to revamp the place.The
brief was literally invented along the way. With the burgeoning of the
cycling culture in Singapore, the site has all the right ingredients to
become just that a laid-back, lifestyle place for cyclists, where they
can rest, get their repairs done, have a cuppa, and watch the world go
by.The voluminous space was split into two a cafe and a huge open
bicycle workshop. This makes for a rare commercial proposition as
there would be no rental pressure. And the owners can have free play
in the space. It is open and flexible, and totally programmable to cater
for various events. The place has since hosted launch parties, fashion
events and the likes. Of course these days, its not just your cyclists
who drop by, the place is slowly becoming the hangout place in the
neighbourhood. Not bad at all, for an old factory.

26
 farm

28
lloyds inn
Photography by Rebecca Toh

client Macly Assets Pte Ltd

design team
Tiah Nan Chyuan, Selwyn Low, Torrance Goh, Lee Hui Lian, Lucille Lee, Trina Ang, Gareth Low
m&e Elead Associates Private
c&s KH Consultants
site area 1,392.2m2
gfa 1,124.8m2
completion 2014

The owner of the existing 34-room hotel at Lloyd Road was looking to revamp
the place with a new concept and possibility expanding the business into the
region. An ambitious idea considering the condition of the existing hotel and
the relatively new team behind the project. Not to be deterred, we focused
on the virtues of the site and the emerging patterns of new city travellers
taking advantage of low airfares in the region. We dissected common values
like nature, space, texture, convenience and comfort. Taking a minimalist and
almost reductive approach, we attempt to layer the multiple relationships
between the city, hotel, nature and the traveller. Free of ornamentations and
symbolism, the spaces celebrate the raw virtues and beauty of nature and
the essence of contemporary life on the road. An abode in the city, a space
to escape and reconnect at the same time. With the successful opening of
Lloyd Singapore, the excitable clients are now making good on their promise
to bring the concept into the region, starting with Kuala Lumpur and Sydney.
The low rise low density concept of hotel in a garden house is now being
adapted into a high rise configuration with the challenge on how to continue
the ethos of the brand into a different typology, city and climate.
 farm

shophouse at lavender road

Photography by Rebecca Toh

design team Peter Sim, Clifford See

c&s Joseph & Ang Engineers Pte Ltd
site area 162.5m2
gfa 422.53m2
completion 2015

Having another go at a shophouse typology, where instead of breaking

up the front and rear with a courtyard, this project seeks to play up
the elongated space inherent to a shophouse. Space in this project
is characterised into two distinct parts. The more public living, dining
spaces and home office spaces are open plan stretching horizontally
from the front and all the way to the rear, and vertically up to the third
storey. The conserved front and new rear portions are interconnected
as split level platforms, creating a linear and upward diagonal flow
through generous double-volume height spaces. This essentially
singular large space which connects front and rear is accentuated by
a continuous full height storage and shelving wall that runs the entire
length of the shophouse, creating a dramatic and unifying element.
The more private bedrooms are stacked in a cellular fashion at the
upper floors of the rear extension.

30
the forest by wangz

client Glastech Investment Pte Ltd

design team Peter Sim, Torrance Goh, Dylan Quek, Adib Jalal, Hong Weiming, Oh Wenxin
architect KD Architects
m&e Pro-EM Building Consultants
c&s FT Inc Consultants
site area 1,214.29m2
gfa 1,700m2
completion 2011

Located in the Novena area, the site for this five-storey serviced
apartments block fronts a large and busy road. The client asked for
a luxurious and special building, with a distinctive faade.We wanted
to create a porous architecture with generous views and light for
the occupants. Inspired by the organic forms of nature, our design
strategy was to create a building that has separate private and public
faces. By dividing the accommodation into two distinct but connected
parts, the apartments could have two fronts, one facing the street
and the other facing a landscaped poolside area.The trees on the
site informed the design the faade facing the street is clad in a
layered mesh screen inspired by the forms of tree trunks and the
translucency of leaves.The faade facing the pool area consists of an
organic undulating screen and overlapping balconies.
 fuur
fuur.com

34

The architectural design practice of FUUR (Directors, JASPER CHIA, above left, and DEAN CHEW) stems from a broad
conceptualisation of architecture, one that encompasses fashion, music, product design, graphic design, and subcultures of various
genres. FUUR simply means future urbanism. The firm is inspired by the projection of form and space into the city and into
its cultures. FUUR has noticed that increasingly, brands are looking for an integrated solution to their design needs. They put it
down to intensified competition and todays rapid modes of communication. Creative businesses are trying to stay ahead of the
game, realising the need to project a holistic message, in which spatial design effectively ties in with other forms of design and
communication to present a succinct brand narrative. It is a strategy that FUUR has gravitated toward in recent years.
biography

DEAN CHEW was raised in a family where both parents were architects. At an early age, he developed a keen
interest in illustration that later evolved into a fascination for architecture. Upon graduating from the University of
Western Australia with First Class Honours in Architecture, Dean proceeded to hone his design skills as an intern
with Tan Guan Bee Architects and Andrew Tan Architects. Subsequently, he joined Kerry Hill Architects and Enviro
Tec in Jakarta before deciding to expand his personal horizon and architectural expertise. He joined FUUR as a
partner in 2007 and has since become the third Director of the firm.

Graduating from the University of Auckland with First Class Honours in Architecture in 2000, JASPER CHIA
worked in London between 2000 and 2006, designing commercial projects for clients like Nokia, Vertu, Surrender,
amongst others, as well as private residences in London. During this period, Jasper also collaborated with
renowned architects Tan Guan Bee (Gold medalist SIA), Ling Hao and Tan Kok Meng on various works, some of
which were shown in Archilab 2000 and Copenhagen 2002. Since returning to Singapore to set up FUUR, with
partners Ken and Dean, the portfolio of FUUR has been diverse and varied from master planning to houses,
residential interiors, restaurants, nightclubs, retail environments and event spaces.

fuur office
 fuur

36

coast & company

Photography by Khoo Guo Jie/Bton Brut

design team Jasper Chia, Teo Ken-hin, Richard Villamora,

Spencer Chan, Ngu Ping Hu, Paulo Dino
consultants Nemesu Garden Design Pte Ltd
builder Deep Blue Group Pte Ltd
site area 1,650ft2
gfa 2,700ft2
completion 2014
 2ND STOREY FLOOR PLAN

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

Part bike shop, part cafe, Coast & Company is home to a collaboration
between local bicycle brand Coast Cycles, and independent coffee
boutique Papa Palheta. Located in the residential suburb of Siglap,
FUUR was tasked with bringing life to this intersection of subcultures,
with the hope of it evolving into a hub of communal activity within the
neighbourhood. As this is to be not just a bike shop for enthusiasts
but also a cafe hangout for the uninitiated, the design seamlessly
incorporates the bike retail areas, repair workshop, gallery, and
the cafe in the multi-programme space. To create a democratic
atmosphere, FUUR employed the concept of a cafe surrounded
by biking activity, and situated the cafe foremost on the first floor.
Approaching from the main entrance, one is faced with the cafe,
simple and casual with a low counter, with the repair workshop and
delivery lounge in the background. Large arched windows line the left
wall, providing a view of the lane beside the shop where customers are
encouraged to test ride the bikes. The space also features a first-floor
side door for easy access to the workshop from the side lane, and a
gallery-like showroom on the upper floor with its own garden, aimed at
creating the perception of a ground floor space. Finally, the aesthetic
of the entire shophouse is raw and minimalist, with a spattering of
greenery. This was in line with the brand identity, while creating a
muted backdrop for the bikes to take centre stage.
 fuur

kyo
Photography by Afiq Omar

client Limited Edition Concepts Pte Ltd

design team Dean Chew, Richard Villamora, Paulo Dino, Chia Shu Ying
consultants Electronic & Engineering Pte Ltd
Kitchen Agenda Pte Ltd
ENEPL Pte Ltd
Lumen Design Solutions
builder Simplicity Builders Pte Ltd
site area 6,000ft2
gfa 6,500ft2
completion 2013

The basement of Keck Seng Tower along Cecil Street is home to

Kyo, a 6,000ft2 dining and club space right at the heart of the CBD.
Befitting its location, FUUR designed Kyo as a cave-like space with
modern Japanese aesthetics, dressed in a palette of warm colours
and contrasting dark shades of steel and wood.Kyo is spatially
anchored by its 24m long U-shaped bar that, being positioned in the
centre of the space, faces all sides of the club. Serving as a framing
and organising device, it allows patrons to interact with the space
in varying ways as they move through the club, and simultaneously
segments the space into different zones with varying levels of privacy.
The designers chose the materials for this project with the aim of
maximizing texture without overwhelming the eye. The result was a
liberal use of stone, recycled timber and dark metal finishes heavy
on texture, but neutral in colour, reminiscent of a dark, detailed cave.

38
sugar hall
Photography by THE Primary Studio

client Jigger & Pony Pte Ltd

design team Dean Chew, Khoo Kean Hu, Chia Shu Ying
consultants Synergy Pte Ltd
Kitchen Agenda Pte Ltd
Electronic & Engineering Pte Ltd
builder Simplicity Builders Pte Ltd
site area 1,800ft2
gfa 1,900ft2
completion 2014

After a successful collaboration with FUUR on their cocktail bar, Jigger

& Pony, owners Indra Kantono and Gan Guoyi approached the firm
to design their second outlet, Sugar Hall, a Jamaican rum and grill
restaurant. Their vision was a restaurant with a tropical flavour and
the feel of a barn-turned-community hall. The space has three zones
the bar in front, main dining area in the middle, and a more private
banquette seating area at the back for large groups all designed to
be visually connected and open, dressed in a colour palette of red and
olive green. Referencing plantations and rafters, FUUR designed a trellis
canopy over the bar that stretches through the rest of the space, running
parallel to the walls in the main dining area and extending onto the
glazing of the shop front to form the facade. It is a defining feature of
the space, and frames the interior from the street view. The length of
the space was played up in the main dining area through the use of long
rattan benches lining the wall and island communal tables, while in the
banquette seating area, a recycled log wall frames the kitchen window,
lending a sense of homeliness and a connection with the kitchen.
 fdat architects
fdat.co

40

FDAT designs architecture and interiors that are smart, engaging and incisive. Our
practice is driven by ideas; we believe that design can make a strategic difference
and improve lives, add economic value and shape positively our social and cultural
landscape. A key aspect of our design involves humanizing our built environment and
improving our relationship with greenery and nature.
Before founding FDAT, FRANCIS GOH (above left) and DONOVAN SOON had
practiced for more than a decade at WOHA, one of Singapore and the regions leading
architecture firms. WOHA is acclaimed for detailed, innovative and green designs, and
have won numerous local and international awards. Both directors have extensive
experience leading teams in diverse projects from landed houses, shophouse adaptive
reuse to high-rise residential, commercial and hospitality projects.

FDAT TEAM
biography
FRANCIS GOH graduated with first-class honours from University of Western Australia
winning the Cox Howlett & Bailey Woodland Architectural Award. He is a registered
architect and a guest critic at the Singapore Polytechnic.

DONOVAN SOON is a registered architect, having won the top prize in the registration
examinations. He graduated with a Master of Architecture from the National University
of Singapore, winning the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal, Board of Architects Prize and
Gold Medal, Architecture Alumni Association Book Prize and the NUS Department of
Architecture Hunter Douglas Award. He has also been a visiting critic at his alma mater
since 2009.
 fdat architects

the courtyards, beijing, china

gfa 150,000m2
status Concept design completed 2014, in design development
Consultants in process of appointment

Located near the national aeronautical institution, strict height control restrictions allowed for only low-
rise developments. To relieve the high density, the development is designed as clusters around a series
of courtyards. Vehicular traffic is immediately submerged into the basement, freeing up the ground for
expansive greenery and waterscapes. The courtyards and plantings are designed to emphasize the change
of the seasons; cherry blossoms and maple highlight the arrival of spring and autumn respectively with bursts
of blossoms and colour. The water feature which offers relieve from the summer heat becomes an ice skating
rink in winter, turning into another activity centre for residents and guests.

42
detached house at jalan nipah, singapore

gfa 650m2
consultants Fong Consult Pte Ltd
CCA & Partners Pte Ltd
WS Surveyorship Pte Ltd
status designed 2013 | Under construction

Home for a multi-generational family with young children, the residence is located in a mature residential estate;
and is surrounded on almost all sides with tall houses. The approach of designing yet another maximized
large house was eschewed, as the result would be largely internalized space with rooms that stare out at the
neighbours. Instead the design creates a generous central open space with residential wings arranged around it.
The open space was realized as a lawn and terrace for family, where children can have picnics, pitch tents, play
with lanterns and generally run round around as children do, overlooked by family in the various living spaces.
 fdat architects

lattice office, singapore

44
area 100m2
completion 2013

FDAT Architects first home is a single shophouse floor in Singapores historic and diverse Chinatown. With
a compact footprint, the objective was to create an architectural interior that was smart, functional and
impactful. The lattice is inspired by the kelong, traditional Southeast Asian timber structures built over the
sea for catching fish. These structures were abstracted into a series of rhythmic vertical timber rods and
horizontal planks recombined to create an expressive lattice, which displays a book collection and various
objects collected from travels. The lattice flanks the studio, an open space conducive for discussions and
collaborative design. With clever lighting the studio transforms into a warm and inviting space for entertaining
and other creative events. The existing full height French windows are further tweaked with the addition of the
wind-windows, which allow a small part of the window to be easily opened for fresh air.

LATTICE OFFICE PLAN

dermatology & surgery clinic
Photography by Bton Brut | Khoo Guo Jie

area 120m2
completion 2013

Dermatology is the branch of medicine that concerns the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders. Referencing
this definition, an architectural skin in timber is created, which wraps around and reveals the various internal rooms
and spaces. Consult and operating rooms are kept as orthogonal, functional volumes: essential organs enveloped
and softened by the sensuous architectural skin. Curves negotiate around corners presenting patients with a soft,
warm and comfortable ambiance. Openings and doorways are carefully arranged within alcoves created by the
skin for privacy, such that patients within the operating rooms are not visible even if the door is open.
 fabian tan architect
www.fabian-tan.com

46

FABIAN TANs principle in architecture is to create spaces

drawn from the energy of the site and context of relationships
between spaces, environment and people. He believes in
expressing a language that is cohesive and clear through
seeking meaning in spaces. In a world of excessive information
and choices, his ideas are formed through a process of
restraint and precision. He has also been active as an artist and
has participated in art exhibitions, installations and furniture
design. He received his Bachelor of Architecture degree
with honours from the University of South Australia in 1997,
establishing Fabian Tan Architect in 2008 in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. He has completed notable modern residences, such
as Le Mon House and Voila House in Kuala Lumpur.
 fabian tan architect

voila house
Photography by Eiffel Chong

architect Fabian Tan Architect

c&s engineer Datum AC Engineering Consultant
site area 475m2
completion 2013

The brief was to transform a typical pitched roofed bungalow house

into a modern contemporary home. The configuration of the bedrooms
upstairs were retained, extended only to make the rooms larger. The
major redesign focused on the ground floor with the disassembling of
walls into open plan spaces.
From the first site visit, the large umbrella trees in the garden left
a deep impression. Inspired by this, the design of the family rooms
would naturally face this green serene outward view. The common
areas extend into the garden, in a U-shape manner; with the private
rooms and kitchen placed on the other side of the house.
The umbrella trees pleasantly help shade the tropical sunlight into
the double volume formal living room. A set of high revolving doors
were specifically created, in order to maximise viewing angles. When
closed, it provides a secured shaded screen with windows inside for
ventilation, making it effectively a cool indoor living room. However,
once opened, the room transforms into an unobstructed outdoor
space. This circular form allows the flexibility for these swift obscuring
of boundaries between the garden and the room.

48
 GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FRONT ELEVATION

Past the staircase behind the formal living, is the wide open
plan informal living, kitchen and dining. These spaces were designed
intentionally in a white palette to allow natural light to emanate
through the space. At the rear end of the house, an extended dining
room provides an element of privacy from the neighbouring house.
Also, it offers a longitudinal view towards the garden, trees and the
SIDE ELEVATION defining circular living room.
 fabian tan architect

le mon house
Photography by Eiffel Chong

architect Fabian Tan Architect

c&s engineer Datum AC Engineering Consultant
built-up area 1,900ft2
completion 2012

The renovation for this 1.5-storey terrace home was meant to be quite
simple, but it became a more extensive project. The owners, a mother
and her daughter, were very receptive to new ideas. The principle idea
of the design is inspired by theJapanese culture ideal on detail and
restraint. This intention was expressed through light and material to
form the purity of the space. Almost all the details were construed
through reasoning more than mere aesthetic play.
At the facade, the red monster door is a dominant feature,
designed as homage to large Chinese temple doors. The door is made
of thin metal slats forming a screen, and within that door is another
door made of coloured plastic panels. This inner door can be opened
for additional light or ventilation.
The main living areas at the ground have a completely open and
linear concept, starting from the front to the rear of the house. The
minimalist aspect of the architecture highlights the owners extensive
collection of Chinese antiques. The purpose was to make the house
feel like a living gallery.
One of the requirements imposed by the client was the absence of
curtains, and a heavy emphasis on security and privacy. Much care was
50 taken to fulfil this without compromising the quality of the architecture.
House security is usually found through common grilles in front of
glass windows. The attempt to divert from this notion resulted in the
creation of the pivot sculptural glass window which is an integration of
grille and window. Another example is how concrete tiangs (Malay for
columns) were layered allow sufficient privacy to the interior spaces,
but also facilitating ventilation and ambient light into the bedrooms,
kitchen and bathrooms.
The central courtyard was introduced to create a relationship
between the spaces, and to provide natural illumination. The raised
living area provides the viewer a visual expansion from the ground
floor to the first floor. Above this living room is a secret garden with a
view of the surrounding forests and hills in the neighbourhood.

*Featured in D+A issue 066.2012 (A HOUSE WHERE EVERYTHING FITS)

GROUND FLOOR PLAN

FIRST FLOOR PLAN

An Everyday Masterpiece
The Beauty of Art; The Quality of Caesarstone
New Calacatta Nuvo
www.caesarstone.sg
+65 6316 1938
 genome architects
www.gad.com.sg

Genome Architects (Principal/Director, WU YEN YEN) is a young architectural practice

whose interest in design transcends scale and program. To find an appropriate design
methodology and to master Material and Time is to master design and, more importantly,
54 the living out of a good design. GAs works seek to visualize universal laws of art, nature
and science through architectural design. Genome, as its name suggests, is about
expressing the everyday essential sides of nature and all of its casual intelligence and
wit. It is our first and foremost interest to shape and create a quality living, working,
playing environment of any scale and serving any purpose.
Prior to GA, principal architect Yen Wu had worked on hospitality resorts, hotels
and commercial offices in Singapore and overseas. GA, as a practice, conceptualizes
fresh and purposeful design concepts that are not restricted by program or budget.
This includes: Conceptualizing customized living environments for individual families;
Conceptualizing various public and civic architectural designs; Conceptualizing interior
design corporate identities for flagship stores, restaurants, offices and hotels.
Genome is the total amount of genetic information in the chromosomes of an
organism, including its genes and DNA sequences. It represents all the inheritable
traits of an organism. At Genome Architects, we believe that like genome, a projects
requirements and program is specific to culture, context, heritage, substance and time.
Natural systems of biology, organisms and natural habitats provide us with endless
and universal methodologies to manifest our own built environment in pleasurable,
intelligent ways.
GA explores concerns of design through its fundamentals: Responsive through
use of materials for all their inherent properties and behaviours in atmospheric
climates; through understanding that response necessarily incorporates the element
of time, growth and change. Bio-mimetic through understanding the architecture,
self-organisation and movements of natural bio-systems and adapting these methods
into our built environments so that architecture partakes in being counted as natural
habitats; through use of new technologies to understand and construct complex natural
systems; to humanise morphogenesis.
Tying together a development of form, structure, detail and quality concepts in tight
package without excess, without being superfluous; an understanding and commonality
that we all carry around. It is called our GENOME.
biography

WU YEN YEN studied Architecture at National University of Singapore, then at Columbia

University, New York. In this time, she had been selected for annual exhibitions and
publications. Upon graduating with a Masters of Architecture, she received an award
for Excellence in Design given by Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and
Preservation, Columbia University. From 2004 to 2009, Yen worked on local and overseas
projects in Eco.id Design Consultancy. Ranging from smaller scale local commercial
projects and residences, Yen moved on to become an Associate, co-leading the team
with her Director. Focusing on overseas hospitality projects, some key projects Yen was
involved in at this time include Marriott Hotel Poolside Villas Singapore, Luxury Safari
Resort at Abu Dhabi, 6-star Seaside Resort in Koh Samui, and Beach Resort at Saadiyat
Beach, Abu Dhabi. Yens exposure in this time required traveling to work with international
Owners, Hotel Operators and Consultants. This in turn honed her design skills from the
intimate, residential scale of a villa to larger scale resort planning and design. GA was
started in 2009 to further her aspirations.

GA OFFICE
genome architects

the golden ratio house

Photography by Tan Hai Han

gfa 465m2
project team Wu Yen Yen, Teo Weiling
engineer PTS Consultants
builder Chia Willy Contractor
completion 2014

The land size of the house, after the regulatory setbacks we discover,
conforms to the rectangle of golden ratio coincidentally. We then
explored to sub-divide the spaces of the house as two golden ratios
that start at diagonal ends, meeting in the centre, which forms the
largest nexus space of the house for all. Incorporating two structural
concrete cores that are defined by the golden section too, the spaces
are designated to spiral and grow around the cores. Being home
to a young couple, their three young children, two pets and house
help, we had also wanted to tie in the notion of spaces that grow;
cantered around a childrens core (2nd storey childrens lounge) and
a family core (the stairs for the family). The two cores and the growing
spaces, determined by their use and by who they serve in the family,
is the design generator both in terms of the spatial layout and the form
definition in three dimensions. We had also invented the window unit
which we term the monsoon window such that it operates for the 2nd
storey rooms rain or shine. Exploring a combination of swing windows
and adjustable louvers, both which are widely used in Singapore, we
made a dual system that lets the inhabitants choose if they would
like to have the rooms airtight, or have the windows closed but the
louvers left open for natural ventilation and security. Tilted at an angle
that discourages rain penetration, these louvers will be operational,
as repeated window drips, even when kept open during rain. These
are then in turn, finished in genetically altered pine and powder
coated aluminium louvers as a full window-and-sill unit that is multi-
functional and creates design interest on elevation too.

* Featured in D+A issue 081.2014 (Golden Code)

BACK ELEVATION FRONT ELEVATION SIDE ELEVATION

1ST STORY PLAN

2ND STORY PLAN

ATTIC PLAN
 genome architects

the wall house

Photography by Tan Hai Han

project team Wu Yen Yen, Lynette Lim

engineer PTS Consultants
builder Future Innovation & Construction Pte Ltd
landscape Nyee Phoe Flower Garden Pte Ltd
completion 2014

The project starts off with an interest in having a regular swimming

pool in a regular semi-detached house in Singapore. A luxury to have in
landed houses, a swimming pool for families with young children and
pets, elderly also doubly means fun, therapy and safety. We wanted
to make efficient also a regular residence structure by strategically
combining all the structure intensive elements together. We combined
the mundane concrete structural tank foundation of the pool, the
2-storey stair structure and house columns into an architecturally
expressed poolside feature wall. The poolside concrete wall carries
and is penetrated by, a glass enclosed staircase that then hovers and
floats over the swimming pool.

58
1ST STORY PLAN 2ND STORY PLAN

ATTIC PLAN

Backing the swimming pool, yet creating a sense of enclosure

and shelter, the relationship of the pool vis--vis the house and their
thresholds are defined but also made ambiguous by this massive
concrete wall. Seen as an interior (since it is under shelter and
indented within the spatial layout of the living spaces) but also as an
exterior (since the stairs punctures through this wall and hovers over
the pool), the wall creates a strong C-shaped domain of interest that
commands the side elevational faade.
The rest of the house are clad, starting from the roof, in unglazed
matt grey roofing tiles on an incline, then wrapped down on the walls
such the mass is defined as a heavy object and also for ease of future
maintenance. This 2nd and attic massing then again, floats off the
1st storey primarily glass enclosure visually and physically, is also
concentrating its structural loads onto a point along the concrete wall,
such that it forms a diamond point contact with columns from the
front elevation. This emphasises the lightness of the architectural mass
as seen identical from the front and rear and sets up an interesting
dialogue of difference when seen from the side elevation.
 genome architects
genome architects

sofar roof house

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GA

project team Wu Yen Yen, Low Peiying

engineer PTS Consultants
builder CS Builders Pte Ltd
completion 2013

60

Visualised as a pitched roof attic addition to an existing bungalow,

the solar roof was a brief of the Owners to respond to our ecological
calling. In Singapore, the most efficient way to lay solar roof panels,
at a certain site, is usually almost flat in order for the solar catchment
to be maximum. The optimum capital cost of solar panels will not be
offset if the panels were placed flat on the roof, much less if the
panels were to follow the pitch of tropical Asian roofs. The common
mistake of placing solar panels following the gradient of tropical tiled
roofs is sidelined here as the solar panels are all arranged to be
horizontal, terracing downwards in a roof detail that allows a more
affordable metal roof as an underlay, then further under a buffer air
gap. These three layers help with the passive cooling of the heat gain
of the roof and at the same time, maximising the efficiency of the
energy intake of solar panels.
table24
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BOB LEE/THEFATFARMER

completed 2013

There are many things that taste and sound have in common. Both
are sensorial experiences; both are intangible; both bring people
of different cultures and language together; both are the passions
of Edgar, Florence and Richard of Table24. In the design process,
GA worked closely with Table24 to explore ways of manifesting
these intangible commonalities in a physical, visual and most
importantly, useful function. A bowl holds food and that transcends
all cuisines worldwide. Its very shape makes it practical for holding
solids and fluids.
A speaker is basic equipment that projects sound. Again, its round-
shaped diaphragm creates amplification of electro-magnetic pulses so
that we hear beats and music. At the core of these two objects that we
use in food and music, is an old primary shape working at its best: the
hemisphere. Nothing more than a geometry that is useful, well-used
and more importantly, able to manifest the invisible realms of taste
and sound in an unadulterated visual form.
On the walls here at Table24, we use the hemisphere in a variety
of ways. The wooden hemispheres within the steel ones house indirect
lighting; a soft illumination reflected upon the stainless steel interior.
The white hemispheres with the steel ones conceal sound sources
and amplify music by bouncing off the interior concave diaphragm.
The other wooden receptacles enclose a space within themselves
that form shelving display. By nature of their contours, they will house
objects of any shape. As a wall surface, the variety of hemispheres
helps diffuse the interior soundscape of the restaurant, alleviating
conditions of direct sound reflections off hard surfaces often found
creating noise in cafes.
Made up literally, of bowls of different materials and sizes, this
performative wall also hopes to blur the boundaries between taste
and sound; creating crossovers between two disparate sensorial
experiences the way a well-cooked dish often engage more than one
of our senses. It also infers a table spread for a feast, inviting people
from all walks of life to participate and share in an orchestrated dining
experience extended by the Table24 team.
 kite studio architecture
kitestudioarchitecture.com

At Kite Studio Architecture (Principal, KHAIRUDIN SAHAROM) every effort to find a

design solution is like an adventure that offers many paths for a journey to that one
destination. Set up as a workshop for ideas in an open-studio setting, Kite offers more
than just design solutions. We like to think big, inspire you with our own unique ways of
looking at things and bring a new level of craftsmanship and detailing to our works. Be
it architecture, interior design, master planning or even landscaping, we tackle design
challenges with the belief that every work is a fresh discovery of the design senses
there will always be a more exciting answer to the same question and we strive to
explore those many paths that others dont dare venture.
62

live and breathe rhythm and soul

Architecture will only bear meaning if it has a soul. Spaces will only be felt and
experienced if the buildings are designed to grow to live and breathe like us. We
believe in creating spaces and designs that are dynamic and interactive, not only to the
end-user but also to the environment and context.
craftsmanship and detailing
Like a crisp tailor-made shirt or a handcrafted piece of furniture, we value our work to
its finest details because we believe this ensures the buildings longevity and relevance
in addition to heightening its spatial feel and experience.
the colourful green
Like a prism that breaks light into its spectrum of colours, sound landscaping reveals
architectonic colours and enhances spatial layering and texture. Landscaping plays an
extremely vital role in our works, and it is an integral part of the design process that starts
right from day one. From lush basement courtyards with sprawling lawn and invigorating
waterscapes to manicured roof gardens with green walls and cascading rivulets, Kites
approach to landscaping is constantly evolving as we explore various means to create
seamless spaces that diminish the boundaries between the outside and inside.
integrated strategies
The successful completion of each project is also dependent on how well various trades
fit and gel together. Each project programme is tailored not only to ensure seamless
coordination but aligned to meet design intent. This includes incorporation of phased
landscaping, staggered interior design schedules and strategized completion stages.
Whether it is a small bungalow or a towering sky-scraper, we do not believe in forcing
a design concept into the site. Always innately inspired by the given context and brief,
we strive to find the right groove and rhythm for design to take shape and form so
that spaces are fluid and forms are congenially moulded onto site. When this happens,
adaptation becomes seamless as the built-form begins to evolve and grow, developing
its own soul.
the right fit
Design concepts are derived from thoroughly understanding not just Clients brief
but also site context, climate and the elusive factor-K. We have coined this term to
constantly remind us to seek that unique spark that inspire the design process and give
the final product its own persona. This ensures that the final product is carefully tailored
to fit the site and brief in the best and most creative way possible. Like an engaging
book or an emotive musical score, a well-designed built-form has the ability to connect
with the senses and enhance spatial experience by employing the right architectural
features and elements. These are mindfully orchestrated to punctuate spaces and add
rhythm to the whole spatial experience.
sense and sensibility
At Kite, we aim to go beyond superficiality as we strive to formulate design concepts
based on what is true and fundamental to the brief. Spaces must speak even without
enforcing a pre-conceived architectural language. We believe aesthetics bear more
meaning when design is based on the sensible and efficient planning, and guided by
the senses.
 biography

KHAIRUDIN SAHAROM holds a Master of Architecture degree from the National University
of Singapore and was awarded the Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal for being the top graduate
in 1999. Upon graduation, Khai worked for Eco.id Architects where he handled numerous
residential projects including interior design and restoration. He was also involved in some
of the firms notable commercial and hospitality projects.

To widen his work repertoire and experience, Khai later joined CPG Consultants, a
multi-disciplinary firm that specializes in institutional projects and master planning. In
kite office collaboration with world-renowned architecture firm KPF, Khai was part of the team that
developed MGMs proposal for the Integrated Resort at Marina Bay. Khai also gained
valuable experience handling large scale projects in Singapore, the Middle East, China
and India. Notable projects include mixed developments in Dubai, master planning for The
Singapore Botanic Gardens as well as NTUs Student Centre.

In 2006, he helped re-establish Aamer Architects and led the firms signature projects.
These include high-end residential developments in Singapores premium districts as well
as a 30-storey mixed development in Penang. More recently, Khai was recognised as
one of the eight emerging global talents in architecture by international magazine AMICA.

Khai aims to fly KITE to places no firms have dared venture, introduce a fresh and
invigorating approach to design and heighten spatial experience. He is determined to
bring an incomparable level of craftsmanship and detailing to his works, while providing
strong client support, consultancy and project management. It is in this passion and spirit
of constantly approaching design with vigour and relentlessly pursuing high standards of
service that the foundation for KITE is built upon.

He is also involved in several community projects and establishments. He was made a

Council Member for the National Youth Council from 2005 to 2009. In 2004, He was
appointed by Minister Vivian Balakrishnan to chair the committee for the development of
*scape, a youth hub at Orchard. Khai presently sits on the Board of Directors for *scape.
He is currently a member of the working committee for the Redevelopment of Wisma
Geylang Serai.
 kite studio architecture

64

kenneth house, jalan greja, singapore

Photography by Bton Brut

design team Khai Saharom, Lin Hongsui, Martinus Arief,

Flordivinia Arroyo, Bahtiar Dulhardi
c&s S B Ng & Associates CEC
contractor Ng Kian Hock Construction Pte Ltd
site area 365.2m2
gfa 576.2m2
completion 2013

For Kenneth, the main challenge was the need to was to keep the
massing and scale simple and proportionate. This is because due to
authority requirement, the ground floor had to be lifted up substantially
and we didnt want the building to stick out like a sore thumb amongst
its neighbours. The other challenge was to ensure efficient spatial
planning within a long plot of land. Given the brief, it was important
to keep circulation space minimal and ensure rooms are sizeable. To
keep the scale proportionate, the attic floor is setback as much as
possible so that visually only the second and first floors contribute
to the streetscape massing. The articulation of the faade also plays
a part in keeping the proportion. Generous overhangs coupled with
recessed windows and walls attempt to break the block effect.
A filigree entrance portal with customized column lights welcomes
visitors to the house, alongside a landscape pond with cascading
water. The formality of the portal is broken down upon entry, with the
 FIRST STOREY PLAN SECOND STOREY PLAN ATTIC PLAN

ELEVATION 1 ELEVATION 2 ELEVATION 3

verandah acting as an in-between informal space. Upon entry, the

open-plan layout allows one to appreciate the depth of the plot of land.
Even though the abode is a semi-detached house, the insertion
of an airwell in the centre of the house creates a relief for light to
disperse internally. The airwell also allows natural cross ventilation
throughout the common spaces.
Spaces are configured to take advantage of the long plot of land.
While the ground floor and basement adopt an open-plan layout,
upstairs, rooms are connected by a common circulation bridge that
overlooks the airwell. This circulation space is kept bright and airy with
the use of full height glass louvres.
Faade articulation is kept simple and clean. Ribbon windows at
the side are framed by customized aluminium hood. The mild steel U
channel that caps the ledges creates a smart border for the house while
making the ledge fascia maintenance free. Deep overhangs improve
sunshading while keeping the proportion of the house balanced.
The pockets of greenery on every level at the front faade are
placed in a staggered fashion with same trees and creepers planted
throughout to create a cascading green acting as a separator from
the neighbour.
 kite studio architecture

the brauner, phnom penh, cambodia

design team Khai Saharom, Flordivinia Arroyo, Bahtiar Dulhardi

site area 437.4m2
gfa 2,625m2
status concept stage

The Brauner is a small-scale business boutique hotel aimed at

providing a retreat for discerning travellers visiting Phnom Penh.
It is located in the heart of the city, next to the National Museum.
Besides well-appointed rooms, the hotel is to also house a high-
end restaurant, rooftop bar and spa. The ground floor of the hotel is
elevated from street level to increase privacy, as well as to provide
better vistas for diners at the restaurant verandah. The entrance lobby
66 reveals a dramatic atrium bathed in light. A glass-bottom pool is
introduced at the rooftop to provide an exciting relief of shadows and
water ripples throughout the atrium. An open-to-sky central courtyard
anchors the lobby, providing a backdrop of lush greenery and good
cross ventilation. The existing party wall with partly exposed brickwork
and creepers is to be kept, providing the new building a glimpse of
the past. Each room is treated like a studio apartment with bigger
rooms given more unique layouts. The rooms are strung together via
bridge corridors that overlook the atrium and courtyard. A spa, pool,
decks and poolside bar are located at the rooftop, where best vistas
are captured. The faade and massing is kept simple, respecting the
scale of the streetscape. The articulation of sunshade fins and ledges
becomes the mode of faade expression, in tandem with the rhythm
of the fenestrations of the surrounding buildings.
 TYPICAL PLAN

MEZZANINE

GROUNDFLOOR PLAN

ROOF TERRACE PLAN @ LEVEL 8

 kite studio architecture

y suites, yangon-insein road, myanmar

design team Khai Saharom, Ron Montero, Bahtiar Dulhardi

site area 7,620m2
gfa 21,362m2
status concept stage

Y Suites was conceived to fulfil the demand for high-end service

apartments catering to the fast-growing expatriate population in
Myanmar. The development is to provide full condominium facilities
including recreational facilities such as tennis courts, gymnasium and
multi-purpose hall. Instead of creating a singular residential block, two
split-blocks were proposed. By having this massing, the development
will be able to take full advantage of the site, north-south orientation
and the surrounding vistas. The block facades are also skewed away
from each other to improve privacy and at the same time giving both
towers a more dynamic form. Splitting the blocks creates opportunity
to insert landscape elements and a multi-storey breezeway that could
improve cross-ventilation within units. At ground level, pools and
waterscapes create a river that runs through the development. While
this somewhat separates the two blocks, they are still well connected
at basement level and two landscape decks that connect these
blocks at two different levels. For both blocks, each floor consists of
a mixture of unit types, from studios to 2- to 3-bedroom units. The
split-block concept also allows the bigger end units to have good
cross-ventilation. All the common lobbies and corridors are naturally
ventilated with ample daylight.
68

SITE + GROUND FLOOR PLAN

ARCHITECTURAL PARTI + CONTEXT

BLOCK A: BLOCK B:
TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN (17 FLOORS) TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN (23 FLOORS)
 lekker architects
www.lekkerdesign.com

70

Lekker Architects is a Singapore-based practice specializing in buildings and

environments. Co-founders ONG KER-SHING and JOSHUA COMAROFF began
working together as Lekker Design in 2002, after studying architecture and landscape at
Harvard University. Our approach combines the specific requirements of the client with
a range of ongoing explorations in geometry, in material and detail, and in architectural
meanings and typologies. These do not result in a signature style so much as a way of
thinking about how the elements of a building might go together.
We work for a range of private individuals and firms, including Herms, JTC, Eu Yan
Sang and The Hour Glass. Institutional clients include Yale University-National University
of Singapore, Singapore Biennale, The National Parks Board (NParks), in addition to
many Singapore government agencies and councils.
Recent projects have included houses and landscapes, as well as master planning
and furniture design. Lekker Architects remain interested in research and writing
projects, and the intersection of academia and practice. Having recently published a book
of architectural history and theory, the firm is now working on a study commissioned by
the Lien Foundation to imagine 10 preschool buildings for unusual sites.
biography

ONG KER-SHING spent much of her childhood in Singapore and the UK. For university,
she left for Harvard, and completed three degrees: a B.A. in Fine Arts, as well as
Masters in Architecture and Landscape Architecture (the latter two with distinction).
At Harvard, Shing met classmate Josh and the two began working together on small
design projects, including their first built work, the Tamade bar at Robertson Quayside
in Singapore. Shing relocated to Shanghai as a Wheelwright Fellow in 2002 to research
the Art Deco housing of the French Concession. Excited by small-scale innovations
occurring in socialized interiors, she documented residents living spaces and personal
histories. She worked with Josh to produce a catalogue of photographs, drawings, and
interviews. Shing is a registered architect in Singapore. She is interested in the three-
dimensional organization of buildings, as well as their emotive potential.

JOSHUA COMAROFF was born in Manchester, UK. He was raised in Chicago, and
studied literature, linguistics, and creative writing at Amherst College before joining
the Master of Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture programs at Harvard
University Graduate School of Design. He has worked for and studied under Rem
Koolhaas, Rafael Moneo, Rodolfo Machado and Jorge Silvetti, Scott Cohen, Luis Rojo,
and David Adjaye. In 2009, Josh completed a PhD in cultural geography, writing on
the subject of haunted landscapes and state power in Singapore. He has published
writing in the fields of architecture, urbanism, and politics, with a focus in Asia. Josh
is interested in the intersection of art and architecture, and in multi-disciplinary
design practice.

lekker office
lekker architects

cove 2
Photography by Darren Soh/Fullframephotos

client The Caterpillars Cove Child Development and Study Centre

gfa 915.32m2
design team
Ong Ker-Shing, Joshua Comaroff, Germain Goh, Yee Huixian,
Chen Shunann, Valerie Guo, Harry Lam
completion 2014

Cove 2 is the first design-driven preschool in Singapore. It arises from

the belief that young children have a right to environments that will
arouse their imagination and creativity. As with many Singaporean
pre-schools, however, Cove 2 was sited within a somewhat generic
office space, lacking many of the elements one would expect in a
vibrant or attractive educational setting.
To create a sense of place, the designers returned to the classic
image of the schoolhouse actually re-constructing one within the
neutral column-field of the office unit. Teachers offices and infant care
rooms were imagined as the interior of this little building-within-a-
building, set in a loose arrangement of windows and gables. The space
around the house becomes something like a schoolyard: four open-
planned learning zones set under columns re-cast to resemble trees.
Overhead, a drifting curvilinear trellis conceals services and evokes a
sheltering bank of cloud.
 Within this schoolyard there are a number of innovations. All
furniture was custom designed, to support the teaching philosophy of
Cove 2 and to promote the ergonomic needs of the students. Seating
was re-imagined as a collection of soft topographical forms, rather
than conventional chairs. Because the windows of the original office
unit are positioned above a childs eye-level, a periscope was developed
that allows the students to look out. An observation booth for trainee
teachers is designed as a garden shed, and can be used by children
who desire a quiet moment or an intimate space to retreat to.
The design program of Cove 2 continues to the outside, as the
unit extends to a small covered exterior space. This area was not well
suited for a conventional playground, and was re-considered as a
series of micro-environments for imaginative play. The team created a
set of follies, suggesting storybook themes in a highly abstract design
language of form and colour. There is a tiny house, which alternately
resembles a factory, a theatre, and a crocodile. There is a winding river
of sand, and a shelter in the woods. There are also a range of conical
hills a hybrid of Aldo Rossi and Yellow Submarine which can be
climbed. Topographical seats and stairs extend the formal theme of
the interior to the outside.
 lekker architects

gallery house
Photography by Darren Soh/Fullframephotos

site area 146.69m2

gfa 370m2
design team
Ong Ker-Shing, Joshua Comaroff, Germain Goh, Sio Lim, Peter Then, Joshua Feldman
consultants GNG Consultants Pte Ltd (C&S)
completion 2013

74

This is a small building, with two programs, a house and an art gallery,
squeezed into a very dense conservation building in the heart of Singapores
red light district. The design attempted to balance this double life through a
play of two volumes. The lower volume contains a triple-height gallery and
kitchen dining space. Above is a rotated tower, which appears to hover in
the air above; this holds bedrooms and private spaces. The client may open
the gallery to the public, via a separate access at the rear. The design of the
house presents these volumes in a highly abstract way; this is a sculptural
emphasis that attempts to merge the language of the house and the gallery.
The Gallery House is sited in a typical Singaporean lot, between two long
party walls. In order to bring light deep into the interior, a series of small
gardens were extracted from the facade and roofline. This creates a complex
series of nested spaces, merging the interior with tropical landscape. Rooms
are unexpectedly located, partially overlapping with others or sharing views
of interior canyon spaces. The largest of these contains the main stair, which
winds informally between rooms at front and back.
A final emphasis of this project was its unique approach to the historically
preserved building. The house was subject to strict guidelines that mandated
the restoration and reconstruction of historical elements, especially at the
street front. The designers attempted to follow these closely, and at the
same time to suggest in contemporary form the character of lost or
vernacular parts of the typology.
a different class: preschool spaces redefined

Above the car park:

Rehabilitated car park rooftops
will create space for preschools
in the centre of housing estates.
These provide the students with
a unique perch while making a
utilitarian space more beautiful
and hospitable for the community.
In this design, the classrooms are
not engaged within a contiguous
building block, but are allowed
to stand free in the manner of
tiny buildings. These join at
edges and corners, around
a shared green space, in
the manner of a village.

PRESCHOOL OVER THE CANAL

In this project commissioned by the Lien Foundation, Lekker Architects

conceptualises preschools in unusual and under-utilised spots in
Over the canal: Our vast land-scarce Singapore. With some re-imagination, creativity and
network of large drainage
canals are an untapped redefinition, Lekker Architects identifies 10 types of locations. Each
reserve of spaces,
located throughout the spot has attributes that can be harnessed for learning, for instance, a
national landscape. preschool over a canal exposes children to the conservation of water,
Schools built over these
canals may become while a classroom on the rooftop of a multi-storey car park allows
catalysts in naturalising
and beautifying these children to see how air currents between high-rise blocks create
concrete infrastructures.
The school is assembled
energy. Consider going back to basics with a classroom embraced
from a network of bridge- by Mother Nature with lessons in a park, a farm or forest. These are
like structures crossing
the canal. possible preschools of the future!
 You like the way it looks.
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 meta studio
www.meta-studio.com.sg

Adrian Lai and daughter Leanne

78 Meta Studio is growing a reputation as a deep practice, producing works that are as
delightful as they are well considered; as conceptual as they are experiential. Taking
off from half a decade of working on Gardens by the Bay in London and Singapore,
Adrian continues to look at the architectural realm holistically, finding opportunities in
landscape and built form, in its various scales, to create atmospheres and affect habits.
Since its inception in 2012, Meta Studio has completed residential and commercial
projects of various sizes and was a Finalist in the open competition for Wisma Geylang
Serai a community club cum Malay Heritage Gallery.
Meta Studio understands that our built environment will only find relevance if it
resonates with our histories, memories, habits and appropriate possible futures.
This task is necessarily conceptual and experiential, both in its production as well as
its reproduction in use in the completed built work. Therefore, we are interested in
significance without a sole reliance on signification. We become hypercontextualists,
diagramming deep structures for creative problematics to project relevant futures. We
uncover productive relationships between antecedence and presence to resonate with
projected futures this resonance, has to necessarily engage the mind, our imaginations
and our physiological state that in turn, regulate how we occupy, how we move and how
we conduct our daily lives.

biography
Adrian Lai founded Meta in 2010 and Meta Studio in 2012, after practising architecture
in London and Singapore for 10 years. Adrian was instrumental in the delivery of
Singapores multiple award-winning Gardens by the Bay and Guangzhous International
Financial Centre while working with Wilkinson Eyre Architects in London, Hong Kong and
Singapore. Adrian is a registered Architect in the UK since 2005 and continues in his
role as Wilkinson Eyres Country Representative in Singapore. A graduate of the National
University of Singapore and the Architectural Association in London, Adrian has been
teaching Architectural Design at the NUS since 2011.
 meta studio

inside outside house

Photography by Darren Soh

design team Michelle Chan, Adrian Lai

c&s engineer EASE Consultants Pte Ltd
qs BKG Consultants Pte Ltd
site area 383m2 (4,124ft2)
gfa 423m2 (4,554ft2)
completion 2013

Inside Outside House was a reconstruction project that continued

from the exploration of manifestations of Indoor Garden spaces.
Rooting the semi-detached single family dwelling typology in specific
site conditions namely plot shape, edge conditions, extended
surrounding morphology, constraints and potentials of existing
structures to be retained as well as orientations to various static and
dynamic parameters. The team formulated a strategy for how such an
inside outside condition could be defined, both to be understood and
to be experienced.

14
 The house was re-organised as strips to orchestrate different
scales of engagement with the outside from each space in the house.
The heart of the house is conceptualised as an Indoor Garden strip,
bringing daylight, air and ambience into the previously dark centre of
the square plot. The strips are orientated south, away from the west-
facing frontage.
This strip-and-centre organisation was carried through into the
material organisation from landscape to cabinetry detailing but
without a rigid adherence only to accentuate the division of the strip. The
team was designing with the aim of creating significance without solely
relying on signification techniques. They believed that these exceptions
proved the rule and could also allow them to design better spaces.
The design of the Indoor Garden strip was developed as a naturally
ventilated lantern topped by a skylight. Hotter air below this glass roof is
allowed to purge at roof level, creating a stack effect that encourages
cross ventilation throughout the house, across the spatial strips. At the
base of this chimney, a rock garden extends from the inside out.
Long vistas around the site, old rain trees that characterised even
smaller locales and the park connector provided specificity for which
the different components of the house of living could be tied to the
larger context. It was a way of experiencing the outside from the inside.
In this way, windows, external decks and the orientation of individual
spaces found their place to ground the house in its specific location.

*Featured in D+A issue 081.2014 (STRIPS OF LANDSCAPE)

 meta studio

villa apartment
Photography by Jeremy San

design Adrian Lai

gfa 65m2 (700ft2)
completion 2011

The Villa Apartment project is a refurbishment of a pool-facing, ground

floor studio with high ceilings, a sunken study nook and was indented at
multiple locations by crossing beams, stair soffits and trespassing services.
The design team took these cues and conceived of the apartment as a
reinterpreted Santorini Cave Villa. The angular indentations are embraced
and naturalised by multiplying because hiding them was not an option.
A shiny centrepiece was inserted in the centre of the apartment created
from these angular facets. The Object became an organiser of functions,
of sightlines and of privacy. Housed within the shiny white Object is a
concealable stair to the bed sitting atop, a Walk-in Wardrobe, an entrance
to the concealed Guest Room and an entertainment system. The faces
of the Object gained instrumentality by organising sightlines, delineating
spaces and creating or addressing transitions. Narrowing vistas at the
Reception, opening views up to the Pool at the Living Space and at a
tactile level, nestling the bed as safety thresholds and seats around the
bed and at the transit to the stair. The design of the Object and the rest
of the apartment was developed to accentuate this connection with the
external conditions to create the ambience of a pool-side villa.

82
knead to eat
photos by Jay Sim and Lim Chong Yew

client Mad Gourmet Pte Ltd

design team Adrian Lai, Michelle Chan, Png Seow Ling
gfa 68m2 (732ft2)
completion 2013

Knead to Eat is an eatery that is similar to Meta Studios Villa Apartment.

Both projects relied on a centrepiece object that was designed less to
draw attention to itself, more to draw relationships with each projects
surrounding context.
The caf is a made-to-order sandwich bar in the heart of a new
IT business hub. A stage for this theatre of food was designed, with
customers circumambulating a polygonal shaped counter displaying
the cafs entire offerings for the day. The 6 sides of the polygon
was used to organise the work flow of staff within the counter, while
also creating zones for different functions around it. The counter
was oriented to capture attention of the passers-by, with the aroma
of freshly made coffee and views of the freshly made sandwich
ingredients, according to the most opportune adjacencies.
These two projects helped the studio deepen its understanding
of Instrumental Form and its potentials. Rather than relying only on
aesthetic criteria of compositions, the design looked to choreograph
the life enabled by these enigmatic forms by looking more closely at
how these overlaps of beauty, complex geometry and the components
of life; could be opportunistically engaged and accentuated.
 meta studio

wisma dan taman geylang serai

SIA Open Competition Finalist (July 2013)
images by Meta Studio and Audax

client Peoples Association

design team Adrian Lai, Christopher Neoh, Sharry Wang, Yap Yun Hui
architect qp DEG Architects LLP
greenmark consultants Building System and Diagnostics Pte Ltd
qs Langdon & Seah Singapore Pte Ltd
site area 8,000m2 (86,080ft2)
gfa 17,500m2 (188,300f2)

The new Community and Malay Heritage Centre will be at the heart of
the new Paya Lebar Commercial District currently being implemented.
Within this dense concrete jungle, the design team conceived a multi-
level Park Connector as a green heart an oasis providing shaded
connections and airy indoor gardens to dwell in, as a way to embed
the place in the residents daily lives.
dan Taman was an idea to create the new home for the Geylang
residents as well as the larger Malay community at the Wisma
Geylang Serai the garden (Taman) completing the home (Wisma).
How we could fold landscapes on top, around and through each other
to create appropriate and relevant Indoor Garden atmospheres and
ambience was the challenge the design team set for themselves.
They introduced a palette of soft- and hardscape, passive sustainable
design strategies, redefined threshold conditions, itineraries, views
and movement patterns to reinterpret tropical community gardens in
the urban context.
84
 As an extension of the idea of public garden connections on
all floors, integrated information and lamp posts are designed to
signal all the public spaces connecting all floors together and to the
surrounding key attractions. Akin to the lamps and signposts in public
parks, these Information Posts are envisioned as functional lanterns
as well as totems demarcating all the public garden spaces on the
different levels of the Centre. In response to the brief, the Valence
boards retrieved from the old Malay Village previously at this location
are re-used on the Information Posts in the Wisma dan Taman
Geylang Serai proposal. These carved timber architectural elements
were traditionally attached to vernacular Malay house roof eaves as
decoration and helped to reduce glare. Re-using these boards to form
a Lantern, demonstrating their original use while displaying Malay Arts
and Crafts. These ArteFact Lanterns were informational, directional,
heritage and artistic, all at once.
This project was another of the studios continued exploration of
the manifestations of Indoor Gardens. The proposal was shortlisted as
curvature control flow one of the finalists in the open competition.
 makk architects
www.makk-pl.com

MAKK Architects (founding Principal, LEE MAY ANNE) was formally registered in 2005 with the Board of
Architects. The firm had started its pursuit in design and architectural consultancy earlier in 2001 under a
different name. During the inception period of the first 4 to 5 years, the practice dabbled into varied scales
and range of projects from stage set design to proposals of hotel and apartment as a continuous search for
its path in the architectural practice that can be meaningful prior to its formal registration with BOA. From
the inception of the studio, the key principle has always been about finding possibilities and chances to test
out the social dynamics in architectural spaces, whether in the domestic arena or public. Lee holds key
responsibility for all design works in the studio.
Architecture is about chances of being able to evoke or provoke emotive responses, thereby effecting
some kind of dynamics-change in relations amongst its participants (inhabitants). And to move closer in
attaining this possibility, the existing behavioural patterns (which is a constant change) must be identified for
the given group of inhabitants before deploying any form of architectural response.
Even though the studio does not subscribe to a fixed style, it does not undermine the possibilities of a
style, belonging to an era or region, in its emotive communication. Just that, the problem with styles is just
too complex, with its relative cultural, political, economic and social differences & evolution, which are some
of the key make-up in forming a particular style.
Hence the difficulty in architecture is trying to always catch the right balance amongst these ever-changing
ingredients. If every one of us are individuals with varying experiences and cross-cultural background, it can
86 only be concluded that the architecture for different groups or individuals will result in a very different outlook.
But the physical form only takes a secondary role, what is key is the presence of a constant ingredient, ie, the
ability to handle social dynamics in the creation process.

biography
Having completed her formal architectural education in mid 1997 from National University of Singapore (NUS)
with Honours, LEE MAY ANNE began her architectural practice in the public sector in 1998 after doing
almost half a year of back-packing and travelling to various countries. Her two and half years there has built
a firm and essential foundation on the reality in the professional practice. Moving from a large public sector
architectural experience, she decided to join one of the largest architectural practices in the private sector in
the year 2000, where she worked for about a year to gain an insight into how it differs from the public sector.
Prior to her professional degree graduation, she did a year of internship with a small to medium sized renown
practice in 1994/95 before returning to NUS to complete her last lap. She was the lead architect and presenter
for 2008 Shanghai world exposition, Singapore pavilion where her team was shortlisted. In the same year, she
was the curatorial team for Venice biennale architecture pavilion.

During her senior years in NUS where she was a vice president of The Architecture Society (TAS) where she
co-run and co-organized the school events, architectural and art exhibitions together with her cohort. In her
early years following graduation, she dabbled in stage design, art installation and exhibition with local theatre
group and artist group respectively. In 2002, she started her practice in pursuit of an idealistic journey ahead
to discover and uncover the kind of architectural path that would be meaningful. It is an individual desire to
seek the constantly changing balance between the academics and practice, of a dreamer and the desire to
build and to effect. To live this balance, she has been an adjunct lecturer with a local polytechnic in the design
school co-running design studios for the graduating year since she started her own practice.
 makk architects

house of events
Photography by Jason Bok, Neo Wee Yue and Enteringlives

site area 390.64m2

gfa 542.92m2
architect Lee May Anne
structural engineer PTS Consultants
landscape Eden Lifestyle
contractor Cubic Deco Pte Ltd
completion 2014

Designed as a very open-ended house, emulating from the

personalities and daily routine of the owner and his family, the
anchor for this project at Crowhurst Drive was to have no dead-
ends in the spaces. One can loop round the house from one end
to another without necessarily going through the same path. This
allows each member in the family, including his relatively young
children to find their own favourite routine path and niches without
intruding into the zone of another family member. To the owner
there was no need to get used to the house. Rather, the house got
used to them even before they moved in. The key elements linking
and negotiating all required spaces was to stitch the idea of a
planting (garden) with each possible hang-out space as much as
possible. The main anchor in the whole design is a flight of varying
pre-cast concrete steps that is designed to incorporate events like
parties and bigger group gatherings, which the owner holds pretty
often, to act as seats and platforms.

88
FRONT ELEVATION

SHORT SECTION

LONG SECTION

FIRST STOREY PLAN

SECOND STOREY PLAN

LOFT & ROOF PLAN

 makk architects

house of dancing stairs

Photography by Enteringlives

site area 240.90m2

gfa 334.40m2
architect Lee May Anne
structural engineer PTS Consultants
landscape Eden Lifestyle
contractor Sil Bright Construction Pte Ltd
completion 2013

90
 FRONT ELEVATION SHORT SECTION

SIDE ELEVATION LONG SECTION

This house, located at Stone Ave, explores the play with varying
levels and interlocking voids negotiated by flights of dancing stairs
that was designed as part of the main house lighting element
when in use. The key design stem from two basic requirements
from the owner. The first is to establish the basement as the main
living & dining space for her mom, whose legs are not good to
climb stairs as well as to incorporate a parti-wall-like wall on
the long side of the house to avoid overlooking windows from
neighbour. Working with a small floor plate constrained by the
terrain and little direct light coming from the long sides of the
BASEMENT FIRST STOREY house, the key was to bring in a lot of light into the house, to
not aggravate the situation of a basement condition. To anchor
the main driving force of the design, the dancing stairs plays
with interlocking volumes and voids to expand the illusion of a
larger space. Wrapping the entire living space of the basement
are staggered planting softening the boundary wall on the sides
with an elevated timber decking walkway to connect the indoor to
the outdoor. The gesture gives the impression of the inside space
flowing to the outside and into the garden. The steel stairs and
bridges flanking in varying volumes above the basement lights
up with the family members moving up or down the respective
flights. They could all be lit up during a big family gathering as
the main lighting element through the entire void, acting like a
big chandelier.
SECOND STOREY ATTIC STOREY
*Featured in D+A issue 076.2013 (LIVING IN WONDERLAND)
 ong&ong experience design
www.ong-ong.com

92

The Experience Design studio works with clients to establish their story and strategy for memorable experiences that emotionally
engage its users and impacts culture. It has integrated expertise in architecture, interiors, landscape, lighting, branding, business
strategy, product development, film making, service design as well as organisational change management. Their projects are
framed by a design-thinking approach centred on understanding human motivation and behaviour with key expertise across diverse
sectors such as food, retail, education, lifestyle, workplace, healthcare and government. As directors of Experience Design studio,
ONG&ONGs new service arm, MARK WEE (above, left) and KEN YUKTASEVI bring intrinsic value to the entire creative design
cycle. Mark and Ken co-founded UNION Experience in 2006, bringing together a collective expertise in architecture, interiors,
branding, communication, and business consulting to frame a design thinking approach centred on understanding human motivation.
Together, Mark and Ken brought with them a wealth of multi-disciplinary design experience that enhanced ONG&ONGs current
service offerings by bridging design gaps across the Groups various design studios.
biography

MARK WEE has practised as an architect for the past 10 years and was the lead designer for award-winning
projects, such as the Bethesda Hall Church at Depot Walk and The New Majestic Hotel. Serving as a council
member of the Singapore Institute of Architects since 2009, Mark is also chairman of the Architectural League,
a new initiative to serve the needs of the younger architectural community. The league is dedicated to identifying
future leaders from the profession. He has also lectured at the Singapore Polytechnic School of Interior Design, and
has been invited to be on review panels at his alma mater, Cornell University, where he graduated with a Bachelors
of Architecture. He also served on the colleges admissions interview panel.
An artist and illustrator, Mark designs theatrical sets for the Singapore Dance Theatre and Theatreworks, where
he was appointed as Creative in Residence at 72-13 in 2009. In 2008, UNION was also selected to represent
Singapore in the Venice Architectural Biennale, the worlds oldest and most prestigious architectural exhibition.
He regularly trains organisations on how design thinking can help innovate their products, services, and
environment for a better future. He has coached and trained numerous public sector organisations, such as the
Singapore National Eye Care Centre, the Singapore Police Force, and The Public Service Division. He has also
worked with private sector clients, such as Singapore Airlines and OCBC, on how to improve customer experience.
In addition to their corporate clientele, Mark has also created and conducted design thinking- creativity workshops
for youths under STUDIO Educate. He has conducted these workshops for such schools as Raffles Girls' School,
as well as for community outreach events such as New Creation Churchs programme for disadvantaged children.

KEN YUKTASEVI studied art and design at Stowe College in the United Kingdom, where he received the
Roxburough prize for Architecture. He then took a Bachelor of Arts in film and cinematography at Bond University,
Gold Coast, Australia. His passion for telling human stories on celluloid compelled him to recreate that experience
in three-dimensional space.
This begun during his directorship in Leo International Design Group and was fully realised through his design
thinking venture with Mark. A multi-hyphenate, he is a designer, artist and cultural entrepreneur specialising
in the field of experiential design across the fields of architecture, interior design, branding and organisational
transformation. He has had the privilege of working with Singapore Airlines, OCBC Bank, The Health Science
Authority and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to create beautiful, innovative experiences, and even had the pleasure
of designing the new Kempinski Hotel in Moscow.
Ken is evangelical about using the power of creativity and collaboration to build greater businesses,
environment and people. He champions the coming together of the creative business community to change
cultures and inspire innovation.
 ong&ong experience design

the cranes
Photography by See Chee Keong

client Line Fast Pte Ltd

design team Mark Wee (lead for architecture), Ken Yuktasevi (lead for interiors), Adrian Ong,
Trina Tay, Daisuke Chew, Ken Tan, Chng Ren Hui, Abigail Wong, Mark Teo
site area 244.96m2 (combined site)
gfa 286.7m2 (22 Crane Road unit)
341.82m2 (24 Crane Road unit)
completion 2014

The Cranes* is a multi-shophouse project that expanded from the restoration and redevelopment of one shophouse
to include two other adjacent shophouses. Currently, two out of three of the Crane shophouses have been completed
while the third remains a work in progress. The two completed shophouses comprise six apartments in total.
The unifying design concept revolves around the idea of community and is very much grounded in the cultural
and geographical context of the Joo Chiat neighbourhood, where the shophouses are located and where the
client spent much of his life. The nostalgic, fond memories he held of the neighbourhood become the impetus to
redevelop the shophouses into a microcosm of its surrounding, reflecting the diverse social-cultural complexities
of the neighbourhood.
Concisely put, Joo Chiat is the culmination of a varied and eclectic mix of people and cultures, while the modern
critical need for privacy and the traditional kampong style of openness co-exist in strange and yet comfortable
harmony. The Cranes is transformed into an authentic representation of this space, bringing the kampong into the
house without losing the essential privacy a home should afford. The clients request to reinterpret The Cranes
as a multi-generational family house adds a different, more familial nuance to the play of distance and intimacy
within the space.
While each apartment is ultimately a self-contained, private space, a multitude of communal spaces is placed
strategically throughout The Cranes and is designed to cultivate interaction and bonding in a spontaneous, organic
manner, and foster a local shophouse community.
94 The shophouses share a common courtyard with a stairway that connects the units across the floors. Attached
to the stairway is a steel diaphragm wall painted in vivid blue; residents may place plants and other items such as
shoes or umbrellas, adding a touch of domestic and personal to the open space. Peranakan tiles also decorate the
FRONT ELEV REAR ELEV
blue wall, serving as a reminder of the rich cultural heritage of which the shophouse is part and parcel.
A common laundry area on the third floor allows occupants opportunities to mingle and engage in casual
conversation during a shared activity washing and folding their laundry. The public dining room, on the first floor
of one of the shophouses, becomes the choice spot for gatherings and events. In the next shophouse, a reading
corner and a private second dining room are available for occupants seeking a moment of quiet.

SECTION AA SECTION DD
 These spaces allow varying levels of openness and engagement, and are deliberately interspersed with interim
spaces of respite to foster a greater degree of comfort and ease. This in turn allows occupants to open up and
share with the rest of The Cranes community.

Shophouse #24
The project commenced with the initial restoration of #24. In line with the general design concept of creating a
neighbourhood within a shophouse, the private residential spaces were delineated to accommodate different types
of residents. The Street House meant for the social party animal, occupies the front, street-facing section of the
shophouse while the Garden House and Sky House (with access to an outdoor deck) are located in the back and
provide greater privacy for more reserved residents. The common courtyard, and dining area on the second floor
become metaphorical streets and alleys that not only connect the three units but also serve as a spatial buffer,
promising each units residents their personal space and privacy within the overall shared premise.

Shophouse #22
#22 built upon and improved the ideas explored in the restoration of #24, reconfiguring the communal spaces to
further maximise organic social opportunities and interaction. Both the common laundry area and public dining
area can be found in this shophouse. In an assertion of the shophouses Peranakan cultural heritage, the floor
tiles in the public dining areas attached kitchenette were specially designed and arranged to replicate the random
scattering of flower blossoms by a breeze blowing in from the common courtyard.
The Cranes is a thoughtful re-imagination of Joo Chiat that portrays the many facets of the neighbourhood with
equal parts nostalgia and re-invention while staying true to the pursuit for human connection.

*Featured in D+A issue 079.2014 (HIDE AND SEEK)

 ong&ong experience design

house at neil road

Photography by See Chee Keong

design team Mark Wee and Evan Wong (The Design Abode)
gfa 520m2
completion 2013

Located within a conservation district, this home* celebrates the traditional charm of Peranakan shophouses
with the addition of new spaces that are sensitive to the buildings rich heritage. Akin to traditional shophouses,
the spaces are interspersed with courtyards that serve as visual focal points. The original courtyard with its
preserved ornate fish mould centrepiece and accompanying water feature forms the heart of the common
areas while a newer courtyard marks the transition from the old structure into its new extension. A young tree in
the centre of this new courtyard adds a touch of nature to the urban ensemble. To the rear of the house are the
kitchen and a retro spiral staircase that leads to the second floor master bedroom and rooftop terrace.

96

SECTION AA

SECTION BB SECTION CC FRONT ELEVATION REAR ELEVATION

 Many original elements were retained as well as restored, such as the timber flooring, doorframes, window
shutters and iron gates. Clay bricks were also recycled and incorporated into a partition wall as salvaged glazed tiles
were put to use in the bathrooms. Even the blue paint for the walls was restored to a more authentic tone by using
mineral silicate, while a pigmented grouting mixture helped to recreate the five-foot ways red cement flooring.
Interestingly, the forecourts boundary wall displays a similar progression from old to new, with its paint-
stripped bricks revealing layers of the shophouses history. The floor of the bathrooms were also given a terrazzo
finish as a nod to the age-old craft that is fast dying out.
With its blending of old and new elements, this house not only preserves a unique cultural heritage, but also
acts as a storytelling device that narrates the histories of its past and present occupants.

*Featured in D+A issue 078.2014 (MOON, WIND, RESIDENCE)

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 plystudio
ply-studio.com

Plystudio is an architectural design practice operating within the inter-related

fields of interiors, architecture and urbanism. Founded in 2008 by VICTOR LEE
and JACQUELINE YEO, the firms approach to design is informed and evolved
through research, enquiry, positioning and differentiation. It constantly seeks to
find innovative solutions arising out of the constraints from negotiating client
needs, planning parameters and current forces. Whether it is in the design
of an installation, an interior space, a building or an urban plan, Plystudio
endeavors to approach design through such strategies.
Plystudios research into spatial and architectural types provides the
theoretical and practical framework to fuel their design approach. Starting
with the ordinary and the familiar in the built environment, they are interested
in how to imbue new intelligence and function to be adapted and reused
in new contexts. They seek to create typological derivatives out of the
conventional, giving rise to new meaning and potentials, finding delight in
a twist of the familiar. Likewise in practice, Plystudio believes in the notion
100
of simple geometry that is reworked through systemic processes to achieve
remarkable form and aesthetics. They would like to be known to produce an
honesty of work which meets their clients needs, no matter how modest
the budgets.
Plystudio has won numerous awards, such as the Hong Kong Designers
Associations Asia Design Awards, and a Perspective Hong Kongs prestigious
40 Under 40 Award in the Architecture/Interior category.The firm is known for
its diverse portfolio of work of both new and additions/refurbishment projects on
residential, commercial, institutional and cultural spaces, locally and in the region.
Plystudio recently won a competition to design the interiors of one of
Singapores newest shopping malls with a focus on community and heritage
along the Punggol waterway. They have also designed and completed a
40,000ft2 animation and film production studios complex in Batam, Indonesia,
which showcased the use of locally available building technology and materials.
 biography

VICTOR LEE and JACQUELINE YEO trained at the National University of Singapore and
went on to complete their architectural education at the Architectural Association (AA)
School of Architecture in London, UK. They are registered architects with the Architects
Registration Board (ARB) UK and the Board of Architects in Singapore, and have worked
with award-winning architectural offices in London and Singapore before setting up on
their own. Having worked on projects of varying scales and types underlies Plystudios
vast experience of work.
As a complement to practice, both founders have sustained interests in propagating
design through writing, curatorial and other critical efforts. In 2005 Jacqueline Yeo
was part of the curatorial team for Singapores contribution to the 6th International
Architecture Biennale of Sao Paolo, Brazil. She was also the Editor of the accompanying
book entitled 699.1. In the same year, Victor and Jacqueline hosted, curated and
Plystudio office designed [WALLLESSLESSWALLS], a Singapore Design Festival open house event,
turning their apartment into a public exhibition and installation space.
The practice also engages with architectural education as a theoretical platform to
ground their work. From 2006 to 2009, Victor taught at the Department of Architecture
in the National University of Singapore, running a 2nd Year design studio. He has also
been a contributing writer for several local and regional publications.
 plystudio

infinite frameworks film production studios

FILM PRODUCTION STUDIOS, INFINITE FRAMEWORKS, BATAM, INDONESIA
Photography by Jeremy San

102 client Infinite Frameworks

design team Victor Lee, Jacqueline Yeo
architect on record PT Haskon
builder PKP
c&s PT Kaskon
m&e PT Kaskon
qs PT Kaskon
gfa 3,620m2 / 38,950ft2
completion 2014

The Main Production Building of the film production studios complex is

developed by a joint venture partnership between a Singaporean and an
Indonesian company. It is converted from the abandoned shell of a former
golf clubhouse in the Nongsa region of Batam, Indonesia. The building
houses a predominantly work/office program with infrastructural and
production support for the film studios. There are flexible studios that
are available for rent, as well as a screening room, cafe, bar and a small
retail gift shop to serve both in-house and visiting crew.
The functional spaces are arranged such that the main work spaces
occupy the lower ground level with the flexible studios at the upper
ground level. The screening room is located at the heart of the upper
ground level; conceptually, it is also where the production of the film
meets the end user - the audience. On each side of the screening room
are two void spaces a six-metre through passage that serves as a
pre-function/breakout space, and extension of the bar for staff and the
public respectively.
 Continuing Plystudios interest in defining strategies for establishing
projects as types or conventions, the project takes reference from the
traditional Indonesian archetype of street and village as the starting
point for organising the internal volumes and circulation within the large
ceiling heights and deep floor plan. On the upper ground level, undulating
roof profiles (and consequently ceiling heights) lend scale and character,
as well as enabling a strategy for moderating excessive air-conditioning
and high cooling loads. Within the naturally ventilated internal street, the
FRONT ELEVATION wall surfaces cladded with diagonal stripping of cement boards, as well
as the natural Indonesian lavastone floor, are reminiscent of traditional
timber houses.
At the lower ground level, a timber cladded zone containing the
support and infrastructural spaces as well as offices and meeting rooms,
organises the floor plan by dividing the work spaces into two smaller
clusters at the front and a larger at the rear.
The existing shed-like two-storey building comprises a reinforced
concrete structural framework with steel trusses that support a large,
overhanging sloping tiled roof. Externally, the design of the building
facade is the result of negotiation between two opposing needs for
LONG SECTION both the lower and upper ground levels without disrupting the largely
vernacular character of the building. The lower ground facade responds
to the need for ambient light control (less light is required for the
animation studios) by cladding the lower one and a half height volume
with precast concrete panels forming a textured base with alternating
horizontal slot windows.
In contrast, the upper ground maximises views for the more
public spaces resulting in a more transparency, creating a kind of
voided floor that visually appears to separate the overarching roof
form from the heavier base, allowing the presence of both to be
simultaneously felt.
SHORT SECTION As much as possible, locally sourced materials were used.
plystudio

victoria park houses

Additions and Alterations to Good Class Bungalow, Victoria Park, Singapore
Photography by Khoo Guo Jie/Bton Brut

design team Victor Lee, Jacqueline Yeo

architect on record The Architects Circle
builder WTS Consulting Engineers
m&s Viplas Engineering
site area 2,980m2
gfa 1,070m2 (11,513ft2)
completion 2014

The project consists of addition and alteration works to a pair of

existing detached houses; an original colonial-style detached two-
storey house and its late 1990s addition. Both houses are connected
by ad hoc covered pathways to a small detached maids/utility house
and a parking garage. The project brief required the addition of a third
house and a new parking garage to house a multi-generational family
home with a growing demand for space.
Compared to other landed housing estates, a good class bungalow
site in landlocked Singapore is typically characterized by its plot size
of more than 1,400m2 as well as the site coverage, that is, the ratio of
its physical building footprint against the total plot size. This is strictly
kept to a maximum of 35% to preserve the amenity of spaciousness
and as a means of controlling building mass and bulk. Owing to the
placements of the existing structures and the need to function as a
singular home, the architects sought to extend the physical footprint
of the three separate houses to the maximum possible to forge a
connection to each other.
 In parallel, Plystudios strategy was to downplay the unavoidable
formal and aesthetic variations of the three different houses by focusing
instead on the utilitarian qualities of the house extension a single
storey reinforced concrete deck which fills all the residual gaps and
spaces between the 3 houses, linking them via covered semi outdoor
spaces. Voids and pockets of light were cut into specific locations
within the large footprint of the deck to create airwells and minute
garden courtyards in relation to the adjacent spaces and functions.
In this way, a series of sheltered communal spaces have been
created that allows the occupants to meet and use. Not only does this
serve as a way to unite the individual houses at the lower level, it also
allows the experience of a ground and the feeling of being adjacent
to a green space to be created at the upper level of each house.
Here, a kind of new ground emerges where the artificially turfed deck
offers a visual extension and continuation of the natural green lawn
experienced from the lower level garden. Thus, owing to the large area
of the covered deck, one constantly experiences the scale of a single
storey house from either level.
 red bean architects
www.redbeanarch.com

106
Red Bean Architects, founded in 2009 by TEO YEE CHIN, is a design practice that
innovates by being sensitive to the milieu of architecture site, program, materials
and techniques. The sensitivity always includes a critical edge, which seeks to question
and influence the parameters within which design occurs, rather than to design within
given parameters.
The practice produces quality buildings by placing emphasis on each of the major
stages of the architectural process. It places importance on concept design in terms of
good and uncommon ideas. There is deep conviction in rigorously following these ideas
through to well-constructed buildings. This translates to discovering clear systems of
building and material assemblies, to well-resolved construction methods and thorough
documentation. Necessarily, this attitude towards the work needs to be underpinned
by a technical mastery. A prerequisite of the operation is a sound understanding of the
principles of fabrication and construction.
An important background to the creative work is a critical study of urbanism
undertaken by Yee Chin. This is executed through an ongoing project called Useful
Words. It comprises of writing, blogging and teaching. Having this approach to the city
is a unique part of the practice. It sets in place a working framework for approaching
larger projects that does not simply yield to the logics of capitalist development or the
abstraction of planning guidelines.

why red bean as a name

Red bean is a common grain that is rich in taste, complex in form and non-hierarchical
in its structure as an uncountable mass of small seeds. As a metaphor on many levels
it is an inspiration to seek the yet-to-be. The belief behind the name is that architecture
is very subjective, and very collective, at the same time. The name is not remotely
architectural, but it stands for an appreciation of the richness of local food. But while
red bean describes a personal liking, it also belongs to many people in Asia because of
its common-ness.
biography

TEO YEE CHIN obtained his Masters of Architecture from Harvard University, Graduate
School of Design in 2003, where he completed his thesis on public space in New York
City. He continues to write whenever possible on the complex relationship between
architecture, society and the city. Within the realm of architecture, Teo looks for
complexity in space and geometry that can be manifested in simple material assemblies.
Apart from running his practice Red Bean Architects, Teo is also a visiting design tutor at
the School of Architecture in NUS. After having worked in both boutique and corporate
firms, he ventured out to make a more satisfactory working process. This really meant to
do projects well, and actively allowing the time and space for this to happen. In the past
five years, the office has completed a number of bespoke houses, commercial spaces,
and institutional projects. In the future, it is looking to increase participation in public
projects, while continuing to explore material, craft and detail.

red bean office

 red bean architects

step house
Photography by Red Bean Architects

project team Teo Yee Chin, Lim Yong Chang, Lee Wey Jiun, Yap Shan Ming
builder Poh Sia Construction & Engineering
c&s E123 Consultants
land area 269m2
total floor area 329m2
completion 2013

This is a modification of an existing house in West Coast Grove,

Singapore. Sited on gently sloping ground, the house is stepped up
from front to rear by half a level. An attic was added to the existing two
storeys by pitching a plane at 45 degrees. This creates a visor against the
west sun and terminates the stepping halves of the house massing. To
distinguish this main architectural element, the roof tiles are variegated
in tones of grey and framed by a fascia of natural chengai. Approaching
from the north or west, one sees a tilted, pixelated plane hovering
above the trees, distinctly un-roof-like in the surrounding roofscape.
In line with the stepping theme, the front massing is split into two, one
of them raised up to create a natural covered entrance. Internally, the
house enjoys cross ventilation from front to rear and visibility across the
spaces at different split levels. A clerestory is created below this pitched
plane, bringing light into the attic.

108

SECTION A-A
1ST STOREY PLAN 2ND STOREY PLAN ATTIC PLAN ROOF PLAN
 red bean architects

wall house

project team Teo Yee Chin, Lee Wey Jiun, Neo Disheng
builder Polink Engineering Pte Ltd
c&s CP Lim & Partners LLP
qs CST Consultants
land area 196m2
total floor area 382m2
completion 2014

In geometry, a surface S is ruled if through every point of S there is

a straight line that lies on S. Ruled surfaces are curved surfaces that
are created from straight lines. In this intermediate terraced house
at Highland Close, Singapore, a single wall that is a ruled surface in
geometry separates the spaces in the house from the party wall. This
creates a light filled space that changes its dimension from rear to
front and from top to bottom. A consistently one-metre wide skylight,
with its edge parallel to the party wall sweeps inwards to become a
diagonal line at the ceiling of the first storey, bringing more light into
the living space. Similarly, a rectangular window that is one-metre
wide and two-storey high at the rear facade becomes a trapezoid
window at the front facade, creating width for the car porch and main
entrance. This wall becomes the one architectural element that orders
the spaces in the house. On one side, the texture of the concrete wall
will be animated by the sunlight that falls on it. On the other, it will
become a domestic surface that the occupants will become intimately
familiar with.

110
SECTION A-A

SECTION B-B SECTION C-C

jab handcrafted shots

client Jab Brewers

project team Teo Yee Chin, Zeeson Teoh
builder JKNT Logistics with Zijian Design
total floor area 18m2
completion 2014

Jab Brewers is a new specialty coffee bar that will set up its first joint
in the basement of One Raffles Place. The idea of serving artisanal
coffee in the midst of a fast-paced, business lunch crowd led to the
conception of this encounter with coffee as a luxurious pause in the
working day. The use of rich, tactile materials such as brass and
leather was intended to pamper the executive and to enhance the
coffee-drinking experience. Within a tight space, the main service
counter was angled inwards to create a space, away from the retail
corridor, where customers can interact with the barista as well as
other customers.
 red bean architects

landscape house
project team Teo Yee Chin, Zeeson Teoh, Lee Wey Jiun, Yap Shan Ming, Neo Disheng
builder Holden Tiling & Construction
c&s CP Lim & Partners LLP
m&e PTA Consultants
qs CST Consultants
landscape Earthscape Concepts Pte Ltd
lighting Limelight Atelier
land area 2,352m2
gfa 1,770m2
completion 2015

BLOCK A BASEMENT STOREY BLOCK B 1ST STOREY

112
BLOCK A 1ST STOREY BLOCK B 2ND STOREY BLK A 2ND STOREY BLK B ROOF STOREY

SECTION A-A

SECTION B-B

This is a good class bungalow on a large, sloping site. The site slopes
down over 5 metres from the entrance to the rear of the site. Being
near the top of a hill gives access to a wonderful view to the south. The
objective of the design was twofold access to the distant view from
the rooms, and engagement with the landscape. Being on a sloping
site, being able to flow out to the sprawling grounds from the interior
space without having to negotiate any steps needed careful treatment
of the architectural section. The definition of the ground plane shifts
as one enters from the 1st storey and descends into the lower level
which flows out to the pool terrace and garden. In terms of massing, a
main block with all the bedrooms is maintained as a datum from which
2 cantilevered blocks, cladded in weathering steel, deviates from.
 studiogoto

114

studiogoto is a Singapore-based architectural studio founded in 2008 and led by the Principal Architects CHIOH-HUI GOH (above,
left) and KIMBERLY TOH. The firm practises a process driven design philosophy based on each unique project programme and
context, understanding and appreciating material, textures and building techniques. As architecture encompasses many aspects of
art and embraces all cultures, it is imperative that architectural solutions adopt a universal exploratory process, regardless of scale
and complexity. This design attitude opens up many avenues towards searching for that better design solution in each project, and
further contributed to the intellectual development of the firm.
 studiogoto office

biography

CHIOH-HUI GOH graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons) in Year 1992 from the National University
of Singapore, winning himself the Distinction Award for Design within his graduating cohort. Before setting up
studiogoto, he had practiced architecture for 16 years in several renowned firms in Singapore, most notably Akitek
Tenggara II and SCDA Architects Pte Ltd, having spent his last 10 years of employment in the latter, where he led
the design direction and implementation of numerous projects that eventually went on to win many architectural
design awards, both local as well as international.

KIMBERLY TOH graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture (with Distinction) in Year 1998 from the University
of Oklahoma USA, winning herself the AIA Henry Adams Award with her graduation. For thenext 10 years, she
had the opportunity to work with several architecture and interior design consultancy firms in Singapore, on a
wide variety of projects that involved her in the manyaspectsofarchitecture and interiors, ranging from master
planning, design proposals/developments to projects implementation. Apart from the professional practice, she
has also been active in academia since 2007, teaching the final year Interior Design Studios in NAFAs Department
of 3D Design.
 studiogoto

residential tower at persiaran stonor, kl

architect s t u d i o g o t o
local architect CH&I Architecture Sdn Bhd
c&s engineer Arup Jururunding Sdn Bhd
m&e engineer BSD Associates Sdn Bhd
quantity surveyor Perunding Kos Bersatu Sdn Bhd
site area 3,148.566m2
gfa 37,782.792m2
status In progress

This is a highrise of about 50 storeys in Kuala Lumpur, a mixed

development with a majority made up of residential component. The
concept was inspired by the traditional Asian hospitality of two clasping
hands, which was then interpreted to become a set of interlocking
fingers for a more geometry-based form. Hence, there are two wings
of building slabs interlocking with the intersection similar to stitched
seams. When they interlocked, a set of different floor plans is effected
and exaggerated to create cantilevered ends floating up to 50 storeys
high. Faade language is simplified to horizontal bands to express
these interlocking forms more clearly, with recesses at intervals to
show up the various intersecting segments.

116

AXONOMETRIC

LEGO MASSING
 studiogoto

alila koh russey, cambodia

IMAGE COURTESY Visual Media Works

client City Star Corporation

118 hotel operator Alila Hotels & Resorts
architect s t u d i o g o t o
landscape designer Ecoplan Asia Pte Ltd
lighting designer Switch
c&s Chan Phuong Engineering
m&e Artelia Group
quantity surveyor Artelia Group
site area 26 Ha
status In progress

This hospitality project is located on a 26-ha site on an island off the

south western coast of Cambodia. The site comprises a majority of
sloping forested terrain and scattered beach fronts and coral reefs.
The design language is very much inspired by the Cambodian Krama,
a piece of checkered cloth which the locals use in their daily lives. It is
symbolic to most Cambodians and an item easily identifiable to them.
The layers of the checkered pattern is translated to different layers of
the architecture screens and spatial transitional planning layouts in
the scheme. The building techniques involved the use of local building
methods, local building materials, and a significant re-interpretation
of the traditional design language and forms. While it is important to
understand, respect and recognise local customs and cultures, it is
also equally important to not mimic these practices when designing
for a contemporary project.
POOL VILLA SECTION POOL VILLA PLAN
studiogoto

aria villas ubud

PhotoS COURTESY Aria Villas Ubud

architect s t u d i o g o t o
landscape designer Salad Dressing
builder PT Catur Nirmala Kerti
c&s engineer CV Adhi Design
m&e engineer CV Gee Studio
quantity surveyor CV Ratio Construction
landscape contractor CV Jaburan Gardener
site area 2,000m2
gfa 1,200m2
completion 2013

This is a lovely gently sloping site next to a forested valley in Ubud,

Bali. Size is rather compact at about 2,000m2, upon which Studiogoto
had to introduce eight numbers of villas. As the site is densely forested,
the response was to retain that feel, and to introduce an architectural
intervention that enhances this site character. An approach that is
architecturally anonymous and in line with the quiet and calm nature of
the site. Hence, the simple flat roof forms and low building scale. Building
concepts emphasise the panoramic views of the valley, the use of glass
to maximise natural lighting and ventilation as Ubud can get quite high
in humidity and low in natural lighting. Stugiogoto had set out to express
a certain level of modernity in the design language throughout the
architectural expression without being overpowering to the intrinsic culture
of Bali. There was also a conscious search for natural local materials
including the use of recycled wood for a large part of the interiors.

*Featured in D+A issue 081.2014 (AN ARIA FOR THE FOREST)
 SITE SECTION

3 bedroom villa

SITE PLAN UPPER LEVEL LOWER LEVEL

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Features & Benefits
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 studio bikin
www.studiobikin.com

124

Studio Bikin was founded between partners FARAH AZIZAN (above, right) and ADELA
ASKANDAR in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2012. The design-led studio practice is
established to enable both partners and their team to design and execute projects with
a broad range of typologies, from office interiors to private dwellings in various settings,
from the urban to rural context.
Studio Bikin is passionate about design and assumes a very hands-on approach on
all their projects, valuing craftsmanship, detail and sensitivity towards the context and
environment within which they build. These values are intrinsic to their design process.
The resulting work reflects their approach thus increasing the studios range of
commissions to boutique hospitality and landscaping. The studio looks forward to
developing exciting briefs with their clients, deepen their level of play and research
within each project and continue its growth within the field of design and architecture.
biography

FARAH AZIZAN (born 1978, Kuala Lumpur) obtained her BA in architecture at

Nottingham University, UK and pursued her diploma in Architecture at the Architecture
Association, London. Upon graduating in 2004, she worked for Tonkin Liu Architects,
returned reluctantly to Kuala Lumpur and joined Seksan Design where she practised
landscape and architectural design for 6 years. Her key projects are Lone Pine, One
Menerung, Sekeping Kong Heng, Resort @ Luang Prabang and PJ Trade Centre. Apart
from working with Seksan Design, Farah has been involved in teaching as guest critics
to several local architecture schools. She has created a few installations, namely Kursi
Lapuk in the exhibition Processing the City, neon light installations in The Last Call,
the Bombay Sapphire project with VWFA and her bottle-light installations in The Light
Show which she co-curated with Carolyn Lau and Lisa Foo. In 2011, she set up Studio
Bikin with Adela Askandar.

ADELA ASKANDAR (born 1974, Penang) received her BA and masters in architecture
from University of Cambridge, United Kingdom in 2002. Upon completion of her Part II
in 2000, she worked at Lisa Shell design, a small architectural practice in London for 2
years, after which she gained her RIBA Part III qualification. These formative years in an
intense studio-based set up allowed her to dabble in all aspects of practice, after which
she returned to Malaysia and joined Unit One design consultancy in Kuala Lumpur in
2003. Amongst notable projects are the Leisure Farm Villas, Johor (winner of the 2009
WAN international residential awards) and Love Lane, Penang (winner of PAM 2006
Adaptive Reuse awards). She then set up as a sole practice, Adela Askandar design
(a.a.d.) in 2006. Adela also taught alongside practice, at the Department of Architecture
in University Malaya as a design tutor and in other local architecture schools as guest
critic. She enjoyed collaborations with other designers including Farah, which also
culminated in her curating Processing the City at the Central Market Annexe in 2007.
They formally set up Studio Bikin in 2011 after working together on a few projects.
 studio bikin

plan b @ kong heng, ipoh

Photography by Adela Askandar

client Bens Kitchens Sdn Bhd

design team Adela Askandar, Farah Azizan, Loo Jie Hsin
main contractor Shen Chuan Renovation Works
m&e Tekun Perunding Sdn Bhd
built area 7,885ft2
completion 2013

The starting point for this project was a 7,885ft2 disused

furniture warehouse that was in the vicinity of the Sekeping
Kong Heng, next to the famed local Kong Heng coffee shop
in Ipoh old town. The brief was to transform the space into a
restaurant for the local chain, Plan B. We wished to maintain
the existing steel superstructure of the original warehouse as
it articulated the space in a powerful way in its bare state. We
restrained the building works to the bare minimum, by keeping
the linear central jacked roof clear of interventions. Instead,
we inserted a more solid block that housed the services
on one side and a more transparent block one housing the

126
 SITE PLAN

ELEVATION A CROSS SECTION

air-conditioned dining area on the opposite side, all within

the outline formed by the steel structure. The entrance is
defined by the bar that has two sides, one facing inside,
(the airconditioned dining area), the other facing outside,
the naturally ventilated jacked roof area where we introduced
planting and called the atrium dining area. The end of the
warehouse faced another development which housed the
raised pool structure accessible by Sekeping Kong Heng hotel
guests, and the space in between the two was buffered by
planting of trees, which we called the courtyard.

ROOF PLAN *Featured in D+A issue 079 (OLD SPACE NEW VOLUMES)
studio bikin

pool & shoplets @ kong heng, ipoh

photos by Jay Sim and Lim Chong Yew

client Sekeping Kong Heng The Kong Heng development is evolving, and Studio Bikins Plan
design team Adela Askandar, Farah Azizan, Loo Jie Hsin
B project scope was expanded by the addition of a raised pool
main contractor Shen Chuan Renovation Works
m&e Tekun Perunding Sdn Bhd structure with shoplets below, commissioned by Sekeping Kong
completion 2013 Heng owners for the use of hotel guests. The elevated pool is
insitu concrete, raised on steel legs. Its underbelly forms the
space that was layered with pivoting door-shelves of expanded
steel mesh that transforms the space into shoplets. Currently
these are brought to life with vintage & craft shops that open each
weekend, and interact with the restaurant space via the courtyard.

FRONT ELEVATION SECTION A-A

 FIRST FLOOR PLAN MEZZANINE FLOOR PLAN

SECTION B-B ROOF PLAN

 studio bikin

hit & mrs

Photography by Loo Jie Hsin

client Bens Kitchens Sdn Bhd

project team Farah Azizan & Adela Askandar
main contractor Sweet Time Interior Decor
built area 1,750ft2
completion 2012

130
 FRONT ELEVATION REAR ELEVATION

SECTION

Hit & Mrs is located in a two-storey, 1950s terraced

commercial shoplot area in Bangsar. In essence, the
clients brief called for a chic restaurant downstairs
and a more laidback cocktail lounge upstairs. The rear
portion was gutted to re-create the original airwell to
allow for light and natural ventilation for both floors. The
small restaurant of 30-pax capacity has an open kitchen,
allowing the diner the intimate view of the chef preparing
their meal. An experiment with casting concrete insitu
using fabric membrane successfully transformed the
main, bare wall into an interesting feature. The interior
is kept rather austere to contrast with the experimental
and colourful cuisine served. Upstairs in the lounge area,
we had envisioned a bar and lounge that harks back to
the neighbourhoods days of glory with references to the
50s era. This was epitomised in the borderline-kitschy but
fabulous banana plantation wallpaper sourced from the
Beverly Hills Hotel, set against the locally sourced vintage
and rattan furniture in the lounge areas. A bespoke built-
in teak-panelled bar counter and a feature glass bottle
wall allows customers in air-conditioned the lounge area
GROUND FLOOR PLAN FIRST FLOOR PLAN to glimpse through to the bar action.
 studio sklim
sklim.com

Studio SKLIM (founding principal KEVIN LIM) is an international design agency deriving
bespoke solutions from the fields of furniture, interiors, landscape, architecture and urbanism.
The firm believes that design opportunities are inherent, waiting to be unleashed or given a
new perspective. The organisation of raw materials not limited to the form of environmental
data, existing typographical conditions, cultural peculiarities and technological limits, form
part of a platform from which our design process initiates these extractions. Analysis on our
fast changing contemporary life demands a rethink and reorganisation of existing spatial
parameters, making conceptual clarity and contemporary investigative research instrumental
to the design process of our work. Our design ethos feeds on this rigor.
From banality breeds creativity and each project stems from its own unique set of
pragmatics and constraints. We are neither conformists nor idealists but prefer to engage
132 the in-between boundaries of producing spaces that shouts pragmatics, with an additional
dose of our muses. We believe that the most basics of design solutions are sometimes able
to conjure the most complex relationships with the environment.
We embark on design journeys with our consultants and clients, as a collective
experience to explore market demands, environment sustainability, design technology and
socio-cultural landscapes with the hope of creating built environments that resonate with
our shared positions.
The studio has been working on luxury residential, high-grade offices and F&B interiors
in Singapore , together with architectural/landscape projects in China. Some of the firms
recent work and currently under design include an artisanal bakery (Singapore), bistros
(Yangon), low-rise ecological complex (China) and a house in Singapore. The studios work
has since received wide press coverage in international publishers such as Frame, Domus,
Gestalten and Braun. The firms work was exhibited at the Design Exchange (Canadas
Design Museum) in Toronto and featured on HGTVs (USA) latest television program, Extreme
Homes which was aired in North America in late 2012. The firm recently exhibited at the
Centre for Architecture, American Institute of Architects, New York, in early 2014.

biography
Born in Singapore, KEVIN LIM graduated with the AA Diploma from the Architectural
Association in London after architectural studies at the National University of Singapore
(NUS). His formative years were chiselled by one of Singapores pioneer architects, Mr
William Lim. He has worked extensively in London, Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo with various
international practices including the Dutch architectural practice, the Office for Metropolitan
Architecture (OMA) founded by Rem Koolhaas, where he was a key member of the Singapore
Scotts Tower project, amongst others. Kevin Lim has presented at Pecha Kucha, Tokyo, and
recently been selected as part of Heinekens ODE Co-creation Team for London Design Week
2014. He has emerged as one of the global winners from four cities (Singapore, New York,
Warsaw and Mexico). Studio SKLIM office
 studio sklim

hansha reflection house, nagoya, japan

Photography by Jeremy San

two-storey detached house with courtyard and roof deck

area 124m2
design Kevin Lim
collaborators Machiko Nakamura, Federico Mira (3D)
builder Sakae Advanced Housing Technology
structure KES System Headquarters Shelter
completion 2011

Hansha Reflection House is a specific residence for a specific site,

set to address the ephemeral moments of the surroundings with
structural ingenuity and material sublimity. Situated at the entrance of
Misakimizube Koen, one of the picturesque parks fronting a lake and
flanked by Sakura trees, the house was conceived to be an object with
the environment.
The programmatic zones of Public, Service and Private are spatially
organised the house into three distinct zones with further punctuation
of the main massing with the Landscape element, providing spaces for
the courtyard and roof deck. This base form was further chiseled with
structure, daylight/ventilation and viewpoint concerns. Using timber from
a renewable source, coupled with building technology that utilised a
hybrid of traditional mortise and tenon joint system with steel bracketing,
this house was able to push the ubiquitous boxed building envelope for
timber residential construction in Japan.
The outer form reflected the inner structure of the building, creating
opportunities for expression of inclined surfaces. These further expressed
134 their responses to rainwater drainage and the sublime reflection of the
surrounding landscape. In order to bring views of the exterior Sakura into
the dining space,an asymmetrical window ledge was purposefully built,
providing a material continuity from exterior to interior and framing the
picturesque view.
The idea of Reflection was multifarious and became a series of
unfolded meanings; exterior reflection of surrounding, interior reflection
of surroundings, introspective reflection spaces and reflection of the
house structure.

*Featured in D+A issue 065.2012 (A HOUSE SEEN AND SEEING)

bread & hearth, singapore
Photography by Bton Brut | Khoo Guo Jie

area 100m2
design team Kevin Lim, Jennifer Yang, Irwin Ho
completion 2014

Brick is pushed to its boundaries as a building block and brand identity

for this artisanal bakery nestled in the heart of the former red-light
district of Keong Saik Road, Singapore, amongst gentrified shophouses.
Taking branding cues from the bakerys name, brick was chosen as
the ubiquitous material to construct most of the spatial concepts.
Bricks are predominantly used as architectural building blocks. In this
instance, the material configures itself to form both exterior/interior,
structural/non-structural elements in the form of frontage, counter
tops, ventilation holes, furniture, partitions and floor. The limits of the
material are tested with both linear and double curvature geometries,
construction joints and tiling patterns. Programmatically, the functions
of seating, display, service, kitchen and back of house are distinctly
lined up in a linear configuration due to the nature of the shop house.
The spatial sequence upon entry is almost funnel like and slowly
opens up to a full-fledged brick wall with a geometrically challenging
coffee station. Each block of brick counter houses a distinct function
(Bread, Viennoiseries, Cashier/Control Centre, and Coffee Station) and
is staggered to permit more standing space and interaction with the
baked products. Bricks are strategically removed from the dividing
kitchen wall to permit both smells and visual sightlines to the inner
workings of the kitchen.
studio sklim

sloping slab, singapore

status design proposal

client Nanjing Fullshare Group
area 1,500m2
project year 2013
The proposal for an entrance building finds itself on a series of
undulating terrain at Dashihu, an ecological park in Nanjing, China. The
proposed building would be the first of a series of low-rise buildings
that will sporadically occupy and introduce eco-tourism to the site.
The basic form of the building is a concrete slab that is embedded
in the geography, inviting the surrounding landscape to be part of its
spatial experience. Entrance to the building is via a long ramp that is
wedged between water and landscaped bodies. The space soon opens
up to a panoramic view of the whole site and leads the visitor along
another gentler ramp to its other programs. This enlarged ramp serves
as both circulation and acts as a gallery for exhibits and educational
information about the park. This circulation ramp cum gallery forms
the main spine of the building and determines the main facade by
letting in a generous amount of light through its south facing facade.
The other functions like conference halls and amenities are tucked
away on the lowest level, half buried in the topography due to their
requirement for less daylight. The ecological strategy for this building
tries to utilize more passive methods by building orientation and
appropriate fenestration for the different seasons. By half embedding
the building in the ground, thermal heat loss is minimized during winter.
Other strategies include the rechanneling of rainwater collected from
the roof towards the flushing of the toilets and subsequently treated
and released back to the landscape during drier seasons. Rustic
and natural materials such as charred timber cladding with exposed
concrete enables the building to create its unique patina over time,
aging gracefully amongst its natural environment.
 studio xmsl
www.studioxmsl.com

138

Established in June 2009, Studio XMSL (founder and design director, MATTHEW LAI) is a design office that
operates within and around the realms of architectural and interior design. We are an award winning boutique
design office that addresses a clientele that has finer design sensibilities and higher aesthetic expectations.
We are based in Singapore and are currently working on architectural and interior design projects locally and
abroad. Our projects at Studio XMSL always begin with a conceptual clarity. We combine clever planning with
subtle intrigue and delightful elegance throughout the design process. Our projects are brought into reality
via immaculate craftsmanship and attention to details. All this we do with great passion and care. We believe
that the success of each and every project is dependant upon a successful partnership between client and
designer. As such, at Studio XMSL we always seek to firstly understand our clients needs, objectives and
preferences. With us, design is always a two-way dialogue until we achieve a common vision for the project.
Here, while the designers vision is similar with the clients, the artistry and aesthetic outcome does not suffer.
We walk alongside the clients at each and every step of the way. Designs are developed in unison with the
Client as we responsibly review each and every design decision together. As consultants to our client, we are
with them at each and every juncture during construction seeking to realize our common vision and safeguard
our clients interest. This is how we work at Studio XMSL.

XTRAMINISUPERLARGE is the philosophy that Studio XMSL operates with:

SCALE As designers of the built environment, we are interested in contributing holistically to the built
environment and are thus keen to work on varying scales: from xtra mini to super large kinds of projects
ATTITUDE We believe in giving our best for all our clients and as such we cherish every xtra mini opportunity
and seek to deliver super large design value
NETWORK In this present day and age, we believe in creative collaborations and good relationships. While our
operations maybe xtra mini, we believe that with a super large network of creatives, contractors, consultants
and clients, we hope to maintain a high creative output
VISION Today we are xtra mini, some day we hope to become super large
biography

MATTHEW LAI is both the founding and current design director at Studio XMSL. He graduated from the
NATIONAL UNIVERSITY of Singapore in 2006 with a Masters of Architecture as the overall top student.
Matthew went on to establish Studio XMSL in 2009 and has worked on many architectural and interior design
projects. Architecturally, Matthew has a keen interest in exploring new typologies in spatial design. Specific
within his interest is how contemporary society and our very own uniquely Singapore situations can pave the
way for typological innovations all across our built environment.

The interiority of any space has also been a cornerstone of Matthews appreciation of design. Having worked
on many good quality residential projects since starting Studio XMSL, Matthew is developing a sophisticated
and multi-layered approach to the notion of home. Matthew denies the notion of personal style and engages
with his clientele to develop new design languages for each and every new project. He finds each and every
project to be a learning experience.

Details in design are often fussed about at Studio XMSL; of particular concern to Matthew are always the
carpentry details. Matthew has developed a sharp understanding of carpentry construction and is of the firm
conviction that these details make all the difference in the finishing touches of any project. Matthew often
develops new carpentry details and custom made loose pieces of furniture with the regular artisan carpenters
he works with. Someday, Matthew hopes to develop a personal design collection of bespoke furniture pieces.

studio xmsl office

 studio xmsl

n-type apartments

gfa 10,250ft2
status In progress

The N-type Apartments is Studio XMSLs largest architectural project

to date. Spanning seven floors with an additional half basement and
located in Singapores urban city centre, this residential apartment
block is designed in response to the site context and statutory
compliances. The parti-diagram plan is conceived as an alphabet N
shape. This approach allows for all the units on this narrow and deep
plot to have good views of the beautiful park across the sites narrow
frontage. The resultant triangular atrium is then designed to allow for
green planting, improved ventilation and natural illumination for each
and every apartment unit. Tackling very tough and stringent statutory
guidelines, Studio XMSL is working to bring to reality this newest
project of an improved scale. Construction began in Q3 2014.

140
savoye revisited

detached bungalow with pool, basement and attic

gfa 8,100ft2
status In Progress

The clients brief called for simplicity, lightness and a distinctly

Mediterranean vibe. We translated this into porosity of the plan,
evocative flair on the elevations, and a highly textured materiality.
Architecturally, we formulated an agenda of reinterpreting Le Corbusiers
formal concepts established on Villa Savoye. The three-tiered form is
both our designer houses or homes and formal reinterpretation of Le
Corbusiers Villa Savoye. The interiors are kept predominantly white
with a myriad of textures and playful colors especially in the common
areas. The bedrooms and bathrooms however take on a much quieter
aesthetic but no less light and textured.
 studio xmsl

142
curved atrium house

semi-detached bungalow
gfa 4,800ft2
completion end-2014

In this typically sized semi detached bungalow, we inserted a curved

two-storey high atrium that detaches the main building volume from
the parti wall. This atrium serves to allow ample natural light into
the deep recesses of the house. Aside from this, the atrium also
allows for good ventilation, visual and vertical connectivity for the
entire house. The aesthetic direction involves a pursuit for a casual
chic aesthetic that borrows strong from modern Scandinavian design
traditions. Coupled with a myriad of raw and natural finishes working
in tandem with an honest and subtle sensibility, the design of the
bungalow is given form.
houses on lynwood grove

two units of detached bungalows

architectural qp S L Architects
structural engineer TNJ Consultants
main contractor Chong Sen Construction Pte Ltd
gfa 8,400ft2
completion 2013

We masterplanned the existing site to create two similar units that

are well-spaced from each other and potential neighbours. Exploiting
the differences in terrain, both units are given a basement carpark
entry. The resultant garden space available for both units is a
luxurious L shape garden that envelopes the living, dining and dry
kitchen. The 1st storey is enclosed with full height glass panels.
The upper volume of the building that houses all the bedrooms is
expressed as a single and continuous extrusion that is reminiscent of
a familiar and domestic shape. Facades facing the sun are rendered
with minimum apertures while the larger fenestrations are orientated
on facades facing the pools. Finally, a double-layered metal screen
with varying tonality is added as a primary feature on the north-south
facing elevations.

*Featured in D+A issue 074.2013 (MINIMUM EXPOSURE)

 Excellent
Water Consumption: 3.50 L (Full Flush) /
2.50 L (Reduced Flush)
Type of Product: Low Capacity Flushing Cisterns
Brand: Twyford
Model: Moda
Registration No.: WC-2010/005167

Sole Agent & Distributor:

Multico Building Products Pte Ltd

62 Ubi Road 1 #01-05 Oxley BizHub 2 Singapore 408734
ESTABLISHED 1969 Tel: (65) 6283 8888 Fax: (65) 6283 8138 Email: sales@multico.com.sg Website: www.multico.com.sg
Business Registration No.198204965M
 Good
Water Consumption: 4.50 L (Full Flush) / 3.00 L
(Reduced Flush)
Type of Product: Low Capacity Flushing Cisterns
Brand: Twyford
Model: Envy
Registration No.: WC-2009/003555

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WC-2010/005167
 seshan design

Seshan Design (founder RAMESH SESHAN) is a boutique, design driven practice based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
The firm offers customised design solutions, tailor-made to suit the needs of clients and exceed their expectations. For Seshan
Design, every project is unique and the best results are obtained from intimate discourse and development with clients. The team is
passionate about their work and seek equally passionate clients who are willing to work closely to push the limits of what is possible.
The office is versatile in scope with projects ranging from masterplanning, architecture and interiors in residential, commercial, food
& beverage and hospitality. Seshan Design seeks to constantly improve and evolve, to keep up, and wishfully stays ahead of current
trends and progress. It tries to ensure that projects are sustainable. Apart from accountable and professional service, Seshan Design
strongly believes that the best works are produced when having fun.

146

design approach
We dont really subscribe to any style or direction as we would like to remain versatile and be able to do just about everything and
anything within reason, of course!
We are always striving to question and improve on everything we do, not look at what we can do now but what can suit the future.
Looking for ways to push what is possible if we can. One main ingredient to that is finding clients who are like-minded: Clients who
are willing to work, brainstorm and develop with is to produce something totally unique. This is the most exciting part of the job; very
little is pre-conceived most of our end products evolve through this development with clients and other specialists/consultants, so
you never know what to expect at the beginning.
We also get bored and very restless and once we complete a project, we want to try something different! Each project is an
experiment we try out new ideas and new methods even in the smallest manner. If it works, good, well improve on it for the next
project. If it does not, never mind, we learn from it and try a different method in the next project.
On average, we have about 30 to 35 projects running at any one time and about a third of them are usually on site in the
construction phase. Since we prefer to concentrate on smaller, fast track projects, The turnover is very high. This also allows us
to try out different ideas very fast and sometimes when we have an idea with various options, we can easily test out the different
options on a few projects on site simultaneously, and we can take other clients to see them and decide which works better.
The other element we are incorporating in our work is future proofing our projects especially for our residences. We define
it as the ability for projects to upgrade and change to suit its users current needs.
 seshan design office

biography

Ramesh Seshan worked with Unit One Design Sdn Bhd from 1997 to Dec 2006 as an architectural assistant all the way up to senior
architect. It was here where his real exposure and training to design and architecture really took place under the tutelage of his
former bosses, John Ding and Ken Wong. At Unit One Design, he had the opportunity to work on and spearhead quite a few award-
winning projects, as well as overseas projects in Hong Kong, Philippines and Japan.

In January 2007 Ramesh left Unit One Design, thinking to join an international architectural firm, but I ended up lecturing at
Limkokwing University at the request of some of my friends there. In Limkokwing, I started doing small freelance jobs on the side
to earn some extra income to fund my upcoming wedding (which my then fiance and I were planning to have in Bali, 2008). As
the freelance jobs started to increase in number, it occurred to me that I could do this full time! After my wedding in June 2008, I
resigned from lecturing and started full time into Seshan Design my own freelance architecture & design consultancy practice.

On my own as Seshan Design, I was lucky to develop a whole new client base purely from word of mouth doing small projects and
managed to get my works published in 2009 alone. Towards the end of that year, with my 1st child on the way, I realised I couldnt
really go on as a solo practitioner. So I partnered up with a client (who ran the Semua Holdings Group) and we started Custom Design
Group Sdn Bhd, with myself as the Design Director. With a handful of my former freshly graduated students from Limkokwing as my
core team, I attempted to create my ideal design firm!

Two years later, with an office staff of seven, and about 30 completed projects, my goal towards creating the ideal design firm was
well under way. But a clash of priorities and direction with the Semua Holdings Group led to me splitting with them and setting out
again, but this time bringing my original core team with me.

In January 2012, we started afresh as SESHAN DESIGN SDN BHD and back on track to achieve our goals and vision. We are now
12 strong with new key personnel brought in to bring new skills and capabilities to the office to increase our collective abilities.
 seshan design

setiajasa house, medan damansara, kuala lumpur

Photography by RUPAJIWA STUDIO

floor area 3,600ft2

project team
(formerly Custom Design Group Sdn Bhd) Ramesh Seshan, Vivien
Wong, Sucy Murniati, Nor Ilani, Jeslyn Ko
contractor SP Kean Hua
c&s engineer Pro Jurutek Sdn Bhd
completion 2012

This house was the first in a series we had started doing that addresses
the need for homes to be more flexible and adaptable. Houses and
residences last for decades and generations, and we believe that they
have to evolve and change as the users and their needs evolve and
change as well. It was a long narrow end-lot link house, with a lot of
land infront of the existing house. I was really into doing link houses
and immediately grabbed the chance to do it. We originally wanted to
do another detached block in front of the house, with a huge courtyard
between the two buidings and a cool bridge on the 1st floor linking
them. But after a round of prelim costings, the client decided to cut
down on the size of the courtyard and also the bridge to reduce cost
(as it was an investment project).
There was no overall concept per se, we basically wanted to
maximise the potential spatial quality of the site. We didnt want too
big a built up but we wanted it to appear a lot larger than it actually
is. We also started experimenting with flexible spaces and elements in
this house. For example the top floor family room with the loft space
148 above . That family room was designed such that we could add sliding
doors or partitions in the future that would act as an additional room.

To cater for the flexibility of these spaces (areas where potential

end users would can rearrange furniture, etc, to their needs), we had
imbedded GI trunking into the walls and covered them with slightly
taller skirting pieces so power point faceplates could be relocated
easily without having to hack any walls (simply by adjusting the
skirting; one would still to bring in a carpenter and electrician but at
least, the works are dry works and can be controlled).
As this house was initially intended as an investment project, we
had to use materials which were fairly inexpensive yet look interesting
enough. We had already started experimenting with customised
concrete vent blocks built to our specifications for earlier projects
and we were going to use them as part of the master bathroom
screen at the first floor, so we had to come out with something else
for the carporch.
Brick is an inexpensive material and a lot of younger architects
had started using fairface brickwork in their works so we wanted to do
something a little differently. Ive also always wanted to do brickwork
arrangement inspired by Alva Aaltos 1953 Experimental House in
Muuratsalo, Finland. So we did a quite a few test computer models
experimenting with different arrangements, types of bricks (the red
clay brick and the grey cement-sand brick) and for good measure,
threw in some of our customised vent blocks as well. After that wall, we
decided to do another fairface brick wall, a more 3D wave pattern for
the guest room bathroom facing the internal courtyard. We also went
with pre-cast tiled terrazzo flooring as it was fairly inexpensive. Off
form concrete at the front of the house, although at first unintended,
now frames the bathroom vent-block screen.
We were also very lucky with the 1st floor flooring works. The client
went hunting for suppliers and he came across one that had white
oak parquet going for really cheap. The problem was, they were all
odd sizes as they were leftovers and off cuts. That turned out to be
a blessing in disguise as we had to come out with a random flooring
pattern. That turned out pretty cool!
 seshan design

menerung house, bangsar, malaysia

Photography by RUPAJIWA STUDIO

total area approx 5,000ft2 + built up

client Andy and Louise Nicol
project team Ramesh Seshan, Jeslyn Ko, Murugadass, Edmund Low, Aron Beh
contractor Trisac Sdn Bhd
c&s engineer Pro Jurutek Sdn Bhd
completion 2013

A major two-and-a-half storey renovation job for an English expat couple

with a child, this house is future proofed and built for flexibility as the clients
may rent it out in the future. The top floor is conceived as an independent
space of approx 1,000ft2 with its own direct access. it can be used as a two
bedroom apartment or as an office. The rear portion of the 1st floor is also a
flexible space that can be kept as a large open area or be divided up to four
bedrooms. The bathrooms are strategically located with multiple access doors
to allow for flexible space allocation. Electrical and aircon services along with
the faceplates are all surface mounted to allow for future relocation. The walls
to create the rooms in these flexible spaces are dry wall partitions.
The idea is that you can configure the spaces to your need with minimal
dry works with no hacking whatsoever. The same principle applies to the
rooms at the top floor. Currently, the client requested for a single bedroom at
the top floor, and two bedrooms and a TV room at the first floor. This project
took longer than most in the same range as we had a tight budget to keep to,
thus we had to work harder to be more innovative with design and building
solutions. Also, the client was heavily involved in the design and building
process and a lot of decisions were evolved on site: a build-first-and-see-
150 then-we-decide kind of thing!
 Our climatic response for all our houses are similar to be as passive
as possible. We try to maximise as much natural lighting and ventilation as
possible. The house is designed not to have air-conditioning but of course
aircons are provided for in all the bedrooms and the living area. The double
volume dining/bar space is not airconditioned at all. The cross ventilation
and the fan feature above is sufficient to create a pleasant environment in
this double volume space.
We retained about a third of the existing structure where we could to
minimise cost, at the same time we consciously kept some bits and pieces
and features of the existing house which both we and the client like to add
character to the house. Even an old cast iron soil pipe at the entrance was
kept; in the master bath and master bedroom were two structural columns
that we dressed them up partially and used as clothes hangers.
The raw and industrial nature of the house was purely intentional,
to save cost on finishes. Even the pool was just cement rendered. The
strategy is the they could always tile the pool later or cover the floors with
vinyl or timber flooring in the future if they had more money to spend, or if
a future tenant insisted on it. The clients who are British and owned some
converted warehouse properties in the UK, also had a affinity for industrial
and raw finishes. This industrial look of the house had enabled us to
reuse of lot of existing elements from the existing house, for instance, we
re-used the old grills as staircase balustrading.

*Featured in D+A issue 076.2013 (CONCRETE WORKS)

 seshan design

superwonderful films office, petaling jaya, malaysia

project team
(formerly Custom Design Group Sdn Bhd) Ramesh Seshan, Jeslyn Ko, Edmund Low
main contractor Zandrite Sdn Bhd
id contractor Deconine Sdn Bhd
c&s engineer Pro Jurutek Sdn Bhd
completion 2011

This project is an extension to a bungalow which we had fitted out

back in 2008 for their post-production sister company Tiger Tiger.
The clients needed a new office space fast and cheap, and we came
out with the solution of a raised 1,200ft2 pseudo-container that was
linked back to the main bungalow by a bridge. This is one of our fastest
projects to date; it was completed within three months. Structure of
the building is steel with cement board cladding.

*Featured in D+A issue 065.2011/2012 (TREE-TOP SUBTERFUGE)

152
chinoz on the park at klcc and bangsar shopping centre
client Bangsar Cafe Sdn Bhd
project team Ramesh Seshan, Jeslyn Ko, Edmund Low, Yeo Ting Yan
id contractor Deconine Sdn Bhd

Chinoz KLCC is approx 5,000ft2. This project was the third

refurbishment the restaurant has gone through; Chinoz on the Park
is in a very prominent location in Suria KLCC and has quite a strong
following and regular patrons. The clients wanted a new look and we
consciously did not want to follow the current trend at that time, which
was the more industrial, retro chic. We decided to do something totally
different and a bit more classic, like a French brasserie, and it paid
off! The clients were so happy with the new look for KLCC that they
wanted us to similarly refurbish their new outlet in BSC. The BSC outlet
is smaller and much more intimate. It has an outdoor dining area and
bar as well. Area is about 3,600ft2. The BSC outlet was completed at
the end of 2013.
 tetawowe atelier
www.tetawowe.com

tetawowe atelier is a dual partnership design practicefounded by WONG WEI PING (right) and TEY TAT
SING in 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is a young and dynamic design firm specialised in creating
154 design narratives. The design workshop currently consists of passionate team members and occasional
helpersfrom universities and colleges.This dynamic small team strives to provide design solutions that
are robust, innovative andearthy.The firm has been involving in works on series of houses; by erecting
new ones orbreathing new life into old ones, commercial projects such as guest houses, retail spaces and
smallhousing developments. The fundamental value of this team is to conceive works that acknowledge life
andappreciate nature.

narrative in design process

The genesis of design always begins with stories or narrations - what is thought to be raw material taken
from the sites existing rain trees, the geometrical shape of a site that is reminiscent of Miros artwork, the
way the owners would spend their lazy afternoon, birds on the wire, dialogue between the river and passer-
by, a Beatles song, a banal jobsite depicted in a Kafka dreamlike space...all these have been the source of
inspiration for tetawowes designs. Tetawowe designs from a non-decorative approach, an honest use of
material, no-frill detailing, always inclining towards the tactile: a bare brick wall painted by the shadows of
tree foliage, raw steel, a door bell mechanism adapted from a cowbell, custom-made recycle conduit task light
system, integration of architectural space with plantsand tropical semi-outdoor living room, a courtyard within
a courtyard, conservatory, rooftop vegetable farm...

biography
Born in 1972, TEYTATSING andWONG WEI PING both graduated from Cardiff University in 2000. Tey had
graduated from Universiti Sains Malaysia with a Bsc USM and proceeded to complete his education at Cardiff
University. He graduated with a B Arch Cardiff, and Wong graduated with a Bsc (hons) B Arch Cardiff. They
joined the Architectural Network in 2003, and in 2009, founded Tetawowe Atelier. The team at tetawowe atelier
 tetawowe atelier

duo duplex in bangsar, kuala lumpur, malaysia

site area 1,200ft2

gfa 3,000ft2
architect in charge Wong Wei Ping
design team
Wong Wei Ping, Tey Tat Sing, Yap Xiao Yao, Goh Yih Chuan,
Daphne Lian and Mohd Azmil
contractor CHB Construction
completion 2013

Due to the nature of the brief and the concept of an interlocking duplex
blocks, the duality of the blocks is expressed through the materials
engaged, the lower part of the block has a more solid materiality, eg,
off form concrete, clay bricks, and exposed services, whereas on the
upper level, glass, steel cables and expanded wire mesh are used, to
express the idea of lightness, transparency and voids.
The building programme of this house is simple, gathering spaces
in the front of the house, and sleeping area located at the back of
the house. Duplex 01 at the ground floor and first floor (back),
accessible at ground level by front yard and a pond consists of a
kitchen living room, and two bedrooms with ensuite baths. The lower
unit functions as a studio unit on its own, this unit is connected by a
stair core of black steel sheet and clear tempered glass which allows
high permeability of daylight.
Duplex 02 at first floor (front) and attic floor above, accessible by
a pair of staircases consists of a kitchen, living room with a balcony,
a mezzanine sleeping deck and a bedroom with ensuite bath at the
156 attic level, and a roof garden. The upper unit has a more structured
layout as compared to the lower unit. The living space and kitchen
could be extended to the outside when doors are folded entirely to
the side. An additional floor is added to make space for one more
bedroom while respecting neighbourly profiles. The approach of the
upper unit also has multiple entrances that are separated from the
lower unit; the architects intention is to make the house more friendly
and accessible.
spirit of the house
The spirit of the house is a fine blend of masculine construction and
intricate spatial planning and detailing. The steel stairs, the timber deck,
the courtyard and the roof garden, are all individual features of their own,
that come together to complete the wholeness of the Duo Duplex. Hence,
finishes and construction methods are put to high attention, conventional
services needed to employ a subtle expression. For instance, rainwater
is carefully channelled down into the fish pond by little weights tied to
cables as a substitute to having a rainwater down pipe.
Clever play of detail inspires one to be less intimidated by the concept
of architecture. The relationship of the house with nature was formed
when bright sunlight reflected by the green trees and water is drawn into
the muted interior.
Fenestrations are strategically placed and scaled to foster a strong
relationship with nature at every opportunity. Even the two stairs in the
core of the house is designed to support this relationship. Different in
characteristic, one is fully wrapped by perforated steel sheet, and another
hung by steel rods. The porosity of the stairs were kept to a maximum to
permit visual connection.
Fixtures are sensitively sculpted for comfort and ergonomically
engineered. Unbiased to spatial requirement, it is a balance of fulfilling
the essence of living and enhancing the quality of living through simplicity.
A roof garden overlooks the entire neighbourhood and into the skylines
of Kuala Lumpur. The house truly provides many little sanctuaries for the
family to feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
 tetawowe atelier

158
capsule hotel at klia

site area 3,300ft2

gfa 4,850ft2
project team
Wong Wei Ping, Tey Tat Sing, Low Tzu Peng, Ong Shien Chii, Chong Xiyin, Jocelyn Yong
leed EAG Consulting
m&e Zumech Sdn Bhd
c&s Perunding Reka SCG
lighting Megaman Electronic Malaysia
completion 2014

The design concept of Capsule by Container Hotel is inspired by the shipping

container, for its modularity, flexibility and adaptability. It closely binds with the
theme of travelling and our belief that container concept can be a potential
solution to a sustainable future. The spatial planning concept is influenced
by the Japanese style Kyosho Jutaku, which translates to living large on a
tiny footprint. By maximizing the use of each space, we managed to fit in 79
capsules in a tight lot of 3,300ft2 and other essential facilities for the hotel.
Spatial transparency is emphasized to create continuity in a compact space.
The vibrant colour scheme selected paired with an industrial approach strikes
a balance of cheerful yet cosy environment for relaxation, in contrast to the
formal and stringent greetings at the airport.
The Capsule also adopts a green and sustainable living concept, aiming
to achieve LEED Certification. Construction materials were reclaimed and
reused where it is suitable, and these materials could be taken apart and
reused. Modular construction system is adopted to shorten the construction
period and also reducing energy consumption.
 capspace
The Capspace features a total of 79 capsules stacked on three
layers, mezzanine, upper and lower decks, separated into male and
female zones. Each capsule is fully furnished by treated plywood and
corrugated metal sheet, and is completed with the basic requirements
of a hotel. The warm light illuminated softly on the container wall gives
a tranquil feeling synonymous to sleeping in a shipping container
on a journey to explore the world. Circulation of Capsule is carefully
planned to control the security, separating male and female zones
while connecting everyone to the common area, enabling the users to
enjoy the complete Capsule Experience.

common library /lounge

The feature BRC wall functions as library bookshelves and buffer for
male capspace. It also allows some natural light to illuminate the
capspace. The library and lounge is furnished with reclaimed pallet
sofa and tables; the cushy and warm atmosphere encourages a
friendly gathering space.

*Featured in D+A issue 081.2014 (INDUSTRIAL COCOONS)

SHOPFRONT ELEVATION SECTION A-A

INTERNAL ELEVATION 02 SECTION B-B

 tetawowe atelier

lexus showroom in ipoh

client G B Motors Sdn Bhd The Lexus Ipoh Showroom & Sales Centre is located at the so-called
site area 10,000ft2
automobile row of Ipoh city, where one can find all major automobile
gfa 4,850ft2
architect in charge Tey Tat Sing brand showrooms along the main thoroughfare. Instead of presenting
design team Wong Wei Ping, Tey Tat Sing, Jnic Teoh, Ken Ee itself as a usual sleek-and-glazed car showroom per se, the design
m&e Mokhtar Consult & Associates
intent has opted to take a rather modest and yet sublime approach.
c&s Ir Seet KL
lighting Megaman Electronic Malaysia The front-tilted monopitch roof, an uncommon roof treatment for
construction Nam Lean Construction Sdn Bhd commercial showroom, bespeak a bow down gesture, of modesty
completion 2014 and humbleness. The use of precisely-crafted hardwood timber
screen further strengthen the subtlety of hospitality. From the front,
one only feels the present of the brand Lexus and warmth-hearty
timber screen, with the see-through effect, a luring silhouette of the
automobile bodyline behind when approaching or driving by.

160

GROUND FLOOR PLAN
While entering the drop-off bay, there is a dramatic change
where the screen become more masculine represented by the steel
supporting system behind the screen. Under a good afternoon sun, the
choreography of shadow from the overhead timber sunshading screen
will be there caressing the space.
Beyond the timber screen, into the showroom is a huge gallery
space, with cars aligned against a double volume concrete wall
backdrop. At one side a fine oval shape structure forms the meeting
rooms cladded in timber screen echoing the fascia timber screen.
Unveiled at mezzanine level, a cantilevered concrete platform,
SECTION XX
MEZZANINE FLOOR PLAN
showcasing the feature car in a dramatic way. A seemingly robust,
yet minimalist way of presenting the automobile at the purest by the
use of material in its natural appearance like concrete, timber and raw
steel (for the reception counter).
Likewise at the customer service centre, similar strategy has been
applied by using timber screen to form refined layering of space.
The design and architecture is an honest interpretation of Lexus
philosophy into a spatial experience. the notion of omotenashi (spirit
of Japanese hospitality) and shattering expectation the underlying
statement behind Lexus innovation.
 port25 (formerly v:dro)
versatile.com.my

162

PORT25 (partners, from left, CHUA YUJEEN, TOO KEAN KONG, TAN TEK TSIEN, KOH NYAPSHIN) is the culmination of architectural
practices whose roots can be traced back to mid 2005, where it started as a humble design consultancy engaged in small scale
projects. Curiosity and vast reserves of youthful energy were expended towards the completion of over 150 completed projects of
numerous scales, working at the intersection of architecture, urban intervention and art. The practice is equally adept at dealing
with large or small scale design programs: this double perspective allows us to study various projects from the perspective of
human scale, complementing the approach that we adopt to bigger issues of urbanism and architecture. The design approaches are
driven by facets of context, program and site, rather than on developing a set of stylistic mannerisms. We are attracted to difficult
contexts and circumstances. Complex design programs offer untapped potential which we try to activate. The design processes are
determined via plural input as opposed to singular ideas. In all cases, we prefer the beauty of chaos over ugly perfection.
 port25 (v:dro) office

biography

CHUA YUJEEN was exposed to architecture at an early age and formed the practice in 2005. He is currently the curator of design
at the offices of PORT25. Establishing queries on the role and processes of architectural design, he has been instrumental in the
design methodology practiced in the office.

Upon graduation from University of Malaya, KOH NYAPSHIN formed the practice and has been actively involved since then in the
architectural fraternity; both practical and academia. The architecture of Nyapshin was recognised in 2011 with the PAM 30 under
40 (emerging Malaysian architects under age of 40) selection and subsequent publication. Currently, Nyapshin is the principal of
PORT25 and drives the successful execution all projects.

Upon graduating from University of Nottingham, TAN TEK TSIEN joined Foster and Associates in London. With his vast experience in
complex projects, Tek Tsien is the key principal in establishing standards for the office, all the while ensuring that the office produces
work of international standards.

Awarded 2006 Pertubuhan Arkitek Malaysia (PAM) best student award, TOO KEAN KONG joined the practice immediately thereafter.
Establishing his oeuvre within the office, Kean is currently the youngest partner and design director of the practice.
 port25 (V:dro)

bech residence

site area 464m2

gfa 360m2
design team Yujeen Chua, Keankong Too
structural engineer J S Warisan
completion 2014

Existing buildings, whether in good condition or historically important,

can be adapted and put to new use. These buildings provide a
resource rather than an irritation and should be assessed for the
qualities they can bring. The reuse of existing buildings is in itself a
sustainable strategy in preserving the embodied energy of the existing
built elements. In Bech house, this was further pursued by reinventing
an archetypal 1970s designed house with pitched roof and gable
ends on both sides into a modern dwelling. The design program was
developed with infusing architectural lyrics rooted in scale, continuity
and memory.
Central to the design of this house is its context of surrounding
building forms. The surrounding tall neighbours were translated into
a defensive method of orienting the house towards the rear. From
the approach, the scale of the house is deceptively low-profile: with

164
a continuous horizontal solid wall band running across the perimeter
body of the house. At the ground floor, this wall wraps around the site
perimeter, embracing the rear garden into an interior courtyard space,
the house gains a larger perceptive footprint, while the surrounding
buildings are proportionately blocked away with the wall becoming a
visual barrier. At the first floor, the wall forms extensions of the existing
space and is disconnected at the rear facing rooms.
By keeping to the rear of the building plot, the house maintains
and enhances existing views. The master bedroom and public spaces
are oriented to take advantage of the direct pool and garden access,
while the kitchen is set to fringe into the existing rear gardens. The
choice of materials reflects a minimal palette, with clean pristine
walls composed with curtain wall glass surfaces, juxtaposed against
the original pitched roof building; all serve as artefacts from the old
built form.
Original wooden flooring salvaged were reused to form the new
deckings and fringes. The perimeter frontal fence deliberately utilizes
fair-faced brickwork, in line with the existing neighbouring context.
The wrap wall surfaces on both floors were formed into a ribbon-
like wall, enclosing cantilevered volumes thrust outwards from the
original building necessary to accommodate the additional spatial
requirements. Besides providing a visual and historical continuity
to the house, the original house is kept intact and elaborates the
transformational process the house has undergone in this entire
design process.
 port25 (V:dro)

basong Back in early 2009, we were engaged to simultaneously design

and execute five separate residences within the same area called
Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur. Damansara Heights prides itself
as one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in Malaysia. Starting as
site area 850m2 a residential scheme for government servants more than two decades
gfa 650m2 ago, the address has evolved into a popular choice for high net-worth
design team Yujeen Chua, Huiping Foo
and the elite class. Besides this, almost all major financial institutions
structural engineer Cheah Consult
completion 2013 are represented in this limited commercial enclave which now hosts
colleges, large multinational corporations, restaurants, regulatory
bodies and government departments. (source: Wikipedia)
The above description indirectly translates the mutation of a
consistent and humble housing estate into one that is infused with
too much personalization and excess. A stroll down any of the streets
currently feels like a visit to an architectural expo, with differing styles
and scales, modernist vs regional works, and even the odd existence
of renaissance palaces appearing amidst the neighbourhood.
And we thought, perhaps we can still find traces of memory
from the original scheme, and by revisiting it we could somehow
reintroduce a certain harmony and consistency to the neighbourhood;
and hence, we discovered the persistent appearance of the fair-faced
brickwork amongst the old facades, the refuse chambers, gate posts
and fences alike.
With the numerous projects we were to embark in the area,
fair-faced brickwork as a common material would elevate its usage
from mere decorations to actual envelopes, denoting volumes and to
hopefully instigate its usage amongst other projects within the vicinity.

166
brickwork series 2 (basong)
As the second project in the brickwork series experimentation, Basong
is a further interpretation of our intent towards regaining the persistent
material in the vicinity.
Basong was conceived as a monumental brickwork volume that
breaks away the convention of a typographical modern Malaysian
house. The scale and deliberate misalignment of windows on the front
elevation detracts from the ordered glass curtain wall faade that
flanks the side elevations.
The recurring theme here is an array of spaces and rooms, either
physically or visually permeable amongst each other. Each of these
spaces and rooms are oriented towards the garden and pool that forms
a breathing space between the building and its surrounding mass.
Mid-way through the development of the design, we realized that
the house was becoming gestapo-like in its discipline towards a
preset architectural grid. We needed to humanize it.
All the while, we had envisioned this site as an open area in
entirety on plan. Thus the opportunity to utilize the rooftop as a public
open space was seized and subsequently developed. To link all the
spaces together, a continuous circulation loop from the lower garden
that leads up to the first floor across the pool, subsequently would
connect to the roof top garden via a suspended bridge that seemingly
coils around the house. From the roof top garden, the user would be
lead into the house from the study, leading downwards to the family
area and thereafter down to the living spaces downstairs.
By chiselling, carving and hand-hewn the pre-conceived form, the
circulation path becomes punctuated with prominent white-block
nodal points internally and externally, large and small. Coupled with
the ability for the spaces to be experienced in a reversed sequence,
we felt that the little quirkiness added to the plot has humanized
the building.
listing
CODA: COLLABORATIVE OFFICE OF ONG&ONG PTE LTD
DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE 510 Thomson Road
12-1-1 Jalan Medan Pusat Bandar #11-00 SLF Building
4A Bandar Baru Bangi Singapore 298135
43650 Bangi, Malaysia t +65 62588666
t +60 389252007 e info@ong-ong.com
e coda.my@gmail.com
PLYSTUDIO
CZARL ARCHITECTS Blk 4 Queens Road
203 Henderson Road (Wing A) #02-115
#08-04 Singapore 260004
Singapore 159546 t +65 64711094
t +65 62249946 e office@ply-studio.com
eadmin@czarlarchitects.com
RED BEAN ARCHITECTS
FARM 33 Ubi Avenue 3
261 Waterloo Street Vertex #04-10
#04-29 Singapore 408868
Singapore 180261 t +65 65551120
t +65 63361706 e yeechin@redbeanarch.com
e farmers@farm.sg
STUDIOGOTO
FUUR ASSOCIATES PTE LTD 73 UBI ROAD 1
395 Jalan Besar Road #05-56
#02-01 Singapore 408733
Singapore 209006 t +65 68449539
t +65 62982422 e architecture@studiogoto.com
e enquiries@fuur.com
STUDIO BIKIN
FDAT ARCHITECTS LLP 8 Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar 59000
16B Trengganu Street Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Singapore 058470 t +603 22018803
t +65 62242262 e farah@studiobikin.com
e ask@fdat.co adela@studiobikin.com

FABIAN TAN ARCHITECT STUDIO SKLIM

25 Jalan Taman Seputeh Tiga 318C King Georges Avenue
58000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia King Georges Building
t +6 012 9749511 Singapore 208563
e archifab@gmail.com t +65 62936275
e info@sklim.com
GENOME ARCHITECTS
20 Zion Road STUDIO XMSL
Singapore 247735 46 Kim Yam Road
t +65 67352361 The Herencia #01-02
e info@gad.com.sg Singapore 239351
t +65 65366148
KITE STUDIO ARCHITECTURE e enquiry@studioxmsl.com
930A East Coast Road
Singapore 459118 SESHAN DESIGN SDN BHD
t +65 62435197 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
e fly@kitestudioarchitecture.com e seshandesign@gmail.com

LEKKER ARCHITECTS TETAWOWE ATELIER

82 Tiong Poh Road 24 Jalan Sepakat 9
#01-25 Taman United
Singapore 160082 58200 Kuala Lumpur
t +65 6223 4481 t +603 79713678
e info@lekkerdesign.com e tetawowe@gmail.com

META STUDIO V:DRO (PORT25)

261 Waterloo Street B-02-09, Gateway Corporate Suites
#04-29 1 Jalan Desa Kiara, Mont Kiara
Singapore 180261 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
t +65 91680239 t +603 62010484
e team@meta-studio.com.sg e info@versatile.com.my

MAKK ARCHITECTS
391B Orchard Road
#23-81
Ngee Ann City Tower B
Singapore 238874
t +65 64760665
e mayn@makk.sg
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