Interviews with Renaissance Planners & Designers

My company is a boutique design firm. Our philosophy is to design, manage and deliver modern
and minimalistic projects. Our designs are about the nuances of the harmony and balance
between several different visual elements working together. This results in the omission of the
inessentials in order to emphasise the important. We strive to create a harmonious play
between the interior and exterior, the interpenetrations and study of a site, the proportions,
scale, light and the sheer physicality of creating ‘living’ spaces.

Design for me is spaces designed for clients who trust you process where you self-criticise after
works are completed

I enjoy designing villas and offices.

My project at 56 Sunset Way exuberates with timeless design language that my firm always
pursues. After 20 years the project is still kept by the current owners despite the change of
owners throughout the years.

Public housing unit project

I like natural materials. I like my works to win awards and prefer hand sketches over technology.

Every day is a creative process as every project entails different processes. Creativity to me
means distilling our own thoughts and pursuing an objective that has no finishing line.

For me during the initial design stage I focus more on layouts, 3D sketches, client’s lifestyle and
the “wow” factor.

I feel that it is thrilling.

I feel Gratitude towards my clients, consultants and the entire contract team involved in the
project.

When your client praises the visual, functionality and quality of your work.

Good design to me must support human interactions. Bad designs are spaces that serve no
purpose or function.

A designer can design positive spaces for humanity to “lift”, interact and provide generations of
love in areas that they desire

Politics and advancements of technology are subconsciously creating a universal design language
that is happening. The West has dominated art scenes for the past centuries and I believe that
now Asian values will start to influence the Western style of designing.

I have written a book and plan to publish a couple more next year.

My inspiration comes from reading and questioning where my designs need to be improved and
that is the way I feed my creativity and the source of my inspiration.

I am influenced by minimalism as I am an ikebana artist.

Singapore. We are a cosmopolitan country where everybody lives in peace and harmony. I am
thankful that I live in a stable country where designing is possible.

I believe in strong collaboration and pick partner who have the same ethos as me

I always encourage my clients to look at my works before their appointment.

I create my designs through the process of distilling a spatial idea to its very essence by
reduction and refinement that allows the subtle nuances of the material to speak for itself. I do
not propose a particular design style instead; I use an abstract vocabulary of form that permits
investigating the widest range of approach to create an appropriate and timeless design
language.

I like the overall space I design as it fits the 5 items I commission and build. Some of my
favourites are of Sofa, coffee table, bed, side tables and stools.

I have a light breakfast. Reply to emails and messages. Visit the project site in the morning to
avoid Singapore’s afternoon heat. Head back to the office after lunch and then attend to any
issues with contractors have or any improvements to be made. In the evening is when I sketch
and create my designs.

3 things. Confidence not arrogance. Perseverance and a never say die attitude. When you get
recognised always look for the next project.

Positive aspects are that you self-taught yourself to overcome your mistakes to not make the
same mistakes. Negative aspects is when you have too many projects you do not have time to
take care of the projects that are ongoing

Be strict towards yourself

Learn to listen

Pen, paper and colour pencils

Why do your projects win awards?

As a young designer, I learnt by going to the project site to understand the actual work processes
done by artisans

Millionaires and Billionaires

I don’t select any particular project to design. I educate my clients to leave the project in my
hands when their wish lists is fulfilled

Influence younger designers to have core values as a designer

I work solely by myself and I truncate my thoughts to my team and only when I see their eyes
sparkle I know they are as passionate as me

The current project we are working on is for a client who has one of the most expensive villas in
Singapore. How do we design spaces that are timeless in its essence where space is not a
constraint?

Visit my webpage

I believe your questions can be refined as some of them are repetitive.

The white façade was chosen to create a sense of purity, simplicity, and timeless elegance, also serving as a pure canvas for light and shadow. White surfaces, by nature, have the ability to reflect light, creating shadow and form throughout the day as the sun moves across the sky. Besides that, the white color contrasts with the natural surroundings, highlighting the home’s architectural features.

The primary technical challenges in integrating skylights was ensuring that natural light could flood the stairwell while simultaneously managing heat gain and glare. Skylights, while providing an abundance of natural light, can also allow unwanted heat from the sun to penetrate the home, making interior spaces uncomfortable and raising cooling costs. To address this, we chose skylights with advanced glazing technology that filters out up to 70% of heat without compromising the amount of natural light entering the space. We also ensure that the skylights were designed with adequate ventilation systems to promote air circulation. With this, we incorporated vented skylights to allow hot air and humidity to escape, contributing to the overall comfort and air quality inside the home.

Given the limited horizontal area of the site, the design strategy prioritized vertical expansion to maximize the available footprint. An additional level was introduced to accommodate more spaces for the family.

The powder-coated steel sun shading screen is an innovative design element that serves both aesthetic and functional purposes. Its evolution from concept to implementation was driven by the need to address practical considerations such as heat control, privacy from the neighborhood, and light filtering.

One of the main concerns when adding a new storey to an existing structure in a dense urban area is ensuring that the new addition does not overwhelm the surrounding buildings / disrupt the visual balance of the streetscape.

One of the most significant ways that can influence future residential architecture in Singapore is by highlighting the potential of adaptive reuse. Singapore, where land is scarce and expensive, the demolition of existing buildings to make way for new developments is often seen as the default approach. However, adaptive reuse / preserving and repurposing existing structures, can offer numerous benefits

The key element in achieving passive cooling and enhancing the comfort of the home in Singapore’s tropical climate. The design is centered around optimizing airflow, reducing the use of mechanical cooling systems, and maintaining energy efficiency.

I would say is the vertical extension of the home, which helped accommodate the increased space requirements of a multi-generational family. By adding an additional storey to the original structure, the design created additional living spaces without expanding the building's footprint.

The success of this project in transforming the internal spaces while keeping the existing structures is something I aim to explore further. Singapore’s urban landscape has a rich architectural history, and there are numerous opportunities for adaptive reuse in the future, where old buildings can be repurposed to meet contemporary needs. With this, it promotes sustainability.