2020 Year in Review

Most of us could not have predicted what 2020 would bring. The year saw tremendous changes in our work and social living - a huge shift towards a new normal where most are suffering in the entire industries and economics. But it also gave us a chance to re-think about human living radically and to redefine the next normal architecturally.

Looking at my own situation at my small firm, KYA, 2020 has been a test of how resilient and future-proof we are especially a young start-up like us. Things are slowing down from an originally fast paced world and some are even facing insurmountable challenges. Like many in our industry, we saw some projects put on pause because of the economic uncertainty, but also many new opportunities arising as it is now amid another evolution.

After many months of locked down and all slow progresses in 2020, we are now going into 2021 with big ambitions and some exciting changes/challenges:

• Three private residences (bungalows) were completed and handed over in 2020.

• Planning permission for the slow-paced resort project was finally back in progress.

• A corporate tower work in progress.

And, we are continuing with our houses designs…

PAM Awards 2018 - Technical Reviewer

We are honored to be invited as Technical Reviewer for PAM Awards 2018. Congratulations to all winners.

a. Category Multiple Residential Low Rise - Parkfield Residence (Commendation)

Jury’s Citation: The township with its main central amenities nestled within the luscious landscapes offer plenty of recreational and communal spaces with intimate scale and lively experience.

b. Category Commercial High Rise - MACC Headquarters (GOLD)

Jury’s citation: The interweaving of formal offices with the public spaces is skillfully executed and blurs the notion of the private and public realms in spite of a fairly complex design brief.

c. Category Commercial High Rise - Corporate Park @ Star Central (Commendation)

Jury’s citation: Refreshing break-away from the norm of commercial template with spatial experience of resort-feel breakout spaces interspersed with informal and interactive working environment.

Additive and Subtractive

Details articles featuring "Additive & Subtractive" as a fundamental design principle for Twinkle Villa in Architecture Malaysia (vol 29 Issue 3 | June 2017).

Art Installation

“The Process, the Awarded and the Untold”

Trees with 1.6m diameter or larger are being identified at site with its original topography, total of 115 of them. There are only two out of the 115 were affected and needed to be taken down, the two are identical. 1.6 meter is about the width of the base of the art installation. The idea was to freeze the original context of the location and the making process of the Villa. Vertical rods are the captured natures and the terrain. It is a frozen image of “movement” by its site context. Elongated volumetric of programmes are artificial, it is being designed and being put together to form the Villa. An act of mixing, matching and composing the planes (materials) is “the Process”.

“the Process” showed how the architect, client, consultants, materials, technologies, methodologies, environment, changes, decision making and the contexts (who, when, what and how) correlated to each other in realising the project. “the Process” leading to the “the Awarded” – Twinkle Villa won the PAM Awards 2017 Gold in Single Residential Category and being named Building of The Year. “the Untold” are the one being left behind, rejected, ignored, omitted, forgotten or unrealised but they are actually part of “the Process” and “the Awarded”.

Special thanks to Loo C.C, Khor C.L, Ong C.Hui and CYCA.

Watch the making of here.

30 under 40

30 Emerging Architects under 40

Principal architect Ar. Lim KeeYen is featured amongst other emerging architects in Architecture Malaysia.

the official magazine of the Malaysian Institute of Architects, Architecture Malaysia (Vol 28 | Issue 1 | February 2016)