Architectural Design | Interior Design | Project Management | Environmental Sustainability
We are a design agency that specializes in building powerful architectural & interior strategies that inspire people.
Studio-Asean offers design services and building strategy for religious & charity organisations & businesses that are ready to stand out, build brand awareness, and reach more customers. Our expert team provides all the support you need – from A to Z, from idea to execution and promotion, and everything in between.
We’re committed to helping you propel your organisation/business from where you are to where you want to be, whether you represent a startup or an established entity.
Read more about our process below and rest assured that
your custom branding project is in expert hands.
We are in
the business
of Inspiration.
CAMERON HIGHLANDS FARMERS MARKETS - Highlands Urbanism & Agrotourism Development
An Endeavour to uplift the image of produce pedigree in Cameron Highlands
Cameron Highlands produces a large quantity of our fruits and vegetables for consumption in our majjor cities around Malaysia and beyond. Unfortunately it isn’t quite recognised enough as a having any form of designation or uniqueness sufficiently to protect original produce. The opportunities here are evident in consideration of produce from regions in France like Bordeaux, Dijon, Burgundy and places in Italy like Emilia Romagna, that bring in high value tourism and world-class produce such as cheeses, condiments, wines, etc.
With the right approach, architecturally and culturally, Cameron Highlands has the potential to be one of the foremost aclaimed food destinations in the region or even the World; rivaling that of Emilia-Romagna or Burgundy/Lyon
HYBRID HOUSING/WORKING - Resilience in testing times.
Sekinchan Homestay & Product Gallery. 2020-2023.
How do you make your work-space resilient against Covid-19?
WORKPLACE DESIGN - Post COVID-19
Paramount Garden Terrace House Refurbishment / Adaptive Re-use
When Lee Kuan Yew saw the airconditioning unit in the late 60s for the first time, he jumped at it and knew it would be a major tool to increase productivity in the public sector offices. His relentless drive for efficiency and productivity has brought Singapore to where it is today, without question.
The question then, is whether that holds true anymore? In the last 4 weeks, we all (Malaysians) worked from home, and in 2 weeks time, when we return to our office towers, and if, we do (choose to) return that quickly, can these airconditioned spaces ensure that the virus will not be merely repeatedly circulating in the confines? The mechanics of a typical airconditioner recycles existing air and utilizes metal radiators to extract heat off the intaked air and pushes the same (heat excluded) air out back into the confines of the office space.
Is that the best solution after 50 years?
What would Lee Kuan Yew do today?
We had always believed(since 2014) that the tropical office space was always about plant conditioned air, cleaned by the natural pores and enzymes of plant surfaces and cells to then release it back into an environs. Plants are incredibly efficient objects, and generally very low in cost to possess and maintain.
The tree’s leaves love the sun, takes it in vigorously, and its underside remains so cool, mosquitoes have their afternoon naps there. In 2 weeks time, when we return back to our office, we are sure that the air we take in is one that has been freshly garnered from our garden’s plants and nonchalantly exhausted at the top of our roof edge chimney-like frame, like clockwork, essentially for free. Some call it passive environmental design… We think it is just common design sense.
Our office is also constantly filled with natural light. Sunlight exposure to our body creates Vitamin D. Vitamin D has several important functions. Perhaps the most vital are regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, and facilitating normal immune system function. We are all going to have to be strengthened by the spaces we spend time creating.
But, Why do we all do architecture any more, we wonder? If it is merely to put money in the bank, then there are a million other better ways to do so, with less hassle. If that is the case, then in the place of dollars, the purpose to practice is hereby then to change+improve the human spirit; We think 40P, our own office building, is one that will one-day be reconsidered, by a very small group of people, as a mere office space that has change the way they look at confined spaces, after a pandemic of unprecedented proportions.
Institutional
Tamil Methodist Church
Is religious architecture relevant anymore to our society and community?
As we embark on a more and more digital domain of lifestyle, we were intrigued by the position of humanity on religion, worship and prayer against another ephemeral agent, namely cyberspace.
The challenge lies in; how relevant is the thought of a certain believe against the nature of ‘a viral’ movement, or a certain short moment of euphoria via say, instagram.
At the HTBB Church in Kuala Lumpur, its exterior and interior architectural expression and designs create a spatial flow of dynamism, leading to a sense of camaraderie amongst the church members and its visitors. People enjoy and thrive in this architectural environment .
The strongest evidence of this ephemeral overlap is the brilliant social media feed that HTBB implies. Have a look at their amazing feed: @htbbchurch
It has a series of excellent images that carry a strong aesthetic which transmutes across not just the sanctuary spaces and building elements, but as well it starts to shape the personas of the human characteristics that appear on the feed, whether young, adults, or even their grandparents.
We believe that there is indeed an intertwine between the worship agenda and a hip agenda. Stay tuned as we embark on a series of explorations at various sites for a great church organisation.
F&B Retail
Online travel guide @Big7Travel recently did a survey with their global community of readers for their favorite coffee shops. With third wave coffee sweeping over the world in the last decade, with great coffee fast becoming the norm, they thought, why not see where to find the best coffee shops in the world?
In today’s highly competitive market, a whole range of passionate coffee enthusiasts have been redefining our expectations and educating both the consumers and other people entering the coffee industry. Those are the coffee shops we wanted to celebrate today. Some are big, and some are small, but they are all equally passionate about their product.
They noted that, when travelling, finding a really good cup of ‘joe’ is now as important as a good meal, bar or hotel. Check out their write-up, or better still, visit our rendition of VCR’s interior design at the Bangsar outlet here.
R . C . A
Building a Cafe of Dreams, Ampang.
Institutions
In times of rapid transition & A.I. :
What would public schools in Malaysia look like in the future?
The New Yoke Kuan Secondary School Amenities Block Extension in Sekinchan designed by Studio-Asean consists of 12 new state of the art classrooms, a new hall with 8 new badminton courts and gathering facilities, a new 3 level staff room, a new auditorium and a new library. Culminating 70,000sqft of g.f.a., the new addition introduces a campus like environment for the pupils at Sekinchan to further thrive in their academic experience. As further donation funds come in, the steering committee is performing a stellar effort towards its completion in 2021.
F&B Retail
How do you attract high-end customers with no frontage?
In late 2016, Studio-Asean was asked if we could turn a vacated segment at the rear of a hotel block in Kuala Lumpur into a space which influencers and young crowds would want to hang out or go for a night out.
Situated behind Fraser’s Place at Jalan Tun Perak (trust us, we had no idea where that is as well), we immediately noticed how incredibly high the ceiling height could be. As a notion, we were convinced that this quite amazing ceiling height would be the unique selling point.
After some interior-architectural iterations, and careful consideration with the clients, we finally came to this quasi-Alice in Wonderland theme for our first Restaurant-cum-bar space near KLCC.
– Lee Yu Kit, The Edge Options,
20/04/2018
Instilling Spirituality into Architecture & Interiors.
Mixed Retail
The Exchange at TRX. Malaysia's upcoming Premier High-End Retail Precinct driven by a profound sense of spiritual spaces that create energetic living and prosperity.
Studio-Asean was a part of the architectural and interiors development team for the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) Livestyle Quarter by LendLease.
Led by internationally reknowned architects, GRIMSHAW, AJ Journal’s TOP 100 Architect
The architecture was a rigorous process of testing and confluencing cutting edge architectural design ideas for the next generation of retail for the largest integrated developments in the region.
Studio-Asean gained valuable experience and insight into an upcoming project that will push and help lead the pack for the stakeholders & clients.
HOLISTIC MASTERPLANNING - Enacting Resilience from a Testing Time | Penang
Penangecium
Hyper Penang 2050
‘Rather than continuously rely on existing land mass for sale, Penang must utilise and leverage its natural setting and beauty to create sustainable and repeatable income streams.’
Penangecium
An Ode to the Future of Penang's Natural and Nature Derived Growth Methodology.
Property
Residential Development in Malaysia.
Is it a desperate race to the bottom with endless boring product after product of similar ilk?
Or. Is there hope.
Implementation
Maximise value of architecture in your project :
Whether you are in a large organisation
or planning to improve your residential unit
or build your new dream home in a wonderful location,
hiring and then working with your architect requires nuances in relationship, ability, and experience.
We drafted out what we think would maximise our involvement to produce a project that is innovative, profitable and inspiring.
Read about our latest write-up on our Linked-In page here:
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