Idea Workshop

05/04/2021

Asia Tatler reached out to Idea Workshop's founder, Hau Woon San, for an interview along with other notable Malaysian architects who are renowned for rebooting heritage buildings.

Check out the full piece here:

Meet the Malaysian architects giving heritage buildings in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Melaka a new lease of life.

22/03/2021

No Monday blues here at Idea Workshop! 😉

Back in the office playing hard, and working even harder on all of your interesting projects.

25/02/2021

𝗩𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻'𝘀 𝗕𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘄 - 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗮

Featured in "Malaysia's Tropical House", this project was completed in 2015 and presents itself with much grandiose. The house was built in a rectangular linear form, facing towards the eastern border, stemmed from the original idea of having the three existing matured Ceylon ironwood trees shading the house from the morning sun. Furthermore, there are vertical metal louvres on the west façade that abates the sunset at the terrace abut the kitchen.

To the common eye, the circular courtyard entrance might seem reminiscent to Los Angeles' lavish celebrity homes, but to the owners of the house, it represents a catholic ambulatory.
Additionally, there is a striking Cross of Light set within the concrete wall on the second storey of the house, which was inspired by Tadao Ando's 'Church of Light' in Osaka.

04/02/2021

𝗟𝗶𝘂 𝗠𝗲𝗻 - 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗮

Liu Men is a small heritage luxury hotel located along the historic street of Jalan Tokong, Malacca. Written on Liu Men's website, the hotel is best described as "a restored heritage project, retaining colonial and heritage elements, and introducing influences of art deco & Peranakan designs".

Liu Men is the observance of cultures where we fused East and West to create the perfect balance. The 1930s colonial art deco and Chinese Peranakan plug of the spirited reds signify bliss or luck. Idea Workshop worked towards making the two cultures blend seamlessly through intricate design and layout.

A standout that is included is the monochromatic theme throughout the hotel to further amplify the simplistic concept of the hotel. Guests who have been inside the building have commended its unique and tasteful interior design, leading to more individuals flocking to Liu Men to view the architecture and decor.

[Note: Idea Workshop carried out the architecture work, in collaboration with RDM design, who executed the interior design]

04/02/2021

𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 - 𝗞𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿

Mind Valley is located in an office tower, with their floor to ceiling vastly higher than the average. Thus, we decided to insert multi-level platforms to fully utilise the extensive space. This aided in increasing the original space of 330sqm by 30%.

Focusing on a user-centric workspace, the layout drew inspiration from Gaudi's "Sagrada Familia", and a jungle gym landscape. Mind Valley believed in bathing the office with as much natural sunlight as possible (hence the floor to ceiling glass windows), so as to stimulate productivity. The dichroic film used throughout the steel-and-glass office, also reflects an iridescent kaleidoscopic glow which shifts during different times of the day.

Furthermore, Mind Valley included a sizeable plant wall with a timed UV light sensor, to increase the flow of clean air around the office and incorporate more greens into the space for increased mental health and productivity.

There are also napping pods included at the top of the office, where employees can take power naps to recharge themselves, and return to their tasks with a fresher state of mind. Stepping in to the office, one would not observe any cupboards or storage space as they are all hidden and camouflaged into the background, to portray a cleaner and less cluttered space.

Mind Valley's office has been featured in several online architecture and interior design sites such as Vulcan, ArchDaily, ConstructionPlusAsia, Asia Tatler, and more.

- MIID Reka Awards 2019: Shortlisted for Corporate Offices.

04/02/2021

𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 - 𝗞𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿

The team at Idea Workshop came together to create a safe, and
simplistically designed space to make clients feel at ease during their physiotherapy and/or chiropractic sessions, using warm lighting and cool tones.
Furthermore, Idea Workshop received an honorable mention for
the ‘Leisure and Entertainment’ category during the MIID Reka Awards 2017 for Stretch Clinic.

04/02/2021

𝗔𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗹𝗶 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘂𝗺 - 𝗞𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿

Anjali Condomium is a high-end luxury residential condominium that showcases avant-garde architecture, which is uncommon for residential buildings. Idea Workshop executed the façade and interior design of the building.

From the grand door panels at reception, to the captivating spiral staircase that leads from the ground to first level, there's a sight to behold at every public corner at Anjali.

Even with the various recreational rooms - the clean and peaceful yoga studio, the entertainment room with a billiard table, arcade set etc, and the impressive gym that holds an array of equipment for residents looking to get in a good workout, there is just something for people of all ages at Anjali. Additionally, one of the features at Anjali is the treetop link bridge that residents can utilise to get from one block to another.

The team at Idea Workshop worked endlessly on this project and the outcome was more than satisfactory. We are humbled to have been a part of this project, and to have brought our art to life.

04/02/2021

𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 - 𝗞𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿

Halab Restaurant was designed with a view of accentuating contemporary middle eastern culture. For the exterior of the restaurant, we went with a western influenced style door entrance (with the door handles specially constructed to match their logo), and floor to ceiling glass panel windows to entice more people driving or walking past the restaurant.

The ceiling for the restaurant's interior is made higher than usual, to make the venue seem airier and larger. Higher ceilings usually makes for a livelier atmosphere, and contributes to the venue's architecturally rich and social image. The team incorporated striking abstract pieces for the restaurant's seating section dividers, where the classy minimalistic wooden chairs end, and the luxurious leather chairs with the long table begins. To top it off, circular and rectangular mirrors are placed at various sections of the restaurant to further amplify the image of a spacious setting.

01/02/2021

𝗦𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗱 - 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗮

Salud is indisputably Malacca’s most popular Spanish bar and restaurant. Besides the traditional Spanish tapas, individuals visit Salud to view their unique interior design, which was also crafted to evoke consumers’ emotions and moods to feel comfortable and carefree while dining.

Additionally, another of Idea Workshop’s feat, Salud won silver in the MIID Reka Awards 2017 for ‘Green Interior Awards and Adaptive Reuse’. Integrating both bar counter seats and individual seating, Idea Workshop has catered to both interactive and personal setting spaces.

01/02/2021

𝗠𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺 - 𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗮

If you're from (Southeast) Asia, you're probably familiar with the 'Mamee' brand. Which is why the Idea Workshop team were absolutely excited when Mamee reached out to design their museum, on the historic Jonker Walk street in Malacca.

The museum has two levels, and showcases their merchandises and life-sized representative mascot on the first floor, and includes a dining area as well. We made sure to incorporate the quintessential Malaccan/Nyonya design for the first floor of the museum (ex. wooden chairs and marble tables), and the exterior to suit the Jonker Street theme.

For the second level, where there are DIY sections, the team tried to integrate as much red colour as possible to match Mamee's signature logo. Almost the entirety of the second floor is filled with the eye-catching and colourful "mamee monster" background on the walls, which would entice children to the space as well. At one corner of the area, the team even used their classic cup noodle cups and turned them into actual tables, making the space look even more fun and vibrant.

[Note: Idea Workshop carried out the architectural aspects, while SWOFINITY designed the interior]

01/02/2021

𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 - 𝗞𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗟𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘂𝗿

Our second home in 🇲🇾!

Idea Workshop KL opened in 2013 (after finding the perfect place to rent and renovate), ready to serve even more clients, being located in the country's capital. Sharing similar vibes to its home office in Malacca, Idea Workshop KL also has a strong earthy and nature centric essence to its interior and exterior outlook.
Having used cement blocks for the barrier of the office, a pebble stoned walk-in pathway, and a majority of warm wood tones for the interior, it is evocative of a classic zen Japanese structure.