On the other hand, in Rumah Kechik, Keng had to be sensitive to both the existing building and cultural identity. The team was tasked to add an extension to an existing hotel development called Baba House, Melaka, which is owned by Singapore hotel chain Hotel Royal Group. The first phase of the project, incorporating a restaurant, function rooms and a gym, was completed in January 2024. The next phase will add 50 new suites to the extension.
The client, Zach Lee, is a second-generation leader of the family business. “He first approached us in 2020 to help with a bar project for one of his Bangkok hotels. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, and we didn’t proceed with that commission. A few years later, we were fortunate that he remembered us and approached us again, but this time with this larger commission,” shared Keng. In the same spirit of adaptive reuse, he went on to convince several other clients to do A&A (additions and alterations) to their houses instead of rebuilding entirely.
From homes and cafes to gyms and hotels, the architect is keen to design all kinds of buildings; a school for young children is one of his dream projects. In the meantime, he is kept busy not only with current commissions but fraternity involvements – in 2015, he joined the Young Architect’s League to help support young architects and students in their journeys, and in 2020, he became a SIA council member after meeting the then-new and energetic team while participating in a SIA-led research to improve the design of workers’ dormitories.
