Syed Ahmad Bin Abdul Rahman Alhabshee's career journey is about resilience and a certain bullishness. As the founder of Urban Salvation, an independent furniture maker who uses locally sourced or salvaged wood from the region to make customised designs and does antique restorations, he isn't just a man clever with his hands but a passionate orator of the incidents that have shaped him in life.
We're at his workshop in Tampines, a mid-sized warehouse on the second floor with rows of beautifully grained furniture. Ahmad greets us with a warm welcome, gesturing to a table with food and snacks. He's prepared them for us and tells us there are drinks in the fridge.
Urban Salvation is a success story that's easy to get behind. The 35-year-old was featured in this year's National Day Parade in August and the People of Design campaign by DesignSingapore Council earlier in the year. It's a feel-good headline that aligns with Singapore's 2030 Green Plan a local furniture maker pushing for sustainability. But like the rest of the trade skills, such as farming and sewing, interest in woodworking is dying out.
A SAFE SPACE TO LEARN
While the number of young people who come to their workshops is "very disappointing", a few have the tenacity and desire to continue. He is effusive in his praise for an ex-intern named Firdaus, a firefighter who now has his own furniture repair company on the side, and Dina, a former student who wants to return as a teacher after getting married. "These kinds of people are tough to come by," he sighs.
Esta historia es de la edición October 2024 de The PEAK Singapore.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición October 2024 de The PEAK Singapore.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Plum Job
In this home belonging to a young family, design principal Gwen Tan of Studio iF sought to capture the beauty and ephemerality of Japan's plum blossom season.
Braveheart
Syed Ahmad Bin Abdul Rahman Alhabshee ponders his legacy as one of Singapore's few woodworking craftsmen.
A New Dawn for Sake in Singapore
More Singaporeans are entering sake breweries and shaking things up. The Peak explores how these trailblazers are reimagining the age-old drink one grain at a time.
Summer Bliss
In the words of one Belinda Carlisle, \"heaven is a place on earth\" - when you're test-driving the facelifted Rolls-Royce Cullinan in sun-kissed Ibiza, that is.
Greek Expectations
Who says jewellery houses and \"it\" bags don't go together? Not in Bvlgari's case, asserts its new creative director of leather goods and accessories, Mary Katrantzou.
Micro in Size, Mighty at Heart
Home-grown Vario grew from a hobby strap business into a promising watch brand within eight years-all because its founder, Ivan Chua, dared to dream.
More Than a Pretty Face
Richard Mille ups the ante on colour science by introducing two vibrant new shades to the formidable RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph.
IN THE STYLE OF
EVEN AS THE HOROLOGICAL WORLD CONTINUES TO REFERENCE ART AND DESIGN MOVEMENTS, WATCHMAKERS NEVER FAIL TO SURPRISE WITH NEW AND SOMETIMES MIND-BLOWING INTERPRETATIONS.
Raising the Roof
Meet Raphael Yee, the fresh-faced CEO using AI to break design norms and change how homes are seen in Singapore.
Room to Grow
The executive chairman of LHN Group has a strategy to turn Singapore's old spaces into new opportunities and fuel economic renewal.