For the last 16 years, RT+Q has been creating one exquisite abode after another, never revisiting tired trends or feeling stuck in a creative rut. We speak to its director, Rene Tan, to see how they did it.
It’s challenging enough to balance a client’s needs and expectations of a dream house with one’s own creative vision – all while ensuring construction goes smoothly and the final structure looks as it should. To do that 116 times and counting is incredible, and it’s one of the reasons about 80 per cent of RT+Q’s business comes from building houses.
The local architectural firm’s abundance of accolades should be enough to impress, collected from the Singapore Institute of Architecture and Urban Redevelopment Authority, and spanning wins such as at Malaysia’s PAM Awards and the Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Awards. Co-founder Rene Tan himself was named “Designer of the Year” at the 2016 President’s Design Awards.
But the proof is in the buildings, from the lalang grass-inspired zig-zagging The Capers residential development in Kuala Lumpur to the more recently completed Elliptical House near Botanic Gardens. It has never turned down a client, believing every project can be an exercise in structural beauty. This democratic view explains more offbeat jobs like the “smart bus stop” in front of Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station and even a tombstone, which Tan says is “just a house for the deceased”. RT+Q’s works are met with the same care and reverence to proportion and scale, priorities that Tan says are central to the firm’s philosophy. In order to stay fresh after so many buildings, though, Tan says he relies on three things: a great team, tough clients and teaching.
Denne historien er fra June 2019-utgaven av The PEAK Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra June 2019-utgaven av The PEAK Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
From Screen to Store
Heini Zachariassen, founder of global wine rating app Vivino on how its first retail store in the world brings data-driven curation to wine lovers.
In the Dining Spotlight
Renowned Dutch chef Sergio Herman, whose name has been associated with the Michelin Guide in the Netherlands and Belgium, is expanding his Asian footprint with his Singapore outpost, Le Pristine in Grand Hyatt Singapore.
All for One
How would you navigate a corner if you were hearing-impaired or enjoy school if you were on the spectrum? These architects posit that inclusive design must be part of mainstream standards to improve overall living environments.
Pods and Swirling Staircases
This quirky and playful home designed by Park Associates is shaped after its owners, a young family with three children.
Stories Behind the Kebava
Sufiyanto A. S., one half of the duo behind the Kebaya.Societe Instagram account, has had enough of seeing Malay identity erased and forgotten.
Good to Go
Driving classic Jaguars on the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit is all the magic a motorhead needs.
Seasons of the Snake
Japanese architect Tadao Ando once again works his magic for Bvlgari, with the Serpenti Tubogas as an artistic canvas for nature's cyclical transformation.
Phoenix Rising
One gutsy retired pharmaceutical executive rescued two-century-old Swiss watchmaker Bovet, and today, its presence is stronger than ever in Southeast Asia.
Con Amore, Leggiero, Presto!
Chan Weitian injects new insights into Presto Drycleaners, blending operational innovation with time-honoured values.
Preserving Paradise
Gaya Island Resort takes eco-tourism beyond the expected, blending conservation efforts with authentic luxury.