It was a humble cardboard box that sparked her eureka moment. When architect Ong Ker Shing’s older son, Leo, was about three, he was gifted a fancy toy car. But it was the packaging that enthralled the child. “That box stayed in his room for months.
We kept asking him, ‘Why don’t you play with the car?’ and he said the box was so much more fun because it could be anything – like a lorry or a house,” says Ong, one half of the husband-and-wife duo behind Singapore-based multidisciplinary design practice Lekker Architects. “It became very clear to us that when we make play spaces for kids, the object should be open to interpretation and abstract enough. You can’t give them too much or it becomes one-dimensional and limits its lifetime,” says the mother of a girl and two boys, aged two to 10.
She applied this insight to the design of The Caterpillar’s Cove Child Development and Study Centre, a preschool in Jurong East which features multiple elements to encourage creative play. The project, which Ong, 43, co-designed with husband Joshua Comarofffor NTUC First Campus, went on to win the President’s Design Award, Design of the Year, in 2015.
Further recognition followed. In 2017, she was profiled in the URA book 20 under 45, which showcased the works of 20 of Singapore's most promising architects under the age of 45. Ong's portfolio is diverse, spanning childcare centres, window displays, a cemetery park in China, private homes, and landscape design. While her projects are aligned with her areas of study at Harvard University – she has a BA in fine arts, as well as a master’s both in architecture and landscape architecture – her work is often inspired by those closest to her.
“You read about architects who go from small houses to bigger buildings; there is a progression. But when I look at the type of projects I’ve taken, it has really followed where I am in life,” she says. Her experience with children and Caterpillar’s Cove led to a book commissioned by the Lien Foundation focusing on 10 unusual sites that can be used for preschools.
FULL CIRCLE
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.
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A Forgotten Hong Kong
Located between Hong Kong's northeastern border and Shenzhen, the sleepy town of Sha Tau Kok is poised for transformation as it opens up to visitors.
The Great Observer
Established poet, translator, and critic Theophilus Kwek shares his disarmingly pragmatic views on writing.
A Gym Revolution
How gyms in Singapore are flourishing in a post-pandemic era.
A Time Capsule in the Alps
Most come for the Alps and banks, but underneath Switzerland's democratic and efficient public persona lie the well-preserved remnants of its 200-year-old history.
The New Brain Juice
A Singapore-based beverage start-up is using neuroscience and AI to concoct a sparkling productivity drink with an East-meets-West approach.
Open Season
Top down in the south of France, we take the McLaren Artura Spider on an epic drive on the infamous Route Napoléon.
Spreading His Wings
From bespoke handbags to accessible collections and womenswear: Singaporean luxury designer Ethan Koh opens a new chapter for his label.
Surprising Treasures
Gina Philips, second-generation executive of Penang-born jewellery house Amee Philips, shares some best-kept secrets about the trade.
Far From the Madding Crowd
More than a Girard-Perregaux collector, entrepreneur Marc Naidu is a subject expert who identifies with the brand's DNA of quiet luxury.
Thrills and Spills
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion, which continues to champion the spirit of historic racing.