Authentic "Char Chan Teng" Cafe Build & Design

The challenge:

Kam Kee Café, is an authentic “char chan teng”, which has extensive roots in Hong Kong. Being the first international outlet, Kam Kee at The Starling Mall aims to be a homegrown brand. An interesting point we noted during our visits to the many outlets in HK was that every outlet had its own unique design that represents and drew inspiration from the location where it is situated at. We learned that the brand, along with its store designs evolve. How can we design a restaurant by maintaining its original oriental charm and brand story yet still be uniquely Malaysian?

The Ground Up solution:

We infused Kam Kee Café with a retro HK vibe paired with local Malaysian features. The resemblance of HK is expressed by the white & green mosaic and teal tiles that surfaced in most of their outlets. A vibrant teal shade, the brand’s color is applied on the grill partition with a unique hexagonal pattern which frames the store’s frontage. This pattern is enhanced into a decorative wall paneling along with the bench seating too. Whereas rattan was introduced as a local element, seen in the café counter, lighting, and furniture.

Spanning across the room from floor to ceiling is a curve pattern created with different finishes to visually connect the two entrances of the outlet. The curved ceiling paves a path for the feature rattan lamps to flow through illuminating the café while creating a play of height.

On an operational level, we studied the kitchen and staff flow with a planner to ensure workflow is efficient without compromising the dining experience. Careful placement of the dish-in/dish-out area to ensure minimal disruption to the patrons. The placement of the bakery at the main entrance facing the mall let delicious aromas of freshly baked pastries lure customers in to take a gander.

Picolli Lotti Retail Store Design

Piccoli Lotti in Subang Jaya is a delightful ice cream store that boasts a design as fresh and inviting as its flavors. The interior is a harmonious blend of modern minimalism and organic accents, creating an atmosphere that is both refreshing and comfortable. Central to its design is the use of natural light, which pours in through the large front window, illuminating the clean, white interior and the vibrant greenery that serves as a lively contrast.

The seating arrangement is simple yet elegant, with wooden furniture and subtle lighting that create a warm and welcoming space for patrons. The clever use of plant life, both inside and outside, adds a touch of nature and serenity. The store's facade is understated yet stylish, with the Piccoli Lotti branding prominently displayed, ensuring it stands out in the urban landscape.

The design of Piccoli Lotti is a testament to the brand's philosophy of simplicity and quality, offering a serene escape where guests can enjoy their ice cream in a space that feels both contemporary and cozy.

Malaysian Bistro Restaurant Design

The challenge:
Crack Pork is situated in Damansara Uptown; a bustling work and leisure hub with eateries of various forms. Aimed at selling their specialized pork-based offerings, how do we design to stand out and appeal to an array of customers throughout the day?

The Ground Up solution:
Red bricks, wire mesh, warm colors, and leather come together to invoke a barn aesthetic concept for this quaint Malaysian bistro. The key highlight of the restaurant’s personality comes from the motif of little pigs that adorn various elements of the place – be it on a tagline, or as wall lighting that illuminates the dining area.

The bistro is designed to undergo a day-to-night transformation daily: daytime being family-friendly and warm; while nighttime the restaurant becomes a neighborhood bar that would attract the happy hour crowd. All this is achieved via smart use of lighting to adjust the mood & ambiance. We’re proud to be part of this transformative dining experience!

HIIT2FIT Fitness Studio & Gym Design & Build

The challenge:

How do we balance the needs of a new gym (an expansion, multi-purpose spaces, retail, café, new class rooms) and yet still maintain the gym’s brand identity?

The Ground Up solution:

Upon stepping into HIIT2FIT, you’ll be greeted by two contrasting zones; clearly defined by the colors of white + black on opposing sides. Designed as Yin and Yang, these zones represent the workout classes offered which are “Lean” (spin class) and “Mean” (strength class). The brand’s teal colour however seamlessly channel throughout both spaces.

Guided by the desire to build a lifestyle inspired multi-purpose space, the main lounge at Lean hosts a retail space and café – that can easily be converted into an event space, while a functional workout space occupies the entrance of Mean. Trailing along the desire to be adaptive and transitional, the carpentry that is cleverly designed in the brand’s colours, span across the room as storage solutions, display shelves, and furniture.

As one last little tid-bit, we’re proud to direct your attention to the hanging lights above which proudly spells out H2F – a reminder of whose territory are you now in!

The challenge:

How do we address a dual frontage outlet that faces the main road on one side and a community garden on the other? How do we design the space as a canvas for their food (a strong request from the client) yet still embody a zen and minimalist theme throughout?

The Ground Up solution:

As Mei by Fat Spoon looked to expand into their 2^nd outlet, they wanted an elevated design that reflects their Japanese fusion comfort food, yet still channels the spirit of their first store. The ambient had to be family-friendly and welcoming to a range of customers throughout the day, hence the setting must exude comfort and familiarity.

Japanese minimalism was the key concept at play. We kept the place looking simple & clean with a focus given to providing a brightly lit environment, with plenty of neutral hues like light-colored timber and natural textures, seen on the terrazzo counter and pebble stones on the feature wall. The furniture sets are designed to accommodate an array of group settings. Brass elements and rounded edges were subtly added via feature wall lights and details on the counter to create visual interest. To tie the whole look together, greenery was introduced to bring zen into the space.

As the store has dual frontage, it is also divided into a separate single volume and double volume spaces. We positioned the kitchen at the single volume space which faces the main road, in order to give customers a more pleasant floor to ceiling height and they would also have a view of the garden.

Industrial + Grunge Mashup Studio Gym Design

The challenge:

How can we buckle the trend of gyms being just dark, neon spaces? Situated in a work hub surrounded by offices, the gym has dual entrances; while one faces the main office thoroughfare, the other faces a lake and main road. How can the gym capture the attention of potential members and keep things fresh for existing members?

The Ground Up solution:

Inspired by industrial + grunge mashup, we achieved this with a blend of cement textured walls, counter and floor, exposed brickwork, industrial lighting, and heavy metalwork to give a uniquely Ministry of Burn vibe. A punch of bright orange, the brand’s color; highlights the feature wall which spans across two floors. To utilize all of the available space, we put together a mezzanine floor to expand the gym’s capacity. This is a bonus area where members can lounge and have a quick change of outfits.

The spin and row studios look out to the surrounding greenery and lake as we kept the glass façade unobstructed so that members can perform their workout while soaking in the sights of nature. With some clever planning, we made sure the space could also transition into a ‘dark studio’ where different classes could be held – ensuring the studio was always transformative & well-utilized.

Restyle Hairdressing Studio Redesign & Build

The challenge:

How do we achieve a look that is sleek yet industrial that appeals to a range of customers? How do we seamlessly blend a retail frontage and hairdressing space behind?

The Ground Up solution:

Starting with the façade & entrance, customers are greeted with a warm and edgy retail space that encompasses timber strip paneling and dark steel shelves and counter. The timber paneling behind the counter also acts as a see-through partition to allow visibility throughout the space. We then carried through the stone flooring and grey ceiling from the front all the way to the back to merge the salon & retail spaces.

Upon entering the salon area, customers will be greeted by a sleek and industrial space. The same tone of grey and timber from the retail section was applied on different sides of the cutting stations. Here, we’ve added textured cement wall paint to enhance the grunge-y and youthful vibe that is quintessential to Restyle’s brand. To make the space-efficient, we ensured the stylists had plenty of space to work by tucking cutting stations along two sides of the walls; leaving the center open for circulation.

X-Cut Barber & Hair Salon Design & Build

The Challenge:

In a word, “express” is what X-Cut is all about; haircuts with no frills which cater to today’s rapid lifestyles. How do we convey this concept while still expressing quality in their services? How do we appeal to a wide range of customers?

The Ground Up Solution:

We injected an industrial vibe to the space to attract new and younger customers. Edgy black hexagonal tiles and concrete flooring were paired with playful black and timber carpentry to create a youthful outlook. Custom made lighting provides the additional modern touches to the whole space.

Community Focused Bakery Design in KL

The challenge:

Universal Bakehouse is a community-focused bakery that services dine-in patrons while operating a full swing production kitchen. How do we design a cozy café while allowing bread making to be part of the dining experience?

The Ground Up solution:

Bread can be made with a simple combination of flour, yeast, and water. The bakery was designed to channel this very core sense of simplicity, that oozed a nostalgic feel – which doesn’t end up inadvertently overshadowing the hero of the bakery: the bread itself.

With this in mind, we combined European minimalism together with a retro and rustic vibe to turn Universal Bakehouse into yesteryear’s bakeries that emphasized on the community, the people, and bread. We created a space that is familiar and warm by the use of different shades of dark wood, subway tiles, and cement flooring.

Large glass panels span across the façade and the partition between the café and showcase the kitchen to form seamless visual interaction. Patrons are given the opportunity to see the master bakers in action while passersby can peer into the cozy café.

Finishing the look with a heritage-inspired signboard that pays homage to the original 40-year-old laundry shop’s signboard which was fully hand-painted, patrons are brought back in time to indulge in a nostalgic experience.