Interview
E Three Five
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your design background.
Founding Partners Kaejer and Luiyen both graduated from National University of Singapore (NUS) in Master in Architecture. Kaejer has worked in several architecture firms before founding E Three Five. He has designed for various projects in China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, from Master planning of towns, shopping centers, condominiums to institutions, urban parks and residential houses. Currently he is also an adjunct tutor in Singapore
2 What made you become/why did you choose to become a designer/artist?
Our team chose to become a designer as we see ourselves as problem solvers. We enjoy tackling complex challenges and finding innovative solutions through design thinking to shape the way people interact with one another, services, and environments.
3 Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.
E Three Five is a bespoke design firm that infuses narratives, spatial poetry and meticulous curation to each design project to foster a deeper sense of purpose and elevate the human experience that goes beyond aesthetics. The firm specialises in residential and commercial projects, most notably Singapore
4 What does “design” mean to you?
In E Three Five, we believe that design goes beyond aesthetics. It is a data driven process that that propels our team to test variables and justify our findings and assumptions in our design proposals.
5 What’s your favorite kind of design and why?
In our view, there is no one-size fits all design approach. Each design should be tailored towards the unique characteristic and individuality of its end users. Our unique design process, allows us to examine our clients in detail before diagnosing the challenges we would like to address through spatial transformation.
6 To you, what makes a “good” design?
A good design is not only human-centric but pushes the boundary to promote positive impacts on a societal and environmental level. The design should engage the target audience on both the emotional and physical level; tapping upon the full range of human experience.
7 Describe your design style and its main characteristics.
At E Three Five, we believe that spatial design is not just about aesthetics; it's about creating meaningful and transformative spaces that resonate with the essence of those who inhabit them. With our unique design approach, we take our clients on a journey that goes beyond the ordinary, infusing narratives, spatial poetry, and meticulous curation to craft spaces that truly inspire and elevate the human experience.
8 Tell us about your design process.
E Three Five
9 Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your design process?
As practitioners of design in Singapore, we are in a melting pot of cultures where influences from various races intertwines creating an interesting and eclectic viewpoint that is unique to our country. This influences our belief that design is a diverse practice which can bridge across sectors, encouraging collaboration and connection with people from all walks of life.
10 Congratulations! As the winner of the 2023 MUSE Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
We are honored and humbled to have multiple winning entries in 2023 MUSE Design Awards. These accolades serves a reminder that each design carries the potential to elevate the human spirit and foster deeper connections.
11 Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2023 MUSE Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
The selection of projects that we have entered aims to showcase the diversity and adaptability in our team
12 What was the biggest challenge with this project?
Being large scale projects with multiple stakeholders, we as creatives not only serves as the canvas of ideas but the key person to manage client
13 How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?
Winning these Design Awards not only increases our firm
14 What are your top three (3) favorite things about our industry?
Spatial Design is much more than the curation of interior spaces. Firstly, it aims to improve the well-being of space users, secondly, it responds and value-add to its surroundings and lastly, it serves as our legacy and contribution to improve mother earth.
15 What makes your country specifically, unique in the design industry?
In South East Asia, where the design industry has yet to fully mature; we see young artist and designers brave the new frontiers with their creativity with the simple goal of making the world a better place. With the influence of Asia
16 Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?
With the prevalent advancement of Artificial Intelligence (Ai), we envision design playing a critical role in defining how the industry will evolve and adapt by allowing Ai to do the heavy lifting such as drafting and high fidelity rendering works while designers step up to direct these machines.
17 If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring MUSE Design Awards submitter, what advice would you give them?
We implore young talents to put their critical design thinking into practice, as these analytical skills will play an important role to shape their individuality and propel them further in their design career.
18 What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the design industry?
We would recommend them to find a good mentor that could offer sound guidance while attending symposiums held by distinguished architects and designers to nourish their design knowledge.
19 Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
We are a team of six individuals with unique characters and skillsets that brings out the best of each other.
20 Who has inspired you in your life and why?
We are inspired by industry thought leaders, notably Frank Lloyd Wright, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid. Their philosophy and design approaches are closely studied and applied in our educational years, influencing our design foundation.
21 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
Our key to success is to persevere through tough times. We believe that tough times are life
