Continuity

We've often admired architects and designers whose work shows a continuity through a consistency of design approach executed across a range of types and scales. Projects are subject to various constraints and to do that I guess would require a combination of critical thinking and strong direction beyond that of the visual. Of course, a little bit of luck in having a client that you can engage with always helps. As a practice and looking back at a selection of what we have done in the last half a year or so, it is interesting to reflect upon this for ourselves.

We hope we can someday achieve that.

What's in a name

We've been asked many a time why PLY?

Before we started up the practice and were dreaming about names there were many names floating around in our minds. A few years back any name that had the word 'Urban' was fashionable. Then there was 'Office for' and 'Office of' etc. There were also names that suggested or were derivative of the word 'architecture' - hence all the 'archi-something' names that were popular of the previous generation of architects (well, at least here locally) emerged. Or a name that reflects a firm's work culture or interest, a methodology it believed in, its ethos, modus operandi. Traditionally of course, people have long used their names for their professional business. Either in full, or of late in acronyms like ABCD Architects which was convenient too.

So, why PLY?

Practice of Lee and Yeo (our last names). Not quite what we were thinking of all these while but simple enough for us. Not quite the ubiquitous building material known in short for plywood, although we do like working with it. Nor is it so much to 'ply' the trade although we inevitably do it. Perhaps its about layers, which we do like to create in the meaning of our work, and definately not anything to do with the mathematical equivalent.

And Studio because its not office, atelier, collective, collaborative, laboratory, workshop, architects, design etc.

3 Months

Its been hectic and a busy 3 months now since we started out on our own. On the work front there's been a couple of interior projects to work on, we took part in one competition, completed the design for a 500 unit residential development overseas and got to know a few potential clients with whom we are pitching for a varied spectrum of work, from conceptualisation of a shopping mall's spatial identity to exhibition design, amongst other things. Although there were times where we worked stretches on end, of which we must have spent a record least number of hours with our kids, I must say its been a very fulfilling experience. Sometimes we wonder why we have not done this earlier.

Now that we have our own little practice going something that has kept us constantly thinking of is how we are defining our practice in terms of its direction and approach to design. But more importantly - what we are doing to reach that ideal with each project that comes our way, or at least to set the trajectory right. Its no easy task as it is largely a result of what projects you get to work on, whatever comes our way.