Interior Design 4 (Co-Living Design)

Client Brief

Biji-biji Initiative is a social enterprise founded in 2008 by four youngsters in malaysia. They are a multidisciplinary company that champions sustainable living where they work with like minded people from all over world. They aim to share progressive ideas with everyone about sustainable living by hosting events and workshops where they have the space, tools and expertise to share with people who need it. They are very ambitious where they not only collaborate and provide sustainability consultancy but also they have their own digital technology and fabrication team operated through a sister company, Mereka as well as venture into retail industry with Biji-biji ethical fashion sister company where their production involves using upcycled seatbelts, kimono fabrics for bags and recycled plastic bottles for digitally printed coasters and so on.

Project Brief

To design a Co-living space for a social enterprise, Biji-biji Intiative, in a storied downtown building at No.2, Jalan Hang Kasturi, City Centre, 50050 Kuala Lumpur. The role of the co-living platform is to introduce a sustainable life-style experience aligning with the client’s ethos, and to promote sustainability services in Malaysia to create awareness to the public.

Concept Statement

“Emerging through diverse connectivity”

The concept is derived from Biji-biji Initiative as a whole. Through collaboration of four individuals, the group then grows by welcoming diverse range of experts and later globalising their social mission regarding sustainability. The leading co-founder also mentioned Biji-biji means seeds and would like them to be seen as trees one day. This is expressed with the transition and connection of a quadrilateral to a hexagon and eventually a circle and vice versa, in a systematic yet organic manner, using tree as a metaphor.

Storyline/Curation

Since the concept is derived from growing trees and the brief is to repurpose the historical building, the idea of tree-house came to mind as in combining trees and building. This is shown in opening a void and adding sculptural supporting steel stuctures. To further relate back to local culture and site, the flexibility of modular characteristic of Rumah Panggung(stilt house Malay vernacular) has also been incorporated in custom table configurable design.

Design Development & Sketches

Section X-X

Level B Furniture Layout Plan

Level B Perspective Render

Level G Furniture Layout Plan

Level G Perspective Render

Level 1 Furniture Layout Plan

Level 1 Perspective Render

Level 2 Furniture Layout Plan

Level 2 Perspective Render

Level 3 Furniture Layout Plan

Level 3 Perspective Render

Thank You!