Something old, something new

IN her travels across the world, award-winning architect Goy Zhenru is always accruing knowledge, gleaned from looking at a variety of buildings or talking to fellow architects, designers or traditional craftspeople. It strikes her that there is a wellspring of wisdom about sustainable architecture that goes back decades and centuries, that is somehow not being appreciated or utilised enough today. 

“In South-east Asia, people have long found ways to live sustainably, from the materials that they use to how they cope with the tropical weather. It could be something as small as using banana leaves to wrap food, or something bigger like the design of the kampong house that allows hot air to rise to the top and be replaced through the ventilation openings (at the middle of the roof),” says Goy, who’s currently expecting her first child.

Ironically, she became more interested in regional crafts and forms after going to the Swiss university ETH Zurich on a student exchange programme and experiencing a year-long internship with architectural firm BUR Architekten. Coming back to the National University of Singapore for her Masters studies in architecture, she furthered her interest by studying the vernacular architecture form in Chiangmai with the aid of Ong & Ong Travelling scholarship.

UNTOLD SUSTAINABLE STORIES

In 2015, she founded her namesake studio Goy Architects with the implicit aim of bringing regional crafts, materials and traditions to the fore. The studio has bases in Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand – the latter two are also headed by women, Bali-based Indonesian architect Dessy Anggadewi and Chiang Mai-based Thai architect Sam Kulap Loetmanlikaphorn respectively.

In the various projects they undertake, the women seek to reflect the vernacular architecture and craftsmanship in the region, while at the same time creating solutions that appeal to contemporary sensibilities.

Goy says: “Our studio is interested in exploring the diverse materialities of the regions, so we often go on trips to look at how craftspeople are producing their materials sustainably, and then explore the myriad ways we can bring forth the region’s narrative. Ultimately, we want to generate more confidence and excitement in the South-east Asian story through the buildings, interiors, spaces and products we create.”

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Some of Goy Architects’ award-winning projects include the Sukasantai Farmstay at the foot of Mount Gede in West Java, a 12-room farm stay with panoramic views and an organic vegetable farm for the guests to experience the farm-to-table process all day. Another much-lauded project is The Heng House, a residential project in Singapore that draws inspiration from the kampong house to create a large living space for a multigenerational family. 

Current Singapore projects include the conservation and restoration of the Danish Church on 10 Pender Road, a residential black and white bungalow at 6 Ridley Park as well as conservation interior works for a shophouse at Lorong 24A Geylang.

Goy says: “Sustainability does not have to mean being super modern and high-tech. If you look back at what people have been doing through the years, you can essentially draw a lot from their practices and make it relevant to contemporary design projects.”

She says that her clients are typically people who are “more open, experimental and environmentally-conscious – and even, I would say, a little sentimental for what South-east Asian design and architecture used to look like. They want something modern and distinctive that also harks back to the traditions of the region.”

BENTLEY’S FUTURE DRIVE

In many ways, Goy values the new Bentley Flying Spur Hybrid for doing what she does – bringing “something old” and “something new” for a sustainable vision of the future. It combines the timeless elegance and reliability of the Bentley Flying Spur with a new electric motor powered by an 18kWh lithium-ion battery pack. It can be fully charged in as little as two and a half hours on fast charger, allowing a total drivable range of over 800 km with an average CO2 figure of 75g/km.

Goy says: “Design-wise, the Flying Spur Hybrid looks dynamic and robust. It retains all the classic features of the Flying Spur while taking things up a few notches by being the cleanest and most efficient model in Bentley’s history.”

She envisions the future to be one where we all commute to work or play using much cleaner forms of transportation, such as bicycles, electric vehicles and mass modes of transport such as buses and trains. “There would be bicycle lanes everywhere as well as EV chargers at convenient spots for vehicles,” she says.

She lauds Bentley for its Beyond 100 commitment to provide luxury mobility through sustainable methods. By 2030, the entire Bentley range will be all-electric. “It’s a step in the right direction,” she says, “one that I hope inspires others to make similar commitments for the sake of our future generations.”

Photography: Darren Gabriel Leow Art direction & styling: CK Hair & make up: Victoria Awang/ Suburbs Studio Dress: Vivien Westwood