THE ASIA’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS DESIGN AWARD (AMPDA) recognises the demand for innovative and high-quality designs in the competitive regional market. Strived to be attained by local designers, this special award acknowledges the designers’ accomplishments in creating imaginative, captivating and functional designs that add value to a space while best highlighting the materials and technology used to complete them. Receiving this invaluable accolade under the Designer of the Year Awards (DOTY) 2021, an illustrious event organised by ACG Media, are five of the following designers who have made their mark across the Malaysian landscape with their uniquely noteworthy designs.
Jake Chow
(Managing Director)
Dot Works
www.dotworks.com.my
Founded and led by Interior designer Jake Chow, Dot Works winning Asia’s Most Prestigious Design Award (AMPDA), was expected by one and all. What makes Dot Works even more noteworthy is that Jake attributed this outstanding success to the contribution of his equally impressive team.
Jake believes that in order to thrive in the interior design industry, it is crucial to nurture a passion for being creative with space. He recounted his childhood days, when he would walk around in his city, marvelled and inspired by the architecture. Jake also believes that as an interior designer, it suits a person well to bear a lofty imagination. Dot Works has several impressive projects to its name, ranging from designing the tallest modern tower to the restoration of heritage buildings and luxurious country homes. The projects undertaken are aimed at creating a space that interacts with people. Jake revealed that he prefers working with timber in his projects due to their unique colours and textures.
Amidst rising competition, what sets Dot Works apart is its attention to social welfare. With the right number of resources, the firm would encourage projects based on charity to uplift the lives of the economically underprivileged in the country.
Chuah Say Yang
(Founder & Creative Director)
Nevermore
www.facebook.com/nevermoregroup
Chuah Say Yang of Nevermore, winner of the Asia’s Most Prestigious Design Award (AMPDA), revealed that his passion for interior designing was sparked at a very young age when he started playing with his very first LEGO set. From then on, aided by his joy of being creative with space, Nevermore was built into the impressive firm it is today.
Nevermore has spent over a decade in the Malaysian interior design scene and has received vast recognition and support from its esteemed clients. The company firmly believes that raising the awareness of interior design can help meaningfully influence people’s attention and set aspiring standards in the industry.
Though Nevermore has shown immense precedence in pushing the boundaries of commercial projects, he disclosed how even residential projects has its own set of challenges. However, as his moto is ‘NEVER say NEVER,’ he strives to constantly seek out creative solutions. When asked which mix of colours best describe him, Say Yang was quick to answer that “there are endless possibilities” but the base of it all would always be black and white.
On a closing note, he agreed that to achieve success in the industry, it is vital to manage a work/life balance and revealed that having a supportive partner can go a long way.
Tennyson Chia
(Founder & Chief Design Officer)
SACHI INTERIOR DESIGN
SDN BHD
www.sachi-interiors.com
Sachi Interior Design Sdn Bhd, represented by Interior designer Tennyson, is the proud recipient of the Asia’s Most Prestigious Design Award (AMPDA). He recollected Menara Hap Seng 3, a landmark piece of architecture in Malaysia, to be the firm’s most outstanding project thus far. Sporting a towering 91.55-metre indoor green wall spanning over 20 office levels, Menara Hap Seng 3 is undoubtedly one of the most promising architectural installations in Kuala Lumpur, applauded by all and an inspiration to the local design industry.
Adding to all its glory, the AMPDA award is just another bright feather in Sachi’s cap, a recognition of its esteem and confidence in the field. Over the years, Sachi has had to face its fair share of challenges, evolve and adapt to each new wave of change. However, Tennyson believes that with passion, hard work and dedication, Sachi will always strive forward, pushing the boundaries of design. In his concluding note, Tennyson implored young designers to be bold, and walk the extra mile to explore the wonders of interior design.
Sam Leong
(Creative Director)
Surface R Sdn Bhd
www.surface-r.com
Winner of Asia’s Most Prestigious Design Award (AMPDA), Surface R Sdn Bhd has emerged as one of Malaysia’s most promising interior designer firms in recent years. Represented by Interior designer Sam, Surface R wholeheartedly accredits its trail of success to its team, partners and clients for their unyielding support throughout the firm’s prosperous journey.
Surface R strongly believes in conceiving functional, practical and innovative solutions which can elevate the lifestyle we now know to new heights to be an absolute essential for good interior design. According to Sam, working within the limited budget is always the primary challenge to tackle, similar to ensuring a timely coordination for construction is met without forgoing quality in aesthetic and function.
In order to propel positive change across the interior industry, Surface R encourages its team to express their creative freedom in line with the company’s design direction and philosophy. Championing the designers of tomorrow, Sam believes that creating a platform for them to develop their own identities will be most beneficial to the design scene.
Chris Chan & Jeff Lee
(Managing Director & Creative Director)
Turn Design Interior Sdn Bhd
www.turndesign.com.my
As a leading interior design firm in Malaysia, Asia’s Most Prestigious Design Award (AMPDA) winner Turn Design Interior Sdn Bhd shows a promising future in the more than capable hands of Jeff Lee and Chris Chan. Established in 1998, the design firm has come a long way from its humble origins. It is currently one of the largest and most renowned design firms in Malaysia, held in great esteem by its long list of clienteles due to outstanding craftsmanship and timely delivery.
Unique in its approach to interior design, the designers undertake both residential and commercial projects. In any case, the team at Turn Design Interior believes that it must be at harmony with the characteristics of the space.
Jeff and Chris are of the opinion that each design has its own identity and style, but Modern Classic or Postmodern design as a style is going to last in the design industry for a longer time. They unanimously agree that it is still preferred by clients, old and young alike, even though it has been around for almost 10 years. In the future, the firm is expected to reach out to hotel design projects as well.
Before diving in, do remember to keep your eyes peeled for interview sessions with all the recipients of this award category, available on the QCTV (Quick Chat TV) Youtube channel which will be released in September-October.
For more information, please visit
www.doty.com.my