Can and should a building have soul?
If so, how can we find it?
About Us
Founded in 2016 by Lim Shing Hui, L Architects is a boutique architecture and design office in Singapore.
We believe that architecture has the ability to evoke a wide range of feelings within us; to touch the human soul, communicate messages, stir empathy but also provide quiet delight. The search of how to do this keeps us motivated. We are passionate about the tactile and ephemeral things, as we are about the physical.
But evocative spaces need not be complicated. Simple, everyday spaces are rich canvases for exploring ideas.
Design Approach
We enjoy ruminating on the most mundane and banal subjects, giving them fresh perspectives as we uncover their innate beauty.
Curiosity pushes us to approach projects from original, and sometimes surprising standpoints.
Curiosity begets questioning. Hence, each of our projects starts with a question.
The Team
Ar. Lim Shing Hui
Shing Hui is the founder and principal architect of L Architects. She received her Master of Architecture from the National University of Singapore. Her thesis project was under the tutelage of Professor Erik L’Heureux who is an award winning architect and educator based in Singapore. Prior to starting her own practice in 2016, she spent her formative professional years working in renowned local architectural firm MKPL Architects. She has been a registered architect with the Board of Architects Singapore since 2014. Shing Hui carries with her a spirit of curiosity & experimentation into many of her projects with a particular interest in finding the soul and emotional connection with spaces that she designs.
In 2022, at the Singapore Institute of Architects Architectural Design Awards, L Architects gained unexpected recognition, earning three awards as a relatively unknown firm. House of Trees received a Merit Award, while A Brick & Mortar Shop was honoured with both a Design Award and the highest distinction conferred — Design of the Year. With this, Shing Hui became the youngest recipient of the prestigious title to date, a milestone that marked a turning point in the studio’s journey and affirmed its commitment to crafting soulful, narrative-driven spaces.
Internationally, A Brick & Mortar Shop and 15×3 were longlisted for the Dezeen Awards in 2022 and 2024 respectively, selected from a record-breaking pool of over 5,000 entries submitted from 90 countries.
In 2024, at the SIA Architectural Design Awards, L Architects was conferred a prestigious Design Award for its House of Parts project, with internationally renowned architect Dong Gong of Vector Architects serving on the jury panel.
In the same year, L Architects was the only Singaporean architectural firm selected by Wallpaper* as one of 20 emerging architectural firms from around the world to join the esteemed Wallpaper* Architects Directory—a list that features over 500 illustrious alumni shaping the future of the architectural scene.
Apart from running her own practice, Shing Hui was elected to the Council of the Singapore Institute of Architects from 2022–2025 term. One of her key initiatives during this period was Genealogy 2.0, a project launched in celebration of SIA’s 60th anniversary.
Tse Lee Shing
Lee Shing has more than a decade of experience in combining technical and aesthetic skills in the whole design process. His keen eye for details has brought many delightful projects from concept to completion. He has been heavily involved in L Architects’ high-profile projects. These include The Living Grid House, The House Apartment, Arcadia Garden Interiors, The Window Apartment, House of Trees and A Brick and Mortar Shop.
Loo Quan Le
Quan Le completed his Master of Architecture at the National University of Singapore under an industry scholarship.
To Quan Le, good architecture goes beyond its visual appeal; it should be able to resonate with its users on an emotional level, while serving the practical needs of its users. As a young designer, he eagerly embraces every opportunity to broaden his knowledge and fuel his passion for design.
Amanda Chng
Amanda completed her Master of Architecture from the National University of Singapore in 2020, supported by BCA Industry scholarship. Under the guidance of Dr Nirmal Kishnani, her thesis explored creating self-sufficient communities by integrating an intensive farming landscape into urban heartlands, as inspired by her grandparents’ living farm.
After graduating, Amanda worked with several architecture firms and contractor on diverse projects, including civic projects, residential, hospitality and commercial. Her dream is to resurrect a traditional Japanese Akiya, but for now, she dedicates herself to design bespoke homes to reflect the untold stories and living footprints of those who lives within.
Awards
Top of the Class 2025 is an annual award presented to the most outstanding interior design studios that have performed consistently well over 2024.
Jury Citation: L Architects has designed 15×3 interiors in Marymount, Singapore. The 15×3 office is a 15-meter-long and 3-meter-wide micro-architectural space that reimagines the traditional workspace.
This project attempts to merge the concepts of a studio and an intimate dining room to fulfil programmatic resourcefulness. The design was inspired by its location, which places it between an interesting dichotomy of low-rise houses and industrial buildings, lending a new perspective to the work and social experience.
Conceived in 2000 as an international index of emerging architectural talent, the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory is an annual listing of promising practices from across the globe. While always championing the best and most promising young studios, over the years, the project has showcased inspiring work with an emphasis on the residential realm.
Top of the Class 2023 is an annual award presented to the most outstanding interior design studios that have performed consistently well over 2022.
Jury Citation: The project elevates the shopping experience for kitchen appliances within a delightful space. The interior elements are made from commonplace materials like hollow bricks, unadorned plywood and the recycling of stone off-cuts. Innovation and good detailing deconstruct and re-assemble the cement bricks into free-standing walls, benches and reception counters, which order the shop’s layout. The resultant space evokes a strong emotional response akin to an art gallery. The combination of natural materials lends the interiors a timeless quality. The walls and display surfaces become backdrops for the products to take centre stage. To control visual clutter, the Architect balanced between the curated display of the latest products and the archival of older models stored in pull-out drawers below. This clever, unexpected approach satisfied the client’s brief. This project is wonderfully poetic and innovative at the same time. The architect has proven that designing sustainably adds immeasurable value. The Jury unanimously awarded this project Design of the Year, as the Architect’s sensitive use of the ordinary resulted in an extraordinary interior.
Jury Citation: The Jury acknowledges the success of the House of Trees lies in the architect’s re-contextualising of the urban surroundings of a residence through the use of deep, occupiable, lush landscaped balconies. Through design, this green buffer offers sun shading, respite and new uses to its inhabitants. There is also interest in the way the duplex was planned, allowing for connections between two households.
Jury Citation: L Architects has created retail space in Singapore that draws on raw materials for an atmospheric experience. The project is a multi-label kitchen appliances shop located in Singapore.
The starting point for the design was the expression ‘bricks and mortar’, used to describe the physical presence of a business or organisation. From this, cement bricks were chosen as the key component for the space. Further materials such as hollows bricks, unadorned plywood and off-cut stones were also used to offset the raw functionality of the cement material. The resultant space creates a refreshing and atmospheric retail experience that offers a sense of beauty that can be found in the ordinary, much like the moments of wonder created with seemingly functional kitchen appliances.