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Despite the extra time and effort that A&A work demands, Leow intends to stay the course. It helps that, given the breadth of projects it has worked on, TA.LE Architects has built a reputation in this area. Internally, the team has refined the process into a fine art.<\/span><\/p>\n The first step is to review the building\u2019s documents and walk through the site to understand its existing conditions. From there, the team is briefed on what can and cannot be changed, and on what additional works need to be carried out.<\/span><\/p>\n Leow said: \u201cAfter understanding the bones and structure of the building, we then come up with ideas to reinterpret some of these spaces. This means proposing designs that change the look and feel of the existing space, such as a better vehicular drop off or modernising the interiors.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Leow became a proponent of A&A during his time at Delft University of Technology, where he completed a Master of Architecture programme from 2004 to 2006. This followed a bachelor\u2019s degree from the National University of Singapore.<\/span><\/p>\n While in the Netherlands, he noticed that the Dutch were averse to demolishing buildings: \u201cThe funny thing is they didn\u2019t even have strict guidelines, like a URA, saying that you have to conserve. It was very natural that something old was not automatically torn down.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n He brought this thinking back to Singapore, especially after setting up TA.LE Architects with his wife, Tay Yanling, in 2014. The name, formed from the first two letters of their surnames, is particularly fitting, since they \u201cbelieve there is a meaningful story behind every well-designed space\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n In the past, he noted, buildings here were designed to last at least 60 years but were demolished in a third of that time: \u201cNobody cared, because a lot of things were economically driven. But we were really doing the environment a disfavour.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As such attitudes increasingly fade, Leow sees only opportunity in the A&A work he does: \u201cSingapore has a limited amount of land and there is only so much we can build and tear down. One of the most sustainable things we can do as architects is to extend the life of what already exists. Between demolishing a building and giving it a second lease of life lies the imagination of the designer and their ability to see how it can be meaningful to the community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n