If we look back and imagine the Malaysian architectural industry's market as a series of waves, there have been three occurrences since the spurt of Malaysia's economy in the 80's. The first wave was in the 80s-90s which lasted through the turn of the millennium due to major infrastructural developments. The second wave was after the 2008 global recession, and huge amount of money was poured in to kick start the recovery. Now, about 20 years on, the third wave is building up driven by hunger for innovation, electrification and automation, social media, housing crisis and affordability, food security and simply a new generation with unique needs. In the small to medium segment, clients are constantly looking at value for money through innovation. The question is how to maximize the impact with minimum expenditure. Be it private, residential or commercial, clients with larger projects need to be ahead of their competitors with better positioned products. Being young and passionate, HXN Architects is in a position to be innovative and brave about it in the highly competitive market.
The company's architectural solutions often exceed the expectations that the client originally conveys in the initial conversations. "We try to first understand the requirements of a client completely before going for the product design. We always look for design excellence and consider all the important aspects of a project before implementation. In order to achieve the best product, continuous design improvements are given even during the construction process. The company stays well aware of the latest technology trends in the industry and tries to implement them in its solutions. We want to evolve with time and technology”, states Ar. Nik Amirul Faiz, Director, HXN Architects.
Striving for Excellence
As an architectural firm, the company follows standard fee structure set by law. It is important to have a strong stance with regard to this as the market is fraught with firms charging low prices. Of course negotiation takes place but the fundamentals are set. Once the project is secured and running, the company maximizes the use of 3D modeling software for both design and drawing documentations.
This speeds up the process and allows more output with less man hours. "It is not unique; it is just the way the world is heading towards these days”, says Ar. Hedzril Jaffar, Director, HXN Architects.
The company conducts the first meeting at the project site. This is extremely important as it wants to provide some teasers to the client with ideas and solutions or just opinions on specific site matters. From the discussion and further documents from them, HXN will develop a brief for all parties to agree on, in which its fees shall be based. There are five standard stages of work, Schematic design, Design development, Tender documentation, Construction and finally completion. "During construction, our role is to administer the contract and to ensure it is built according to the drawings and specifications. The client will normally be fully involved in site meeting, walks, sample and mockup approval process", he adds.
HXN Architects has plenty of current and past experience in low and high rise residential and commercial projects. Apart from that, it also has experience in designing institutional complex and healthcare facilities. Both partners came from large firms and transitioning to smaller projects means the technological know-how of every complex solution can be applied to its projects. The networks of its suppliers are also important in ensuring the smaller projects benefit. "We call ourselves HXN Architects, the X in between H and N is basically an invitation for collaboration. It can be the client themselves, consultants, craftsmen, suppliers, artist, and more. The narrative is that we do not see our office as a small entity but rather we are part of a larger network of talented and design driven individuals/company. We are constantly looking at doing something different in our field, experimenting, while being open to any form of partnership not just in ASEAN region, but the rest of Asia and the world", mentions Hedzril.
Excellence is measured not by how building forms are portrayed or how classy the project is. It is measured by the spatial quality that influences people's behavior & interactions
"Excellence is measured not by how building forms are portrayed or how classy the project is. It is measured by the spatial quality that influences people's behavior and interactions. An improved state of humanity in a society means that the built product has demonstrated success. As for the building form, a timeless design is always our go to in all the projects we involve with. It requires thorough explanation and education of the client. That is why we highly emphasize the importance of the process, which in return translates the outcome of the project", states Nik.
Future Endeavors
The company started just before the lockdown due to the pandemic. Instead of slowing, it has actually accelerated the work and client base with plenty of inquiry especially among private residential clients. It believes that people are looking for things to do while getting stuck at home. It is now getting inquiries from corporate and government sectors. For the moment and with the technology and ease of communication globally, geo expansion is not required especially for an architectural firm. "With a huge amount of potential in the market, we plan to expand across Southeast Asia and make a mark on the map. We are in tandem with technological advancement and wish to be the leader in architectural design excellence delivering high value built environments and most importantly timeless spaces in the coming years", concludes Nik.
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