The main ideas of the ADDP Office project are customization, brand identity and material exploration. 90% of the elements in the lobby design for ADDP Architects were customized and material choice played a large role in the visual and spatial layout of the office. The dark wood texture of the lobby extends into the reception area, where the ADDP Logo prominently rests above the desk. It is a design identity that immediately transports visitors into the world of ADDP, a firm built on legacy and strong principles but remains classic and relevant even as time passes.”

ADDP Architects is an Architecture firm from Singapore that is well-known for their widespread work all over the country, with a key focus on high-rise residential buildings. Having existed for over 30 years, ADDP started with 4 and has managed to expand into a 100+ man team. Their projects span across different parts of Asia.

For the first time in 30 years, ADDP Architects is seeking a renovation of their office as well as a renewal of their visual and brand identity. While it was important to provide them with a modern look that corresponds accurately to the design of their buildings, it was also necessary to preserve the original look that they had started with to a certain extent. As much as things have progressed for them in multiple ways, maintaining their legacy is crucial.

We wanted to make sure that despite the changes to the logo, tinges of the old one was still inherently present and subtly noticeable. We experimented with alignment and different fonts and eventually concluded with this look.

Many of the key partners in the firm had been with the company since the first few years of conception. Name Card exchange is an integral networking practice that has existed since the company started and thus its design was something that needed to be updated and carefully considered. The design was to feel fresh but not too bold.

The ADDP office is in a shophouse, a preserved national architectural typology, along tanjong pagar, a prominent street in Singapore. This means the office would expect a lot of traffic, both pedestrian and vehicle. When designing the lobby, we needed the space to showcase all of the expertise of the office.

We start of with the technological aspect of it, customizing 90% of the elements in the lobby. The curved wooden wall is parametrically designed and serves as a back-rest in the waiting area. The wall is ergonomically optimized, following the usual seating position of a typical person. The dark wood texture continues to the reception area where the ADDP logo is above the desk, subtle yet strong, in black.

The reception area desk is a continuous structure that extends from the ceiling to the floor and was constructed using thermoformed solid surface which enables dual curvature surfaces to be created.The wood and stone design is brought together by the patterned ceiling, a parametric design that is both aesthetically pleasing and creates volume and depth of space. Each wooden module in the ceiling functions as a light fixture, whose brightness varies due to the angle and rotation of each fin within. The fins are CNC fabricated out of reconstituted wood which provides stronger consistency in wood grain and additional structural integrity.

The variation in material and how each of them meet and interact with one another is another aspect we wanted to make known, showcasing through the lobby, the firm’s adept ability to work with different materials while combining them with an innovative approach.