Material Minds

From sconces made out of glass waste to the sensual interior for plant-forward bar Fura, Studio Gin&G derives delight from the tactual and tangible.

- LUO JINGMEI

Fascinated with “the study of the physical Earth, along with its anthropologic human component,” Georgina Foo initially wanted to pursue a higher education in geography. However, she ended up studying architecture instead. “Amusingly, these are both integral elements that are intertwined in architecture and design too,” she reflects.

In junior college, she met Genevieve Ang. Both went on to study architecture at the National University of Singapore. After several years honing their creative skills in separate avenues, they came together last year to form Studio Gin&G.

In this short span of time, the studio has pushed the boundaries of creativity with a series of projects, borne from deep thought and a genuine love for the tactile. Like chefs and their ingredients or researchers, Ang and Foo are constantly testing out new ways that materials can be combined or re-imagined.

“In designing spaces, we do not approach materials as an afterthought or view them as a finishing touch, but as components entirely integral to the essence and the conceptualization of our designs. We believe that there is an innate poetry to materials that brings beauty and meaning to the spaces we design, dwell, and inhabit,” says Foo.