HYLA Architects

What HYLA Architects does

HYLA Architects is a Singapore-based architectural design practice founded in December 1993 by Principal Architect Han Loke Kwang and Vincent Lee, operating under the legal name Han Yip & Lee Associates. The firm specializes in high-end landed residential architecture, including houses, semi-detached and terrace houses, bungalows, and conservation shophouses, while also undertaking select commercial and institutional projects such as corporate headquarters fitouts, automotive showrooms, healthcare facilities, and hotel renovations. Its client base spans private homeowners in Singapore's landed property market alongside named enterprise clients including Microsoft Singapore, StarHub, AXA, Honda Singapore, Invensys, and Pacific Healthcare, with select overseas projects in Indonesia, Bhutan, Australia, and China.

The firm operates as a traditional professional services practice with a team of approximately 20 professionals including architects, 3D visualizers, quantity surveyors, and administrative staff. Technology is limited to standard architectural computerization, visualization, and presentation tools, with no proprietary software, platform, or digital product. Service fees are negotiated on a project-by-project basis reflecting scope, complexity, and client requirements, with no publicly disclosed pricing. Revenue is project-based and episodic rather than recurring, and the firm does not publish financial information.

Client acquisition is sales-led and driven by professional reputation, awards, international press coverage (including selection in the Phaidon Atlas of 21st Century World Architecture), and referrals, supplemented by an active social media presence on Instagram and Facebook. The firm is led by Principal Architect Han Loke Kwang, whose design philosophy emphasizes simplicity, honesty, and direct personal expression, and has won multiple Singapore Institute of Architects Design Awards and URA Architectural Heritage Awards over its three-decade history.

Name

HYLA Architects

Legal name

Han Yip & Lee Associates (HYLA)

Website

https://hyla.com.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

HYLA Architects is a Singapore-based architectural practice founded in 1993 that designs high-end landed residences and select commercial and institutional projects for private homeowners and enterprise clients in Singapore and select overseas markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

akta.pro primary industry

Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Luxury / High-End Home Construction (IMAFABAJ)

Keywords

• Residential architecture services
• Commercial architecture design
• Interior architecture services
• Heritage building conservation
• Institutional architecture design

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Professional fees for architectural design services across residential (primary focus), commercial, institutional, and conservation projects. Revenue is project-based and service-fee oriented, typical of architectural practices. The firm takes on high-end landed residential projects as well as corporate office fitouts, hotel renovations, and healthcare facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

HYLA Architects is a Singapore-based architectural design practice offering professional architectural services across residential, commercial, interior, conservation/heritage, and institutional typologies. The firm delivers design, detailing, and project delivery for high-end landed homes, corporate offices, hotels, healthcare facilities, and heritage shophouses, primarily in Singapore with select overseas projects. Services are delivered on a project-by-project bespoke basis by a team of approximately 20 architects, designers, and quantity surveyors led by Principal Architect Han Loke Kwang.

Product overview

HYLA Architects is an award-winning architectural practice offering comprehensive architectural services. The firm's core offerings include high-end landed residential architecture (houses, bungalows, semi-detached and terrace houses) and commercial architecture (offices, showrooms, corporate interiors). Additional specialty services encompass interior architecture, conservation/heritage projects, and institutional design including nursing homes and healthcare facilities. The practice, led by Principal Architect Han Loke Kwang, is particularly recognized for residential work and has received multiple Singapore Institute of Architects Design Awards and URA Architectural Heritage Awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architecture Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Unit 19 Lorong 24A Geylang won the URA Architectural Heritage Award 2011 and the 12th SIA Architectural Design Award 2012 (Special Category E3 Conservation)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• HB Design Pte. Ltd.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHB Design collaborated with HYLA Architects on the StarHub Centre corporate headquarters fitout project. HYLA led the architectural scope while HB Design provided interior design services for the 65,000 sq ft Tai Seng Drive offices and 75,000 sq ft Cuppage Centre offices.
• Chan Sau Yan Associates (CSYA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHYLA Architects collaborated with Chan Sau Yan Associates (CSYA) for the Shelford Condominium project, where HYLA provided interior design for kitchen units in collaboration with CSYA's architectural work.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Heatherwick Studio: London-based design studio led by Thomas Heatherwick with a founder-driven design philosophy and a portfolio spanning architecture, interiors, and public realm. Closely analogous as a boutique, founder-centric, design-led studio that has executed premium residential, hospitality, and commercial projects across multiple geographies.
• Ministry of Design: Singapore boutique architecture and design practice with a comparable mix of high-end residential and adaptive reuse/interior work. Similar boutique scale, strong design-led positioning, and Singapore residential market overlap.
• SCDA Architects: Singapore-based boutique architecture practice specialising in luxury residential, hospitality, and commercial interiors. Closest comparable in scale, Singapore luxury-residential positioning, and design-led commercial interior work, with overlapping clientele and award profile.
• WOHA Architects: Singapore architecture firm with international award profile covering high-end residential, hospitality, and institutional projects. Comparable design philosophy, project typology mix, and Singapore base; HYLA's founder worked at RSP rather than WOHA, but practice footprint overlaps significantly.
• DP Architects: One of Singapore's largest homegrown architecture practices covering commercial, institutional, and residential design. Directly comparable Singapore market presence and broad typology mix; HYLA operates at significantly smaller scale in the same geographic market.
• RSP Architects Planners and Engineers: Singapore-headquartered multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm where HYLA founder Han Loke Kwang worked immediately before founding HYLA. Same Singapore market, overlapping project typologies (commercial, institutional, residential), and shared historical lineage of design philosophy.
• Kerry Hill Architects: Singapore-based boutique firm founded by an Australian architect, internationally recognised for luxury hospitality and high-end residential projects across Asia. Closely comparable boutique scale, founder-led design signature, and HNW cross-border clientele.

Regional players

• Cox Architecture: Australian architecture firm with strong residential, education, and commercial portfolio. Comparable design-led approach and high-end residential work; connected to HYLA through Han Loke Kwang's University of Newcastle background and the firm's Australian project experience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HYLAArchitects
• Facebookfacebook.com/hyla.architects
• Instagraminstagram.com/hyla_architects
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hyla-architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HYLA Architects