Restart

“I think my closet consists of apparels from Muji and Uniqlo,” Hui Lian admits. “I’m too lazy to shop!” Nonetheless, we think this easy-going, laidback look works for her, and it’s helped along by Hui Lian’s attention to the cut of her clothes and her choice of accessories. “I can kind of wear anything to work, as long as it’s decent and presentable. We have the excuse of being designers after all,” she says. “But I visit construction sites quite often so I’ve got to take that into consideration.” Hui Lian’s favourite parts of her work as an architect are the tangible realizations of decisions that she’s made along the way, and seeing things being built and finally put together. Her workspace in architecture atelier FARM is a key contributor to her happiness; she describes it as pretty ideal. “It’s casual; there’s lots of natural daylight; the radio in the background; a little shrimp tank that I can keep; friendly bosses and colleagues; coffee shops nearby where I can get my daily dose of tea and coffee; and two huge posters that say ‘Work Hard & Be Nice to People’ and ‘Keep Calm & Carry On.’” She’s learnt to also trust her instincts, and work smart. “Not everything has to be urgent and important,” she says. “I plan my personal time and work my work life around my personal endeavours. I can leave work for yoga or meetups at 7pm, but continue to work at home after that. Otherwise, it’s easy to just keep working and working, which I did in my first 2 years of work.” When things get out of hand, however, the hidden OCD side of her is awakened. “When I am stressed, I start cleaning. So every now and then, you’ll see me suddenly cleaning my table and wiping every corner. I would clean the ceiling fan if there’s one above me,” she says. “I guess it’s my way of hitting the “purge” button every now and then, to realign myself.” Her aim in life right now: “Be kind to myself.”