Super Fat Designs

Founded in 2012 by Lin Weizhang, Super Fat Designs approaches interior design as an evolving conversation between space, material and the people who inhabit it. Today, Lin works alongside partner Mae Chu, together with a 12-member team spanning design, design development and project management.

“Super Fat Designs is a design studio where change is the only constant,” says Lin, a principle that underpins the studio’s approach to every project. Rather than beginning with a predetermined aesthetic or mood board, Super Fat Designs starts with the space itself, examining its volumes, natural light and material possibilities before developing a design language that responds to its particular character. Exploration, investigation and dialogue are integral to the process, allowing ideas to shift and evolve as the project takes shape.

Lin’s architectural background is central to this way of working. After studying Architecture, Property and Construction Management at the University of Melbourne, he began his career in architecture before moving into interior design. His early exposure to architecture, including visits to the home of a local founding architect and an appreciation of Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa’s work, sharpened his understanding of how spatial volume, crafted details, materials, colour and furniture can come together to create an emotional experience.

Materiality remains a particular preoccupation. “We let the space lead,” Lin explains. The studio studies the qualities of each site and allows them to inform its choices, whether that means setting a dark, textured surface against a wall of light or using bespoke detailing to draw attention to the architecture.

This desire for greater freedom to explore materiality and spatial storytelling led Lin to establish Super Fat Designs, creating a practice with a design vocabulary attuned to Singaporean living. More than a decade on, the studio has built an award-winning portfolio spanning residential, retail, hospitality and exhibition design.

Yet, for Lin, the studio’s most meaningful achievement lies beyond accolades. Its returning clients, he says, are a form of affirmation that the practice’s thinking and process bring genuine value to both its clients and the spaces they inhabit.