How Datin Shen-Tel Lee created a community kitchen in Kuching

Datin Shen-Tel Lee shares inspirational design ideas for the Community Social Support Centre in Kuching

It started with a profoundly human response of wanting to help another person in need. Still, Dato Bobby Ting and Datin Shen-Tel Lee have taken that impulse and grown it into a project impacting the lives of many with the Community Social Support Centre (CSSC) in Kuching.

During the pandemic, the couple saw a need to help families who were hit hard financially with basic food essentials. While many NGOs knew the families who needed help, they lacked the funds to assist. To bridge this, Lee took to Instagram to start a community initiative named Kuching Food Aid which soon grew from helping 10s of families to over 2000 in a single month.

Above A multi-purpose space

A multi-purpose space

1 / 1

Kuching Food Aid was formed with the sole mission of providing vulnerable families with food essentials across Sarawak by connecting donors directly with local supermarkets and NGOs to help pack and deliver aid to those in need.

“What made us different was that we had no admin costs. All donations were spent directly on the aid. Volunteers gave their time to collect and deliver the aid at their own expense. It was this project single-handedly that connected us to many NGOs who were doing incredible work with minimal resources,” recalls Lee,

As time went on, Lee realised that almost all the NGOs they worked with were working out of their homes and found it increasingly hard to manage and connect with volunteers. “The idea of a communal space where multiple NGOs could operate out of came together when we thought about what infrastructure was lacking in our community,” she explains.

“The list was long, and through many workshops, we listened and took notes. We opened up communications with the Ministry of Welfare about our findings, and both agreed that a community social support centre would be something that would benefit the community greatly.”

Coincidentally Lee’s parents, Dr Lincoln and Dame Betty Lee, had put her in charge of renovating their four shop lots to be turned into a retail and dining space.

“I felt in my bones that the community centre should be here, and with one phone call to my family, convinced them to donate the space free of charge to the community for five years,” Lee says.

With the location secured, the next challenge was the renovation works, and Ting’s property development company, Elica Sdn Bhd, volunteered to undertake this project as their CSR project. The last part was to secure government funding to help with the operational costs, which was awarded to the local NGO, Bring it On Kuching upon the completion of renovation works.

Don't miss: 5 female-led social enterprises in Malaysia that empower refugees

The building

Above The bustling "kitchen"

The bustling "kitchen"

1 / 1

The building sits on the site of Lee’s grandfather’s drink bottle factory, and over 25 years ago, Lee’s parents had the foresight to create four shop lots that drew inspiration from neighbouring colonial shop houses.

It had commercial shops on the ground floor, office space on the first and accommodation on the second floor. Located on Jalan Abell, it is centrally located in town. Known by locals as Wisma Ho Ho Lim (Lee’s grandfather’s name), it was where the very first AirAsia ticketing office was located, so locals knew it very well.

“After speaking with many NGOs about its location and the possibility of it being an option for the centre, it won praise due to its proximity to be able to reach a wider net of patrons,” muses Lee.

“A community centre needs to be located in the heart of the city, and the building met all the criteria. I often feel that my forefathers had a small part to play in this, and that the site holds deep connections to the past, the present and the future. We kept the façade of the building and worked with the beauty of the bones,” she adds.

The building is not heritage, but it has neighbours who are, and what Lee love about these shop lots is that it sits comfortably between the past and the present: “We put back the shutters of the windows and installed curved awnings to keep with the colonial features. We maintained the terracotta roof and chose to paint the exterior white as we were very mindful that we wanted to restore and repurpose the building and not strip away its past.”

The construction

Above The team at work

The team at work

1 / 1

With Elica Sdn Bhd on board, the project was off to a fortuitous start, and Lee reflects that the project had what she terms as, “the ultimate toolbox of people ready to rise to any challenges.”

“We started with the right people on this project, making the build relatively easy. A mix of specialists volunteered their time to help develop designs to create suitable spaces for the multitude of flexible scenarios that the NGOs and government agencies required. Locally based architect Felix Wee headed the design and was able to blend the four lots into one elegantly,” states Lee.

“We talked about it being a co-working space where the welfare and NGO community could operate. A place where people can go to get help, a location where volunteers can give their time to serve, and a place where the community can feel seen and heard. He nailed the brief perfectly, ” she adds.

Don't miss: Shaq Koyok gives voice to Malaysia's marginalised orang asli communities through art

According to Lee, the most challenging part was getting the idea to lift off the pages of plans: “People make the centre what it is; the building is ultimately secondary to everything. We have an incredible team running the centre behind the scenes but getting the community involved to want to participate and contribute is still a daily battle.”

“NGOs require manpower and funding to do the work that they do, and educating the public about how important it is to support their work is the challenge, in my opinion,” she continues.

“So many are in a position to want to give back but don’t know how. If you are reading this and want to do something good for your community, find a local NGO and pick up the phone and give them a call and see what you can do to support them. You will be surprised how little it takes to connect and help.”

The community kitchen

Above The kitchen in use

Above Cosentino Silestone Ethereal Glow

The kitchen in use

1 / 2

When the team sat down to talk about critical communal spaces, a dining area was a key factor. “We knew that food binds people, and the act of having a drink with someone could open up and break barriers much faster than if you were to be sitting behind a desk,” opines Lee.

At the centre of the ground floor, there was a space that looked like it could be a café, a communal dining spot or even a large welcome counter. As such, it was designed to be able to be flexible and be used in a multitude of ways.

To cater to all this, the team was mindful to choose a material that was up to the task, and Cosentino came on board during the early planning stages.

“When we shared with them the concept of this centre, Cosentino was keen to work with us on creating a counter like no other. There is something special about using unexpected surfaces. We designed an oversized counter that could be used as a dining area for up to 12 people, a discussion bench, a pop-up cafe or a meeting spot for welfare workers,” recalls Lee.

Above Cosentino Silestone Ethereal Collection

Cosentino Silestone Ethereal Collection

1 / 1

“We chose to work with Silestone by Cosentino, a sustainable surface designed to withstand the test of time. Known for being highly resistant to daily wear and tears, we knew it would be the right fit for many activities this spot would encounter over the next five years,” she continues.

“We picked Silestone Ethereal Glow for its unique grain and visual impact and felt it tied in well with the modern aesthetic of the interior. Many would not expect to see such a surface in a community centre, but the intention of the space is to make people feel special, feel seen and heard. The surface adds a layer of warmth. The counter has been pivotal in bringing people together and has been well-received. A centre spot where a multitude of ideas can be formed, where connection is key.”

Don't miss: 6 ways to create a warm minimalist space

These days, the NGO SKUP serve breakfast to those in need from this spot daily, community markets have used it to sell handmade products, and the weekly community hour is done here, a time when complimentary drinks and cakes are donated and served to anyone who wants to come and have a chat to break the ice.

This spot is also where welfare workers and case officers come to interview patrons who need assistance, and over a drink, they can share their stories and feel connected and safe to open up and begin asking for help. “It is never easy for people to come in, and we are mindful of that invisible barrier,” she says.

Lee concludes: “It seems incredible looking back that this three-year endeavour has finally come together. It is far from finished, but the centre has brought together many local NGOs and welfare departments to help the community daily.”

NOW READ

Home tour: How the Colonnade House in Singapore took inspiration from black-and-white bungalows

5 magnificent multi-generational family homes in Malaysia

Home tour: A Kuala Lumpur house designed to create an intimate relationship with the forest

Topics

Kitchen Design Cosentino Kuching Community Kitchen CSR Silestone

Jennifer Choo

Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, Tatler Malaysia

Jennifer Choo is Regional Managing Editor of Tatler Homes, covering architecture, interior design, and art across Asia. Based in Malaysia, she oversees regional content on luxury residential design and contemporary art collections. Legally trained but choosing to pursue her passion for design, she previously led notable design publications and worked as an interior stylist and art consultant for property developers, design firms, and private clients.