Dubbed as Singapore’s first luxury confinement centre, Kai Suites takes the stress out of the initial period after childbirth so mothers can return home fully recharged. K2LD Architects explain more about its design influences
As a mother of two, I understand the fatigue and frustration that comes with looking after a newborn baby immediately after returning from hospital. For my first child, I hired a confinement nanny whose constant nagging at my rejection of traditional practices provided more stress than relief.
Throw in the mix breastfeeding struggles, constant tracking of the infant’s feeding and confusion at whether I was doing things right—never mind that I had all those kilos to shed. Those photos of well-groomed mothers snuggling peacefully with their newborn children seemed like a mirage.
Touring Singapore’s first luxury confinement centre, I understand how this could be an increasingly attractive alternative to relying on the grandparents or confinement nannies to help look after the babies while new mothers recover.
Here, we find out more about the design intent behind Kai Suites from K2LD Architects.
A Zen Impression
Located at Dunearn Road, Kai Suites exudes calm from the onset. A wispy bamboo grove at the driveway precedes the low-rise, redbrick building built in 1968 for the Singapore Planning and Population Board. It is not a conservation structure but the decision to restore it to its original charming state suites the centre’s ethos.
“The design concept showcases the inherent beauty of the materials and come together to (evoke a sense of) luxury,” says Leong Lai Ping, an associate at K2LD Architects who highlights the brass accents and curvilinear motifs that were inspired by Kai Suites’ logo.