RISING STARS
MONOCOT
THE DESIGNER
After cutting his teeth at firms like SCDA and Studio Milou, architecture graduate Mikael Teh set up a number of design studios (including one for a hospitality project in the Maldives) before going solo in 2016. Monocot – previously known as The Monocot Studio – has since won two design awards, and has been involved in many residential, commercial and hospitality projects. These include Sama Sama by Tok Tok at Jewel Changi.
THE PHILOSOPHY
“YOU WILL SEE MULTIPLES OF THREE – DIMENSIONS IN 300, 600, 900 – IN MY WORK.”
– MIKAEL TEH, MONOCOT
His creations are guided by proportion – both a central principle of architecture and “an important connection between mathematics and art”. They are a delicate balance between the intangible and tangible, and are rooted, for instance, in spatial understanding and memories, encompassing well-designed artefacts and even floral works. His studio name reflects this intersection of art, beauty and science, too: Monocotyledons, commonly referred to as monocots, are a type of flower with parts that come in threes. “You will see multiples of three – dimensions
