KINN Habitat is the flagship hotel of the KINN brand, located within a conservation district infill site in Singapore. The project transforms an existing budget hotel into a contemporary hybrid hospitality model that integrates capsule accommodation, private guest rooms and layered communal spaces, balancing collective social life with individual retreat.

Retaining the original six-storey structure, the design reconfigures 55 former rooms into 120 capsule beds and eight private rooms, alongside newly introduced shared programs, an adaptive reuse strategy that enables the building to assume a renewed architectural identity.

Along the side lane façade, windows are reinterpreted as circular portholes, establishing a visual and emotive connection between individual accommodation and the city. The primary elevation is articulated through rhythmic arches and integrated greenery, drawing from the spatial qualities of traditional shophouse five-foot ways while enlivening the streetscape with depth and texture.

At street level, a recessed entrance extends the public realm into the building through stepped seating, forming an urban corner encouraging social interaction. Above, communal spaces open seamlessly onto a roof terrace, allowing the city to become an active backdrop of shared experiences. Internally, tactile materials create a warm, immersive environment, offering a refined yet approachable hospitality experience rooted in place.

Photography: Finbarr Fallon