SLG Meetup E137: Kelvin Thengono

Ladies and gentlemen welcome back to another SLG meetup your host Alvar a couple months ago and I completely loved it and the houses were spectacular so he's gonna be giving us all around about his story the produce that he's working on and definitely you guys are gonna do it good good how are you nice I like the glasses thank you thank you thanks for having me there no thanks for staying up oh it's all good it's still what time is it now 8 20 so it's definitely okay yeah I got night all night all or early right I did much a bit much of a night all honestly yeah yeah interesting interesting I saw you the stories on some of the projects you were working on spectacular so I'm really grateful that you're here today because I really wanted to personally get to know more about your story and also to share it with our audience because Indonesia in general has some of the most unique projects that a lot of people especially in this side of the world know about the properties are spectacular so tell us a little bit about K-Fingono Design Studio what you're all about and then we'll get into the details of some of those incredible projects that you're working on definitely oh we are a an interior and architecture firm we do different projects like residential's you know we have a variety but your work actually recently we're commissioned in healthcare so we do a little bit here and there we look forward to create architecture that really try to be contextualized with the site and really understand nature with light and air into different projects of ours we're basically Jakarta though yeah yeah we're basically Jakarta now which is fantastic and you know I mean I saw some of the properties that you guys are working on and as you're saying it's like building that holistic spatial environment alongside with some of the uniqueness right on those projects now let me ask you Kelvin because obviously there is a huge variety when it comes to projects in Jakarta or Indonesia in particular especially because you've been doing projects also in Bali and I think that a lot of people have this this perception where properties in Indonesia for the most part are you know kind of average when in reality it's like some of the most beautiful properties that you could even see around the world and the materials and everything that you use is what makes it so affordable to work on some projects correct correct yeah definitely a lot of the property I think we have a lot of advantages of from the from the topicality right the nature and everything so we have we have the mountains we have the ocean so it's really really nice but particularly to have to be doing projects in Indonesia what would you say has been some of the biggest challenge because obviously with the advantages of being in a tropical environment it also comes with some difficulties right so what's been one of the most difficult challenges or launching some of these projects I think in an architectural designed way it's it's more difficult to work with the humidity honestly saying in a tropical country right so we really have to pay attention on how we could incorporate cross-ventilation in our projects honestly working from you know I used to go to the US and I was working there for a little bit too the US is just a lot more advanced yeah then then here so that in here we do a lot of site visits we literally sketch a lot in a construction site sometimes you really have to understand who you working with if they are really really able to read the details that we have provided you know it's just a lot of communications right in here let me ask you coming because obviously you said like the US for example it's a bit more advanced but in what regards technology materials the way that everything is been processed I think the culture the the people the workers the builders everything got it yeah got it although I'll tell you something the people in Indonesia I've got in love you know I feel like it's such a refreshing air to go and interact with all the people in there because the majority of them are so kind and they're just super hard workers when I was in Bali every person I saw they were just working beyond what you even expected and that was not just one person it was everybody and I really enjoyed seeing that this year usually you see a lot of people complaining about the little things over there nobody complained I mean I don't know how much is in your projects but at least for my experience it was very refreshing aside from that do you mainly build these houses for clientele that are locals or also for international people right now a lot of our clients are actually local so but maybe in the future we're happy to accept international clients at the same time right I'm curious because I hear that you cannot really own a property like it's owned by the government you are basically losing it long term is that correct or how does that work right for for foreigners yes you're not supposed to own a land in Indonesia so you can either have a partner a local partner instead but myself actually I was born in Indonesia so I hold an Indonesian passport so that's that's a advantage that's good that's okay so you actually have to have an Indonesian passport in order to own it otherwise you only can lease it long term or partner up with somebody locally and because you could technically start a business own it with a partner and that business is owning these properties is up like you could be a real estate portfolio in that regards is that possible oh yeah definitely as long as you have a local partner so there is multiple ways of doing that good I like that because the prices are completely affordable in comparison to some other projects that are similar quality or similar you know dimensions here in the States so what would you say some of these latest projects that you've been working on will go for in terms of price do you mean by how much it costs compared to the answer yeah like for example like let's say a ten million dollar house here in Miami how much will that cost in Indonesia just to put in perception the difference Wow ten million would be like a mega mega project actually right you get everything with the ten million dollars yeah that's one of the things that shocked me so much because when we were in Bali and we were in Uluatu I remember seeing next to Ayana it was you know a nice resort and next to Ayana we saw on the hill these among those properties on the cliff facing the ocean and they were in my opinion some of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen and I'm like oh my god how much will this cost when they were telling me the prices it was like oh three million dollars I couldn't believe it I'm like with three million dollars didn't even get a two-bedroom apartment in Miami like I'm like obviously we're talking about location destination like where's the demand and the different things but for that's what I was asking you what kind of clientele you're getting because I'm getting more and more of my friends that are like world travelers and that can work remotely and that also are kind of like influencers that literally they don't need to be anywhere 24 seven and they are the cold nomads right so they can just be anywhere and if they want to have a base may as well have this beautiful nation like some of the properties that you're working on are really affordable price and I don't think that there's many places that can do that that's why I was very shocked with the quality and the design that you're doing but also the price that you can get for those projects unbelievable unbelievable I mean we're talking about it's also labor because of the labor the material is a combination of both the labor cost well I think it's mainly because of the currency right I think I think that's what I think is what really makes it different but also labor labor here is very very affordable got it we have a lot of local material that's what that's when I found out when I just came back from the US right I found out what all of this wood it's actually being exported to the US instead yeah amazing stuff amazing stuff it's very good I'll tell you you know Kelvin it was very interesting when I was there as well I met with a friend of mine from Miami that actually built himself a nice house and now he has it as an Airbnb and is doing pretty well and when we were talking about the whole business model obviously like him or like many other business owners where their hotels or construction companies architect they usually charge in dollars to the four-inders and a price that is very similar to what you will be hard-read in any other way but very close you know the labor and everything else that they have internally they'll pay it in the local currency and that's where the margins are so big so it's interesting business well I even myself I'm like yeah maybe I'll start doing something you and I need to find ways where we can work together because I'm sure a lot of people will be trusting on getting themselves and I spoke with even the Nisha that's funny that you said it though because me myself when I when I go to Bali some people they thought I would I'm not an Asian so they do that and I'll be like oh come on you know I'm stuck snick at an Asian yeah and then they're like oh sorry sorry again sorry yeah so maybe maybe up or the next time you come to Bali you got to come in the Nisins yes yes we need to do something we need to do something now what's your favorite part about living in Indonesia you live in Jakarta right I live in Jakarta at the moment so what's what's your favorite thing about being in Jakarta or overall Indonesia well honestly I think I really liked the opportunity the fact that man is it's really it's really crazy how things are really happening in here you know you see a lot of constructions everywhere the people the culture the food everything it's been amazing yeah they very very tasty no I mean I agree with you to be honest the culture the lifestyle the people food everything is just fantastic and I'm telling you as somebody that has traveled around the world that is few places like Indonesia where you feel that 360 full power of positivity and great experiences so with having said I always have this question to our guests and obviously for you I'm sure it's gonna mean completely different thing but what is luxury to you that's a good question I think I think I think like say it can be interpreted in a different way I think mainly for different people who they will take luxury different way but at least for for our practice right I think luxury comes with comfort comes with a good visual connection to views comfort meaning you get a nice natural sunlight ventilation and you know something that is more spectacular good materials that the totality from it the texture and everything it just makes you really excited to be a part of the space and really enjoy the spatial qualities okay that's good that's good it's a good way of seeing it and you know definitely it's coming from a successful architect that has done tremendous projects which I encourage everybody that is watching this now or will watch it later or listen to it later to follow Kelvin what's the best way to contact you or to reach out or see what you're doing will be your Instagram page or website what it connect with me in any way man email me I'm really easy to get connected through yeah make sure you also stay tuned with what he's posting because some of the most beautiful projects are showcased on his Instagram page a lot of people obviously love to see beautiful home so it's just a refresher to go to your page because every project that you're working on has something as you mentioned holistic right approach that really puts you in a perspective on the beautiful thing that humans can do right and that's also coming from a position on on yourself of being somebody leading that way on the holistic approach to doing architect in a place like Indonesia so any plans of expanding to the US not at the moment but standing on maybe expecting to bully it's that so I thought you've been doing I've been doing some projects already right I saw some of the properties that yep starting yeah well I look forward to seeing your progress and definitely you have already a good contact point here in the States for anything you need so I look forward to seeing you very soon and before wrapping this up I wanted to ask you one last question if you will be sharing one big takeaway of something you've learned from your career what would it be I guess be always excited and really love your what you do and really just be resilient and yeah yeah you can't think yeah yeah yeah once once you love what you do you forget about time you forget about things and you just focus yeah I totally agree with you the things we fashion everything flows much more naturally and people feel it you know so that's a great point and I always encourage people to think that way so thanks again Kelvin appreciate it anything else that you would like to what just want to say thanks for having me and your good luck and keep it that kind of thank you Kelvin we'll be that very soon so thanks again for everything thank you everybody that has been tuning in and until the next one see you all right see you bye bye and thanks again for everybody tuning in today we hope you enjoyed it and remember embrace it beautiful success in life my name is Alvaro and I'll see you next time