Building a Legacy

British architect Martin Haeger has been in Malaysia for well over two decades now and reveals his highlights to Tien Chew “An architect, in an ideal world is an all-rounder”

Sitting in his home, which looks befitting for an architect, Martin Haeger is a chirpy Brit whom I first met in an eatery that he owns a stake in, downtown. In the short time I had with him, he shared on his and his daughters’ musical preferences, the approach he took when designing his beautiful home, and his experiences forging a life for himself since emigrating from England. Haeger’s house is charming with a fairly sizable yet intimate indoor layout adorned with his wife’s paintings, a man-made beach and an outdoor projector screen out at the back, plus a pool and pets to populate the front and backyard. When he was 12, Haeger was captivated by the step-by-step creation of his new family home on a piece of land that his parents bought. “I spent every weekend on the site, watching it evolve brick by brick. I found it fascinating to observe the process firsthand, witnessing each different tradesman play their part; all carefully co-ordinated by the main contractor and guided by the architect,” he fondly recalls. That experience sparked a flame in him and eventually led to him setting up his own company in the living room of an apartment here in 1994, when he was merely 30. Haeger and his business partner, James Lindsey, founded HL Design Group and the duo began their business by doing small home renovations and shop fit-outs. “Our key growth came during our collaboration with a local architectural practice, AIA; then we sought projects together, with us providing the design expertise and them engaged in the role of local architect,” says Haeger. Since their humble beginnings, Haeger and his team at HL Design Group have had a considerable amount of success in Malaysia. One of his most notable projects, according to him, was the redevelopment of the Royal Selangor Pewter Visitor Centre in Setapak. Working together with two generations of the Yong family that has owned and operated the business since its inception was, in Haeger’s own words, “an honour” for him. HL Design Group worked closely with the business owners to design both the buildings and the exhibits for the centre, an extension of the actual factory premise, to create the gallery, visitor centre and showrooms. “We were also proud to be involved in the KLIA 2 Gateway project where we designed the main building for the airport, collaborating with a local firm, Arkitek AAP,” Haeger says. With a reach across eight countries in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, Haeger and his company plans to grow stronger in Malaysia, in good time, thanks to the amended Architects Act that now allows the registration of non-malaysians and equity participation by international architects in architectural body corporations. “An architect, in an ideal world is an allrounder, someone who can design, detail, document and communicate. I believe I have an eye to recognise good design and I have a clear vision of what I need to achieve,” says Haeger. “But, I would never take full credit for our many successes. They are the work of many talented hands. It is the ability to bring these talents together like members of an orchestra, each playing their critical role, harvesting their unique abilities, which I believe has contributed to our successes,” he adds as he commends the team. While he is an architect through and through, Haeger is also a pilot, speaks Mandarin and has received an MBE from the Queen of England. He offers this advice: “Life is about balance. One should take time to focus on other areas of life, nature, the sea, all the natural wonders of this universe.”