Lim Keong Wee, founder of architecture firm and turnkey operator Cover Projects in Singapore, is reimagining wellness with The Initial Sama, an upscale serviced residence designed to support post-illness recovery by combining modern amenities with the comfort of home
Expressing a sentiment many intuit but seldom articulate, author and critic Paul Goldberger described architecture as the one art that insists upon our attention, whether we welcome it or not. Unlike paintings or plays, we cannot walk away from it. One may bypass galleries, skip the theatre or turn away from screens, but buildings surround us all the same, lining every street we cross and sculpting every skyscraper we lift our eyes to. To grasp their presence more fully, it helps to glimpse the minds and intentions that gave them form.
What happens, then, in a city that seems hesitant to remember its own past? Singapore rarely lingers on its ghosts. Towers rise in formation like pickets or crouch in the shadow of glass boxes and metal façades, their silhouettes interchangeable with skylines anywhere in the world. Heritage is often dismissed as sentimental clutter: costly to maintain, inconvenient to accommodate. Still, every so often, a storied structure endures and resists the tide — like the former Eusoff College on 26 Evans Road.
Eusoff College was the first female residential hall of the University of Malaya in Singapore
Opened in 1958 off Bukit Timah, it was the country’s first female residential hall at the University of Malaya, then newly formed from the merger of King Edward VII College of Medicine and Raffles College. Within a decade, the red-brick hostel with its shaded verandahs had already gathered its share of lore: late-night cramming, friendships forged in corridors and the occasional prank that spilled into the local newspapers. Among the most notorious were the “panty raids” of the late 1960s — a battle-of-the-sexes fad imported from American universities — in which male students staged nightly incursions to snatch undergarments from the women’s laundry lines and hoist their trophies up a flagpole. Such stunts became part of campus memory, as familiar as the terrazzo floors worn down by flip-flops during recess or anxious pacing of exam week.
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Lim Keong Wee — founder of Cover Projects, the real estate management firm that turned the premises into The Initial Sama, a wellness co-living concept targeted at medical tourists — recalls things differently, though.
“I have a personal relationship with this place,” he says of the college, which continued operating as a postgraduate dorm until 2001. “My friends and I used to play a lot of basketball at the court across the road, and afterwards we’d come here for drinks or dinner at the dai chow [a Cantonese restaurant or food stall] around the corner. Back then, I thought of the hall as just a single block, but when I returned years later for a site visit, I realised there were three or four buildings surrounding it. What captivated me most was the stunning courtyard, which felt inclusive, as if it sheltered you from the elements. Its serenity convinced me the area could be both a social gathering space and a wellness hub, where people come to rest and recharge.”
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The school’s former quadrangle has been converted into an expansive leafy area suitable for social activities. Grant Associates manages the property’s landscape design
Such intuition, a kind of inner sight that perceives opportunities appearing on the horizon before the market catches on, never worked in isolation for the grandson of the late Lim Goh Tong, the revered founder of Genting Group. Before the patriarch’s passing in 2007 at the age of 89, Forbes magazine listed him as Malaysia’s third-richest individual, with a net worth of US$4.3 billion. Keong Wee — whose father, Lim Chee Wah, once served as deputy managing director of Genting Bhd — grew up within that legacy, where industries such as hospitality, property, gaming and even biotechnology were part of the family vernacular. Instinct was not just innate; it was sharpened by years of observing how enterprises took flight and ventures were nurtured.
For a business dynasty that recognised how landscapes could be transformed into lasting empires, space itself was a kind of currency. Nudged by an uncle who noticed his childhood fondness for constructing and creating, Keong Wee gravitated towards architecture. His brother had taken up structural engineering but he resisted following too closely, preferring instead to shape environments with a designer’s eye.
Keong Wee moved to the Lion City at the age of five, completing his primary education and two years of secondary school before enrolling in a UK boarding school at 15. He later earned a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of East London and honed his craft at renowned London firms including Foster + Partners and Plasma Studio. In 2009, he co-founded the design practice PAC with fellow architect Victoria Loh. The award-winning studio built a strong reputation in hospitality through large-scale projects, most notably the Genting Secret Garden in Zhangjiakou — a resort used to house a media centre, athletes and delegates for the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022. Alongside PAC, the pair launched Cover Projects in 2015, a turnkey operator dedicated to rejuvenating boutique spaces, managing state-owned heritage properties and providing client consultancy.
His first brush with the profession was in Singapore, which he had grown to call home, during a summer internship at Architects 61 on Purvis Street. The creatives were behind landmarks such as The Heeren, Capital Square, One Fullerton, the Fullerton Hotel and Ocean Financial Centre.
“I used to shadow the project director and follow him around sites. One memory that has stayed with me was visiting the General Post Office Building, before it was converted into the Fullerton Hotel. Every nook, from the turnstiles and counters to the brass lining, spoke of a heritage unlike any other. The more I discovered about the craft, the more I realised creating a building is always a collaborative effort. Later, I joined the residential department and found how stimulating the work could be. That’s when I knew this was something I could actually pursue as a career.”
While the apprenticeship gave him room to explore with curiosity, his first formal role came with sharper demands. Joining Foster + Partners felt almost preordained, given his university’s close ties to heavyweights with international reach, such as David Chipperfield Architects and Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners. Yet, the timing of his arrival was telling: It coincided with the twilight of the “starchitect” boom, when the cult of celebrity designers — exalted for avant-garde novelty, derided for cultural imperialism — was beginning to wane in the wake of the Great Recession. Against this backdrop, how does Keong Wee view the ongoing debate over cities favouring branded landmarks that risk clashing with their surroundings, versus embracing a more grounded “locatecture”?
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“Of course, people will be drawn to figures like Tadao Ando or Zaha Hadid. There will always be a place for their masterpieces,” he acknowledges. “But my take is that one has to look beyond the surface. If I were in their position, I would ask: What value does this architecture bring — not just economically, but socially? Kengo Kuma is a good example; he draws on traditional Japanese construction methods with a deep connection to culture and nature. When that knowledge and material expertise are reinterpreted in a modern way, they enrich the fabric of any city or society. In Singapore, Marina Bay Sands has become inseparable from the national skyline, but projects of that scale and impact are rare.”
A self-confessed “sucker for courtyards and greenery”, Keong Wee admires John Portman, who envisioned Singapore’s Mandarin Oriental and Pan Pacific hotels with soaring, dramatic atria. His appreciation extends farther afield, too: In Switzerland, the 7132 Thermal Baths by Peter Zumthor stands out for its masterful use of 60,000 slabs of local Vals quartzite, forming a timeless, geometric cave system that blends into the surrounding mountain.
“Everyone — from passers-by on the street to academics and arbiters — has an opinion about architecture, much like they did when the Gherkin debuted in 2004. Even though I left Foster 17 years ago, I still believe the neo-futurist structure was compelling for its time, pushing the boundaries of engineering while beginning to engage with sustainability. I don’t usually dwell on whether a building looks good or not; what matters more to me is how it contributes to the architectural discourse of its period. Every era, after all, has its own challenges.”
The project has 92 serviced residence ranging from studios to two-bedroom units, some equipped with a living room and kitchenette
Sense + sensitivity
For Keong Wee, context — informed by climate, culture and customs — is often the starting point of spatial planning, with community as its ultimate goal. That outlook guided PAC in 2008, when the Hemis Cultural and Welfare Society — a non-profit under the Drukpa lineage of Buddhism — commissioned the team to design a new school for monks in north India’s Ladakh. The six-storey Shambunath Institute, built 3,700m up in the Himalayas beside the historic 17th-century Hemis Monastery, provides residential and learning facilities for 500 young monks. It also embodies the lineage’s emphasis on education and environmental preservation, weaving sustainability into every aspect of its construction.
The result responds directly to the region’s extremes. Local stone walls insulate against bitter winters, while transparent polycarbonate roofing traps heat when temperatures plunge and opens in summer to allow ventilation. Dry pit latrines were introduced to mitigate the impact of the school’s water use and waste disposal, easing pressure on a village of just 400 residents where resources are already scarce.
“It’s inspiring to see how people can thrive with so little,” he says. “Context really forms the basis of how we approach everything, especially in hospitality, because modern sensibility and intervention are as much about people as they are about place.”
Such lessons carried forward into his latest venture, The Initial Sama, developed on a site that Cover Projects secured in 2024 through a Singapore Land Authority tender with a lease period of 5+4 years. Aligned with the government’s vision of positioning the country as “an urban wellness haven”, the endeavour drew inspiration from one of his earlier properties, The Initial Residence. Although this establishment in Balestier caters primarily for students and expatriates, Keong Wee observed a steady rise in tourists seeking treatment at the nearby HealthCity Novena.
That insight eventually crystallised into the Evans Road project: a sprawling 153,821 sq ft sanctuary near bustling Oxford Road, centred on preventative care, post-recovery support and, soon, post-partum programmes. Set beside the Botanic Gardens and close to private hospitals such as Gleneagles and Mount Elizabeth, the 92-key serviced residence combines the intimacy of studios and two-bedroom suites with the convenience of contemporary hospitality. Some units feature pantries and compact kitchenettes, while shared laundry rooms, housekeeping and round-the-clock reception services ease the practicalities of daily living. Beyond the essentials, residents have access to a bathhouse, gym, guest lounge, children’s play area, meeting rooms and an outdoor pool. Adding to this ecosystem, external partners will operate within the grounds, including Artisan Esthetic Dental, a specialist clinic, as well as two debut dining concepts, Yara and Elixir.
Guest services include housekeeping, round-the-clock reception and concierge
Asked why he chose the name Sama, Keong Wee explains: “It’s derived from the Sanskrit word for balance. Traditionally, wellness has been seen as a luxury — think of brands like Banyan Tree or Aman — while Singapore’s healthcare is very expensive. Sama here suggests a level playing field, where treatment can be accessible to everyone.
“When we researched the concept for the residence, we realised medical tourism in Singapore isn’t as developed as in Malaysia or Thailand, mainly because of affordability. You wouldn’t come here for dentures or knee surgery. But what Singapore has is a robust, mature healthcare system that excels in complex cases — cancer, heart conditions and serious illnesses — and often serves corporate clients, senior executives and ministers. And with them come family members and caregivers who need somewhere to stay while patients recover. The demand for this kind of accommodation became even clearer during Covid, when hospital bed occupancy rates remained high despite transitioning out of the pandemic.”
For decades, recuperation was confined to the image of clinical settings: white-tiled corridors, the cold gleam of chrome railings and sanitised surfaces. Today, recovery is being deinstitutionalised as places of care borrow the language of home. Health retreats have moved away from the sterile, with sofas and bookshelves replacing waiting benches; soft lamps standing in for fluorescent strips — details that nurture psychological tranquillity as much as physical healing. This shift is not only aesthetic but also economic: An ageing population in the developed world, many of whom lack adequate insurance or face long waits in overburdened national health systems, is turning to Asia’s medical destinations, where service is increasingly paired with comfort.
The most distinctive attribute of The Initial Sama is its sense of domesticity, the idea of home. Keong Wee sees it as a prototype that could be adapted elsewhere. “I can imagine it taking root in mature markets where both real estate and medical costs are high, or in highly stressed societies, say, Asian metropolises like Hong Kong. That said, it’s less about pinpointing a particular city than about identifying demographics that match our intent.”
Solid foundations
For all his worldly experiences, some of Keong Wee’s deepest influences and strongest work ethic came from family, especially Lim Senior. Others might picture a billionaire who forged a conglomerate from nothing — surviving the Japanese occupation of Malaya by growing vegetables, then trading in metal and hardware to lay the foundation of his fortune — as stern and unyielding, hardened by a life of labour and scarcity. Yet, to Keong Wee, he was simply a grandfather like any other, concerned with his grandson’s studies and when he might get married.
“Personal time with him was mostly during meals or festive occasions. Every New Year, we’d go up to the Highlands, where the grandchildren saw first-hand how hard he worked. We tagged along on his ‘site visits’ and watched him in action. What struck me the most was his willingness to take risks and the perseverance that put a hillside resort on the map. Now that I’m a father of two, I believe we should equip our children with the right tools to face life — not just books, but also the resilience to stay true to themselves and their passions.”
Keong Wee also co-founded Legion of Racers
For many family business successors, shouldering the weight of a generational mantle can feel inevitable, as they are expected to emulate or even surpass what came before. Keong Wee acknowledges this, though he says distance softened that load. Growing up away from Malaysia meant he was spared much of the direct pressure. And his parents reinforced that freedom by allowing him to carve his own path, whether through architecture or even racing, a hobby he no longer actively pursues but which instilled in him the same discipline that continues to mould his character and help navigate his career today.
“I started with karting through friends, and it became an obsession. I thought, hey, I’m pretty good at this. Maybe I should try it competitively,” he reminisces with a laugh. What began in 2014 as a casual pastime grew serious as he progressed into Formula and GT cars, eventually competing in the Super Taikyu Championship in 2018, where he secured a third-place finish. That same year, he co-founded Legion of Racers (LOR) with fellow driver Melvin Moh to spark wider interest in motorsports through simulation racing.
“In a way, racing pushes you to bring out the best version of yourself. But what I’ve learned through competitive sports — I’ve always loved basketball and rugby — is that teamwork is what really takes you the extra mile. I remember working with a great engineer and confiding in him about my mental struggles. He taught me to approach a race differently, and that turned into one of my best-performing years. The same applies to my day-to-day approach, where clear leadership, open communication and transparency within the team strengthen the company as a whole.”
On the subject of Formula 1, Keong Wee does not hold back from singling out Ferrari’s Monégasque star, Charles Leclerc, as his favourite. “I suppose some of his characteristics resonate with me. He is level-headed, not flamboyant, and he gets the job done.”
It is a choice that speaks volumes. Like the Grand Prix winner, whose eight seasons on the grid have showcased a balance of precision and composure, Keong Wee brings the same temperament to his own vocation: steady and thoughtful, whether reviving spaces that enliven a community or steering new ideas with resolve.
“I guess that’s who I aim to be.”
