On 16 January 2026, students from the Bachelor of Interior Architecture and Design (BIAD) and the Diploma in Interior Design (DID) programmes participated in an educational field trip titled “Discovering History Through Spatial Design: A Visit to Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association and Beryl’s Chocolate at Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur.”
A total of 51 students took part in the study visit, comprising 15 BIAD students from Design Studio 3 and 36 DID students from Interior Design 5. The primary objective of the trip was to familiarise students with spatial storytelling, cultural heritage, and the historical layers embedded within Petaling Street, one of Kuala Lumpur’s oldest and most culturally rich urban districts.
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| Group photo at Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association |
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| At Beryl's Chocolate Shop |
Through on-site observations, students explored how adaptive reuse strategies are applied within heritage buildings and examined the influence of commercial architecture in historic contexts. This hands-on learning experience encouraged students to critically analyse spaces from historical, contextual, and human-centred perspectives, offering valuable insights to inform and enrich their future design practices.
A highlight of the visit was the opportunity for students to meet the owner of the Yan Keng Benevolent Dramatic Association, who shared firsthand accounts of the building’s history and its cultural significance. This direct engagement provided students with deeper understanding of how intangible heritage, beliefs, and traditions are preserved and expressed through spatial design.
Reflecting on the experience, one student shared:
“The visit to the Yan Keng Building and Beryl’s Chocolate allowed me to see how cultural beliefs are translated into spatial design, deepening my appreciation of how architectural spaces convey stories through their materials, layout, and symbolism.”
— Carlos Lee Ming Jun, Design Studio 3 Student, BIAD
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| Site Investigation |
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| Compiling and checking on measurements |
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| Taking Site Measurement |
Overall, the study visit served as a meaningful platform for experiential learning, bridging academic knowledge with real-world heritage environments and reinforcing the importance of context-sensitive design in interior architecture.
