After graduating from Singapore, Mr. Hok Kang has ventured into the world of architecture, establishing himself as one of the big players in the field. His notable architectural accomplishments, ranging from Brown Coffee, HKA & PARTNERS, URBANLAND, and recent project Borey Chankiri, have confirmed his ambition to transform Cambodia’s image in the business of building the buildings.
In the interview with Baksey Asia, Mr. Hok Kang admits that having studied abroad actually broadens his horizons, totally reshaping his view on the local architectural style to global innovation concept: People-Centric Focus!
He sees small space as a big idea to innovate. A good house will make a family healthy and happy, he says. But it takes an architect with an entrepreneurial mindset to bring this artistic concept into a reality, he adds. In other words, a builder of the future starts designing today as an entrepreneur with family-focused objective.
In 2009, his first-ever architectural design project was Brown Coffee design, according to him. Today with its 45 busy branches, Brown is one of the biggest coffee shop brands, if not the biggest, in Cambodia.
His design philosophy is: “Design Brown like you’ve never designed one before.”
If a brand from abroad has its own standard, Brown will never ever copy such a concept. In plain language, Brown is itself the leading brand, not a mere copycat.
For example, in April 2025, Brown has opened its new one-of-the-kind branch along the Mao Tse Toung Boulevard, as he reveals; the building itself happens to be the home of Vann Molyvann, Cambodia’s renowned architect.
The legend in Cambodia architecture Vann Molyvann once hoped that the new breed of Cambodian architects will transform Cambodia’s architecture into the new phase of today’s appreciation. As an admirer of Vann Molyvann, Mr. Hok takes note, and follows suit.
If Brown Mao Tse Toung (aka Brown Vann Molyvann’s Home) is the expression of the look into the past, doubtlessly, the next project would be the look into the future.
“Now the bird can fly!” is yet another new design concept from Brown located inside the newly founded Techo International Airport. It’s art and architecture combined together to represent the nation’s peace, according to him.
The Master of the Art of the Design Mr. Hok Kang reveals his secret: “If you can create a mood of spaciousness and coziness, in a small place, that’s the art of the design.”
You need air and light in the same room to make it comfortable, in his view.
If Brown is the symbol of great design, it would be only the beginning. Borey Chankiri is his next big project, in his hope, to revive the mood of the home buyers. His simple metaphor about home design is that you can actually charge your life battery at home, instead of having to travel to resort from a faraway place.
As a naturalist himself, Mr. Hok is enthusiastic about trees, and unsurprisingly enough, he names his next big project from a tree famously known to all Cambodians as rain tree (meaning in Khmer: Chankiri).
Design-inside-out concept is his main objective in this project, according to him. However, as a home builder for different home buyers, one of the top priorities for him is to study the needs of the customers, he says.
Modernity is necessary for today’s home buyers, he observes. Self-expression is another key element. But as a home designer, you have to have good understanding of the ways a house can be built and will stand, for many years to come. Thus, scientific backup is crucial to consider for a home designer. In other words, it takes science to make art flawless and beautiful; its beauty and comfort have to align with well-calculated design.
Even more interesting for Borey Chankiri, the location is prime for anyone looking for relaxation and accessibility to the city. Never in the home building history in Cambodia have any builders been bold enough to build their house projects near the river shore. Today Borey Chankiri is the pioneer of this relaxation home project for ready home buyers. There are five types of houses for customers to choose, according to him, ranking from a mom-and-pop-with-a-child house to the big family house concept.
A happy house is a space for public and family private space in combination, he adds. It can serve many purposes for family members under the same roof, so to speak.
Care factor is the success factor for Borey Chankiri, according to him. He explains that the necessity of this brand is how it treats customers with utmost care after they have purchased the house. He adds that people buy a house to live, for a long time, and they expect extremely good services from the Borey.
As the old saying goes, “Great things take time”. He confirms that it is so true that we should be patient in the quest for greatness.
He also restates a quote from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, “I wish upon you suffering”. In this, he was perplexed at first, but not today, as he sees and understands what Jensen said many years ago. In hindsight, one has to be patient, but at the same time, he has to plant his roots so deep in the ground that it can reach water source, enough to allow him to endure the long and grueling process of growth. Not to mention success in the future.