Air Dempsey Hill (AIR CCCC): Sustainable architecture & farm-to-table menu
Located on Dempsey Hill, Air measures 3,716 sqm, including the space for its own garden used to provide fresh produce as ingredients.
By Isabel Lim -
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AIR CCCC (Circular Campus and Cooking Club) is a new fine-dining restaurant in Dempsey that recently launched in 2024. You might have seen it trending on Tiktok - a modernist building surrounded by verdant greenery and lush hills, with a spacious interior and scrumptious meals prepared in an open kitchen.
Apart from being run by two world renowned chefs (read more about them here), AIR CCCC also stands out as one of the few farm-to-table eateries in Singapore. Additionally, AIR operates beyond just as a restaurant, hence the added CCCC (more about the Circular Campus and Cooking Club here).
Operating Hours
5:30pm to 11:00pm from Wednesdays to Sundays.
Location
25B Dempsey Rd, Singapore 249918
AIR CCCC Dempsey Hill is surrounded by verdurous plains, including its lawn and very own garden.
AIR CCCC Dempsey Hill Design
The 'AIR' in AIR CCCC Dempsey Hill stands for Awareness, Impact, and Responsibility. One main principle of AIR is to, through pleasurable food, educate consumers on the relation of food and the environment, such as ethical ingredients and food waste reduction. Apart from weaving sustainability into the fabric of their culinary practices, AIR also manifests their ethics through their architecture.
Who designed AIR CCCC?
AIR CCCC in Dempsey Hill was designed by OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architects) - an international architecture firm currently led by eight partners, including architect David Gianotten who worked on AIR CCCC with Ronald Akili (read more about the co-founder of AIR here).
OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architects)
OMA has designed a number of projects around the world, including the Taipei Performing Arts Centre (2022), the WA Museum Boola Bardip in Perth (2020), the Axel Springer Campus in Berlin (2020), Norra Tornen in Stockholm (2020), and Potato Head Studios in Bali (2020) to name a few.
David joined OMA in 2008, launched OMA’s Hong Kong office in 2009, and became a partner in 2010. He led OMA’s portfolio in the Asia-Pacific region for seven years. In 2015, he returned to the Netherlands to oversee OMA globally as Managing Partner – Architect.
OMA Managing Partner and Architect David Gianotten collaborated with Associate Shinji Takagi to lead AIR CCCC's design team. They have previously worked together on the N*thing is Possible exhibition at the National Design Centre in Singapore.
The former CSC Dempsey Clubhouse before construction works. The building was repurposed as AIR CCCC's main restaurant. Image Credit: AIR CCCC
Dempsey Hill History
Now a frequented art and lifestyle quarter, Dempsey Hill was a nutmeg plantation in the mid-nineteenth century, and a barracks complex between the 1860s and 1990s.
The site of AIR is defined by its 4,000 sqm green space and the former modernist CSC Dempsey Clubhouse building which was built in the 1970s for the sports and leisure activities of the civil servants.
In designing AIR, OMA had to take into consideration the existing nature and the CSC Dempsey Clubhouse. They also had to work around conserving trees with girths of over a meter, under the instruction of local authorities.
The CSC Dempsey Clubhouse, however, was subsequently allowed to be demolished, as the government considered it to have no specific historical value.
Despite that liberty, the designers at OMA questioned if they should only preserve what is deemed 'significant'. They challenged themselves by innovating architectural interventions that both accentuate the sacrosanct greenery and trifling building into elements of equal value.
In doing so, minimal changes were be made to the building to minimize construction waste, in accordance with AIR's vision of environmental sustainability.
The long, arching walkway is a primary feature of AIR, seperating the garden and the lawn.
AIR CCCC Dempsey Architecture
Entrance Walkway
A key architectural intervention of AIR CCCC Dempsey includes the installation of a 100-meter walkway. It serves as a new path connecting AIR CCCC to a nearby parking lot, replacing the previously narrow and hidden route that made the clubhouse inaccessible.
The CSC Dempsey Clubhouse before redevelopment was hidden and inaccessible behind uneven terrain. Image Credit: AIR CCCC
With an organic design, the walkway mirrors the natural topography of Dempsey Hill, loosely dividing the expansive green space into two zones: a garden on one side and a lawn on the other.
Visitors can choose to explore the meandering paths of the garden, doubling as AIR CCCC's farm for learning about food cultivation and tasting the harvest. Alternatively, they can wander into the lawn, where picnics and various events take place. Patios along the walkway serve as additional sitting-out areas, complementing the lawn experience.
Indoor-Outdoor Design
Upon reaching the first floor, the pathway seamlessly extends into the building's interior, retaining its unique arc and materials, further emphasizing its connection to the outdoor environment.
This intentional juxtaposition establishes a symbiotic relationship with the surrounding greenery. Facilitated by an operable facade system, the distinction between indoor and outdoor spaces becomes blurred, fostering a cohesive environment where the main dining area, open kitchen, and bar seamlessly merge with the outdoors.
The former CSC Dempsey clubhouse now stands as a contemporary two-storey structure featuring ribbon windows as defining design elements.
CSC Dempsey Clubhouse
Positioned to face the lawn, the primary dining area on this level transforms through an operable front façade. This alteration turns the initially enclosed first floor into a semi-outdoor dining space with expansive terraces, fostering a relaxed atmosphere for meals connected to the lawn.
Towards the rear of AIR CCCC Dempsey, an open kitchen provides transparency to the dish-making processes for all to witness.
On the second floor of AIR CCCC Dempsey, the original façade is replaced with glass, establishing an indoor space that offers panoramic views of the lawn. Here, visitors discover a more intimate dining setting.
Second Floor
The second floor presents guests with a distinct ambience; a climatized space overlooking the front lawn provides a high sense of privacy. Exposed ceilings convey a sense of rawness, while large-format lamps with organic shapes installed overhead impart a feeling of warmth.
In addition to the dining area, designated spaces are allocated for R&D, a pastry bar, a fermentation lab, and a cooking academy. It is a hub for experimentation with new recipes and engaging with the community through a cooking academy program, open to all interested in exploring new culinary adventures.
AIR CCCC Dempsey's 'Cylinder' connects the front-of-house and back-of-house programs, including the staircases for the guests and the staff, a bar, a kitchen, and a machine room.
The 'Cylinder'
Another intervention to the building is the cylinder. A form of symbiotic architecture, it consolidates the front-of-house and back-of-house programs, including the staircases for the guests and the staff, a bar, a kitchen, and a machine room.
Positioned at the rear – away from the front façade – the newly installed 'Cylinder' in the AIR CCCC Dempsey Hill indicates the coexistence of the old and the new.
AIR CCCC Dempsey’s fixtures and furniture have been designed by Andreu Carulla using recycled timber and plastic bottles (HDPE) sourced from a former art installation.
Sustainable Furniture
AIR CCCC Dempsey’s fixtures and furniture have been designed by Andreu Carulla using recycled timber and plastic bottles (HDPE) sourced from a former art installation.
Another frequently used material is Styrofoam – often used in disposable food containers. These elements allude to the ethos of AIR to discover the potential and beauty in what is often perceived as waste.
AIR CCCC Menu
Menu & Prices
If you plan to dine at AIR CCCC Dempsey, expect a meal to set you back by $88++ per person for the full fine-dining experience of a five course meal and dessert, which has to be ordered by your whole table.
Otherwise, you can enjoy à la carte items on the menu, as indicated below.
For large parties of 6 pax and above, please call or email AIR to make a reservation at 8228 1528 or bookings@aircccc.com.
AIR CCCC Ingredients
AIR CCCC is heavily engaged with the local farming community here in Singapore, and they source most of their greens and all of our mushrooms locally.
The remaining ingredients that are not available in Singapore come from Malaysia and Indonesia, with a couple of nut varieties coming from Vietnam. In addition, a variety of herbs, fruits, and vegetables are cultivated from their very own garden.
AIR CCCC Research Centre
What is the research centre in AIR CCCC Dempsey Hill for? While cooking is largely regarded as a form of art, there is indisputably a lot of science behind it. At AIR's Research Space, they seek to generate ways to utilise seemingly useless ingredients. Through various forms of fermentation, AIR is devoted to minimising all forms of food wastage, especially in the kitchen.
How can I join AIR's Cooking Club?
The AIR CCCC Cooking Club is open to all individuals who share our passion for good food and community. You can stay updated on upcoming events and activities by visiting their website or contact them directly for more information.
AIR’s Cooking Club will host talks by farmers and producers who tell their own stories through food. The AIR Family is passionate about spreading awareness and creating communities among the public and these dynamic producers and creators.
Will Goldfarb (left) and Matthew Orlando (right) are two of the three co-founders of AIR CCCC.
AIR CCCC Chef
Founded by renowned chefs Will Goldfarb and Matthew Orlando, as well as hospitality brand Potato Head founder Ronald Akili, AIR CCCC goes above and beyond the conventional dining experience, and is a spearhead for sustainable eateries.
AIR has been developed by Chefs Matthew Orlando and Will Goldfarb, and Ronald Akili. Ronald and OMA have worked in collaboration since 2013, delivering projects including the Potato Head Studios in Bali (2020), and the N*thing is Possible exhibition at the National Design Centre in Singapore (2022).
Each founder had an interest in sustainability and environmental consciousness long before their collaboration on AIR. Moreover, with their renowned success in their respective fields, AIR was a highly anticipated launch.
Will Goldfarb, Chef
Will Goldfarb was recently named The World's Best Pastry Chef in 2021, by Cacao Barry's The World's Best 50 Restaurants. Born in New York, USA, in 1975, Goldfarb started working in restaurants at age 15. After finishing college at Duke University, he declined a law school offer in favour of travelling Paris to study pastry cooking at Le Cordon Bleu, a culinary and hospitality school teaching French haute cuisine.
He then spent the next chapter of his life working as a chef internationally, namely in the USA, Paris, Spain, and Australia. In 2006, and under the encouragement of this wife, Maria, Goldfarb opened his very own restaurant, which led to a James Beard nomination for Goldfarb as Best Pastry Chef in America.
Room4Dessert
The restaurant he now owns is the Balinese restaurant Room4Dessert (which, much like AIR, relies on their own farm for fresh produce). Located in Ubud, Bali Indonesia, Room4Dessert was originally established in New York, USA, but closed within two years of its establishment due to ownership issues, only to reopen in Bali in 2014.
Goldfarb moved there with his family to open the restaurant, and runs it with Maria, where she is in charge of the design, planning, and advising on the sustainability aspect of Room4Dessert.
Room4Dessert is an award-winning restaurant that incorporates Balinese culture and cuisine into their menu, and offers a 9-course dessert experience.
Cooking Philosophy
Goldfarb's philosophy of putting as much importance on process as product ensures not only a delicious but also a healthy and eco-friendly meal. He also prefers working with fresh and plant-based products, and does not like using fats and sugars as ingredients.
He has previously collaborated with Potato Head at Room4Dessert events in Bali and Singapore on desert showcase events.
Matthew Orlando, Chef
Born in California, 1997, Matt Orlando started his career in San Diego at the age of 16. After hopping from restaurant to restaurant in the US, he moved to England to work at multiple Michelin Star restaurants. He then moved to Copenhagen, Demark, to work in Noma (voted three times as the number one restaurant by Restaurant magazine), before returning to New York City.
He stayed as a Sous Chef at a Michelin restaurant there for three years, before returning to Noma yet again, this time as the Chef de Cuisine (Head Chef). He left to open his own restaurant, Amass, in 2013, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Amass
Matthew Orlando’s restaurant Amass too sourced their ingredients from its own garden. After a remarkable 9 year run, Amass had closed its doors in 2022 after complications arising from the pandemic.
In its prime, Amass was a spearhead among sustainable restaurants. Orlando worked with environmental analysts to reduce Amass’ carbon footprint, and pioneered methods of implementing a circular metabolism to reduce food wastage, without compromising the taste of the products.
Ronald Akili, founder of Potato Head Family. Image credit: The Peak
Ronald Akili, Co-Founder
Potato Head Family, co-founded by Ronald Akili, is a hospitality brand originating from Bali, Indonesia. With an emphasis on preserving the environment, Akili seeks to cultivate a community of people looking for fun experiences whilst reducing their carbon footprint.
Akili founded Potato Head Family hospitality brand in 2010, and was born in Jakarta. Born to Indonesian tycoon, Ronald was raised in Jakarta until the age of 13, where he relocated to Hawaii to attend high school and university.
It was Hawaii's sustainable practices that inspired Akili's own interest in sustainability, which was a concept he brought back with him to Jakarta at the age of 25.
Akili and his family are currently living in Singapore.
Potato Head Studio started off as a beach club called Potato Head Suites in 2015. By 2021, Potato Head Studios expanded to three buildings with OMA's design. Credit: OMA
Business Philosophy
One of the hallmarks of Akili's leadership is his emphasis on innovation and sustainability within the hospitality industry. The Potato Head Family has been recognized for its commitment to environmental responsibility, community engagement, and supporting local artisans.
The company is the first Indonesian hospitality brand to be independently verified as carbon neutral, and has banned single use plastics in across their establishments.
Akili has previously worked with OMA's David Gianotten to build Potato Head Studios, a resort located in Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia. In building Potato Head Studios, an integration with the local community was emphasised, challenging the notion of exclusivity of holiday resorts.
And why the name 'Potato Head'? Akili wanted his brand to be fun and inclusive, as opposed to elegant and upscale.
AIR CCCC Reservations
With so many spearheads of their field collaborating on AIR, it's no surprise that people are lining up to grab a meal at their restaurant.
If you're interesting in a fine-dining experience unlike any other, visit their website here to book a table. If you're looking to bring email them directly at bookings@aircccc.com.
Visit AIR CCCC at 25B Dempsey Rd, Singapore 249918. Tel 8228 1528.
All photographs of AIR CCCC by Kris Provoost.