Creating wild and wonderful worlds behind glass

Imagine having a miniature rainforest in your living room: lush greenery covering rocks, water trickling down a tiny waterfall and perhaps a gecko or frog peeking out from among the foliage.

This is the kind of little world that Reptivarium creates.

This homegrown design and fabrication studio specialises in creating naturalistic environments, from intricate vivariums and paludariums (a hybrid of an aquarium and a terrarium) to rockwork, waterfalls and other nature-inspired installations.

For its three co-founders, Alex Tng, Vanessa Lim and Keven Ong, however, their work extends beyond simply creating beautiful things.

“Our philosophy is really about finding ways to make the built environment feel more connected to nature,” Tng, 29, told FMT Lifestyle.

“We want to take something that might otherwise be an ordinary urban space and transform it into something immersive, organic and alive.”

Reptivarium began as a hobby for Tng, a reptile lover, when Lim asked him to create an enclosure for her African fat-tailed gecko. Despite having little experience, he gave it a shot.

His creation was a hit on social media, where he posted it, and many people asked if he took commissioned work.

Encouraged by the interest, Tng joined forces with Lim and their friend, Ong, and what began as a simple side project grew into something far more ambitious.

“Our inspiration came from the idea of recreating nature at a much smaller scale,” Lim, 31, explained. “Instead of simply putting an animal into an enclosure, we asked: what if we could take a piece of its natural world and put that inside the glass as well?”

Today, Reptivarium creates made-to-order bespoke installations, both live and artificial, designed around clients and their spaces.

Their creations can be found in homes, offices, clinics, cafés and event spaces, as well as commercial venues such as The Pocket and Mizuniwa Aquascape Café.

Since its establishment in 2024, the company has built homes for all manner of exotic tenants, including lizards, snakes, fish and crabs, with some kept animal-free as purely botanical displays.

More recently, their vivariums have housed creatures of the fantastical variety. As it turns out, these miniature landscapes also make eye-catching displays for Pokémon cards!

If an animal is going to live inside one of their displays, its natural behaviour – how it moves, climbs and hides- and needs are considered.

“We don’t start by thinking about how to decorate an empty tank. We start by thinking about what kind of environment we’re trying to recreate,” Tng said.

This requires considerably more than arranging attractive plants and rocks. The team spent years learning about plants, reptiles and exotic animals, as well as substrates, hardscapes, humidity, drainage and lighting.

Ong recalled one request to create a habitat for a bearded dragon. Their installation measured about six feet, and the team spent almost three weeks on it.

“There was a lot of work involved, but we were in awe once we saw the results. The owner called us soon after, saying his bearded dragon had grown bigger and healthier,” Ong, 31, said.

For the trio, one of the attractions of a vivarium is that it is never static. Plants grow and the landscape gradually changes.

In busy urban environments, they believe these little pockets of greenery are a reminder to slow down. “In a way, it could be a zen zone for one to unwind after a long day, and a quiet corner to sit back, relax and observe,” Lim mused.

She also hopes their creations will encourage more pet owners, particularly those with reptiles and other exotic animals, to provide them with the proper care and space they need to live and thrive.

According to the co-founders, the response to their work has been encouraging, although the industry is still relatively new in Malaysia.

Looking ahead, they are exploring larger indoor landscapes, artificial rainforests and moss walls, bespoke rockwork, waterfalls, ponds, and workshops.

Yet whether it is building a tiny terrarium, medium enclosure or much larger architectural installation, the founders say their creations will always remain the same: “Take a chunk of nature and put it inside a space. Make it feel alive.”

Follow Reptivarium on Instagram.

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