BACKGROUND
My work spans across academia, research and practice. My interests revolve around the notion of architecture as environment adaptation in the making of place. I joined the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1986, after working for 6 years at the Public Works Department and receiving my practice certification with the Board of Architects in 1985. Over this period, I received 3 scholarships – two Colombo Plan scholarships my BArch and MArch and the Overseas Graduate Scholarship for my PhD. I have won awards for my designs and have both published and edited scholarly work.
While with NUS, I was involved in all levels of management and teaching. The highlights were when I developed and directed the Masters of Landscape Architecture program and was then appointed as Director of the Masters of Science (Environmental Management) program.
My last 3 years have been attached to the University of Melbourne with a focus on Environmentally Sustainable Design. My latest book, Beyond Environmental Comfort, has been published in June this year. In 2012, I was keynote speaker on thermal aesthetics at the Ambiances conference in Montreal and my paper on carbon sequestration won Best Paper award for Practice Track at the iNTA conference in Singapore.
EDUCATION
PhD, 1996 (received: 2002), University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
– Place & Plants in Architecture: An Investigation into the Phenomenon of Place, the Thermal Environment and the Significant Role of Plants
M.Arch (Acoustics), 1980, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
– Acoustical Modelling in Architecture
B. Arch, 1978, University of Auckland. Auckland, New Zealand
– Final Year Thesis: Tauranga Centennial Centre – Acoustics and Design
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Senior Lecturer (Environmentally Sustainable Design)
Department of Architecture, Building and Planning
University of Melbourne
2010 to present
Director, Masters of Science (Environmental Management)
National University of Singapore 2010
Director, Masters of Landscape Architecture
National University of Singapore 2009
Senior Lecturer, Department of Architecture
School of Design and Environment
National University of Singapore 1990-2009
Lecturer, Department of Architecture
School of Design and Environment
National University of Singapore 1986-1990
Executive Architect
Public Works Department, Singapore 1980-86
AWARDS AND PRIZES
Best Paper for Practice Track
iNTA2012 Tropics 2050 Conference, Singapore, 12-14 December 2012
Winning Entry – Singapore Management University
An Ideas Competition (with A/P Foo Ah Fong)
First Prize – Shenzhen Ecocity Design Competition
with A/P Foo Ah Fong, Archurban Architects & Planners, and CESMA
AFFILIATIONS
Member, Singapore Institute of Architects
Since 1986
Registered Architect, Board of Architects, Singapore
Since 1986
Environmental Design Advisor, LOOK Architects, Singapore
2010
BOARD MEMBERSHIP
Peer Reviewer, Body & Society, Sage Publications, 2013.
Editorial Board, Intelligent Buildings International, Earthscan (since 2009)
Scientific Committee, iNTA2012 Conference, Singapore
Technical Committee, Ambiances2012, Montreal, Canada
Effectiveness of SkyGardens for Landscape and Greenery, Singapore Institute of Architects Focus Group, 2009
Scientific Committee, iNTA2009, Kasetsart, Thailand
International Network for Tropical Architecture, iNTA2006
Passive and Low Energy Architecture, PLEA2007
Editorial Board, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 1997-2000