SAA Architects

SAA Architects Full-suite architecture consultancy based in Singapore

“Beyond the hype, we must believe in the social value of heritage buildings and in rejuvenating them. Adaptive reuse giv...
19/06/2026

“Beyond the hype, we must believe in the social value of heritage buildings and in rejuvenating them. Adaptive reuse gives them a new lease of life so that they can continue providing value to the community over its lifetime,” shared Ivy Koh at this week’s World Cities Summit 2026.

Speaking at the Singapore Land Authority (SLA)’s session - Rejuvenating Heritage Properties for Vibrant Communities - Ivy Koh, Executive Director and Singapore Lead for Architecture + Design, SJ Group and SAA Architects joined an esteemed panel of city and government leaders including Ana Abrunhosa, Mayor of Coimbra; Geoff McDonald, Mayor of Toowoomba; Tomomi Yamash*ta, Director General for Global Initiatives, Policy Administration and International Affairs Bureau, City of Yokohama; and Calvin Phua, Chief Executive of SLA. The session was moderated by Joseph Ooi, Co-Director of the Institute of Real Estate and Urban Studies (IREUS), National University of Singapore (NUS).

Drawing on her experience as the overall project lead and the lead architect for Temasek Shophouse, Ivy shared how the team reimagined Temasek Shophouse’s spatial logic to support a growing community of changemakers.

To unify the four conserved units while preserving their individual architectural styles, the team introduced a connecting spine on the ground floor as an internal street, guiding circulation and a sense of continuity across varying levels. Its rich layering of architecture features was also carefully preserved and brought forward through adaptive reuse, allowing visitors to experience Singapore’s urban heritage as something lived and shared rather than distant and abstract.

We thank Singapore Land Authority (SLA) for convening this meaningful dialogue on how cities can revitalise heritage spaces to foster a sense of place and belonging for current and future generations. Together with SJ Group, we were pleased to contribute to conversations at World Cities Summit 2026, joining fellow leaders in advancing urban impact for cities and communities.





In recognition of their contributions to Singapore’s design landscape, SJ Group and Studio Lapis received the Special 10...
18/06/2026

In recognition of their contributions to Singapore’s design landscape, SJ Group and Studio Lapis received the Special 10th Anniversary Honour (The Enduring) for Temasek Shophouse at last week’s Tatler Homes Design Awards 2026.

Congratulations to the project team, including Ivy Koh, Executive Director and Singapore Lead for Architecture + Design, SJ Group and SAA Architects; David Oktavianus, Associate, SJ Group; Weng Hin Ho, Co-founder of Studio Lapis and Yvonne Tay, CEO of Temasek Shophouse, who accepted the award at the event.

The shophouse’s layered architecture heritage - such as the original Shanghai plaster, fair-faced brick facade, handpainted signages, mosaic tiles and precast cornices - tells the story of Singapore’s sociocultural shifts through the decades, and her growing affluence from the inter-war years to the present. Through adaptive reuse, these heritage elements were carefully retained and reinterpreted, turning the shophouse into a living record of Singapore’s urban transformation.

Envisioned as a welcoming social gathering hub, the first storey serves as a civic living room. A new outdoor space, porous lobby, curated entrances and wheelchair-accessible routes enhance connectivity, encouraging seamless movement and interaction in the shophouse across a community of non-profits, social enterprises and charities.

The award by Tatler Asia recognises the architects and interior designers who transformed a distinctive heritage asset into a vibrant hub for social impact and a growing community of changemakers.

Photo Credit: Darren Soh for Temasek Shophouse

“Holistic wellbeing is increasingly becoming a measure of quality within industrial developments. The challenge is how w...
12/06/2026

“Holistic wellbeing is increasingly becoming a measure of quality within industrial developments. The challenge is how we embed it meaningfully within the business environment to support workers’ comfort, convenience and safety,” shared by SAA’s Director Puay Lin Siah.

At this week’s JTC Development Quality Seminar, Puay Lin discussed how effective collaboration can advance sustainability, productivity and community wellbeing across industrial projects. Speaking to some 100 developers, architects, engineers, contractors and facility managers, she highlighted the following as key levers for quality outcomes:

• An integrated digital ecosystem
• Redefining the industrial typology
• Value engineering through procurement
• Holistic wellbeing and sustainability

Drawing on SJ Group’s experience delivering large-scale projects such as Bulim Square, Geneo, Sin Ming Auto City, and The Gear, she illustrated how synergistic approaches can enhance quality, improve project performance, and create long-term value for stakeholders.

She was joined by Lim Chee Kiang, Principal Development Manager of JTC Corporation, Deva Lutchia, Principal Manager, Environmental Sustainability Group of BuildSG | BCA Singapore and Selvaraj Prabhukannan, Senior Site Engineer of China Construction (South Pacific) Development.

Appreciation to JTC Corporation for bringing industry stakeholders together to advance quality excellence across the built environment sector.

As the heartbeat of Yishun, Northpoint City (NPC) is deeply embedded in the rhythms of everyday life. Its extensive mix ...
09/06/2026

As the heartbeat of Yishun, Northpoint City (NPC) is deeply embedded in the rhythms of everyday life. Its extensive mix of commercial and civic spaces is interlaced through concourses and circulation spines, creating opportunities for everyday encounters across generations.

Beyond integrated new and old wings, the SAA team carefully considered the existing Yishun town centre, garden, the train station and other community amenities and assimilated them into the development, preserving their roles within the community. “NPC offers many pockets of communal space to encourage multi-generational interactions,” shared Patrik Ng, SAA’s Senior Associate Director and Project Lead.

In this studio dialogue, SAA’s Executive Director Aidil Shukor also discussed the design of a verdant ribbon - a ‘green necklace’ - that extends the soft greenscape across the development, creating visual continuity with the adjacent parkland and reflecting NPC’s organic evolution.

The transformation and rejuvenation of the original Northpoint Shopping Centre, first completed by SAA in 1992, had enabled it to continue serving as the social nexus of Yishun. Looking ahead, transit-oriented developments like NPC illustrate how the vision of the 15-minute city can become an everyday reality.

Discover more of our work and insights on transit-oriented developments in the full feature here: https://www.saaarchitects.com.sg/practice/thought

City

Bayshore MRT station, part of Singapore’s Thomson-East Coast Line, caters to a growing residential district and a future...
05/06/2026

Bayshore MRT station, part of Singapore’s Thomson-East Coast Line, caters to a growing residential district and a future park, while connecting residents to East Coast Park via a landscaped pedestrian bridge.

In designing the station, the SAA team drew inspiration from the choreography of light, layers, and connectivity. “The surrounding site is lined with rows of mature rain trees, whose canopies cast intricate patterns of light and shadow on the ground. It was this ephemeral experience of Komorebi that became the starting point of our design approach,” shared Rustam Tan Ji Xian, SAA’s Executive Director and Lead for Transit.

In a studio dialogue, Rustam also expounded on how beyond circulation and efficiency, colour can play a pivotal role in elevating the community experience of MRT stations. He added that spatial strategies such as double-volume spaces that overlook internal pathways can create a sense of expansiveness and welcome within subterranean settings.

Looking ahead, newer MRT stations will serve as multi-functional civic anchors to meet evolving societal needs, with more stations being conceived as part of broader transit-oriented developments. Learn more about the designs of our MRT stations in the full feature here:
http://www.saaarchitects.com.sg/practice/thought

As sustainability, healthcare and urban challenges become increasingly complex, closer engagement between academia and p...
04/06/2026

As sustainability, healthcare and urban challenges become increasingly complex, closer engagement between academia and practice plays a critical role in advancing new ways of thinking.

SAA recently welcomed students and lecturers from the Real Estate programme at Netherland’s .international to SJ Campus for a sharing on Singapore’s approach to green development, healthcare environments and sustainable design. Through a campus tour and presentation, SAA Director Filippo Pesce drew on Singapore’s integrated planning approach and the SJ Campus as a case study in practice, to offer perspectives on how architecture and urban planning can support healthier environments, strengthen community wellbeing and shape resilient, future-ready cities.

By bridging academic curiosity with practice insights, such conversations cultivate new ideas for the future of the built environment. They provide students with first-hand insights into city planning, design and development decisions and how they shape the way cities grow, adapt and support thriving communities over time.

The future workplace is defined by vibrant, people-first environments that integrate innovation, wellbeing and community...
03/06/2026

The future workplace is defined by vibrant, people-first environments that integrate innovation, wellbeing and community. A testament to this vision, Geneo has been recognised with Award for Excellence 2026, one of the region’s highest hooours celebrating excellence in design, sustainability and community impact.

Designed as a compact ‘mini city’ for the future of work, Geneo reimagines the traditional workplace as an active, community-oriented precinct. Universal access is enabled through a network of sheltered pedestrian linkways connecting office spaces, the public event plaza, shared green spaces and public transportation, creating a seamless and inclusive experience for all.

This recognition reflects the collective efforts and shared commitment of everyone involved to created a holistic workplace where science, nature and community intersect. The award was received by our SJ colleagues Anderson Chider Hsieh, Executive Director, and Dustin Lam, Regional Director (Hong Kong), alongside Boon Seong Quah, PDD-COE (Architectural) of , on behalf of the wider project team, celebrating a shared achievement with fellow design collaborators, + .

As Asia responds to rising healthcare demands and evolving demographic challenges, healthcare design is evolving from st...
29/05/2026

As Asia responds to rising healthcare demands and evolving demographic challenges, healthcare design is evolving from standalone hospitals towards integrated ecosystems that connect acute treatment, community care and prevention.

At the 27th CHCC-China Hospital Construction Conference & Expo (CHCC 2026) in Tianjin, China, SJ Group hosted a special forum on the future of healthcare infrastructure, bringing together perspectives from Singapore and China. SAA’s Healthcare Lead Susanna Swee, Executive Director, together with David Chin, Director, SAA and Tan Zheng, Senior Director, SJ, joined industry experts to discuss how healthcare facilities can better integrate treatment, recovery, lifestyle and long-term resilience.

Susanna highlighted the importance of designing healthcare environments with long-term adaptability in mind. “Today, when we are designing healthcare facilities, we are already planning for the future - building in the flexibility, expansion capacity and adaptability that these large, complex healthcare campuses will need overtime.”

The forum also featured speakers and panellists across the healthcare ecosystem, including Dr. Norman Wu Ming, Director, Healthcare Infrastructure Projects Division, MOH Holding, Kelly Yang, COO, Group Medical and MD, Pearl River Delta Region, Perennial; Former CEO of Farrer Park Hospital, Singapore, and Fan Rui, Director of Medical Planning and Development, Perennial Healthcare; Vice President of Perennial Healthcare City Kunming.

With healthcare needs growing more complex across Asia, the conversation is now shifting from designing hospitals to shaping connected healthcare ecosystems that support wellbeing across the full continuum of care.

All photos are courtesy of CHCC-China Hospital Construction Conference & Expo.

SAAArchitects SJGroup

Collaborative contracting is key in bringing architects, consultants, contractors and clients together in projects to al...
27/05/2026

Collaborative contracting is key in bringing architects, consultants, contractors and clients together in projects to align decisions, manage complexity and deliver better outcomes.

SAA recently partnered with and
concluded a 3-day customised Collaborative Contracting training. Teams from SAA, SJ Group, Threesixty Cost Management, KTP Consultants Pte Ltd, SIPM and the SJ infrastructure team explored the principles, processes and behaviours of collaborative project delivery under the New Engineering Contract (NEC), with case studies and group dialogues that examined how NEC supports effective contract management and integrated delivery.

Thank you and trainer Robert Gerrard for facilitating valuable discussions on the growing importance of collaborative contracting across the industry.



is a newly launched social space that serves as a one-stop hub for youths, seniors and families.SAA Architects, togethe...
14/05/2026

is a newly launched social space that serves as a one-stop hub for youths, seniors and families.

SAA Architects, together with SJ Architecture, SJ Township and contributed skills and experience to bring The Anchor to life.

Directly connected to Marine Parade MRT station, it is an inclusive underground community space offering charity social services, and retail & lifestyle amenities.

We are grateful to partner with Marine Parade Community Space Ltd, and other collaborators on this meaningful pro bono project that cultivates care, connection and inclusion in everyday public spaces.

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36 Cleantech Loop, #03-22 Surbana Jurong Campus
Singapore
636740

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