Design Philosophy:
A registered architect, Tan Zi Hua is passionate about sustainability in the built environment, advocating for human wellness through experiential design and social architecture. Her diverse portfolio spans both architectural and interior works, and includes neighbourhood level community impact assessment and behavioural research. Zi Hua is currently managing the residential strata for an iconic mixed-use development, CanningHill Piers. Designed in collaboration with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the luxury residential towers with a skybridge would be the tallest residences along Singapore River. Within her firm, she is currently pushing to automate residential design processes and enhance efficiency across projects. Zi Hua has led a team in this year’s Artificial Intelligence Hackathon, which was supported by the Building Construction Authority to push for greater growth in the industry.
Zi Hua believes that responsible designs could benefit our ecology and humanity—promoting public health, social equity and cultural continuity. Recently, she represented Singapore for Live Design Discourse 2024 with 3 esteemed Architects from 4 nations (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore), mentoring tertiary students from different nations to redesign a public park. Previously, she was part of a team that collaborated with Ministry of Healthcare Transformation to transform Jurong Lake District into a healthy precinct. She liaised with government agencies, community representatives and public members to pitch, co-create and execute community events for participatory design and social impact assessment, translating needs and aspirations into multi-disciplinary interventions.
An active member in the architecture community, she had been a key member of Singapore Archifest curatorial team, defining the theme of “Architecture Saving OUR World” to celebrate the importance of place-making and public engagement in architecture. She has also spearheaded ‘Narratives’ with Singapore Institute of Architects Young League, holding space for personal life stories and unique pathways to be shared among members of the built industry and the public.
Beyond her professional commitments, Zi Hua is a volunteer trainer with Singapore Red Cross since 2016, training adults in overseas humanitarian support on Shelter, Needs Assessment and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion (WASH). She has led multi-skilled teams in peacetime and disaster response missions overseas, and is operationally ready for quick deployment to areas of crisis for emergency relief aid.
