DP Architects

The official opening of the Dream Sphere at Expo 2025 Osaka, held on 26th April, was a wonderful gathering of partners and friends, celebrating over two years of collaboration and effort that culminated in the successful completion of the Singapore Pavilion. Joining our Executive Chairman Ar. Angelene Chan and CEO and architectural design lead for the pavilion, Ar. Seah Chee Huang, alongside the Singapore Pavilion’s lead from Singapore Tourism Board Ms Carrie Kwik, Group Chief Executive Officer of Kingsmen Creatives Ltd Mr Anthony Chong, Executive Director of Kingsmen Exhibits and creative experience lead for the pavilion, Ms Madeline Lee and Founder of Presplay Pte Ltd, Beatrice Chia-Richmond were esteemed guests from government, business and cultural sectors from both Japan and Singapore. Members of our multidisciplinary team who made the architectural vision of the pavilion possible were also present to share in the celebrations. They included IDr. Mike Lim, director of DP Design; Mr Mathieu Meur, director of DP Facade, Ms Yvonne Andrea Tan, director of DP Green ; Mr Kevin Sturrock, director of DP Lighting; and, Er. Yong Siew Onn, director of DP Sustainable Design. With the pavilion formally opened to the public, our hope is that this “little red dot” will inspire all who visit through its experiential spaces and touchpoints, to dream boldly of a better world and act collectively to shape and build it: https://lnkd.in/gMzxvNaH

It was an evening of outstanding achievement for DP Design, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, at the Society of Interior Designers Singapore (SIDS)'s 30th anniversary dinner and awards ceremony. Two of its directors, IDr. Mike Lim and IDr. Allan Wang, have been recognised as 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝟯𝟬 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹/𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 for their 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 across project types and scale. The award, more than a personal triumph, is 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 the strength of DP Design's 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 

Djoko Prihanto, director of #DPUrban, our specialist arm in planning and urban design, was invited as a keynote speaker at the Third Urban Design National Conference (NATCON 2025). The conference, organised by IUDI: Institute of Urban Designers, India, gathers architects and urban planners to discourse key issues on India’s rapid urban growth and design strategies for better #urbanresiliency. Addressing its theme for 2025, “Cities in Transition: Inclusion through Urban Design”, Djoko emphasized the need to understand #urbanplanning and the multi-faceted urban design ecosystem. A well-thought urban planning and design scheme must have considered a city’s geographical characteristics, its cultural context, its socio-economic dynamics and aspirations, and its policies. Drawing from his deep experience in complex city and regional planning projects across Asia, Middle East and Africa, Djoko also highlighted that where there are urban and funding constraints, there are also exciting opportunities for novel approaches and innovative solutions to a more sustainable, delightful and liveable urban environment. IUDI NATCON was held in Kolkota, India from 7th to 8th March, and saw a turn-out of approximately 350 national and international delegates, including renowned thinkers and speakers who shared their experiences and thoughts on #CitiesinTransition.  

The #SingaporePavilion at #Expo2025Osaka opened on 13th April and despite a full day of rain, saw a wonderful turn out. Set against the grey skies and in #geometricsymmetry to the iconic Grand Ring by Sou Fujimoto, the Dream Sphere with its strong form, and striking and tactile envelop of over 17,000 recycled aluminium discs made for a stunning visage.   As a homegrown design practice, the Singapore Pavilion is a project that is truly close to our hearts. The opportunity to represent Singapore and to communicate our national story, spirit and aspirations to the world has been our immense honour. Inspired by the term "the little red dot", the pavilion is a larger-than-life experiential #DreamSphere that reflects the bold spirit of Singapore's aspirations. More than just a symbol, it invites everyone to dream together and to imagine new possibilities, believe in our shared potential and shape a better tomorrow. Aligned with the Expo's theme "Designing Future Society for our Lives," it celebrates the power of collective dreaming and commitment to building a more hopeful, inclusive, and #betterthansustainable future.   This successful realization of our #architecturalvision would not have been possible without the #collaborative effort of our partners, the Singapore Tourism Board, Kingsmen Exhibits and Kingsmen Creatives Ltd along with multimedia partners, Finding Pictures, Milla & Partner, and creative consultant, Presplay Pte Ltd and the collective effort of our #multidisciplinaryteam of façade engineers, civil and structural engineers, environmentally sustainable design specialists, landscape architects, interior designers and lighting designers.    DP’s Multidisciplinary Team: DP Architects, DP Design, DP Engineers, DP Facade, DP Green , DP Lighting and DP Sustainable Design. Photos by Finbarr Fallon courtesy of Singapore Pavilion, Expo 2025 Osaka.

From drawing board to reality, DPA and its multidisciplinary team comprising DP Design, DP Facade, DP Sustainable Design, DP Green and DP Lighting are honoured to be collaborators of the Central Manpower Base (CMPB). Slated to open this September, CMPB is designed as a one-stop hub that consolidates a wide array of national service-related administrative functions, from medical screenings to kit replacements; serving the needs of pre-enlistees and national servicemen within a single, streamlined facility. https://lnkd.in/gK-Tqfuv

A master plan project by DP Architects (DPA) and DP Urban (DPU), Shenzhen Dapeng Longqi Bay Eastern International Toursim Destination Planning and Urban Design (Greater Bay Area Metropolitan Area @ Dapeng Peninsula) is a Gold award winner at the Urban Design & Architecture Design Awards 2025. Sited in the Dapeng Peninsula in Shenzhen, it is surrounded by diverse, rich natural resources such as mountains, beaches, coastlines and rivers. With a planned area of approximately 240 square kilometres, the #masterplanning was done in deep consideration of its locale by prioritising #ecologicalconservation and #environmentalgovernance, which are carefully integrated through comprehensive regional planning and industry operations. Envisioned as a world-class #ecotourismdestination that revitalises the Dapeng area, the master plan applies eco-oriented development (EOD) principles, outlined by its multi-way approach, centred on these outcomes: a resilient, sustainable, integrated and culture-centric destination with a thriving community that unites nature, culture and tourism.

Delighted to announce that Paya Lebar Green (PLG) has won the Green GOOD Design Award in the category of Green Architecture. The project, designed for Certis and Lendlease, has been recognised for its sustainability- and #wellbeing-focused design strategies to achieve a highly #energyefficient, #lowcarbon and thoughtfully future-proofed #office development and a beautiful #workplace set amidst lush landscaping.     Organised by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum for Architecture and Design and the The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies, the Green GOOD Design award bestows international recognition to outstanding designs that display exceptional thinking, forward a new emphasis on #sustainabledesign and inspire progress towards a healthier and greener planet.   Architecture Design Team: Chua Zi Jun, Arjun Rosha, Timothy Tan, Timothy Ou, Zulsairi Bin Sarib Interior Design: DP Design Landscape Architecture Consultant: DP Green Sustainable Design Consultant: DP Sustainable Design Structural Engineer: Arup Singapore M&E Enginner: BECA Carter Hollings & Ferner Façade & Lighting Consultant: Inhabit Singapore ICT Consultant: Ramboll Singapore WELL Consultant: Cundall Singapore

As the opening of the Expo 2025 Osaka nears, many have asked about the “skin” we designed for the Singapore Pavilion. On 26th March, representatives from our #multidisciplinaryteam, Mathieu Meur director of DP Facade, Law Kai Xiang associate at DP Architects and IDr. Drishti Kulshreshtha associate at DP Design – shared insights on the #façadedesign and #engineering at the 2025 ZAK World of Façades conference. In detailing the design journey of the striking 17-metre-high Dream Sphere, the team dove into how they embraced #circularphilosophy and pushed for #environmentalstewardship: 1. Applying #SustainableDesignPrinciples: At the heart of the design are the principles of #Renew, #Reduce, #Reuse and #Recycle, showcasing Singapore's strong commitment to sustainability and innovation. The use of 70% post-consumer recycled aluminium discs, which reduces the pavilion’s carbon footprint by approximately 70 tCO2 and can be re-purposed post-expo, exemplifies this. 2.  Incorporating #Modular & Standardised Components: The pavilion is designed as a modular system, where components – from its steel structure and FRP panels to its envelope of about 17,000 aluminium discs and lighting integration (by DP Lighting) on the façade – were #prefabricated and assembled on site. This Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) approach not only enabled DP to emphasise #sustainableconstructionpractices but also deliver on #constructionefficiency.   3. Leveraging #ComputationalDesign: Advanced tools like Rhino and Grasshopper played a vital role in optimising the pavilion's design, from the precise number and features of the Dream Discs to the undulating forms of the Dream Clouds. This ensured both aesthetic appeal and structural soundness, streamlining material calculations and informing the mounting systems for the discs.    Working within an intimate cross-disciplinary environment, DP also harnessed the expertise of its civil and structural engineers in DP Engineers (DPE) to ensure the pavilion’s #structuralresilience. Seismic resistance steel and ductile jointing design formed the core of the structural engineering principles. #SingaporePavilion #Expo2025Osaka #TheDreamSphere #Sustainability #ComputationalDesign #CircularEconomy #ModularDesign

Our Perspective 40 under 40 winners, Ar. Joanne Gay and Ar. Tan Zi Hua shared what it means to be an architect in a post-event interview.  View the interviews here: https://lnkd.in/gfhmeVCZ

DP Architects is pleased to announce that director Chan Hui Min and head of the Green-Well-Tech thrust, has been elected to join the board of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC). A national representative for the advocacy of green buildings, SGBC works closely with policymakers and industry partners to shape the sustainable development of Singapore’s built environment. Recognising the urgent need for the built environment to actively restore ecosystems and communities, especially in light of the polycrisis we face today, Hui Min advocates for a #regenerative approach towards #sustainabledesign, and looks to promote sustainability education and strengthen the built environment’s sustainability community. Trained in architecture, urban planning, and sustainable building design, her experience spans leadership roles in planning, urban design, and complex mixed-use building projects in Singapore, Turkey and the Middle East. In her role, she also oversees the firm’s Smart Sustainability Unit, which extends the core business into tech-related business lines.