Company Name

Company Founded In

Name of Founder

Founder's Birth Year

Bachelor of Architecture Cum Laude, Graduating Senior Award, University of Arizona (1999), USA, Licensed Architect, Singapore, Board of Architects (2013)

Education

Photographer, Fashion & Architecture (1994)

1st Job

Architectural Intern, OMA, Rotterdam (1998)

2nd Job

Architectural Intern, Studio Libeskind, Berlin (1998)

3rd Job

Architect, R L Binder Architects & Planners, L.A. (2000)

4th Job

Founder & Director of Design, Ministry of Design Pte Ltd (2004)

4th Job (Current)

Senior Tutor, Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore (2000)

5th Job

Other Pursuits

1st Office

Period of Occupancy (1st Office)

Estimate Space (1st Office)

Number of Staff (1st Office)

2004

Winner, Design of the Year at President’s Design Award, Singapore

2006

Winner, Interior Design of the Year, International Design Awards, USA

2007

Winner, 40 Under 40 Awards, Perspective Awards, Hong Kong

2008

Grand Winner, Saporiti Italia Design Award, Italy for Saporiti Luxury Tower

2009

Winner, Best Office Modern Decoration Awards, China for Leo Burnett Office

2010

Keynote Speaker, Australian Design Conference DesignEx, Melbourne

2011

Winner, Interior Architecture Category, Singapore Institute of Architecture Design Awards

2012

Outstanding Chinese Designer of the Year, IAI Awards (Interior Design Confederation), Shanghai

2013

Speaker, Datum 2014, KL, (Organized by Malaysian Institute of Architects) 

2014

Keynote Speaker, Hong Kong Interior Design Association’s Master Talk, Hong Kong 

2015

2016

Interior Designer of the Year, Build Interior Design Awards, UK 

2017

Keynote Speaker, Shanghai Hotel Plus Conference, Shanghai, China 

2018

2019

Speaker, Project Boomerang, Council for International Accreditation of Architecture & Design

2020

Global Advisor for leading surfaces manufacturer, Cosentino

2021

Professional Practice Committee, Asia-Pacific Space Designers Association, Malaysia

2022

2023

Colin Seah is an architect and artist who seeks to Question, Disturb, and Redefine convention in Ministry of Design – a multi-award-winning architectural, interior design and branding firm. From winning Singapore’s President Design Award twice to being named “Designer of the Year” by International Design Awards USA, Ministry of Design’s timeless projects transcend national boundaries. Notable works include the Citi Wealth Hub in Singapore, Macalister Mansion Hotel in Penang, VUE Hotel Hou Hai in Beijing, and “Code”, a leather wearable collection made in collaboration with Bynd Artisan. Besides these remarkable projects, Colin is a familiar face at both local and international forums and competitions, as a guest speaker and judge. He is also an adjunct tutor in the National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture, and an accomplished home chef. Come along with us as we uncover the impetus for Ministry of Design’s groundbreaking projects, and also get to know its founder, Colin, a little better.

Yes, There's a Minister for Design

Company Founded in 

Peter Sim, Nanchyuan Tiah, Torrance Goh, Selwyn Low

Name of Founders

Founder Birth Year (Peter)

Founder Birth Year (Nanchyuan)

Founder Birth Year (Torrance)

Founder Birth Year (Selwyn)

NUS, Arch. (Hons), School of Architecture (1997)

Education (Peter)

Architectural Association School of Architecture, AA Diploma (2004)

Education (Nanchyuan)

NUS, M.Arch, School of Architecture (2006)

Education (Torrance)

Education (Selwyn)

Previous Job (Peter)

Urban Redevelopment Board (URA) (2004-2008)

Previous Job (Nanchyuan)

Previous Job (Torrance)

2nd Office

Period of Occupancy (2nd Office) 

Estimate Space (2nd Office)

Number of Staff (2nd Office)

3rd Office

Period of Occupancy (3rd Office)

Estimate Space (3rd Office)

Number of Staff (3rd Office)

Started FARM SOCIETY – Society for local creatives

Curated 1st Session of Rojak – Sharing platform for local creatives

Curated STAMP – Public Art competition to paint post-boxes

Published 1st Art Book – My Artists – A Curatorial piece by Tang Ling Nah

Started FARMWORK – Spatial Design Studio

The Tree, Singapore – President's Design Award 2010, Designer of the Year

Started FARMSTORE – Locally designed product store

FARMSTORE first showcase in Maison & Objet

Perspective 40 under 40 Award 2012 Winner, Architecture and Interior Design

Started FARM ARCHITECTS PTE LTD – Architecture Studio

Pool Shophouse, Singapore – URA Architectural Heritage Awards 2013 (As part of the Lorong 24A Series)

Art Connector (National Gallery Singapore) – Design Competition Winner 2015

Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2018 – 1 of 20 international firms selected

Century of Light, Singapore – Taiwan Interior Design (TID) Award 2018

The Great Madras, Singapore – URA Architectural Heritage Awards 2018, Winner

Started FARMACY – Research & Experience Design

Selected to design a new typology of Nursing Home, Architecture Research Project by NUS/MOH/URA

Silver Award, Analysis & Planning Scope: Architecture and Landscape Design (in collaboration with Tinderbox and NParks Board)

Sembawang Hot Spring Park, Singapore – Singapore Landscape Architecture Awards

Aesop 1 Utama, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – SIA Architectural Design Awards 2020, Design Award (Interior Architecture)

The Great Madras, Singapore – SIA Architectural Design Awards 2020, Design Award (Special Category)

Hungry Design, D&AD Wood Pencil (Spatial Design) – In collaboration with Roots

2021 

Started Hyperfield – Digital Simulation Studio, In collaboration with VOUSE

In the Farm that Torrance Goh, Selwyn Low, Peter Sim and Tiah Nan Chyuan built, an organic approach prevails—be it the studio’s evolvement from an arts and design society to a multi-disciplinary design practice, or the expansion to a team of 50 people. As the interests of each director are varied, Farm is many things at once. The three main teams—graphic design, interior design and architecture design—that underpinned the practice have also given rise to Farmacy, a research and experience design arm and a Farm Store. And many things it will continue to be because it keeps the work interesting for the “farmers”, makes learning and creating inspiring, versus a focus of repeating on a typology to gain economies of scale. For that’s when the magic happens.

Good Organic Farming

Company name

Company Year founded

Name of Founder(s)

Founder Birthdate/year

Diploma (Hons), Architectural Association

Education 

Location (current office)

Period of Occupancy

Space (Produce+Type0)

Number of Staff

Location (current workshop)

Space (Superstructure)

Location (2nd Office)

Space

Location (1st Office)

Left Singapore for UK to study at Architectural Association

2001

Graduated with Honours from Architectural Association, joined TP Bennett(UK) as architect

Left TP Bennett, and joined UNStudio(UK) as architect

Herman Miller's shop-in-shop at Xtra Park Mall won Best Retail Building at World Architecture Festival 2012

Founded Produce with 3 partners, a studio with workshop space

Herman Miller's shop-in-shop at Xtra Marina Square won World Interior of the Year at Festival of Interiors 2017

Produce moved to Sungei Kadut and co-founded Superstructure with Emily Sim, focusing on computational design and digital fabrication

Founded Type0 Architects, an outfit focusing on architecture

Produce, Type0 Architects and Superstructure showroom moved to Kampong Bugis, with their workshop space remaining at Superstructure at Sungei Kadut

Pan Yi Cheng’s propensity to search for the existential crisis – and even looks at himself from that lens – is the essence and genesis of Produce, the design studio and prototyping workshop he founded in 2013. The design studio’s claim to fame is its award-winning plywood pavilions for Xtra’s Herman Miller shop-in-shop. The first version won the Best Retail Building award at the World Architecture Festival of 2012 and the second pavilion was named World Interior of the Year at the Festival of Interiors in 2017. Produce’s body of works also include designs for the Wild Rocket and Kki restaurants, as well as landed properties. Having started with “very, very, very small objects” and seen how small parts fit together into the bigger whole, Yi Cheng says they are now ready for bigger projects like masterplanning and urban design. Yi Cheng graduated with honours at the Architectural Association in London in 2006 and accumulated years of experience in the field of architecture and academia working with renown international firms like Arup Advanced Geometry Unit, TP Bennett, Serie Architects and UNStudio before moving back to Singapore to set up shop in 2010.


The Digital Craftsman

Education (Calvin)

AKITEK TENGGARA, DESIGN PRINCIPAL AT NIKKEN SEKKEI INTERNATIONAL

Previous Jobs (Calvin)

B.A. ARCHITECTURE, UNIVERSITY OF OREGON & UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL

Education (Boon)

MICHAEL HOPKINS & PARTNERS IN LONDON, PROJECT DIRECTOR AT ALFRED WONG PARTNERSHIP

Previous Jobs (Boon)

Founded company in

Team Size - 1st Office

Team Size - 2nd Office

Team Size - 3rd Office

4th Office

Team Size - 4th Office

Current Office

Current Team Size

Current Office (Thailand)

Current Office (China)

Boon graduates from the University of Liverpool with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture.

1987

Calvin graduates from the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and returns to Singapore, where he joins Akitek Tenggara. Boon begins working at Michael Hopkins & Partners in London.

1989

Boon returns to Singapore. Eco.id is founded by Boon and Calvin.

1996

Moves into office in Mohamed Sultan Road.

1998

2000

Completes Metropolitan Bangkok, Thailand.

2003

Opens office in Shanghai, China. Ecoid wins the President's Design Award from the Naumi Hotel, Singapore.

Opens office in Bangkok, Thailand. Receives the Highly Commended Award at the World Architecture Festival for the Ivy Bound International School in Bangkok. 

Moves into current office in Henderson Drive.

From friends to co-founders, Sim Boon Yang and Calvin Sim have always set their sights far beyond local bounds. Starting from a cramped shophouse basement in Geylang, Eco.id has since expanded its offices to China and Thailand, designing hotels and resorts in some of the most unique destinations around the world. With a speciality in hospitality, Eco.id has left its footprint in countries like India, Kazakhstan, and Zanzibar. It is from their extensive work overseas that Boon, Calvin and their partner Carol, have found creative inspiration and fulfilment in their work. 