Tai Lee Siang is the Deputy President/Chief Innovation & Enterprise Officer of SUTD. He also oversees the Design and Artificial Intelligence degree programme that is now seeing a profound impact in the fields of design. In 2022, he was appointed as Centre Director of DesignZ – the next generation design centre. He was the Head of Pillar for Architecture and Sustainability Design from 2021 to 2024.
Prof. Tai graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) from NUS in 1987 and has been practising as an architect and urban designer since 1990. As a partner at DP Architects Pte Ltd, his projects won local and international awards, and he was featured in the Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority’s ‘20 under 45’ young architects’ exhibition in 2004.
He served as President of the Singapore Institute of Architects from 2007 to 2009 and became the first Chairman of the Design Alliance of Singapore in 2009. In 2013, he was elected President of the Design Business Chamber Singapore and launched the Singapore Good Design Mark in 2014. From 2010 to 2016, he was Group Managing Director of Ong&Ong Group, a multidisciplinary design firm.
In 2011, Prof. Tai was elected President of the Singapore Green Building Council and established Singapore’s first green building product certification scheme. He joined the World Green Building Council as a Board Director in 2013 and was elected Chairman in 2016, initiating the global Advancing Net Zero campaign.
After his tenure at the World Green Building Council, he joined the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) as Executive Director of BuildSG, leading a nearly 100-strong team and spearheading industry transformation.
Awards
. 1988 – Sword of Honour, Singapore Armed Forces.
. 1999 – Architectural Heritage Awards – Far East Square.
. 2004 – “20 under 45” – Top 20 Singapore Architects below the age of 45.
. 2006 – President’s Design Award – Design of the Year, New Majestic Hotel.
. 2010 – The International FIABCI Prix d’Excellence Award – Central@Clark Quay.
