Cover As International Women’s Day 2026 approaches, we take a closer look at the nine Singaporean female architects honoured by URA’s 20 under 45 this year
As International Women’s Day 2026 approaches, we take a closer look at the nine Singaporean female architects honoured by URA’s 20 under 45 this year
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This International Women’s Day, we shine the spotlight on the nine Singaporean female architects who were recognised by the fourth edition of URA’s 20 under 45
As Singapore celebrates International Women’s Day on 8 March 2026, the fourth edition of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s 20 Under 45 programme offers a timely opportunity to spotlight the growing influence of female architects in shaping the nation’s built environment. Among the 23 architects honoured in the fourth edition are nine female architects whose work spans everything from residential architecture to heritage conservation, and from institutional projects to research-driven urban design.
Architecture may still be a male-dominated space, but the achievements of these nine Singaporean female architects serve to inspire the next generation, one project at a time. As founders, leaders, educators and mentors, these women are expanding the possibilities of architectural practice while championing values such as sustainability, cultural sensitivity and community engagement.
Don’t miss: Inside URA’s 20 Under 45: the architects shaping Singapore’s built future
Goy Zhenru, principal architect of Goy Architects
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Goy Zhenru
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The principal architect of Goy Architects, Goy Zhenru approaches architecture as a form of storytelling. While working on an investigative documentary film about two Thai artists with her father, a retired Mediacorp cameraman, she discovered architecture’s deep connection to the local culture. Later, when she had the opportunity to study and work in Switzerland, she learnt more about the value of “a disciplined and well-balanced practice”.
Above The façade of Golden Bell Mansion, currently occupied by the Danish Seaman’s church, restored by a team led by laureate Goy Zhenru of Goy Architects
The façade of Golden Bell Mansion, currently occupied by the Danish Seaman’s church, restored by a team led by laureate Goy Zhenru of Goy Architects
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Goy Architects started with just one project: Sukasantai Farmstead in Indonesia. 2026 marks the firm’s 10th year, and throughout the years, she’s worked on everything from conserving the 110-year-old Golden Bell Mansion on Mount Faber to refreshing a 1970s bungalow on Namly Crescent.
Read more: A thoughtfully restored heritage mansion in Singapore's Pender Road
Koh Sock Mui, director of RT+Q Architects
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Koh Sock Mui
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As a director in RT+Q Architects, Koh Sock Mui has shaped many of the practice’s most recognisable residential projects, with a focus on both landed homes and multi-unit developments since joining in 2011. Earlier, at DP Architects, she contributed to the design and construction of Universal Studios Singapore as part of the Resorts World Sentosa team.
Above House off Cluny
House off Cluny
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Her impressive portfolio includes works such as House with a Sanctum, House off Cluny and Petit Jervois, which earned multiple SIA Architectural Design Awards in 2019, 2016 and 2022 respectively. Beyond practice, she led the editorial team for RT+Q’s 20th anniversary monograph, documenting the firm’s evolving design language.
“As people spend more time at home, this has sparked a desire for more thoughtful, well-proportioned environments that enrich the living experience. In our tropical context, I hope to explore more residential designs, which embrace the climate, rather than resist it, by creating spaces that are porous and naturally ventilated,” says Koh.
In case you missed it: This Scandi-chic Singapore home is a tropical sanctuary
Lee Hui Lian, founder of OMG Atelier
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Lee Hui Lian
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Lee Hui Lian’s work spans residential, conservation and exhibition design, reflecting a practice shaped by curiosity and careful craft. In 2021, she founded OMG Atelier to pursue a more focused, exploratory approach to architecture. Alongside practice, she is committed to developing the next generation of designers. Hui Lian serves on the Singapore Institute of Architects’ Young Architects League and teaches at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Architecture as an Adjunct Associate Professor.
Above Barn Houses
Barn Houses
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Lee is also an associate at Farm Architects, where she worked on projects such as the striking Giant Roof House, a single-storey home for a family of five, and Barn Houses.
Don’t miss: A bold terrace house crowned by a giant roof in Singapore’s east
Leong Lai Ping, senior associate at K2LD Architects
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Leong Lai Ping
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Leong Lai Ping has shaped residential projects across Singapore, Australia, China, Malaysia and Indonesia, always attentive to context and climate. Among her most significant works are Anthracite House and The Winged House, the latter of which is a private home that was later sold to new owners several years down the road.
Don’t miss: A modern tropical home in Indonesia designed for an art-loving family
Above Anthracite house
Anthracite house
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The new owners opted to retain most of the home’s original design, making only minor changes. That same family later returned to K2LD for two more residences, reflecting a trust built over nearly two decades. For Lai Ping, these enduring relationships affirm architecture’s ability to connect people, place and purpose.
Lim Shing Hui, founder of L Architects
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Lim Shing Hui
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The founder of L Architects, Lim Shing Hui established her practice in 2016 to explore architecture that evokes emotion through material experimentation and precise detailing. Her projects, such as House of Trees and 15x3, have received recognition at the Singapore Institute of Architects Architectural Design Awards and international platforms.
Read more: How to design a green home where plants can thrive
Above House of Trees
House of Trees
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Although Lim notes that her office is small, she also states that working with a curated team allows her to pursue projects with focus and intention, often transforming modest materials into refined architectural expressions. Beyond practice, Shing Hui has contributed to the profession through leadership roles within the Singapore Institute of Architects and by documenting Singapore’s architectural networks through the online platform she created, Genealogy 2.0.
Lim Zi Ying, Cheryl, senior associate at RSP Architects Planners & Engineers
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Cheryl Lim
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Cheryl’s career spans some of Singapore’s most respected firms, including W Architects, Architects 61 and SCDA, where she has refined a practice that balances respect for history with contemporary use. Her award-winning projects, such as St James Power Station and JTC CleanTech Three, demonstrate sensitivity to site, heritage and ecology, transforming existing structures into spaces that are both functional and memorable.
Above JTC CleanTech Three
JTC CleanTech Three
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Cheryl approaches design as a way to reframe the everyday, finding clarity and wonder in familiar surroundings. Her work reminds us that thoughtful architecture can reveal meaning in the spaces we inhabit, bridging past, present and possibility.
Wu Yen Yen, principal architect at Genome Architects
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Wu Yen Yen
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Wu Yen Yen, principal architect at Genome Architects, leads a practice that spans private, commercial and public sector projects while remaining deeply engaged in architectural discourse. An educator at the National University of Singapore since 2009 and a former council member of the Singapore Institute of Architects, she plays an active role in shaping conversations around architecture and the city. Yen Yen also co-curated the Singapore Pavilion at the Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition in 2018. Her work reflects a belief that aesthetics and practicality should coexist, resulting in buildings that are purposeful, engaging and thoughtfully attuned to the people who use them.
Don’t miss: 5 Singapore women architects on how to thrive in the built environment industry
Above Boardwalk at EcoLake at Botanic Gardens
Boardwalk at EcoLake at Botanic Gardens
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In her opinion, “[architects] today deal with comp[lex issues that extend outside of the discipline of putting together buildings. [...] Architects bring a left-brain, right-brain, humanistic yet systematic way of thinking that is formed by our training. I believe that aesthetics and pragmatism are not mutually exclusive and that good buildings are intelligent, engaging and beautiful all at the same time,” notes Wu.
Yeo Hwee Hua, Alina, director at Woha Architects
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Alina Yeo
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Director at Woha Architects, Alina Yeo has a long history with the firm and has contributed to several influential educational projects that demonstrate the firm’s commitment to sustainability and community-centred design. After a 13-month internship at WOHA in 2002, where she had the opportunity to work on the Church of St Mary of the Angels, Yeo decided to further pursue architecture seriously.
Today, her portfolio includes the School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA), the Singapore Institute of Technology’s Campus Heart and BRAC University in Dhaka. These projects integrate greenery, natural ventilation and public spaces to create environments that prioritise people and climate responsiveness.
Above Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Campus Heart
Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Campus Heart
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“Long-term projects like SIT, which took 11 years from master plan to completion, demand tenacity and resilience. To maintain momentum, I learnt to focus on the bigger picture, while celebrating incremental achievements and milestones,” says Yeo.
Recognised with the Young Green Architect Award by the Singapore Green Building Council, Alina also leads design competitions, exhibitions and research initiatives within the firm. Her work reflects a commitment to architecture that elevates everyday life while addressing environmental challenges.
Yong Mien Huei, senior architect at Wallflower Architecture + Design
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Yong Mien Huei
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A senior architect at Wallflower Architecture + Design, Yong Mien Huei focuses primarily on residential architecture that weaves nature into the fabric of everyday living. Her award-winning homes often integrate greenery as a central design element rather than decorative afterthought. By considering homeowners’ relationships with nature, from their appreciation of plants to their willingness to care for them, she creates spaces that embrace growth, seasonality and unpredictability. This approach allows homes to evolve organically over time, fostering a deeper connection between occupants and their surroundings.
Above Touching Eden House
Touching Eden House
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“Greenery is fundamental to our residential projects, enriching daily life on terraces, courtyards and landscape features. Rather than mere aesthetics, it is an essential part of the living experience. Successful integration begins with understanding the homeowners’ relationship with nature,” says Yong, who has worked on projects such as House Above The Trees and Touching Eden House.
Don’t miss: A Singapore Good Class Bungalow that celebrates contrast in a sanctuary above the trees
Based in Singapore, Engracia Ang is an experienced writer specialising in home and living content.
