Wong Mun Summ

It was a mere five years after Wong Mun Summ graduated with honours from the National University of Singapore in 1989 that he co-founded Woha Architects, a practice dedicated to researching architectural and urban solutions to address the challenges of the 21st century.

Known for its distinct approach employing biophilic design, Woha Architects has amassed a diverse oeuvre. Notable projects include Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali, Taichung’s mixed-use development Sky Green, housing development The Met in Bangkok and Singapore’s Newton Suites and School of the Arts. The firm also devised the master plan for the 50-hectare Punggol Digital District, housing the Singapore Institute of Technology’s (SIT) new campus, a JTC business park and community amenities, which began opening progressively from late 2024.

In 2024, Woha Architects was recognised for its work on 21 Carpenter hotel in Singapore, winning Best Adaptive Reuse at the Tatler Homes Design Awards 2024 and Design of the Year at the Singapore Institute of Architects’ Architectural Design Awards. The firm has also been awarded the President’s Design Award and Good Design Award several times over the years and has received accolades from the World Architecture Festival and more.

In 2026, Woha achieved global acclaim when its design for BRAC University’s new 170,000-square-metre campus in Dhaka won a RIBA International Award for Excellence for climate-resilient architecture. On home ground, Wong received a 2025 BCA Universal Design Excellence Award for SIT’s Punggol Campus Heart, following Pan Pacific Orchard’s LEAF Gold certification from the National Parks Board.

As varied as his projects are, they all bear the hallmarks of Wong’s innovative and sustainable architectural approach. Together with co-founding director Richard Hassell, he is a vocal advocate of using architecture to combat climate change—a vision articulated in their book, Garden City, Mega City: Rethinking Cities for the Age of Global Warming, and reinforced through his 2026 international lectures on regenerative tropical urbanism.