DP Architects announces new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

DP Architects and its group of companies announced the appointment of Ms Angelene Chan as its Chairman and Mr Seah Chee Huang as Chief Executive Officer with effect from 1 February 2021. This new appointment is part of the leadership renewal and continuity plan for the 1000-strong multidisciplinary design practice, as it moves into its next phase of growth.

Angelene takes over as Chairman from Mr Francis Lee, who will assume the position of Senior Director and advisor.

During her five-year tenure as CEO, she consolidated DP’s strategic growth from a group of architecture-led specialist companies to an integrated multidisciplinary practice. She widened the home-grown practice’s international reach to Europe, South Korea and Australia, and currently heads DP’s in-house design advisory board that recommends improvements and solutions to design schemes produced across its 16 global offices. A believer in research as a powerful design driver, Angelene established ten typology research groups to deepen the practice’s design capabilities.

Angelene is the designer of the award-winning Sunray Headquarters, Wisma Atria façade transformation and Paya Lebar Quarter in Singapore. While serving as CEO, she continued to design and manage projects, many of them overseas including Bonnevaux Meditation Centre in Poitiers, France; Urban Bricks in Changwon, South Korea; and Northbourne Avenue in Canberra, Australia. A practising architect with over three decades of experience, Angelene was the recipient of the President’s Designer of the Year Award in 2018. An influential leader in the built environment sector, she sits on the board of Urban Redevelopment Authority, Board of Architects, Professional Engineers Board and Sentosa Development Corporation. She is also the Vice Chairman of Dover Park Hospice.

Of her new role as Chairman of Singapore’s largest architecture practice, she shared, “I will oversee the group’s business development and corporate governance practices, and work closely with Mr Seah and the Board to chart DP’s growth and ensure that the group’s strategic development goals are met. Our number one agenda is to evolve our design and delivery capabilities, and acquire new competencies to facilitate our business growth at the right pace. One of DP’s strengths is our position to leverage the expertise and resources of our global network, so we will continue to develop better ways to share information and collaborate more effectively.”

Chee Huang, 46, joined DP Architects in 2003 and has been a director with the home-grown practice since 2013. In recent years, he has built a strong portfolio of inclusive and complex community and sports projects designed to invigorate our urban and social landscapes, where he was actively involved with multi-stakeholders and in resident engagement. These projects include Singapore Sports Hub, Our Tampines Hub, the integrated community, sports and lifestyle hub; GoodLife! Makan, an elderly activity centre for stay-alone seniors; Heartware Network, a co-working place for a youth charity; and Bukit Canberra, the sports and community hub nestled in a park in Sembawang which will open this year. Chee Huang heads DP Architects’ DesignGroup, which focuses on enhancing design innovation, and is one of the key drivers of DP’s design research initiatives.

As CEO, he will chart and execute the strategic roadmap of the 54-year old architecture practice and its 8 specialist companies, to respond to the challenges and disruptions of a post-pandemic socio-economic climate as well as the pervasive effects of the climate crisis. “Today’s challenges present us with tremendous opportunities for progress,” said Chee Huang when asked about DP’s goals and plans ahead. “Now is our moment to transform by design – harnessing the immense potential of digitalisation, our repertoire of typology expertise and international presence – to grow DP’s strength in integrated design and delivery, especially in the pursuit of more sustainable and healthier architecture. I am deeply honoured to be entrusted to lead this transformation.”

Chee Huang is an active member of the architecture community. He sits on the council of the Singapore Institute of Architects since 2010 and was elected as its president from 2018 to 2020, during which he led the development of the Industry Transformation Map for the architecture profession. He also served on the Board of Architects (2018-2020), and sits on several design advisory panels and committees for various agencies and design institutions. Chee Huang was recognised as one of the emerging architects in URA’s latest edition of 20 under 45.

Speaking on behalf of DP Architects Board of Directors, outgoing Chairman and former CEO from 2004 to 2016, Francis said, “Leadership renewal is necessary to secure the future and sustainability of DP. I have worked with Angelene and Chee Huang for many years and have full confidence in their leadership to take DP forward to be the leading interdisciplinary design practice in the region.”