Dr Liu Thai Ker is MORROW’s Founding Chairman and widely recognised as the “Architect of Modern Singapore” for his extensive contribution to the country’s housing and urban landscape. He spent 24 years in Singapore’s public service, serving as the chief architect and chief executive of the Housing Development Board, where he oversaw the development of 20 new towns and over half a million housing units. He also served as Singapore’s chief planner and chief executive of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, where he led the agency in developing the 1991 Concept Master Plan.
Before starting MORROW, Dr Liu was a Senior Director at RSP Architects Planners and Engineers, a multi-disciplinary consultancy firm that he joined in 1992. In addition to architecture projects in Singapore, Dr Liu has also been invited to provide urban planning services in over 50 cities around the world. These range in size from a few hundred thousand to 12 million residents.
Dr Liu concurrently serves as the Founding Chairman of the advisory board of the Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC). CLC, which was founded in 2008, is a knowledge hub created under the Ministry of National Development and Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources. He is also a Board Member of Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, a private entity wholly owned by the Ministry of Trade and Industry mandated to develop government-to-government projects.
Dr Liu’s collaborative spirit has led him to work closely with other distinguished individuals such as Executive Director (Planning) Ou Kenan for projects in China. He has also been actively engaged with Director Li Yu Zhou and Managing Director Daniel Liu for MORROW’s projects in East Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia. Beyond his architectural feats, Dr. Liu’s influence is palpable across various spheres. He served as Chairman of the National Arts Council and was Founding Chairman of the Singapore Tyler Print Institute. In the field of architectural education, he served as the chairman of the advisory committee for the School of Architecture, National University of Singapore. Additionally, he has been appointed an adjunct professor at the School of Design & Environment, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy as well as the College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University.
Dr Liu was awarded the Graham Mitchel Award – International Chapter (2018) by the Australian Institute of Architects, and the 2nd ASEAN Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Architecture (1993). He has also received The Singapore National Day Award – The Distinguished Service Order, The Singapore Design Council – Golden Jubilee Award, and The Singapore Institute of Planners Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award.