Speech by Minister Desmond Lee at the Unveiling of the New RSP Brand and Opening of RSP Architect's New Office

Oct 5, 2023

Good afternoon. I’m delighted to join you at the brand refresh and official opening of RSP Architect’s Singapore office. Congratulations to all of you on this milestone; and congratulations also to Mr Beh Swee Chiew, on your appointment as RSP’s CEO.

The evolving role of the architect

Our built environment sector is in the midst of significant transformation, enabled by the adoption of technology. I’m delighted to hear from RSP Chairman, that even with all the cutting edge technology, ultimately the work of an architect is about people-centred design and meeting the needs and aspirations of the evolving society. We’ve seen increasing digitisation and a shift away from labour-intensive processes in our sector. At the same time, the needs and aspirations of Singaporeans continue to evolve and change.

All of us in the Built Environment sector will need to be forward-looking to keep up with these trends. How can we create innovative design, that celebrates our unique identity?  How can we design our buildings in a more sustainable manner, in line with our goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2050? How can we transform our sector and make use of leading technologies to further improve productivity?

Balancing development with heritage

The role of architects and designers today requires you to maintain a balance: between forging ahead with cutting-edge development on the one hand, while at the same time protecting and celebrating our heritage, culture, identity and environment on the other

This balancing act is something that RSP is familiar with. RSP was involved in the development of Watertown and Waterway Point in Punggol - Singapore’s first integrated waterfront development. The design pays homage to the area’s rich coastal heritage while offering new living and lifestyle options.

Just this morning, we launched the public engagement for our Draft Master Plan 2025. We hope that industry partners like RSP will participate actively to shape our land use plans for the next 10-15 years.

Building sustainably and productively

We remain committed to building a sustainable and liveable city. As architects, you play a vital role, in accelerating our transition to a low-carbon built environment, such as through designing buildings that enable better environmental performance. 

RSP, together with Bjarke Ingels Group and Carlo Ratti Associati was recently awarded the President*s Design Award for Design of the Year 2023, for CapitaSpring. The mixed-use development is well-known for its naturally-ventilated sky terrace and lush green spaces. Its biophilic design not only cools the building, but also improves the wellbeing of users. As these spaces are also open to the public, they provide a unique location for the community to gather, and create an iconic oasis in the heart of our city.

As architects, you can also help in driving the adoption of productive construction methods. RSP is familiar with the concept of Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA). You recently received SIA’s Design Award for the Nanyang Technological University Academic Building South, which is also known as ‘Gaia’. ‘Gaia’ is constructed using Mass Engineered Timber (or MET), which is one of our DfMA technologies.

Apart from being environmentally sustainable and aesthetically pleasing, MET can also be fabricated off-site and assembled on-site. This process is faster and requires less manpower, compared to traditional construction methods and I’d like to commend RSP, NTU and the builders, for being prepared to take some risks, push the boundaries, and bring MET into Singapore.

The future of architecture and the built environment

Looking ahead, we need to continue pushing on to transform the way we build in our city.

We launched the BE Industry Transformation Map, or BE ITM, in partnership with industry last year. One of our key strategies is to foster closer collaboration across the entire value chain, right from the upstream planning and design phase.

I would like to thank you RSP for your active participation in our CORENET X service journey sessions, and for contributing your invaluable feedback. I look forward to RSP's continued support for the project. As the Government seeks to strengthen our collaboration, we transform through the regulatory front with continued efforts to integrate our whole sector, so that we remain at the forefront of the built environment sector, not just in Singapore and the region, but around the world.

Conclusion

RSP is making its mark, not just in Singapore, but also on the world stage. Since your first project with China in 1993, you have now completed over 500 projects across 40 cities in China. In the Middle East, RSP’s Nakheel Mall and Palm Tower are now iconic landmarks in the heart of Dubai.

I hope you will build on your extensive experience and best practices from other global cities and implement  these new learnings to projects in Singapore.

Once again, let me congratulate RSP on your new office and brand refresh. May you continue to push the boundaries of design and innovation and be a thought leader in sharing your expertise with other organisations in the industry.

Congratulations and I wish you every success. Thank you.