.

Liu Thai-Ker

Director
RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd., Singapore

Born : 23 February 1938


Mr Liu Thai-Ker is a renowned architect-planner. He is Director of RSP Architects Planners & Engineers Pte Ltd. RSP is a multi-disciplinary consultancy company with 450 employees. Its scope of services include architecture, urban design, planning, civil and structural engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering and interior design. Its main project appointments are in Singapore. Overseas projects, substantial nevertheless, are situated in various ASEAN countries, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Myanmar, India, Britain and Portugal.

Mr Liu is also the Chairman of the National Arts Council and a member of several governmental and academic bodies in Singapore. He has also been appointed the planning advisor to Shandong Province and ten major cities in China.

Prior to his current private practice, Mr Liu had a distinguished career in the Singapore government.

As Chief Executive Officer of Urban Redevelopment Authority, 1989-1992, he spearheaded the major revision of the Singapore Concept Plan. The Concept Plan is widely recognised to be both visionary and pragmatic, and one that will help contribute towards making Singapore a city of excellence.

As architect-planner and Chief Executive Officer of the Housing & Development Board, 1969-1989, he saw the completion of over half a million dwelling units. During his tenure, the planning concept of public housing changed from large scale estates with localised facilities to nearly self-sufficient new towns for 200,000 to 300,000 people. Architecturally, Mr Liu led his team of designers to cross the journey from functionally well planned, neatly sited simple building blocks, to architecture of aesthetic merit. In terms of engineering design, Mr Liu encouraged his professional staff to explore new structural systems seldom tried in Singapore.

Academically, Mr Liu obtained his Bachelor of Architecture with First Class Honours & University Medal from the University of New South Wales in 1962 and Master in City Planning with Parsonís Memorial Medal from Yale University in 1965. He later attended Stanford Insead Advanced Management Program, Fontainbleau, Paris in July 1980. In 1995, he was conferred Doctor of Science honoris causa by the University of New South Wales.

Mr Liu is also a recipient of several awards. They include the Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1976 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 1985 from the Singapore Government. In 1993, he was bestowed the 2nd ASEAN Achievement Award for Outstanding Contribution to Architecture.


Professional Qualifications
1962 Bachelor of Architecture with First Class Honours & University Medal, University of N.S.W., Sydney, Australia
1965 Master in City Planning with Parson's Memorial Medal, Yale University, U.S.A.
1980 Stanford Insead Advanced Management Programme, Fontainbleau, Paris
1995 Doctor of Science honoris causa, University of New South Wales
FSIA - Fellow, Singapore Institute of Architects
FSIP - Fellow, Singapore Institute of Planners
RIBA - Corporate Member, Royal Institute of British Architects
FRAIA - Fellow, Royal Australian Institute of Architects
IREM - Member, Institute of Real Estate Management, USA
CPM - Certified Property Manager, USA

Working Experience
1960-1963 Architect, Loder & Dunphy Architects, Sydney, Australia
1965-1969 Architect-Planner, I.M.Pei & Partners, NYC, New York, USA
1969-1974 Head of Design & Research Section, Housing & Development Board (HDB)
1975-1976 Chief Architect, HDB
1976-1979 Dy Chief Executive Officer, HDB
1979-1989 Chief Executive Officer, HDB
1 May 89-30 Sep 92 Chief Executive Officer & Chief Planner, Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
1 Oct 92 to date Director, RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd

Awards
Government of Singapore Awards:
1976 National Day Award - Public Administration Medal (Gold)
1985 National Day Award - Meritorious Service Medal

Other Awards:
1993 2nd Asean Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributions to Architecture
1994 Honorary Citizen of Fuzhou Award, Fujian, People's Republic of China

Award Received by Organisations worked for:
1990 Sir Robert Mathew Prize for improvement of the quality of human settlement, awarded by International Union of Architects to the Housing & Development Board.
1991 United Nations Habitat Scholl of Honour to the Urban Redevelopment Authority for undertaking a sustained urban redevelopment programme through innovative approaches and land policies and involvement of the private sector.

Advisory Appointments As Planning Advisor
(Current)
1987 - Now Beijing, People's Republic of China
1988 - Now Fuzhou Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1993 - Now Ningbo Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1993 - Now Yantai Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1993 - Now Longkou Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1993 - Now Xiamen Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1993 - Now Wuxi Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1994 - Now PengLai Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1994 - Now Tianjin Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1994 - Now Jinan Municipal People's Govt, People's Republic of China
1995 - Now Shandong Province, People's Republic of China
1995 - Now I-Lan County, Taiwan

(Past)
1987 - 1989 Specialist Advisor to the Ministry of National Development on Strategic Planning (Town Planning & Urban Design), Singapore
1989 - 1992 Honorary Advisor to CESMA Pte Ltd

1981 - Now Chairman, Advisory Committee, School of Architecture, National University of Singapore
1987 - Now Advisor Professor to Tonji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
March 1993 Regent's Lecturer to University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, March 93

(Academic-related)
1981 - Now Chairman, Advisory Committee, School of Architecture, National University of Singapore
1987 - Now Advisor Professor to Tonji University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
March 1993 Regent's Lecturer to University of California, Los Angeles, Graduate School of Architecture and Urban Planning, March 93

Government Appointments
(Current)
1989 - Now Board Member, Housing & Development Board
1996 - Now Chairman, National Arts Council
1992 - Now Member, Preparatory Committee on Chinese Emigration Museum
1993 - Now Board Member, National Heritage Board
1997 - Now Director, The Esplanade Co Ltd

(Past)
1993 - 1996 Chairman, Arts Facilities Adivsory Team, National Arts Council
1987 - 1996 Chairman, SAFTI Design Steering Committee
1983 - 1992 Chairman, Architectural Review Panel, Mass Rapid Transit Corporation
1976 - 1979 Board Member, Board of Architects
1979 - 1989 Dy Chairman, Urban Redevelopment Authority
1979 - 1992 Dy Chairman, Electoral Boundaries Delineation Committee
1980 - 1985 Member, Board of Governors, Singapore Armed Forces Reservists' Association
1981 - 1982 Member, National Wages Council
1981 - 1993 Board Member, Central Provident Fund Board
1983 - 1989 Trustee Member, Board of Trustees, NTUC Fairprice Co-operative Ltd
1989 - 1992 Member, Urban Redevelopment Authority
1989 - 1993 Member, Preservation of Monuments Board
1989 - 1992 Member, Urban Redevelopment Authority (was Dy Chairman from Feb 79 to Sep 89 - post lapsed after appointment as Chief Executive Officer & Chief Planner of URA)
1991 - 1996 Member, National Arts Council

Directorship
(Current)
1992 - Now Director, RSP Consultants Ltd., Hong Kong
1993 - Now Director, Friends of Hanoi Architectural Heritage International Foundation, Vietnam
1993 - Now Director, China-Singapore International Pte Ltd
1994 - Now Director, Singapore Offshore Petroleum Services Pte Ltd
1994 - Now Director, RSP Holdings Ltd
1995 - Now Director, RSP Aviation Pte Ltd
1995 - Now Member of the Board of Governors and Hon. Secretary, Chinese Heritage Centre, Singapore
1996 - Now Director, Squire Mech Pte Ltd

(Past)
1993 - 1996 Director, S H Lim Architects Pte Ltd
1993 - 1995 Director, Asia Quest Associates Pte Ltd
1979 - 1993 Director, Raffles City Pte Ltd 1993
1976 - 1984 Authority Member, Bus Services Licensing Authority, Ministry of Communications
1979 - 1981 Director, International Development & Consultancy Corporation Pte Ltd
1979 - 1983 Director, Housing Management Services Co Pte Ltd
1979 - 1985 Director, Raffles Holdings Pte Ltd
1979 - 1989 Executive Director, Urban Management Co ('87) Pte Ltd
1979 - 1989 Executive Director, Urban Development & Management Co Pte Ltd
1980 - 1981 Director, Construction Technology Pte Ltd
1988 - 1989 Dy Chairman, E M Services Pte Ltd
1989 Dy Chairman, Cleantech Services Pte Ltd
1989 Director, CESMA International Pte Ltd

Professional Institute Appointments
(Past) Singapore Institute of Architects:
As Vice President, 1976-1979, 1986-1987
As Council Member, 1970-1979
As Chairman, Institute Journal, 1970-1972
As Chairman, International Relations Committee, 1974-1976
Singapore Institute of Planners:
As Council Member, 1972-1974
As Member, Practice Committee, 1974-1976


[ Back ]