VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
Ng San Son
Associate Architect
DP Architects Pte Ltd
Architecture is likened to directing a movie – where one experiences pure exhilaration after realising a scripted dream!
What continue to inspire you
project after project?
Firstly, my motivation comes from loving what I do best. This is compounded by the variety of projects that I have been fortunate to be involved in. During my internship, I had the chance to work on the DSO-NUS Wind Tunnel Facility, which was a one-of-a-kind project. When I started work after graduation, my first project was the extension work to St Andrew’s Cathedral. I was then given a chance to be involved in the development of Orchard Central, an iconic shopping mall in the centre of Singapore’s premier shopping district. Currently I am working on Serangoon Gardens—myVillage, which gives me free reign to unleash my creativity. My other project is the River Safari along Mandai Road, which offers a different set of challenges altogether.
Are you ever completely satisfied
with your designs?
Architects tend to be perfectionists and are often our own worst critics. What I like to do is to revisit projects that I have worked on and obtain feedbacks that will be invaluable to my future projects. For example, I have followed shoppers around Orchard Central just to see their reaction and listen to their comments on the new shopping environment that I have helped create.
What do you do to maintain balance, working in such a creative field?
Working in the creative line, there is a tendency to get burnt out or become stale in your designs. I like to get myself rejuvenated by setting aside some of my free time to teach architecture at NUS. I am often inspired by the students’ innovative ideas, as they remind me of my passion and why I entered the industry in the first place.