Perth-born architect Kerry Hill has taken out a top honour at Singapore’s President’s Design Award 2010.

Hill and New York-based photographer John Clang were awarded Designer of the Year by President S R Nathan in a ceremony on 19 November. The Award, now in its 5th year, recognises the talents of Singapore-based designers who contribute to and enhance Singapore’s cultural and economic environment.

Photography by award-winner John Clang.

Hill, who graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1968 and worked with Howlett & Bailey Architects, moved to Asia in 1971 and established a reputation for adapting traditional Asian design and drawing on the climactic and topographic features specific to each location.

ITC Sonar Bangla, Kolkata, India. View of lobby from courtyard. Photo by Albert Lim KS

“I have consciously allowed a reciprocal influence to exist between my modernist principles and the traditions of the East,” Hill says of his work. “It is part observation and part intuition.”

Ogilvie House, Queensland, Australia. View of dining and deck area. Photo by Reiner Blunck.

This approach can be seen in Hill’s most notable work, the Datai Hotel in Langkawi, Malaysia, and the Lalu Hotel at Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Taiwan. Hill’s work has been consistently rewarded by the Singapore Institute of Architects and Royal Institute of Architects, and state institutes in Australia and the United States.

Ogilvie House, Queensland, Australia. View of deck and swimming pool facing the Pacific Ocean. Photo by Jon Linkins.

The jury of the Singapore President’s Design Award commended Hill for his commitment to regionalist architecture through a range of buildings in various countries.

Aman New Delhi, India. View of swimming pool. Photo by Albert Lim KS.

They identified Hill’s understanding of how to incorporate the weather and climate into his designs as key to his style, demonstrating in turn the importance of integrity in responding to environmental challenges that face development and construction around the world.

Kerry Hill Architects
kerryhillarchitects.com

John Clang
johnclang.com