Architects Wong Mun Summ and Richard Hassell have reason to shout Woha.
Their homegrown firm, Woha Architects, received the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur for its residential project 1 Moulmein Rise.
Wong Mun Summ (right) and Richard Hassell's firm, Woha Architects, received the prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture. -- SIEW YAW HOONGThis is the first winning project from Singapore.
The award was established by the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, in 1977.
Attention is given to buildings that use local resources and technology in an innovative way and to projects likely to inspire similar efforts elsewhere.
The 28-storey 1 Moulmein Rise for property firm UOL Development, which was completed in 2003, boasts solutions to deal with high-rise living in the tropics.
One example is the use of monsoon windows, which are special horizontal windows in each apartment to let in the breeze but keep out the rain.
Other tropic-friendly features include designing the condominium to have a north-south facing (to avoid direct sunlight) and overhangs to provide shade.
Of the win which is the 13-year-old Woha's top international award to date, Mr Wong says it is meaningful because 'it looks at what the building does for the end-user, rather than just on how the building looks'.
UOL's chief operating officer Liam Wee Sin says the award is international recognition for the company's commitment to design excellence in the homes that it builds.
The award has a triennial prize fund of US$500,000, making it the largest architectural prize. The prize money is split among the nine winners this year.
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