A Nation by Design

From public housing to healthcare, design has shaped Singapore's development for 60 years, and will drive the solutions needed for the future

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When then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described Singapore as a "Nation by Design" in 2018, he captured the belief that progress must be intentional. From public housing to floodplains, the country's development reflects deliberate choices supported by good design.

This has helped Singapore build a global reputation for turning constraints into possibilities as it transformed limited land into neighbourhoods of thriving communities through urban planning, and used architecture to manage climate risks. This distinct design-led development also earned the city-state a UNESCO Creative City of Design recognition in 2015.

According to Dawn Lim, Executive Director of the Design Singapore Council (DSG), the same approach remains key as Singapore enters its next chapter.

"In the early days, design was about getting the basics right. We needed to house a nation, build infrastructure, and get people connected to jobs and services. That was foundational design, and it was incredibly effective," she says. "Today, we see Care, Sustainability, and Emerging Technologies as key issues where design can make a deep impact on Singapore's future."

Design that builds better lives

A striking example of Singapore's pioneering mindset is Pinnacle@Duxton. Designed by local architectural firm ARC Studio Architecture + Urbanism and launched in 2009, it was Singapore's first 50-storey public housing project. With its sky gardens, walkways, and communal decks, it showed that high-density public housing can be both liveable and appealing as it picked up international awards like the World's Best Housing Development at the World Architecture Festival in 2010.