In The Mood

You’re from London—what do you do here in Singapore?
I’m an Architecture professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and I’ve been in Singapore for two and a half years. I’ve always loved cities, and growing up in London inspired me. Now that more people live in cities than anywhere else, architecture gives me a unique opportunity to improve peoples’ lives.

How do you like it so far?
It’s a constant summer, but I’m slowly getting used to it. I like the cocktail scene here too; it’s fantastic like the one in Hong Kong, and definitely better than in London.

What would you be doing if you weren’t teaching?
Riding motorbikes. I don’t know if that can be counted as a job, but it’ll be a good one. I feel that riding on two wheels makes you more connected to your environment and where you’re going. You could say I upgraded from riding pushbikes to motorbikes as I got older.

My dream office would be:
One I design myself.

What famous people, living or dead, would you want at your fantasy dinner party and why?
Robert Oppenheimer, Ludwig Wittgenstein, Wong Kar-Wai, Sofia Coppola and Maggie Cheung. I think they’re people who think and drink well, and watch good films.