Ong Siew May (OSM) Professorship

We are privileged to announce renowned architect Peggy Deamer, Emeritus Professor of Architecture at Yale University, as this semester’s Ong Siew May (OSM) Professor. As part of her appointment, she will lead Options Design Research Studio 2 (AR5802), which enables faculty research clusters to integrate research knowledge with design investigations. The studio offers fourth-year BA Arch students the opportunity to choose from a range of topics and pursue themes aligned with their interests and intellectual goals.

Peggy Deamer (Dr) Professor Emeritus of Architecture at Yale University, Principal of Deamer, Studio and founding member of The Architecture Lobby (TAL), a group advocating for the value of architectural design and labour.

The remarkable history of Singapore’s public housing has long interested me, and the Department Head, Jeff Hou, kindly gave me a tour of several examples here last summer. That visit convinced me I could learn even more about the particularities of Singapore’s housing through my involvement with NUS. As many know, my research focuses on architectural labour, the professionalisation of the field, and architects’ contributions to social needs such as housing.

As someone who prides herself on being an activist as well as a scholar and architect, my pedagogical approach is to equip students to be effective practitioners beyond mere formal skills.