Conserving the Past, Defining the Future
“How can we achieve a harmonious integration of new developments and historical heritage within an urban and sustainable setting? That’s the kind of challenge we tackle in NUS Master of Arts in Architectural Conservation.”
Prof Ho Puay Peng
UNESCO Chair, Architectural Heritage
Conservation and Management in Asia
Head, Department of Architecture, NUS
Professor Ho Puay Peng was instrumental in pioneering the Master of Arts (Architectural Conservation) [MA (ArC)] programme, not just in NUS, but also in Singapore. The new programme established in 2020, was among the initiatives Prof Ho had introduced after being appointed as holder of the UNESCO Chair on Architectural Heritage Conservation and Management in Asia.
Bridging the past and present
“The MA (ArC) is the first such programme offered by a university in Singapore. It is timely for NUS to run this programme, given the prevalence of urban renewal and reconstruction in today’s built environment sector. Singapore will need talents well-versed in heritage conservation, who understand the values of preservation, to help the country tackles waste energy and embodied carbon brought about by demolishing buildings. Through the MA (ArC), we will be able to educate and help professionals in Singapore and across Asia to deepen their skills and knowledge in architectural conservation,” says Prof Ho.
He further shared that Singapore’s architectural history began with existing buildings from the colonial era, continuing on to the founding period of the country. While heritage conservation harked back to the 1970s, it was the ensuing nation-building process that had launched our conservation efforts. The conservation of historic districts, for instance, saw shophouses, as many as 8,000, being preserved within urban blocks across several main and residential districts. Conserved shophouses used today as offices, shops, ateliers, cafés and restaurants, served a meaningful and revitalised purpose. Overall, Singapore has done well in conserving heritage and promoting the values of preservation, amidst massive urbanisation.
Educating from experience
Prof Ho, who heads the Department of Architecture at NUS, has close to 30 years of relevant experience. He brings much needed knowledge to the academic arena, having worked as a conservation consultant, architect and advisor in charge of over 100 conservation projects across Hong Kong and some of China’s largest cities. Leveraging his vast experiences, Prof Ho has successfully integrated industry best practices into the MA (ArC) programme.
The MA (ArC) programme is a testament to Prof Ho’s dedication to advancing education for architectural heritage conservation in Singapore. Its curriculum focuses on educating students in preserving historic districts, by mitigating and reconciling the conflicting needs of new developments and historical district conservation.
Students reading the MA (ArC) can select a specialisation from three streams: Policy and Management, Materials and Technology, and Design in historic urban context. Depending on the choice of specialisation, students can take the path of management, technical expertise, or architecture and design. “The MA (ArC) programme offers a broad scope to help professionals meet the demands of conservation projects within the profession,” remarks Prof Ho.
Educating future generations
The pioneer batch of MA (ArC) students who had begun their studies in January 2021, have found the programme delightfully Asian. Says one Chinese student Zhao Yihua, “I find the programme offers a unique perspective on diverse Asian cultures. I especially enjoy Prof Ho’s teaching. Through storytelling, he shares the many architectural conservation projects he had undertaken whilst in Hong Kong, where he first taught the discipline.”
Asked Prof Ho about the future of NUS’ architectural conservation education, and he had this to say: “I am working with UNESCO to achieve development in architectural conservation for Asia in particular, and will collaborate with the Asian UNESCO in Bangkok, to train more professionals in this unique field. Other collaborations being explored are study trips to important architectural conservation sites overseas.”