Tay Yanling is the Founder and Principal Architect of TA.LE Architects. She has won numerous international and national competitions in the field of architecture, product, graphic and digital design.
Tay Yanling is an architect who believes that good design improves the everyday life of its inhabitants and users. She believes that behind every inspirational well-designed space, there is a meaningful story. Her works aim to tell the stories of the owners of the space.
Tay graduated with Cum Laude for Master of Science (Architecture) from Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands in 2006. During her studies in Singapore and the Netherlands, she won numerous international and national competitions in the field of architecture, product, graphic and digital design. Her skills as an architect were honed in global architecture firms like DP Architects in Singapore and Powerhouse Company in the Netherlands. She is a registered architect with the Board of Architects in Singapore and The Netherlands.
In 2014, she set up TA.LE Architects, providing consultancy services for architectural projects, urban and interior design. She believes in providing a holistic design consultancy so as to deliver a complete design product.
Her portfolio of work ranges from commercial buildings to privately owned houses. In 2013, she completed the Global Leadership Training Facility for the renowned consumer goods giant Unilever at One North. The Four Acres Training Centre is the first corporate university in Singapore. Another significant project that she has completed is the design and construction of a luxury boutique hotel development—The Fullerton Bay Hotel and the Conservation of Clifford Pier & Customs House at Collyer Quay. Since 2014, she has completed several private houses, among them a Good Class Bungalow at Ridout Road.
TA.LE Architects sees each project as an intimate creative collaboration between their clients, the design team and other stakeholders in the project – Images courtesy of TA.LE Architects
Tay has a keen interest in the realm of conservation. She was the architect for Clifford Pier and Customs House, which won the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) conservation award. She is also involved in the restoration of several shophouses in Singapore’s prime historical districts as well as the conservation of a luxury Good Class Bungalow housed in a colonial building at Ridout Road.
On a more intimate scale, Tay leads the office in interior design projects that include office interiors for organisations, such as URA Digital Planning Lab, Social Service Institute, Sports Council Fitness Centres and private home interiors. She aims to bring about a positive design impact at all levels.
Tell us about your guiding approach to design and in managing clients’ expectations as Founder and Principal Architect of TA.LE Architects?
We see each project as an intimate creative collaboration between our clients, the design team and other stakeholders in the project. We always take time to analyse and explore the brief thoroughly. Our philosophy to design is to rethink the standard solutions and to provide possible alternatives that challenge assumptions and preconceptions. Our creativity is illustrated through our ability to think, develop and visualise ideas in three dimensions.
TA.LE Architects designed a circular pavilion using recycled timber pallet, which was awarded the Honorable Mention Prize in ‘The OUE Artling Archipavilion Design Competition’ – Images courtesy of TA.LE Architects
We always try to create and instill a spirit of discovery and invention on the project that we embark on, allowing bespoke and unique design solutions to shine through. From furniture designs and interiors to architecture, no matter whether the project is big or small, we pay equal attention to each project that we undertake to maximise its potential within the given time.
We believe that all stakeholders play a crucial role in the success of any project. As we believe that communication is key, we work closely with our clients to understand their priorities and ensure that the views of all interested parties are heard at the beginning of each project and an effective dialogue is established. This often involves on our part, articulation of authorities’ requirements and technical constraints in ways that are easily understandable for all our clients, helping them understand its implications so that all parties can contribute meaningfully to the evolving design.
Within the project boundaries of what is acceptable by the client, allowable on site and authority permissibility, it is up to us to perform our magic and deliver an exemplary project. I think a truly capable architect can work within all these constraints and still deliver a beautiful project balancing all the requirements.
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