Raised in Singapore, trained in Oxford and inspired by West Coast architecture of San Francisco and Vancouver, Dr. Timothy Seow’s approach to architecture as complex as his background suggests a combination of the work ethic, programmatic analysis, strong contextual response and a sense of what makes life good.

One of the few Asians architects to be profiled in World Architecture magazine, Dr. Seow has won numerous local and overseas prizes for his work, taken on a plethora of high-profile projects, and founded an architectural firm that he led to prominence. In 1998, he was conferred a Doctorate by his alma mater, Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom, for his outstanding work.

He set up his own practice in 1974 and won international recognition for his revolutionary work in defining new architectural forms and for pioneering high-rise residential typology. Dr. Seow started a trend and coined it “bungalows in the air”, a design concept that is still evident today in all top condominiums in the creation of private units, maisonettes with double volume living and dining rooms, etc. Among his earlier projects were Futura, Maxima, Westwood, Beverly Mai, and Draycott to name just a few, all of which challenged his creative nous.

In 1981, he was commissioned as the Master Planner for the township of Lekas Jaya at Kota Kinabalu. The Master Plan was subsequently presented to Dr. Mahathir, the then Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Dr. Timothy Seow passed away on September 2019.