Ken Yeang

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Ken Yeang bigraphy, stories - Architect

Ken Yeang : biography

1948 – N/A

Ken Yeang (Chinese: 杨经文/楊經文; pinyin: Yáng Jīngwén; born 1948) is a Malaysian architect, ecologist and writer best known for his signature deep green architecture and ecomasterplans, differentiated from other green architects by his authentic ecological and environmentally comprehensive approach. Yeang is an early pioneer of ecological design and planning, carrying out design and research in this field since 1971. He is described as the "world’s leading green skyscraper architect".

Yeang works between his Kuala Lumpur office T. R. Hamzah and Yeang (since 1975) and his UK firm Llewelyn Davies Ken Yeang Ltd. T. R. Hamzah & Yeang was formed in 1975 with Tengku Datuk Robert Hamzah, his contemporary at the AA School, and a Prince in the Malay Royal family.

Notable projects

  • Plaza Atrium, Kuala Lumpur, 1981
  • Roof-Roof house, Kuala Lumpur 1985
  • Menara Boustead, Kuala_Lumpur, 1986
  • Menara Mesiniaga, Subang Jaya, Malaysia, 1992
  • MBF Tower, Penang, Malaysia1993
  • TTDi The Plaza and Residence, Kuala Lumpur, 1996
  • UMNO Tower, Penang, 1998
  • Mutiara Mesiniaga Penang, Penang, 2003
  • Mewah Oils Headquarters, Malaysia 2005
  • National Library of Singapore, Singapore, 2005Pearson, Clifford A.: in Architectural Record, August 2006
  • Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (Main campus, Cyberjaya), Malaysia, 2006
  • TA2 Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2005
  • DIGI Technical Office, Shah Alam, Malaysia, 2010
  • Solaris, Singapore, 2010
  • Ganendra Art House, 2010

Current projects under construction

  • Spire Edge, Gurgaon, Delhi, India (Completion 2012)
  • Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Extension, London (Completion 2012)
  • Fu Gong Shan Monastery, Johore Baru, Malaysia (Completion 2013)
  • Calvary Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (Completion 2012)

Other projects

  • Putrajaya office and retall complex Phase 2C5, Putrajaya, Malaysia
  • Tokyo-Nara Tower, Tokyo, Japan, 1994
  • Editt Tower, Singapore, a signature tower with a ramped greenery system
  • Elephant and Castle EcoTower, London
  • Al-Asima, Kuwait
  • CAAG Tower, London
  • Enterprise Building 4, Cyberjaya, Malaysia
  • Jabal Omar Towers, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
  • Dubai Towers, UAE
  • Beijing Mega Hall North
  • Taipei Capital Plaza
  • Chongging Tower, China
  • Vancouver Waterfront, Canada
  • Premier City, Almaty, Kazakhstan
  • LGT Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Early life and education

Born in 1948 in Penang, Malaysia, he grew up with his parents in an early Modernist house.Rethinking the Skyscraper, Introduction: A European Upbringing, pp. 7-12 Yeang attended Penang Free School till 1961 when he attended Cheltenham Boys College (a public school) in Gloucestershire.

Yeang obtained his qualifications in architecture from the Architectural Association School (AA) in London. In 1969, spent a year on a practical internship in a Singapore architecture practice, before returning to the AA to complete his diploma. under Peter Cook. He worked briefly at Louis de Soissons Partnership and also carried out paid graphic design work, meeting Charles Jencks. He received a PhD in ecological design and planning from Cambridge University Department of Architecture, writing his doctoral thesis, "A Theoretical Framework for Incorporating Ecological Considerations in the Design and Planning of the Built Environment", later published as Designing with Nature (McGraw-Hill, USA, 1995) (republished as "Proyectar Con La Naturaleza’, Editorial Gustavo Gili, S.A., 1995) that became the springboard for his work on ecodesign, green architecture and ecocity masterplanning.

Yeang attended courses on ecology at the Department of Environmental Biology at Cambridge University (under Professor J.W.L. Beament), and on ecological land use planning at the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Landscape Architecture (under Professor Ian McHarg). He is a member of the British Ecological Society.