The future society as a reimagined kampung
Prof Tay Kheng Soon proposes regenerative, community-integrated spaces that prioritise cultural relevance and ecological responsibility over Western models and stylistic trends.
IN THE REALM of architecture and urban planning, few figures are as provocative and visionary as Prof Tay Kheng Soon. A veteran Singaporean architect, educator, and socio-political thinker, Tay’s ideas go far beyond form and function — they challenge cultural assumptions and invite Southeast Asia to imagine a new future.
His latest venture, the proposed Penang Urban Mangrove Park—Art & Enterprise Campus, is just one manifestation of a much larger philosophy to encourage spaces where people could “live, learn and earn”.
Beyond the post-colonial mentality
Tay has long critiqued what he sees as an “implicit post-colonial mentality” in the way cities are planned and institutions are built across the region. His design philosophy seeks to dismantle that legacy, replacing top-down models with human-scaled, community-integrated spaces.
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At the heart of his architectural approach is a desire to transform the purpose of built environments — from extractive and isolating, to regenerative and inclusive.
“Integration of social and personal development is the purpose of education,” he says. “Honesty in the look and feel of the campus environment is very important. Visual entertainment corrupts the mind and senses.”
Nervous system of innovation
Tay believes that architecture can be a central nervous system — a conduit for “multiple intelligences” to flow, cross-pollinate, and thrive. Unlike the sterile, compartmentalised buildings of conventional campuses, his vision calls for fluid, connected spaces that foster collaboration and spontaneity.
Asked about biophilic design, he offers a refreshingly critical view: “The only relevant biomorphic concept is the insertion of a contiguous central nervous system.”
This approach rejects stylistic fads in favour of open-form design — campuses that are not only adaptable but actively encouraging of cultural and technological exchange.
Kampung, but reimagined
The traditional kampung (or village) has long inspired Southeast Asian design, but Tay is not interested in nostalgia. “Kampungs being small and compact do naturally provide a communal information culture, but they are also introverting and monochromatic — not good for the growth of enterprise.”
Instead, he advocates for compactness with diversity, drawing on the kampung’s social logic while breaking open its limitations. The enterprise campus, in his view, should be a “wholesome place to live, learn, and earn” for individuals and families of all backgrounds.
Walking towns, not floating islands
In contrast to some futuristic visions of floating developments or high-tech enclaves, Tay remains grounded. “No need for floating developments,” he insisted. Instead, his preferred model is simple: “The campus should be a walking town.”
Mobility should prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, and shared transport — not private cars. Structures should be open, porous, and tropical in design, with “void decks for visual and physical connectivity,” ample shade, and integration with vertical and ground-level vegetation.
Socio-ecological responsibility
Perhaps most compelling is Tay’s insistence that the enterprise campus must regenerate — not displace — the environment and communities around it.
“Mangrove areas are an extension of the campus. They should be free,” he said. “All wastewater should be anaerobically treated and filtered. No solid waste should enter the mangrove zones.”
He envisions these spaces as hybrid utilities, where public access, educational outreach, and private innovation exist side by side — not in opposition.
“Yes, [we can] blend public utility, community access, and private innovation spaces. By being open-form and pedestrian-friendly.”
Legacy rooted in the region
When asked about global inspirations, Tay doesn’t look West. Instead, he turns to Nalanda University, the ancient Indian seat of learning and spiritual inquiry.
If tasked with designing a campus for a Southeast Asian tech conglomerate, Tay wouldn’t just build infrastructure. He’d create “an integrative and wholesome place to live, learn, and earn” — a living ecosystem of knowledge, culture, and community.
The Penang Urban Mangrove Park may be the first step in materialising a broader vision: an Asia that is not only modern, but meaningfully its own.
As the region faces mounting pressures — from climate change to urban alienation — Prof Tay Kheng Soon’s radical ideas are not just relevant; they are necessary. As Tay put it: “Be much more integrated and culturally diverse and tropically adapted.”
This is not just a blueprint for a campus — it’s a manifesto for the future. - Anansa Jacob
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