Yee Foo Lai (Vincent) is the founder of STUDIO YEE FOO LAI. The studio is interested in pursuing the delineation of blurry contiguous narrative and forms, as means of approach to design. The works constantly oscillate between the vernacular and modern, presenting a sense of familiarity with a twist of novelty.
Lai and Douglas Lee founded Temporary Office, a multi-disciplinary design collaborative working on projects of myriad scales internationally. One of the collaborative most prominent project ‘Touch the Valley’, a 3D topographic puzzle designed for the visually-impaired, has won the recognition of Lexus Design Award 2023. On the Architecture front, 'common-sky', a communal space typology to reinvigorate old social housing, was presented on Swiss Architecture Museum symposium.
Lai holds a Master of Architecture from UC Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from NUS Singapore, where he received the AKZO Nobel Gold medal for distinction in Architectural Design. He has diverse design and research experience, previously working in leading international firms such as SOM, OPEN Architecture, Vo Trong Nghia Architects, and Aedas.
Temporary Office, New Yrok, Founding Partner
Vo Trong Nghia Architects, Ho Chi Minh City, VN, Pavilion Builder, Architectural Intern
LAUD Architects, Singapore, SG, Architectural Intern
ETH Zürich, Zürich, CH, Architecture
Exchange Program (selected 2 students per year)
AKZO Nobel Medal, Gold Medal, Award
Best graduating student in Architectural Design
NUS Awards for Study Abroad (NASA) exchange scholarship, Scholarship
Milton Tan Memorial Fund (MTMF) scholarship, Scholarship
Scholarship for internship abroad
ETH exchange scholarship, Scholarship
Merit Prize, Honorable Mention
SIA:SKIN design competition
Singapore Institute of Architects Medal, Award
Diploma graduation award
