Wei Yap is recognised for his distinguished contribution to architecture through creative leadership, international practice, research, and advocacy, advancing design excellence, sustainability and social equity across Australia and globally.
With more than 23 years of professional experience spanning Australia, Southeast Asia and Europe, Wei Yap has built a career defined by interdisciplinary collaboration and the delivery of complex architectural and urban-scale projects. A registered architect in Australia, he established a strong foundation in civic, educational and mixed-use architecture before expanding his practice internationally, contributing to major city-shaping developments within highly complex governmental and multi-agency environments.
During his time in Singapore, Wei played a pivotal role in the design leadership of significant urban and healthcare projects, including the Woodlands Health Campus and the Jurong Lake District Masterplan, Singapore’s second central business district. These projects refined his expertise in managing large, multidisciplinary teams and navigating international partnerships to realise ambitious public outcomes at metropolitan scale.
Since returning to Australia in 2017, Wei has held senior leadership positions including National Design Director at Thomson Adsett and Principal at Hayball. In these roles, he shaped design culture across multiple studios, established design governance frameworks, mentored emerging leaders and strengthened organisational design capability. Following the COVID-19 period, he was appointed Head of Design at Surbana Jurong, where he led the integration of several international practices into a unified global studio, advancing cross-cultural collaboration and strengthening design excellence within one of Asia’s largest built-environment consultancies.
In 2024, Wei relocated to Tbilisi, Georgia, where he founded and now leads a multidisciplinary architecture and design practice operating at the intersection of architecture, research, policy, development and ecology. The practice is committed to raising design standards and developing innovative, context-responsive approaches suited to rapidly evolving urban environments.
Wei’s professional standing is evidenced by his contribution to award-winning architecture, including AAMI Park Stadium, recipient of the National Award for Public Architecture, Platinum Sentral in Kuala Lumpur, winner of the Green Apple Awards for Sustainability, and The Scientia Terrace, overall winner of the Learning Environments Australasia Design Awards. Across his career, he has contributed to 33 recognised design awards, including 15 directly attributed to his own design leadership. His influence within specialised sectors was further recognised with the Young Architect of the Year Award for International Healthcare in 2019, and through consecutive invitations to serve as a judge at the World Architecture Festival in 2023 and 2024.
Complementing his professional practice, Wei has made a sustained contribution to architectural education, research and public discourse. His research and exhibitions have explored narrative, representation, heritage, materiality and the social impact of architecture, while his teaching and mentoring reflect a deep commitment to nurturing future generations of architects. His work has been widely published in Australian and international journals and exhibitions, reinforcing the role of architecture as a cultural and social agent.
Through his leadership, scholarship and service, Wei Yap has consistently championed architecture’s responsibility to shape inclusive, sustainable and culturally grounded environments. His advocacy at international forums, including his invitation as an expert speaker on sustainable and inclusive urban transformation in Georgia in 2025, demonstrates the global reach of his influence and the strength of Australian architectural values abroad.
Wei Yap is elevated to Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects in recognition of his exemplary contribution to architectural practice, education and leadership, and for his enduring commitment to advancing the profession in Australia and internationally.
Congratulations, Wei.
