At a young age, BCA Scholar Soh Hui Han’s curiosity and the opportunity to witness the biophilic design and green features of the then newly opened Changi Airport Terminal 3 led him to a journey down the engineering path. Find out more about Hui Han’s rewarding career in the built environment as a Senior Manager with BCA’s Planning Department.
Turning Childhood Dreams into Reality with BCA
Since young, I found joy in assembling and disassembling various items and fixing things. I would spend hours figuring out how things worked, and this innate curiosity led me to an engineering career. As I grew older, I became fascinated with the seamless blending of nature and technology in building designs, motivating me to enter the built environment sector, focusing on sustainability and user-centric design.
I was drawn to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) as it offers a distinctive platform to explore my area of interest with a broader sense of purpose in shaping the built environment sector in a way that benefits society. I was also keen to work within public service, where I can formulate policies and strategies, work on projects that elevate the quality of lives, and contribute to a more sustainable built environment for the people.
My dream is for the sector to be progressive, innovative, and sustainable, setting the global standard and achieving international recognition for our contributions.
Paving the Way
I started my BCA career in the Environment Sustainability Group, working on green building policies. One of the key projects I was involved in was the Singapore Green Building Masterplan, where we looked at driving sustainable buildings and districts in the built environment in line with Singapore’s climate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Through this project, I was able to play a part in transforming the sector and promoting green building practices by working closely with government agencies, industry stakeholders, and citizens.
In my current posting with the Planning Department of Strategic Planning and Transformation Office, I get to work closely with a different set of industry stakeholders in co- developing the Built Environment Industry Transformation Map (BE ITM). BE ITM lays out the short to medium plans for the sector and reflects our resolve to design, construct, and maintain buildings more productively and sustainably while strengthening our resilience against future challenges.
The path to transformation was not without challenges, as the sector is still relatively slow to innovate in some respects. I found that firms are often cautious about adopting new technologies and practices, which stifles progress and creativity. These challenges have sparked greater impetus and desire to transform the sector.
The Blueprint to Success
Our sector’s transformation is a journey, not a destination. It necessitates the collective efforts from all our stakeholders across the value chain. Strong collaboration is the key to ensuring that our sector works towards a common goal and fosters an environment where we embrace ideas and innovation. This will elevate our industry to greater heights and create spaces that enrich lives and protect the environment. I am privileged to play a part in this journey.
The Road Ahead
As I walk through the streets of Singapore or catch a glimpse of our iconic city skyline, I am often filled with a profound sense of pride and accomplishment of what our sector has achieved. It is a testament to the dedication and hard work in shaping this vibrant and beautiful city. If you have the passion and desire to shape the environment and spaces we live, work, and play in, a career in the built environment sector is filled with exciting challenges and limitless possibilities!
SOH HUI HAN
BCA Local Undergraduate Scholarship
Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), Nanyang Technological University
Now: Senior Manager, Planning Department