FOUNDER'S PROFILE

Mr. Damian Tang is an artist, trained architect, practising accredited landscape architect and an interdisciplinary creator, recognised for his adaptive leadership in the creative industry. He is the founder of the pioneering URDX Studio and URDX Academy. And now an Amazon #1 Best Seller for his book "Stress-Free High Achievers" in 3 categories - Mental Health Law, Industrial Business Management and Business Leadership Training. Throughout his career, Damian has explored creative media, environmental art and cross-innovated design strategies to bring together diverse experiences for his clients and customers. He also employs art, science, and artificial intelligence in his daily design business.

Damian is appointed the Chairman of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Asia Pacific Region Advisory Board in 2020 and the Circular Cities Summit, an initiative co-founded by International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), the International Union of Architects (UIA), and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO). He serves as the Director General at the Circular Cities Network, a non-profit organisation now supported by 8 global organisations with potential outreach of more than 8 millions members combined. 

Damian has held the titles of Asia-Pacific Region President of IFLA and President of the Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects. He was honoured as the Fellow of Singapore Institute of Landscape Architects and conferred the Presidential Award by IFLA Asia Pacific Region for his extraordinary leadership and exemplary contributions to landscape architecture and its fraternity. His past roles include serving on the Presidential Advisory Commission for the Design Business Chamber Singapore from 2013 to 2015 and as an International Presidential Advisor for the Asian Creative Industries Alliance during the same period.

Graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Planning and Design, a Bachelor of Architecture, and a Master of Landscape Architecture, he went on to complete his executive education in circular economy and sustainable strategies at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School. With a career in public service spanning over eighteen years, Damian has served in senior management roles and on high-level strategic planning and design committees, most notably as the Senior Design Director at the National Parks Board (NParks) and currently serving as Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Design Advisory Panel and Centre for Liveable Cities Expert Panel. Damian's design excellence in public service has been recognized with three Minister's Team Awards in Singapore (2009, 2012, 2021). In 2020, during the Covid period, he was one of the eight creative leaders in Singapore selected to use digital art to create an artwork recognizing the impact of Covid on foreign workers in the design industry. He received a letter of commendation from the Minister of Manpower for his creative excellence. At the peak of his public service, Damian received the National Day Public Administration Medal in 2020, awarded by the President of the Republic of Singapore.

His design work has garnered numerous awards, including those from the American Society of Landscape Architects, IFLA Asia Pacific, IFLA AAPME, Singapore Garden Festivals with multiple Gold and Best of Shows, and the Singapore Landscape Architecture Awards. He has also served as Chief Judge at several international architecture and landscape architecture competitions, clocking an impressive experience of more than 7000 submissions judging to-date. His pioneering work in URDX has also been approved by IFLA World Congress Scientific Committee and presented at the IFLA World Congress Research presentation.

In December 2019, he was invited as an International Architecture Design Supervisor at the Jincheng Park International Architectural Design Competition, organized by the Chengdu Municipal People’s Government in China. Damian has taught Integrated Sustainable Design at the National University of Singapore, where he continues to be a regular guest tutor and critic for Master of Architecture thesis reviews. He has also served as an independent industry reviewer for the Singapore University of Technology and Design. He has sat alongside design principals from Zaha Hadid Architects, Martha Swartz, SOM and other esteemed leaders at international plenary and keynote sessions. Currently, Damian is a Visiting Professor at Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology in China. He is an internationally recognised speaker and change-maker who promotes creative leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration around the world.