Tous Saphoeun: Driving Quality in Cambodia’s Architecture and Urbanism

• Proeksa Meas
• 31 December 2015
• Construction Focus
• 2459 Views

H.E. Tous Saphoeun, 42, Deputy Secretary General of Board of Architects Cambodia (BAC), specializes in architecture and urban planning. Holding three significant positions, he started off small and rose rapidly in his specialty. He sat down with Construction & Property Magazine to talk about how he get to where he is today and his significant roles in this field.

A few decades ago, a young man left his family to continue his academic career majoring in Architecture and Urban Planning at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh. While studying, Tous Saphoeun took a part-time job as a Thai language teacher to support himself. During his third academic year he started working as a contractor in his brother’s construction firm and it was then he realized his future path.

“Success has come from my certain vision and goal with a strong commitment and a small start-up,” he said. After graduating, he rapidly set up his own architecture firm in 1997 to establish a highly-standardized architectural, physical planning, and environmental impact assessment based on socio-economic research.

As a managing director of Creative Green Design Co, Ltd, Saphoeun has been open-minded about promoting his knowledge and experiences with foreign partnerships on architectural specialty. He also joined a 6-month pre-Master’s program on conservation organised by the Apsara Authority in Siem Reap, lectured by Vann Molyvann, Cambodia’s most famous architect responsible for the New Cambodian Architecture movement in the 1950s-60s.

For his higher career development, Saphoeun continued his Master’s degree in Thailand majoring in Urban Environmental Management. “If I didn’t take up further education, I could only be a simple contractor and construction material supplier,” he said, adding that his business now provides architecture and engineering consulting services, and social research, including environmental impact assessments for the Ministry of Environment among others.

Beyond wanting to upgrade his business, Saphoeun loves to lecture and share knowledge and experience with Cambodia’s next generation. As a result, he was chosen to be the Head of Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at Norton University in 2002, and then become the Dean of Architecture and Urbanism at Paññasatra University of Cambodia in 2009.

“I really love education the most, and what makes me happy is to transfer my existing knowledge and experience,” he explained, adding that he is proud to see his students succeed in their architectural specialty and the industry growing. He believes that those graduate architects will contribute to the nation’s development.

Driven by the lack of local qualified architects, he is attempting to standardize the architectural program, engage with international programs, and strengthen local architects. Once they have graduated, he tries to link his students to actual practice through internships.

Thanks to his concern for vulnerable Khmer-style architecture after ASEAN integration, Saphoeun has joined with other co-founders to establish the Board of Architects Cambodia (BAC), a state-run architects association established in 2011, and recognized as a member of the ASEAN Architects Council in 2012. The association is designed to educate and manage local architects, and control the nation’s architectural form.

“Architecture is the national spirit and notion,” he said, “the architectural designs of the buildings reveal Cambodian culture.” He confirmed that the BAC will probably do assessments on development projects to ensure the social, environmental impact, and Khmer-style design.

Saphoeun says architecture and engineering students who expect to have successful careers should make sure they are highly tolerant, hard-working, creative and self-disciplined. More importantly, he recommends them having a clear vision and goal with good time management and social communication skills.

Saphoeun has visualized his dream with a successful career in business, education, and associations with a high-ranking position in the country. With this kind of responsibility, he also has the role to produce qualified architects, give them opportunities, and manage the nation’s architecture and urban planning.

He criticized today’s investors and developers who have never highly rated local architects’ masterpieces and projects. Although their projects are often designed by local architects, they publicize the projects as being designed by foreigners. “The thousands of ancient temples were designed by Cambodian architects, so why don’t they trust in the local architects?” he asked.

Noting that the real estate sector is growing remarkably, meaning the demand for local architects and architectural management will keep rising, Saphoeun encourages developers to give opportunities and credit to Cambodian architects’ skills and achievement and to maintain the Khmer-style design to strengthen the national identity.