When people think of what an architect does, most think about the designing of a single building. But California-based architectural and multi-disciplinary design firm The Jerde Partnership has always set its sights on the bigger picture since its founding in 1977 by American architect Jon Jerde.

“We’ve always called it ‘placemaking’,” says Kenneth Ho, 48, design principal of Jerde. He moved to Singapore late last year to oversee the opening and operations of this latest Asian outpost of the firm, which already has a presence in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul. “The idea for us is that all of our projects are never hermetically sealed. They are always indelibly connected to the urban fabric of the city itself.” Its seminal 1985 project Horton Plaza in San Diego is the perfect example of what he means. At that time, most retail malls looked the same – boxy and boring. Horton Plaza blew everyone’s expectations away with its striped loggia, crooked corners, zig-zag storefronts and uniquely located staircases.