MAPS is a global multi-disciplinary design practice specializing in Architecture, Interior Design and Masterplanning. 

“Good design is intelligence made visible.”

Tan Hock Beng founded MAPS in 1996, transforming it into an internationally acclaimed firm led by innovation and information-driven design. His range of design interests and expertise varies from master planning to architecture and interiors, which are all rooted in celebrating culture, traditions and the public realm. He was awarded the Singapore Institute of Architects Medal in 1989, and has been involved in many award-winning projects for a diverse range of building types.

From 1992 to 1996, Tan lectured at the School of Architecture, National University of Singapore, where he researched on modernism and issues of authenticity in architecture. After setting up MAPS, he continues to teach various courses for its Masters Programme, and was an external examiner for the M Arch programme from 2015-2017. He was a member of the Advisory Committee for LaSalle-SIA School of the Arts' Interior Architecture Department and served as an External Examiner for its Diploma Course. He has also served on the Design Advisory Panel of the Singapore Tourism Board, Singapore.

He has lectured across the globe in various universities and professional forums including Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto; Waseda University, Tokyo; Institute of Tropical Architecture, Costa Rica; Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia; Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, and the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments, Tunis.

An architecture critic for several design periodicals, he has published extensively in international architecture journals, including The Architecture Review, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review, Architecture Australia and A+U. He is also a regular contributor to The Straits Times, Singapore, and for many years wrote a regular architectural column “Watch This Space”.

He is the author of nine books on architecture and hospitality design, from his first publication “Tropical Architecture and Interiors” in 1994 to the firm’s first monograph “Journeys Without Maps” in 2011.

“Our work challenges perceptual empiricism. It has always been about what is unseen, what is implied and what is seen only through movement.”

Maria graduated in 1989 from the School of Architecture, National University of Singapore, and has extensive experience in large-scale commercial, institutional and hospitality projects. Believing strongly in the power of architecture to elevate the public realm, her key projects include mixed commercial development, office towers, retail malls, institutional buildings, media centre and educational facilities. This broad mix of experience in varied building types forms the bedrock for her current focus on hotels and resorts.

Maria is responsible for most of the firm’s high profile international portfolio, like One Palauea Bay in Maui, Hawaii and Shangri-La Garden Wing Singapore, as well as the Shangri-La in Fiji. She is responsible for all aspects of these projects, from initial programming and conceptual design through completion. These projects have enabled her to hone an intuitive eye for a fluid aesthetic as well as the cross-cultural sensibilities necessary to work successfully in a globalised context.

In today’s collaborative, multidisciplinary design cultures, Maria is also responsible for the interior design and landscape design of the firm’s varied portfolio, working with craftsmen, horticulturalists, artists and artisans in seamless, collaborative ventures. Her design direction is notable for its carefully nuanced detailing whilst her wide-ranging interests in the field of art work, product design and fashion design have seen a cross-disciplinary overlap in her projects. Her works are characterized by a relentless pursuit of a distinct site-driven aesthetics that is both casual and chic. They have been exhibited in many exhibitions worldwide, including Tokyo, Costa Rica and the prestigious Venice Biennale.

She is also actively involved in the academia, teaching design studios for several years at the National University of Singapore since 1993, as well as being an external critic and examiner at the Singapore Polytechnic. In addition, she regularly attends international conferences, workshops and symposia.

Currently she runs the art consultancy services of MAPS and is responsible for conceptualizing and procurement of artwork and interior accessories for hospitality projects and residential interiors. She is also a full-time ceramicist.

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