Ian Donlan is no stranger to change. Born and raised in Australia, Ian relocated to Singapore in 2004, before joining our local studio in 2013 after nineteen years of work experience. A huge cultural shift, he’s embraced the switch to the unknown and has fallen in love with his new city, complete with its many layers of novel experiences, excitement and action. Having previously been part of a boutique firm, the shift to a large global practice has also presented many opportunities to expand his portfolio and breadth of experience, particularly through his management of the people, processes and intricate details of hospital design. In 2015 Ian relocated to our larger Shanghai office in his role as Director of Practice, Asia. He then relocated to Vietnam in 2018, as the Managing Principal of the studio, while continuing to oversee operations in Asia as the Director of Practice, Asia. In 2022, he increased his operation role to Global Director of Practice.
Inspiration comes from always trying to improve one’s self.
A true sports fan, when we asked Ian to pick absolutely any two people he’d like to have lunch with, he named Muhammad Ali and Lance Armstrong. In fact, if he hadn’t taken the route of becoming an architect, he would be a professional sportsman. Specifically, he’d be an Australian Football player from Australia. Consistent with his appreciation for what teams can accomplish when they work well together, what he enjoys most in his own work is developing and encouraging his younger staff as he plays a key role in effective resource management.
Ian joined B+H in the Singapore Studio in 2013, bringing with him close to twenty years of in-depth regional experience. With strong design expertise, he is also well-known for his lead role in the coordination of consultants, users and clients as well as on-site management of projects.