Hijjas Kasturi

Hijjas was born in Singapore in 26 September 1936. His Chinese mother was raised in Indonesia and then married a Singaporean Javanese. He went to Raffles Institute to continue his secondary education, and he was then granted a scholarship by the Australian Government to study at the University of Adelaide; he eventually graduated from the University of Melbourne. He moved to Malaysia in 1967 and founded the first professional degree program in Malaysia, The School of Art and Architecture at MARA Institute of Technology. In 1977, he founded his own practice, Hijjas Kasturi Associates Sdn (HKAS).

Hijjas started as a Draughtsman with the Singapore Housing Trust in 1956, preparing the Master Plan for Queenstown, and lowcost flats for Singapore. After three years, he joined the South Australian Housing Trust as a Draughtsman preparing the Master Plan for Elizabeth Town, South Australia and various housing schemes.

In 1961, Hijjas became an Architectural Assistant with Brown & Davis, South Australia, working on hospital planning, commercial and religious buildings and housing. In 1965, he became an architect with Hume Proprietary Ltd., Melbourne, Australia planning the construction of factories, warehouses and district offices.

In 1966, Hijjas returned to Singapore and became an Architect/Planner with Urban Renewal Department of the Housing and Development Board of Singapore, in charge of the central transportation terminus study, planning for Ministry of Internal Defence Headquarters and city Development.

However, in 1967, he left Singapore for Malaysia and become the Team leader for feasibility study for the establishment of Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM; now Universiti Teknologi MARA or UiTM). He was also the Founding Head of, School of Art and Architecture, ITM and the Master Planner for ITM Complex at Shah Alam. He was also the architect for MARA Vocational Institute, Malacca.

In 1969, he was the founding principal partner of AkitekBersekutu, subsequently AkitekBersekutu Malaysia. He was also the Founding principal of Hijjas Kasturi Associates Sdn., Architects and Planners.

Hijjas married Elizabeth Fay Wilson, an Australian from Melbourne, and the couple had three children who were born in Australia, including daughter Serina Hijjas. Serina Hijjas now serves as director of Hijjas Kasturi Associates Sdn. Hijjas is now married to Angela Jane Longworth, with whom he has two daughters.

In 1994 the couple launched a residency program for artists, writers, performers and choreographers. The residencies are based in heritage buildings that the two restored in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Over the years the program has provided lodging and sponsorship to more than 100 artists. Hijjas and Angela were both recognized by Forbes Asia as Heroes of Philanthropy in 2011.