Maverick With The Green Dream

He passes on university to create systems that connect people to nature.

- Ian De Cotta

When Zac Toh encounters a situation he believes can be accomplished more efficiently, he’ll stop at nothing to achieve that. He’ll digest books, research papers and even visit experts overseas to get that knowledge.

In many ways, Toh, 27, is an innovator. GWS Living Art, which he founded in 2012, provides outdoor and indoor greening solutions for urban landscapes, initially for walls and rooftops of buildings. In adopting the most efficient methods for his projects, he doesn’t just use technologies – he creates them. Among his beneficiaries are Changi Airport’s Jewel and Terminal 4.

“When we started, we used a potted system and laid soil on the roof,” says Toh. “We paused after a few projects because it was too labour intensive. Also, lifting 180kg of soil per square metre onto the roof didn’t make sense.”

Toh found a European soil-less mat system that was four times lighter, but it could not withstand Singapore’s heat, so his team used a hygroscopic material they created and patented. The Gaiamat won them the Building and Construction Control Authority’s Innovator of the Year award in 2017.