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Ellen Lou

Head of Urban Design and Planning
Skidmore Owings and Merrill, San Francisco

Singapore-born Ellen Lou heads the Urban Design and Planning team in Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM) San Francisco office, one of the largest architectural and engineering practices in the world. Among the firm's numerous accolades is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is currently the world's tallest building. Ever since joining SOM, Lou has directed many recognised urban design projects in the US and areas in the Pacific Rim nations. Her expertise lies in the urban domain - including master planning new communities and town layouts - and brown field reuse for the public benefit. Lou has also served as a board member for the San Francisco Urban Planning and Research, and has lectured at a series of universities which include Stanford and Berkeley.