Long-running Thai design expo tackles new climate realities

The Architect Expo in Thailand is coming back this year with a new theme, informed by current climate realities and a focus toward sustainability and environmental awareness.

The annual affair, mounted by the Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage (ASA) since 1986, will be dubbed Architect’19 with the theme ‘Living Green’. Some 850 brands will be exhibiting at the event, to be held at Challenger Hall 1-3 of the IMPACT Arena in Bangkok between 30 April and 5 May.

Architect’19 promises to be on theme with the use of eco-friendly materials, paperless processes, energy-efficient lighting, and effective waste management throughout the 60,000-square-metre exhibition area.

Highly anticipated themed exhibitions include ‘Green Building Showcase’, revolving around eco-architectural design by Asia’s leading designers; ‘Wisdom from 3 Regions in the Modern World’, about finding sustainable solutions in old innovations; ‘Go Zero Waste’, on exploring daily life without waste; and ‘Innovative Green Products’, featuring a selection of environment-friendly building materials.

“Irregular extreme weathers resulting from the global warming condition have so much perverse impact on the economy, society, and quality of our lives in the world,” Dr. Acharawan Chutarat, chairperson of the Architect’19 committee, said in a statement.

“It is one of the most pressing issues that requires experts, especially those whose work directly impacts the environment like architects, to urgently find a solution — whether in design, materials, or methods.”

On that note, the ASA is looking for exemplary, original entries showcasing sustainable design for its annual International Design Competition, with around THB280,000 (USD9,000) at stake this year.

Architect Nico Kienzl from New York’s Atelier Ten is due to appear at the expo forum, along with esteemed speakers and thought leaders from Foster + Partners, Eco Architect, and S/T/U/do.

The ASA is making Architect’19 possible in cooperation with N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer. Last year’s expo drew over 400,000 visitors.