ASEAN Architect Council Advances Mobility, Education, and Pilot Project Plans at 47th Meeting

Bandung, Indonesia — 26 February 2024

The ASEAN Architect Council (AAC) continued to strengthen regional collaboration in professional mobility, education, and strategic planning during its 47th Meeting held on 26 February 2024 in Bandung, Indonesia. The meeting, held back-to-back with the 106th CCS Meeting, brought together representatives from all ASEAN Member States, both in person and virtually.

Cambodia Confirmed as New AAC Chair; Secretariat Streamlines Data

Cambodia confirmed its AAC Chairmanship for the 2024–2025 term, with the official handover from Singapore scheduled for the next meeting when both are present in person. Lao PDR and Myanmar were invited to consider future chairmanship periods for 2026–2027 and 2028–2029 to complete the ASEAN rotation cycle.

The AAC Secretariat (Indonesia) presented updates to the website, including Myanmar’s information, and proposed standardising the AA listing format by starting with surnames. Member States were requested to provide any additional updates to keep the AA database current.

Active ASEAN Architect Numbers Climb to 610

Malaysia and the Philippines presented updates to their Monitoring Committees, with Malaysia highlighting its structure comprising representatives from regulatory, industry, and academic sectors. The Council approved 11 new AA registrations, including applicants from Cambodia, Indonesia, and Singapore. This brings the total number of active ASEAN Architects to 610.

Strengthening Mobility Through RFA Guidelines and MRA Amendments

Myanmar submitted its RFA Registration Guidelines for inclusion in the regional compilation and was invited to present them at the next meeting. The AAC welcomed Viet Nam’s confirmation letter supporting the reduced experience requirement for AA registration, bringing the total to nine AMS that have formalised the change.

Lao PDR is in the process of revising its decree to align with the new requirements—two years of post-graduate experience plus five years post-licensure—while the Council reaffirmed the policy’s effective date as the 46th AAC Meeting in November 2023.

Brunei Advances Architecture Pilot Project Plans

Brunei Darussalam presented details on the architecture pilot competition site in Temburong, covering approximately 120,000 m². An Ad-hoc Competition Committee chaired by Brunei was formed to develop rules, eligibility, jury composition, awards, and schedules. Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines will contribute expertise on different components of the competition framework. ASEAN Secretariat will facilitate coordination via a dedicated WhatsApp group.

Roadmap and Self-Assessment to Guide Strategic Direction

The AAC discussed the 105th CCS Meeting’s decision requesting subsidiary bodies to conduct self-assessments to align their activities with their Terms of Reference by 2025. Member States will complete a template to evaluate functions, progress, and planned actions, and submit it to the ASEAN Secretariat for discussion at the next meeting. The Philippines will draft a paper outlining AAC achievements and future plans.

34th AAEC Meeting Highlights Education Alignment and Programme Development

The 34th ASEAN Architect Education Committee (AAEC) meeting reported updates from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines on education pathways and specialisation lists. The committee encouraged Indonesia to extend the duration of its professional and master’s programmes to align with ASEAN AA eligibility requirements. Indonesia presented its education-based specialisation list, while AMS were requested to resubmit their lists using the updated template.

Exchange programmes from Indonesia and Malaysia were reviewed, and the Philippines, as chair of the Exchange Programme Committee, will convene an intersessional meeting to advance implementation.

Cambodia to Host 2025 ASEAN Architect Congress

Cambodia announced its readiness to host the ASEAN Architect Congress in 2025 and shared plans to hold an Architecture Festival in December 2024. Member States were invited to participate, with more details to be provided at the next meeting.