ASEAN Architect Council Advances Professional Mobility and Specialization Initiatives at 44th Meeting

Jakarta, Indonesia — 21 February 2023

The ASEAN Architect Council (AAC) continued to strengthen regional cooperation and professional mobility during its 44th Meeting, held on 21 February 2023 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. The hybrid meeting, held back-to-back with the 103rd CCS Meeting, brought together delegates from across ASEAN to discuss registration updates, mobility frameworks, education initiatives, and preparations for upcoming regional events.

Active ASEAN Architect Numbers Adjust to 588

The Council approved four new ASEAN Architect (AA) registrations — two from Cambodia and two from Malaysia. At the same time, the meeting recorded changes including a significant reduction of active architects from Singapore due to administrative updates. As a result, the total number of active AAs across ASEAN stands at 588.

Member States were reminded to continue submitting updated AA lists ahead of future meetings to maintain accurate regional records.

Promoting Further Mobility of Architects

Indonesia presented its revised Registered Foreign Architect (RFA) flowchart and application form, reflecting progress in aligning mobility procedures. The Philippines updated its domestic terminology, changing ‘Special Temporary Permit’ into two categories: Temporary Permit (TP) for AAs and Special Permit (SP) for Filipino nationals who have changed citizenship.

The Philippines also informed the Council of ongoing consultations with its Department of Trade and Industry and Board of Investment on policies requiring the deployment of AAs for foreign infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, CCS is deliberating on formalising the decision to reduce experience requirements for AA applications, with ASEAN Secretariat preparing legal guidance based on past precedents.

Expanding Architectural Education and Professional Specialisation

The 31st ASEAN Architect Education Committee (AAEC) Meeting highlighted Indonesia’s 4+1 and 4+2 architectural education pathways and set out future plans under the leadership of Ar. Grace Ramos as Chair of the Exchange Programme Committee. Discussions focused on defining academic and professional specialisations. AAEC will continue compiling academic specialisations, while AAC will lead the compilation of professional specialisations across AMS.

Cambodia and Viet Nam presented their accreditation procedures, while Singapore and Malaysia offered to assist other AMS in developing accreditation boards. The Philippines outlined six professional specialisation areas, including hospitality and leisure architecture, healthcare design, green architecture, and project management.

Architecture Pilot Competition and AA Congress Preparations

The Council continued discussions on the Architecture Pilot Competition in Kampong Batang Duri, Temburong, Brunei Darussalam. A competition committee has been established to set rules and procedures, with AMS requested to submit their domestic competition regulations to support the pilot initiative. Brunei Darussalam will provide additional information on site limitations, environmental considerations, and project scope.

Indonesia shared updates on preparations for the upcoming AA Congress, scheduled for 26–29 July 2023 in Makassar. Member States were encouraged to promote the event by circulating promotional materials.