ASEAN Architects Address Professional Standards in Key Meeting on 52nd AAC Meeting

Nha Trang, Viet Nam – The ASEAN Architect Council (AAC) concluded its 52^nd Meeting in Nha Trang, Viet Nam, on November 5, 2025, charting a course for enhanced professional mobility, addressing key standards, and planning future leadership. Chaired by Ar. Chea Chantheborras from the Board of Architects Cambodia, the meeting saw representatives from all ASEAN Member States (AMS) present, with Indonesia and Thailand participating virtually.

New Architects Approved Amidst Address Revision

The meeting approved 23 new ASEAN Architects (AAs) submitted by Indonesia (1), Malaysia (1), Philippines (18), and Singapore (3). This brings the current cumulative number of AAs to 751, with 640 active AAs across the region.

However, the AAC agreed to revise the AA Application Form to explicitly require a local business address in the applicant's country of origin to prevent future confusion. This decision followed the identification of six applicants (one from Indonesia and five from the Philippines) who had listed business addresses outside their respective countries. Approval for these six applicants is pending the submission of updated local business addresses before the 53^rd AAC Meeting.

Promoting Architect Mobility

The discussion on promoting further mobility highlighted the status of the Registered Foreign Architect (RFA) program. The overall RFA registration status remains unchanged from the previous meeting, with only one registered RFA noted under Singapore's Professional Regulatory Authority (PRA).

Indonesia provided a new tutorial for the online RFA application registration.

A key development was the update on the Architecture Pilot Project competition, which aims to promote collaboration. Brunei Darussalam, the host, informed the meeting that the project site has been moved to Taman Jubilee Brunei Darussalam and will involve a placemaking and waterfront design. Five AMS (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Singapore) have confirmed their financial contribution of USD 1,000, and the remaining AMS were requested to confirm by January 31, 2026.

Indonesia suggested that the six shortlisted winners be registered as Brunei Darussalam RFAs. Brunei Darussalam clarified that if the winning project were to be implemented, the winner might be considered for RFA registration to work collaboratively with a Brunei AA.

Focus on Standards and Accreditation

Addressing architectural education, the AAC supported the initiative to establish a Task Force for the ASEAN Architectural Accreditation Council. This council would aim to harmonise curricula among universities and accredit universities within ASEAN. The Task Force is tentatively expected to take 1.5 years to set up, and AMS were asked to provide names of their representatives.

A discussion on the AAC Survey on Qualified Person for Architectural Building Permit Submissions brought up concerns about site safety responsibility. Malaysia raised concerns over its policy making architects the Principal Construction Work Designer (PCWD), holding them responsible for building security, health, and safety on construction sites, a role for which they often lack specialized training.

• Singapore shared that a specific "Design for Safety Professional" consultant handles this area.
• The Philippines requires architects and engineers in charge of construction sites to complete a 40-hour Construction Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) program.

Future Leadership and Next Steps

In a significant step for future governance, Lao PDR confirmed its readiness to chair the AAC for the 2026-2027 period, and Myanmar confirmed for 2028-2029. The AAC agreed that the chairmanship will then revert to alphabetical order, starting with Brunei Darussalam after Myanmar's term concludes in 2029.

The next major event, the 5th ASEAN Architect Congress, is scheduled to be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, from November 20-22, 2025. The 53rd AAC Meeting is agreed to be held back-to-back with the 112th CCS Meeting in Singapore from February 2-6, 2026.

Timor Leste Accession

Following the accession of Timor Leste to ASEAN on October 26, 2025, the Meeting agreed to request the country, through the ASEAN Secretariat, to assign its representatives to the AAC and participate in future meetings.