AIA Intl Southeast Asia Symposium - Singapore - Building Culture: Context, Placemaking and Innovation in Contemporary Architecture + Closing Speech
Shanghai Astro Museum
When: Friday 21 June 2024 @ 08:30 (Eastern US Time)/ 19:30 (Vietnam time)
Where: Ho Chi Minh City Association of Architects, 88 Mac Dinh Chi Street, Da Kao, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam/ ONLINE
CES Credits - Estimated 1 LU for AIA Members
Schedule
08:30 (Eastern US Time)/ 19:30 (Vietnam time): Singapore - Building Culture
09:20 (Eastern US Time)/ 20:20 (Vietnam time): Closing Speech
Speakers
Singapore Speaker: Thomas Wong, AIA, Design Partner ENNEAD ARCHITECTS
Moderator: Manon Sora Koestoer, AIA International Country Representative - Singapore, Founder and Principal, Spatiality Studio Pte Ltd
Closing: Yew Kee Cheong FAIA, MSIA, President, AIA International; President of AIA Southeast Asia. Founding Partner, 2B ARCHITECTS.
Description
Architecture that creates a true human connection responds to its place, engaging with local culture and community while inviting the wider world in, and responds to its time by looking to the future. Synthesizing innovation and technology in culturally resonant buildings requires a design approach that integrates these elements into a sensitive and bespoke solution unique to the context. Ennead Architects Design Partner Thomas J. Wong, AIA, will discuss how the contemporary built environment can unite traditions with the latest technologies to create impactful buildings, both locally and globally, through the examination of several international case studies.
Speaker Bios
Thomas Wong, AIA, is a Design Partner at Ennead Architects, where he has spent the past three decades designing globally acclaimed buildings across diverse regions and typologies. His portfolio includes major museums, state-of-the-art innovation centers, and complex healthcare facilities. Wong's architectural philosophy emphasizes the transformative power and purpose of design. He seamlessly integrates beauty with impact, demonstrating responsible environmental stewardship while creating meaningful and memorable spatial experiences.
Manon Sora Koestoer is the Founder and Principal of Spatiality Studio Pte Ltd and has been a registered architect in the US since 2004. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1997 and received the NDTV award in 2013 for the Chaithanya Smaran Project in Bangalore, India.
Specializing in laboratories, life sciences, workspaces, and interior projects, Manon is an IFBA-certified bio-safety professional with over 20 years of professional experience in the United States and Singapore. His projects span laboratories, data centers, institutions, interior design, resorts, master planning, high-rises, and educational and research facilities.
Manon served on the American Institute of Architects International Region Board of Directors as the Director for Unassigned Members in 2015-2016.
Yew Kee Cheong, is a Singaporean architect with over 25 years of experience in architecture and education, passionate about sustainable and wellness design. Elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2023, Yew Kee holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Design from the University of Nottingham, UK, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas, Austin, USA. As the Founding Principal of 2B ARCHITECTS in Singapore, he is licensed in both Singapore and Texas, with projects across eight countries. Yew Kee played a key role in forming the AIA Southeast Asia section and organized the AIA International Region Conference 2018 in Singapore. He served as a Council Member of the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA) from 2008-2023, founding the SIA Sustainability Committee and chairing the Wellness and Design Competition Committees. Active in professional and community work, he serves on institute councils, advisory committees, mentors students, speaks at public forums, and acts as a juror for awards. In 2013, he received the Singapore Ministry of National Development Medallion for Distinguished Service.
This symposium is brought to you with the generous support of our event partner, the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Architects.
