ASEAN Architect Council Reinforces Mobility and Strategic Roadmap at 49th Meeting

Jakarta, Indonesia — 21 October 2024

The ASEAN Architect Council (AAC) continued to strengthen regional cooperation in professional mobility, regulatory harmonisation, and strategic planning during its 49th Meeting, held on 21 October 2024 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia. The meeting was chaired by Ar. Chea Chantheborras from the Board of Architects Cambodia and was attended by representatives from all ASEAN Member States, with Lao PDR and Thailand participating virtually.

Website Updates and Monitoring Committee Developments

The AAC Secretariat (Indonesia) reported ongoing updates to the AAC website and the ASEAN Architect (AA) list, incorporating changes from the 48th Meeting. Cambodia shared updates to its AA list, including removal of titles and the inclusion of email addresses. Additionally, Cambodia presented updates to its Monitoring Committee membership.

Active ASEAN Architect Numbers Rise to 631

The AAC approved three new ASEAN Architect registrations—one from Cambodia and two from Singapore—bringing the total number of active AAs across the region to 631. This reflects steady growth in cross-border professional recognition within ASEAN.

Refining RFA Guidelines and Harmonising MRA Interpretation

Myanmar presented its Registration Guidelines for Registered Foreign Architects (RFA) and Foreign Architect Companies, proposing the removal of redundant experience requirements. Indonesia and the Philippines will review these guidelines for alignment with ASEAN MRA provisions. Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and the Philippines also announced ongoing reviews of their RFA frameworks, with updates expected at the next meeting.

The meeting also reviewed comparative interpretations of MRA Article 3.3.2 across architecture, engineering, and accountancy. Unlike engineering and accountancy, the architectural MRA allows RFAs to work either independently or in collaboration with local architects. AMS were requested to provide regulatory information regarding project identification requirements prior to RFA registration to aid harmonisation.

Progress on AA Amendments and Pilot Competition

Lao PDR reported ongoing domestic processes to align its regulations with the reduced AA experience requirements. Brunei Darussalam proposed convening the Ad-hoc Competition Committee in early November 2024 to refine architecture competition guidelines ahead of the 50th AAC Meeting. Singapore presented competition cost options, with the Philippines agreeing to equal cost-sharing among AMS. The AAC Secretariat will facilitate the submission process through a dedicated Google Drive folder.

Strategic Roadmap and Future Congress Hosts

The AAC updated its Roadmap and Implementation Plan to include the latest registration data. Indonesia endorsed the proposal to institutionalise the ASEAN Architect Congress as an annual post-2025 initiative, providing a platform for collaboration and in-person AAC meetings. The Philippines agreed to host the 6th Congress in 2026, while Singapore will host the 7th in 2027.

Education Committee and Survey Updates

The 36th ASEAN Architect Education Committee (AAEC) Meeting presented progress updates on education and collaboration initiatives. Survey findings from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Viet Nam on architectural practice were also discussed, while AMS were reminded to submit data on professional specialisations using the agreed template.

Cambodia Prepares for 5th ASEAN Architect Congress and CAF 2025

Cambodia announced plans to hold the 5th ASEAN Architect Congress in October 2025, in coordination with the Philippines and Singapore to ensure continuity with future congress themes. The Cambodia Architecture Festival (CAF) 2024 will be held on a smaller scale due to overlapping events, with a larger festival planned for 2025.