Environmental issues impact the economy, society, and quality of life. The most evident problems include global warming and pollution from waste, which significantly affect daily living. Nowadays, people are becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues. The concept of "Green" has emerged to encourage individuals to change their lifestyles. Both government and private sectors worldwide are united in promoting the importance of environmental care, including the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage and N.C.C. Exhibition Organizer Co., Ltd. have consistently supported environmental initiatives. Recently, they organized the "Architect '62" event under the theme "Living Green" at Challenger 1-3, Impact Muang Thong Thani, to reflect their commitment to addressing environmental issues and to support change through architectural design and various construction materials.

         The Architect '62 event served as a small catalyst for many organizations and individuals to recognize the importance of environmental care, leading to a clearer understanding of the concept of Living Green. Attendees experienced various green experiences, both in event design and exhibition zones. The event featured pavilions designed from paper tubes that can be assembled, disassembled, and reused, minimizing resource waste. The paper used comes from sustainably sourced and recyclable wood. Additionally, various management strategies were implemented to demonstrate environmental promotion and waste reduction, such as providing shuttle services to reduce private vehicle use, thereby conserving energy and minimizing pollution and waste. QR code scanning was used for entry, allowing attendees to access comprehensive event information via the ASA application, reducing paper usage compared to previous years. This year, a digital registration system was employed to minimize paper waste. Even in food services, environmental considerations were made by avoiding plastic or foam containers; only reusable or biodegradable materials were used. Efforts were made to reduce frozen food usage to lower carbon dioxide emissions from cooking and transportation. Clean drinking water stations were provided, allowing attendees to refill personal water bottles to reduce plastic waste and energy consumption for waste disposal. The air conditioning temperature was adjusted to avoid excessive cooling, thereby reducing electricity consumption. These small actions can effectively alleviate the environmental challenges the world is currently facing in the long term.

         Exhibitors also prioritized this concept by presenting innovations and technologies that help mitigate environmental issues. Booth designs aligned with the event's theme, such as using materials or design methods that allow booth components to be reused in future events, minimizing electricity use, and reducing dust during construction. Awards were given for creatively designed booths in three categories: the award for booth design aligned with the event theme for 2019 "Living Green", the Living Booth award for functionality, aesthetics, and safety, and the Green Booth award for environmentally friendly materials, transportation, and waste disposal.

         The event also featured numerous highlights that clearly demonstrated environmental awareness, such as Green Building Showcases, an exhibition showcasing green building design concepts from Thai and international designers, selected from members of Arcasia across 21 countries. Go Zero Waste, presented by the Health Promotion Foundation (HPF), offered insights into consumer behavior to learn waste disposal methods, focusing on reducing waste generation and proper waste separation to decrease greenhouse gases from waste and mitigate ocean and waterway pollution. Innovative Green Products showcased environmentally friendly construction materials. The ASA International Design Competition 2019 featured an exhibition of international design entries on the theme of Uncanny Sustainability, aimed at discovering sustainable design ideas that inspire and can be further developed. Additionally, volunteer architects provided design and construction advice for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly homes.

         This event aims to inspire behavioral changes in environmental care and encourage the public to understand that a good environment can stem from small, local actions. It also serves as a starting point for other event organizers to recognize the importance of energy conservation, waste management, and other strategies that help reduce environmental issues. Most importantly, it seeks to improve the quality of life for Thai people sustainably.

         The Architect '63 event will take place from April 28 to May 3, 2020, under a new concept "Heritage". For more details, visit www.asa.or.th/architectexpo and Facebook: ASA CREW.

 

Thank you for the information from www.asa.or.th/architectexpo