The Architect Expo '67 has officially begun, marking the 36th edition of the largest architectural technology and construction product exhibition in ASEAN, organized by the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage in collaboration with TTF International Co., Ltd. This year's theme is Collective Language: Experience Architecture, aiming to create awareness among people worldwide to experience and understand architecture and design without boundaries, much like the diversity of languages. The event features numerous exhibitions and highlight activities, showcasing a plethora of innovative products and services for design, construction, and real estate, with over 100,000 items from more than 1,000 leading brands from Thailand and abroad, covering an area of 75,000 square meters. It is expected to attract up to 325,000 visitors, generating an economic value of over 22 billion baht throughout the six-day event from April 30 to May 5, 2024 at the Impact Exhibition and Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani.

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Mr. Chana Sumpalang, President of the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage, stated that the Architect Expo is a significant event for the Thai architectural community. The association has been organizing this event for the 36th time to serve as a platform for showcasing architectural works and promoting the development of Thai architects' potential. It also provides a space for displaying innovations related to construction products and importantly, it opens opportunities for entrepreneurs, the public, students, and anyone interested to attend and update on design trends, meet leading architects from Thailand and abroad, share experiences, and view and purchase new innovative construction products launched each year.

The Architect Expo '67 is scheduled to take place from April 30 to May 5, 2024 at the Impact Exhibition and Convention Center, Muang Thong Thani, under the theme Collective Language: Experience Architecture, which aims to create awareness among people worldwide to experience and understand architecture and design without boundaries, similar to communication through diverse languages. This is part of the association's intention over the past 90 years since its establishment to foster positive movements in society and the future through exhibitions and numerous highlight activities that will take place during this event, including the display of products and services related to design, construction materials, and the launch of new technologies and innovations in architecture within a vast area of 75,000 square meters. Architect Expo '67 is indeed the most comprehensive and grandest architectural, design, and construction exhibition in the ASEAN region.

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The Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage was founded in 1934 with the aim of promoting the architectural profession to the public and facilitating knowledge exchange among members. To date, the association has been active in supporting and promoting academic, professional, and social aspects for a total of 90 years. On this occasion, the association plans to honor senior architects in celebration of its 90th anniversary, recognizing their contributions to the architectural profession and the creative development of Thai architecture over the years. The exhibition will showcase the history and works of honored senior architects, along with related activities such as workshops on modern architecture photography and short video contests. Everyone is invited to join the exhibition honoring our architects and celebrate the 90th anniversary together.

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Ms. Kullathida Songkittipakdee, Chairperson of the Architect Expo '67, highlighted interesting activities within this year's event, such as the ASA Professional Seminar 2024, a professional seminar aimed at supporting architects, designers, and students, as well as the general public interested in design and construction businesses. The seminar aims to provide knowledge and present new insights, along with sharing beneficial experiences for working in the design and construction industry both domestically and internationally. This year's ASA Professional Seminar is divided into seven sections covering knowledge from community architecture, conservation architecture, essential information for future construction industry work, insights from creators of architectural works this year, research topic competitions, and perspectives from new architects and designers.

Additionally, there will be case studies on new construction permit applications from Singapore. The organizers hope that attendees of each section of the ASA PROFESSIONAL SEMINAR will be able to apply new knowledge to enhance their work in the Thai design and construction industry in the future. Everyone is invited to attend the seminar at Jupiter Rooms 11-13, Challenger Building, Impact Muang Thong Thani on May 2-3, 2024.

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Ms. Kullathida Songkittipakdee, Chairperson of the Architect Expo '67, also mentioned the prominent activity this year, the ASA INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2024, where the Association of Siamese Architects will invite renowned global speakers to decode and critique architectural language through critical regionalism in architecture, based on the design concepts and works of both Thai and international architects. Notable speakers include Antoine Chaaya, a key partner of Renzo Piano from Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), Ma Yansong, a famous Chinese architect from MAD Architects, Marina Tabassum, a Bangladeshi architect and Aga Khan award winner, along with Daliana Suryawinata and Florian Heinzelmann, founders of SHAU from Indonesia, Erik L'Heureux, Associate Professor and Dean at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Tonkhao Panin, a professor at Silpakorn University and a Thai architect who founded Research Studio Panin. All of them will share knowledge and experiences at the ASA INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2024, scheduled for May 4-5, 2024 at Jupiter Rooms 11-13, Challenger Building, Impact Muang Thong Thani. Interested individuals can find more details and register for free at www.asaexpo.org/forum2024.

Another highlight is the ASA COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE, an activity sharing experiences and stories based on the expertise of each designer through intimate storytelling and discussions (Sensory Intimacy). This activity builds on the Human Library held during last year's Architect Expo '66, gathering and crystallizing the experiences and interests of both Thai and international speakers to share their stories with the public, fostering understanding among people in society without racial and linguistic barriers. Various topics of interest will be discussed, such as “Feng Shui and Design” by Assoc. Prof. Suphachai Wiwatnaprasert, “Architecture and Urban Transition” by Khun Phaetimkiat Sukkan and Khun Ekaphap Duangkaew, “The Dark Side of the Collective” by Kevin Mark Low, and “Out of Classroom: Education, Practice, and Thinking in Architecture” by Jerry Hung and Asst. Prof. Sarayuth Sapsuk, among many other intriguing topics from Thai and international architects who will share their experiences throughout the six-day event at the ASA COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE zone.

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Dr. Prom Udomdej, Chairperson of the Architect Expo '67, added that participants will not only visit exhibitions and join various activities but can also enjoy special activities to win daily prizes through the ASA Collects game, an AR (Augmented Reality) game located in the main exhibition area. Participants can explore the exhibition while playing the game to collect badges at designated points, which can be exchanged for special prizes each day. The rules and gameplay are simple: 1.) Players scan the QR code for the activity to access the "ASA Collects" website. 2.) Click Start to begin the activity, where the system will guide them to register by verifying their identity through Facebook. 3.) Upon returning to the activity home page, three accessible topics will appear: Map (to view the overall map and locations to collect badges), Scan (to open the camera for AR play at designated points), and Collection (to view the total badge collection). Players will start by collecting badges at designated exhibitions by scanning the QR code of each exhibition, and the system will display the badge for collection.

For prize redemption, once players have collected enough badges, they can exchange them at the prize redemption point (ASA Shop). Prize levels include: Collecting 9 badges earns a special edition exhibition book: Collective Language - Asian Contemporary Architecture (limited to 30 copies/day), collecting 8 badges earns a themed t-shirt (limited to 10 pieces/day), and collecting 7 badges earns a themed ice cream (limited to 50 sticks/day). Participation is open to everyone, regardless of age or gender, and badges cannot be carried over to the next day; they must be collected and redeemed on the same day.

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Asst. Prof. Dr. Ratphong Angkasit, Chairperson of the Architect Expo '67, further stated that besides the various special activities, the expo will feature important exhibitions and many other interesting activities. Everyone is invited to visit, including the main theme exhibition “Collective Language: Experience Architecture,” which conveys the shared identity of architectural language in the diverse Asian region through examples of works from 12 architects, showcasing interconnected linguistic dimensions with potentially different communication objectives. Following that is the ASA ALL MEMBER: Collective Practices exhibition, which consists of two parts: 1.) Central exhibition: showcasing information on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage and statistical data related to the architectural and design profession in Thailand, and 2.) Member works exhibition: showcasing works from individual members, legal entities, and four other professional associations.

Additionally, there will be an experimental design competition exhibition (ASA Experimental Design Competition), an exhibition from the Association of Thai Interior Designers (TIDA), and an academic seminar space from the Association of Landscape Architects of Thailand (TALA), as well as exhibitions from the Thai Urban Planning Association (TUDA) and other professional academic associations, including the 2024 Architectural Conservation Award exhibition, the 2024 Outstanding Architecture Award exhibition, the VERNADOC exhibition, and student/institutional works exhibitions. Other activities include ASA Club: a meeting and relaxation area for ASA members, ASA Night 2024: a social gathering event for ASA members, and volunteer architect activities: providing consultation services on various architectural matters, along with ACT Shop: a space for selling books and souvenirs from the Architects Council, ASA Shop: a space for selling books and souvenirs from the Association of Architects, and ASA Book Shop: a space for selling books from educational institutions and architectural organizations, all of which are interesting and should not be missed at Architect Expo '67.

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Mr. Supaman Markha, Deputy Managing Director of TTF International Co., Ltd., as the event organizer, stated that the Architect Expo '67 has elevated the event to make Thailand a hub for construction product industries in the ASEAN region and invigorate the construction and real estate sectors, as evidenced by the increase in both the number of exhibitors and attendees compared to 2023.

This year, the Architect Expo '67 features over 1,000 exhibitors, a 9.4% increase, with approximately 30% of exhibitors from abroad. Among these, 97% are from Asia, including China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while 3% are from Europe, including Germany, Italy, and the UK. Additionally, this year, the organizers have selected innovative products from international exhibitors for the first time, ensuring quality assurance for the products and services presented to attendees.

Visitor numbers are expected to exceed 325,000, a 6.25% increase from last year. Preliminary registration data opened in February indicates that international attendees have increased by 3.5 times, primarily from Asia and Oceania (95.22%), followed by Europe (2.87%), North America (1.34%), Latin America (0.38%), and Africa (0.19%). It is anticipated that this event will generate over 22 billion baht in construction material business value.

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Moreover, the Architect Expo '67 features highlights such as the Thematic Pavilion, a special exhibition area for unleashing creativity and exchanging ideas between young designers and construction material brands, as well as the Best Innovation Award 2024 competition for construction product innovations to be launched for the first time at the event, reinforcing its role as a platform for gathering innovative construction products from brands worldwide, along with various activities and promotions from exhibitors throughout the event.

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The Architect Expo '67 under the theme Collective Language: Experience Architecture is scheduled to take place from April 30 to May 5, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Impact Muang Thong Thani. The organizers have arranged free shuttle vans from the event to three MRT stations (Chatuchak Park MRT Station, Rama 9 MRT Station, and Si Rat MRT Station) from 9:30 AM to 8:30 PM. For those interested, updates and additional information can be followed at www.ArchitectExpo.com and the Facebook Page: Architect Expo: ASA EXPO.