SHAPING TOMORROW: WORLD ARCHITECTURE FESTIVAL 2024 HIGHLIGHTS SUSTAINABLE DESIGN IN ASIA

From November 6 to 8 this year, the world's top architects and designers will gather in Singapore for the World Architecture Festival (WAF), the largest international assembly of architectural minds. The festival, which began in Barcelona in 2008, has become an annual tradition, save for a brief virtual format during the pandemic. It serves as a global stage for innovative ideas and groundbreaking solutions that shape the future of our urban and natural environments.

- Romolo V. Nati

Singapore remains the only non-European city to host WAF, reflecting its pivotal role as a hub of architectural innovation in the region.

The Lion City has a rich history with the festival, having hosted it from 2012 to 2015. Last year marked its triumphant return to Southeast Asia, reaffirming the region's growing importance in the global architectural conversation.

I remember attending] the 2014 WAF, which was a turning point for the event, as it shifted its spotlight from Europe to Asia. As an Italian architect committed to sustainable design in the Philippines, I felt an immense sense of pride being part of the dialogue that recognized Southeast Asia's potential.

Back then, I participated in a panel discussion focused on renewable architecture in the Philippines-a topic that felt ahead of its time but has since become more central to global discussions on architecture and sustainability.

A decade later, the global conversation on architecture has transformed. What was once considered an ambitious goal-designing sustainable, energy-efficient buildings-has now become essential.

Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, is emerging as a global growth powerhouse, and with that growth comes a responsibility to ensure that development is both progressive and sustainable.