Date/Time
Date(s) - September 16, 2026 - September 19, 2026
All Day

Categories

• Tour

AIA Hong Kong x American Hardwood Export Council x Sherwin-Williams

2026 Southeast Asia BANGKOK EXCURSION
Inspired by Nature, Engineered for the Future

Join our next Southeast Asia tour to Bangkok to explore how designers and builders draw inspiration from natural materials such as American hardwood, bamboo, and bricks – and create unique, ingenious solutions of patterns, forms, and textures in their work. Along the way, we will also consider how these material choices support resilience and sustainability, preparing participants for future challenges in a rapidly changing world.

This excursion will feature a carefully curated programme of activities, including several visits to leading architectural and design practices. We will also enjoy guided tours of notable buildings and developments within Bangkok and its surrounding areas, including projects by Dr. William Lim, FAIA, and there will be symposiums and panel discussions with local and international practitioners.

By engaging directly with architects, designers, and material specialists, participants will gain valuable insights into how natural materials can be thoughtfully integrated into contemporary design and construction, and how material selection has an important role in promoting environmental responsibility, resilience, and long-term sustainability.

Connecting theory with real-world examples, the tour will foster meaningful dialogue and inspire new approaches to designing and building for a rapidly evolving future.

Events

• Architecture and Design Practice Visits – Including A49 and Arsomsilp 
• AHEC Forested Future Premiere Screening 
• Symposium – Dialogue with local architects and international practitioners 
• Project Visits – Including Dusit Central Park; Gaysorn Village (led by Dr. William Lim); Jim Thompson Heritage Quarter and Art Center (led by Designqua); and Kantana Institutes and Artisans Ayutthaya (led by Boonserm Premthada)

Program (link)
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Wednesday, September 16, 2026

AM/PM             Guests Arrive
19:00 – 21:30   Welcome Dinner
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Thursday, September 17, 2026

10:00 – 13:00   Firm Visits
                         A49 and Others
14:00 – 17:00   Firm and Project Visits
                         Arsomsilp and Alliance Francaise Bangkok
18:00 – 22:30   AHEC Premiere Film Screening Forested Future
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Friday, September 18, 2026

09:00 – 12:00   Building Tours
Dusit Central Park | Led by A49 
Gaysorn Village | Led by Dr. William Lim
Jim Thompson Art Center and Heritage Quarter | Led by Designqua
14:00 – 18:30   Symposium at Jim Thompson Moonlight Hall
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Saturday, September 19, 2026

09:00 – 13:00   Project Visits | Led by Boonserm Premthada
Kantana Institute and
The Artisans Ayuthaya: The Woman Restaurant
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Sign up HERE to reserve a place by Sunday, September 13, 2026.

AIA Hong Kong

Symposium on September 18

Panel I – From Forest to Facade: Transforming Natural Materials into Architectural Innovations

Discover how the beauty and sustainability of natural products can help shape the future of the built environment. Focusing on design inspiration and the innovative use of materials, this session will explore how architects are transforming natural resources into high-performance architectural solutions. Through inspiring design concepts and groundbreaking applications, participants will gain insights into how timber, bamboo, and other bio-based materials are redefining modern architecture, contributing to functional, sustainable, and visually striking buildings that bridge nature and innovation.

Speakers

Chatpong Chuenrudeemol – Founder, CHAT Architects

Chatpong “Chat” Chuenrudeemol is an architect deeply impacted by both the beauty and ugliness of Bangkok.  His architectural firm, Chat Architects, focuses on multi-scalar projects derived from their “Bangkok Bastards” research, that is: documentation of the Thai capital’s live street vernacular, often overlooked for its informality, but brimming with architectural invention and cultural authenticity.

In 2020, Chat received Thailand’s Silpathorn Award, the country’s highest award for contemporary artists, presented by the Ministry of Art and Culture of Thailand. Chat’s community-building art constructions – the Angsila Oyster Scaffolding Pavilion, Indigo Loom House, and Na-Eh Bamboo Market for Karen Indigenous Community – have gained both local and global recognition.

Chat also focuses on teaching his design/research strategies in universities throughout the world. In Spring 2026, he was a visiting professor at the Harvard GSD, teaching the Shophouse Metropolis graduate design studio, which focused on the large-scale adaptive reuse of Bangkok’s 450,000+ shophouse units.

Adam Markowitz – Founder, markowitzdesign

Adam is an architect and furniture designer-maker based in Melbourne, whose practice seeks a balance between contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship. He has trained at furniture schools in Tasmania and Denmark and studied fine woodcraft at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Maine. Since 2015 his studio, markowitzdesign, has offered bespoke, commissioned pieces and small batch works with a focus on tactility, fine lines, and traditional construction techniques. Markowitz teaches furniture design at the University of Melbourne, his work has been exhibited locally and internationally and he has been recognised with the Vivid Emerging Design Prize, the ACE Emerging Design Prize and with a shortlist placing at the Australian Furniture Design Awards.

Boonserm Premthada – Founder, Bangkok Project Studio

Boonserm Premthada is a Thai architect, recognised internationally for work that treats architecture as a social, ecological, and ethical practice grounded in local knowledge, vernacular techniques, and the intelligence implicit in the materials and labour in his community. His projects are not set apart from the world, rather they are conscious acts that exhibit coexistence between people, animals, landscape, and time. Working with elephant dung brick, reclaimed timber, and earth, he transforms what has been overlooked into architecture that holds special meaning.

In 2025 he received a Special Mention at the Venice Architecture Biennale for The Elephant Chapel. His work is held in the permanent collections of The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and M+, Hong Kong and he has taught at the Columbia GSAPP and at The University of Hong Kong.

Tripp Pryor – International Program Manager, AHEC

Tripp is responsible for identifying emerging markets for US hardwood products and for coordinating with the overseas AHEC offices on marketing strategies to drive new growth for the industry. In his ten years with AHEC, he has travelled extensively to organise international pavilions and marketing events in more than 20 countries, and recently served as producer on Forested Future, a documentary on American hardwood forests, originally selected to premiere at the Barcelona International Architecture Film Festival in November 2025. Tripp also serves as US Industry Liaison for the American Hardwood Assured deforestation-free platform, launched by AHEC in 2025.

Moderator
Shannon Ho AIA, AIA Hong Kong 2026 President

Panel II – Building for Tomorrow: Resilience Beyond Sustainability 

As the built environment faces increasing challenges from climate change, resource constraints, and evolving societal needs, design for resilience has emerged as the next frontier in architecture and urban development. This session will explore how designers, material suppliers and industry leaders are moving beyond sustainability to create buildings and communities that are adaptable, durable, and future-ready. Through innovative strategies, emerging technologies, and real-world case studies, participants will discover how resilience-driven design can enhance environmental performance, strengthen long-term value, and ensure the built environment remains responsive to the uncertainties of tomorrow.

Speakers 

Dr. William Lim FAIA – Founder, CL3 Architects

As Founder and Managing Director of CL3 Architects (CL3), William Lim brings over 30 years of experience to his projects. An acclaimed architect and artist, William graduated from Cornell University and has spent the past three decades at the forefront of architecture, culture and art.

Since founding CL3 in 1992, William has established a notable presence on the global design scene. The studio’s diverse, award-winning portfolio includes H Queen’s Hong Kong, Gaysorn Amarin Bangkok, Marina Bay Sands Interiors, Singapore, and Raffles City Interiors, Chongqing.

Committed to promoting culture and education, William currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Cornell University, is a member of the Arts and Culture Council and Gallery Advisory Committee for the Asia Society Hong Kong Center and a Museum Expert Adviser for the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.  He was conferred an Honorary Doctorate degree by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2018.

Varat Limwibul – Co-founder, PAVA architects
Pacharapan Ratananakorn – Co-founder, PAVA architects

Responding to climate change and urbanization challenges, PAVA bridges architecture, interior and landscape design, and urbanism to comprehensively revive and transform the built environment. Their holistic approach has earned the firm global recognition, including the 2018 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation, a 2023 WAF Award for Creative Reuse, an AR New into Old Award Commendation, and they were the 2026 Architizer A+Awards Jury Winner for Sustainable Hospitality.

Varat earned his B.Arch from Chulalongkorn University and a Master in Landscape Architecture from the Harvard GSD. Pacharapan holds a B.Arch, Interior Architecture, from Chulalongkorn University and a Master in Urban Design from ETH Zurich. Both actively serve as visiting design reviewers and educators globally, including at Chulalongkorn University, the National University of Singapore (NUS), the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and as Victor L. Regnier Distinguished Visiting Professor at Kansas State University.

Lauren Rogers – Global Sustainability Marketing Manager, Sherwin-Williams

Lauren Rogers is the Global Sustainability Manager for the Sherwin Williams Coil and Extrusion team. She received her undergraduate degrees in Biology and Spanish Language and Culture from the University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, and is currently enrolled in the Sustainable Management MS program at the University of Wisconsin, Green Bay. She enjoys spending time at her lake cabin, and traveling. Lauren is driven to create sustainable change both personally and professionally.

Nitis Sthapitanonda – Deputy Managing Director, A49

With over two decades of experience, Nitis specializes in designing high-rise structures, mixed-use projects, luxury hotels, and private residences. His mission is to deliver innovative and sustainable designs that cater to diverse local and international clients. By fostering collaboration with consultants and stakeholders across countries like India, China, Vietnam, and the UAE, he brings a global perspective and a commitment to excellence, to every project.

At A49, he leads a wide range of architectural endeavors, ensuring seamless execution and design integrity. His expertise lies in managing complex projects, cultivating client relationships, and steering teams to deliver world-class solutions. Through collaboration and adaptability, he aims to create impactful spaces that resonate culturally and architecturally.

Nae Tanakorn – Founder, Nayme Studio

Nae is a Thai-Australian furniture designer and maker based in Melbourne, whose practice bridges the precision of digital design and the tactile demands of handcraft. After graduating from Monash University with a degree in Multimedia and Digital Arts, he spent more than a decade in architectural visualisation before studying for an Associate Degree in Furniture Design at RMIT. His work draws on the natural world, for form, and on sustainable materials for substance, with a clear focus on ergonomics and the harmony between feeling and environmental consideration. Tanakorn’s pieces have been recognised across the Australian design industry, and received the inaugural Artichoke Emerging Maker Prize at Craft Victoria’s Fresh Awards as well as multiple VIVID competition wins.  He was a finalist at the Australian Furniture Design Awards and his work has been featured in publications including AD Middle East and Elle Decor Spain.

Moderator
Su Chang AIA, AIA Hong Kong 2026 Vice President

Attendees are urged to book their flights and accommodation early.

Suggested Flights 

• Wednesday, September 16 HKG – BKK
  CX853 – 12:00 departure, 14:00 arrival (for those joining September 16 dinner)
  CX775 – 13:20 departure, 15:25 arrival (for those joining September 16 dinner)
  CX751 – 14:30 departure, 16:30 arrival (for those joining September 17 events)
  CX701 – 16:05 departure, 18:00 arrival (for those joining September 17 events)
• Saturday, September 19 BKK – HKG
  CX704 – 19:10 departure, 23:05 arrival

Suggested Accommodation

• Gardina Asoke Hotel & Residence