AIA Southeast Asia Manila Conference: Welcome Speech + Centeredness: in Search of Health and Well-being through Projects and Personal Values
Join us in person or online for this hybrid event from AIA Southeast Asia!
When: Friday 30 August 2024 @ 02:45 (Eastern US Time)/ 14:45 (Philippines time)
Where: Dexterton Brizo Showroom, Lot 2 Block 32, 38th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Philippines/ ONLINE
Description
This talk explores two design enablers of health and well-being that can lead to a greater sense of centeredness and the concept of refuge: the bicycle and light-greenery. The focus is on reframing these enablers through user-centered design and rethinking refuge as place-making: the bicycle as the design generator, and light-greenery as the design inspiration. Through a visual presentation, the speaker will share his personal reflections on a search that are both enriching and challenging.
Schedule
02:45 (Eastern US Time)/ 14:45 (Philippines time): Welcome Speech
03:00 (Eastern US Time)/ 15:00 (Philippines time): Centeredness: in Search of Health and Well-being through Projects and Personal Values
Speakers
Yew Kee Cheong, FAIA, MSIA. President, AIA International; President, AIA Southeast Asia. Founding Partner, 2B ARCHITECTS.
Cathy Saldaña, Intl. Assoc. AIA, FUAP. AIA International Country Representative - Philippines. Principal/ CEO of PDP Architects and Projects Design Plus Architecture Management Corporation
Speaker Bios
Yew Kee Cheong, FAIA, MSIA is a Singaporean architect with over 25 years of professional experience in architecture and education, with a passion for sustainable design, biophilic design and wellness. He is the 2024-2025 President of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) International and the 2024 President of AIA Southeast Asia. He has previously served as its 2020-2021 Treasurer and 2017-2018 Director for Unassigned Members.
Elevated to the AIA College of Fellows in 2023, Yew Kee holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Design from the University of Nottingham, UK, and a Master of Architecture from the University of Texas at Austin, USA. He has worked with reputable firms in the USA, Mexico and Singapore, with projects across eight countries. Yew Kee is the Founding Principal of 2B ARCHITECTS, an award-winning boutique firm, and is a licensed architect both in Texas and in Singapore.
Yew Kee was instrumental in leading a team of Country Representatives from Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam to form the AIA Southeast Asia section in 2023. During his first term as AIA International Director, he successfully organized the AIA International Region Conference in Singapore in 2018. Additionally, he served as a Council Member of the Singapore Institute of Architects from 2008-2023, and was the Founding Chair of both the SIA Sustainability Committee and the SIA Wellness Committee. He also chaired the SIA Design Competition, representing the SIA in the International Design Competition for the Founders Memorial, which was won by Kengo Kuma and K2LD Singapore. Yew Kee is also a member of the Urban Land Institute.
Yew Kee is active in bridging professional and community work. He serves on various institute councils, sits on advisory committee of statutory boards, mentors university students, speaks at public forums, and acts as a juror for institute awards. Passionate about the arts, he used to docent at local museums on weekend.
In recognition of his contributions, Yew Kee received the Singapore Ministry of National Development Medallion for Distinguished Service in 2013.
Cathy Saldaña is the principal and CEO of PDP Architects and Projects Design Plus Architecture Management Corporation, based in Makati City. A distinguished alumna of the University of the Philippines College of Architecture and the Asian Institute of Management, she is known for her work in Hospitality Design, Retail Mixed Use, Residential and Commercial High Rises, and Industrial Facilities, as well as being a pioneer in Sustainable Island Developments in the Philippines. Actively involved in professional organizations, Cathy serves as a Trustee for the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Philippines, leads the Women’s Leadership Institute in Real Estate, and is a Board Trustee for PropTech. She is an International Associate of the American Institute of Architects, a Fellow of the United Architects of the Philippines, and the Philippine correspondent to the UIA WIA - Union of International Architects Women in Architecture Committee. Cathy also chairs a Technical Working Group under the Professional Regulation Commission for Hospitality and Leisure Architecture and is a certified Green Building Professional. She is a sought-after speaker at both local and international conferences and is frequently featured in various media platforms.
This conference is brought to you with the generous support of our event partners: PDP Architecture, UAP Diliman, Earoph Philippines, Dexterton and Brizo.
