PREPARING THAI ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAMS FOR The 2015 ASEAN COMMUNITY

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PREPARING THAI ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAMS FOR THE 2015 ASEAN COMMUNITY Pimwadee Eomthurapote Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University, Patumtani, Thailand E-mail: khunpim@yahoo.com Although Thai architecture is an ancient profession that has developed over the centuries, in today’s global content the agenda of Thai architecture is changing. The Thai education system therefore needs to prepare for the arrival of ASEAN in 2015. Whilst both architectural theory and practice are considered important challenges in design school, in recent years Thai designers seemingly agree that traditional design approaches cannot provide an absolute solution for successful architectural design. Indeed, architectural design practice should be based on multidisciplinary principle rather than theoretical accounts. Accordingly, this paper is devoted to a discussion of these design principles and four main architectural design considerations are proposed: perception, environmental art, heritage conservation, and design. Through the discussion, this paper shows that these considerations play important roles in architectural design and could help create successful ASEAN architects.

Keywords: Thai architecture, ASEAN community, ASEAN architects, Architectural education, Thai design.

1. Introduction ASEAN comprises 10 countries, including the Republic of Singapore, Malaysia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of the Philippines, Brunei Darrussalam, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Union of Myanmar, The Kingdom of Cambodia and the Kingdom of Thailand, with a combined population of approximately 570 million.

In October 2003, ASEAN leaders signed the declaration of ASEAN cooperation (called the Bali agreement) which approved the establishment of an ASEAN community by 2020. Later, as a result of rapid economic growth in both China and India, this process was shortened bringing the new completion date forward to 2015. This plan was endorsed by ASEAN leaders at the 14th ASEAN Summit held on March 1, 2009.

Architecture is one of a number of highly skilled professions which will be liberalized across the region in 2015, in accordance with the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Architectural Services, whose aim is to: “1) facilitate mobility of architects; 2) exchange

information in order to promote adoption of best practices on standards of architectural education, professional practice and qualifications; 3) conform to the spirit of ASEAN co-operation based on a fair distribution of resources and benefits through collaborative research; 4) encourage, facilitate and establish mutual recognition of architects and set up standard and commitment of technological transfer among ASEAN Member Countries.”

(ASEAN, 2012) The aim of the present study is to prepare traditional Thai architecture for ASEAN integration by the year 2015. The three specific research areas are: 1. To examine how professional and academic architectural organizations can cope with the economic crisis.

2. To investigate which new concepts or programs will support the development of academic and professional standards, including the promotion of a greater variety of subjects.

3. To evaluate the system of instruction and take steps to prepare for an era of increased professional competition.

Research, Development, and Practice in Structural Engineering and Construction Edited by Vanissorn Vimonsatit, Amarjit Singh, and Siamak Yazdani c 2013 by Research Publishing Services :: www.rpsonline.com.sg Copyright ISBN: 978-981-08-7920-4 :: doi: 10.3850/978-981-08-7920-4 EPE-4-0097

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2. Professional Practice and Architectural Education in Thailand This paper aimed to provide a viewpoint on professional practice and architectural education in Thailand. Changes have occurred in educational strategy with a view to producing architectural graduates best suited for the ASEAN community.

The ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Architectural Services, approved in 2007, established a framework for cooperation and professional liberalization in the region. It states that: “An Architect who is eligible to apply to the ASEAN Architect Council (AAC) to be registered as an ASEAN Architect (AA) under Article 3.1 and complies with the Guidelines on Criteria and Procedures and satisfies the Assessment Statement may upon acceptance and payment of the fees, be emplaced on the ASEAN Architect Register (AAR) and accorded the title of ASEAN Architect (AA). An ASEAN Architect shall practice architecture only in the specific projects in which he/she has been adjudged to be competent under this Arrangement. An architect or practitioner who meets the following qualifications, practical experience and conditions is eligible for registration as an AA: • completed an accredited or recognized architectural programme; • is a registered Architect with ACT • acquired practical and diverse experience of not less than ten years of practice of architecture since graduation, of which five years shall be after licensure/ registration; • has spent at least two years in responsible charge of significant architectural work; • complied with the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) policy at a satisfactory level; • obtained certification from the PRA of the country of origin with no record of serious violation on technical, professional or ethical standards, local and

ASA cooperates with ASEAN community

ACT regulates the standard Architect AA

Government agencies regulate the policy

Thai Education Institute

Figure 1. Architectural Organization within Thailand and its relationship to ASEAN.

international, for the practice of architecture; • agrees to be bound by code of professional conduct and ethics.” (ASEAN, 2012).

3. The Role of Architectural Organization At present, there are three organizations in Thailand which play a central role in the development of ASEAN Architects (AA), such as The Association of Siamese Architects under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King (ASA), the Architect Council of Thailand (ACT), and the Thai Education Institutes (see Figure 1).

3.1. The Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) The Association of Siamese Architects has been instrumental in the development of the architectural field both professionally and academically, working closely with the Council of Thai Architects within the framework of the law and practice.

Moreover, the association publishes academic papers and hosts conferences to promote collaborations with other ASEAN Architects.

3.2. Architect Council of Thailand (ACT) The Architect Council of Thailand, formerly the Council of Architects, is the professional organization established by the

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Architect Act (2000) and includes four professional fields of architecture within the Act: Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Architecture and Interior Architecture/decorative arts and other related areas. They are responsible for issuing and revoking licenses for every branch of the profession. Furthermore, they regulate the conduct of members eligible to apply for a license. (Architect Council of Thailand, 2011).

3.3. Thai Education Institutes In Thailand, the education institutes have a duty to provide a professional future for their graduates. They work in collaboration with the Council of Deans of Architecture Schools of Thailand (CDAST), which was formally initiated by nine universities in 1996. Since then, annual CDAST meetings and activities have been organized by each university member, the number of which has increased from nine to twenty-four universities and includes two educational institutes. As a benefit-free organization, the annual budget comes from membership and sponsors. CDAST members are also academic volunteers, with the shared belief of helping each other in developing the architectural education system and other academic research, exchanging academic knowledge and experiences, enhancing Thai art and culture, and cooperating with other professional societies. The architectural education system has been developed with the aim of benefiting both students and faculty members (Kasem Bundit University, 2012).

4. Research Methods One approach would have been to follow and trace the similarities and differences of design education in architecture by studying architectural theory and practice in design school. In recent years Thai designers seemingly agree that traditional design approaches cannot provide an absolute solution for successful architectural

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design. Indeed, architectural design practice should be based on a multi-disciplinary principles rather than theoretical accounts.

The second approach adopted in this study was to use in-depth and informal semi-structured questionnaires with openended discrete questions. These were presented both to key and general participants in order to identify not only the viewpoints of professionals or members of the educational institute on specific issues, but also to discover unexpected information that may arise beyond simple questions. This question was designed to gain information for content analysis through intense debate, using a survey questionnaire. The following data collection and analysis were based on the fourth research question below.

The first question was concluded from three specific research area components designed to investigate how organizations of professional and academic architecture can cope with the economic crisis, offer new concepts or programs to support the development of academic and professional standards, including the promotion of a greater variety of subjects, and to study how the system of instruction is preparing for this period of increasing professional competition. The second question, about how architects should adapt their knowledge, explored issues such as know-how, language and technology.

The third question examined the architectural curriculum and whether Thai education was giving graduates the skills they require in their professional lives, as well as the ability to design according to traditional Thai principles. Currently, there is not the knowledge of fundamental architectural design appropriate to the region, including the principles or concepts fundamental to the design of East Asia’s or Thailand’s heritage and traditional structures. All students should study the basics of Thai architecture and then work on developing their own identity in new forms, new technology, and unique contemporary architecture appropriate to the overall environment.

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The fourth question aimed to identify suggestions to improve the structure of Thai education thereby improving the overall quality of architects entering the ASEAN Community.

5. Results and Discussions This paper is devoted to a discussion of the principles underlining successful architectural design. Based on a review of both academic and professional works, five main architectural design considerations were proposed. This paper employs the questions above to assess the viewpoint of professionals and institutes in the field of architecture, testing the results using a content analysis model. Texts were categorized according to the four questions. The goal here was to prepare Thai architecture for the arrival of the ASEAN community in, 2015. Content analysis assesses the frequency of certain words or concepts within texts or sets of texts to determine their relative importance to respondents. Traditionally, content analysis has most often been thought of in terms of conceptual analysis.

In conceptual analysis, a concept is chosen for examination, and the analysis involves quantifying and tallying its presence. Relational analysis, like conceptual analysis, begins with the act of identifying concepts present in a given text or set of texts. In this guide, we discuss two general categories of content analysis: conceptual analysis and relational analysis. The paper assesses the perspectives of around 450 architects and members of professional institutes using questionnaires based on real and hypothetical studies that use content analysis. The key terms used in the survey research refer to the match between the target group and the questions on the principles of architectural education and professional practice.

5.1. Perception The results from the content analysis suggested similar viewpoints between professionals and members of architectural institutes.

5.1.1. Architectural Professional Viewpoint • It is not effective, the clients who hire Thai and foreign architects, are different groups.

• Organizations which have relationships with the AEC should provide more relevant information.

• More aggressive strategy - due to Thai architects having established a reputation for providing innovative expertise at a personal level. Design companies should have the opportunity to work abroad more • The regulations and values have hindered the working practices of professional architecture.

• ASEAN Community provides architectural professionals with the opportunity to work more widely on a variety of projects.

5.1.2. Architectural Institute Viewpoint • Organizations which have relationships with the AEC should provide more relevant information.

• Schooling should add more ’real’ subject matter to the contents of the curriculum through work experience.

• More aggressive tactics - due to architectural programs having a variety of forms. The precedent, the old universities which taught the Architectural Programs, produced graduates capable of working for international companies.

• The adjustment of the school curriculum to include an English teaching program, activities abroad and international workshops.

• Enhance and expand teaching and learning in a variety of areas related to the field of architecture.

• Adjust the schooling to respond to international work standards.

5.2. Environmental Art The results of the second question highlighted that architectural professionals

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should prepare to adapt their knowledge and skills in architectural professional viewpoint • The practice of English language and technology of presentation are important.

• How to think critically is the basis for creative ideas and designs.

• Design research is one way to get design information.

• Architectural training should be systematic. There should be more awareness building seminars throughout the year.

• Architects should have better knowledge of work attitudes within cross cultural environments.

• Architects should have a better understanding of the construction process, project management, building technology and green building design.

5.3. Heritage Conservation The results of the third question covered the main issues from a professional viewpoint about the general Thai architectural curriculum.

• Thai architects identified with the western styles and forms and are not regarded as reflecting local outlook or the regional living environment.

• Architectural schooling should focus on the basics of Thai architecture, using design concepts that fit residents and the contemporary environment.

• Development of Thai architecture and ASEAN architecture should be included in each course description, to create a better understanding of the grassroots lifestyles and the local environment.

• The curriculum should focus on East Asian Architecture as a whole, not only Thai Architecture.

• The Architectural Education Institute should produce architects who graduate with a breadth of in-depth knowledge.

• More in-depth content about Thai architecture within each field should increase

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knowledge and understanding of how that department can progress.

5.4. Design The results of the fourth question emphasized the importance of taking steps to ensure the approval of Thai architects throughout the ASEAN Community in architectural institutes.

• The Architectural Institute should increase the level of education to international standards, create the basic foundation of professional knowledge and ideas, provide opportunities for students to learn more elective courses and finally, to develop their unique abilities.

• The Architectural Institute should focus on teaching the design process, concept design and design criteria by instructing students to develop their ideas and attitudes as designers.

• The most important elements are language, culture, economy and legal framework in neighboring countries within the ASEAN community.

• Architects should learn all professional requirements and then plan to study a specialized field.

• Emphasis on practicality, knowledge and understanding of the actual construction process.

• Support skills development in the English language.

With regards to the conclusions from 5.1– 5.4, it should be stressed that there is a balance between the value of specialist and generalist architectural knowledge. Professionals should be able to understand the whole picture as they will not benefit if they have too specialized and narrow a perspective. Yet from the viewpoint of market demand, the production of architects who specialize in a particular field, such as building technology, is also a requirement.

The creation of Thai identity in vernacular architecture is a major strength. However, the quality of other fields, such as

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technology, energy, and tropical architecture, need to be raised to international professional standards.

6. Conclusion A growing dissatisfaction with the situation of Thai architectural education appears to be the main concern voiced by researchers and academics, who argue that the education of future architects needs to be more responsive to contemporary society, particularly with the imminent liberalization of the profession within ASEAN. Such criticism is concerned with the connections between the way architecture is approached in Thai architectural programs and the way architecture is developed in professional practice. The goal of architectural institutions should be to increase the specialization of their students. Moreover, the internship period for student placements in offices or with architects should be between 1–2 years. Based on a review of both academic and professional works, four main architectural design considerations are proposed in this paper. These include perception, environmental art, heritage conservation, and design. Through the discussion, this paper has shown that these substantive considerations play important roles in architectural design and could help create successful ASEAN architects. In the near future, more foreign architects will work inside Thailand and, as the market opens, we will need to engage more with Asian styles, such as vernacular architecture.

Architectural education in the ASEAN Community should prepare professionals to be flexible and adjust to the situation.

English language skills will be of central importance in the ASEAN community, thus architects should develop their communication skills in English. They should also improve their understanding of history to reduce conflict in the region. At present, many Thai graduates have insufficient

knowledge of ASEAN: to be competitive in the future this will have to change, with students better prepared for the ASIAN context. However, Thailand should draw on its geographical advantages to become a learning hub and focus on the quality of education as a tool of transformation.

This will help produce competent architects with strong academic and research capabilities to continually develop themselves and their profession towards more sustainable development.

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