At WAF, architects present their most recent projects in a variety of categories, with the grand prize being awarded to the ‘World Building of the Year’.

Lisbon played host to the event last year, drawing more than 1,500 attendees with over 420 projects in competition. Singapore will be next, welcoming WAF back for the first time since 2014, from November 29 to December 1, with almost 500 entries in the running.

Paul Finch presided over the World Architecture Festival 2022 in Lisbon, Portugal.
© World Architecture Festival

The World Architecture Festival brings together architects from around the world who present their latest projects in competition.
© World Architecture Festival

Paul feels that sustainability is a rising tide. Even though a quick survey of the WAF entries reveals that less than half speak of sustainability directly this year, he reckons that’s still a marked improvement over past iterations.

On the ground, the challenge is complex: architects must navigate a broad ecosystem of practice and norms, much of which is often beyond their control. Decisions most often derive from conversations between multiple stakeholders, each with an agenda that is often different from others.

An idea that stems from an architect’s viewpoint — which, Paul says, does not get enough attention in the sustainability world — is ‘long-life, loose-fit’, first championed by Welsh architect Alex Gordon in 1974. He made a case for buildings to last, principally because they are designed to adapt and evolve over time.

Paul Finch, an erudite speaker who commands attention, is viewed globally as a tastemaker.
© World Architecture Festival

Another aim that matters to architects but is often ignored in conversations on the environment is beauty. Paul makes the case that if people are drawn viscerally to buildings they consider beautiful, they are more likely to care for them, which improves the odds that they will endure.

Pan Pacific Orchard by WOHA offers a different kind of beauty by integrating performative ideas, such as passive design and shared space, into its form.
© Darren Soh / WOHA

Central to beauty is the perception of form. Some architects, such as Singapore-based WOHA, reinvent form by addressing ecological goals: for instance, the landscaping of buildings and their neighbourhoods. This reimagination of form follows Green functions that can be traced back to the work of practitioners like Malaysia-born Ken Yeang who, starting in the 80s, broke free of conventions of style-based beauty.

Pan Pacific Orchard boats biophilic components like greenery and vertical gardens in semi-outdoor spaces to reduce heat gain and cool the building’s interior.
© Darren Soh / WOHA

Historically, architects have always been interested in creating better environments. Paul puts this purpose into context with the current need for sustainability. He makes the case that there is much that architects do that is not sufficiently valued and that the profession, as a whole, is indeed well on its way to embracing the future.

There is some way to go, of course. However, to those who say that architects are not doing enough, he is quick to remind that decisions are not made in isolation. If there is to be change — real measurable change, that is — it will be because the views of stakeholders are aligned ultimately. The path leading to this convergence of minds is still the real challenge for now.