This issue of ASA, Out of the Blocks, focuses on creating and testing different masonry building materials. It showcases the innovative designs of architects, which combine engineering and craftsmanship, as well as advancements in construction technology. The issue features various architectural works, including house designs by Research Studio Panin and Muslim Architect for Community, an office renovation by Studio Miti, a hotel by Ekar Architects, and a mixed-use building by pbm. ASA Professional features an article showcasing the innovative practices of Junsekino Architect and Design, and BodinChapa Architects, an emerging studio that utilizes local materials to construct remarkable modern architecture.

The notion of sustainable development has substantially impacted architectural design and the construction sector in the past few decades. This term refers to a developmental trajectory that ensures the ability of the current generation to fulfill its requirements while safeguarding the future. This has placed significant emphasis on the environmental aspect, with a particular mention of the color green symbolizing this notion. Thus, it has become customary to refer to it as “green architecture” or “green building,” terms initially regarded as addressing the challenges posed by ever-evolving global circumstances such as climate crises, natural disasters, wars, and epidemics. When envisioning the future of architecture, it is therefore inevitable to consider the interplay between the environmental, social, and economic dimensions.

This ASA Journal, A Green Future issue, features architectural projects in Thailand that demonstrate environmental sustainability. These projects encompass both the construction of new buildings and the modification of existing building structures to incorporate social and psychological aspects of the occupants, as well as public benefits at the city level. Additionally, it encompasses articles that discuss forthcoming low-carbon materials.

This issue of ASA Journal, Wood is Good, features contemporary wooden architecture projects by Thai architects, such as a hotel design by Habita Architects, a meditation center by DBALP, an art exhibition building by Sumphat, and a residential project by Yangnar Studio, as well as a church design by Spanish architect Paco Garcia Moro in Tak Province.

In addition to being designed with materials and concepts that respond to the effects of climate change that we will increasingly face in the future, wooden architecture is still considered to create new skills and knowledge in woodworking that both build upon and carry forward the traditional wisdom, incorporating new things from various contexts and cultures. Creating knowledge, craftsmanship, and originality in wooden architecture is essential for keeping up with changing times and human needs.

This edition of ASA focuses on the core theme of the Architect Expo 2023 event, “Tam Taad: Time of Togetherness.” Tam Taad is a famous and delicious Thai dish made from a variety of tasty raw materials and herbs, so the theme is a metaphor for the combination of ideas and designs chosen by co-organizers from all five professional associations: the Association of Siamese Architects Under Royal Patronage (ASA), the Thai Interior Designers Association (TIDA), the Thai Association of Landscape Architects (TALA), and the Architects Council of Thailand.

This issue includes an article presenting thematic pavilion designs, an award for the conservation of architectural art for 2023, a summary of the ACT Forum, which the association co-organized for the first time with the Architect Council of Thailand, The ASA Experimental Design Competition: Not Only Human, and an introduction to new interesting products from the ASA Platform Selected Materials 2023.