Distinguished guests from Korea and around the world,

Mayor Tae-jeong Heo of Daejeon, the host city; President Long Xiu of the Architectural Society of China; President Yasuaki Onoda of the Architectural Institute of Japan; distinguished delegates from around the world; and esteemed colleagues from academia and industry, It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you all to the 15th International Symposium on Architectural Interchanges in Asia, ISAIA.

ISAIA is a prestigious and long-standing international academic symposium jointly organized every two years by the Architectural Institute of Korea (AIK), the Architectural Society of China (ASC), and the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ). It has played an important role in advancing architectural scholarship and fostering academic exchange across Asia.

The academic exchange and friendship that have continued through cities across Asia over the years have provided a valuable foundation for bringing us together here today.

Today, we gather not only to carry on this cherished tradition, but also to explore together the new future of architecture in Asia.

Daejeon, the host city of this symposium, is located at the heart of the Korean Peninsula and is one of Korea’s leading science and technology cities, where new possibilities and a new civilization have been cultivated through science and technology.

It is therefore particularly meaningful that we are holding this symposium here in Daejeon under the theme, “Architecture in the Expanding Age of AI.”

Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to specific industries or technological fields. Its influence is rapidly expanding across the entire architectural environment—from planning and design to construction and facility management, and even to the ways in which decisions are made and knowledge is shared.

Today, as data, computation, and human insight come together and converge, architecture is becoming a new arena in which different forms of intelligence interact with one another and evolve together.

Just as small streams come together to form a greater current, individual technologies and academic disciplines are becoming increasingly interconnected. Amid these changes, architecture is being called upon to play an important role in connecting and coordinating diverse forms of knowledge and technology, and in translating them into tangible spaces and environments.

I hope this symposium will provide a meaningful opportunity for all of us to consider and explore how we should understand the new architectural landscape opened up by artificial intelligence, how we should respond to these changes, and, ultimately, how we can take an active role in shaping this emerging future.

This symposium has received 700 paper submissions from 18 countries, including Korea, China, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. The enthusiastic interest and active participation from across Asia are a testament to the significance of this symposium and the high expectations it has generated within the Asian architectural community. Over the next four days, we look forward to seeing valuable research and scholarly achievements from diverse fields presented extensively and discussed in depth.

Furthermore, through the Opening Ceremony, keynote lectures, special sessions, and academic sessions, I hope that scholars and professionals from diverse backgrounds and with different perspectives will engage in meaningful dialogue, share new knowledge and inspiration, and further deepen our bonds of friendship and academic collaboration.

Finally, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the Architectural Society of China and the Architectural Institute of Japan for their generous support and cooperation in making this symposium a success.

I would also like to extend my sincere gratitude to the Daejeon Metropolitan Government, the relevant institutions and organizations, and all members of the Organizing Committee. It is through your dedication and hard work that this meaningful gathering has become possible.

I hope that all of you joining us today will not only gain valuable academic insights and new inspiration, but also have the opportunity to experience the charm and atmosphere of Daejeon, a city of science and technology, as well as the rich culture and beauty of Korea.

Once again, it is my great pleasure to warmly welcome all of you to the 15th International Symposium on Architectural Interchanges in Asia.

May your time here be meaningful, inspiring, and enjoyable, and may your visit remain a cherished memory for many years to come. Thank you.

Distinguished guests, dear delegates,

It’s a great pleasure to gather here in Daejeon, Korea for attending the 15th ISAIA. First of all, on behalf of the Architectural Society of China, I would like to extend sincere greetings and best wishes to all the guests and delegates here.

Since its foundation in 1986, the ISAIAs have been held for 40 years under the co-sponsorship of the AIK, the AIJ and the ASC and achieved great results. Over this period, focusing on the exchange of architectural research and practice across Asia, the symposium has advanced integration of traditional culture with modern technologies, followed the international academic frontiers and technological trends, and encouraged multi-disciplinary coordination and cross-boundary innovation. This has fully demonstrated friendship among the three institutions, facilitated mutual learning of architectural technical standards and sharing of pragmatic experience in the region, and laid a solid foundation for the overall progress of the Asian architecture sector.

Currently the information technology with AI at its core is thriving, and the architecture sector is faced with challenges and opportunities that have never been seen before. The sector should promote upgrading driven by technological innovation, deepen coordination between information technology and building construction, conduct digital and smart transformation in all-life cycle of architecture, and thus will be dedicated to an inclusive and sustainable future of human settlements. Standing on the new historic point, under the theme of Architecture in the Expanding Age of AI, the symposium this edition will delve into hot topics such as urban renewal, heritage protection, intelligent construction and green architecture, and carry forward to build a high-level academic platform for thought-provoking exchanges and technological sharing in the Asian architecture community.

The ASC has attached great importance to international exchanges and cooperation for decades. Only through in-depth exchanges and coordination can we seize new opportunities in the new wave of technological revolution and create a brighter future for Asian architecture. During the World Congress of Architects just ended in Barcelona this July, the ASC, together with the Beijing municipality, successfully held the handover ceremony of Beijing UIA Congress in 2029, and extended a cordial invitation to architects worldwide to Beijing. The Congress bidding and its future preparation is indispensable from the support of colleagues in Korea and Japan. We expect that, the ASC will join hands with the AIK, the AIJ, and other academic institutions to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation, making new contributions to the prosperity of the architecture industry and the creation of a more beautiful life.

Last but not least, special thanks should be given to the AIK for your tremendous efforts in hosting this event. Wish the symposium a full success and wish you all good health and every success.

Thank you very much.

Annyeong hasimnikka. I am Yasuaki Onoda, President of the Architectural Institute of Japan.

The world of the 2020s is one that began with preventive measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a series of major military conflicts that are still underway. I believe that is a day and age of the utmost gravity in world history. At the same time, although the seeds of considerable tension do exist in the East Asia in which we live, we have a mature mutual relationship with which to alleviate these tensions and are a driving force in the world economy. Even though it must be said that Japan is not thriving particularly well these days.

The International Symposium on Architectural Interchanges in Asia (ISAIA) is a conference that was started as an attempt, through debate on architecture and cities, to invigorate and expand the potential of those involved in architectural research and design in the nations of South Korea, China and Japan – nations forming the nucleus of East Asia. The Symposium has now carved out a 40-year-long history since it was jointly launched in 1986 by the Architectural Institute of Korea (AIK), the Architectural Society of China (ASC) and the Architectural Institute of Japan (AIJ). This 1st Symposium was held in Japan as 1986 was also the AIJ’s centennial anniversary.

This is our milestone 15th Symposium, and I am delighted that it is being held in Daejeon Metropolitan City, also known as “South Korea’s Silicon Valley.” In addition to offering the very latest in science I feel sure that this location, where a unique harmony is created by the preservation and rebuilding of modern architecture and the beautiful nature forming its base, is a highly appropriate place that maintains the spirit of the ISAIA. I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Jurng-Jae Yee, President of the AIK, Gyu Yong Kim, chair of the Organizing Committee, and all the other stakeholders for providing us with this precious occasion. I am also extremely grateful for the tireless efforts of all the Symposium speakers and those presenting their academic papers.

Moving on, the theme of this Symposium is “Architecture in the Expanding Age of AI.” AI is no longer a technology of our dreams but a basic technology that deeply touches all our day-to-day lives, and is greatly changing the relationships between architecture and humans. However, it has still only just begun, and the fact is that we cannot yet clearly see what lies ahead – a dystopia or the realization of a utopia.

I hope that the research presentations and discussions starting from today will serve to shed some light on this point. By strengthening the bonds between South Korea, China, Japan and other Asian nations including Indonesia, which is participating as an Officially Invited Institution, and sharing all our knowledge, new possibilities between architecture and humans are likely to develop.

This summer, South Korea, China and Japan suffered massive damage due to torrential rain, and more recently an enormous debris avalanche occurred on the borders of Nepal and China due to the collapse of a glacier. I think that we who live in a monsoon zone exposed to a highly active hydrological cycle, are all stuck in the same boat so to speak. This is opportunity for dialogue regarding mutual issues, for veterans like ourselves, young students, and those involved in architecture and urban environments. It is inevitable that responses to crises like these will be discussed.

With these thoughts in mind, I will draw my remarks to an end by expressing my very best wishes for the success of the symposium. Kamsahamnida.