Aside from being a platform for celebrating exceptional architecture and design in the Indo-Pacific, the INDE.Awards is a barometer of our times. This year I was impressed by the quality and diversity of projects entered into The Learning Space, for example. Many were complex and sophisticated tertiary facilities with a particular focus on technology, science and innovation. It reinforced for me the emphasis placed on intelligence and creativity, both commodities of the new-age ‘knowledge economy’ in which we find ourselves.A timely topic given our education focus this issue.

In the spirit of knowledge and learning, we are excited to present the INDE.Awards Official Shortlist 2019, (page 29). Huge congratulations go to our shortlisted entrants and heartfelt thanks go to our valued Sponsors. I am deeply grateful to our 2019 Jury, which devoted countless hours to judging before arriving at the shortlist – and the winners.

Who will take home the INDE gold? On Friday 21 June the region will gather, this time in Melbourne, for the INDE.Awards Gala. Creatives from across the Indo-Pacific will join us to celebrate the announcement of our 2019 winners. The vibe on the night is electric – a whole region, a single community – all come together to make it truly exceptional. Book your seat and be part of the action! Tickets can be purchased at indeawards.com.

The INDE.Awards Gala is just one of a host of events in what is a ‘super design week’ in Melbourne. We’re thrilled to announce the return of the beloved Saturday Indesign event, taking place in Melbourne on Saturday 22 June. If you’re looking to connect with your design community, meet new faces, gain knowledge, get inspired and feed your passion for design – this is the event for you. It’s free and you can register your attendance at saturdayindesign.com.

I mentioned the ‘knowledge economy’ earlier: what an awesome subject to be focusing on this issue. Leanne Amodeo returns as our Special Edition Editor for Education, (page 104), exploring the non-traditional environments that define how teaching and learning is delivered in 2019.

Alice Blackwood | Editor