We mark 100 issues of Cubes this year. It certainly is a bizarre time to be releasing a milestone issue with the worldwide upheaval that is the COVID-19 pandemic. But seen through rose-tinted glasses, it is also an opportune time to be doing so.

How is institutional and private-sector innovation addressing what consumers and citizens need from our public housing? Projects like GreenRidges (pictured above) by G8A and LAUD Architects provide private architects with a unique brief where the agenda is not solely driven by profits.

Down through the years, Cubes has endeavoured to hold a mirror up to the undertakings and aspirations of architecture and design in Singapore and the region. With this issue, it’s only fitting then that we pause, take stock and peer into what’s ahead, even as the rest of the industry also reflects and recalibrates during this time.

GSK’s Asia headquarters, designed by Hassell, comes up in our discussion on how the pandemic has altered the value of workspaces and how design can respond accordingly. Photo by Peter Bennetts.

In place of our usual showcase of projects, we tap into the collective wisdom of the architecture and design community and explore key topics that are pertinent to Singapore and the region:

In our exploration of the future of design for hotels, Andramatin’s design of Titik Dua provides some clues as it considers the hotel as a vehicle for culture and connection. Photo by Putu Adi Widiantara.

• What answers do public and private-sector collaborations hold for our public housing?
• Is there room for a messier urban wild?
• How has the pandemic changed the value of the workplace?
• What could a meaningful hotel experience look like in a post-pandemic world?
• How can design further the agenda of a richer, more holistic education for our young?

Lekker Architects’ design of The Caterpillar’s Cove Child Development and Learning Centre continues to inform the growing discussion on early childhood environments. Photo by Darren Soh.

The questions are varied (but by no means exhaustive). The responses even more so and by turns enlightening and provocative. The conversations we had were undergirded by a steely optimism and a fundamental belief that design can be a powerful agent for better outcomes.

Christopher Lee, founding principal of Serie Architects, shares about architecture that maintains relevance in the ever-evolving city. Photo by Jordi Huisman.

We take this opportunity to extend our hearty congratulations to the winners of the INDE.Awards 2020 who also are presented in this issue. They are testament to the quality and resilience of the design community in the region and a timely reminder that how we shape the spaces and environments around us can ultimately lead to greater good.

Cubes #100 Guest Editor Rachel Lee-Leong has since been appointed Editor-at-large for Cubes.