Design with Precarity: The 13th Conference of the Pacific Rim Community Design Network, Bangkok, December 10-13, 2025
In an era marked by environmental shifts and increasing climate impacts, both urban and rural living environments have become increasingly fragile and precarious. Like many megacities in the Asia-Pacific region, Bangkok—a sprawling coastal metropolis—is grappling with escalating climate-related disasters intertwined with socio-economic challenges. Addressing these multifaceted issues requires holistic planning and design approaches to enhance the agency and livelihoods of community residents. We are delighted to invite submissions of abstracts and design showcases for the 13th Conference of the Pacific Rim Community Design Network (PRCD25 Bangkok), which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from December 10 to 13, 2025.
PRCD25 Bangkok offers a platform for academics, architects, landscape architects, urban planners, urban designers, placemakers, and other professionals engaged in community design to exchange insights, showcase innovative solutions, and foster collaborations to address pressing challenges facing cities across the Pacific Rim. With its location in Bangkok this year, we particularly welcome the participation of community design practitioners and scholars in the region.
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Key Information
- Conference Dates: December 10-13, 2025
- Venue: Thammasat University, Tha Prachan Campus, Bangkok
- Theme: Design with Precarity
- Registration Fees:
- Academics/Professionals: US$280 (Early Bird: US$200)
- Early Career Scholars/Practitioners*: US$140 (Early Bird: US$100)
- Student rate (conference only): US$50
- Field Trip & Workshop (December 10-11): US$100 (including lunch, snacks, and logistics)(Limited capacity)
- Bangkok City Excursion (December 11) by Bangkok City Lab: US$30
*This registration fee is reserved for young scholars (less than 5 years of teaching experience) and practitioners from Southeast Asia, excluding Singapore.
Important Dates
- Abstract (Oral or Poster Presentation) (max. 400 words) Submission Deadline: April 18, 2025
- Community Design Showcase Submission Deadline: April 18, 2025
- Roundtable Sessions Submission Deadline: April 18, 2025
- Notification of Abstract Acceptance: June 16, 2025
- Early-Bird Registration Deadline: August 1, 2025
- Program Announcement: September 17, 2025
- Regular Registration Deadline: October 17, 2025
- Final Program Announcement: November 14, 2025
- Conference Dates: December 10-13, 2025
Why Attend?
PRCD25 Bangkok provides an unparalleled opportunity to engage with researchers, architects, and community development practitioners addressing the critical challenges of designing for precarious environments and marginalized communities, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific Rim region.
Submission Categories
We welcome submissions (via Google form) under the following themes:
- Designing with Marginalized Communities
- Placemaking for Resilient Communities
- Co-Design Initiatives
- Inclusive Design
- Climate-Resilient Planning and Design Practices
- Research showcase/ Community Design Showcase (poster presentation)
Roundtable Sessions
We invite proposals for roundtable sessions as part of the 13th Conference of the Pacific Rim Community Design Network, to be held at the conference venue. Roundtable sessions are designed to foster interactive discussions on emerging topics, debates, and challenges in Design with Precarity. Unlike traditional paper presentations, roundtables provide an opportunity for scholars, practitioners, and professionals to engage in an open and dynamic exchange of ideas.
We welcome proposals from individuals or groups interested in organizing a roundtable on topics related to the conference themes (referred to no. 4). Proposals should include:
- Roundtable Title
- Brief Description (400 words outlining the topic, objectives, and key discussion points)
- Moderator(s) and Participants (Names, affiliations, and roles of confirmed or potential participants)
- Target Audience & Expected Outcomes (Who will benefit from this discussion and what insights or actions might emerge?)
- Preferred Format (e.g., open discussion, guided Q&A, short presentations followed by debate)
Submit your proposal here. All roundtable sessions will be held at the main conference venue between 12 – 13 December 2025
Information for Oral & Poster Presentations
- Dates: December 12-13, 2025
- Formats:
- Oral Presentations: 15-minute presentations followed by Q&A
- Poster Presentations: A1-sized vertical posters (to be brought by presenters)
Keynote Speakers (TBA)
Field Trips & Workshops
- Option A Precarious Urban Nexus & Livelihoods (Dec 10-11, 2025): Thonburi, Western Bangkok Old Town – US$100/person
- Option B Precarious Environment & Landscapes (Dec 10-11, 2025): Coastal Town of Western Bangkok – US$100/person
- Option C Bangkok City Walking Tour (Dec 11, 2025): Visiting community design interventions in Bangkok’s old town areas – US$30/person
- Seats: Options A & B are limited to 20 – 24 participants per trip. Option C is limited to 30 participants.
Community Design Showcases
To celebrate excellence in community design across the Asia-Pacific region, we invite submissions of outstanding community design projects to be showcased at the conference.
Selected works will be recognized with awards based on evaluation by the committee using the following criteria:
- Community-engaged approach
- Impact on community livelihood
- Contribution to sustainability
Submissions should be an A1-sized vertical poster including photographs and/or diagrams, accompanied by a detailed explanation that addresses the award selection criteria.
- Dates: December 12-13, 2025
- Format: A1-sized vertical posters (to be brought by presenters)
- Awards: Best community design projects will be awarded by the Design Community Committee. (to be announced)
Opportunity to Publish
The eight best-selected papers will be invited for publication in a special issue of the Scopus-indexed Journal of Architectural/Planning Research and Studies (JARS).
Conference Organizers
- Host: Thammasat Design School
- Co-organizers:
- Urban Future and Policy Research Unit, Thammasat University
- School of Architecture and Design (SoA+D), King Monkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT)
- CROSSs – Community Design Firm
- Bangkok City Lab
- Contributing Partners
- ASEAN University Network – Asian Design and Education Research Alliance (AUN-ADERA)
- Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR) – http://www.achr.net/
- Community Architect Network (CAN) – http://communityarchitectsnetwork.info/index.php
Conference Scientific Committee**
- Shin AIBA (Tokyo Metropolitan University)
- Betty CHANG (National Cheng Kung University)
- Victoria CHANSE (Victoria University of Wellington)
- CHONG Keng Hua (University of the Arts Singapore)
- Jeff HOU (National University of Singapore)
- Shumei HUANG (National Taiwan University)
- Liz MALY (University of Tohoku)
- Derlie MATEO-BABIANO (University of Melbourne)
- Cathe Nadal (University of the Philippines, Diliman)
- Minai NAMIKO (Japan Women’s University)
- Boonanan NATAKUN (Thammasat University)
- Jayde ROBERTS (UNSW Sydney)
- TAN Beng Kiang (National University of Singapore)
- Hendrik TIEBEN (Chinese University of Hong Kong)
**More to be confirmed
Contact Information
For inquiries, please email us at prcdbangkok2025@gmail.com